Driving Miss Lizzie

Okay Lizzie was pretty jealous that Buddy (who she says gives me very little love compared to her) was given his own Blog post. I told her there are far more photos of her on my blog (mostly due to the fact that she has learned if she follows Will around she will get her picture taken and get attention). She pointed out to me that she still wanted her own blog post so here it is Liz!

Miss Lizzie is our cavalier king charles spaniel. A good friend gave her to us 2 Christmases ago. She will be 3 this November. We love her a lot. She is the first dog we've ever allowed to sleep in our bed (even though she snores and sometimes scratches- she is very cuddly). She's the first dog we've owned that I've ever seen Tom so silly over. Not sure if it is her size or her personality but he adores her and the feeling is mutual.

She is my girl though! We started out very early with our bonding. The first night we got her we actually took her to Christmas Eve service at our church (no one knew - she was so tiny and quiet - we took turns passing her down the row and loving on her). She is a constant companion - following me everywhere around the house.

Her favorite perch is on the back of the couch where she can keep an eye on me no matter where I am in the family room or kitchen. If I am working on my laptop she sleeps at my feet. In the bathroom, she likes my closet. In the bedroom she prefers our bed. And of course when one of us sits she's on our lap (unless Will is there - then she is right beside us).

She loves other dogs (actually thinks she is a golden retriever) - adores Katie & Reagan's dog Ruby and is a little more wary of Adam's Jazz. She also loves to play with cats - especially Katie's cat Bella and Buddy too whenever he allows it. She's great with kids fondly giving lots of kisses (but then maybe that's because they always have some kind of food on them for her to find and lick!) When Tom gets home from work, she cries until I let her out to run and greet him.

This year she has grown really grown close to my Mom due to the fact that I have had to leave her a lot as I travelled for work and Will - thanks for taking such great care of Lizzie Grammy!

Lizzie likes to travel and has taken a lot of road trips with me (which is good because Tom has stopped driving preferring to fly and meet me). Lizzie has accompanied me to Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Mexico, Colorado, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. And she feels fairly certain she will get to all 48 states before she departs this earthly realm. I was packing my bag this past Tuesday, loading up the car and Lizzie was pouting until she saw me pack her black duffel and load her crate and then she flew to the car - hopped in and said "Drive Jules!"...with pleasure we hit the road and once again I'm driving Miss Lizzie!

Buddy The Cat

We've had a few requests to see Buddy the Cat. I named him Buddy because I thought he would be one for me. I should have named him Harry because he really isn't much of a Buddy and he has very hairy ears. Buddy is 5 1/2 and spends most of his time outside....therefore most of our friends and neighbors are surprised when they hear we have a cat. He graces us with his presence periodically throughout the day when he comes in for meals but then he promptly wants back out so he can continue his stalking and hunting and yes, killing.

He is very fond of lizards. Has been known to catch an occasional mouse. He loves to lie in wait at the top of our brick wall for a bird to fly into the bushes overhead...then they too are goners. He seems to take great joy in catching most of his prey alive and then playing with them as they try but never succeed to escape. I irritate Buddy because I interfere and rescue whenever I am able. He thinks it's bad enough I had all of his nails ripped out. I frankly do not see how he does it. He informs me that his talents are hiding, jumping and excellent timing on attacking. At any rate - here are some photos of Buddy doing what he does best...looking at Tom with great disdain and hiding in the bushes awaiting his next victim.

Sometimes I Worry!

The following was sent to us by our dear "old" friend and Tom's childhood neighbor Dr. Claxton - Thanks Dr. C!

Is there a magic cutoff period when offspring become accountable for their own actions? Is there a wonderful moment when parents can become detached spectators in the lives of their children and shrug, "It's their life," and feel nothing?

When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my son's head. I asked, "When do you stop worrying?" The nurse said,"When they get out of the accident stage." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little chair in a classroom and heard how one of my children talked incessantly, disrupted the class,and was headed for a career making license plates. As if to read my mind, the teacher said, "Don't worry, they all go through this stage and then you can sit back, relax and enjoy them." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring, the cars to come home, the front door to open. A friend said,"They're trying to find themselves. Don't worry, in a few years, you can stop worrying.They'll be adults." My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.

By the time I was 50, I was sick & tired of being vulnerable. I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new wrinkle. There was nothing I could do about it. My mother just smiled faintly and said nothing. I continued to anguish over their failures, be tormented by their frustrations and absorbed in their disappointments. My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my mother's warm smile and her occasional, "You look pale. Are you all right? Call me the minute you get home. Are you depressed about something?"

Can it be that parents are sentenced to a lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown? Is concern a curse or is it a virtue that elevates us to the highest form of life? One of my children became quite irritable recently, saying to me, "Where were you? I've been calling for 3 days, and no one answered I was worried." I smiled a warm smile. The torch has been passed.

- author unknown -

We Love Our Neighbors!

Before I married Tom Brown I had basically lived in two homes all of my life...neighbors were important...they were who we played with after school and on the weekend - they became my best friends...we celebrated Fourth of July fireworks together and kickball. Then I got married, moved to Houston and then to Tyler. When we bought our first home at 3rd & Chilton I thought we would be there forever - but I married a man who liked to move. Tom came from a "corporate family" background and somehow connected that with one should always be moving into a new home every few years. Each time I "nested" and "invested" in our neighbors.

While I basically hate to move - I also was bad at saying "no" - in fact one home was bought while I was in the jungle! Even though we rationalized and justified each and every move - God blessed us....with neighbors. Every single one of our homes gave us incredible neighbors who turned into friends. We lived in Gresham and all those neighbor gals were pregnant and new to Tyler along with me and we formed a babysitting co-op and loved and learned along with each other - I remember one afternoon going out to get the mail and due to morning sickness found myself throwing up at the mailbox but because everyone else's wife was pregnant and prone to the same embarrassing situation - the guys coming home from work just honked and waved as I heaved and slunk into the house.

The home on 3rd and Chilton was where we lived the most years and where our kids have most of their memories - it's where we met neighbors who became our very friends. I pictured Katie getting married one day in the yard...but then we moved to Belmead Lane. We were just a few streets over and I met a wonderful group of older women who enveloped me and kept touch with each other vicariously through me which was fun & very interesting-there's probably a book in the making on those experiences. Because we didn't move that far, we just added the 3rd and Chilton neighbors to the bunch on Belmead and kept on building the friendships.

Then we had an interesting God-incident...we never would have dreamed but happened anyway involving the adoption of a little deaf and mute boy in Guatemala (this story will someday be told more in depth) but the point was we really felt we needed to leave the home on Belmead that had a pool and go to the other end of town to "The Woods" that had lots of little kids. Fine with me actually because the Belmead home (bought while I was mission tripping in Belize) wasn't my favorite and I had never had a new home so I was looking foward to that experience. Adoption did not go through as planned and new homes have stuff falling apart just like old homes but we met some wonderful neighbors - the neighborhood was diverse and everyone walked just like in the Azalea District - we had a great front porch and we made some wonderful young neighbors who turned into friends.

Two years later - Adam was leaving for college in Colorado and Tom said"let's move to the lake" - I said "ok but not till this house sells" thinking whatever - this will take some time....unbelievably the house sold in 3 days - we bought an 800 square foot lakehouse, moved all our stuff into two storage rooms and took our last child to college. Sept 10 th we came back home and woke up Sept 11 and thought wow maybe this was a good idea because the sky is falling. We started meeting neighbors and encouraging our friends to buy at the lake and become our neighbors!

The sky didn't fall. We made plans to build. The bids for the simple plans were outrageous and I found myself longing to be back on Chilton. Tom said it was a little "Father of the Bride-ish" but due to my flailing on the bed and crying - was willing to humble himself and grovel to beg the old home on Chilton owners to sell back to us - I mean Katie was getting married in three months and I wanted us to have a home! We couldn't get the old house back but God must have been waiting to hear me say "Chilton" because that same week a home went on the market at 2312 Chilton and we were the first to see it and wrote a contract before we left the driveway! And once again God has blessed us and surrounded us with great neighbors - some were friends we already knew and the neighbors we didn't know have quickly became precious friends.

We've lived in our current home now for 5 years - and I made a box in the garage that I told Tom is the only way I am leaving this house. He still throws up the idea every once in awhile of downsizing to a condo and getting apartments in the places where our children live - I smile and let him ramble...maybe I should have tried that technique in the beginning! But then we wouldn't have all the friends that we have now because of those moves into all those neighborhoods.

And new neighbors are moving in! We just welcomed a sweet young family that moved in across the street - Mike & Brandy Williams (he's a new radiologist in Tyler, she's a stay-at-home mom and they both love running). They have two precious children Bella (3) and Beau (1). Now our grandson Will has buddies to play with when he comes to town and we can hopefully be to the Williams family what the Bubby & Dorothy Gordon and Florence & Marcus Strum were to our children (a weird stage huh? but wonderful!)

Williams Family - we are so glad you moved to Tyler and to our neighborhood! We know you will soon have lots of friends and - just like us - a lot of them will be your neighbors too!

Bella "making tea"......................Beau showing off his teeth

Salisburys Visit!

Our dear "old" (as in length of time) friends Debbie & John Salisbury (Wake Forest, NC) visited us in Tyler this week. The S's just became empty nesters having recently taken their youngest, Audrey, to college. Thanks to "old" friends, Judy & Bruce Carter who braved rain and wind to take their crazy friends skiing on Lake Tyler. It was a great evening in spite of the downpour! In the small world department - Steven Rogers (son of our dear "old" friends Jane & Rick Rogers) have also become friends with the Salisburys having worked with them on the Guatemalan mission field. It was great to be with both the Salisburys & Rogers for dinner & stimulating conversation - thanks for a really special evening!

Fun at Carters' Lakehouse.............. John & Tom swim racing
..............................................( Eat your heart out Michael Phelps!)


Friends for over 20 years.............. Browns, Salisburys, Rogers

Thanks so much for your visit John and Debbie!

Celebration! Colette Granberry Graduation

Congratulations Colette!

Jim & Sandi Granberry included us in the celebration honoring their daughter Colette's graduation from Baylor. They had a dinner at Nicola's restaurant in Plano - among their many friends and family members were John, Debbie, Claire & Elvia Salisbury our great friends from North Carolina. (Debbie is Sandi's twin sister)

"The Triplets" aka Julie, Debbie & Sandi

John, Tom & Jim

Julie, Debbie, Tom, Claire, John & Elvia

Prosthetics - Final Step

Will received his finished leg prosthetics last Thursday. We were so happy to see that he seemed to tolerate this finished pair a little better. Not sure if they were more comfortable or if he remembered them and so he was better prepared to wear them. Thanks so much to Dr. Wanda (who designed his new prosthetics) and Brenda (physical therapist) for their commitment, hard work and encouragement to Will, Katie & Reagan. Will's new prosthetics now have 5 layers: 1st a heavy sock that comes up to just below the knee, 2-a formed sleeve that also fits just below the knee, 3-a thin sock that covers the sleeve, 4- the plastic leg form with foot, 5- tight neoprene sleeve that comes completely up to his hip (sort of like wearing a wet suit).

Will with Brenda (his physical therapist at TSRHC)

He loves Miss Brenda even if she does make him work!

Will's adoring fans (Kristen, Becky & Melinda) from the Second Floor PR/Marketing/Events Dept at TSRHC... Katie takes Will to this floor and he crawls from office to office getting lots of ooohs and claps and kisses! It's his reward for working so hard - those girls are so cute this motivational reward may work for quite awhile!

The next few weeks will be a time of transition as Will, Katie & Reagan learn to live with Will's new prosthetics. The doctor wants Will to learn to walk on his own legs but he also wants Will to wear the prosthetics for a few hours every day and begin to learn to walk on them as well. Will is frustrated as you can imagine because he is quite fast at crawling and getting to anywhere he wants to go with his own legs and he has also become proficient at "cruising" around tables etc...but his ankles don't bend, and the prosthetics are heavy, awkward and slow him down. We have already seen that he walks better in therapy just after a week of practicing but it still is hard to see him struggle and have to work so hard and to see his frustration but not be able to explain why he needs to wear them. We would appreciate your prayers for this family as they all transition through this time - for patience, persistence, creativity and humor. And please pray for Katie as she adjusts to the extra demands on her attention, commitment and time as more therapy appointments have also been added to their monthly schedule.

We were packed to the max as I took Will and Katie to the airport for their trip home yesterday. Katie laughs at me because of all the stuff I bring for Will but what can I say I'm just a sold out grandmommy...my latest motto "Have Rocker, Will Travel"...(course I also cart a pack n play, activity center and portable high chair in addition to the folding rocking chair!) - all the comforts of home (or at least as close as I can create it for our daughter and grandson!)

SAVE THE DATE !!!

WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY !!! YOU ROCK SUPER WILL!




The Dallas White Rock Marathon will be held On Sunday, December 14, 2008. This marathon benefits Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children which is a place that serves children with orthopedic needs for FREE. Our grandson, Will, is a patient at TSRHC and we love this place! For more information please go to this website that Katie & Reagan have set up:

http://www.wheretheresawillrace.blogspot.com/

So many of you participated last year by sending donations in honor of Will, attending the race & cheering, running parts or all of the race or if you couldn't be there you wore your blue "Where There's A Will, There's A Way!" t-shirt wherever you were! We hope to see even more of you in Dallas this year and we hope Will's Team will grow every year! There will be a pre-race party the night before the marathon and a post-race group photo (11:30 am on Race Day at TSRHC Tent)...and maybe some other surprises :-) If you bought a t-shirt last year we are keeping the same design so no need to buy a new shirt! If you need to know anything else feel free to email Katie at raceforwill@gmail.com or call Will's grandaddy Tom (903) 520-2083

Will on Race Day 2007:



Will Preparing for the Race - August 2008:

Storms

Last night we had a great storm in Tyler. A real downpour - even washed our huge garbage container down the street! I love to get up in the middle of the night when we have these storms and walk through our home listening to the deluge. Looking out into the night from our safe place. I love crawling back into bed with Tom hearing him and Lizzie take turns snoring. As I lay there last night, I was glad Ruby (our daughter's golden retriever) wasn't there as she has been for the last few weeks. Ruby hates storms. She feels them coming and starts freaking out long before they get here. She pants and paces and frets. When the storm arrives she looks for shelter (usually in the baby's nursery - whether here or in Midland).

A couple of weeks ago, we had gone to Dallas for the evening and returned late. There had been a storm while we were gone. When we walked in the house we noticed the child-proof gate down in the kitchen and no Ruby to be found. The nursery door was shut and paint flecks were all over the floor from Ruby's frantic scratching. I finally found her in the guest room bathtub!

Ruby has a trust issue. Storms are going to come. Jesus promised us that. He showed us how to respond in the midst of one. Trust. He slept through a storm because He trusted and knew the One in control. It's not hard for me to trust during a rain storm - in fact I love thunderstorms, the rain beating down, just curling up and spending time listening to God. But I think I am often like Ruby during life's storms. When I sense one coming, I become anxious and although I don't pace physically, I do in my mind. I become like a child and run back to childish ways. I try looking for what the world offers as shelter. I need and want to remember that God is my fortress and my strong tower - whom or what shall I fear? Nothing and no one else will minister to me.

When life's storms come and they will come again, I want to choose to be content rather than choose to cower. To choose to calm myself rather than roll into anxiety...to rest in the One who controls the waves and the winds and the "chaos" that surrounds and overwhelms. And when the storm has passed through my life I am blessed. Just like this morning's refreshment after last night's storm.

Grocery Store Experiences

Katie decided to take Will out in public with his new "legs" for the first time. We went to the grocery store. Things were going just fine until the check out line, where he lost a leg. I said to Katie "Will lost his leg." This was a first for us. I didn't know how she would respond. She located the prosthetic, picked it up and started to put it back on when the other leg goes flying (perhaps we didn't put them on right- normally they are super snug.) At this point Katie is dying laughing and so am I. It's our new normal! Standing at the grocery store, trying to put "legs" on an 11 month old. The woman in front of us wasn't sure how to react which made it that much funnier. She obviously wasn't sure if she should offer to help, should ignore it, should laugh with us, should stare.... quite funny. It was one of those times where we could have cried or laughed...


...Two days later,
Reagan & Katie took Will to another grocery store and had this experience:
Just as we're leaving the store, man (with "mental differences" I might add), comes to help us take out the groceries. He never even notices Will's legs but notices his hands. Following is our conversation (as people are watching and listening mind you.)

Sweaty, Large man getting very close to my child: "He doesn't have hands!!!!" (Said loudly with great emotion)

Katie (quick to defend my kid): "Yes he does, they're just different." (Smile, please get me to the car quickly)

S,L Man: "I'm so sad he can't do ANYTHING with his hands."

Katie: "Yes, he can do EVERYTHING!" (Smile, okay, how much further to the car...is he going to grab my child??? He's so very close to him - ever heard of personal space, mister man?)

S,L Man: "But what about BOWLING??? He can't bowl!"

Katie: (flabbergasted) "What? Bowling?!?!?!" (Had not thought of that one yet.)"He can granny bowl!"

Reagan to the rescue:"I think we can get our bags from here- thanks so much!"


I'm so grateful that we laugh more now than we cry and I am so grateful God has blessed our family with a sense of humor - I have a feeling we're going to need it a lot in the future!!!

Prosthetics - Step #3

From Katie & Reagan's Blog:


Will waiting in his hospital room (we used this room for naps). We stayed in Dallas for one week during this third step in the process.

Will & his "foot" doctor- Dr. Tony Herring (chief of staff at TSRHC)


Will & his "team" this morning. Scottish Rite uses a team approach so everyone is on the same page- therapists, doctors, surgeons, etc. This is most of his team.



Will's prosthesis- 4 layers- first, the sock, then the liner (to the left of the sock), then the prosthesis leg/foot with shoe (in the middle), & on top to suction it on to Will's leg- the neoprene sleeve. Very HOT!


Will - within moments of putting on his "new legs" for the first time



Some of Will's bricks. A precious family at our church donated some bricks in honor of Will along one of the walkways at Scottish Rite. I couldn't picture them all but they say: "Reagan Butts, Will's proud dad, "William D. Butts, August 30, 2007," "Katie Butts, Will's proud mom," "Psalm 139, fearfully and wonderfully made," and " There's a Will, so there's a way."

How very generous & thoughtful! I know Will will enjoy searching for his bricks at future visits.

An exhausted boy in his walker. Will works very, very hard every day during his intensive therapies. We all leave worn out! He typically falls asleep within minutes of leaving. Bless his heart, for the first two days, his morning session was at 10 am (when he typically goes down for a nap), & his afternoon session was at 3 (he typicall takes a nap from 2-4!). We've now adjusted to 9 am & 3:30 so that is a little easier on him but he still gets worn out!



I really admire my son. I don't know if that is typical for moms or not. He has some incredible challenges & he generally has such a good attitude & a happy spirit. These therapy sessions have really pushed him - during his regular nap time & forcing him to work so hard. Imagine relearning basic things you are really good at (like walking or sitting for instance) & having to relearn it when you are really sleepy while wearing heavy weights & with extended legs or standing on stilts, that are heated. He is literally relearning new methods for rolling, crawling, sitting, pulling up, walking, etc. And he is doing it with these long, heavy, clunky things on his leg... that offer no feeling on the ends of them. It's hard on us as we hate to see his legs & feet covered up. We accept & love his little body & hate to cover him up. I make sure to kiss his legs & feet every time we take the prosthetics off.


No parent likes to watch their child suffer. We all know there are times our kids will suffer & we may be the cause of it & it is okay... like when they are crying after a spanking or when we are requiring them to eat vegetables or when we've taken away that dangerous electrical cord they seem to always want to eat. I can accept those times. It's times like this week that I struggle with. These days aren't in "What to Expect, the First Year." I can't explain to Will why we are choosing to get prosthetics for him. So he looks at me & cries & can't understand why he can't quickly crawl into my arms & why I'm not just picking him up & taking these things off of him. And my heart breaks. I question constantly why we are doing prosthetics. My brain knows that we are doing them so that Will has options. We want him to be able to do anything he wants & realize that with prosthetics he may be able to participate in a wider variety of activities. I don't want to tell my 5 yr old that he can't play soccer because he can't wear the shoes or shin guards or because he can't run the entire distance of the field. So, I guess I'm learning what most moms know already. I have to think about the future as I watch him suffer today. I have to tell him ( & myself) that I am doing this because I love him & I want the best for him. I just hate watching my normally happy & fast crawling 11 month old struggle to go a foot & fuss. They tell me that soon he'll love his "new legs" & not want to take them off. I look forward to that day. This week has made me realize that I simply don't know if I can be strong enough to do this for Will. I don't know if I can be strong enough to do 3+ sessions of therapy at home now a week, to work with Will at home when I don't have a therapist at my beck & call, to work with Will with his prosthetics on when I'd rather just be playing with my fun baby.

Another Cousin Reunion!

Jim, Justy, Grant & Mason Brown came through Dallas and stayed at the same hotel with us two weeks ago prior to Will's week at TSRHC. It was great to see them!