pre birthday cake!

Charlie is almost one, and we thought we'd have the family get involved with a little party at granpa and grandma's. Of course he was spoiled, he had a blast, and he can't wait for more CAKE (there goes our keeping sugar away from him.) One picture says it all...

Finally a bit of a news

Seems that my darling wife has Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Yes treatable. Yes painful. But yes she is up for it! Now that we know, it's like a weight off the shoulders. Although we are ready to take this thing head on, we are still coming to grips with the fact that the word "cancer" comes out of our mouths...to say it is kinda hard.

But she will be fine. Next step are some tests to see which grade, and where it has advanced. From there comes the treatment protocol. We find out this Thursday a little more as we see test results from a couple on Wednesday.

Thanks again for all your prayers and thoughts and energy. The fight has now begun...

What a Father's Day!!

I had a tremendous first Father's Day. Two good friends came over to help a recovering Katt take care of Charlie, while I went for a bike ride. What a nice ride it was. I went to the local quarry, that's been transformed into a scuba diving mecca. It's actually used by the local law enforcement and the military for their training dives.

After the ride, it was time for blueberry pancakes.
Then to wash it all off, Charlie's second trip to the pool. The waterbug is learning!! He starting kicking this time, and he dipped his face in the water a couple times as well. Sure is fun to watch a baby progress.


A truly special Father's Day for me...

Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there!

Thoughts, Prayers, and good energy

We need it all this week. Katt's surgery is Wednesday, and despite the fact that we still don't know exactly what we are dealing with, Katt and I are ready to move onward. After Wed we will know if there is cancer involved, if it is just a tumor, or if there is something else going on. Either way, I am here to help Katt attack it with the full vigor and stubbornness that we both have.

Katt is a wonderful person, with superior courage, generosity, devotion, and spirit. I can't wait to grow old with her and watch Charlie become a young man. Here is to a great woman.
Cheer her on...

some videos of a growing boy

Above are two videos of Charlie nearing 1 year of life. Normally, how you see him is how he is...a happy baby. Katt and I are as fortunate as we can be.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Grandpa Lefler aged to 65 this past weekend. He was born on D-Day, while his father was off fighting in the war in the Pacific. Fortunately, not many of us have had to go through that...a first born, with just one parent. I can't even imagine.

Charlie had a blast with Grandpa, and Grandma, and lots of the other family who were able to come over to the house for a spectacular lunch.
This is Charlie's cousin Maggie...who if you remember is Granny Bonner's name! And of course Charlie is named after Granda Bonner. (more later.)


Here is the Huffman Grandkids, and great grandkids. Though the Grandparents Huffman aren't around anymore (in a physical sense at least) we are still very much the grandkids.

The Lefler generations. 3 of 'em. My brother in the back, my Pop holding Charlie-boy, and me.

Another birthday happened! Katt's Granny Bonner aged to 100. That's right 100 years old. All her family had come over to her house for a celebration as well. We skyped with them, and upon seeing her Great Grandson, all the way over in America, for the first time, she cried. I have to admit, I almost did as well. Sometimes I gripe over technology, and how it has stripped us of our humanistic, physical ways. Other times, technology is, as they say in Ireland, grand.

This is Granny Harkin, Katt, my Pop, Granny Bonner (the birthday girl) and my mom. A picture taken while we were over last for Katt's sister's wedding.

To all the families...be good to each other! They're the only one you're gonna get.

Gaeltacht here in Raleigh?

The boy is 11 months old. Where did the time go? Well, in looking at things, it might have gone to his cheeks, or tummy, or somewhere in between!! Yep, he still likes to eat. Something he SURELY got from his Dada right? Maybe...Momma likes to eat just as much!

He is standing on his own, almost taking steps.
He is giving us tons of jibberish, only he knows what he means (or some Irishman who speaks Gaelic).
He crawls so fast we may put him into the local baby crawling race.
He loves it when dad comes home...he knows it's time for the "chase Dad" game, where he crawls after me and promptly dives into a huge body pillow that lays in our living room. We then roll around on it for a few seconds until he decides it's time to crawl off again. Time to go again he says.

Katt's doing alright. Just managing the pain best she can, and ready to get the tumor out.

Happy early summertime!!

Above is our friend Rick who surprised us with a visit. Charlie seemed to like the new airplane game Rick taught him! I can't tell who is having more fun...

Like I said, just a wee bit away from walking, so he is. Albeit with one shoe apparently!

His favorite time (other than being held by Dad of course...ok, ok, Mom that is.) This was egg day at breakfast.

Live every day to its fullest. It will not come back again.

Charlie takes a back seat this week

Everyone knows this as the "Charlie" blog. However, this week he is tacking a back seat to his Mom. This week is our 5 year anniversary. And a glorious 5 it has been. I never knew how much more I could love my life, until I met Kathleen.

This year's trip was to Chimney Rock. A wonder of nature at Hickory Nut Gorge. After years of carving out this rock, the Broad River has given North Carolina a beautiful sight...just ask the makers of "Last of the Mohicans" among other films.

This was a much needed trip, as Katt has been under the weather now for some time. And we have figured out why...she has a tumor in her lung that needs to come out. We still don't know whether it is cancerous or not, but most signs are pointing to the 'not' camp.

Chimney Rock was a refuge for this mentally tired couple. For Katt, it was a break from a physical tiredness as well. Hopes are high, and the battle is not won, but we are fighting onward...as there is much left to do. Enjoying life is one of them!!

Us at the top of the Chimney.

Me in the blue shirt, at the bottom of the falls.

A shot of the Chimney (and the house) from our B & B.


An Irish woman under the American Flag, on Memorial weekend...can't beat it!


A view of the Gorge from the Chimney.


Love to all.

Happy Mother's Day!

From our family to yours...HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! Charlie gave his Mom and Grandma a good one for sure. He even helped out in the kitchen!

Love to all...

the boy can do it all!!

If he is not outside, he wants to go!! Maybe he'll be a camper like his mom and dad...or just like to be outdoors when possible. Either way, that's a good sign for me and Katt!

He even likes to help Grandpa with the yard work...

And sit back with a refreshing bottle afterward...

And a clean bath after the hard day is done.

He has a full slate of new sounds as well. From a happy scream, or yelp, to a clicking of the tongue, to something like a "bye." He is starting to mimick sounds as well, so mom will have to start watching what she says around him!!!! ;-)