It's coming up on a year

(That's Charlie's first pull up)

A year tomorrow, since Katt was at Duke waiting for a possible lung surgery. One that didn't happen, because she was diagnosed with something that only 8000 people get each year. Yep, Hodgkin's is that rare.

After chemo and radiation, she is 6 months out and going in for her official first scan in a couple of weeks, to see if all is well. We think so, as she feels ok, and she is slowly building up her mileage to do the Booty Ride this year at the end of July. 50 miles is her goal, and I have no doubt she will make it! She is stubborn, and Irish.

Charlie...now that's a subject! "what's that dada?" over, and over, and over...
And the imagination.
And the running.
And the talking.
And the laugh, wow he has a great laugh.
And the running. Oh, I mentioned that.
He is growing up, ever so fast. He gets miffed when he looks at someone, smiles, and says hello, but they don't respond. I can see it in his look, he is thinking "how rude..."

He is great, I am great, Katt is doing great. We just can't wait for Charlie's 2nd birthday.


This is me and the boy at Pisgah Covered Bridge. One of the few left in the country, and it's just on the northern side of the Uhwarries.

After a training ride with my lovely wife...go get 'em baby!


Below are pictures from my folk's 45th anniversary SURPRISE party. Did I mention surprise!?! We got 'em! They had no clue. Hopefully they have a clue as to how much they are looked up to.


good year so far! Let's hope we all can keep it up!

baseball time!

Charlie had his first "train" ride this past month. Behind us are friends Walter and Stacey (who Charlie took to at once!) They live near Atlanta, and on a rainy Saturday, we decided to do something inside...so to the Marta we went! Of course, the boy loved it!

"Mr Fireman, can I get on the truck?" Of course he let Charlie hop on...and we almost couldn't get him out! What's funny is, we pass this station almost daily, and Charlie always looks for them as we pass. They were at a festival in a North Raleigh community and he finally got to see them up close!!


Yep, that's Susan and Benjamin, trying to kidnap our boy!! They were kind enough to take us to dinner at our favorite Irish pub...only as a rouse to take the boy! He always has fun with these two friends!

We hire him out once in a while to do special yard work if you need his services...


We just might have a natural on our hands! Yep, Pawpaw taught the boy how to swing a bat...and he is pretty good! Watch out Yankees!

We can't hold him back, he just keeps on going and going...and we wouldn't have it any other way! Katt is doing better, as the side effects of all her treatments are subsiding and she is starting to ride her bike again. The happiness if great to see!

Love to all!

stringing them together!

Leaps and bounds. Charlie already is trying to see how far he can push mama and dada! Just the other night, as he is learning to drink from a regular cup, he starts to walk from the kitchen into the living room. I tell him that he has to stay in the kitchen when drinking from a cup. Well, he, while looking back at me to see what I will do, starts to walk one-step-at-a-time, slowly, to the living room, yet again. After this a couple of times, I threaten timeout...needless to say, timeout was achieved!! He is growing up!

He loves to ride in the trailer behind dada's bike. He looks around, has fun, says as we go down a hill, "down we go!!" I forgot how fun a bike ride could be!!

We hope all of you are doing as well as we are. Life is grand. Each day we try to do something worthwhile...last year reminded us of that.

John, holding the boy like he was his own...I hope Charlie gets to spend a lot of time with him.

Here Charlie is watching his first baseball game with one of our neighborhood kids. The guy's brother was playing, and Charlie could be heard saying, "hit the ball!"

Charlie at his first hockey game...LOTS of firsts in April!! He was enthralled with the "boys playing hockey," as he called it. The Canes won this one!

"Come on dada!" Charlie likes his scooter!

Yep, Charlie is now saying complete sentences. We just came from his first picnic with our friends Donna and Michele, and a bike ride on one of the Raleigh greenway trails, and he tells me as I put him in the car seat, "dada, it's hot in here." Yes it is, son...

Love to all.

Charleston...

Katt and I needed a kickstart, and this was it! What a great, much needed trip for us to recharge our batteries. At Battery Park no less (ha).

Easter Egg hunt...the first Pagan holiday!

About 30 kids showed up for a beautiful Saturday neighborhood Easter egg hunt. It was awesome, as the kids ran around, hunted eggs, and played and the parents had adult bevvies and enjoyed a great day. As you can see, Charlie got his first blue food coloring thingy...oh well.

yes...over the last month!!

Wow. lots of things have happened. Katt has gone back to working, but she can surely tell she hasn't been on her feet for hours on end, in a long time. But she will get her stamina and strength back for sure.

Charlie however...hmmm, what CAN'T he do!! He surprises us every day it seems. He is starting to say thank you when you give him things, or hold the door open, truly amazing stuff! Also, he says his ABC's. Maybe not knowing what they mean, but he says 'em! He tries to do pull ups to, with mama spotting him...


We are trying to teach him to chew his food for 10 seconds, but to no avail just yet...he just shovels it in. Though he can count to 10, and he rejoices in that fact, he still wants more food...


Did I mention he runs? And runs, and runs...glad my joints are still pretty respectable, because I do set chase once in a while. His mama is teaching him how to run in wellies, for when he goes back to Ireland. I guess she has a point!



Oh, he plays well with others, though he likes to set back and take it all in most times. Must be like his dad on that one. These two are 3 that I took of him at the end of his first Easter Egg hunt. The rest of the kids have either gone home, or they are out in the cul de sac, running around...and there sits my boy.



He sings! LOTS! Especially the songs from cartoon "Wonder Pets". And for me, honestly, I can't thing of another song I'd like him to learn. He was walking around the house two weeks ago singing "team-work, team-work..." pretty awesome if you ask me. Dean Smith would be proud.

And of course, the last month would not be complete without his first St Patrick's Day parade. "Firetruck! Ambulance! Police Car!" Then we got to the parade (hahahahahah). "Horses! Dancin'! Motorcycles!" He just kept yelling for them as he saw them. It was a treat for his folks.



Needless to say, he is growing up. We are trying not to let it happen too fast...but it's better than anything else I've ever witnessed.

With love to all of you...

the first days back

Kathleen...is back!
She has finally started to feel better from the side effects of the treatment. A long time coming, this week has been marked with a change, a change back to feeling like she is ready to move on.

This past week, she has had her first workout and her first full day's work. More than that, there is a bounce in her step that hasn't been for quite a while. Not to say she didn't handle her illness and treatments well, you all know her ;-). But now there is that feeling of having won...at least for now. Of course you never fully win, until remission has lasted 5 years. What a day that will be I can tell you!

Until then, Katt, Charlie, and I will keep on keepin' on.

Love to all.

much to report

First, Katt's progress:
With her last dose of radiation behind her, she and I thought that she was home-free. Unfortunately, what was unclear to us was the amount of side-effect that was yet to come. With pain in the areas radiated, sore skin, a sore throat, and fatigue, she also caught a head cold that turned into an upper respiratory infection...I mean really. What next, right? Well, take that sore throat you get and factor that by at least 10...and a lost voice is what you get.

Yep, Katt lost her voice for about 10 days. She started to get it back two days ago. AND is beginning to feel better! FINALLY! The corner is turned. Beginning to think about her business and working again, my wonderful wife is getting better.

During this journey, Charlie has had his first haircut, he is in the 'big boy' bed, he turned the knob and opened the door to the pantry to get his food he wanted, he strings sentences together now, and daycare bumped him into the toddler room...boy how things change FAST!!

Katt has surely been a part of the first two years of Charlie's life. But they weren't healthy years for her. She can't wait to be pain free for the first time in his life. He doesn't realize how lucky he his, yet. He will know that the amazing care she gave him was with the proverbial one leg and one arm tied behind her back. Now she will be 100%...watch out world!

Love to all,
Charlie's dada, and Katt's hubby.

Static cling...or was it the light socket?


After the snow, CB still likes the 'digger!'


What to do when it's cold and snow outside? WII!! (Thanks Susan).


Ready for camping!


Ready to take on the world!!

long overdue!

(Above is Charlie, me and Granda Bonner building a split rail fence out back.)

Alright, lots of things have happened over the last 3 weeks:

First, Katt's folks came over and enjoyed a GREAT visit...time with Charlie and Katt and my family, time that I wish could have lasted longer!

Second, Charlie is growing, mentally and physically. He has learned so much. His brain continues to be sponge-like! He has learned to close doors with his bum, climb on stools to get to things he shouldn't, say the mama says "seriously" (among other sayings from other people), learned to climb out of his crib (so we've lowered it and concerted it into a toddler bed), and has begun to know numbers and letters. And there is lots of other things he has learned as well! It is simply awesome (another word he says) to watch and experience.

Third, Katt's chemo is over and she is the middle of radiation. One more week to go, but the side effects are some pain, more importantly though is the soreness in her throat...she says multiply a sore throat by 10, and that's what she feels. But she struggles through, with the grace of Audrey Hepburn.

And finally, we continue to grow as a family doing things that normal families do, and trying NOT to do some things that some families do!

5% of 2010 is gone. So far so good...
Me and Charlie taking a walk. (He loves to ride on dada's back!)


My family...

My Uncle Randy, Charlie, and my dad out back by the fire pit...while I cook some steaks!

Our friend Rick, teaching Charlie who knows what!!!

Holidays and then some

From being in the front, to...
The back, in just 3 months!

"I know you..."

Here he is drawing with Granda Bonner.

Happy to have lived through 2009, and then some!

It has been a long year. Fortunately, Katt's chemo treatments are over. However, radiation awaits her in the new year. Through it all, she has been courageous, outstandingly resilient, and approaching things with grace, the way she always does.

Charlie has been her driving force, keeping her motivated to battle on. He has grown immensely, physically and mentally...just I can't believe how FAST! Doing so many new things each week, sometimes, we don't seem to keep up. But onward he goes and grows.

Thanks to each of you for your kind thoughts, prayers, and words of encouragement. We can only extend the same offer of courtesy and compassion each of you have shown us. Thanks for everything, and may your 2010 be as brilliant as it can get!!!