The first Christmas as a Dad.

Well, it came and went so fast, but Brooks celebrated his first Christmas. It all went off without a hitch. He survived all of the driving from house to house and being passed around like a hot potato. It makes it so much easier because he is such a happy baby. He obviously wasn't much into opening the presents due to him not having a clue what a present is yet, but he did latch on to one gift. He really likes this mechanical Spider Man that sings the "itsy, bitsy spider" song to him. Other than that he really didn't know or care about all of the "Christmas" festivities.

As for being a dad at Christmas, all I can say is... WOW! It was so much fun video taping everything. It made feel like a little kid again, heck I even got a brand new bicycle and it has a bell on it!!! WHEW HEW!!!! Anyway it was a great time to be with all of my family again. The only thing missing was the snow, but I guess you can't have it all.

We hope everyone has a great New Year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS....Y'ALL

My first Christmas is going to be great. Brooks is now 8 months old and we are loving it. He has two front teeth, (just what he asked for, for Christmas) that's all he wanted for Christmas. I can't wait to be able to tell him the true meaning of Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS...Y'ALL

Random Thoughts

I have come to the realization, again, that I have many great friends. All kinds of friends from all walks of life. I am totally blessed by their influence in my life. I won't single anyone out, because when you do that you always leave somebody out, but I am blessed by the company I keep. God has blessed me with so many unique relationships and for that I give thanks...

...I think I have found a great house for Alyson and I to buy, problem is we don't know if we can afford the price, but we haven't even tried to figure out what we can afford either. It is a 4 bedroom 2 full bath house located in Rochester Hills, MI. It would be perfect for Alyson, because she works from home. We could use the 4th bedroom for her office. It has a big yard with a nice deck off the back. Usually when I show Alyson houses that I see on the internet she just shrugs it off, but this one has her a bit excited. A house would be a great thing for us at this point, we are tired of being in an apartment...

...With this officially being the Christmas season, I often wonder what God truly thinks of all of our hustle and bustle to get just the right gift. Does he sit up there and laugh, or does he sit back and wonder if we will ever "get it". I know what the perfect gift is, and that was His son dyeing on the Cross. I wish that I could just stay focused on that, instead of worrying what I am going to give as gifts...

"What would you do if I had Cancer?"

"What would you do if I had Cancer?" Those are the words that I heard one year ago yesterday from my wife as we lay in bed after a basketball game. Those are also the words that I will never forget because of what followed. When she asked me the question, I truly did not have an answer, so I paused and said "boy, that would suck." She then said, "well, I have Cancer". That instant I became numb to everything around me, I couldn't fathom the possibility that my time with my wife could be coming to an end. After about 2-3 minutes I began to cry, and we held each other for what seemed forever, and I can remember not wanting to let go of her.

What followed in the coming days was probably the most frustrating time in our lives together. Not only did my wife now have breast cancer, but she was also 5 months pregnant, and the doctors were unsure what to do regarding treatment. At first the doctors came with the possibility of terminating the pregnancy, which was never an option in Alyson's mind, nor mine. Then they said, that they could treat her, but what of the baby during all of this. They did not have an answer for it.

So Alyson and I sought out second and third and fourth opinions over the next month or so. We traveled to Dallas, TX, Lubbock, TX, Up to Michigan, and back to Abilene, TX. Then we prayed a lot with our friends and family. We cried a lot and we ate basically what amounts to grass, not sure but that could have been the reason for crying a lot.

I don't know if anyone can relate, but it is the hardest thing to watch someone you care so much for, go through all that she went through. It was horrible watching her get stuck with all those needles, and to watch her get her initial biopsy done. The thing that I did notice was her strength and courage. I can remember asking her what we were going to do, and she looked at me and said, "we are going to keep on living normal... Life does not stop because of cancer". That blew me away. All I wanted to do was make life easier for her, and she did not want anything to change one bit. If it were me I would have wanted to go rent a cottage by a lake and just die, but not her. She was going to keep on going, not missing a stride and whatever happened along the way happened.

So a year has gone by, and she is cancer free, we have our son Brooks, and life is normal. Just like she wanted. I sit here today blessed beyond measure for who my wife is and what she means to our family. Her strength and courage is immeasurable by anything on this earth, and I love her more than words.

A special thank you goes out to our family and friends, especially our dear friends in Abilene, TX. It was your prayers that kept us going and keep us going today. Alyson, Brooks, and I truly love all of you. Thank you so much.

My Hunting Buddy is now 6 months old

Since hunting season is underway, Alyson and I thought it would be fun to put brooks in this outfit and take pictures of him. He is so easy to get smiling and laughing. Hope you enjoy.

"The First 5 minutes"

"The first 5 minutes" is a phrase we like to use in the basketball world. It is used to help illustrate to the players that it is important to come out ready to play from the start of that game and not to wait until its too late. It's sort of a way to set the tone for what we want to do on the court. That phrase has taken on new meaning as of late. I have to be at work pretty early in the morning and I usually get to see my son wake up, but it is only for about 5 minutes. I get to see his "first 5 minutes" everyday. I usually get greeted with a big smile and it makes me feel great. It sets the tone for my day and gets me going on the right foot. I also think that "the first 5 minutes can be a way to greet Christ at the beginning of the day. This way we can see how we will be that day. Are we going to be slow and lethargic or are we going to be ready to face the day with the confidence that Christ gives us through his death and resurrection. With that thought I am going to make my first 5 minutes as a measuring stick for each new day, and with God's help I will not be slow and lethargic very often. I want to be "on top of things" so that I do not miss an opportunity to minister to someone who may need it.

So it begins...

We started practices this week at Rochester College. This may be my most favorite time of the year. Everything is new and exciting, players are fired up to get going and coaches are fired up because players are out of shape. Every pre-season I get the chance to build new relationships with new players, its just a fun time for me. Its sort of like a conversion experience for me each new season. I am excited and on fire at first and then there will come a time when I am not so on fire. There are times when I would just rather not be around the gym and the guys and I just want to hide away for a time. I experience those times in my walk with Christ. There are times that I would just rather hide away from the Lord for a time. It is then that I have to find renewal in His love, and I pray that I find that renewal daily and not experience those times of hiding from the Lord.

My prayer each new basketball season is that the Lord puts in my life a young man who needs to see Christ lived out in the world. That Christ would let the young man/men see that following Him is not a life of rules and things that you can't do, but rather a life of freedom and newness and excitement. And I pray that I can be a great light for Christ, and now with a child to care for that I will be a great example to him.

So it begins...

Reconnecting with "Old" friends

I got to re-connect with some old friends last night at a birthday party. Aly, Brooks, and I went to my old boss' house last night to celebrate the birthday of his two year old twin boys. It was great to see some old friends again. I realized how long 3 years is when I saw how big all of their children had gotten. I think the best part of the evening was when we arrived and I got to see a special friend named Lauren. She calls me "Big Brian", although I am not sure if it is because I am tall in her eyes or if I am overweight. I am hoping that it is because she views me as tall (no comments from the peanut gallery here, please). Lauren is 7 years old (I think) and she really loved for me to throw her in the air when she was younger. 3 years ago I could really throw her high in the year. I realized how long 3 years is when I tried to just pick her up. She had gotten so big and tall, I couldn't believe it. But we had a good time getting re-aquainted after her brief moment of shyness.
Lauren's dad and I used to go hunting a lot before I left to pursue coaching, and I am excited to get back in the field with him and others. It was just an enjoyable night. Its good to be home.

4 months old and lovin' life

Here is Brooks at 4 months old. He is such a pleasure to watch grow, and he has such a great personality.

I am getting old(er)!!!

It hit me hard this past Saturday that I am getting older and older. I watched my sister Rachel get married, and I realized that she is all grown up. I always viewed her as my little sister until last Saturday. It wasn't until she was walking down the isle that I realized that she is a full grown women, and a beautiful one at that. I was flooded with memories the whole night of all the things that her and I went through together. I think the fondest memory was when I went away to college. My family had taken me there to move into the dorms and Rachel came with us. We spent the whole day together as a family, and when it came time to say goodbye to her we both began to cry. I wasn't sure at the time why, but now I know what it was. We really depended on each other at the time and we had a genuine love for one another, one that a brother and sister are not normally blessed with. I have had the pleasure of watching her develop into a great spiritual women, again realized when she walked down the isle. She was so calm and collected, or at least she put on a good show, during the ceremony. It was just fun to watch.

It was also a bitter sweet week with her, and I wish I would have talked to her about it, but she was so busy with finishing up the final details. I wanted to tell her how proud I am of her and what she means to me and my family. Until last week I had not seen her in about 1 1/2 years. I really missed her during that time. She had always brought me so much comfort when we were together. But now she is all grown up and married. Her husband Matt, who I met for the first time last week, is a great guy. I can tell by the way that he looks at her that he is in awe of her, and as a big brother, that is what you hope for. The two of them will be such an encouragement to each other both spiritually and physically, and that is encouraging to me. I know that Matt will take care of her now, especially since they will be living in Charlotte, NC.

I was fortunate enough to be able to take Rachel and Matt to the airport on Sunday morning so that they could go on their honeymoon. I was the first to see them on their first full day of being married. I was able to share in some of Rachel's other "firsts" as we grew up, and the one on Sunday will be put up as one of the most special to me.

One last memory for the road. I used to have to get Rachel ready for school when she was in elementary grades. She couldn't have been more that 6 or 7 years old which would have made me around 13 or 14 years old. I used to do her hair and get her dressed in the mornings, because my mom had to be to work at like 4 or 5 in the morning. As I look back on that experience I can't help but think about that movie "When a man loves a woman" with Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia. There was a scene in the movie when the little daughter got her hair done by her older sister. When she was done the little girl came around a corner crying that her hair hurt because of what they had done to it. I can imagine Rachel going to school with her hair hurting, because I am sure that I did not know what I was doing while "doing" her hair. Rachel if your hair hurt I am sorry, but it was all worth it, at least for me. I love you. BTT

Matt, take care of our little Rachel for us, we know you will.

I have made it home.

Well, I made it home safely. The trip home seemed to take longer than it actually was, but I attribute that to anxiousness to see Aly and Brooks. It has taken Brooks a couple of days to get used to me again, but he is coming around just fine. He now smiles at me when I see him and I can even get him to giggle a little bit. It is so good to be home and not have the stress of class and homework. I will be getting my Master's degree sometime in August (I hope). Anyway all is well and here is a three month picture of Brooks.

I can't wait to see you.

Alyson and Brooks,
I can't wait to see you. Being here in Texas has been fun, but I can't wait to see you and hold you both in my arms. I never thought that a month could take so long. I pray for you every night for your protection. You both are in my thoughts as I sit in class waiting to be released for the night. I look at Brooks' picture on my phone first thing in the morning, and all I want to do is hop in the car and drive home to be with you.

Alyson you are great beyond words. You have done all of this on your own. You have taken care of Brooks in my absence all without complaining. I am so blessed to be called your husband and I thank you for your incredible spirit. I can't wait to see you next week. Oh, by the way, you will have to call me "Master" Brian since I will have a Master's degree. Just kidding. I love you. Kiss Brooks for me and tell him his Dad will be home soon.

Messy Spirituality

Ever since I was in High School and I began to really think about my walk with Christ, I have always thought about the following: I don't pray enough; I don't read my Bible enough; I don't share my faith enough; I don't love God enough; I'm not committed enough; I'm not spiritual enough. Those thoughts have been in my head for the longest time. I have always thought that if I am an authentic Christian, then I have to be perfect, as Christ was perfect, but I always come up short, way short. I have associated so much guilt with all of those thoughts, because I feel like I really try to be what God wants me to be. I spend so much life worried about what I don't do instead of what I have done, focused on my imperfections instead of God's fondness for the imperfect.

I have just started reading a book called Messy Spirituality and it has opened my eyes in a whole new way. The book is by Michael Yaconelli. He basis of the book on this question: What if genuine faith begins with admitting we will never have our act completely together? He suggests that imperfection, unfinishedness, and messiness are, in fact, the earmarks of true Christianity; that real Christianity is messy, erratic, lopsided, and maybe liberating.

The book gets into how messed up most of our Biblical heroes were. They were murderers, adulterers, prostitutes, criminals, and lepers. He talked about Noah and his faith and willingness to listen to God to build the Ark. He then mentions that when the waters receded that Noah proceeded to go get drunk and naked. I never really thought about Noah like that, nor had I heard the story told like that. I have to realize that its okay to screw up, and not feel so guilty. I just need to be able to hear Jesus when I screw up, when he says "That's not quite what I am looking for, let's try again". He doesn't say, "That's not quite what I am looking for, get away from me". I guess being so messed up is not such a horrible thing to be as a "Christian".

Just look at this kid!!!

You can't tell me that Brooks does not love to be home with his family. We took this picture the day we moved in to our new apartment.

I leave for Texas on Wednesday and will not be back until around July 10th. I will be gone from Alyson and Brooks for about a month. I will be gone for way too long, but I will have my Master's Degree when I come back. It will be fun to see everyone in Abilene for one last time.

We made it home...finally!

We are in our new home and unpacking. Alyson arrived home on Friday and I arrived home Sunday at 2:00 a.m. We are all doing well. My trip with my dad in the moving truck was fun, but very uncomfortable. The truck was not made for comfort. We both came away from the 26 hour trip with very sore backs. Split the trip up, though not evenly. 7 hours on Friday, and 19 on Saturday. We had planned to stop and sleep Saturday night, but I think that my dad and I both dreaded getting back into the truck again for a third day.
Our new apartment is very nice and I think we will enjoy living here for a short time. I only have a 2 mile commute to work, which in this town is a true blessing (traffic stinks here).

My dad got to meet Brooks for the first time today. It was awesome!!! I will post pictures soon. My dad got so fired up after meeting Brooks that he went and bought a brand new Mustang. I'm thinking it will be a great hand-me-down for Brooks.

Anyway, we are here and settling in. We already miss our friends in Abilene.

One more week.

Well we have one more week left in Texas. I will be hitting the road with my dad this time next week to move all of our stuff back home. Alyson and I are excited, but at the same time it is bitter sweet. We have grown close to several people during our time here and we will miss them all dearly. During our time here we have grown in so many ways, and I wish there was some way to physically stay involved with these special people. There are not words to express what Abilene has meant to me and Aly, we will truly miss this place.

I think Brooks is really excited about all of this. You can just tell by his body language in this picture. Brooks says, "can we go already!"

Brooks is excited!

The Bottom picture is of Brooks when he heard we were going to be moving away from Texas.
The Top picture is of Brooks when he heard we were going to move to Michigan (he actually buckled himself in and said, "what are we wating for?"

Moving on Up

I have recently accepted a job back home at my alma mater. I will be the assistant coach at Rochester College, back home in Michigan. So we will be moving on up to the great Midwest. George Evjen, who was the assistant got a head coaching job at Siena Heights University. I will be taking his place, and I will also be the head of "special projects" for the pleasant family. By "special projects" I mean that I will be fixing things at Coach pleasant house. I don't think his wife Pat trusts him to do these things, so I get to do them. But anyway, we are excited to be going back and being close to our families. We will miss ACU and our friends in Abilene.

...By the way Brooks seemed really excited by the idea of moving to Michigan as well. He had a big smile on his face when we told him, either that or he was going to the bathroom in his diaper.

Joshua Bigby 1983-2006

As a basketball coach you get to experience so many different kinds of kids. You get to build relationships with kids that you grow to love. It is like you almost become a parent to them, just on a lower level. This past weekend I lost one of those kids to a tragic automobile accident. His name is Joshua Bigby and he is from Livingston, Texas.

Josh is a great kid. He is probably one of the most competitive and determined kids that I have had the pleasure to coach. We didn't always see eye to eye, as is the case with all kids. At times Josh could be a very hard headed kid. The one endearing quality that Josh has is that he will give you nothing less than 110% effort. Once he made his mind up to do something he did it without hesitation or second guessing himself. From a coaching standpoint that was not necessarily always a good thing, but you live with it. He had a great passion for playing the game of basketball. Before every game he would just sit there with this look on his face, one that I believe would intimidate the devil. As a coach you knew he was ready to play that night. Whenever you talked to Josh he would look you in the eyes, and answer everything with "yes sir" and "no sir". He is a well mannered kid which I think is a great testament to his parents and his upbringing. In my brief relationship with Josh I found out that he has a great love for the outdoors, hunting in particular. One day I asked him what he wanted to do when he graduated, he replied with, "all I want to do is buy some land and put up a deer stand and just hunt". That is another thing that I love about Josh, and that is his ability to keep things simple.

I went to the Funeral home in Woodville, Texas, which is just outside his home town. While I was there I got to see the great numbers of people that Josh impacted in his short stay with us. They were all sad, but at the same time I detected a sense of pride from them. A pride that came from knowing and interacting with Josh. He had a lasting impact on all of his family and friends. I got to talk to his parents, grandparents, cousins, brothers, sister, and some friends. They all spoke of Josh's love for life, and fun in living his life. Josh will be dearly missed by all who have come in contact with him. I for one am glad to have known Josh, and will always remember him as a great young man.

To the Bigby Family: May you find encouragement and comfort in the memories that Josh left with you.

To Harrison (his little brother): Josh was proud to be your brother, as I know you are proud to be his. Can't wait to see you as a basketball player and hunter.

Free and clear!!!

Alyson has received the results from her pet scan and they have come back clear. That means that she does not have to have any chemo or radiation. We are praising God for his awesome promises. WOW, what a feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brooks the Hunter

I love this picture of Brooks. I can't wait until I can take him hunting with me. Actually I cant wait until I go hunting again. I sort of feel like an anti-hunter because I have not been hunting in a long time(almost two years). Anyway, I think that Brooks looks the part already.

more pictures of Brooks

Great News from the Oncologist

Alyson and I saw the oncologist to see what our next step is in treating her cancer. We got great news from Dr. Hirsch. He wants Alyson to have a PET/CT scan next Thursday. If everything comes back negative for cancer, then he is saying that Alyson will not need any Radiation treatment at all. That would be a tremendous miracle for her and our family. Dr. Hirsch feels that Alyson is cured of cancer and that she would not need to take the risks associated with radiation treatment. He will however monitor her closely over the next year. We will go in about every 3 months. We are looking forward to also removing her chemo-port from her arm. What a total miracle this will be when this is all done. God is ever true to His words. We are praising His name daily.

Brooks has arrived!!!!

It has finally happened. Brooks Thomas Thrift has arrived. Both he and Alyson are doing great!!! He was 7 lbs 11 oz. 19.5 inches. He is just a little guy.

Wednesday, it all happens.

Well we went to the Doctor's today to see if Alyson had any dialation. She had none, and we are expecting to go into the hospital on Tuesday afternoon to begin the induction process. Alyson will go in tomorrow around 5 p.m. and they give her some medicine to prepare her body. She will stay all night. Around 7 a.m. Wednesday our Doctor will come by and give her the induction medication. So hopefully by Wednesday afternoon, we will be parents to a healthy little baby boy.

Keep us in your prayers as we come down to the last days of just Alyson and I. Also Alyson's cancer doctor will be called when Brooks arrives so that he can lay out a plan for her additional testing to see what it is that we will do from here. We are hoping and expecting that she will be able to skip chemo-therapy and just undergo radiation. Thank you for all of your support.

Do you think Brian's a little over anxious? (posted by Alyson)

How did I get so Lucky?

I was just sitting here thinking about my beautiful wife. She is such an inspirational person. She is able to take whatever comes her way and just roll with it as if it was no big deal. I know for a fact that if I were to go through some of the stuff she has gone through, I would have crumbled like a ton of bricks. She never complains about anything, and she is never without her beautiful smile. I just don't know how I got so lucky. I am of the belief that you get what you deserve, but somehow I beat the system when I married her some 7+ years ago. Alyson has been such a trooper throughout her whole pregnancy, and she has never complained about being tired. She has not even gone through the hormonal moody changes that I have heard a lot of women go through during pregnancy. She has such a spirit about her. Again, I just don't know how I got so lucky.

Alyson, I Love you with all of my heart and soul. You are my life, and I am blessed to have you as my wife. You are going to be a great mother.

WHOA MOMMA!!!!

He has to be ready by now!!! Just look at my belly, it is so big.

Grandma is HERE!!!!!

Well Grandma is here. Alyson's mother flew into Abilene last night. She was shocked to see how "big" Aly's baby holder is (she had to take a picture). She is so excited about meeting her first grandchild. I am glad that Alyson and I were able to do that for her (remember us in the will). I am even more happy that Alyson and her will be able to share in the whole birth experience together as mother and daughter. I know that Alyson is relieved to have her here. Now maybe we can go ahead and have this child. By the way we are 7 days from the due date.

10 days and counting!

We are at 10 days to the due date. Alyson and I are getting anxious to get this child into the world. We are so excited to meet Brooks. Alyson's mother will be getting into Abilene this coming Wednesday, which will be an exciting time. My one wish though is that all of our family could be here for the birth. It is just too difficult to coordinate all of them being here at the right time. I guess they will get to meet him in due time. But for now we are 10 days away from the due date, and hoping that Brooks does not to come later than that.

The waiting game.

I hate playing the waiting game. Now that the basketball season is over for us, I have a lot of time on my hands. We are in the middle of recruiting, trying to get players to replace our departing players. That's waiting game #1. We have to wait for the players we want, to see if they want to come to ACU. Waiting game #2 is even worse. Alyson is about 22 days from her due date. We have all of the nursery stuff done and now we can just wait for Brooks to decide he is ready to come into the world. I am hoping, however, that he does at least wait another 2 weeks or so, just in case we have forgotten to do something for his arrival.

Lamaze classes are going fine, and that sort of helps speed things up for us, but for me I am just excited to meet him for the first time. If he does wait another 2 weeks or so, that will allow me to go to Oklahoma and do some recruiting this weekend. I will probably call Alyson every 5 minutes while I am gone just to make sure she is feeling fine. Anyway, we are just waiting for Brooks arrival.

We ask for your continued prayers as we approach the birth and additional test for Alyson after delivery. We are still optimistic that she will be able to skip chemotherapy all together. We also appreciate your prayers, they are so encouraging to us.

Its March... Its Lamaze...Its delivery time(almost)

Well its March, and that means that Brooks should arrive sometime this month. We start Lamaze classes tomorrow. We are very excited to get going with the classes. I hope that we can get a couple of classes in before Brooks decides its time to meet mommy and daddy. When we woke up this morning we realized that it is March and that our lives are going to change in a great way. There is so much anticipation and preparation that we are going through right now. I just hope we can be ready for all of this, and we hope that Brooks at least waits until his Grandma McChesney gets here on the 22nd. It will be nice to have family here when he arrives (yes, Clint and Alana you're family too).

I sat up last night in bed and just stared at my wife for a while. She is so precious to me. She is going to be an awesome mother to Brooks. She has been through so much these past few months and I am amazed at her courage and strength. Through it all the Lord has been faithful. I just pray for Alyson to be protected from any harm during delivery. And I cannot wait to introduce our son to the community of believers that are in our lives, so that he will know that the Lord loves him and that he has the choice to accept God's Grace and Salvation.

Ahh, March Madness!!!!

30 days and counting!!

I just want to take this time to brag on my older Brother Tim. He has been sober for 30 days as of today. Keep up the good fight Tim. Alyson and I are praying for you and your family.

Alyson is about 35 days or less from delivering Brooks. That is freaking me out.

One Day at a Time

My brother has started a blog to share his journey about recovering from alcohol. I encourage you to go and check it out. He is going through a period of great change and I am amazed at his openness and willingness to share his life. This is something that he would normally not do. I had stated in a previous post that I would like to share the story of my brother, but now I will let him tell you about himself. Go to timjthrift.blogspot.com and check it out.

Sit back and enjoy!

"Sit back and enjoy." Those are the words that I heard as I prayed the other night. Its been a long road for Alyson and me. With her having been diagnosed with cancer, we really had not been able to enjoy the whole experience of pregnancy. Now that she appears to be in the clear, we have had a chance to really enjoy the preparation of having a baby. It has been fun setting up Brooks' room, going through his clothes, figuring out which outfit he will come home in, and just thinking about what it will be like to hold him in our arms. The other day as I prepared to iron my clothes for our basketball game, I sat down in the glider in the nursery to wait for the iron to heat up. As I sat there, I began to rock back and forth, the next thing I new I had drifted off to sleep. I can remember the calmness that I felt as I rocked in the chair, when I woke up I was so excited about Brooks coming home and what a great feeling it will be to look into his eyes. I can only imagine what it will be like to see him for the first time. I am not sure if I will cry, if I will be numb, or if I will be jumping around as if I had just won a national championship or what. All I know is that for the first time in a while I can sit back and enjoy the anticipation of becoming a father/parent. The only thing that I am nervous about now, is the fact that we don't start lamas(?) classes until March, which is pretty late since the baby is due in March. I hope that we at least get through a couple of classes before Alyson goes into labor. We will keep our fingers crossed. But for now I am going to sit back and enjoy what's left of this pregnancy.

Wonderful News!!!!!!

Alyson and I had an appointment with our oncologist (Dr. Hirsch). As you know we were waiting on the results of a test. We got the results in and Alyson got a score of 28, which is a low score, which is very good. She fell in the intermediate range for her chances of having cancer come back in the next 10 years. It works out to about a 15% chance of re-occurrence. This is great news. Dr. Hirsch also said that he does not recommend chemo-therapy for sure while she is pregnant. He just doesn't see any reason to do it now, he also doesn't see why we would have to induce labor before 40 weeks. He also said, and this is where it things get great, that he wants to wait until after Brooks is delivered and do a PET scan to see if there is anymore cancer in her body. If that comes back negative then she WILL NOT have to do anykind of chemo-therapy, however, she may have to do radiation instead. Dr. Hirsch said that we should plan on having a normal birth and normal recovery, which means Alyson will be able to Breast Feed Brooks.

One thought came to my mind, PRAISE HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not just because we are getting the answers we are looking for, but simply because that is what he wants from us.

I heard a song that was called "We must Praise". It basically said this: If you're a doctor, you must praise Him. If you're a lawyer, you must praise Him. If you're a teacher,you must praise Him. If you're a student, you must praise Him. If you're a singer,you must praise Him. If you're an athlete, you must praise Him. If you're a cancer patient, you must praise Him. If you're a cancer survivor, you must praise Him. If you're disabled, you must praise Him. If you're an alcoholic, you must praise Him. If you're a parent, you must praise Him. Just Praise Him. No matter your lot in life you must praise Him.
There's a story of a man who went to visit his grandmother, which he did every week. His grandmother was the one who took care of him when his parents were killed in a drug deal gone bad. He really considered her his mother because she was the one that raised him. She was a spiritual women, and she made sure he was too. On this particular day he went to see her. Normally he would walk in and she would be in the kitchen finishing up the meal that they would eat together. This time she was not in the kitchen and when he called for her she did not answer. The house was clean and nothing looked suspicious to him. Maybe she had taken a nap. Just then he began to pray for his grandmother, for no other reason than to just pray for her. He walked into the bedroom and saw that she was still in bed. This was odd because it was the afternoon and she never sleeps this long. Upon inspection he discovered that she had passed in her sleep. After calling an ambulance and all emergency personnel were there, he went outside to be alone. Now most people at this time would begin to cry out of sorrow. Instead he began to praise God out loud, he began singing, praying almost in a frenzy. His friends began to worry about him after doing this for a good twenty minutes. He kept thanking God for her life, for keeping her safe, and for saving her. This man could have done anything when he found out that his beloved grandmother had passed, but he just praised Him. Forget about good or bad circumstances and just praise Him.
I hope that in all situations I will be able to praise Him. Good or bad. I today praise him for his mercy on Alyson and for his mercy on my brother Tim. Tim we are fighting your battle with you. Just praise Him. If my brother lets me I will tell you his story, but until then pray for him to have courage and endurance and wisdom.

Family Time

Let me start by saying that I have a great family. I love my family with all of my heart and soul. There is nothing that I would not do for my family. The Lord has truly blessed me with my parents. And when I say parents I mean it in the most pluralistic way possible. When I was very young my mother and father got a divorce. They both remarried, so I grew up with two sets of loving parents. Now it was not always and easy thing to deal with, but The Lord made sure that I had four very special and unique parents. Let me first start with my mother.

My mother (Sue) is the strongest most loving person in the world. She is truly my rock here on this earth. She has always been the support system that has kept me going. She instilled in me the Love of The Lord. Her faith is strong and she is not afraid to show it. I probably wasn't the perfect kid growing up and I should have listened a whole lot better to her than I did, but the one thing I always knew was that she loved Christ. It is her prayers and her prayers alone that have kept me out of harms way. She has prayed diligently for all four of her children, and they have all turned out the way the Lord has planned. She has two daughters and two sons who love her with all of their hearts. In order, they are Tim, Missy, me, and Rachel. Tim, Missy, and me are from her first marriage, and Rachel is from her second. She was willing to do anything for us growing up, and still is to this day. She sacrificed so much to make sure that we had everything we needed. We never went without, even in the lean years. She even took on a second job when I was in school. She was at every game and event (she was recognized by her whistle in the stands). She was and is our biggest fan, and she wants nothing more that for us to be happy in life. I can never repay her for her love, except to accept the gift that she told us about growing up. That gift is the sacrifice of Christ. She has done her job and her reward will be great in Heaven. Mom, you are the greatest ever and I love you so much.

Coming from a divorced home can complicate things in life for some people, and it wasn't always fun for me. But all in all, I have been truly blessed in my situation. The Lord blessed me with a great step-father (Jeff). He has been in my life since I was about five years old. He has put up with me for a long time. He is truly a man of great faith. Like so many of us men, he too was saved by the prayers of his mother(thats another whole story). For as long as I can remember, Jeff has been there. He has been a great teacher on how to be a man, and how to provide for a family. He has taught me so many things. He helped instill in me a love for sports of all kinds. He taught me how to hunt and fish. How to shoot a gun, a bow and a basketball. The times I will always cherish are the long walks in the fields hunting for pheasants (I cant wait to get to do that soon). More importantly than teaching me to hunt and play sports, he has showed me how to love someone unconditionally. He took me in as his own son. He expected out of me what any father would expect out of their son. He is a great encourager. He was there to pick me up when I was down, and to put me in my place when I got cocky or stupid. He is not my step-dad, he is my other Father. Do you remember that old television show called "My two Dads", I have that. I love you Jeff.

That leads me to my birth Father (Tom). My Dad, has raised five children of his own plus another. He obviously raised Tim, Missy, and myself, but also Trevor and Nicole from his second marriage. His second wife, Karen had a daughter named Angela. That is six children in all. How you have kept your sanity is beyond me. My dad has such a love for all of us kids, a love that is truly great. He worked at General Motors for 35+ years. Anyone who does that deserves sainthood. He is a great provider for all of us. He instilled in me a love of cars, not just any cars, but muscle cars. I can remember going to autorama in Detroit to see all of the custom hotrods. He used to have this van that he customized. He could do anything with that van. I bet you he changed the interior in that van a thousand times. I can remember it having a mini-bar in it, decorated in 80's disco type. He was ahead of his time when he put another stereo in the back of the van. He put a little t.v. and v.c.r. for long trips it also had atari hooked up to it. That van was the coolest thing I have ever been around. But more than cool vans, he was a cool dad. I have always looked up to him because he can do anything. He can fix anything on a car, and a house. When I need some help with anything like that he is the first person I call. Its like having the biggest desk reference in the world. My dad deserves so much. He has worked so hard in his life to provide for his family and to show how much he loves his kids. There isn't a tribute out there that can measure up to him and what he has meant in my life. I asked him a question just before I got married, I asked him if he had any advice. His initial response was, "you want marriage advice from a man who has been divorced twice". A few days later he gave me a wedding card he had put a note in it for me. In the note he had told me how much he thought he had screwed up in life and how he wished he had been around more. Then he told me not to try to keep up with the "Jones'", to take long walks with my wife and really talk to her, to find out what she is thinking and how she is feeling. I have tried to do that in my marriage. That was the best advice I have ever gotten. Dad you didn't screw up!!!!! You let us make our mistakes, you picked us up when we fell, you loved us when no one else would. You made us feel special. When we screwed up, you didn't make things worse, you made things better. You have six children that love you and would do anything for you. I want so much for you Dad, because you deserve so much.

My dad's second wife (Karen) is a very special women. She took on a whole family when she married my Dad. Anyone that has put up with Tim, missy, and me deserves a Medal of Honor. She took us all, good, bad, and the ugly. She was truly my other mom. She could have ignored us if she had wanted, but she didn't. She loved us, even when it was hard to. When I would go and spend the night at her house she always made me feel at home. She never tried to over step her bounds and she knew when to pull back when she thought she was getting close to crossing the line. She is a truly awesome women and I will forever be greatful to her for the role she played in my life. Karen, I love you and I miss you. I can't wait to come home so that you can meet another one of your grandchildren (his name is Brooks, by the way). I love you dearly.

These are my mothers and fathers. I want to tell you about my brothers and sisters to, but I will save that for another time. I am going to sleep now. Hope you enjoy this, sorry this was so long.

And the Name is...(probably)

We have picked a name for our son, at least for now. How does BROOKS THOMAS THRIFT sound. Alyson really liked the name. The unfortunate thing is that we have a player with that name already. Its actually his middle name but he goes by it instead of his first name. I am sure this will go straight to his head. But for now we are going with BROOKS. Maybe he will turn into the second best third baseman in baseball history (Brooks Robinson).

We have a name for our Son!!!!!!!!

You'll just have to wait until we tell our families. Sorry to do that to you.

Here is a preview of baby boy Thrift. Upper left you can see his nose and upper lip and belly button. Upper right is his face. Lower left are his boy parts (under 21 please look away!!). Lower right he has his mouth open.

Well, we are still waiting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We were supposed to have an appointment with the oncologist today to find out the results of the oncotech test. The doctor called and said that all the results were not in yet. He is waiting on the genetics portion of it. On a good note, the doctor told Aly that he thinks she is very lucky, because he feels as though we got all of the cancer with the surgeries. I don't think that is luck, as a matter of fact I know that isn't luck. That leads us to believe that the Doctor will be comfortable with waiting on chemo therapy until after the baby is born (we are getting closer to a name, be patient). We will sit down with him next week (hopefully) and determine our next course of action.

On a side note, we bought a crib the other day and have placed our order for the rest of the furniture. We are about 70 days away from being parents. Alyson and I will be responsible for another person. That will be a whole new experience, at least for me. She has been responsible for me for the last 7 years, only she didn't have to change my diapers ( I do that myself now). Anyway, we are eagerly anticipating the day when our child comes.

We appreciate all of your continued prayers. Alyson will be in Michigan this week having a baby shower for all of our loved ones back home. She is really looking pregnant... Finally!!! She is beautiful and will make a great mother. We will update you when we get word of what is next for us.

Still Waiting

We are still waiting to hear the results of the Oncotest DX test. Once we here from the lab we will sit down with our Oncologist and determine whether or not it is safe to wait on chemo-therapy. We appreciate all of your continued prayers. I will let you know when we find out what we are going to do. The Lord has been faithful to His promise that we will never get more than we can handle and we praise His name for all of the good news that we have received.