The Fort

Nearly finished and already loads of fun in the new club house, affectionately now known as The Fort!

Thanks so much Granddad P, Grandpa F and Daddy for all your sweat equity!

Please not another lemonade stand

Don't get me wrong, the kids have already had many a lemonade stands. It is a childhood rite of passage.

But on this occasion (Memorial Day morning) when Samantha and her friend H decided to sell lemonade by the gallon (for $12 a gallon!!) in order to earn more money, it seemed an excellent opportunity to discuss some small business basics and encourage them to think creatively. We discussed two topics:

The water is wet

And refreshing! Just what we needed on this sunny 91 degree day in Chattanooga!

We want to wish Uncle David F a very happy 35th Birthday today!

Summer Theater

The kids have created a long list of fun activities to fill their summer time! One of their recent activities involved creating and performing an original untitled play in our front yard:

More Mr. Squishy

We are pleased to report OK-432 is doing its job on Mr. Squishy, and at precisely one week post-op, has doubled Mr. Squishy in size as projected. In the coming days and weeks, we expect Mr. Squishy will deflate as it shrivels up into nothing more than scar tissue. Part of OK-432s magic is that it is helping Trey's body fight the cyst, creating what we anticipate will be insignificant scar-like tissue that prevents new growth of the lymphatic malformation.

Altar Servers today

Horsing around

Aunt Di, Kinsley and Samantha enjoyed time together at the farm today:

So long Mr. Squishy

Today's procedure went great! The radiologist and surgeon reported most of Trey's cyst was one large pocket which is great news. We anticipate going home tomorrow, and the next few days and weeks we will watch and document any changes as part of Trey's recovery and requirements for the study. We come back to Vanderbilt in a month to ultrasound Mr. Squishy to see what, if anything, remains.

Mr. Squishy

Our life took an unexpected turn on Sunday, January 15 of this year when I discovered a squishy lump on Trey’s neck while applying aloe to his sun burn. Trey had gone fishing out on the ocean for the first time earlier that afternoon, and the Miami sun was brutal even for winter.

Club House progress

Thanks to the incredible sweat equity of Grandpa and Granddad, the club house is really coming along!!!

Club House Work Continues

Club House Summer

Thanks to drawings by Granddad P and sweat equity by Grandpa F, work is underway for a new club house in our back yard for Trey & Samantha. Plans had to be altered to make the structure portable so being up in the trees was no longer an option. The kids are VERY excited!!! We will keep you posted on our progress:

Roller skating 101

It was very satisfying to see Samantha's friends teach her how to roller skate:

Gators and Scooping Poo

Uncle David M recently taught Samantha how to drive the gator and scoop horse poo. Interesting and effective combination:

The Shield

Trey has been earning money for a new shield, and not just any shield but an authentic stainless steel Link shield. The shield arrived today, and with some minor modifications to accommodate our lefty, it is ready for action!

Trey Recital Video

He performed the song Gerudo Valley from the video game Zelda:


Click here to view on youtube.com if video does not play.

Samantha's First Holy Communion

Samantha carried a vintage purse from 1977 thanks to her God Mother Aunt Di!