Wordless Wednesday

Silver Dollar City, Branson

Kindergarten Graduation Luncheon

Owen as Davy Crockett for a school program

Easter 2010

Arden and best friend Cheza at school

Arden and teacher Wendy (LOVE her!!)

Benign: my new favorite word!

The pathology results for my jaw growth came back as BENIGN. Praise the Lord! I hadn't really been worried while we waited ten days for the results because the oral surgeon had told Stuart after surgery that it didn't present like a tumor and was like a bone growth. His impression of what the five most likely things it could be were all benign growths, and it did turn out to be one of the things my surgeon had mentioned. It has a long name that I don't remember (I'll get copies of my pathology report in a few days via mail), but it is almost always found in middle aged, African American women. So, that was why my doctors didn't immediately think that I would be a candidate for it.

Luckily, no future treatment is necessary. I am about 80% recovered from the biopsy procedure which involved cutting open a flap in my gum line inside my chin, cutting out a piece of the bone growth, and then stitching me back with about two inches of stitches. It has taken longer for the swelling to go away than I expected, and I still have some soreness and swelling right around the area where the biopsy was taken, plus I still have no regular feeling in my two, center bottom teeth. Hopefully, that won't be permanent due to nerve damage.

I'm so thankful that it isn't anything serious that would require more invasive surgery or loss of teeth. The only slight negative right now is that I might not be able to get adult braces (which I was seriously thinking of getting in 1-2 years when Owen gets his since my school dental plan will cover adult orthodontics). My surgeon is researching this and talking to his orthodontist friends, and I'll find out more at my final check-up in two weeks. Apparently, my four (crooked) bottom teeth might be fused into this excess bone spur and may not be able to be moved or corrected with braces. I guess I'll just live with my crooked teeth if that's the case, and I'm very thankful that I get to keep them!

Thanks so much for your prayers!

Sneak Peeks

I finally got up enough energy, time, and courage to take Arden to get an outdoor photography session with a professional photographer. We had not had a professional sitting since she was 12 months old, before we moved to NW Arkansas! So, after 18 more months, my darling daughter had changed quite a bit, and I wanted to capture her preschool personality on film.

It was a challenge to photograph her, as she NEVER sits still. Not even for five seconds straight. Plus, she talks constantly, and is very social, so we couldn't get her to really smile because she was always talking and pointing. The photo shoot was done by one of my former high school students at Pulaski Academy,Jessica Ritchie,who now lives in NW Arkansas also. She is amazingly patient and great with kids (she is a former first grade teacher), and it was a very low stress shoot. We took Arden to the University of Arkansas campus where she basically ran around barefoot for 1 hour and 40 minutes while Jessica tried to capture shots. Arden talked to strangers and random joggers, chased dogs and birds, and she basically thought the campus was full of "princess towers" and wanted to climb the steps of every academic building! The summer weather was perfect at 85 degrees in the early evening with a slight breeze.

I knew that we wouldn't get a lot (or any!) shots of Arden sitting perfectly posed and smiling for the camera because that just isn't her personality or stage at 2 1/2! However, I knew that whatever shots we got would capture her spirit and age because she was in a great mood and acting just like herself.

I was so thrilled when I found Arden's cute eyelet dress (from Gap Kids) for just $4 at the Rhea Lana consignment sale this past spring since I knew it would be good for a future photo session, and I borrowed the hairbow from my neighbor Laurie since Arden normally hates wearing them (notice that Arden had removed the bow by the middle of the session! ha).

So, here are a couple of "sneak peeks" that Jessica just posted on her blog, and I will get to see all my proofs in a week or so. I can't wait. Enjoy!