"I Buckle Myself"

I was picking up the bedroom to get ready for the cleaning lady and Kevin was in the bathroom getting ready for work and all of a sudden from the back of our closet we heard, "I buckle myself!" So we both went back there and we couldn't find him, but we could hear him. "I buckle myself" over and over. We walked around our built-ins to the other side of the closet and found this proud little boy grinning from ear to ear. "I BUCKLE MYSELF!" Indeed, he did!

Happy Kwanza, Everyone!

Christmas is here and boy is our house excited! Everyday we learn more about Santa, his reindeer, Baby Jesus and his father "Joe Fuzz", and PRESENTS! But something I didn't know we would learn so much about was other cultures. Apparently Barney spends a little bit of time teaching little ones about Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanza - which I think is great! The Barney Christmas DVD (Our very favorite, of which I can now recite word for word) has a little medly of songs that showcase each of the three traditions during December. They sing "O Little Town of Bethlehem", "The Dreidel Song" and "Havari Gani". As Ben and I were finishing our lunch today he crawled up in my lap, looked at me and in the sweetest voice said, "Happy Kwanza, Mommy!" To which I replied, "Happy Hannukah, Baby" and he ended with, "Happy Christmas, too!"

To each of you, we wish you a wonderful weekend and next week and hope that everyone is healthy and happy in 2008!

Love, The Bredemeyers

Update on Ron

As you all know, my father-in-law is currently battling Leiomyosarcoma (LMS). Here is his latestet email updated...

The second week of chemo was certainly different than the first. On Wednesday after chemo on Monday, the Lord allowed me to spend 3 days in the Abilene Regional Resort and Day Spa (Abilene Regional Medical Center). Seems there were some germs who decided to take up residence and give me a fever. The IV antibiotic worked as advertised and we came home on Saturday night. I think we are making this cancer mad with all these chemicals and people praying against it's survival. During this week I lost my taste buds, experienced greater fatigue than before, experienced stomach cramps and a rash over my head and trunk. The Lord's timing is perfect as hopefully these effects will all disappear before Christmas so that we can enjoy our family. Next treatment is not until the 26th. I am convinced that He also allowed these side effects to remind me that this is not a "wort on my finger" he is going to heal, but a real disease more serious than any I have ever had.
The blessing of the hospital is that it is generally quiet and allows lots of time to reflect on the real priorities of life without the worries of day to day activities. It is amazing what the Lord will show us when we get quiet before Him and listen.
Brenda and I had lots of time together. As she ministered to me, I certainly realized that she IS the perfect partner for me. Also I had ample time to reflect about what a great blessing our children and grandchildren are to us. Kevin and Kim have ministered to their Dad and I have been reminded what great young adults they have become.
The inconveniences of this disease serve as a reminder the importance of our relationships. Our relationship to our Lord and Savior, Our relationship to our mate, Our relationship to our family, and Our relationship to our friends. Without the support of these praying, it would be a tough mountain. These relationships should be our top priorities over all else. Because in the end the Love that we gave and the love that we shared is all that will matter. Strong Christian fellowship serves as a great encouragement as many of those we have regular fellowship with have already faced this nasty disease and won.
Prayer requests are:
1. That the side effects will subside before Christmas
2. That this particular chemo will work on the tumor
3. That we will all remember the reason for our Christmas celebrations
May the blessings of Christmas be with you all!!
Love to All,
Ron and Brenda
PS: I have hesitated to send this email each week as it seems rather presumptuous and egotistical. But believe me, this is not about me, it is all about you and the prayers that have already been answered. And mostly about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and His immeasurable love for each of us.

and so we begin...

I am new to this whole "blog" idea. I wasn't entirely sure how to use it. Is it a journal? "Dear Diary, today was a busy day..." um, NO! That's way too personal. Is it a way to keep up with friends? "Hey everybody...Ben used the potty today?" Again...NO! Do I use it to hone my writing skills in order to complete the next great American novel? "It was a dark and stormy night..." That's entirely too much pressure! So I decided to use it to tell on my two boys! I have all the material I need just living with the two most amazingly ornory, difficult, brilliant, imaginative, loving, bull headed boys on the planet. One is 2 and one is 34!


My two year old, Ben is magical. He can spell his name, count to ELEVEN and knows more than half of his ABC's. And he is funny, too! Already he knows how to work a room and commands the center of attention brilliantly. My thirty four year old, Kevin is amazing. He works harder than anyone I know and every day puts Ben and I first before everything else. Some days he is even a better Mommy than I am. I tell you these things about them, because going forward I might forget the good and perfect and focus on the comical and infuriating! That makes for better entertainment, right?


So check back often! I will have a story to tell each week and hopefully you will enjoy the Adventures of Allison and the Boys as much as I do!


Merry Christmas!

Allison