The Smith Family

Today the boys headed back to school! Porter is in third grade this year and our big Eli is in Kindergarten. They both had a wonderful first day! I am excited to see what the year brings for the boys.

Since most of the people who read my blog are family or GR natives most of you already know about a month and a half ago my dad was diagnosed with cancer. He is doing IL - 2 treatments for the cancer and they are pretty tough on him. My dad is a strong cowboy though and doesn't complain even though the treatments are extremely difficult. I was able to go spend some time at home with my parents earlier this week. I had a wonderful visit but I must say it is really hard to see such a tough guy just laying on the couch not hardly feeling like getting up and moving around. My mom called today to tell me an amazing story - she started off by asking if I remembered one of our town pharmacists named Howard. I remember him well, he worked at City Market and was always friendly and talked to my mom and us kids. When I was little City Market closed and I really don't remember seeing him much since then. My mom said that this morning she went to get her haircut. The lady that cuts my mom's hair is named Pam and is our neighbor. Anyway, at some point the pharmacist Howard came into the salon. He told my mom that he had something to give her. It turns out one of Howard's hobbies is he makes wooden bowls. He was approached by an artist from GR and asked if he would make some bowls for the artist's wife. In exchange for the bowls he would be able to pick a piece of artwork. Howard went to the studio to pick his artwork and came upon an oil painting portrait of my father. About three years ago the artist asked my dad to be a model for some cowboy artwork he was doing. I have seen the paintings he did of my dad and they are wonderful - he is a very talented artist. Anyway, Howard then told my mom that he saw the painting and knew it was a painting of my dad. He chose that painting in exchange for his bowls. He also told her something along the lines of he felt no one else should have this painting. So he brought the painting to the hair salon to give to her as a gift. He had spoken with my neighbor Pam earlier in the week and knew my mom would be in for a hair appointment this morning. There were tears all around as he handed my mom the beautiful painting of my dad. As some of you may know paintings are not inexpensive. Truth be told my parents do just fine and could afford the painting - the act of love that accompanied the painting is beyond belief to me. Yes, we know the pharmacist - we saw him in City Market and would chat while our prescriptions were being filled. Is he a close family friend? No. I am moved by the heart of this kind man. I can't imagine the hours he must have spent making those bowls - and in the end gave away his payment. To me this story is amazing. However, more amazing is the fact that Howard is not the only person who has reached out to my parents in their time of need. After my dad's original surgery 4 different people showed up to my parents house unannounced bringing them dinner. One of my parents neighbors who has had her own health problems has brought in numerous meals and called to check on my parents - her husband has shoveled my parents driveway after the snow. Another neighbor has brought in the trash cans weekly after the garbage truck has come and gone. My mom's eyes fill with tears when she talks about the members of their ward who have called and checked on my parents. People have dropped off goodies, sent text messages and cards. I have an aunt who my mom said has called and dropped in with treats for my dad several times a week. I had help getting to and from Green River for my visit with my parents, and help from people who were willing to watch my kids. And the list goes on and on and on . . . A great many thanks from the Owens clan to all who have reached out and supported us as my dad fights this battle. I guess it is a good thing he is a rough and tough cowboy! The picture from this post is from the website of Micheal Parker. It is the picture that Howard gave to my parents. You can find more pictures at http://www.michaelsparker.com/paintings.htm

Just a quick post to show off the kiddos in their Halloween attire. They had a great time trick or treating this year. I can't believe how big they are all getting!

Thanks for all of your prayers! We definitely felt them this morning during and after surgery!
When we got to the hospital and met with the doctor he told us he thought the lump looked bigger. He checked to see if we had our overnight bag and told us after surgery they would move her into a room where she would stay the night. He also told us the surgery would be at least two hours not including sedation time. He said they would update us after two hours and tell us how much longer they thought she would be in surgery. At 7:26 they took Violet back to surgery and had us wait in the waiting room.
Bo went to grab breakfast - I waited just in case. When he got back I needed a break so TK and I went to get something to eat. We were just finishing breakfast burritos at about 8:50 when they called and said she was out of surgery! The surgeon said the lump was actually not in the gland it was merely dead and infected tissue under the skin. He didn't even have to get close to the facial nerve that had caused so many concerns. We were able to see her at 9:00. It took her awhile to wake up because she had been given a large dose of anesthetic because they anticipated a much longer surgery. She woke up smiling and for the most part has been in a great mood all day - the meds wore off and she was cranky until she got her reboot but other than that she has been great. We arrived home shortly after 11:00 this morning.
We are so very thankful for all the prayers you all sent out for Vi. I don't think it is merely a coincidence things went so well when they appeared to be so bad only minutes before the surgery.
Much Love,
Heidi

Some of you have probably heard that Vi is having surgery this week. The story is a little bit long but I wanted to blog about it because we have had so many wonderful friends express their love and concern. So here it goes - the story of Vi . . .
At the end of January Vi was super grumpy one Sunday morning. She wasn't sick or feverish or anything just acting cranky. Well Bo and I both had responsibilities at church to take care of so we decided she was just tired and figured she would take a nap at church like always and wake up fine. We loaded the kids in the van and headed off to church. We didn't even get out of the neighborhood before she started throwing up. So we brought her home and Bo stayed with her while I took the other kids to church. When we got home from church I noticed that it looked like she had fallen and hit the side of her face, she had a purplish lump right in front of ear ear kind of on her cheek. That was the night it all began for poor Vi.
So the next day she went to the dr. who told us she just had a bug and that lymph nodes swell in some people. I was worried a week later when it was still large so I called and he said it takes about a month before they go down sometimes so just be patient. (We love our Pediatrician by the way and nothing in this post is meant to be negative toward him because he has literally held our hands through this entire process.)
A month later we still had the lump so we went in and he ordered an ultrasound which only showed and enlarged lymph node and sent us to a pediatric surgeon. He wanted to lance and drain the lump but we didn't feel right about it. After talking with our doctor we decided to wait it out and see what happens. Sometimes these lumps will form a head and break open like a boil so we were hoping for that.
A friend of mine and I were talking and I filled her in on the situation. She talked about it with her hubby and he recommended we see an ENT as soon as possible. (He is an ENT by the way) It never dawned on me that an ENT might hold the keys to our problem because the lump wasn't in the ear, nose or throat but it made sense once she told me. We went to one who ordered a CT scan. The results were not great - it showed the lump on the parotid gland as well as lumps in her chest. He told us he couldn't do the surgery to remove the parotid gland until we had talked to a pulmonologist about the lumps in her chest.
So off we went to the pulmonologist who was fairly sure Violet had TB. Well after a million tests with her and negative TB test results she called and told us we needed to find a new ENT at TX Childrens to remove the lump. This way she could have easy access to lab results and lets face it - that is really where you want your kids to have surgery anyway.
Off we went to a new ENT who had bad news for us. He knew what the lump was but thought there was very little chance of it being resolved without surgery. So surgery isn't so bad right - wrong - this lump is sitting on her main facial nerve and the chances of complications are really high. The main risk is facial paralysis of the mouth and eye on the left side of her face. We scheduled surgery with a team of highly qualified doctors for this coming Friday.
The ENT then sent us to see an I.D. doctor to see if she could find a way to shrink the lump before surgery. We have to go back to see her again but right now it doesn't appear that the combination therapy she is on is not working. We have one last visit with the ID doctor on Wed. just to make sure they absolutely have to do the surgery. She is doubtful it will be called off so we are preparing for the surgery with a lot of prayers. I have a therapist coming to evaluate her a few weeks after surgery so hopefully we can get started on any issues she might have right away. So if you see me after Friday and my child has a million stitches (did I mention this is going to be a really large scar?) you will know the rest of the story. Thanks to all of our friends and family for their support during this trial. We love you all so much and really appreciate your prayers!
Heidi

Today was Eli's birthday. He is growing up so fast - I just can't believe he is already four years old. Bo and I were talking the other night about how he no longer looks like a baby. This little guy is so boyish - there is no doubt he is getting big.
Eli really wanted a soccer ball cake. He has been asking for it for weeks! You will have to excuse Violet's addition to the cake (the missing frosting) I can't seem to get a cake past the girl without some evidence she has been around.

He was so excited because he got a Leapster for his birthday (pronounced weapster) He has absolutely loved playing on it today.

And who could ever imagine a birthday without being sung to by a mariachi band, all while wearing a sombrero with whip cream and a cherry on your face.
We are so thankful to have our sweet little E in our family!

As a child you know that someday your grandparents will eventually pass away. When I was little I remember being heartbroken when my Great Grandfathers passed away. I figured as I got older I would cope better with these situations - however on Feb. 27th when I got the call that my Grandma Cimino had passed away I sat on the couch and sobbed completely broken-hearted. I do however, find comfort in knowing that some day I will see my Grandmother again and have the opportunity to once again draw on her knowledge and wisdom. I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the kind of woman my Grandmother was. I want those of you that don't know the Cimino's to get a feel for the kind of influence this wonderful woman has had in my life.
At the memorial service for my Grandma my Aunt Margaret said a few words describing her mother. They were simple but described my Grandma to a prefect T. My Aunt Margaret described my Grandmother as a Lady - she said there was never anyone that was more of a lady than my Grandmother. I wasn't surprised at all to then hear my mother use the exact same word to describe my Grandma when she was speaking at the services. Interestingly enough - my mom had no idea what my Aunt Margaret was going to speak about and viceversa. As I was sitting in the services I kept thinking - the Queen of England can't even hold a candle to my Grandma when it comes to being a Lady. She was the most immaculate and proper woman I have ever met - yes she was truly a lady.
My Grandmother found joy in serving others and often volunteered in her community. She and my Grandfather moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina around the time I was born. They loved golfing and had a beautiful home on the golf course. Later they moved to a retirement community in Southern Pines, NC. She loved to read (guess we know where I get that from) and she enjoyed traveling with my Grandfather.
When I was little my mom got some old pictures from her parents and framed them and put them on the wall in our house. I remember looking at them and saying to my mom that I thought my Grandma looked like a movie star. She was so incredibly beautiful - even as she grew older she was a picture of beauty and easily could have been on television because of her beauty.
So many memories and things I would love to include that describe my Grandma. I am going to conclude with one of my most fond memories of my Grandmother. Shortly after Violet was born she had to be put back into the ICU because she had really bad jaundice. I was a complete wreck and cried the entire time she was in the hospital. On the second day she was there I was leaving during the shift change (they make you leave while they bring the new nurses up to speed) and as I was leaving I received a phone call from my Grandma. She called me to see if I was ok and check on the baby. I was so upset I just cried and cried - she comforted me and cried right along with me. I really appreciated her being there when I so desperately needed her that day. I am so sad she didn't get a chance to ever meet Violet or Juliet but I know she watches down on us from heaven and I hope some day she will be proud of the Lady I will hopefully become - she has definitely set the bar high for generations to come. We will miss you Grandma Cimino.

After a very yucky pregnancy we were blessed with our sweet little Juliet on November 15 at 7:01 pm. She weighed in at 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long. She is absolutely beautiful and of course looks just like her Daddy.
The last few weeks were pretty rough - I dilated early and had a lot of contractions but just couldn't seem to go into labor. I had a Dr. apt. on the 15th and decided I was going to beg to see if she would strip my membranes. I didn't feel well and my legs were really swollen. However, when I got to the Dr. (swollen legs and all) and they took my blood pressure my midwife became a little alarmed. The high blood pressure - coupled with my extremely swollen legs and headaches all pointed to one thing - preeclampsia. When my midwife checked me I was dilated to a 4.5 so she called over to the hospital to see if they had a bed. They did and she told me to go right over - she said someone could bring me my overnight bag I was not to go home. We got to the hospital around 4:00 pm and checked in. My contractions were between 1 and 3 minutes apart. At 5:00 they started the pitocin and our sweet little baby was born 2 hours later.
Juliet is a wonderful baby and is growing like crazy! We are so excited to have her in our family!

Here are some pics. of the kiddos from Halloween. In true Eli fashion he wouldn't sit with the other kids when it was picture time so that is why his are all by himself. Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!

So the kids have been talking about Halloween forever! We were in Wal-mart yesterday and Eli found a costume he absolutely could not live without. He doesn't even know who Robin is but he thought he looked like a really cool superhero so we went ahead and got the costume. I foolishly thought he might actually wait until Halloween to wear it but boy was I mistaken. He has barely taken it off for the past two days. He looks so cute we wanted to share some pics. but just so ya know - there will be more like these at the end of October.

Tonight we took the boys to watch an Astros game. They had a great time. I'm thankful for my friend Vanessa that kept Violet so she didn't have to go. It was so much fun - we will have to go again in the near future.

I do have school pictures - I just have to find the card reader so they will hopefully be up soon.
When Porter got home from school today we were discussing his day. He started telling me how he felt sad at lunch because he couldn't have an ice cream. I asked if the buyers got ice cream. He said no the coach handed them out to everyone in the class because it was Shepherd's birthday. So I asked Porter why he didn't get one. I asked if it was because he didn't want one. His little lip started to quiver - then he looked at me and said "Mom you know I love ice cream - of course I wanted it." Then the tears started to fall - those big silent ones that melt your heart. He replied that he didn't get an ice cream because last year we told him not to buy ice cream at lunch. This is true - we did tell him that if he bought a lunch not to buy "extra" stuff like chips, water bottles etc. So I asked again who gave him the ice cream. He told me again it was the coach and she said he didn't have to buy it because Shepherd's parents bought if for everyone for his birthday treat. Porter told her he couldn't have it. She told him it was ok - he still said no. Then she asked if he was allergic to it. He told her he wasn't but that his parents had told him not to buy ice cream at lunch. Again, she told him it was free for him. He still said no but she said he had to take it because it was already paid for. So he told her he didn't know what to do - and she said if you shouldn't have it I guess you can throw it away. So my sweet little boy sat there while the rest of his class was eating ice cream and didn't even cry - but at the end of lunch he threw his in the garbage because he didn't want to be disobedient. Even with a teacher telling him it was ok he still did what he thought in his heart was best. As you can probably imagine with all my extremely pregnant hormones I just broke down and cried right along with him. We told him it was absolutely ok to have an ice cream if one of the teachers gives it to him and that sometimes if he asks us ahead of time he can even buy one - he just needs to ask first. So tonight he went to the store and picked out a half gallon of his favorite ice cream. We told him that we were so proud of him for trying so hard to make the right choice. And guess who is going to buy an ice cream at school tomorrow?
I love my sweet little boy so very much and even though I feel terrible about what happened and the confusion he had at lunch today I am so very thankful he is willing to be obedient. He was trying so hard to do what was right and I am so thankful for his example.

We had a wonderful Easter! On Saturday we took the kids to two different Easter Egg Hunts and of course they loved every minute of it. Well - as you can tell from the picture not everyone loved every minute of it. Violet was not impressed with the Easter Bunny at all. It sure makes for a cute picture though. Hope you all had a wonderful Easter too!

Here are some recent pics. of Violet and Eli. The other day for playgroup we made milk carton gingerbread houses. Eli had a great time and loved eating all of the candy. The pics. of Violet are of her in her Christmas dress I finished a couple of weeks ago. I'm a little sad it turned out to be a little too big but better big than small right?

We had a great ward party the other night and at the end Santa came for a visit. One of the sisters in our ward took this picture of the kids and I think it turned out cute.