Dear Friends,

We are starting this blog to be able to stay in touch with you. Many have asked if we will continue the Caring Bridge site and have expressed an interest in staying connected with us in some way. We greatly appreciate your prayers and, in this way, you will know more knowledgeably how to pray for us. We will try to update this site on a weekly basis.

On a more personal note….Please pray for Duane and Alisha tomorrow. They are currently on the way to the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta. Alisha needs to be there by 8:00 am for a heart biopsy and cauterization. This is the first time for this hospital to do her biopsy so she will have all new doctors, nurses, etc. They will be especially looking at her arteries to determine if she has the coronary artery disease that can be an issue after this many years post heart transplant. (This was the reason that Austin had to have his second transplant. The doctors said that he did well in making it for 16 years.) On July 17, Alisha will have had her new heart for 13 years. We are determined, however, not to allow fear of the future to rob our joy and blessings of today. The hospital experience tomorrow will be full of bittersweet memories of our time there with Austin. We appreciate your prayers for Alisha and Duane in this regard. Also, please pray for a good report regarding Alisha’s arteries. We know that God is bigger than this issue!

I need to share with you what our 2 year old Chantaya said a few days ago. I had been fighting another wave of grief because of missing my dear son and she saw me shed a few tears. After this, I started to tell her many things about Heaven. (This always lifts my spirit!) A short time later, she was eating and said that her tummy hurt. These were her next words…”My tummy hurts so I am sick. I can die and then I can go to Heaven and go right into Austin’s arms!” She had her arms stretched out real wide to emphasis this point. She was ready to go right then! She seems to remember him and is looking forward in seeing her big brother again. Oh, the day for our whole family to be reunited in Heaven will not come to soon!

I will be taking Brianna for her Driver’s Education classes at 8:00 tomorrow morning. She has classes Mon.-Thurs. of this week and then, Lord willing, we plan to leave for our tour on Friday. It will be a full week but we anticipate seeing God’s hand at work in the events of our lives.

Because of Him,

Cindy