Good evening everyone!  I found a couple of cute pictures of Beau today while going thru my pictures and remembering little stories about him.  I have what we call the “Egg” Car at my house for them to play with.  I was keeping Beau one Friday while Jennifer worked.  He usually stayed with Ma when Jen worked except on Fridays then he would stay with me because I kept Kayla on Fridays so on this particular Friday I had them both with me.  I brought the “Egg” car in the house for them to play with.  Kayla put Beau in the car and he was a little confused acting at first then he started enjoying himself.  By the time he was use to being in it Kayla wanted her turn and when he wouldn’t get out she decided to get in there with him.  Needless to say it was a little crowded and Beau wasn’t too happy about that.  He wanted her to get out and when she wouldn’t it made him mad.  Kayla kept trying to get him to stop crying but he wanted the “Egg” car to himself.  I finally got him to stop crying and they ended up playing and riding in it together.  2^nd Corinthians 9:7-8  God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.  Sometimes kids aren’t “cheerful givers” but then they are just being kids.  Beau and Kayla were both “Cheerful givers” 99% of the time.  They always looked out for each other and even today Kayla still wants to “get one for Beau”.  Jennifer told me she was going to run out of space if we kept on buying stuff so we haven’t done it in a long time.  I guess we will always look at what we want to get him and wish we could give him. It always makes me feel good to buy Kayla and Beau stuff.  It brings such joy to me to see their smile and to see the enjoyment a simple toy brings them.   We can bring that same joy to friends, family, and even to strangers.  Take time today to smile at someone, to give a loved one a compliment, open a door for an elderly person, call someone that is ill, or ask someone that is lonely to lunch.  You can be a “missionary” right here at home if you will open your heart to God and ask for his guidance on how you can reach out to others.  I think most of us find we are at our happiest when we are doing for others.  God Bless!  Love, Grammy

Good evening all!  I was looking thru my pictures and came across some that were taken last May 2007.  I had also videoed Beau that day with my camera so I watched it and laughed and cried at the same time.  As you may all remember, I would go to the hospital everyday so Jennifer could get her shower and get dressed.  This particular day Beau was up and going when I got there.  I think I went later that day.  He watched Jennifer get ready everyday whether at home or in the hospital.  When they were at home, he usually sat in the bathroom with her while she got ready.  He would watch her brush her teeth, clean her eyes and face, then put lotion on her face before she put on her makeup.  After awhile, he decided he had to do it along with her.  So on this day, he brushed his teeth, and then Jennifer pretended to put eye makeup remover on a cotton ball and gave it to him.  He cleaned and cleaned his eyes then his face.  You would have thought he had tons of eye makeup on the way he was cleaning his eyes.  Jennifer tried to give him some lotion to put on his face but that made him mad and he fussed.  The video was so cute of him.  We tried to get him to sing or say something but he was too busy cleaning his face.  More sweet memories of our little warrior.  Romans 8:39  Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Beau was with us for a little while but will live forever with Jesus.  Nothing can separate us from the memories and the love we have for Beau.  We still talk about him every day and remember all the good times we had with him.  He’s still Kayla’s best friend and she talks to him all the time.  We all talk to him and let him know how much we love and miss him.  Just as this Bible verse says nothing can separate us from the love of God.  And, nothing can separate us from the love we have for Beau.  It’s because of God’s love and the grace that comes from Him each day that Beau’s family can move forward but as we move forward we take Beau with us in our hearts and in our memories.  He will be with us always.  God Bless!  Love, Grammy

Good evening all!  I’m sorry I haven’t updated in a week.  It seems like there has been so much going on with work and babysitting.  Jennifer and Parham took a short vacation last week and Gabby (beagle) stayed with Grammy.  She slept with me and took up all the space in the bed.  I got the name Grammy because of my grand pets.    Jennifer and Julie started calling me Grammy because I would keep their dogs when they went out of town and they would tell them they were going to Grammy’s house for a visit.  That name stuck so here I am today Grammy to lots of kids and animals.  In my last update, I told you about us being busted on one of Beau’s wagon rides.  We went on a lot of wagon rides over that year.  During one of Beau’s hospital stay’s last October, we decided to go to Cold Stone in Stantonsburg Square to get ice cream.  Jennifer, Beau, Kayla and I made a lot of trips to Cold Stone.  We went enough that the kids recognized it and wanted ice cream when we would pass by.  It was a beautiful afternoon that day so we decided to go for a wagon ride and get some ice cream.  We cut thru the hospital grounds and made a stop to see Auntie Julie at her office on the way. During this time, Beau was being picky about eating.  He would eat the ends off cheese sticks and not eat the middle silly stuff like that.  We made it safely to Cold Stone and Beau and I waited outside while Jennifer and Kayla went in and got our ice cream.  Beau ate a few bites and of course the ice cream started melting a little.  He didn’t want that cup anymore he wanted Jennifer to go get more.  She snuck his cup inside and pretend to get another but Beau knew the difference and would not be fooled.  She had to go buy another one.  He ate a little of that one and wanted a new cup.  Jennifer put her foot down and so no.  Beau didn’t like it one bit.  So, we headed back to the hospital.  By then folks were getting off work and as we were walking along on the sidewalk cars were riding by blowing their horns and waving.  Beau and Kayla loved it and were hollering and waving to everyone.  It was a fun afternoon and good break from the “hospital” routine.  We have lots of good memories like that to look back on.  God Bless us with so many good days over that year.  Matthew 25: 35-36  “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”  November 2006 thru November 2007 is twelve months none of us will ever forget.  There were moments of shock, unbelief, sadness, happiness, stress, grief and blessings. We experienced more emotions than you can believe. Yet, those twelve months hold so many wonderful memories for us. We made so many friends on 2West.  The doctors, nurses, caregivers, etc. will forever remain in our hearts and will forever be a part of our family.  They not only took care of Beau they took care of his family as well especially Jennifer.   They gave not only of their time they gave their love.  We were strangers who were scared to death when we first walked on that floor in November 2006 but by the time we left for the last time on November 29, 2007 we knew we were leaving behind family members who loved us and cared for us.  That was obvious in those last two days.  If you could have seen the steady stream of nurses, doctors, caregivers, respiratory therapists, etc. that came to tell Beau goodbye and give a hug to Jennifer and Parham you would know how much Beau, Jennifer and Parham and their family was loved.  Thank you God for all the wonderful caring staff on 2West we are so fortunate to have had them in our lives.  God Bless!  Love, Grammy

Here are some more pictures of Beau's wagon adventure.  We hope you will enjoy them.  Ephesians 1:9  He has made know to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ.  Beau's family experienced a lot of change over the last year and a half.  Change is an everyday part of life but often we don't notice it as much as we do when something is wrong or there is a drastic change in our lives.  Changes can often be upseting and challenging; however, we can make adjustments, overcome our anxiety, make the best of our current situation and fuction fully.  How do we do this in the mist of change?  Turn to our Heavenly Father and let His Presence fill our hearts and guide us in all we do.  Our lives and the circumstances we find oursleves in are ever-changing but our Heavenly Father never changes. Trust in God and trust Him to help keep your life in balance.  God Bless!  Love Grammy

Good evening all!!  It looks like summer is here for at least a couple of days.  I just hope the pollen won’t be as bad as it has been.  I was looking through my pictures and came across the ones we took back in October.  Beau’s counts were still a little low but they said he could go outside riding in the wagon as long as he would wear his little mask.  They have been cooped up for awhile and it was such a beautiful day that day.  Beau was good about wearing his mask and Kayla always had to have a mask on as well.  I guess Beau didn’t mind wearing his when he saw Kayla wearing hers.  Everyone was so excited that we were going outside riding that the nurse forgot to turn off Beau’s Hugs tag.  For those of you that don’t know what a Hugs tag is, it’s a security tag that the kids wear and if it is not deactivated it will set off an alarm if you try to leave 2 West.  Jennifer and I never thought about the Hugs tag until we started thru the doors of 2 West and the alarm went off.  We hurried back to the nurses’ station and they turned it off.  As soon as we went through the doors of the Children’s Hospital we saw a police car come zooming up.  The policeman got out and asked if this was Beau Stanley.  We told him yes that the nurses forgot to turn it off his hugs tag but we had gone back for them to do so.  He checked with them and then let us get on our way.  I guess you could say we were “busted”.  The kids thought it was funny and we took a picture of them with the police car in the background.  We proceeded on to the front of the hospital and Beau and I waited while Jennifer and Kayla went into the gift shop and bought candy.  Then we weaved our way through the hospital over thru the Brody Building and out to the “duck pond”.  We made one trip around the pond and then G-Paw met up with us.  He works in Brody Building and gave the kids a ride on the lift at the loading dock so we didn’t have to pull the wagon all the way back around Brody. We made a short stop at G-Pa’s office then he gave us a ride on the freight elevator and we made our way back thru the hospital to Beau’s room.  It was one of our many adventures during the time Beau was at the hospital.  Psalm 119:76  Let your steadfast love become my comfort according to your promise to your servant.  God promises us the comfort of his love at all times in all circumstances.  His love is given freely to us and because of his love we have every reason for hope, every reason faith and trust.   Our family spent a lot of time on 2 West and while there were scary times we also had some good times.  Knowing that we had God’s love sustain us thru the scary times and gave us hope in the good times.  We’ll never forget setting off the alarm, taking Beau riding in the wagon and pushing the IV poll as we strolled along - these are just a few of those good moments that we will always cherish.  We look back and are grateful for every moment that we had with Beau and thank God for giving us 2 wonderful years with this precious little boy.  Thank you Lord!!  God Bless!  Love, Grammy

Good afternoon all!  It sure has been a rainy weekend but we needed the rain so I guess we can’t complain.  In the past you have heard me talk about Beau going with daddy to feed up.  Parham has hunting dogs and Beau loved to go with him to feed them.  In the beginning Beau had to watch daddy feed the dogs, but as he got older daddy let him help.  Beau would work with such diligence getting the food ready and helping daddy to put it in the bowls and as all two year olds he often wanted “to do it myself”.  Now mind you, Parham has a “LOT” of dogs so there was more than one bowl to prepare.  Beau would have this serious look on his face then would laugh when daddy put the bowels in each pen.  The dogs would be barking and be so excited and it tickled Beau so good to see the dogs acting so excited and gobbling up their food.  His favorite dog was Peanut.  I know you have heard us talk about Peanut before.  Job 36:22  “See, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him?”  God is our heavenly Father as well our teacher.  Our mother and father here on earth are not only our parents but they are also our teachers.  Their teaching starts the moment we are born and continues until they day they go on to be with God.  You never stop being a parent no matter how old your child gets.  Parham was a wonderful father.  In the short time that he had with Beau, he showed him what “fatherly love” was all about, he taught him many things including how to hit golf balls and “feed up” the dogs.  Parham and Beau spent many precious hours together riding in his big truck, watching golf on TV and just snuggling in the recliner.  As I’ve said before, we are blessed to have so many pictures of Beau and his daddy and their special times spent together.  Take a moment today to look at some of your pictures of special times spent with your loved ones.  God Bless!!  Love, Grammy