Mills Benefit

I wanted to post the flyer for the benefit for Bryan and Dylan Mills, but I'm not sure how to post a PDF or even if I can. The benefit is at Pelican Junction in Baytown (1307 S. Highway 146) on April 18th at 10:00AM. They will have BBQ plates, live and silent auctions, a motorcycle rally, a car show, live entertainment, 50/50 pots (I don't know what that is), and several raffles.

The flyer says to contact Sonny Mills (409-656-5198) or Heather Davis (713-932-5562) for more info. They are also still greatly appreciative of donations to the funds set up at Wachovia Bank or Chase Bank.

Bryan was released from the hospital on Tuesday. The doctors were reluctant to let him leave, but Dylan will be transferred to the Shriner's Hospital in Cincinnati soon and Bryan wanted to be able to see Dylan before he leaves. Bryan's doctors don't think he needs to make the long trip to Ohio. It sounds like Dylan must be more stable now if he is being transferred, but he obviously still needs our prayers for continued healing, successful surgeries, and no infections. Bryan needs our prayers for continued physical and emotional healing. The whole family, including Emmalee, needs prayers for continued strength and comfort through this trial.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Mills-Shriner story on KHOU

Shern-Min Chow did a story last night on the Houston Channel 11 News (KHOU) about the lack of burn treatment centers in the Houston area and featured Bryan and Dylan Mills' story. Search "Shriners" on www.khou.com if this link doesn't work:

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou090317_mh_children-burn-victims.465e8079.html

Dylan is continuing to improve, but still has a long road ahead. Thank you for your continued prayers.

My superstar

Logan got these glasses in his goody bag when he "modeled" at the Liberty County Aggie Mom's Tea Party in February. I just put them on the computer and had to share them!

We thought we had lost the book that he's carrying, then I found it under the couch one day. Logan was so excited and wanted to sit down and read it right then. It's "Moo, Baa, La La La" by Sandra Boynten. I love her books and that one is especially cute.

Yes, he's wearing the Michael Jordan onesie again. He just loves the outfit his cousin gave him. :-) And it goes great with the glasses, don't you think?

I took this a while back when the weather was dry and we discovered that if Michael rubbed a fleece blanket on Logan's head his hair stood up like his Aunt Holly's did when she was a baby!

Website for Dylan

Here is a website that has been set up for Dylan Mills. It has an update as of Friday afternoon.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dylanmills

Recent Pictures of Logan

Here are some pictures my mom took the other day (ok, last month, but who's counting?).

Here's Lo eating some of my dad's slow-cooked oatmeal in the high chair that Holly and I both used when we were little. :-)He's just starting to use the spoon by himself more. An article about feeding toddlers on his doctor's website says, "By 12 months of age, your child will begin to use a spoon and he should be able to feed herself completely by 15 months of age." Yeah, he could probably feed himself, but do you know how messy it would be to let a 15-month old feed himself yogurt and applesauce? We draw the line there. He can feed himself pretty much everything else, but that will have to wait until he's a little more coordinated.

Here he is demonstrating how big he is. You ask, "how big is Logan?" and he raises his arms and you say, "soooo big!" Aunt Kari taught him and it's too cute. Notice he's also wearing the Michael Jordan onesie cousin Kaleb gave him.


Here are Logan's Valentine's Day pics at Aunt Holly's. My mom actually took these a couple of days before Valentine's Day, but she didn't have any assistance and she had trouble getting him to cooperate. He loves the camera, but he wants to touch it!



Here's Lo and Rufus, one of Aunt Holly and Uncle Josh's dogs. I'm not sure what he's doing, but he's always busy, busy these days.

I hope to post more pictures soon if I ever remember to get them off the camera!

Update on Bryan and Dylan

Here's an update from Sonny's (Bryan's brother) mother in law:

Little Dylan is still in very serious condition but we are encouraged by what is happening. He is still heavily sedated but he has been breathing the whole time on his own, which is very good. He had surgery to place a trach on Tuesday but it was purely a precaution. He responds when he hears his mother's voice or the machines beeping by turning his head toward the sound. He had pigskin grafts to his neck, chest, and abdomen yesterday. We were very encouraged that they did that so soon. His little eyes are still swollen shut but the doctors' believe that they will be okay when the swelling goes down.

His daddy, Bryan, is going to remain in Hermann Hospital in Houston for a while. He has second degree burns to his arm, shoulder, and side and third degree burns to his ankles and legs. I do not know how far up his legs the burns go. All the skin was burned off the bottom of his feet. He is in a great deal of pain and, of course, is very worried about his son and feeling guilty that he could not get to him. Sonny spent a couple of days helping his dad tear down the part of the house that was burned. The Baptist Men on Mission, a group of retired men from our church, are going to help them rebuild the house. Wiley had built the house himself the first time. Several benefits are being planned. One is a barbecue at the VFW hall in Cleveland on April 5.

God answers prayers; thank you for your prayers (I know the family appreciates them more than we know) and please keep praying!

Prayer request

This family needs all the prayers they can get, so I'm asking everyone I know to pray. "On Sunday Afternoon March 8, 2009 a house fire broke out in Tarkington leaving Dylan Mills (17 months old) and his father Bryan Mills seriously burned. Dylan was flown by helicopter to a Shreveport Burn Center, and Bryan is in Memorial Hermann’s Jones Pavilion Burn Unit. They are both undergoing multiple surgeries and could use all the help that we can get. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated! Please keep the Mills family in your thoughts and prayers."

Bryan's parents house also burned down in the accident and they didn't have homeowners insurance. Obviously, that isn't the main concern right now, but the entire family is going through a LOT right now and all need our prayers and support.

There are two accounts set up to for the family.

Wachovia Bank under Bryan and Dylan Mills in c/o Jennifer Wood& Chase Bank under Dylan Mills

Please contact Jennifer Wood or Amy Ayers for any other information regarding donations or the family:
Jennifer Wood – 281-659-7492 or jenicwhe@yahoo.com
Amy Ayers – 936-402-4317

Please also pray for the family of Paul Mitchell, who passed away on Jan. 29th, especially his wife Joanna and young children, William and Ashlyn. Another request is for the family of Brad Wims, who passed away on March 2nd, including his wife Jenny and their young children, Zeke and Kaelyn. www.thewims.blogspot.com

This is all so sad, and all I want to do is cry and let the weight of these tragedys get me down. It's ok to be sad, but I know that I cannot let the devil keep me in dispair, because it is he who puts these negative thoughts in my head. For we know that GOD calls us to cast all our anxiety on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We know He listens to our prayers and answers them in His own time and in His own way. All we can do is offer them up to heaven and trust His perfect grace to see us through. This last paragraph is more for me than anything; somehow writing it out is therapeutic and reminds me of God's promise. But I hope it comforts you as well in these troubled times. We have to treasure every moment God gives us!

Logan's first haircut

Logan got his hair cut a couple of weeks ago. It was sort of unplanned so we only have pictures with the camera on my phone (sorry they are so small), but at least we captured it some how. My mom was watching Logan that day. I was supposed to get my hair cut at 4pm and my mom was supposed to get hers done at 5pm, but she got the times confused and showed up before I did. So she went ahead and had hers done since Sela, who cuts our hair, is pretty fast. Logan sat in her lap with the little kid's cape on and was apparently very well behaved.

Then I showed up and got my hair cut. Then Sela shaped both our eyebrows and offered to cut Logan's hair. He just needed a little trim in the back, but I figured I would take him to one of those kid salons so he would tolerate it better. He was feeling right at home, though, so I figured, "what the heck?" He sat in my lap in the chair, she put the cape on, and went right to work. He was busy playing and didn't even notice until she pulled out the trimmer (you know, the buzzer thing) at the end. He was curious, but didn't fuss at all and was pretty still. Now he looks just as precious as ever and doesn't have a crazy-wavy hair when he gets out of the bath tub.