Welcome, Brooke Renee!

Brooke Renee Bennett arrived at 10:47 this morning, at 8 pounds and 14 ounces, and 20 inches long. Proud parents are Andrew and Julia. Everybody is doing well. We are all extremely grateful and excited.

Tool Time

This afternoon, while the ladies were having a bridal shower for my future daughter-in-law Amy, a few of us guys got together and had a Tool Time for Matt. Not wanting anyone to feel excluded but also not wanting anyone to feel obligated, I limited the invitations to a handful a men who have had (or are currently having) significant input into Matthew's life over the years, and who also like tools. Each man told Matt why the selected tool he gave was important for a man to have, and also gave Matt some good advice about married life (even the young single guys).

He got a really good foundation of tools for starting out. I appreciate each man's generosity, each man's advice, each man's investment in Matt over the years, past, present and future, and their prayers for Matt and Amy.



When I was a young man approaching the age to leave home, my Dad gave me a set of Craftsmen wrenches, sockets & ratchets, and screwdrivers. Today, 40 years later, they remain the foundation of my tool collection. Guess what I got for Matt just as quickly as I could get to the Sears store to buy them. We guys had a great time at the Tool Time.

Friday morning, 2/12/10, in Bedford, Texas:










The final tally: 7" of accumulation at our house (Wanna bet it's gone by noon?).

A Snowy Day in Texas

Feb. 11, 2010: And these pictures were taken first thing in the morning, and it continued snowing all day after that. We now have 4" - 6" of accumulation, and it is still coming down this evening.

Status Update

Last week, I went in for my two-month check up at the cancer doctor's office. Blood work revealed that there has been no change, good or bad, in the cancer over the past two months. Fortunately, it is at a low level (10% of where it was at diagnosis), though not as low as we would like. The cancer doc looked me over and mulled the benefits of continuing the chemotherapy vs. the impacts that it is taking on my body. Finally he advised me to continue with the chemotherapy for as long as I can endure it, but to stop it when I need to (I don't think he realizes just how much I will endure to fight this thing). Thanks to all for love, prayers, and concern.

Ride 'em, cowgirl!

Alyssa came to visit on Saturday. Here's a picture of her riding her horse and holding her baby. Photo by Carol. Why so somber, Alyssa? I think Carol caught the only moment she wasn't smiling and laughing. Also note her new (and first) haircut.

Alyssa, 1/30/10

She Said Yes!

Matt & Amy, 1/26/10

And when we're old and they ask me,
How do you define success?
I'll say it's when you meet a woman, and you fall in love,
and you ask her and she says yes!

(Charlie Reid, The Proclaimers, "Let's Get Married")