| M & M STOP-N-SHOP BIKER FRIENDLY REST STOP 1831 HWY 64, EL PASO, AR 72045 501-796-7070 |
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Dear Friends,
As I was looking over our website I realized that I really needed to write an update on
the last 4 years of our lives.
In 2007, Matt, Codi, and myself spent the year with health problems, we all 3 ended
up being hospitalized, but thankfully we all recovered and made it through that year.
In 2008, life just seemed to get harder although we had no clue as to how hard it was
going to get. My mother was diagnosed with Leukemia in July 2008 and she went to
live with our LORD on September 30, 2008.
She was my best friend and the most wonderful mother in the world (in my opinion).
I miss her every day. Not long after that my father was diagnosed with stomach
cancer. So we started chemo and prayed for the best results. We are thankful that
God blessed us with his recovery from that.
January 2009 found us back in the hospital with Codi. He had double pneumonia
(from swallowing problems) and was critical for several weeks.
After 3 months in the hospital, we brought him home, and although he is on a feeding
tube now and is doing better……He wasn’t able to walk again after that, so he
became wheel chair bound that year.
In April 2009, our oldest son Hutch came home from California and spent 2 months
with us, it was a time of family reunions and lots of good memories. He went back to
Los Angeles in June to be close to his children. NEVER in our wildest nightmares
would we have believed that we would get ANOTHER of those phone calls, that
brings you to your knees, BUT WE DID.
On July 18 at 6 am our phone rang and the Doctor on the other end told us that our
son Hutch had been shot twice in the head, and that they were trying everything to
keep him alive, but an hour later they called and said he was gone. To lose one child is
unbearable, to lose two is Unspeakable.
We boarded a plane to go get our son and bring him home. After a nightmarish week
we managed to get things accomplished and arrangements made to bring Hutch home
to be buried beside his brother. Upon arriving back in Little Rock, we were
OVERWHELMED by the out pouring of love, sympathy and donations to help us get
Hutch home and bury him with “Grace“. Tommy Smith and Bob Robbins had teamed
up on the radio and helped make it happen. We will be eternally grateful to all of those
who stood by us, supported us, held fundraisers for us, and truly showed their
friendship during this time in our lives. We can Never thank you all enough.
In 2010, we are proud to say that we were invited to be on the Board of Directors for
Special Olympics. We are very proud of that position.
And our grandchildren increased by 2 that year by our daughters Tami and Mandi. And
we couldn’t be more proud of All our grandchildren. They are our Sunshine!!
2010 seemed to be a year of healing for us all. And as we have learned that even
after all tragedies there can also come huge blessings. In October, 2010 we got a phone
call from a young lady named Falyn Dawn, and to make a long story short….she is Matt’
s daughter, that he had never been told about.
God blessed us with a beautiful young lady who looks SO much like Matt and is as
beautiful inside as she is out. So we have now been a part of one of GOD’S miracles.
And not to make light, but we have also gained 2 more grandchildren in the deal!!
I think God gives you just enough time to start healing your heart because HE knows
when there is another tug coming. On January 4, 2011, I lost my brother with a massive
heart attack. He was only 57 years old, and my only sibling. That was tough. And then
most recently Matt had to have bypass surgery on his heart in May 2011. And AGAIN
WE THANK GOD for his healing and recovery.
Matt and I could NOT have survived these years if not for GOD, our family and friends
that have literally carried us through some of the worst days of our lives, and then
rejoiced with us when good things happen. We are SO blessed to have the family,
friends and customers that help us to keep our business alive and that allows us to
keep helping the charities that we love the most. We want to express our deepest
thanks to each and every one of you that have supported us and our business these 11
years. As always we will continue to try our hardest to treat everyone the way we like
to be treated and hope that we can continue to do the things we love to do.
- Mary,
July 2011
son Hutch had been shot twice in the head, and that they were trying everything to
keep him alive, but an hour later they called and said he was gone. To lose one child is
unbearable, to lose two is Unspeakable.
We boarded a plane to go get our son and bring him home. After a nightmarish week
we managed to get things accomplished and arrangements made to bring Hutch home
to be buried beside his brother. Upon arriving back in Little Rock, we were
OVERWHELMED by the out pouring of love, sympathy and donations to help us get
Hutch home and bury him with “Grace“. Tommy Smith and Bob Robbins had teamed
up on the radio and helped make it happen. We will be eternally grateful to all of those
who stood by us, supported us, held fundraisers for us, and truly showed their
friendship during this time in our lives. We can Never thank you all enough.
In 2010, we are proud to say that we were invited to be on the Board of Directors for
Special Olympics. We are very proud of that position.
And our grandchildren increased by 2 that year by our daughters Tami and Mandi. And
we couldn’t be more proud of All our grandchildren. They are our Sunshine!!
2010 seemed to be a year of healing for us all. And as we have learned that even
after all tragedies there can also come huge blessings. In October, 2010 we got a phone
call from a young lady named Falyn Dawn, and to make a long story short….she is Matt’
s daughter, that he had never been told about.
God blessed us with a beautiful young lady who looks SO much like Matt and is as
beautiful inside as she is out. So we have now been a part of one of GOD’S miracles.
And not to make light, but we have also gained 2 more grandchildren in the deal!!
I think God gives you just enough time to start healing your heart because HE knows
when there is another tug coming. On January 4, 2011, I lost my brother with a massive
heart attack. He was only 57 years old, and my only sibling. That was tough. And then
most recently Matt had to have bypass surgery on his heart in May 2011. And AGAIN
WE THANK GOD for his healing and recovery.
Matt and I could NOT have survived these years if not for GOD, our family and friends
that have literally carried us through some of the worst days of our lives, and then
rejoiced with us when good things happen. We are SO blessed to have the family,
friends and customers that help us to keep our business alive and that allows us to
keep helping the charities that we love the most. We want to express our deepest
thanks to each and every one of you that have supported us and our business these 11
years. As always we will continue to try our hardest to treat everyone the way we like
to be treated and hope that we can continue to do the things we love to do.
- Mary,
July 2011