17 Years Ago Today...

Wow, time really does fly. 17 years ago at 7:19am New Mexico time, I gave birth to my 3rd son, Tyler. I cannot believe he is 17 already. He is 12 hours old in this picture.

Tyler was born in Alamogordo, New Mexico. We moved there when I was 8 months pregnant for Keith to attend Fighter Lead-In Training before going on to Luke AFB, AZ, for F-16 Training. Tyler was born a week early and we moved again when he was 2 weeks old. Needless to say, it was a crazy time in our lives. This picture was taken at 18 months while we were living in Arizona.

Shortly after that picture was taken, we moved to Hill AFB, Utah. Tyler had his first asthma attack there when he was three years old. Little did we know then that it was only the first of many more to come. This picture was taken around that time.

We started home schooling while we lived in Utah. We were part of a great home school community which gave us the opportunity to go on some really fun field trips and even to have professional "school" pictures taken every year. This is Tyler's 4 year old picture. The photographer that took pictures for our home school group was always great about including the younger kids too.

In 1996, we moved to Portales, New Mexico. Tyler continued to battle his asthma as it seemed to grow worse and worse. We struggled with the doctors there because it seemed like all they wanted to do was treat the attacks rather than trying to find something to prevent them in the first place. It was always frustrating and scary to watch Tyler struggling to breathe. This is Toothless Tyler when he was 7 years old.

Just before Tyler's 8th birthday we moved to Wichita Falls. The first year we lived here, he was on steroids 10 times in 12 months. It was agony for him and for us. A friend from church recommended asking our pediatrician about trying an inhaler that she had been given to treat her own lung issues. We were desperate as we had tried everything else we could think of. At that time, this drug was not generally given to children Tyler's age but his asthma was bad enough that the doctor agreed to try it.

Within 2 weeks, we saw a huge improvement. Over the next 2 years, Tyler only needed steroids once. The difference was amazing. We have praised God many times for leading us to that medication. This is Tyler in the 5th grade taken just a couple of months before he started the new medicine.

There were many nights that I sat up with Tyler, giving him breathing treatment after breathing treatment praying for God to heal him. I was so afraid that there would come a time when the steroids wouldn't work and Tyler would stop breathing. In those times, I learned to trust God. I didn't know what the future held, but I knew that God loved Tyler even more than I did and He had a plan for his future, even if it wasn't the same as mine. Here's Tyler at 13, finally a teenager.


Do I share all of this because Tyler's life has been defined by his asthma? Hardly! In fact, even though he still takes that "miracle" medicine to stave off the attacks, asthma almost seems like a distant memory in our house.

I share this because today, as Tyler stands on the threshold of adulthood, I'm one proud mom and I'm so thankful to God for all that He has brought us through. I believe that I learned more through Tyler's asthma than he did but sometimes that's how God works. He works through the hard times, the "why" questions, and the fear and trembling to teach us to lean on Him and to trust completely in Him because we can do nothing else.

I shared once with a friend that I was afraid to turn my kids over to God (as if we really have a choice anyway) because I was afraid that He would take them. She said maybe it's like Abraham with Isaac. God just wants you to be willing to obey and He will give them back to you. That spoke volumes to me. They are really His anyway, only on loan to us. How blessed we are to have them for the time that we do...and it goes much too quickly.

Tyler is an awesome kid. He is a super hard worker...just ask any of his coworkers at United. He is a great help at home. And he wants to help others. On top of all that, he loves the Lord.

So ... Thank you God for bringing Tyler this far. Thank you for the gift of his life and for the awesome young man that he is. Thank you for everything that you have brought him through and for his future that you hold in your hand. May you use him for your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Happy 17th Birthday, Tyler!!! May God grant you many, many more. I love you! ~Mom