Tuesday, January 24, 2006

'Aunt' Rachel...

...I've been dreading to post about my aunt, but knew that I would have to sooner or later.

Pretty much anyone who has been to Pondo the last several summers(with the exception of this last one) knows who my aunt is and know her as 'Aunt' Rachel, so as not to confuse her with my wife who is also a Rachel LeBrun. Last April, Aunt Rachel was having some health issues, but assumed they would probably go away, until she felt so bad that she had to be helicoptered to Loma Linda Medical Center. They found she had cancer in her uterus and had to do a total histerectomy to eliminate the cancer. They were pretty confident they got it all.

At the beginning of this month she was having problems again, went to the hospital, and hasn't left since.

She is inoperable and the cancer has spread throughout her whole abdomen and vital organs. She is... terminal, I guess, is the right medical word for it.

How long?

It could be months.... it could weeks... or it could even be days. No one knows or can predict the time, even approximately. They just know that she has a very aggressive form of cancer and her organs could start shutting down at anytime.

I can't really describe how I feel.... and right now I'm not going to try to. We are trying to get her effects and estate in order the way she wants it before she goes.

I have four aunts... but,




she is the only one that I ever loved and had a relationship with.



Please pray that it's quick and without pain.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Curse You, Jasen!...

...make me post when I don't want to... genius!

I've been 'tagged' by Jasen, by the way, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about.

Let's see.... my five guilty pleasures:

1.) my recent guilty pleasure is my quad and riding Glamis
2.)movies, movies, movies and more movies ( I just can't find the time to watch them all)
3.)Metallica (call me old school if you want to, I've liked them for a long time)
4.)Of course, video games, I'm such a dork (Again , hard to find the time)
5.)This may sound dumb, but working with my hands, and what I mean by that is building and creating things (especially with wood). I guess if you know me, you know what I'm talking about.

There are more, I'm sure, but being 'tagged' you list five... so now I TAG.....



......Wess Howell!!

Come on Wess, give up the goods and spill the beans! You've been....


TAGGED!!

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Man, does time fly by?!

...It seems lately that with every post I'm apologizing for not posting anything.... I know, I know, I'm lame.
Did every one have a good holiday season? Did anybody get something they really wanted? Did anybody get something they really didn't want?

Hannah and Leah got a TON of toys... I think Toys'R'Us is now located in Running Springs at Pondo in the LeBrun house. We had a great day.
I got Rachel all new bed stuff(comforter, sheets, new down pillows from IKEA, of course) and also all new Bathroom stuff(towels, shower curtain, rod and rings, all new fixtures from Bed, Bath, & Beyond) all in this cool subtle brown asian motif, which is what our bedroom will eventually 'themed'. We have been needing this type of stuff for a long time.

As for me, well, ... sit back and I'll tell you all about it.

To begin with, I didn't tell Rachel that I wanted anything, so I was curious about what she was going to get me. Now a week before Rachel and I had done some major clothes shopping for ourselves ( which also was a long time needed) so I figured her getting me clothes was probably out... which is good (secret: I don't particularly like getting clothes as gifts).
She tells me about a week before Christmas that I can't check the p.o. box because one of my gifts is coming in the mail and she doesn't want me to 'see' it. Now the little kid in me starts to come out and now I'm REALLY curious to now what it is.
Could it be an ipod?.. an XBOX 360?.. another movie collectible? I'm stumped.
Christmas day comes and there is two good sized boxes under the tree. Their shapes tell me nothing.

I open them up!....

and...

It is a Starbucks Barista stainless 8 cup thermal coffee maker and a Starbucks Barista coffee burr grinder. These are nice and if any of you know they aren't that cheap. Sweet! I'm an avid coffee lover so these are great gifts.
Then I think to myself, wait a minute, you don't order these by mail, you buy these at the store! My wife informs me that my 'other' gift did not come (p.o. box) for Christmas so I would get it next week. That's okay, I can wait.... I think.
Next week rolls around, and I starting to get anxious... maybe a little too anxious.
Rachel had to work on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and then we were going to Glamis with our best friends the Garcias to the New Year weekend riding quads (which became a newfound love) and eating dirt. So Wednesday was the only day I would be able to get that package, because Rachel had the car the other days while at work (alot of unnecessary details, I know).
Well she didn't make it to the post office that day! I try to egg her on to tell me what it is so I'm not in suspense for another week... she doesn't budge.

So Thursday night we pack up and head to LaQuinta to meet up with our friends at their house. We pull up and get out of the car, walk up the driveway and as we do so the garage door opens.
As it open it reveals a brand new Polaris Predator 500 L.E. with a red bow on it and a handwritten message saying:"Merry Christmas Aaron, From Your Family"!!!

I look at everyone in stunned disbelief and they are all grinng at me. I was had! By my wife! I started thinking back and began to realize all the 'lies' she had been telling me to pull this off. She didn't tell anybody she was doing it either! Not my parents! Not the Skippers! Not even Davina! That was pure genius!
She is the master. I told you I was married to a ninja.

I not sure I can ever top that!
Anyway there is even more to the story, but I won't bore you any further.... If you made it this far, Congratulations here is the picture of our hoildays.

See ya.

Yep that's me and my new'baby

My love (I'm talking about my wife)

Dave, Aubrey and Daniel (our godson)

Rachel and Aubrey looking better than Dave and I. *Notice the dust in the air showing up in the camera flash* Makes for alot of dirty boogers! :D

Dave and I trying to look intimidating.

Hannah and her best bud, Victoria, doing a tandem test drive.

Hannah trying on Daddy's quad for size.

Our lovely expensive tree!

Rachel, Leah and 'Unibomber' Aunt Davina on Christmas morning

Leah with 'Uncle' Dan and 'Aunt' Becky on Christmas night.

Hannah and her new dollhouse mansion