Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.....

We hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and we are looking forward to celebrating the New Year! I tried to think of all of the things that made 2010 a great year for Kyle and we were blessed with so many amazing events. To recap all of the highlights of this year would make for a very long blog post so I will just name a few.

First and most important to me was the clean bill of health Kyle got this year. If you don't know a whole lot about Retinoblastoma and how it all works, Kyle has a gene mutation that puts him in a higher risk of getting a secondary cancer. Not every child with RB has the gene mutation but after genetic testing, they have determined Kyle does. He is checked every 6 months to a year and those appointments are always a bit stressful. We don't live our lives waiting for another cancer to show up but it is in the back of our minds always...I don't think that will ever go away. But for this year, all appointments ended in great news!!

We also had our first TKE golf tournament this year and we raised of $50K dollars for the foundation. It was a very successful event and Kyle shot his first hole in one on this day...what an amazing day! We presented a check to Retinoblastoma International research department for $30K!

Kyle also got to meet Tiger this year and that was a wonderful day for Kyle. He also got to putt around with him and Hunter Mahan and walked 9 holes with them to watch their practice round. Thank you to John Wood for all he made happen that day!

We also just celebrated a great Christmas and Kyle got a magic set that he absolutely LOVES!! You can see his excitement in the photo....

He has been putting on some magic shows for us, he says he needs some practice! HA!

All in all 2010 has been a very exciting year for us. We look forward to what 2011 brings and thank God everyday for the blessings we have received.

Thank you all for the emails, letters and cards that you have sent to Kyle and our family. Thank you to all that have donated to the Through Kyles Eyes Foundation....we are determined to do all we can help others in the battle of Retinoblastoma and to fund the research that works toward finding a cure. It is very important to our family that we make our mark on the world that we will all someday leave behind....we choose to do just that and fight for our children's sight.

God Bless You All and we hope you have a very Happy New Year!

Muddy day...

Kyle had fun on a long trail ride with Daddy this past Sunday. Even though it was pouring outside, he braved the weather and came home a little....MUDDY!

What a super fun day.....if you can't play in the snow, mud is the next best thing!! :)

Christmas Time ....

Well Christmas is right around the corner and Kyle is super excited! We have been busy wrapping presents, baking cookies and decorating the house. We just enjoyed a day of cookie decorating with some friends and Kyle's sisters...

Kyle had fun but as he gets older, he is not enjoying taking his time decorating the cookies. He just wanted to eat them and get back to playing with the lizards that our friends have as pets.....He is such a boy!

Being in southern California, all of the kids miss the snow we were so used to seeing back east. The mall here has snow machines that blow snow at different times during the day and night for the holidays..it was actually lots of fun for Kyle.

We were suppose to go see Santa that night too! Kyle was excited to go see him and when we got there there was of course a line to stand in. We stood in the line about 10 minutes then Kyle whispered in my ear "Mom, I am the only 8 year old in the line, everyone else is babies." I wanted to cry right then and there because I realized my lil' 8 year old was growing up! I am such a sap but he is my last baby :) We ended up leaving and not seeing Santa, he was a bit bummed about it but didn't want to stand in line anymore and I wasn't going to make him.

Kyle is counting down the days til Christmas....the only thing he has asked for is a college football xbox game! I am thinking we got off easy this year..Ha! He just started his Christmas break from school so he will be out until after the new year. He hopes to get some golf in during the break but right now we are having lots of rain.

We hope everyone has a very Happy Holiday!!

Kyle meets Tiger Woods!!

This was an amazing day for Kyle!!

Everyone keeps asking how the day went so I will try to recap the events. Kyle was so excited when we got to the course. We went in not knowing exactly what to expect or when we would actually see him. As soon as we arrived we were told that Tiger was on the putting green. Kyle was overwhelmed at the first sight of him. Kyle has an unbelievable ability to look cool on the outside even though inside he is about to burst! He watched Tiger talk to someone for a while then Tiger started putting. We saw a friend, John Wood who caddies for Hunter Mahan, and he was walking onto the green. He told Kyle "Come on, let's go on the green". Kyle looked up at us like REALLY?? It was so cute. As he walked onto the putting green, I was trying to hold the video camera but my hands were shaking so bad I am not sure how the video turned out. I just knew that out little guy was so excited and happy in that moment. He met Tiger and stood there on the putting green with him, Hunter and John. Then Tiger said "Let's have a little putting contest!" Daddy had to run back to the car to grab his putter. Kyle said he was shaking the whole time he was putting. It only took him a few putts to settle down and then he was putting really well. He sank a putt from about 10 feet out and I am sure he was so relieved that it went in. I overheard Tiger asking him about other sports he plays and genuinely wanting to know him. I could tell by the way Kyle was answering the questions that he was a little tongue tied. After the putting contest, our family went into the players clubhouse for lunch. Kyle saw Ian Poulter and Anthony Kim. Anthony joked with Kyle and said he had grown so much since he saw him last and kidded Kyle about being almost as tall as he was. He was fun! After lunch we headed out to the driving range where he got to see old buddy Bubba Watson. Kyle loved to watch him play and he is one of the nicest guys on tour that we have met. He is always joking around with Kyle..He had fun teasing Kyle about not playing with ping clubs anymore. Kyle now plays Clevelands! Tiger came out to the driving range too and Kyle watched him hit several too. After the range he followed Tiger, Hunter Mahan and Sean O'hair as the played nine holes for their practice round. Kyle was in HEAVEN! There were alot of high fives and fist bumps between Tiger and Kyle. At the end of golf it was time to say bye to Tiger....Kyle gave him a high five and said to Tiger "I am your biggest fan and i will always pray for you!" That makes me cry every time I think about it.

It was a fantastic day for Kyle and we are so thankful! Kyle has been waiting 6 years to meet Tiger and it could not have been better. Thank you Tiger for making our little guy's dream come true. This was truly a day for KYLE!

Tomorrow one of Kyle's biggest dreams comes true....Tiger Woods!

Yes, tomorrow will be the day that Kyle meets Tiger Woods. Tiger invited him up to his tournament in Thousand Oaks and Kyle is so excited he can't stand it. Kyle had a tough time hearing about all of the stuff that went on with Tiger this past year. Tiger has always been a "idol" to Kyle, when Kyle first started watching golf (when he was two) it was Tiger he loved to watch. After Kyle was diagnosed and going through his treatment, it was still Tiger that he loved. I remember the days when his chemo treatments made him so sick that all he wanted to do is lay on the couch and watch TV. I remember all the times that all he wanted to do was watch Tiger....I remember him laying on the couch with a golf club in his hand while watching Tiger on TV. I think that Kyle sought out some comfort in watching him play and for that we are very thankful. Even though Tiger's life has had it's fair share of bumps in the past year, we can never judge another whose shoes we have never walked.

Kyle took it a bit hard when he first heard about Tiger. We tried hard as parents to shield him from the media but it was just a matter of time before the questions started. We tried to answer him as best as we could but initialy Kyle  was disappointed and a bit angry at him. He told us he didn't want anymore Tiger stuff and he wouldn't wear his Tiger hat or shoes anymore. We let him deal with it however he needed to. After about 3 months, we were driving in the car and out of the blue Kyle said "Mom, I think I forgive Tiger now". I asked why and he said that everyone makes mistakes. I had to choke back that lump in my throat because to tell ya the truth, I was not ready to say the same. It is amazing how a kid's mind works and how big their hearts can be.

I don't think Jeff or I will ever truly understand how much Tiger means to Kyle. I am not sure anyone will.....I think through Kyle's battle with cancer Tiger has somehow helped him pull through the rough times. Some may say we are giving Tiger too much credit.....some say Tiger may not deserve such a fan....what i can say is that no matter what we may think of Tiger and his situation, I would never stand in the way of Kyle having his dream come true by meeting him.

Tomorrow Kyle will have lunch with Tiger......and am sure it will be an emotional day for all, emotional to all for several different reasons!  

Golfers Against Cancer...

Golfers Against Cancer 2010

Houston, Texas

What an Opportunity.......

We made it back from a very successful Golfers Against Cancer Tournament in Houston, Texas. We had a terrific time and Kyle played some really good golf! The night of the Gala, Kyle bid on and won the opportunity to work with Steve Azar and Ira Dean and have them write and record a song. What great guys they are!! Both are unbelievable singer/songwriters with huge hearts and we are so thankful for this opportunity... Kyle is very excited and ready to get this started :) We will keep you updated as we go through this awesome experience!

 Steve Azar and Kyle

www.steveazarlive.com

 WOW!

:)

iradean.com

Leaving for Texas....

Well we are at the airport waiting on our flight to Texas. Kyle will be participating, for the third year in a row, in the Golfer's Against Cancer Tournament in Houston. I will post pictures as soon as I can!! :)

What a cutie!

What a wonderful video from Jake Olson.....

This was such a great video, I just had to share it with all of you. Thank you Jake for posting this!!!

Kyle's Upcoming Appointments.....

Well it's that time again. Kyle is due for his oncology check up and his annual eye exam. It always make me a little nervous just thinking about potential outcomes. This is one of the after concerns we, as parents of RB kids, deal with. Because Kyle had Bilateral RB and has the gene mutation, he is at a much higher risk of developing other malignancies in other parts of his body. We try not to think about it and just take it day by day but I would be lying if I didn't confess that every headache Kyle has, I worry....every bump on his body, I worry....every bruise or sore spot, I worry. It is almost like you are waiting for something else to pop up. I try not to let it consume my mind but sometimes it creeps up. Times like when the "check ups" are coming up make you start thinking about it all over again.

I am confident that God has a tremendous plan for Kyle's life and we just walk in faith that God will see us through all of these "stressful" times.

When I spoke with Kyle today about his Oncology appointment coming up this Thursday, he asked "Are they just checking to see if my cancer came back?" Just the sound of the word cancer leaving his mouth makes my heart ache. I think the older he gets he is realizing more and more about his battle with cancer in the past and the precautions he needs to take in the future.

Kyle's oncology appointment is this Thursday and his annual eye exam with Dr. Murphree is on December 11th. Please say a prayer for our Kyle!

We trust that this appointment will come and go with no incident just like the last ones have. Thank you all for all the support and prayers!!

Halloween Fun and Upcoming Events

So Halloween weekend was super fun!!  We went to the pumpkin patch and got pumpkins to carve..even though it took forever for Kyle to pick out his pumpkin! Then on Halloween, we had a bunch of friends over for dinner then hit the streets to do some trick or treating.....and got way too much candy.

Our lil pumpkin

 Picking the best ones...

 Kyle dressed up as a member of the SWAT team...super serious face!

 Now that Halloween is over, we are looking forward to our trip to Texas for the Golfers Againt Cancer tournament that we have been attending for the past three years. Kyle is very excited and he loves Texas!! The tournament is held on November 21st and 22nd.

Kyle did get to go golfing this weekend with Daddy while he was back. They spent about 5 hours at the golf course on Saturday and Kyle said he played pretty good. He wanted to go again on Sunday but Daddy had to make the trip back to Arizona. Only two more weeks and his Arizona travels will be over for a while. Kyle and the girls will be happy to have daddy back during the week. Mommy will be too!! :)

Well I am off to get the kiddos tucked in to bed! Thanks for reading Kyle's blog!



A great surprise....... a letter from The Golden Bear himself!

Well Kyle recieved an amazing surprise today in the mail!! A letter from Jack Nicklaus!!!!

A little background.....

At our first TKE Golf Tournament Jack Nicklaus had sent a signed 1 iron for an auction item. Well unfortunately when we were looking for it at the end of the night to present it to the winning bidder, we could not find it.....yes, someone actually stole the 1 iron from the auction area!! We were so upset and disappointed that someone would stoop to that level at a charity event. But we always say karma is a great thing and whomever took it would get his/hers eventually.

Yesterday we recieved another signed 1 iron from Mr. Nicklaus and along with it he sent a very sincere letter to Kyle. As Kyle and I were reading it, I couldn't help but tear up at Kyle's excitement about getting a letter from one of the greats!! In the letter he stated how proud he was of Kyle for overcoming his obstacles and doing all he can to give back. He also explained the the game of golf has always been based on honesty and integrity and he expressed his disappoinment in the person that lifted the 1 iron. He told Kyle that he was so proud of his hole in one and Jack got his first hole in one at the age of 13. He told Kyle that since Kyle got his hole in one at an earlier age than him,  he expected great things from him now! :) It was really a heartfelt, caring letter that we will proudly frame and hang in Kyle's room.

Now the funny part...... After reading all of the great and encouraging things that Mr. Nicklaus said in the letter and after talking to Kyle about how awesome it was to get a replacement club to send to the actual winner of the item, all Kyle could say was....."Mom, I beat Jack Nicklaus at getting his first hole in one!!!". Every time someone asks him about the letter he makes sure to point out that he got a hole in one at 8 and Mr. Nicklaus was 13! Don't get me wrong, he doesn't say it in a bragging way at all but more in a proud and very surprised way.

Kyle and our whole family is truly blessed by so much support from so many golfers. It is so nice to know that the "greats" that Kyle look up to are not only "great" because of thier game of golf but "great" because of thier kindness and the love they share from the heart. I can't speak for all sports but I can say that through golf, Kyle and our family have met and come in contact with some of the most loving, caring and supportive people we have ever known.

Thank you to the game of golf and thank you to Mr. Nicklaus for reaching out to Kyle and showing him that great things come to those who give from the heart.

We hope Kyle feels the love and support from others and then pays it forward........I believe he already knows ( at age 8) what is really important in life. He is one of the most compassionate, caring and loving little guys I know....but I may be a little bias! ;)

God Bless......

Our little Nature Boy

Well Kyle found a new friend this weekend.....

He loves finding "critters" to bring back home. I can't say I am always thrilled to see what he has but he is pretty good about keeping his distance. Ha!

This past week again flew by! Halloween is approaching quickly and we haven't figured out what Kyle wants to be yet...he changes his mind every day. Hopefully he will make up his mind soon.

Our favorite time of the year is here! We loved fall and the holidays are just around the corner. Kyle loves to help decorate and help me bake. He loves to stir whatever I am making. Sometimes he thinks it is a race so half of whatever I am cooking ends up running down the side of the bowl or on the counter....he has to make everything a race or a competition.....hmmmm!!

Well Daddy has 3 more weeks of working in Arizona. We will be so happy when it is over, Kyle is chomping at the bit to go golfing. He may be looking for a new caddy if Daddy doesn't come back soon. :)

Off to another busy, busy week.......

Kyle's Week ....

Well this week has just flown by! Kyle was busy with school this week and he had Spirit Week at school. On Monday it was pajama day so Kyle was loving that! Tuesday was jersey day so he wore his favorite Phillies jersey..GO PHILLIES :) Then Wednesday was twin day and he dressed as a soccer player with one of his best friends. Kyle LOVES soccer, almost as much as golf....I said "almost". He also had mismatch day and hippee day. We had fun figuring out what he was going to wear each day.

This weekend was funfilled too. Friday night we had friends over for dinner then Kyle and I piled in my bed to watch Home Alone (one of his favorites). The girls were gone and Daddy was still in Arizona so we had some quality mommy and son time. I truly cherish these moments because I know the day is fast appoaching when he will no longer think it is cool to hang out and watch a movie with me.

Saturday we went to the duck pond  with some friends and took alot of pictures...I got a new camera and just had to try it out!

 My friends Katelyn and Karly

 Trying to hand feed the ducks

 My lil guy :)

 Trying to fool the ducks by feeding them leaves....

 Hanging with some great friends!

After our day at the park we came home to help Kyle's sisters Kristen and Kaley get ready for thier homecoming dance. Kyle is always acting like thier dad and making sure dresses are long enough and they don't have too much make-up on. He cracks me up and the girls just roll thier eyes and laugh at him!

They looked so pretty!

Finally Daddy came home but only until this evening. Kyle wears Jeff out as soon as he gets home! He wants to play football, baseball, xbox, wrestling....you name it! I guess mom is just not as fun at those things.....

I had to laugh at Kyle the other day coming home from Kaley's soccer practice. He looked up at the moon and said "Hey Mom, look its a croissant moon!" I said "What? Don't you mean a crescent moon?" Then he said "Oh yeah, but it looks like a croissant right?" It was so funny! He always comes up with the funniest stuff.

Church was great this morning. Kyle loves the singing part...he is quite the singer if you didn't know that! Right now his favorite song is You are Amazing God, he sings it all the time.....I love it :)

Well we are off to watch the Phillies game and eat dinner. Tomorrow begins another crazy week......... 



This Is Kyle

Mom is typing for Kyle.....

We took a big check up to Retinoblastoma International this weekend. We covered the amount and I got to uncover it. They were amazed. It made me feel happy.
I have not been golfing in a while because I have too much homework for school. I kinda like school but I don't like homework.
My favorite shows on tv are Man vs Wild, Billy the Exterminator, Storm Chasers and The Weather Channel. I like the shows on the weather channel that show tornados and hurricanes.

My favorite golf club right now is my 3 iron. I like it because it makes a cool sound.

My dad will be home in 3 days because he is in Arizona. I dont like when he is gone because I miss him alot.

I gotta get ready for bed soon. Goodnight

What an EXCITING weekend!!

Well we had a fabulous weekend! Saturday we drove up to Children's Hospital of Los Angeles and presented a $30,000 check to Retinoblastoma International. Our family is so blessed to have the opportunity to do this. This has been a dream of ours for quite sometime and we are finally seeing our effort rewarded in such an unbelievable way. Thank you to Sue Dumm(president of RBI and a dear friend),  Dr. Linn Murphree, Christina Iyenger and Katia Daher-Anenberg for joining us for the check presentation. Many more to come!!! :)

He was so excited to take the "big check" to RBI!

 The amount was a surprise!

 Sue Dumm and Dr. Linn Murphree

 Our Family

 Our Family with our daughters' dear friends

 Sue Dumm, Jeff, myself and Dr. Linn Murphree

 He was so proud!

 Retinoblatoma International - Dr. Murphree, Sue Dumm, Katia Daher-Anenberg and Christina Iyenger

We are so proud and so happy that our family can give back in this way! Here's to many more and here's to changing lives!!

Freezing in Murrieta......

Well I am not sure what is going on with this crazy weather! Last week it was in the 100's and this week it is cold and raining. Kyle is enjoying the weather, he actually likes the rain.

We had a nice weekend with Daddy. He got home late Friday night, we went to Kyle's sister Kaley's soccer game and then he and Daddy went golfing. Went to church on Sunday and watched some football on TV. Daddy left again on Sunday night.......

Kyle has had a busy week with school. He has 4 tests this week so we have been studying alot! He completed his first book report on Christopher Columbus and presented it to the class last week....he said he did good!

This week he is talking about a girl in his class quite a bit! He said that he gave her a silly band that said LOVE....oh dear! :) He said "Well Mom, I gave her the sillyband and now she talks to me everyday at recess"......He was so cute about it!!

Well I am off to get the kiddos tucked into bed.....

Almost Friday!!

It's almost Friday! This has been the longest week for some reason...maybe because Daddy has been gone to Arizona all week for work. Kyle REALLY misses daddy when he is gone as do our girls. Daddy comes back tomorrow for the weekend so we are all ready and planning a yummy dinner for him. I have been blessed with 3 kids that LOVE to cook as much as I do so we have a whole menu planned out for tomorrow night. Kyle's favorite job is breaking the eggs. No one has choked on any egg shells yet so it's all good.

Kyle and Dad will be attending the Nationwide Soboba Tournament this weekend. Kyle is looking forward to watching some golf and hanging with dad.

Kyle is a little nervous about school tomorrow...he has to do a 3-5 minute presentation on Christopher Columbus. He also has a spelling and vocabulary test. Poor 3rd graders these days....I don't think I gave any presentations in front of the class until middle school! I know he is prepared and will do well but he is so hard on himself.

Well we are off to do our nighttime bath, cuddles and prayers.....

Have a fantastic weekend!

Soboba Springs Nationwide Tour Kid's Clinic

Yesterday was so fun!!

There were about 200 kids at the golf clinic. 20 kids were picked to pair up with a pro to hit a few.

Kyle was paired up with Jason Gore. He was great and Kyle enjoyed watching him hit a few also. They worked on fading and Kyle had so much fun.

                                         

Thank you Jason and GOOD LUCK this week!! :)

And in the end.....Kyle still just wants to be a kid! He wants one of these for our backyard!! Ha :)

HEADING TO SOBOBA SPRINGS TODAY

We are heading to the kid's golf clinic at Soboba Springs Country Club this afternoon! Kyle is very excited :) I will take pictures and get some video while we are there. We will post all about it tomorrow!!

End of the week......

Well it was a busy week! With school, homework and day to day chores the week fills up pretty quickly. Kyle only got to golf once this week. It gets harder and harder trying to fit in 3-4 hours of golf more often. He would probably like to golf everyday but he doesn't complain too much :)

He did enjoy church this morning!! He was able to go wearing his pajamas and with crazy blue hair. What a fun day to spend at children's church....they never had things like that when I was his age going to church. After church he and Daddy were off to the course. When I asked him how he played, he said "I think I need to pratice"...he then told me about some awesome shot he made through trees and it landed 12 inches from the cup. So I am not real sure what he meant by needing practice!! Haha

Kyle is looking forward to Tuesday of this coming week. He will be participating in a golf clinic at Saboba Springs. Each child will be paired up with a pro. I will post some pictures of the event afterwards...should be a great time.

Here is to another fantastic week and thank you for taking the time to read Kyle's blog!!

Until next time.........

This is Kyle

i had my first tournament on september 13th. finally i made a hole in one on my first tournament! it was fun because jake olson was there and we raised a lot of money. just to tell you the best college team is ohio state and jake likes usc. boo usc. in school my favorite class is latin. i have dog name mimi and bently and we are watching roger for our neighbor. they wake me up in the morning by licking me in the face! i hope i make a hole in one next year in my tournament. see you later

KYLE 111111111111111111111

Kyle and Jake Olson.....

.....Jake's foursome placed first in the TKE Tournament! Jake lost sight in both eyes due to Retinoblastoma but he is still an amazing golfer! His courage, determination and positive attitude warms my heart!

Welcome to the new blog!!

Thank you so much for your support! We are wrapping up the 2010 Through Kyle's Eyes Celebrity Golf Tournament. We are excited to report that we have exceeded our expectations for our first foundation tournament and have raised over $50,000!! We could not have done this without the help of all who contributed!! I have pictures posted on the website of the event....make sure to check them out :)