I love…

Merry Christmas!   I am thinking about so many things I am thankful for—so I am calling this post “I love…” because, well–you’ll see…

(in no particular order…)

1.  I love my family!  Here is a picture of all my guys! It was taken before we went to church on Sunday.  They all wore their jackets–to dress up a bit because both boys were singing in church.  I’m a sucker for navy blazers…

2.  I love our new puppy!  We just got Molly yesterday. She is an 8-week old Goldendoodle.  So far, she is very sweet and very good!  The kids love her and so glad to finally have a pet!

3.  I love my new Merrell shoes that my mom just bought for me!  

4.   I love our Christmas tradition of decorating the Gingerbread House.  We just buy one of the kits, but we buy extra candy to go on it.  The kids absolutely love it—of course we eat some candy along the way!  Here is our one from this year—before and after…

5.  I love that Christopher drew the Nativity this year.  I told him I’m going to frame it–I’ll post that picture later —it is something I’ll treasure forever

6.   I love that Luke’s class did a Christmas Play.  Thank you to his teachers for having the patience for that!  14 four year olds!  Luke was a shepherd and it was another moment to treasure.  

7.  I love Chris Tomlin’s version of Joy to the World

8.  I love Christmas lights—I’m thankful to Jerel for talking me into adding color to ours this year!!

9.  I loved going to the Sabbaghs tonight to look at the crazy lights in their neighborhood. (crazy in a good way!)–and loved having hot chocolate and cookies with good friends!

10.  I love not having to wear my wig anymore—even though i don’t “love” my hair–I love knowing there’s WAY more important things in life than hair!!

11.  I LOVE that I have an 8 week break from my oncologist and that he says I have “no measurable disease!”

12.  I love those little Clementine oranges!

13.  I love living this life with Jerel–he is awesome and I am constantly amazed that he chose me!!

Update: 12/7/09

ZERO!!

As many of you know, I have been waiting for over a week for some results from my Oncologist.  I had a blood test (called the Circulating Tumor)– a test I haven’t had before.  This test would give us some indication as to how many cancer cells are floating around in my body and according to Dr. Boyd, it’s a more reliable test than the “Tumor Marker” test that I’ve had before.   Last time I met with Dr. Boyd, he said he wanted my # to be less than 5 and he would feel good about that.

Well, they called today (at 5:00pm) to tell me that they heard back from the test and my number is ZERO!!  We are beyond thrilled with this news.  What all it means, I’m not exactly sure, I just know that zero  is the best possible news.  I will meet with Dr. Boyd next Wednesday (Dec. 16th) to discuss all that we know right now.  I am expecting to NOT need more chemo with this good news.   I will update on Dec. 16th.  

Until then, say a THANK YOU prayer tonight.  I told God yesterday (I’ve been praying kind of nonstop–cancer, I guess, does that to you!)—I was going down McCord Rd (my  neighbors know this) and the sun was setting-and said out loud “God, I will praise you if I get good results and I’ll praise you if I get bad results.”  I really had a strong conviction that my faith and trust in God is NOT dependent on the answers I get from him.  But I’m really happy that I get to praise him today for good results.  :)

More later.  Happy Holidays–be thankful for what you have!

In Christ,

Susan

Bailey

This post is dedicated to Bailey–she is growing up so much.  She will be 10 in a few months—and I am really enjoying this age.  She is still sweet and innocent, yet she’s funny and mature all at the same time!  Last week, she was in the Spelling Bee at her school.  She won the bee in her class first, then went to the school bee.  She’s on the back row w/ the blue shirt on.

Bailey is also very creative.  Tonight, we put all the ornaments on our tree (another post coming soon!)–and it was fun to look at all the ornaments she has made throughout the years.  She and Christopher went to the kitchen table and started making more ornaments tonight.  They pulled out a ton of art supplies–I love that!!  Last week, she made placecards for Thanksgiving to take to grandma’s house.  

This Friday is the Father/Daughter Dance at her school. It’s something Bailey and Jerel look forward to every year.  They usually go to Outback before the dance… then Jerel says that once she gets there, she and her friends always take off their shoes and just run all around!  I’ll post some pictures this weekend!

Story 3/7: All-Access Pass

On November 12, 2008, I finished 6 1/2 weeks of Radiation Treatments.  We were so excited to be DONE with chemo, surgery and radiation.  We went to Outback to celebrate and got ready to have the BEST holiday season ever- so thankful for health, family and all the blessings of life.  We told our kids that as a Celebration Surprise, we were all going to DISNEY WORLD!!!  (We had never taken the kids, and Jerel and I hadn’t gone since we were both kids).  We were all counting the days until April 3.  

In mid-March, we found that I had a reoccurance of cancer and needed  further treatment–not sure what type and when.  Well, on March 31 (4 days before our BIG trip!)–we met with my oncologist.  Not only did he tell us I needed more chemo–but he said I needed to start TOMORROW!  What?  3 days before our promised trip to Orlando?  I cried and cried right there in the doctors office… I wasn’t crying because I needed more chemotherapy (which I was sad about BTW), I was crying because I didn’t want to tell our kids that we needed to postpone our trip and that it wasn’t quite time to “celebrate.”    After talking to the nurses and doctor a lot—they all agreed that I could still go.  I just had to take some meds with me… and take it kinda easy in Orlando.  So, the next day I did a full 4 hours of chemo and started packing for Orlando the next day.

On the way to Florida in the car– I read in our book that Disney is wonderful with people who have disabilities or any kind of medical condition.  So, we called my oncologist and asked him to fax a doctors note saying that I had just had chemotherapy that week.  My doctor was wonderful and within hours, we had a note.  When we got to the Magic Kingdom, we went straight to the Guest Assistance House at the main entrance.  We told them our situation and they immediately gave us a Guest Assistance Card (picture above).  This card gave us access to basically the handicapped entrance to every ride.  Yes, that means we waited in NO lines.  Our first ride was Dumbo, the flying elephants and I felt SO guilty walking right past all these people in line. (It was Spring Break–so there were LLOOOOONNGG lines everywhere!)  I felt bad because after all, we looked kinda normal.  I was worried about what people thought of us.  It made me realize that you just never know what people are going through. Things may look fine on the outside–but you just never know!  After a few rides, I began to enjoy the “no-waiting” and didn’t feel guilty anymore…after all, if anyone DID say something (which no one did)—we definitely more to say than they’d ever want to know!

The Disney People were awesome!  EVERY SINGLE employee treated us so wonderfully, never a single question asked..even when we went to Mickey’s House/Tent (where people wait literally HOURS to see Mickey)–the Disney Girl took us in a side door and we waited 5 minutes.  (Picture below!)    I told our kids that we would NEVER have this opportunity again– to experience a no-line Disney World at Spring Break.  And while we were so thankful for this all-access pass, I also told them that we never WANTED to do this again.  They agreed!

Now, the lesson learned….there’s always a lesson, right?  

The ultimate all-access pass:

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”  Romans 5:1

Lego Party

We had a few of Christopher’s friends over last week for cake at our house.  Then, we headed to the Lego Store at Concord Mills.  Christopher was thrilled to be able to have an hour of building legos with his friends!   He has such nice friends- we are very thankful for that!  We let him open a few presents before the party (from us)…. and one picture below shows him “fake-fainting” when he opened his Darth Vader Lego Set.   

Normal Day

saw this on a friend’s blog and thought it really captured so many of my feelings from the past year.  you don’t realize how wonderful “normal” is until you don’t have it anymore.  read and enjoy your normal…

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.

Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart.

Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.

Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so.

One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.

                                              – Mary Jean Iron

One of my favorite pictures

I came across one of my favorite pictures today.  It makes the list because sadly, we don’t take a ton of pictures of the 5 of us.  Either Jerel or myself usually has the camera!  This was taken 4 years ago in Hilton Head under the big tree at the Harbor Town playground.  We have so many wonderful memories in Hilton Head–and it’s still one of our favorite places.  It’s hard to imagine Luke this little–but even then he was a daddy’s boy!  And I love Bailey’s face in this picture–she is growing up so fast (almost 10 now!)–and I love to see me holding Christopher like that.  He’s so tall just turned 8….  and of course I love seeing me with hair!

 

Happy Birthday Christopher!

Eight years ago today, Christopher was born and the dr. said “it’s a boy!” just like in the books/movies.   I was shocked!  This post is dedicated to our 8 yr. old Christopher–a child who has brought so much joy into our family.  He is also our child who has a very strong-will  and we’ve had to “discipline” him more– (but for us it’s been an inside peek at God’s love for US–we are loved ALL THE TIME and God is crazy about us! )   About a month ago when I was writing his “lunch box note”, I put 9 words that described him and he LOVED that so much that he saved that note in the pocket of his lunch box….so here are some adjectives that describe this precious boy:

sweet          funny          smart

brave          creative       loved!

caring         inventive    handsome

FUN!           kind            determined

strong-willed                 persistent

artistic         compassionate    loving

Enjoy the pictures.  The first one is of course from November 2001 when he was born: 

This is his first birthday.  He had the coolest “train” cake but he was sick this day and didn’t even care!!

Here he is at 2.  Bailey liked this picture because she remembers sneaking M&Ms off his cake!!

His 3 yr. old birthday pictures are missing!  I looked and looked today and can’t find them.   He had a cool dinosaur cake and we had an outside party with tons of games–one of my favorite parties we’ve ever had.  Wouldn’t you know those pictures would be missing?  Here he is at 4 yr.  He had a  Rescue Hero Party. He is decorating his fire truck cake==notice his face…he banged his face on something before the party.  Boys will be boys:

Turning 5 was a Space Party.  

Turning 6 brought LEGOS and we’ve never looked back!  Turning 7 was also Legos and we’re having a birthday party tomorrow at the LEGO store– we should probably purchase some stock.  Here he is 6:

and at 7….  this is a Darth Vader Lego shirt.  He loves Star Wars and Legos, so it’s the perfect combination.  Like I said, tomorrow is his party at the Lego Store–his first “away from home party” -I’m sure I’ll post some pictures.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BOY!

Halloween 2009

Here is a picture of Bailey (a hippie), Christopher (Harry Potter) and Luke (a Panther Football Player).  We all had a great time!

MRI

This is a picture of where I was 3 times today: 

Well, I wasn’t at this exact machine, but I found this picture on the internet.  I had to have 2 MRIs today–one on the breast area and one on my shoulder.  (From my surgery last March, the nerves and muscles were cut into in my axillary area and I have some resulting shoulder issues) So, right when I got home they called me to come BACK to do another MRI because the pictures under my arm were not clear.  Of course I panicked and worried, but they assured me that my surgeon specifically asked for the axillary area (under my arm)–and apparently those are tricky images to get.  

My very first MRI was in March of 2008 and it was on an “Imaging Truck”–a mobile unit and it was HORRIBLE.  Since then, I’ve had my scans and MRIs at Huntersville Pres and they have an awesome new machine there, so it’s not that bad.  So, my question is: Why are mris SO LOUD?  Seriously, I was thinking (while I was in that hole for 30 minutes)– it is the year 2009, you’d think someone would have figured this out by now–Why does it have to sound like a Baggage Claim Buzzer gone bad?   It is SO loud that you can’t even hear the music in the headphones they give you.  OK, really–I am thankful for such great equipment that can tell us such detailed information.  I was thinking that too!

I’ll know next week sometime the results of these MRIs—we’ll have a better picture of where to go from here.  

We’ve had a crazy week around here.  Two of our kids have had the H1N1 virus.  Thankfully, they didn’t have it that bad.   We got on Tamiflu on day 2 of it—so they have not been terrible. Bailey and Luke missed 4 days of school–but both are going back tomorrow.  Christopher has been a trooper–and has survived this week-going to school every day!    Jerel and I had plans to take off tomorrow morning (once the kids were in school) to the beach for the WHOLE weekend by ourselves!!!—but we have postponed our trip a few weeks…we felt like we couldn’t ask anyone to come into our house with our kids just getting over H1N1—so now we just have 3 more weeks to look forward to our trip!

OK, we HAVE to start thinking about Halloween.  It’s only like 9 days away and we have NO idea what any one is being in our family.  A month ago we were ALL decided on the 3 kids being Harry, Hermione and Ron from Harry Potter—  but now they have decided NOT to do that.  (I still might talk them into it….Bailey and Christopher read all those books this summer and totally LOVED them—and you have to admit that Christopher would make a perfect Harry Potter–we’ve got to find some glasses).  But we’ve got to decide.  I never wanted to be the mom in line at Party City the day before Halloween just getting “whatever”— so hopefully we’ll decide soon so we can be creative with the costumes.  I think Halloween can be so fun– I’m sure I’ll post pictures of what we decide.