Calamity in a Small Town......

     On Sunday, January 16 four of our football players lost their lives in a tragic accident.  This has brought our high school to it's knees.  The viewing is tomorrow night and the Memorial Service is on Friday night.  We had a Prayer Vigil and our church on Monday and packed the facility.  We also offered our church for anyone who needed counseling or just to hang out....no strings attached.  Our faculty and staff are all wearing ribbons to remember the lives lost.  It was supposed to be Finals week but the school district suspended finals because they knew no one would be up for it anyway.  School Districts throughout the county are stepping up to be there for us as well.  They chose to wear our colors all week as well as hold fundraisers to raise money for the grieving families.  This fatal accident follows a string of calamities our town has had to endure as we lost another football player over the summer as well as 5 Motorcyclists.  Please keep our town in your prayers.

Happy New Year!

Christmas was pretty nice.  We opened our presents in the morning and had a pancake breakfast.  Later we went to Norm's family.  I have some highlights below.

On New Year's Day we met with my family where Lexi FINALLY got her Pillow Pet she has been bugging for for several months.




I was ill over my birthday, so not much happened there. I was thrilled to find over 50 people wished me a Happy Birthday on Facebook. There is nothing like a Facebook birthday.

I am hoping to get started on my weight loss. To inspire me, I signed up through Isabella's Journey to lose weight to help raise money. Isabella is a three year old little girl who was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer called Neuroblastoma.  A local gentleman pledged to run a mile for every fifteen pounds pledges lose. 

5 days till Christmas!

It's hard to believe Christmas is almost here again!

It's been hard to get in the mood to write lately. Feeling tired a lot. And hard to find the time and energy between working and taking the kids here, there and everywhere. Tonight Lexi has a girl scout party and Nicole has youth group. 

The family has been fighting illness.  It started with Lexi.  Then Norm and Nicole got it and then me.  I got over it fairly quickly but it went into Nicole's ear and Norm ended up with an infection as well.  Now Lexi seems to be getting it back.

Work has been going really well, except for the water main break last Wednesday.  Then we had to revise things for a couple of days.  This week we only work until Thursday and then have off until January.  

We are going to Norm's parents on Christmas night and to my family on New Years day.

I've  been depressed about my weight .  I haven't been doing great with dieting but I think I should hang it up and not stress over it until the holidays are over....so that's what I will do. 

Anyway, Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving and other stuff......

On Thanksgiving we went to my mom's house with my family.



Lexi was initiated into Girl Scouts in November




This weekend Nicole was in a play called "The Man Who Came To Dinner" where he played Nurse Preen.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful for family and friends.....for health and for good health insurance and doctors when we need them. For food on our tables, a roof over our heads and a working furnace to keep us warm.......for a Father who gave us the ultimate gift..... We are so blessed!

We are going to my parents to celebrate with my family today.  It will be a little different due to a change in a recent family dynamic but that's the way it is.  There is always change whether we want it or not.  I know that is something I have had trouble dealing with in the past.  I know it will hit me hard when my daughter goes to college but for now I can only embrace the changes and go with the flow.

Photo of the moon

Nicole, at a recent band awards ceremony

 

Lexi, at a Brownie Induction

Beautiful November Weather!

Today our pastor gave a definition for remission:  "Letting go as if it has never been committed."  He was talking about forgiveness but it just struck me how it could be applicable in so many different ways.....including cancer.  I often want to just forget I ever had it but it will always be there no matter how much I want to forget it.  I think though that I have reached the point that i feel I can live again without all the debilitating fear that it will return. 

It has been such a busy weekend!

On Friday we went to meet a dear friend in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who had flown in from Seattle for a wedding.  I have never met this lady named Nancyjean in real life until Friday.  We drove many hours to spend a meal at the Olive Garden and then walk around the mall.  We also collaborated with a friend of hers who lives about an hour from us.  He wanted to surprise her so I had to tell her a little lie that i was babysitting an extra child so she would reserve an extra spot at the table.  The look on her face was priceless when she jumped from her chair shrieking his name.  I think the other customers wondered about her.    After we left her we decided to stop at the Flight 93 Crash site which is currently under construction.  We didn't have a lot of time as it was about to close but we were glad we stopped. 

Norm and Tyler braving Pittsburgh in his Eagles sweatshirt

Nancyjean, snapping photos of Tommy

"What?! No Eagles Store? (Tyler)

Norm, Ty, Lexi and I

Norm, Ty, Lexi, Nancyjean and I

Nancyjean and Tommy

At the Flight 93 Memorial

This Saturday was also Nicole's State Band Competition where they walked away with first place!

This weekend also busy with working in flower gardens, loads of laundry, birthday parties, a herd of deer, a pig roast, Christmas shopping ,choir Sunday and a fellowship meal at church................ I'm tired!

Autumn activities

As the weather cools, I am realizing that I am growing to love Autumn, particularly October when the leaves change to brilliant golds, reds and oranges.

 Nicole, homecoming dance

 Nicole and Coby

 Tyler had to dress like a hero for a wax museum at his school so he chose George Washington.  Lexi chose a cool girl for her Trick or Treat costume.

   

The Love of My Life

I woke up this morning at 3am, turned and noticed that my husband was not lying next to me and I wondered where he had gone...

He was in the living room sleeping on the couch comforting our dogs because he had not allowed them to sleep in our room last night because I was having a hard time getting comfortable. He snuck back in our room and told me not to worry because they were all resting well. (ever since my surgery and chemo my dogs go "everywhere" with me; imagine if you will me and all 3 of the dogs in our hallway half bath:-)

I dosed off and woke again at 4am, turned and saw that he was sleeping and snoring soudly. My mind started clicking and before I knew it, I was thinking of things that I know that I should not allow myself to ponder...

Who would spoil my grandsons? (Who else could they text and say "how's chemo? please send contacts!) Would anyone else in their right mind send printer paper, wite-out (i didn't even know they sold wite-out anymore) and pencils overnight, so that they could focus on their big school project?)

Who would tell all "those" stories at Holiday gatherings?

The one where our ski boat engine failed and my husband paddled us into shore, while the rest of us laughed at our situation and ate cookies and drank sodas.

Or that one time years ago before 9/11 when I was flying to see customers and had forgotten something and my husband drove like a madman, got what I needed and convinced the gate agent to let him bring it to me on the plane, just before it took off.

Or when he surprised me with our Las Vegas "quicky wedding" and flew in my daughter and grandsons.

Or when he flew to and drove all over northern, CA, found my adult severly bi-polar daughter living on the street and flew her back to NY so that we could get her into the best mental health facility?

Or when he told me he would face and fight this crazy disease with me every step of the way... - his voice was the first voice that talked to me in the recovery room

- he slept by me every night during my 8 day hospital stay

- he has gone to every Dr appointment

- he has gone to every chemo session

- he does everything around the house

- he says that my only job is to focus on myself and get better

- and he still chases me around the house and tells me I'm sexy

At 4:30am, I turned and woke him up... I said I was scared and needed him. He turned, snuggled me and we talked, laughed, cried and shared our fears and dreams. And again, he reminded me that I was sexy:-) He told me that it made him happy just to lie beside me and that I could never really comprehend just how much he loves me.

He also reminded me that he would always be there to do the things I couldn't and yes, he would even send wite-out overnight to our 15 year old grandsons.

Thank you sweet ladies for letting me share and brag about this incredible man I'm married to

Prayers, hugs and lots of love - Cathy Â

Reposted with permission from Inspire.com-Ovarian Cancer National Alliance

Homecoming......

My daughter, Nicole, went to the Homecoming Dance last night. We had a friend do her make-up but I did her hair even though I had no clue as to what I was doing.......

We spent the day doing not much of anything today which was a little nice.  I took a long nap and will probably pay for it tonight by not being able to sleep.  I probably needed the nap though.

My viral thing I have is slowly improving and I hope to soon be back to total recovery.  It's also been bothering me in my left leg and hip again so I am hoping it's not another bulging disk.

Beautiful song!

What Faith Can Do- Kutless

Everybody falls sometimes

Gotta find the strength to rise

From the ashes and make a new beginning

Anyone can feel the ache

You think it’s more than you can take

But you're stronger, stronger than you know

Don’t you give up now

The sun will soon be shining

You gotta face the clouds

To find the silver lining

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn’t ever end

Even when the sky is falling

I’ve seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard

Impossible is not a word

It’s just a reason for someone not to try

Everybody’s scared to death

When they decide to take that step

Out on the water

It’ll be alright

Life is so much more

Than what your eyes are seeing

You will find your way

If you keep believing

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn’t ever end

Even when the sky is falling

I’ve seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That’s what faith can do

Overcome the odds

You don't have a chance

(That’s what faith can do)

When the world says you can’t

It’ll tell you that you can!

I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains

Hope that doesn’t ever end

Even when the sky is falling

And I’ve seen miracles just happen

Silent prayers get answered

Broken hearts become brand new

That’s what faith can do

That's what faith can do!

Even if you fall sometimes

You will have the strength to rise