It Took Me Back.....

Every year my mom has to repeat what we call cancer scans.

You see, my mom has lymphoma.

She was first diagnosed with it in 1990,

and it reappeared in 2005.

So every 3 months we find ourselves in the oncologists office.

And every year around February/March,

she has to have scans to make sure everything is at bay.

For several years now, the scans have NOT included contrast,

because mom is in stage 3 kidney disease.

Well this past year her kidney's stabilized, Praise the LORD!,

and so the ban on contrast was lifted, 

as long as she takes some premeds to help her kidneys.

So yesterday was the day of scans, but this time was a little different.

She had the premeds and then the contrast, and then the scans,

but this year they required us to go over to the cancer center and have an infusion

to flush out her kidney's.

Which meant we had to be in the infusion or chemo room for an extended time.

This has not happened since her last chemo round in '06.

Yes, we go every 4-6 weeks for port flushes, but that is an in and out kind of deal.

No lingering.

No sitting in the recliner.

No stopping really.

Just in a room.

Flush the port.

Leave the area.

Not yesterday.

It took the better part of the afternoon.

3+ hours.

And it was hard.

Not hard on mom, she did fine.

Hard on me, although I didn't let on.

It was hard.

There are people there in the fight of their lives.

That old familiar feeling came back when I used to watch mom fighting for her own.

There was a little old man there probably older than my mom,

fighting.

losing.

fighting.

About 5'11 or 6'

138 lbs

losing his fight.

His wife was doing EVERYTHING she could to get him to eat.

To help him fight. 

She was tired.

He was sweet.

I was sad.

I don't hate much in this life.

i hate cancer.

I've decided to grow out my hair for locks of love.

I decided this a couple of weeks ago.

Leggs boyfriend Byrd, has a sister who was diagnosed

with a rare form of Hodgkin's Disease, back in December.

She is 28.

i hate cancer.

So Leggs, decided to grow her hair nice and long and cut it off for Locks of Love.

I will join her.

How about you?

Want to join us?

I love you so ~~

Some of my favorite people have blogs.....

Good Morning Blog Family....

How are you?

Yes I know....my writing habits are well, less than extraordinary lately.

I have sat down and started several posts and none of them have made it here.

I actually have a lot of things I want to record here,

it's just a little different season for me.

My blog has taken a little bit of a back seat to some other things that I KNOW

I am to be doing right now.

I have no doubt that regular blogging is coming again.....

it is.....

*****

I wanted to jump on here today and tell you some EVERY exciting news.....

two of my favorite girls, now have blogs.

Yep, that's right Leggs and Lovely both have new blogs,

and I'd love it if you would go and read and share some love with these two.

They are pretty much the bees knees.

Leggs is a new, beautiful Christian.

She was baptized on Sunday and last night I knocked on her bedroom door,

to find her on her bed with her Bible open and notebook by her side and 

questions on her beautiful lips.

It was such a beautiful time sharing in the LORD.

And Lovely is a beautiful young lady who has a seriously contagious Spirit!!!

If you don't know the LORD yet, just spend a few moments with Lovely....

You WILL want what she has!!

She is the best kind of Beautiful.....God Beautiful.

I'm so happy they have both started blogs,

as they are both so unique in their own ways,

and both of these lovely ladies mean so much to me.

I prayed for God to give me a Ministry.....

a way He could use me.....

something unique to who He created me to be.....

Well He has done just that!!

I have four lovely ladies that God has lovingly placed in my heart,

and entrusted me with.

It is a HUGE responsibility, that I take very seriously

every.single.day.

I'm committed to helping them grow in their relationship with God,

and being all they were Created to be.

I'm so thankful.

*****

I love you all so ~~

Field Guide Pictures and I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

 Well Happy Tuesday and Valentine's Day!!!

Our Valentine's Day will be pretty low key around here.

I have a UTI (yuck) and had to go to Urgent Care yesterday in the snow and bad roads,

but I was so sick.

So I got some medicine, but today still have no energy.

So we are gonna make it a low key kinda day.

Well, except for Leggs!!

She is ALL about Valentine's Day and has a hot date planned with her sweetie J =)

He has made reservations somewhere, but won't tell her where,

and has planned their date.

Isn't young love fun?!!

She told me last night she was getting up at like 9:30 this morning,

and I said what time are you going out,

and she said their reservations are for 8:00 PM!!!

I love young love!!!!!   =)

Now that is cute!!!!!

***** 

So before I start with some pictures of somethings I've been up to in class,

I wanted to ask y'all a question.

I have been thinking about something for awhile and thought I'd get your thoughts.

I am thinking about starting a scrapbook blog.

I think it would help me to really keep things separate.

What do you think?

*****

Okay, on to class.....

I am LOVING this class!!

I am learning SO much.

Well this week is all about mists and washes.

So I thought I'd share some fun things I've been working on.

I sent Dak a fun little care package for Valentine's Day.

I love sending care packages.

anyway..... 

=)

Here is a bookmark I made for him.

He loves to read and being in college gives him lots of reasons for that right?  =)

Bookmarks are so much fun to make.

I used a stencil for the wing at the top.

I sprayed the wing stencil with my white spray mist

and pulled the stencil and viola!!

Love it!!!

And here is the cutest little helper in the world!!

He LOVES to scrapbook!!!

 Thought I'd show you the tags I posted pics of the other day

all tucked away in my art journal.

I made little pockets and did a little practice with heat embossing.

 This one is one of my favorites!!

It says "follow your heart"

and the flower came from Leggs.

And the lamppost is my FAVORITE stamp,

because it reminds me of Narnia.

I am making our Valentine's this year.

This one I sent to Dak.....

Here is the inside.

I wrote a little poem =)

Its the little things that mean the most isn't it?

I've tried to remember that this year.

So there you have it.....

Some crafty fun!!

So let me know what you think.....

Scrapbook Blog = Yes

Scrapbook Blog = No

And I'll let you know what I decide.

Love you ~~

A Little Fun Up in Here.....

So Sunday was SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!!!  Hollah- Hollah!!  And let me just say from the get go.....

THE GIANTS WON!!!  WOO-HOO!!

I know RJ that you could care less.....

but hang on, there are pictures and fun coming.....

Stay with me sista'  =)

So this is me after we got home from church.

I'm not sure why I decided to take my picture.

I think it's because I like these earrings I've had for YEARS.

Fun.

Then my dear sweet Dak made it home for Super Bowl Sunday!!!

Oh yes he did!!

Made it home just in time to make some wings.

His favorite.

Look at those beauts!!

Dak is a master at the wing.

 Here we are in our aprons.

Funny story:  We got done with everything just in time to sit down and watch the Star Spangle Banner,

and Dak starts laughing and says, "Mom we still have our aprons on!!"

Hahaha..... yep, we are cooks at heart =)

Oh, I love him so!!!!!

And yes, my sweet girl was here too.  

Look at that gorgeous girl.

If you follow me on FB (and if your not, you should....we're quite interesting =)

you know that I was in sheer bliss having all my chick-a-dees under one roof,

yes including Chase and Sir Cuteness and of course, my man,

all of us under one roof for

THE SUPER BOWL!!!

So fun!!

S.W.E.E.T.

And this right here is a first.

Since I now eat meat (thank you O+ blood type)

I had my very first chicken wing!!

It was delicious!!! 

Well, this one was.....

I tried another and it was H-O-T!!

The kid's kept adding hot sauce.

I was out.

But this one was DELISH!!!!!

It was such a fun time!!!

And speaking of fun.....

I have signed up for May Flaum's (my favorite scrapbook teacher) new 

class.....

The link is right here.

If you want to learn techniques and creative play,

this is the place for you.

This is day one officially, and I'm already having SO much fun with it!!!!!

Here is a tag that I did using a "paint with mist" technique from this class.

I was kind of trying a couple of different things, so the middle 

got a little muddied up, but I still love the way it turned out.

I love learning new things!!

So there you have it.

Just some of the things going on in our little corner of the blog.

I Love Ya So ~~