What a great week!

We have had such a good week. We're all feeling much better and we've spent some time as a family just enjoying each other's company. We went furniture shopping Monday and bought a couch, then had friends over Monday night. Ellie and I played Tuesday and went for a walk, then we had one of her favorite students come stay with her and Jeff and I went to the movies. We closed on our house yesterday and Ellie went home with my mom, so she's having a blast and I've been working on the final steps of me getting my new job. I'll be working about 10 hours a week and should start any time. These pictures are from Monday and Tuesday. Ellie wrote an E in the second one. She adds a few extra lines, but she does a great job. She liked the sparklers, but it drove her crazy that she couldn't touch them. We planted the flowers that Jaci's mom sent me when Lista died into bigger pots and Ellie loved using the watering can! It was pretty cute.

My aunt got some really good news from her doctor and her other treatments and the transplant process should start soon. I'll keep you posted on her progress.

One more thing you can pray for...my grand-daddy has to start his chemo again Tuesday. He has colon cancer, but his treatments were put on hold because he came down with pneumonia. Now that he's getting over that, they are going to try chemo again.

Thanks for being such great friends! Hope you're having a great week, too!

Catching up

Just catching up with everyone and letting you know what's been going on in our world the last two weeks. It's been a little rough, but there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel. After we got home from New York, Ellie was sick for a couple of days, then I got sick...but we tried to go on and stick with our plans. Elizabeth, my 10-year-old niece, graduated from 5th grade, so Ellie and I went to celebrate with her for the day. Then, we took Ellie to Murray to stay with Jeff's parents and he surprised me and took me to a resort at Lake Barkley for the night. It was our anniversary - 7 years! It was great to get away and have no responsibilities!!! We relaxed, went for a swim, went out to eat...but I had a fever, so I also slept a lot. Jeff and Ellie played with a frog and she was finally brave enough to touch it. She's pretty timid when it comes to touching animals. We got a call telling us that Lista didn't wake up and as hard as it was to believe that she was gone, I was so glad to know that she was not suffering anymore. I hate funerals...but I've never lived through anything like her funeral. I know Cy is going to take great care of Cade and that little boy will always know how much his Mommy loved him. Cy takes him for a golf cart ride every day! I had a fever through the whole thing, which didn't help how I was feeling. I also ended up having a reaction to the medicine I was taking and was horribly sick at my stomach for days. My uncle got married last night and the wedding went well. My family was all together again and it was a little odd without Lista, but I think everyone agrees that she is much better off now - we hated to see her suffer like she did. I'm actually still running a fever and coughing like crazy, but I am feeling so much better. Ellie has not been sleeping well at night and she's been really whiny lately, but we've had quite a bit going on so maybe we can get back to some normalcy this week.

I felt like if I wrote all of this, I could vent a little and maybe get it out of my system and start to move on. Overall, I am thankful for the way things have worked out lately. I've realized several things about me lately - some good and some bad, but I'm working on the bad things and trying to take better care of myself, so that I can also take better care of Jeff, Ellie, and Ava.

NYC

Here are a few of my favorite shots from our trip to New York. They are out of order and some are not turned the right way, but you get the idea.

Lista

Lista lost her battle with cancer yesterday. She just didn't wake up. Thanks for all of your prayers - please continue to pray for her husband, her baby boy, her mom, sister, and dad, and the rest of our family.

We're back

We are back safe and sound after a week in NYC. We had such a good time! We were all tired, but Ellie was an amazing little traveler and she loved hanging out with the college students. I'll post pictures soon and I have so many cute stories to tell, so I'll post them a few at a time.

First, an update on Lista. I don't even think they are going to try the treatment now because she is sick. I'm a little numb to the situation right now and am angry to an extent. They won't even schedule her to come to the hospital because they know she won't survive the treatment since she is so sick. However, she's not just going to get better on her own, so she's not going to survive the cancer. My big question right now is, why not go on and just try the treatment...if it is too strong for her body and she doesn't survive the injection, she doesn't have to suffer any more, right? Otherwise, she is just wasting away sitting at home not able to do anything, suffering, not feeling well, not able to care for her baby, not able to talk to anyone, not even able to stand on her own. It just upsets me that with all of modern medicine, there is nothing they can do for her. We had so much hope, but from what I understand there is no hope. Thankfully, she is a Christian and she will soon be in a better place where she doesn't have to suffer any more. I don't understand why this is happening to her and I guess I never will. Please pray for her that she isn't in pain, for her baby boy that he grows up know his mommy loved him so much, for Lista's husband, sister, mom, and dad that they can all find some peace and comfort somehow, and for all of our family as we try to deal with the situation.

I am so thankful for my healthy little girl, my marriage (of 7 years, as of this weekend), and my new baby girl growing inside me. As for material things, I am thankful for a great car and for our new house that we'll move in to next month. I'll never understand why such good things happen to bad people and such bad things happen to good people, but I know that I am blessed and that I have absolutely nothing to complain about.

Busy

We are going to be BUSY over the next few weeks. We're leaving for New York next week with some of the college students, my niece graduates from 5th grade later the next week, our 7th anniversary is May 20, we close on our house May 31, we're taking Ellie to Disney and to visit some family in early June, and can move in June 21. I'll try to keep pictures and updates on here, but if I'm not on much, it's because we have so much going on.

Please be praying for my cousin, Lista. She's really not doing well at all, but we're still hopeful.

I'm it...

I was tagged by my friend, Miriam, for this "random meme."

Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. You need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. My dog was in our wedding.

2. I love checking other peoples' blogs.

3. I love to clog.

4. I like doing crafty things.

5. I was laughing during labor and delivery.

6. My second toe is longer than my big one (it's 2 inches long).

7. We just bought a house - our first house. We've been married 7 years this month and this will be the 6th time we've moved.

Maybe these girls will play... Sheri, Deva, Emily, and Lynsi. (I would list more people, but I don't know that many people who blog. Maybe the next person can list 7 friends.