Voices of Hope

I made it! I sang and stood the whole time! This is me now home and resting. I love singing in the Voices of Hope concert every year as part of Cedar Rapids’ Freedom Festival. I told Pastor Gary who directs us each year that I may have to miss a night (we sing the concert Tuesday - Thursday) or, I may need to sit and sing at times but I would love to do what I can. If you are local, you should plan to come tomorrow or Thursday!

I blubbered through one of the songs tonight! There are three generations of my family in the choir. Mom and Dad sing, and for the second year, Dawn and Ryan sing too. It was a little emotional for me. I am thinking I need a separate post to share more about that.

All I know is that tonight I am resting after night number one thankful that God gave me the grace to enjoy one of my favorite things. He is so good to me!

She Beat Me to It!

She’s really here...in my kitchen!

For many years my college friend Cindy and I have occasionally closed correspondence or messages with “let’s have tea out on the porch someday”. Cindy lives in Texas and we haven't visited in person since college. She asked me last week when she could come and have tea on my porch this summer.

Well, yesterday was the day! She came with her sweet niece who sat and visited with us. We spent about 4 1/2 hours chatting and drinking tea. Unfortunately it was raining so even though the porch had been newly swept and made ready, we drank tea in my living room.

The rain didn’t dampen anything about our visit and I will cherish the time together for a long time! If I have said it once I will say it a million times...I have some of the best people in my life! Thank you Cindy...You are a treasure!

Ho Hum...

Things have been very boring around here. There’s nothing to blog about so I haven’t been writing. My fat arm and the pain that goes with it has stopped me in my tracks a bit. I am a writer. I love to write cards and letters and journal. My hand does not allow me to write very well and my arm gets painful very quickly.

I have been seeing a physical therapist who does a lymph massage for me once a week on my right arm. It has gone down a little and I hope that wearing my glove and sleeve everyday will continue to see an improvement. I had treatment two weeks ago and started feeling better last Sunday. I can do a few things now with rest in between.

We were excited last week when we decided to have a movie night that Netflix is now showing Ralph Wrecks the Internet! Not all of us had seen it so we watched. Along with all the Phineas and Ferb shows we have watched, it has been a television kind of week. For me too...without the use of my arm and hand I have done more watching than usual.

Some of my favorites that I would recommend if you are looking for shows to watch are Blue Bloods, Designated Survivor, and Broadchurch. I will always go back to Monk if I want something I have seen before and feel like I will be in and out of sleepiness.

Life is going pretty slow for me lately and I have learned that it’s okay. I have been listening to podcasts and watching YouTube videos of sermons. I can’t journal much but I can listen. I haven’t mastered it yet but I am learning that whatever my circumstance I can be content. I am not always but it is getting better. I have had a few visitors lately and that has been a great morale boost!

Thanking God continually for all of you who are praying!

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."

Philippians 4:11

FOUR Teenagers!!

Yesterday was Zachary’s FAVORITE holiday! Never mind the fact that Flag Day is on his birthday! We celebrated all day. 13...another teenager! I brought him his present and told him he could open it now or wait til Stacey, Dawn and Dad gets home later in the day. He picked to wait. I was a little surprised! So, we picked up Stacey from camp she was at this week about 12:30.

After that, Matt, Zach, Stacey and I went to Country Kitchen for lunch. There was video game playing, and when we sat down to pick an afternoon movie to watch together, we were all surprised and excited to see that “Ralph Breaks the Internet” was new on Netflix! So we watched it.

When Dawn and David got home Zach opened his present...4 DVDs of Phineas and Ferb shows! He was excited! He is a huge fan! It stunk for all of us when they took Phineas and Ferb off of Netflix. It is one of those shows that the older and the younger ones both love.

We went to Oyamas for dinner because sushi is always the choice for birthdays in our house. We mused about how the next time we come will be in September when Matt and the triplets have a birthday. Matt will be 10...double digits and will get his own plate of sushi. (you have to be in double digits in our family before you graduate from chicken fried rice to a full plate of sushi). Matt can't wait. The rest can't wait either because they won't have to  share their sushi. They each have to give Matt two of their sushi pieces until he is 10.

Zach is excited that he can watch his favorite show whenever he wants. David also got him a new cooler headlamp for his camping trips. Of course there was a Phineas and Ferb marathon and three kids had a mini slumber party in the living room. We are finding a good way to spend our summer vacation every day. This week we celebrate Zachary. What a blessing he has been to our family!!

Interesting and Challenging

New protocol treatment #4 happened yesterday. I didn’t get a chance to post because I am fighting sleepiness big time! I ended up sleeping through the infusion, came home, laid down on my bed and the next thing I know it is 10 pm! I got up and ate dinner and went back to bed. I have been in and out of napping all day today too. My body must need some rest.

The report came back from Mayo Clinic and they described my case as “interesting and challenging”. They said that we should keep doing what we are doing since it is working. They are going to test my samples from the biopsy themselves to see if we can find for sure what type of cancer it is that we are fighting HER2+ or HER2-. We still don’t know for sure.

We will continue these treatments until we get to a place where my liver is stable and the scans are showing normal. Then we will move to the maintenance treatments which we will determine when we get there. I got a call from the office this afternoon with news that my tumor marker number has gone from 411 down to 190!!

I forgot to take a picture of myself at my infusion. The nap was good though! I did get a selfie on the way home! Thank you all for your prayers!!

A Completed Project

I think this yarn looks much better as an afghan than it did as a pile of leftovers! I started by gathering my scrap yarn that is autumn colored.  I worked through it all and ended up with 156 squares when the yarn ran out!

The border turned out exactly like what I was looking for! I wanted to do something that stood out but still didn’t take away from the squares. I am happy with the way it turned out. 

I often make things as gifts and I always hear "why don't you ever make anything that we can keep?" The family is happy because this one stays here at our house!