Back to the Land of the Living

Our house was hit hard with the piggy flu this last week. Three kids including myself were housebound for eight days with the worst sickness we have had in years. I can't remember ever feeling this sick or having so many sick in one house at once.

Everyone is back to the land of the living. We are feeling tired but much better. There is so much makeup work to do and a lot of laundry, but ....anything is better than being in bed.

At times in my life I have imagined being sick and getting a break from everyday living to watch old movies, read deliciously good books, and sleep, sleep, sleep whenever I wanted. I had never had the flu that landed me in bed for seven days before. Now I know how horribly awful it is, and nothing sounds good. In fact, I am rejoicing that I felt well enough to get up and get going this morning!

I have to comment just how wonderful my hubby has been these last several days. He has kept my house running and my piano business going. He kept lots of water down our throats and made many bowls of chicken noodle soup. Took trips to the doctor, the store, and kept the house sanitized. THANK YOU HONEY!!!!!

I pray that everyone who reads this is staying healthy and doesn't get this horrible yuckiness. If you do get it... call me and I will bring you chicken noodle soup!! I remember when my friend Alisa brought us yummy homemade chicken noodle soup when we were sick in Eugene. Nothing compares to her noodle soup!!

Eat Yogurt!!

AND.......




I have started a team on the Yoplait web site. The goal of this team is to collect as many pink lids as possible before Dec.31, 2009. You can join my team if you would like to help me collect lids. This is such an easy way to support those people in your lives that have either died of breast cancer, survived it, or are currently battleing breast cancer. I titled the team "Save the Ta Tas". Go to the website and sign up to join my team. I can't wait to see just how many pink lids we can get!!




For every pink lid you send in by December 31, 2009 Yoplait® will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, up to $1.5 million. And we guarantee a donation of at least $500,000. So grab your friends, coworkers, yoga class or neighbors and start getting involved today. Visit Yoplait's website
Rinse, bag, and mail lids to:

Save Lids to Save Lives©
P.O. Box 420704
El Paso, TX 88542-0704

According to the American Cancer Society, there are now about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the United States.

As breast cancer survivors go on with their lives, there are many changes they will face in the months and years after completing their treatment. Breast cancer survivors are faced with the possibility of the cancer coming back (recurrence), as well as an increased risk of developing a new breast cancer. Recurrence is possible, even if a woman has undergone a mastectomy, or breast removal.

The good news is, although there is no way to completely prevent a breast cancer recurrence, there are many ways for a woman to lower her risk. If you are a breast cancer survivor, the following five tips may help you keep breast cancer from returning.

1) Follow-up Care
Regular doctor appointments, exams and tests are essential in protecting against a breast cancer recurrence and in detecting a recurrence in its earliest stages. A careful examination is recommended every three to six months for the first three years after primary therapy, every 6 to 12 months for the next two years, and then annually.

Follow-up exams usually include an examination of the breasts, chest, neck, and underarm areas. Your doctor may conduct or order physical exams, blood tests or imaging studies. Be sure to tell your doctor about any swelling, tightness, or injury to the hand or arm, which could be a sign of lymphedema, a swelling of the arm caused by fluid build up, and a potential side effect of breast cancer. With care, this condition may be avoided or kept under control.

Regular doctor visits are also an opportunity to discuss any side effects, such as fatigue, or health problems. Symptoms may be an indication of cancer recurrence, and sharing them with your doctor will ensure early diagnosis and treatment. Or, symptoms may be indicative of another health problem or side effect from treatment.

2) Mammography Screening and Self-examination
Mammography screening, which is a simple x-ray scan of the breasts, remains the best available method to detect breast cancer early. Although no medical tests are always 100 percent accurate, mammograms, as well as monthly breast self-examinations, are important steps to guard against recurrence. You can find more information about monthly breast self-exams by logging on to The American Cancer Society from your computer. You obtain free downloadable breast self-exam cards by visiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Web site.

Please note that monthly self-exams are not meant as a substitute for periodic exams by your doctor.

3) Continuing Treatment
Hormonal breast cancer treatment often includes tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors. Survivors who are being treated with these drugs should continue to take them regularly for the prescribed time. In clinical studies, tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors have been shown to lower the risk of a breast cancer recurrence and lower the risk of new breast cancers for certain women.

Tamoxifen can increase the risk of a certain type of uterine cancer, so those being treated with tamoxifen should have a pelvic exam every year and tell their doctor right away if there is abnormal vaginal bleeding. For those women taking an aromatase inhibitor, your doctor should also keep a close eye on your bone density as these medications may weaken bone structure.

4) Healthy Eating
Women recovering from breast cancer are encouraged to follow established guidelines for good health. Working with a doctor is the best way for survivors to develop a safe nutrition and exercise plan that matches their needs.

Breast cancer research has shown that obesity and weight gain can increase the risk of recurrence. They also raise the risk of other important disorders, such as heart disease and diabetes. An overall healthy diet - one that is low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains - may protect against cancer.

5) Exercise
Regular exercise provides real benefits to breast cancer survivors. A recent study in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, March 2007, showed that women with breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast may benefit from participating in a tailored yoga program that includes gentle yoga postures, breathing exercises, and meditation.

In addition to helping maintain a healthy weight, physical activity such as yoga can rebuild strength and energy while reducing stress. Exercise can also reduce symptoms of fatigue, nausea and pain. So, choose an activity that suits you and get active!

This article came from The National Breast Cancer Awareness site. There is a lot of great information on this site- take a look!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Rejoice in who who you are in Christ!!!

You are fearfully and wonderfully made and we love you so much! We hope you had a wonderful day and can't wait to celebrate your birthday this weekend.

Lots of love,

Michael, Kristin, Mandi, Jeff, Emma, and Josh

Joshy Update

Here's an update on Joshy's infection-

A huge praise that the antibiotics are starting to work. His lump is going down in size. He is taking his "yucky" medicine like a man!!

Another praise is the doctor found another antibiotic that is similar in strength to clyndimyicin but it is generic and costs a lot less. We will be able to get a refund on the four bottles we haven't used yet and get the other antibiotic.

Thanks for all the prayers!

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16 b)

Please Pray for Josh

I want to make this real quick. This morning when I was dressing Joshy for school I noticed that he had a bump on his leg in the exact same location where his staff infection was a year and a half ago.

For those who don't know what happened back then-

Josh had a mysterious lump on his leg that grew in size very quickly. I mean it doubled, like to the size of a golf ball. We took him in and the doctor had blood test ordered to make sure that it wasn't lymphoma or anything and then prescribed antibiotics. I was at a our women's conference when I got the call that the blood test came back fine, but by the time I got home my baby (4) was running a high fever of 105, and the lump had grown even bigger and now was bright red. We took him in right away and the doctor that saw him emitted him right away to the hospital. The next morning he had surgery to remove the infection.

So- Here we are a year and a half later. The doc says that it is the same infection. She said that only 5% of patients get it a second time. Well, Josh is in the 5%. We are currently giving him strong antibiotics and watching him closely. This lump is very painful to him and he is a little worried that he will have to have surgery again. The doctor is thinking that we caught it in time but we are not in the clear yet.

Please pray that this (very expensive, but well worth it) antibiotic will do it's job and we will not have a repeat surgery. Pray that I will set my mind on God and not be anxious. I can handle myself dealing with sickness and pain, but when it's my child that a whole different thing. I am very weary of all the medical problems we have continuously had the last four years and desire rest from them. I do know that God is good and faithful. I hold on to those truths!!

Thanks so much for your continued prayers!

A Fun Surprise!!

At 10 o'clock on Sunday morning I was sitting with the kids in our living room with pj's still on and very bad bed hair. We were having our very own church service. You see, I got absolutely no sleep the night before, and looked like death warmed over. I had no plans on attending Sunday service.

After I was done reading the passage of Scripture to the children and having a serious heart to heart with one of my kids over the meaning of that passage, Mandi suggested we get ready fast and try and make the service. All I have to say was I am so glad that second service starts as late as it does.

We walked in a few minutes late. For those who know me well, I hate to be late. I also hate to miss the worship time. Mandi and I took our usual seats in the front row and finished singing the song. Michael told us to greet one another and as I turned to greet, my mom and dad caught my eye!

They drove two hours from the Salem area to come to our church and to see us for the day, and I had no idea. What a beautiful and wonderful surprise. Earlier that morning, when I couldn't sleep I entertained the idea of piling the kids into the car and visit my parents for the day and even surprise them at their church. It was something I so badly wanted to do but knew that I would have a hard time doing with the amount of sleep I had that night.

We had a wonderful day with them and it was just what I needed to pick up my spirits.

No matter how old I get or how busy I get in life, I still need my parents. Whether it is talking to them on the phone and telling them all my pains and trials or reading about their day on face book, or seeing them only for a few hours on a Sunday- my day is instantly better!!

I pray that my kids will desire my presence and advice and love as much as I need my parents.

Thanks mom and dad for the fun surprise on Sunday!! It made my week so much better!