Cancer Treatment for Mom is Finished!!

Mom ringing the bell...yeah!!

The birds were a real treat when we take mom to the dr.

Mom with all of her radiation nurses.

Everyone holding their signs waiting on Granny

Luke is ready

Everyone seeing mom out.

Mom with her friend Wanda who had also had cancer....she just finished up too.

Mom with Granny

Mom with the lady who works the desk..I should have written all of the names down

Mom with the lady who parks the cars, she is such a sweetie!

We all threw coins in the water fountain before we left.
Can you guess what we wished for??

On Monday mom completed her last treatment of radiation which completed all of her cancer treatment. When you finish your treatment you get to ring the bell so we all went to celebrate with her.

It is such a blessing to see mom has made it through this treatment. She has been battling this since March. She has had three surgeries, eight chemo treatments, 33 radiation treatments, and numerous iv's for extra fluid and medications.

God is so good and we give him all of the glory for healing her!! We have met so many wonderful people and we have also seen how it can go the other way. It is amazing how God puts you in certain places and allows you to see how good you have it even when you have cancer.

Christmas Fun!

Christmas was such a blessing this year. We got to see a lot of our family and visit with them and eat and eat and eat. I guess you can't beat that!!

Aunt Cherry made Luke and Jake and my dad matching shirts.
Anna's favorite present....her shoes.

Everyone at my dad's sitting around gabbing.

My dad brought a new friend for Christmas, Kay was very nice!!

Granny taking Luke for a ride on his "Big Green Tractor"

Erin got the karaoke machine she wanted.

Ashley got a new Bible

Luke checking out his new ride

Mom bringing Luke down the hall to see what Santa had left

Sad to say this is not even all of it!!

Luke loving on Granny G
I am so glad Granny got to spend Christmas with us this year!!

Anna got a new baby.. Maylee, Anna, and Grace

I am so thankful for all of the memories we had this Christmas and that we were able to spend time with family and share a little love. This has been a hard year and it was nice to have a moment to enjoy. We are looking forward to starting a new year!

I DID IT!!!!!!!!

Yeah I did it!!! I took my last in class final this morning at 8...an in class essay on the criticism of Americans being evil and hypocrites....exciting huh. Thanks Amanda for giving Ashley a ride this morning. When I got home I had to finish my Educational Psychology exam, which I really need to do well on. I still don't know how I am going right now. I stayed up until 2:30 working on my research for the essay and then I got up early to make sausage balls for Ashley's class. I missed her party....so sad. George went in my place and I think Ashley was very excited about that. I am so glad he stepped up to the plate for me. He did not get in the bed until 2 and her party was at 9 and he had to get Anna and Luke ready and take them. I should have taken a picture..Luke had on navy blue running pants with hunter green socks that had yellow balls on them....yikes. Anna had hair going all over the place and Ashley's socks on which were sticking out of the top of her shoes. I did not say it was perfect, but I am very thankful for him.

George had his final yesterday and to say he was nervous is putting it very mildly. He studied for hours on Tuesday to get ready. If he did not pass the final he would get kicked out of the nursing program. They put sooo much pressure on them and they do not care to tell them they are out. After waiting impatiently for a few hours the verdict was in and he made a B. He was so happy. We have prayed so much about George being in the RN program and God makes it evident from time to time that he is in the right spot. So good to know that!!

Thanks so much for all of the prayers they really helped me through.

Update on mom...she has 6 more radiation treatments and she is completely finished. Remember to pray for her...they said the last two weeks would be the worst and she is starting to feel it.

A Little Relief

Finals are this week and as I take each one it feels like a brick is being lifted off of my shoulders. It feels so good to be getting finished up this week.

George and I have been married for over 14 years and every year I have wanted to put up Christmas lights. George is afraid of heights.....so I said that I would climb the ladder myself. It took a little longer than I expected and I ended up on the roof, but yeah, we have Christmas lights.

Christmas shopping is finally over!!! Mom watched the kids for us last night and George and I finished up. Yet another brick off of my shoulders. Now it is time to wrap!! I can't wait to see the kid's faces when Santa drops by. It is such an exciting time of year.

It is kinda a sad time too. Mom put up her Christmas tree this year, well actually we did. It is the first time it has been put up in five years. She has not put it up since Pa died. I did not realize how many memories of him were stored in those boxes. Then I got home and George and I got to talking about his brother Tommy, this is the first Christmas without him. Pray for his children. I could not even imagine my kids not having their daddy. We just have to remember the kingdom God has prepared for us and that we will get to see them again one day!! How could we even function without knowing that??

Stress is killing me......

Ok I am going to take about two minutes to vent. I am on overload right now with school and life. I decided that I really really wanted to graduate in May so I took 15 hours this semester and for the most part I have handled it well. For some reason, teachers like to hold things until the end and pile them on you all at once, that is where I am today. I would list all that I have to do this week but I don't want to bore you. Just pray for me....and my kids and George. For some reason I put too much pressure on myself to do well and it is just about to break me. Why do women do that? There is just not enough time in a day. I am posting this so hopefully in about a week and a half I can look back and say "I did it!"

All I can say is THANK GOD FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK!!

A Great day for giving!!

Linda, mom liked her pine cones.


Mom really enjoyed our company:)

Bert and Cecil

Erin and Allie

Joshua and Isaac

Grace, Anna, Faith , and Julianna

Julianna, Grace, and Anna

Everyone leaving the home.

The kids handing over the basket.

The Kindergarten class with Mrs. Bert

Today was lots of fun. I help teach the Kindergarten Sunday school class and today we took our annual trip to help out a family. Every year this class brings food to fill a basket and then we take it to a family who can use the help. The kids have been really excited to do this (they get to go to McDonald's afterwards.) I just love Miss Kathy Little and I am so glad that I get to share that class with her, she is such a blessing. Mrs. Bert Carbaugh decided to "retire" and we just can't let her, we keep asking for more help. She and her husband Cecil were such a huge help today, they took their time and drove an extra van so we would have enough room for all of the kiddos. Hope you enjoy some of the pics.

Today was also my mom's birthday, Happy Birthday mom!!! My sister and her daughter Allie and son Jake came down to celebrate the special day. We went to Ryan's last night, which was actually yummy. I have not been there in years so it hit the spot. Then we went home and watched the movie My Sister's Keeper, A+. Today after church we took a cake over to her and just sat and gabbed. It was so nice just to sit and talk. Can you believe how much her hair has grown in the last couple of months? She looks great!! Today she had her eleventh radiation treatment and has 22 more to go. 1/3 down!! It will be so nice when she gets finished up, it will also be kinda wierd, she has lived the last eight months around her cancer so it will be awesome for her to live her life for her.

Now we can get ready for the next birthday, George's is next Sunday :)

My precious little girl is 8!!

Ashley's Sunday school class.

Maggie and Ashley right before church.

Luke with his blankie.

Ashley very excited about her dsi.

Ashley and Luke snuggling.

Ashley talked Maggie in to trading PJ's.

We pulled Erin's old mattress out for a super sleepover in the living room.

Wow...time flies!! I just can't believe that Ashley is eight. It just seems like yesterday that she was born. She is such a precious little angel and I am so glad that I have been blessed to be her mom. She is a lot like me and many ways, I can remember when I was little how much I loved my birthday (not so much anymore.) I would start reminding everyone months ahead. All week Ashley has used her birthday to her advantage. She would say Mom since my birthday is Sunday will you eat lunch with me? Boy did it work! I ate lunch with her on Friday and took treat bags for her class. Mrs. Justus wanted something that she could easily hand out. They just don't have the time in second grade that they have had in years past. On Friday night Ashley went to spend the night with Nana. Nana is not related, but she watched Ashley when she was a baby while I worked and they really love each other. I think Nana loved it more than Ashley. Nana took her to McDonalds, to the Hungry House to eat breakfast, to Walgreens to buy her a webkinz, and gave her money. Nana also helps me now, she watches Anna and Luke while I go to school on Monday and Wednesday. When Ashley got home on Saturday we immediately called her best friend Maggie and she came over for a sleepover. This was the first time Ashley has had a friend spend the night and it was the first time Maggie has spent the night with a friend. We went to the movies, had pizza, and came home and played. Erin was a tremendous help, she always is. Thanks Erin!!

On Sunday morning we went to church and then out to eat. She took Dunkin Donuts to her Sunday school class. Ashley got the gift she has been asking about for about a year, a nintendo dsi. It was the only gift she received from us but wow was she happy. My mom met us at Outback and we ate and then she gave Ashley a razor scooter. Ashley told her cousin Jake that it is called a razor because the wheels are sharp. I just thought that was too funny. All in all Ashley had a wonderful day. Now we will gear up for the next few weeks of birthdays, mom's is next Sunday, George's is the next Sunday, and Anna's is four days after that. Yeah!!!! I hope they all go as well as Ashley's did. Unfortunately I did not get all of the pics I wanted to, but here are some of the ones I did take.

Back To Normal

Anna really wanted to be a "baby." Next year.....

This is the third time this costume has been worn..both of my step-brother's daughters wore it and Anna will when she grows into it.

Erin was very creative, her shirt says "costume."

Luke was a little JoJo clown minus the wig, we couldn't find it. It would have been cute!

We are finally getting back to the normal routine. Ashley went back to school on Wednesday and we went to church too. Now George and I are trying to get through the next five weeks. On another note, mom gets measured for her radiation treatments tomorrow which will probably start on Monday so she will be glad to get through the next six and a half weeks. Keep her on your prayer list. She is doing pretty good, we have not gotten to see her lately because we can't expose her to our germs. Germs or no germs mom, my sister, and I are going on a girls trip this Saturday. I am so excited to have a fun day with them. I can't tell you the last day we were together with no kids. We are going to go to some outlet stores and then go have lunch together.

With all of the sickness going through the house we could not have a typical Halloween with trick or treating so we held our own party here at the house and dressed up and did some crafts and ate junk food......fun times!! We just walked outside and took a picture. Since I knew we were not going out we used hand me down costumes.....they still had fun, and isn't that all that matters???