Hello, I'm Terri...

...and I'm a procrastinator!

There, I said it. I've always known it but usually blame it on something else. I'm too busy... I have four kids... I have too much going through my head to keep it all straight... I work full-time... I have chemo brain...

Glynnis Whitwer's new book Taming the To-Do List has helped me recognize some issues in my procrastination, or what I like to call my organized chaos! Understanding some reasons why I don't accomplish everything is helping me see what I need to change in my thinking and implementation of my to-do list. This book is very practical, and while reading it, I felt like it was describing ME!

I appreciate the personal examples which also give practical tips for improvement. Glynnis Whitwer includes an application at the end of each chapter for two areas the reader identifies at the beginning of the book: a regular task - I'm working on our budget - and a personal goal - I'm dreaming about ways to use my cancer experience.

I'm grateful to Revell for sending me this book for review. It is easy to read, completely relevant, and gives tangible tools to help us all tame our to-do lists!

Cruising - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Daryl and I went on another great cruise - an all-inclusive vacation where we didn't have to worry about a thing... except driving home in the ice...

Last year I posted some travel tips that we learned after our first cruise (here). This year, a list noting the good, the bad, and the ugly seems appropriate.

SMALLER CLASS SHIP (Serenade of the Seas)

• The Good 
• Less expensive
• The Bad
• Less space and activities on board
• The Ugly
• You can feel the ocean a lot... a LOT... I didn't get nauseous, but it sure messed with my head.

CRUISE FOOD

• The Good
• Lots of delicious food and fancy desserts to sample!
• The Bad
• Eating LOTS of delicious food and fancy desserts
• The Ugly
• Stepping on the scale when returning home 

PORTS OF CALL

• The Good
• Relaxing on the beach and gazing at the incredibly beautiful ocean
• The Bad
• Forgetting to put sunscreen on the tops of our feet
• The Ugly
• Thong bikinis. OH.MY.WORD. Either these gals didn't have mirrors in their staterooms, didn't have friends to tell them NOT to go in public so under-dressed, or just didn't care. Ewwww!

TRAVEL SIZE TOILETRIES

• The Good
• Cream perfume in a cute little compact
• The Bad
• Possible allergic reaction
• The Ugly 
• Hives on my neck - Next cruise will include regular perfume and hydrocortisone cream! Thankfully I had some allergy medicine!

We still packed too much and didn't have all the right clothes (like a dressy sweater for the freezing dining room), but at least ALL of our bags this year had wheels! We're anxiously awaiting Royal Carribean's 2017 schedule so we can plan our next cruise!

Video highlights will be in another post.

The Beauty of Grace - Book Review

Sometimes - a lot of times - less is more. The Beauty of Grace is full of short stories with big impact. I've met many great writers without having to read that same number of books. Think of it as "The Best of..."

Dawn Camp has organized the book into the topics of Purpose, The Big Picture, Surrender, Trust, Lessons Learned, Hope and Encouragement, and Worship with 6-8 stories under each topic. It has a variety of writing styles from authors who are all in different stages of life with different experiences. Some of the stories seemed to be written just for me! It has introduced me to new writers while featuring some of my favorites. But more importantly, it is a reminder of God's love for me and the beauty of His grace!

Fun Times with the CT Scan

As long as I'm journaling this whole journey for the world to read, I might as well include today's CT scan adventure. So I drive 70+ miles to Tulsa, take the wrong exit, but thankfully find my way to the hospital. I finally find a parking space, get to the right floor, and find where I check in. Already I've accomplished a lot!!!

I was prepared to pay my whole deductible and 20%, but insurance shows almost half of my deductible has been met. I'm not sure how, but I'm not arguing! Then I go to the radiology waiting room, fill out papers, and wait for the yummy drink. But the drink never comes... When the guy called me back, I asked if I was supposed to drink something. He said they quit doing that about a month ago and found it saved about an hour per patient. I hate to break it to them, but it did NOT make my visit any shorter.

I get the IV needle placed in my arm and sit and wait with a nice warm blanket (the best part). They call me back to the CT room and tell me I need to take off my bra if it has an underwire. Hmmmm. That's never been an issue with all my previous scans. No biggie, except I have an IV needle sticking out of my arm with my shirt and sweater sleeves pushed up above my elbow!!! Why couldn't they mention that BEFORE the IV?

The scan started with the same ol' instructions: take a breath and hold... breathe... take a breath and hold... breathe... I lost count. Then it was time for the contrast - nasty metallic taste and a warmth that spreads across my chest and downward until it feels like I've wet my pants. Seriously! It's the weirdest thing! And now you'll be prepared when it's your turn.

Finally, it's done and a different guy unhooks me and leads me out... without giving me the opportunity to put a certain article of clothing back on... Fun times!

The humor takes away some of the "scanxiety" - so it's all good. Just making memories!

A Great Book

I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but I signed up to do a book review! I received the book with the understanding that I need to post a review on my blog and on another site - like Goodreads, Amazon, etc. So, here goes...

Holley Gerth is a new name to me, which is ironic because she's from my neck of the woods, and we have some common friends. Her blog is crazy encouraging, so I was excited to receive her newest book. I was even more excited to see it was based on the Psalms. If you've followed my journey here on my blog or on Facebook, you know I love the Psalms. This is the perfect book for me!

Holley has taken the whole book of Psalms and pulled out 52 encouraging truths. It is ideally set up to study one truth a week: read the devotion, focus on the couple of verses highlighted, and then use the space at the end of each truth to write what my heart is saying to God and what my heart is hearing from God. Each devotion is also short enough to be used daily. I'm ready to go through the book without a time limit (for this review) and savor each truth weekly while MEMORIZING the verses. 

Plus it's the cutest gift-sized book - easy to carry in my purse and pretty sitting out on my desk. Now I want a polka dot coffee cup to match!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord;

Praise the Lord.

 Psalm 150:6

Ahhh... the Weekend...

I love Saturdays. I love to sleep in and just be at home after working all week. It seems like forever since I've had a weekend like that. Today was my kind of Saturday. And I was very productive - I fed the animals (see A Puppy, Bunny, and Chickens... Oh My!), mowed our yard while my husband and son took care of our neighbors' yard, got caught up on laundry, did some baking, organized my craft area, and finally got to stamp some cards. It was a perfect kind of busy!

It's not that today was anything so special, but it had the feel of a weekend before cancer. IT FELT GOOD!!!

Vacation Videos

Our cruise was the BEST vacation ever! I would definitely recommend it - the food, the shows, the activities - everything was wonderful. I'm so glad the six of us cruising together took a lot of pictures and that my graphics guru husband put them together in fun videos. Please don't hold your breath for my scrapbook version...

NOTE: The Lego pictures are Jarod's guy who was lucky enough to go on vacation with us and have many photo ops! 

Just click on the links to watch the videos. 


DAYS 1-2 - Cruisin'

We had a delay before we could get on the ship due to fog closing the port earlier in the morning. We waited a couple of hours in a holding parking lot before we could park in the real parking lot. Then we found a restaurant and waited a couple more hours before getting in line to board the ship. Once we were on board, we were HAPPY!

Rock Climbing was a huge accomplishment! My goal was to make it to the half-way bell, and I DID IT!!! Daryl made it clear to the top several times! And can you believe I tried the boogie board?!?!?!


DAY 3 - Roatan, Honduras 

Honduras was our big zip line adventure. I was almost sick that morning just thinking about it. But once we got there and did our first looooong line, I decided it was awesome! Hiking in and zipping above the jungle was beautiful. Our guide was wonderful and took lots of pictures. I loved him calling me "mama." 

We had lunch by the sea - coconut shrimp and lobster - YUM! Then we met up with our friends and checked out some little shops.


DAY 4 - Belize City, Belize 

Cave tubing was another fun adventure. We took a bus ride through part of Belize City out to the river. Our guide gave us some history of the area and let us all try cashew wine! At the river we hiked to the starting point where we put our tubes in and floated through the caves. Beautiful vegetation along the river. Did you know all-spice comes from a tree? Our friends did a zip line while we enjoyed the surroundings. The tour provided yummy tamales for lunch, and we bought Coca Cola bottled in Belize with real cane sugar. We didn't have much time for shopping, and I only had a tiny small somewhat medium panic attack worrying about getting back in time to take the tender back to the ship. We made it!!!


DAY 5 - Cozumel, Mexico

Ahhhh, the beach! We paid for a taxi and entry to Playa Palancar Beach that also included snorkel gear and a kayak. So much fun! My first time in the ocean! My first time kayaking! My first time snorkeling! And my first pina colada! We could get used to being beach bums!


DAY 6 - Cruisin' Home

Our last day on the ship... We sat in on the Captain's Chat, walked a mile for the Make a Wish Foundation, and went ice skating! I got my picture taken with the handsome Texas Tenors, relaxed on the deck with my yogurt cone, and then sadly had to pack. Getting off the ship was an adventure of its own.

When we left Galveston, it was 74 degrees. By the time we got to Dallas, it was 24 degrees and icy. Thankfully our friends' daughter lives in Dallas and let us hibernate for TWO days before we could get home to Oklahoma. We managed to get to South Fork Ranch to see where Dallas was/is filmed. It's a lot smaller in person... Finally, we made it home to our kids!

Terri's Top Travel Tips

We had a WONDERFUL cruise vacation! It was a great time with great friends doing great things! We enjoyed wonderful food and wonderful entertainment (broadway type shows, ice dancing show, Donovan and Rebecca, and The Texas Tenors! We were never bored and almost didn't have enough time to just sit on the deck doing nothing. We played miniature golf, climbed the rock wall, rode a boogie board, and went ice skating... on the ship! We also participated in a one mile walk for the Make A Wish Foundation... on the ship! We did a zip line adventure in Roatan, Honduras with Caribe Sky Canopy Tours, a cave-tubing adventure in Belize City, Belize with Butts Up Cave Tubing, and enjoyed kayaking and snorkeling on Palancar Beach in Cozumel, Mexico.

The best vacation!

A God-ordained moment was being in the boogie board line with a lady whose mother is a five time cancer survivor... four of those being non-Hodgkin lymphoma!!! After we finished the boogie board, her mother and I shared a survivor's hug! So special.

Here are my top travel tips for first time cruising...

• Travel with friends who are experienced cruisers! Not only did their knowledge ease our stress, they also got some nice perks!

• Carry-on bag actually means a bag with WHEELS! There is a lot of walking just to get from the van to the line... and a lot of walking through the line... and a lot of walking to find our stateroom... There's even more walking if the ship is late because of fog and you have to spend a couple of hours walking around town until you can get in line to board. Next time our carry-on bags will have wheels!!!

• Let the bank know you'll be out of the country so that your card will be accepted at the port cities. Oops! Thankfully the ship had an ATM!

• Have a no-frills hair style... like my post-chemo short curly hair... because it is WINDY on deck!

• Make sure your hat has some kind of under-the-chin strap/string... because it is WINDY on deck!

• Pack LESS! Now that we know what a cruise is all about with formal, smart casual, and casual nights for dinner, we will pack less next time!

• Book your excursions directly and save money! I was nervous about this because the ship will not wait for late groups unless they are on a ship-sponsored excursion. But we were in the same groups as the ship tours, so we finished when they finished. No worries!

• Don't pay full price for anything. The shops on the ship will have sales - like t-shirts for $10! At the ports - you can walk away from a "deal" and the shop owner will keep offering the item at a lower price. It's a weird system!

• Use a backpack that has more than nylon cording for the straps. Hauling a bunch of seashells from the ocean in a simple cinch sack can hurt your shoulders. Don't ask me how I know!

• Be brave and do new things. The only things I had already experienced were miniature golf and ice skating. Everything else (the boogie board, rock climbing, zip lining, cave tubing, kayaking, and snorkeling) was new... and FUN!  

• Be brave and eat new things. I didn't know what a lot of items were on the menu, but I made it a point to order the unexpected - escargots bourguignonne, chilled banana and rum soup, caprese salad, garlic tiger shrimp, smoked duck breast, creamed wild mushrooms, BBB creme brulee, tiramisu... YUM!

• Pack WARM clothes in the van for the trip home. It was 74 when we got off the ship in Galveston and 22 with ice by the time we got to Dallas. Brrrr!

• Start saving for the next cruise!!!
 

This is the life!

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
~Psalm 8:1 

Thankful November - Days 12 - 30

I forgot to post days 12-30...

Day #12 - I'm thankful for my port. I had no idea what one was before February and hated it at first. However, after reading about how ironically toxic (as well as life saving) chemo can be if it touches skin or leaks from an IV or vein, I'm glad to have it...even if I keep it indefinitely for now...and even when the kids call it special names!  

Day #13 - I'm thankful for those who support Cookson Hills Christian Ministries (where I work). We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner at First Christian Church in Grove, OK. Truly great partners in ministry!

Day #14 - I'm thankful for my doctors and their staff!

I want to give a shout out to:

Carleen Huffman, NP at Kansas Medical Clinical who takes care of me, prays for me, and referred me to my surgeon...

Dr. Stephen Bruns at Surgery Inc in Tulsa who has cut me open several times (hernia x 2, gall bladder, needle biopsy, lymph node removal, port placement, and someday port removal). He gave me the initial diagnosis of lymphoma with sincere concern and referred me to my oncologist.

Dr. Scott McHam and Julie Spears, NP at Tulsa Cancer Institute who gave me my official diagnosis and treatment plan with just the right amount of information along the way. They take the time to answer all of my questions and said my treatment showed "excellent" results.

And all of my nurses ROCK!

Day #15 - I'm thankful for weekends! After working all week, it's nice to have a couple of days at home.

Day #16 - I'm thankful for CT and PET scans that can see what's going on inside my body when there may not be outward symptoms!!!

Day #17 - I'm thankful for my Facebook friends who are a HUGE encouragement!

Day #18 - I'm thankful for easy access to the gym and weight room here on campus so we can still work out when it gets dark way too early!

Day #19 - I'm thankful for friends who let me vent and know that it's nothing more than venting.

Day #20 - Deep down I'm thankful for our crazy dog. Tonight I thought he was trying to give me kisses, but it turned out he just wanted the bandana on my head.

Day #21 - I'm thankful that in a world of inconsistencies, God is always faithful!

Day #22 - I'm thankful for a night at home on a cold evening with hot coffee, warm banana chocolate chip muffins, and checking in with my friends on Facebook. 

Day #23 - I'm thankful for the book of Psalms and a new perspective on God as my refuge!

Day #24 - I'm thankful for Sunday afternoon naps!!!

Day #25 - I'm thankful that my chicken partnership doesn't require me to dispose of the dead chicken I found this morning (and one found earlier this month)!

Day #26 - I'm thankful for my friend Marsha who is always there when I need her even when we live many miles apart and don't talk often enough.

Day #27 - I'm thankful for movie night with my girls - even if it was Catching Fire...when I haven't seen Hunger Games...or read the books...and it left me hanging for Mocking Jay.

Day #28 - I'm thankful for Thanksgiving at my mom's with my sister and her kids and being able to spend some time at my grandma's!

Day #29 - I'm thankful my daughter has a job this semester...even though it meant working horrible hours Thanksgiving weekend. Proud of her! 

Day #30 - "Thankfulness is a conscious response that comes from looking beyond our blessings to their source. As Christians, we have been forgiven, saved from death, and adopted as God’s children. There could be no better reason for a grateful heart!" - Henry T Blackaby & Richard Blackaby

Thankful November: Days 1-11

Okay, this year I've decided to do the Facebook Thankful November thing and post something I'm thankful for each day. Let me just say, 30 days is not enough! I have sooooo much to be thankful for, it's almost ridiculous!!! Some are serious and some are light-hearted... just depends what was happening on any given day.

I was going to save all 30 things for one post at the end of the month, but when I add song lyrics, it gets a little long!

Day #1 - I'm thankful to be alive!!! I know that sounds cliche, but after this year, it's where I'm at!

Day #2 - I'm thankful for my wonderful husband who has been the glue this year and my biggest cheerleader!  

Day #3 - I'm thankful for my four kiddos! They have handled this past year amazingly well. They encourage me and take great care of me...and only laugh at me a little! 

Jenifer and Jordyn

Jessika and Jenifer (again)

And they love taking goofy pictures for me to find on my camera...which I'll post for the world to see!

Day #4 - I'm thankful for my parents who raised me to know and love God and for my sister who has been a faithful friend!

Day #5 - I'm thankful for my in-laws who love me like their own!

Day #6 - I'm thankful for those seemingly small blessings that are really HUGE! Like my fan at work, because dressing for the temperature outdoors does not make it comfy during my hot flashes while indoors! Thank you, chemo...

Day #7 - I'm thankful to only work until 3:00 on Thursdays!!!

Day #8 - I'm thankful we finally finished Jarod's 1,993 piece puzzle! Yes, we're missing seven pieces of our thrift store puzzle. Now, to glue...or not to glue...

Day #9 - I'm thankful for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and its research efforts to find cures for blood cancer (like the Rituxan that was part of my treatment). - You can still donate to LLS through my Light the Night Walk link in the sidebar!   

Day #10 - I'm thankful for my wig and make up! I didn't want to look like I was sick and an obvious cancer patient - although I have one picture of myself with no wig, no make up, and no glasses on a day I was running a fever and felt awful... and I looked awful... No, you will not see that picture! Yes, I'm thankful for my wig and make up!!!

Day #11 - I'm thankful for Christian music! November 11th was a bit emotional remembering my dad who passed away four years ago, thinking about our freedom on Veterans Day, and reflecting on our journey this past year. Never Once came on K-LOVE and sums it all up perfectly.

Standing on this mountain top
Looking just how far we've come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Kneeling on this battleground
Seeing just how much You've done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we'll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
It's true, You are faithful, God You are faithful

Never Once
performed by One Sonic Society
written by Jason Ingram, Matt Redman, Tim Wanstall  

Happy Anniversary

Today is our 25th Anniversary. Wow - we're getting old! It's been a great time of celebrating. We're celebrating 25 years of marriage and celebrating life and health after a scary year! 

Here's a picture on our wedding day... 

August 13, 1988

 
And here's a picture of our anniversary weekend get away...

August 9, 2013

We haven't aged a bit - HA! It was so nice to get away for the weekend and just relax! We went to Medicine Park, OK and stayed at the Stardust Inn. We had a great time doing nothing! The innkeepers are long-time friends and totally spoiled us. We loved sitting in the rocking chairs on the back porch that overlooked the grounds and the river. And our room was named Good Medicine - how fitting! 

What a blessing to be married to my best friend. Although this past year was not what we ordered, it's been a joy to go through the journey together. God is good!

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I've lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it's true
God gave me you

On my own I'm only
Half of what I could be
I can't do without you
We are stitched together
And what love has tethered
I could never undo
~ God Gave Me You by Dave Barnes

A Puppy, Bunny, and Chickens... Oh, My!

Last year we were pet-free, and it was sooooo nice. I don't know what happened, but now we have a puppy, bunny, and chickens! I blame part of it on cancer - HA!

When we were at the beginning stages of this whole journey, we all had trouble sleeping. We were not having fun. Our second oldest daughter had the hardest time and might have gone a week straight with no sleep. She knew of a bunny that needed a new home and caught me in a moment of weakness. I thought it might help her focus on something other than my health, plus she promised to take care of it.

Well, the silly bunny is down right noisy hopping around in his cage. And he seemed to be most active when Jenifer needed sleep. So, he is now in our living room... and Daryl and I are taking care of him... for a fee, of course! He's the cutest lop-eared bunny ever :)

Bugsy

Then towards the end of my chemo treatments we were asked if we wanted to help with chickens. Our science teacher raises chicks in the spring for a 4-Him class (think 4-H). The class ends and those cute little chicks grow up. We take turns letting out the chickens and feeding them in the mornings, gathering eggs, and shutting them up at night. Yes, I'm getting up earlier than usual to let out the chickens and feed them! I've always thought it would be neat to have chickens and fresh eggs. Now I really get to do it! They're the funniest chickens ever :)

Three of the newer chickens

And then there's Lil' Buddy - our new 1 y/o Beagle mix. He was a stray and found our neighbors...who already have a dog... They tried so hard to find him a home, but no one could take him. They would even bring the dog to our door trying to play the sad-puppy-dog-eyes card! We were strong for several days, but then just like the bunny, I was caught in a moment of weakness. We now have a cute puppy who likes to chew on anything and everything... even my Chaco sandals... not the cheap Walmart flip flops! He's the craziest puppy ever :)

Lil' Buddy

It feels like things are getting back to normal - feeding the bunny, letting out the chickens, gathering eggs, and walking the dog! But not exactly like before lymphoma. I have a different mindset now - I don't want to take things for granted (like each day of life), I don't want to let the little things get to me (like the dog eating my shoe, digging up my flowers, and taking a bite of my son's birthday cake), and I definitely don't want to forget WHO has given me this good life - this great life!  

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
~ James 1:17

Showers of Blessing

I was showered with blessings this past weekend! I was able to see our oldest daughter perform in Singin' in the Rain - the spring musical production at Ozark Christian College (occ.edu). It was a wonderful show! But more special than the show was that I was there, feeling great, and able to watch my daughter! She got the lead role of Kathy Selden the same week I was diagnosed with NHL. That week was definitely a roller coaster of emotions. I think we were all wondering if I'd be able to attend the show.

Jordyn - aka Kathy Selden

We were also blessed to have family come from Illinois, Kansas, and Oklahoma to see Jordyn in the show...and I'm sure to also see the rest of us! Another blessing was reconnecting with some sweet friends from our college days at Ozark Christian College and our young married days in Joplin, MO. An Ozark friend (going through her own cancer journey) gave me flowers and had the cast, crew, and orchestra sign a card for me. That's a lot of sweet autographs! I love how our family and friends are the hands and feet of Christ to us! God is good!!!

Flowers and Autographs

From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.
~ John 1:16

Project Life - My Way

This isn't a typical cancer update, but it still has to do with my journey. Before I knew about my swollen lymph node, I was working toward finding a better way to document our life and actually scrapbook. Project Life (beckyhiggins.com) is a way of keeping a scrapbook by using divided page protectors and keeping a two page spread per week. Well, there's no way I could keep up with that! So, after searching the internet for ideas, I decided I could maybe do a two page spread a MONTH. Also, I'm using an 8 1/2 x 11 album instead of 12 x 12. My plan was to create at least one page using My Digital Studio from Stampin' Up! (stampinup.com) and then a divided page protector for smaller elements. I picked up a package of baseball card page protectors and other supplies, made my own planner so I could keep track of things in one place, and was ready to go.

The front - SU paper and Verve stamp

The front cover with pocket

Month at a glance

Week at a glance for notes

Then my mom noticed the lump in my neck and life got turned upside down. Project Life took a back seat to doctor's appointments, needle biopsy, surgery, oncologist visits, port placement, scans, and chemo. Once things settled down and we knew what we were dealing with, I got motivated to work on January's layout - only three months late :) I did one page digitally and one page with the baseball card dividers. It was fun and good therapy!

My Project Life - January 2013

Once I finished January, I was excited to keep going and started on February. I love that I can use whatever style I want and it's okay - digital, page protectors, or whatever. There's hope that I can keep up with this and actually finish a scrapbook :)

My Project Life - February 2013

Since this has already been such a crazy year, I want to have something to look back on and see all the GOOD things that are happening. Just like God told the Israelites over and over to teach their children what He had done...

...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done.
~ Psalm 78:4b

My Top Ten List

When I was first diagnosed with cancer, my sister sent me a Top Ten list of why chemo isn't too bad. Now that I've started my chemo and am actually bald, I've adapted her list a little:

10. People are really nice to me

 9. Less time in the shower and getting ready

 8. No more shaving

 7. ...or plucking

 6. No more coloring the gray

 5. Save money on hair products

 4. Fancy new scarves added to my wardrobe

 3. Instant new hair style with my sassy new wig

 2. No bad hair days or "bed head"

And the #1 reason chemo isn't too bad (besides KICKING CANCER'S BUTT)...

 1. HEAD RUBS FROM MY SON AT BEDTIME!!!

There really are benefits to being bald! I've had fun with my new hair style and new glasses. I appreciate my family, friends, and co-workers who have been so encouraging and supportive. We're all just having fun with it the best we can!

A cheerful heart is good medicine...
~ Proverbs 17:22a

A Lime Green Birthday

I celebrated my 29th birthday (for the 17th time) this week! It was a fun day full of blessings. There were gifts on my desk at work - wrapped in lime green, cards in the mail, Facebook messages, e-mails, phone calls, a cake - with lime green frosting, key lime cupcakes - with lime green frosting, and more gifts - wrapped in lime green. I love how people are supporting me through lime green (NHL awareness color)! I felt great and enjoyed the day! 

Hair Update:

I noticed yesterday (day 15 after treatment) that the hair on my legs is NOT growing back after shaving. Happy Birthday to me! My buzz cut is just starting to shed a tiny bit today. I wonder how long it will take for it to all fall out??? I'll keep you posted!

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
~ Psalm 189:14

It's Only Hair... So Let's Have Some Fun

I did it! I shaved my head... I wanted to have a little bit of control and shave BEFORE my hair started falling out. My oncologist assured me that my hair WILL fall out beginning around day 14 after the first treatment. I prefer to not have clumps of hair in my hands, so we shaved. We tried to have a little fun with it, too.

 

Who knew I could rock the 'hawk!!! After the photo op, we buzzed off the rest. 

Here I am with my 11 y/o who has the same buzz. Obviously, the red/brown in the mohawk picture is not my natural color! I'll admit that I was nervous before we started, but once my friend Robin made the first buzz, I was fine. And I was pleasantly surprised when I looked in the mirror - it wasn't as terrifying as I imagined. I had really thought I wouldn't show my naked head even around the house with just my family - that it would always be covered. Now that it's mostly naked, I don't mind being bald and beautiful.

The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord."

~ Psalm 45:11

We went wig shopping the first available weekend we had after meeting with the oncologist. We live in a rural town, so it was a 70+ mile drive to Tulsa, OK to the wig shop (judiswigs.com). We had a wonderful lady helping us who was very encouraging. She gave me all kinds of information about the American Cancer Society and all the paperwork to turn in to insurance. Daryl and the girls talked me into a sassy new hair-do. We figured as long as everyone knows I'm wearing a wig, why not have fun with it! 

If someone had told me even a year ago that by my next birthday I'd be bald... well, I would've been devastated. But now, with so much support and encouragement from my family and friends, it seems like no big deal. Daryl is my biggest cheerleader! The change in my attitude can only be from God. He has given us just what we need for each step of this journey! What a blessing to have so many people praying for us!

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

~ 2 Peter 1:12