Mother's Day Come and Gone....

Eighteen days ago it was Mother's Day....

It is always a nice day. The kids and Tim give me really nice/funny cards that make me smile/cry/laugh. Sometimes I get flowers, sometimes I get a sweet treat they know I like (and then sneak for themselves when they think I'm not looking!) It's an all round nice day. It helps to have great kids to make it that way!

This Mother's Day was no different. Andrew came by the house and young Tim called from Arizona. It was the same right down to the sneaking of the Dove chocolates Tim gave me. :)

Yup, things were the same.... except for one thing. This Mother's Day we got to call Jordan who has been 7 months away from home serving as a missionary in Brazil. While on his mission we only get to talk to him twice a year -- Christmas and Mother's Day. I don't know how fathers got excluded but as long as mothers aren't I'm good with that. :)

So, for 7 months my boy has been away.

For 7 months I have written him by way of email every week.

For 7 months I have prayed for him every day.

I have prayed for his well being, for his language skills to be such that he could understand and be understood.

I have prayed for good companions to inspire and motivate him and that he could do the same for them.

I have prayed for people's hearts to be open to hear him, to accept him and to love him -- all the things I can't do for him when he is so far away.

For the next 17 months I will continue doing what I have been doing every day and every week. And I will look forward to two more phone calls before I lay eyes on him again.

The Girl's and I Are Doing Just Fine...

Deep breath....that's what I have done a number of times today. It feels good. It feels like relief. It feels peaceful.

My mind has been somewhat occupied lately. You see, a few weeks ago I went in to see the doctor. After an exam it was determined that I needed to go in for a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound. No one wants to have a mammogram done, but we especially don't want a "diagnostic" mammogram.

A routine mammo doesn't conger up anything awful -- in fact, I usually feel quite proud of myself that I am doing something that is proactive to take care of myself. But suddenly throw the word "diagnostic" in front of the word "mammogram" and there is anxiety, worries, and fear of the unknown.

I wanted to be able to do what the doctor said (not to worry), but truthfully, the last time we thought we didn't have to "worry", a cancer diagnoses hit us between the eyes. My mind ran wild (as it sometimes will). All I could think of was that I was not sure I had it in me for another round with the cancer dragon if my news wasn't good. I finally settled in and tried not to think about it, or when I did think about it I tried to think positive thoughts and just waited for the day of my appointment.

That day was today.

After my mammo and ultrasound the verdict is that the girls and I are just fine...albeit a bit lumpy and bumpy in places. But I guess that is what is now normal for me.

Isn't that the way of life....lumpy and bumpy in places?

I think this means I'm on the right path. :)

Blurry...

I admit it.

I take a lot of pictures.

Some are good.

Some are not so good.

Some are blurry because they were taken in haste to try to capture the moment.

Some are blurry because I am too close to see clearly.

One day I got to thinking about my blurry pictures.

It occurred to me that maybe sometimes my blurry pictures mimic my life.

Things are sometimes out of focus.

Sometimes things are done in haste and don't turn out the way I planned.

Sometimes I am just too close to be able to see clearly.

But sometimes parts of a picture are blurry while other parts are perfectly focused.

That too mimics my life.

I want to focus on the parts that are clear while accepting the blurry parts.

Because, I believe that with time, a steady heart and hand, and a watchful, focusing eye,

that the blurry parts too will find focus.

Giving Way...

Before I know it the loveliness of spring will give way to summer. What a beautful spring it has been.....

My To Do List...

In recent months my to-do list has become amazingly long. Sometimes I marvel at how one person (that would be me) can get all this stuff done. I think my lists are getting longer because the more I am called on to remember what needs to be done, the more I have to write things down....like everything. It is becoming more and more my "norm" to put it on the list or it just doesn't even have a chance of being remembered, let alone done.

Sometimes my to do list makes me laugh. For example, a snippet of my list from last week looked like this:

• Walmart - 2 bright colored sheets for Jacob
• Rite Aid - meds
• Bank - get blank registers, make dep.
• P.O. -Mail POA & get book of stamps x2
• Make eye appt for Tim
• Make dentist appt for Tim
• Call RuthAnn - election day ?'s
• Follow up on POA for Mom's pension
• Call SS - Dad
• Call about Dad's pension
• Check FSA balance on line
• Send card to Cretta
• Jordan's box ready to mail
• File receipts
• Make grooming appt for Ella
• Write up Rigor paper
• Do PD hours paper, turn in
• Call nursing home admin lady
• Ask Jeff about coming for Christmas
• Transfer $100
• Email Glenn Beck

Email Glenn Beck??? Yeah, that went on the list last Thursday. I scribbled that down in the office of the Fabulous Dr. O.

You see, each and every appointment we have with the Fabulous Dr. O we see the same poster in every room.

In every doctor's office there are pictures and posters of the anatomy that your doctor specializes in. Orthopedics have posters of knees and hips; obstetricians have pregnancy charts..you get the picture.

The Fabulous Dr. O is an ENT -- ears, nose and throat guy. In doctor fashion he has a poster detailing sinuses, the throat, the tongue and all the other treasures found from your Adam's Apple to the top of your noggin. Each and every time we see that poster we think, "We HAVE to email Glenn Beck!"

Why?

If you know who Glenn Beck is chances are you know what he looks like. And I think you would have to admit that the poster in the office of the Fabulous Dr. O is a striking resemblance of him!

What do you think?

"So, why are you here today?"

Last Thursday we had a scheduled visit with the Fabulous Dr. O. We always laugh when Tim is being checked in to see the doctor. The nurse takes his temperature and blood pressure and then I guess feels the need to quiz us, "So, why are you here today?"

Hummm, let me think about that one.....

Because we had nothing else to do with the $40 you're going to charge us for coming here?

No, that's not it....

Because it's been 3 months since we've seen Dr. O's smiling face and we missed him?

No, that's not exactly it either...

Because Tim makes the Fabulous Dr. O laugh so he asked to see him?

Well, he does make Dr. O laugh but that is not it either....

Because...umm, umm.

Okay, nurse lady, Did you lose the paperwork on what this appointment is for and that's why you're asking?

We are here because the Fabulous Dr. O wanted to see my wonderful husband every three months to be sure that he's still doing fabulously after battling a cancer dragon -- that's why we are here! :) Did she really not know that?

The Fabulous Dr. O is still fabulous. Well, Tim didn't think so when he "invited" Tim to head into the other room...the torture room. Tim so hates the torture room. But I rather like it there because it is there that Dr. O's magic camera snakes into Tim's nose and down his throat to take a peek at what's going on down there. I can still recall the day we first saw the Fabulous Dr. O for a second opinion. I remember him using his magic camera and what it looked like down there that day. I am happy to report that it is the world of difference down there today compared to what it once looked like. :)

While we were there the Fabulous Dr. O was able to look up the results of Tim's biopsy that was done when he had his esophagus stretched. Both biopsies came back NEGATIVE for malignancy -- YAY! :D

What a great day -- we got to see the Fabulous Dr. O; we got to peek down Tim's nice pink throat and had good news on the biopsies! Can't get much better than that!

Acts 26:2
"I think myself happy..."