"The Wondrous Cross"

Today is the greatest day in history.  We celebrate the risen Savior and the life He freely gives to anyone that will believe and accept Him.  If it weren't for the cross we wouldn't have today or any day to worship what Jesus did for us.  We sang "The Wondrous Cross" in church today and I was grateful to know that the tears falling from my eyes were tears of gratitude for ALL that He already did for me.  I didn't have to do anything to gain His love, He freely gave it and all I have to do is believe and accept His amazing grace.  One of the lines in the song says "Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all."
How many days do I neglect to give Him my best or my all?  I am thankful for today and that all my plans for this day were changed and I was blessed to be at church to worship Him and to give praise back for ALL He continues to do for me.  

Our original plans were to go to Hawaii and be gone today and all week, but my new chemo treatment changed those plans.  We decided a trip to Branson for the weekend would be a good getaway for us, but Friday came and my body decided it was best for me to stay home.  I was in bed all day with sickness and spent Saturday recovering.  I wanted to have a pity party when Friday came and I felt I had messed up our anniversary plans twice.  Tony being the best husband ever told me that it didn't matter where we were, as long as he was with me it didn't matter if we were in Hawaii, Branson or our home, he would be a happy man.  How can you complain or grumble when God blesses you with a husband that loves you so unconditionally and just loves to be with you.  

After lunch we went to hang out with The Kerby family and watch Hudson Easter Egg hunt.  That in itself was worth staying at home.  He was a happy little guy looking for all his eggs.

The McCollum's invited us over this afternoon and what a blessing to spend time with their family.  They prayed over me and Tony.  We had a nice relaxing time visiting and catching up with each other lives.  We ended our evening at Bryan and Jenna's house. They made us a nice steak dinner and we were able to spend more time with Hudson and Rhett.  I am so thankful for feeling so much better today and for the time with family and friends.  God's love is amazing and so divine!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdIKrcZYYjo

"Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

"Miracles Do Happen"

My Daddy at our house several years ago

 My dad broke his wrist on December 31, 2012.  Soon after he went into the hospital for an outpatient surgery to fix the broken bones, he had to be placed in ICU on a ventilator.  I was able to fly to West Texas to be with my family and see my dad each day struggling for life with a machine breathing for him.  Who would have thought a broken wrist could turn into such a complicated situation.  His lung doctor told the family that we needed to consider what would my dad really want, and would being on a ventilator be something he would desire.  My parents had papers drawn up a long time ago stating that they did not want to be put on a ventilator/breathing machine.  No one in the family wanted to make a decision of choosing life or death for my dad.  We prayed and were trusting that God would take care of my dad's days that He had already ordained for him. Soon after I came back home, my dad was slowly taken off the ventilator and moved into a regular hospital room.  He was put into a rehab facility at the end of February.  We were concerned that he might have dementia because he couldn't seem to comprehend anything or make sense. My sister-in-law works with home health care and during a visit asked the nurse if they had checked my dad for a UTI (urinary tract infection).  She has seen many patients that have a UTI experience confusion that goes along with it.  They checked him and sure enough that is what was going on.  After several days of being on an antibiotic his mind cleared up.  I am so thankful to say that today, my dad was able to walk into his own home and be with my mom again.  He will have home health care several days a week, but at least he is home and he beat the odds of what the doctors thought would never happen.  God still performs miracles!!

My daddy today-Home Sweet Home!!!

Yesterday I did not know the results of my CA125 marker (cancer markers)  It usually takes a full day or two to get the results.  My doctor thought they would know by the end of the day yesterday, but I never received a phone call.  I called Highlands Oncology this morning and found out my markers had dropped a little over 50 points.  I went from 291.7 to 239.1.  What a reason to celebrate that God is answering prayers and a great work continues to take place with my healing.  Jordan, Heather and I went this afternoon to celebrate with yogurt.  I told the lady at Yum Yo's we were celebrating and she wanted to know why and I told her about my markers, so she celebrated and gave us a discount and celebrated with us.  We got back to work and I received a phone call from a random number and almost didn't answer but decided to see who it was.  It was my doctor calling with the great news.  The nurse is the one that normally calls, but the Dr wanted to tell me herself.  I told her that I had cheated and already called but I wanted to hear her tell me the number anyways.  She was so excited that after 2 treatments of chemo my numbers had dropped so much.  What a blessing to have a doctor that takes the time to call and give me great news and to genuinely care about her patient.  Deuteronomy 2:7 "For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands.  He knows your going through the great wilderness.  These forty years the Lord your God has been with you.  You have lacked nothing."  I am thankful that God doesn't leave me alone but has been with me every step of the way and I can say I have never lacked anything in my life.  His mercies are new every morning, great is His faithfulness

"Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

"No Chemo Today"

Lamentations 3:21-25 "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.  The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him." 

I am thankful that I can go to bed each night and rest so peacefully and not let the cares of this world or my health overwhelm me.  I never know what the new day will bring, but I do know that God is the One that is already sovereign over my days and I will continue to rest and trust in Him.  The verse above talks about His mercies are new every  morning, not occasionally, but every morning.  It also talks about His faithfulness and not my faithfulness.  I will continue to wait on Him and thankful it's not about me but about keeping my eyes on Him daily. 

I went in today for chemo but was unable to receive it.  All my blood work looked good except for my platelet count (clots your blood).  Last week I was able to get shots to help rebuild my white blood cell count and was able to get a blood transfusion to rebuild the blood in my body.  There is not a quick fix for platelets other than resting from chemo.  The average is 174-390 and my number was 53.  If all goes as planned, I will get both chemo infusions next week. 

I ran into a lady at Highlands Oncology today that I've been praying for almost daily.  We've only spoken once, but she's been on my heart.  I wasn't sure if it was her because the last time we saw each other, we were both bald and now we both have hair.  She has beautiful eyes so I was taking a chance it was her.  So thankful I talked to her.  She was able to tell me that she has been clear from cancer since September and goes in every 4 months for check ups.  What a praise to know she is doing so well.  She was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer last year and has 2 small children. 

God continues to encourage me daily through others.  Someone told me tonight that when she can't sleep at night, she gets on her knees and prays for me.  Wow!! I am so humbled by His grace and the love of others.  There is no doubt that is why I sleep so good at night, others are praying me through the nights and days.  I would love to thank everyone that has prayed or continues to pray for me.  God is so good and I will continue to wait and seek Him.

"Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

"Happy Anniversary"

Today Tony and I celebrate 19 years of marriage together.  I can truly say I feel like the most blessed woman in the world.  I know this past year has not been easy for my husband.  I've been on the other side of taking care of a spouse and at times you are at a loss on what to do or say to help.  There is no doubt that people are praying for my husband.  I pray for him everyday and trust that God will continue to give him grace to face each new day and challenge that he comes up against.  It is a blessing to know that the vows we took, "for better or worse, in sickness and in health, til death do us part" are not just words but a commitment that was made many years ago to each other and to God.  Tony's love for me continues to remind me of the love that Jesus has for me and how much greater that love really is.  I Corinthians 13:4-7a "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends."   These scriptures are how I would describe Tony Pate and how he treats me.  I would also describe him in this way; Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

We decided to go eat at Shogun's tonight to celebrate our anniversary.  We were seated at the grill like we normally are but this time we were by ourselves and sat and waited a few minutes before the waitress told us we could move to the middle of the seating area because we would be the only ones served tonight at that table.   It's like God knew Tony and I needed time alone and had our own personal chef.  All the other "grills" were full of people sitting around them.  I am so thankful for the time we had and so grateful that the food tasted so good.  When you go several months with food not tasting good, it is an extra blessing to be able to have your taste buds back. 

Me & my "Darlin"

 I will continue to cherish our marriage and relationship with each other.   Thank you Tony for the peace I have in my life having you right beside me.  You make me feel secure and so loved.  I am thankful that 19 years ago you weren’t afraid (or maybe your were) to fly to Houston to become my husband.  You had so many reasons to run the other way, but chose to run to me instead.  Can’t imagine or want to imagine how different my life would be today without you or where my kids would be without you.   You make my world a much happier place and I pray you know how much you are loved by me and that I never want to take for granted the relationship we share together.  You are my bestest friend ever and I love you more today than I ever have before.  Thank you for saying “yes” to me 19 years ago.  Your one and only “Lucy”

"Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

"Branson Trip"

Tony and I made a trip to Branson with the girls to see the "Joseph" show.  We stopped in Pea Ridge for a burger.

GPa, Kimberly, Me & Kaitllyn

 

 

Jordan and David were already in Branson for the weekend so we met them at Andy's for dessert.

Jordan, David, Kimberly & Kaitlyn

Kimberly, GPa, Kaitlyn and Me

Kaitlyn & Kimberly

We loved the show and were thankful to be able to take the girls to see it.  We had a great day and week together and are sad to have to say goodbye tomorrow.  So thankful God allowed us to have this time together and for the fun we've had all week.  May I never take for granted time with family and always cherish the memories that have been made.  Psalms 100:5 "For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."  I pray for our children and grandchildren daily and trust that they will see God's faithfulness in their lives and love Him with all their heart, mind, soul and strength.  I am so thankful for His faithfulness He has shown to our family and I will continue to keep my eyes on Him.

"Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." 

"God Is Gracious"

My day began with my son Bryan picking me up and taking me to the hospital for a blood transfusion.  He has not been able to go with me to my chemo appointments and he wanted to go with me today.  We arrived at 7:30 and with check in and pre-meds, the transfusion began around 9:30am.  I have to add a disclaimer into my blog tonight due to the fact that when Bryan is around you are never sure what kind of entertainment will happen.  If any of my friends or family received awkward or random phone calls from a another friend/family member but wasn't sure why they called, you can blame my son.  We had a lot of laughs together hanging out and being entertained by others.  Everything went very smoothly while receiving the transfusion and I really felt good waking up this morning and tonight as well.  We were able to leave the hospital around 3:30 today.   I am so grateful for how well I have been feeling this week and I believe all the fun and laughter we have had together with family this week has been extra healing to my soul and spirit.

Bryan, thanks for a great day of hanging out with me & making me laugh!

Tony, aka GPa, hung out with the twins and Hudson today.  He took Hudson to the "Jump Zone" while the twins hung out with Jenna.  He then picked up the twins and took all 3 grand kids to Braums for ice cream.  We all met up after my treatment and divided and conquered the rest of the afternoon. GPa took Kaitlyn to The Crystal Bridges Museum.  Kaitlyn loves art and was so excited to have time to hang out with GPa and enjoy the art without being rushed.  Kimberly and I went and bought 2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts to help finish out their visit here (they love Krispy Kreme) then we went and bought the "Les Miserables" movie and came home and watched it. 

Kaitlyn at Crystal Bridges

Kimberly=Happy Girl!

We had dinner with Bryan and Jenna and broke out the game of Nert's for the last time as a family before the girls have to leave on Sunday.  We agree GPa plays solitaire way too much on a daily basis.  He dominated the game tonight!

Kimberly, Kaitlyn, Bryan, Richard, Tony & Jenna

Psalms 67:1 "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us."
I truly believe this verse is what God has done for me and my family this week.  I've needed this week to relax, laugh and enjoy time with family.  We've made great memories and have been blessed to spend so much time together.

"Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."

"Making Memories Together"

I had to go in today for my 2nd of 3 shots to help build my white blood cells.  As I was getting ready, I felt a little different, but nothing too major to feel concerned about.  I decided it would be best if Jordan drove me to Highlands for the shot.  When I arrived I told the nurse how I was feeling and she said since my lab results were so low on Tuesday, I should go ahead and take steps to get a blood transfusion tomorrow.  I informed her that we had our twin granddaughters in town and I didn't want to mess up their week.  She told me I should have already had the transfusion before today with my numbers so low and that I had to be feeling terrible or at least she would be feeling bad if it was her.  I informed her that I really didn't feel bad and wanted to have my blood drawn again to confirm if I really needed the transfusion.  She agreed to go through the process to confirm what she already thought she knew.  While we were waiting, I told Jordan that if the numbers were the same or had gone up slightly, I would not go to the hospital.  After a short time of waiting, the results were back and the numbers had gone down.  I couldn't argue with the nurse anymore and knew the best thing to do was take care of myself.  Jordan and I headed to the hospital to have my blood drawn and to have it crossed checked for tomorrow's transfusion.  Thankfully everything went smoothly and we were not at the hospital long and were able to meet Tony and the twins for our afternoon movie.  I am so thankful that the way my body feels, doesn't match up to the lab results on paper.  I have no doubt that it is God's grace answering so many prayers on my behalf and carrying me along this journey.  Psalms 59:16-17 "But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.  For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.  O my Strength,  I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love."  I truly know it is His strength that allows me to face each new day and He is my fortress.  It is amazing how quickly the shots I am taking have boosted my white blood cells and to know that with a few units of blood, my HGB will go up to where it needs to be.  I continue to thank Him for the fact that I have great people to treat and take care of me, but ultimately, He is healing me.  I have felt better this week than I  have in a long time and I give Him all the praise for the fact that He is my Redeemer and Hope. 

Tony, Jordan, the twins and I all met up at the movies.  We went to see Oz:The Great and Powerful.  We were all in agreement that once the movie started, you had to be on drugs to enjoy this movie.  I understand everyone has their own opinion on liking movies or not, but we all felt the same way about this movie.  After it was over, I told them we had just made a great memory together.  We would never forget the year they visited on Spring Break and the horrible movie we all saw.  We had lots of fun laughing about the movie and so thankful for the memories we made today. 

GPa, Kaitlyn,Kimberly and Me

Jordan, Katilyn, Me & Kimberly

It was nice to come home on a very cold day and have GPa build a fire in the fireplace.  We've enjoyed our week with the girls and it has gone by way too fast.  They have been such a blessing to me this week and have truly brought joy into all our lives just being together. 

GPa & the girls spending time together-priceless!

 

 

 

 

 We've had a great time the last two night playing Nert's with the family.  Bryan and Jenna played with us last night and GPa joined in tonight.  Kimberly and Kaitlyn finally won a game each tonight and were thrilled.

GPa, Kimberly, Jordan, David & Kaitlyn

 "Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."