Randomness

Just a few random pictures of our time in Texas...

Mom got a new vacuum, and boy were the kids obsessed.  Not a bad obsession, if you ask me...

Brenner loved dressing up.  He found this little number in the dress-up bin.  Interesting combo Brenner Man.

Making music on the stairs.

This laundry bin is a game the kids LOVE to play.  Whenever my brother, Skylar, brings his laundry bin out.  Emmy will say, "We want to play!"  And they'll hop in, get slid and tossed around the living room.  It's hysterical.

Mama got her hair done!  Ooo La La! 

Did you know that Brenner also surfs?

Emmy and Dad baked up a storm of goodies.  They made lemon bars, chocolate chip cookies, triple chocolate cookies... and had a fun-filled pizza party.  Whenever she saw my dad in the kitchen she would scream with flailing arms, "I wanna bake!  Can I help??"  And she'd scoot her chair next to the kitchen island, and start grabbing and tossing things around.  Brenner would even join in on the fun.  Chef Emmy... those pizzas were DELISH!  I'm seeing a pizza biz in the future... 

Sprinkling the cheese was probably her favorite part.

There is quite a science to the placement of pepperoni, in case you didn't know.

Happy New Year!

As one year inches towards the finish line, I start to think of the new year.  The year that is full of the unexpected.  The trials, the joys, the twisted turns, the unknowns.  I have so much to be thankful for.  And I'm looking forward to everything that lies ahead.  Whether it makes me sad, or happy, overjoyed, or rundown.  It's going to be good.  Because it allows me to become the person that God wants me to be.  So, I start this year with enthusiasm as I am surrounded with my loved ones in Texas.  I begin this year proud of my mom who has overcome a hurricane of health issues that started nearly one year ago.  I pray that it becomes a distant memory as it's left in the dust and that this year she'll be renewed.

So, here we are in 2011.  The year that has great promises.  After all, 11 has always been my lucky number.  Happy New Year... from me to you.

Dad, me, Mom with Trinket, Camden, Grandma, and Skylar {New Year's 2011}

Brenner, Papa, Emmy and Nana

Merry Merry Christmas

It was a very merry Christmas this year.  Really every year is a wonderful Christmas as we celebrate Jesus and our sins that have been washed clean from His ultimate sacrifice.  This Christmas is an extra special one too because I'm with my mom and there's nothing I want more than to spend this time with her.  So, yes, Christmas is a wonderful time of the year.

We spent the week of Christmas with Wade's family in San Antonio.  Wade flew in from CA and picked the kids up on Sunday while I spent a few extra days with my family and my grandma who came into town from Illinois, and got some major quality time in.  Oh and I got to sleep in a few mornings too.  It really pumped up the volume and I felt energized and ready to tackle more early mornings and frequent interrupted sleep from that little Brenner boy.  But boy are my kids travelers.  They'll sleep anywhere, do anything, change, flip, or reverse their schedules...

The kids had a terrific time in San Antonio.  They played on the trampoline, went up and down the grass hill, and had a blast spending time with their 2 cousins, Colten and Caitlyn.   We spent Christmas Eve chatting, visiting with Pa, and watching the kids as they ran like a pack throughout the house.  My brother-in-law, Keith, made chicken and dumplings for dinner.  And they all swore it was a tragedy that I lived in the south and never had chicken and dumplings.  Ever.  And man were they de-lish!  More pictures of our time in San Antonio to come...   (Sidenote:  I got a brand new camera for Christmas from my fab hubby.  A striking pink Canon that is just divine.  It's been on my shopping list for months.  Our current camera was 6 + years old and in dire need of an upgrade.  So, as soon as I opened my gift, the memory card was ready to roll, battery charged and I started snapping away.  On our now "old" other camera, which Wade has at the moment in CA, are some super cute pics of the cousins and Pa.  So, more pics to come later!  Stay tuned...)

We left Christmas morning to spend the day with my family.  My grandma, Shirley, was in town from Illinois.  Such a blessing to see her, since I don't know the next time we'd be able to cross paths and visit.  We had a nice 3 week visit with her.  She is the most kind-hearted and giving woman I've ever known.  Emmy called her Grandmother Willow.  That's the tree's name in the movie Pocahontas.  For some reason, Grandma Wells, sounded a lot like Grandmother Willow.  So that's what she's been calling her.  Grandma W is there to please and she's there to work.  She's there to fill your home with aromas that make your mouth water and your heart quicken.  She's there to sweep your dust bunnies and wipe every nook and cranny of your 800 window blinds throughout your house.  She's there to organize, sort, and reorganize.  She's there to corral the kids in the playroom and wind up the jack in the box while Brenner screeches and giggles til that Jack pops out and then shoves it back down for more fun.  She's there to share in a hilarious game of white elephant grab bag, where she gasps in horror as she unveils one of the $1 grab bag items and it was a box of condoms.  Grandma, I'm sorry it was you.  And I'm sorry that I planted such an obscene gift, but it was well worth the laughs.  We love you Grandma, and miss you terribly.

Dad carving that mighty fine turkey.

Grandma cookin' up a storm.

 Picnic time with Brenner

Merry Christmas to all...

Cancer. Chemo. The Dreaded C Words

How to describe my first week home...  amazing.  My mom has been full of energy.  This is the best she's done in a long time.  Possibly the best she's done ever since this whole mess started.  We spent our entire first weekend shopping.  We shopped for cute clothes for the kids and we hit our favorite consignment shops.  We shopped at Toys R Us and Target for Christmas presents.  We ran all over town on Sunday.  It was crazy.  But it felt typical.  It's what we always do.  This is how it's supposed to be.  We had our mom and she was feeling good.  A little tired here and there but good nonetheless.

Then it was chemo day.  I had no idea what to expect but knew that I wanted to be a part of it.  My mom's friend, Crystal and I drove my mom to Georgetown about a 20 minute drive, not far at all to the cancer center.  My mom checked in at the front desk and proceeded to walk through the doors marked Chemotherapy:  No one under the age of 14 permitted.  To the left of the room, was a row of 7 navy recliners, with only a few to spare.  Then on the far right of the room, were chairs for visitors.  In the middle of the room, is a large counter with various supplies for the nurses.  The room is rather quiet, with conversations between nurse and patient, or between visitors or staff.  The nurses move from patient to patient checking bags, starting IV's and hooking up drugs through ports.

I watched as my mom got nestled in the chair, took a quick gaze around the room, and looked up as the tears started streaming.  I thought that if I looked up, maybe the tears would stop.  I got a quick handle, and knew that my mom's strength is above and beyond.  I've been holding it back for awhile now and it just hit me all at once.  This is really happening.  My mom is a regular visitor at this cancer center.  She's been receiving chemo every other week for the last 5 months that beats her down and then has to fight with the little energy she has left to build herself back up.  You're my everything mom, I love you.

My mom's blood cell levels were borderline and they had to get permission from the doctor to proceed with chemo.  Dr. S naturally said to continue, and I could feel weary emotions.  This is the second time this has happened.  And the last time mom's white cell level was low, she was hospitalized.  And who wants to go through that much of a low again...  But my mom being the fighter she is, decided to go through with it.  And we'd all be behind her and help her through as much as we can.

My mom has a port above the right side of her chest.  I held her hand as they poked the needle in since she forgot her numbing medicine.  The nurse put something over the skin to numb, but it didn't seem to work.  After a large poke and lots of discomfort, the IV went in and the first bag was en route.  It was a small bag that had Benadryl and other drugs for nausea, sort of a preliminary bag.  Then she had 2 bags of the good stuff.  Or the bad stuff... whatever you wanna call it.  The chemo.  The stuff that tears down a body and makes you feel miserable.  But the stuff that makes you better as it kills the bad cancer cells.  The 3 of us were sitting there, chatting it up with a sweet old lady sitting next to my mom.  She also was suffering with colon cancer.  My mom and her have met several times before as they would sit next to each other, talk of all their similar side effects such as a thing called "chemo brain" (forgetful, and can't seem to find the words) and a freezer burn sensation on their fingers, toes, and tongue where she can't touch anything cold or drink or eat anything cold.  They would share stories that would distract and make the time go by a little faster.  It's got to be nice meeting someone that you can describe things you're going through and the other person just gets it.  Because she has been there herself. 

As soon as those drugs go in, there was an automatic shift in my mom's comfort.  She was getting really nauseated and the anti-nausea medicine in the preliminary bag was not doing its job.  She didn't want to eat anything.  She didn't want to drink anything.  I grabbed a few snacks from a gift shop, but it was the Country Time hard candies from that kind lady sitting next to us that did the trick.

After 3 hours and 20 bathroom trips due to all the fluids, she was done.  Bi-weekly task complete.  We wished everyone a very Merry Christmas and made our way out to the car for the drive home, with a pump attached to mom that delivers more drugs over a 44 hour period.

The following week was rough for her.  Chelsea ended up taking mom to the cancer center a week later for fluids and to see if there was something, anything, that could make her feel better.  After talking with the other oncologist in the practice, Dr. D, they both made the decision to quit chemo after 9 treatments.  Her surgeon in Dallas had the similar thought when he found out how rough chemo was on my mom.  He said, "Why do you do it?  Why don't you just quit?"  With 2 superior doctors on her side, and all of her family and friends' support, she made the decision to stop treatment and get on the road to good health and feeling better.  She has an 85% chance of cancer not returning as of now in her treatment process.  And if she had finished her last 3 treatments, the odds wouldn't change.  She will go in to the doctor every 3 months for blood markers to see if anything shows up.

God is wonderful and has given her quite an obstacle to get through.  We appreciate everyone's prayers so far in her journey.  It's been a long one for her and I know she's ready to be back to normal.  She is doing really well.  She still gets tired and nauseated, her bones ache, and she has pains and other slight side effects here and there, but there has been a world of improvement.   

Texas at Last

We're here in Texas at last.  It's been a long time coming.  The plane ride was rather eventful.  My sweet mother-in-law, Letha, flew into California on Saturday to help me fly out with the kids on Monday.  She's a saving grace.  I was slightly nervous flying by my lonesome with 2 kids.  And then throughout the hustle and bustle of airport security, the several rushed bathroom trips, the 3 carry-ons while toting a 3 year old and pushing a 15 month old in an umbrella stroller, the up and down terminal hunt to find "healthy" snacks, the games of "how am I going to entertain Brenner on the plane when all he wants to do is crawl through the aisle and scream in our neighbor's ear"... I thought to myself, what was I thinking?  There's no way I could have done it on my own.  No way. 

We were fortunate enough to sit in the very back row of our first plane.  Although I think Brenner ended up being a loudspeaker as his screams echoed and bounced from one row to the next.  Ugh.  It was definitely a struggle keeping that little man quiet and keeping him still.  I buried my face the whole flight, uneasy about the expressions on people's faces.  But I have to tell you, I can't count how many people were complimenting me on my kids and bounced around the expression of "we've all been there."  Whether it was the truth, or they were trying to make feel better, it was still nice to hear.  And it made me feel good.  Even though we (we of course meaning Brenner), were the loudest on the plane, there were still people that weren't phased and understood, and even tried to help as one man graciously held our luggage as we got the kids situated in their seats.  It's people like that, that give me hope that maybe just maybe... I could have done it on my own.  Oh, who am I kidding.  I needed the help. 

I decided to forgo the carseats on the plane, and checked them instead.  There's no way I wanted to juggle it all through 2 airports.  So, Brenner sat on my lap.  Or stood on my lap.  Or laid on my lap.  Or leaned on my lap.  He was all over the place.  Letha had Emmy sit next to her and they read books and watched as we sailed through the cotton skies.  Brenner enjoyed looking out the window as I pointed at the teeny tiny spectacles below. 

At the end of the first flight, I don't know what I was expecting for the second...  It might be just as crazy or worse, crazier...  As we boarded the next plane in Phoenix, we got settled in the first row.  Yes, the first row this time which means so much extra leg room.  So I sat with Brenner and Emmy on the left side of the plane and Letha had a window seat across the aisle.  There was a sweet lady in between us who offered to switch seats where and whenever needed.  Brenner hadn't taken a nap yet, and he was miserably tired and over it.  He wailed and wailed as Emmy sat next to me and just watched.  She did so well all day, by the way.  So he was screaming and tossing and turning, and I'm sure the flight attendants were just delighted that we were right there in the first row.  They hardly glanced my direction which is an obvious indication that they were less than amused.  But the funniest thing happened as our wheels left the ground, Brenner fell fast asleep, snuggled in the crook of my right arm and little legs sprawled across my legs.  I bundled a blanket around him and he slept for that entire 1 hour 45 minute stretch.  And he so needed it.  I had no feeling in my right arm and my body grew restless, but I'll take this over the other any day. 

And we landed on that sweet Texas ground and I was leaping my way through the empty terminal to search for those familiar faces.  Emmy had a minor incident and fell flat on her face before we got on the elevator to head downstairs and as her deafening cries escaped her mouth, I knew my family wouldn't have to search very hard to find us.  Sure enough, we were instantly spotted and embraced and loved on.  And if it wasn't for our lost car seats, the night would have ended perfectly.  Of all the things they had to lose, why oh why the car seats?  We only had to wait an extra 30 minutes or so, but they were finally recovered and sent down the chute and our whirlwind of a day was complete.  Letha, the kids and I... we did it.  And I can't thank her enough for willingly traveling with my family circus.  We are so grateful.