He Leadeth Me

Health Upddate February 5, 2012

2012-02-05T11:52:00.001-07:00

Many of you read my post about the

"Ringing of the Bell"

when I completed my Radiation

Treatments.

I had my own personal ringing of the

bell this week for what I believe is

a milestone. I am not advertising

this blogpost on FaceBook as I

often do because there might be

more information that some of you

want to know, but if you are interested,

please read on.

On February 1st, I had my first

3 month check-up with my oncologist.

All blood counts and the examination

showed that I am doing very well.

Then on, February 2nd, my plastic

surgeon did surgery. He replaced

the temporary, expander implants

with permanent implants.

He also removed my chemotherapy

port. What a special way to

"end" this part of my journey.

Thank you God!

Thank you friends and family for all your

support and prayers.

Any Valentine's Ideas?

2012-02-04T11:49:00.001-07:00

I bought 100 of these

little hearts at a resale

shop last weekend.

Does anyone out there in Blogland

have a good idea for what I

should do with them?

Goin' Back to Houston, Houston, Houston

2012-01-30T16:33:00.007-07:00

I had a great time last week

going back to Houston to see

family, friends, and to teach a university

class for the first time since my surgery last spring!

The VERY first thing we always do is

go to eat TexMex.

Does anyone recognize what restaurant this is?

Then I got a tour of Jenny and Fili's new house.

It is beautiful!

My mom and sister had a brunch

for me with some of my friends.

Good food, laughter and joy!

Can you tell who's missing from the first photo to

the second photo?

One of my oldest friends, Barbie.

She's not old, but we have known each

other since we were 9 years old.

Judy

Vicki

Pat

Sister-in-law, Gail

Sister, Kim

Billie

Dawn

Another Mexican Dinner with what I

affectionately term "My Teacher Friends"

We missed you Mary and Cindy.

Anyone know this Mexican Restaurant?

Lunch with precious lady friends,

Denise and Donna

And a wanna be lady--Amber

Family get together.

We took the picture after Stacie, Mike,

Andrew and Nathan left

It was fun to document the fun week.

I often forget to take pictures in the joy

of the moment and this trip was

no exception. I don't have pictures of:

*Seeing church friends on Sunday

*My Visit to the New PISD Staff

Development Center

*Visit with my former secretary Edwina

*My SE Church Life Group

I also had a lunch planned with Lea,

but bad weather and a tornado

prevented us from meeting. Next time!

Super Glad to be Home, but already

looking forward to my next trip!

What JOY to be able to travel again!

The Eleven Challenge

2012-01-21T21:02:00.010-07:00

I was tagged by Heather from Taste of the Texas Life

The Rules

1. You must post the rules.

2. Post 11 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post.

and then create 11 new questions for the people you tagged.

4. Tag people and link them on your post.

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

11 Fun (or not so fun) Facts:

I am originally from Texas and have found that here in Colorado I see a Texas license plate at least once a day. When I do, I often break out into the song, "Texas, Our Texas".
I am a breast cancer survivor.
I have 4 wonderful children (2 biological and 2 who my biological children chose) who live close to me.
I love to read children's and young adult books.
My favorite food is Tex-Mex.
I do not have a middle name and use my maiden name, Aven, as a middle name.
This is not the first time in my life I have worn a wig. I wore one in high school because it was the rage.
I have a habit of falling down at embarrassing times.
Whale watching is on my bucket list.
Although I love being semi-retired, I sometimes miss my old job.
Although I now live in Colorado, I have absolutely no desire to ski.

Heather's Questions:

1. What is your favorite time of the day?

I love mornings because everything is fresh and new.

2. What food is your guilty pleasure?

Chocolate. My niece in Hawaii sent us a large package of macadamia nut Hershey's kisses. I am devouring them at an alarming rate.

3. What gets you through the week?

Since I don't work everyday, I don't think about "getting through the week". The weeks just fly by.

4. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

I love to read, play games on my IPad and play with my grandsons. I also like what I call "puttering around the house."

5. Do you have a favorite bible verse or quote?

I love Psalm 100 and 104.

6. Who is your favorite celebrity?

I'm not a big celebrity person but I wouldn't mind meeting Tim Tebow. I admire him a lot.

7. What is your Pet Peeve?

People who are unhappy all the time.

8.What big item do you hope to save up for?

Probably an Alaskan cruise.

9. If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

I wish all people would take the time to know God and to believe that He loves them.

10. What is one thing that you want to learn or learn how to do?

This is a little silly, but my grandson, Caleb, loves Leggos, but needs help putting them together. I always thought I wasn't a builder and wasn't good at following written directions with diagrams. The other day, he was at my house and there was no one else to help him, so I did. I really enjoyed learning to do Leggos and told him I was "hooked" on Leggos. Of course, he wanted to know what hooked meant.

11. Describe your style -Your Home style, and your personal style.

My home style is comfortable antique/collectible/vintage. My personal style is fairly casual.

My Questions:

What is the best book you have read recently?
If money was no object, where would you go on vacation?
What is a memory of a grandparent?
Who was your favorite teacher and why?
What was a book you remember reading as a child?
What is something you remember doing with a sibling?
What is something that frightens you?
Are you a mountain person or a beach person? Why?
What do you look for in a friend?
What helps you to worship your creator?
How do you feel about public speaking?

I have tagged the following people challenging them

to answer on their blogs, but I would love to hear in the

comment section from all of you.

Kelly at Sundrenched Moments

Laura at Enthusiasm Socks

Vanessa at Life in Colorado

Lynn at Lynn's Life

Ashley at House of Hollis

Fine Dining

2012-01-19T12:17:00.003-07:00

Thought you might enjoy a view

of the "fine" dining table

after my 3 little grandsons

left my house yesterday.

This green lizard shows up in all kinds

of places. The other day I was relaxing in the

easy chair and looked across the room

thinking I saw a real critter under another

chair in our living room. It was

Green Lizard. I was also cleaning

out a cabinet the other day

and almost jumped out of my skin when

I pulled out a HUGE spider.

I relaxed a little when I discovered

it was plastic.

THE JOYS OF GRANDSONS!

Book Review--The UNWANTEDS by Lisa McMann

2012-01-14T11:21:00.001-07:00

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a fantastic read! Kirkus reviews says, "The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter." I would have to add that it reminds me of Lois Lowry's The Giver. This book will open so many discussions with upper elementary and middle school children. Thank you Jenny Aven for introducing me to author Lisa McMann.

View all my reviews

Book Review--The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

2012-01-05T18:04:00.001-07:00

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a quick and fun read for middle school students.

View all my reviews

Three Swings and a Ring

2012-01-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

The saying goes "Three Swings and a Ring".

It worked in our case.

Married almost 40 years to my best friend!

Photo by Gail Aven

Eat Your Heart Out Woody!

2012-01-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

Who says there's nothing to do in

Searcy, Arkansas?

photo by Gail Aven

Happy 2012!

2011-12-31T20:32:00.008-07:00

Happy 2012 to Friends and

Family Near and Far!

The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord lift His countenance upon you,
And give you peace, and give you peace,
 And be gracious unto you, be gracious, 
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
The Lord be gracious, gracious unto you.
Amen.

Lyrics: Peter Christian Lutkin

Christmas Flash Mob by Journey of Faith at South Bay Galleria - official...

2011-12-28T21:44:00.001-07:00

What is amazing about this Flash Mod is that you can't always tell who the "official singers" are because many shoppers join in. I love the looks on people's faces when "Mary and Joseph" arrive with Baby Jesus.

Book Review--The Case of the Case of the Mistaken Identity (Yes you read that correctly)

2011-12-28T13:58:00.004-07:00

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This children's book was hilarious and a must read for all my librarian friends.

View all my reviews

A Visit to Harding

2011-12-26T14:51:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, David and I made a trip to

Searcy, Arkansas for my nephew, Ryan's,

wedding to Caitlin. It was a wonderful

weekend because we got to see so

many family members, but

it was also lots of fun to walk down

memory lane. David and I met at Harding

in our freshman year, 1970.

BEWARE: This post has LOTS of pictures.

David in front of the Administration Building.

The Ganus Student Center. This

was the meeting place when we were students.

David also helped build the Radio Station

in the basement of this building.

Patti Cobb Dorm where I lived as a freshman.

Kendall Hall--my sophomore home.

Cone Chapel is where the wedding took

place. As you can see out the wall of windows

the campus is beautifully lit for the holiday season.

Lights over the Harding University arch.

More lights.

The lily pond.

My mom also attended Harding.

Doesn't she look young enough to still

be a student?

The famous Harding swing.

Mom, me, Gail, Terry.

Sweetie in a swing.

We were missing some of the "girls"

who were busy getting ready for the wedding.

Jon, Terry and Gail's son, is also

a Harding alumnus.

As you can tell by the multitude of pictures,

Harding is one of my favorite places on the

planet. I once went to an education

convention in Little Rock and took

one of my colleagues to visit the

campus. As we were walking

around the campus, I took a big whiff,

and said to my friend, I just love this

place. It even smells great!

To which she replied, It smells

like french fries to me. (We were

strolling by the cafeteria.) I guess

beauty, and fond smells, are in the eyes,

(and noses) of the beholder.

2011 Christmas "Letter"

2011-12-22T17:47:00.005-07:00

It has become a tradition for me to recap

our year in the form of an "ABC" letter.

It must be the teacher in me!

I hope you enjoy a look back at 2011 at the

David and Karen Gibson home.

A is for Ann Hopkins, Mandy’s mom. Since we moved to Colorado, Ann and I have shared babysitting for the little Gibson boys on days when Mandy works. Ann kindly took over my duties while I was sick. Thank you Ann-Ma! I’m ready to share again.

B is for boys. Our three grandsons, Caleb, Aaron, and David, kept me upbeat during my recovery.

C is for Cancer. You don’t often see an ugly word like this in a Christmas letter. Cancer was one of my biggest fears. God has clearly demonstrated to me that He is Lord even over our fears.

D is for David. I knew almost 40 years ago when I married this man that he was very special. During this eventful year of 2011, he has stood by me and taken care of me in ways that I, and I’m sure he, never imagined he would need to. I am so thankful he is my husband.

E is for Eastside Church of Christ. The wonderful Christians at our church have fed us, prayed for us, and upheld us during this difficult year.

F is for family. David and I are blessed with family both near and far. We thank God for their love and kindness to us. This year would have been much more difficult without you.

G is for Gibsons—the Jeremy Gibsons. As many of you know, they moved to Colorado first and we moved to be close to them. They have been a constant joy to us but especially so during my sickness. What a help and distraction they have been.

H is for heroes. I had many precious people who walked or ran for me in Races for the Cure. You will never know how much you mean to me.

I is for I-Pad. This might be silly, but that little Apple device has helped me keep my sanity during recovery. I have used it for Bible Study, Games, e-mails, and Facebook. Thanks Sweetie for a special gift/toy/sanity keeper.

J is for July. My side of the family had a reunion here during that month. I had just started chemotherapy and their presence, hugs and love got me started on the right foot.

K is for kindness. We all get so busy that sometimes we forget to stop and be kind to those around us. As someone who has reaped the benefit of great kindness this year, I encourage you to find someone who needs your kindness. You, and they, will be better for it.

L is for letters and cards. I received so many wonderful pieces of correspondence this year during my recovery. It came in the form of snail mail cards, letters, packages and e-mail and FaceBook messages. I cannot begin to tell you how much they meant to me.

M is for medical professionals. We were blessed with some of the most caring and dedicated doctors and nurses imaginable. They cared for me physically but also emotionally. What a blessing!

N is for New Year! I can’t wait to start 2012.

O is for outdoors. When you spend many weeks indoors, you appreciate so much the great beauty that God has created for us. I was so lucky to have a big picture window across from my ever-present easy chair to view God’s handiwork.

P is for Poppy. My sweet daddy passed away last year in December. I have missed him this year, but have a sweet understanding that he is in a far better place.

Q is for quietness. I am looking out my window as I type this letter at a beautiful, silent snowy landscape. We haven’t experienced many white Christmases so each one is a new delight.

R is for Rollett’s. Kelly, Adrian and David moved to Colorado Springs just days before I received my diagnosis. They have been a joy and a help to both David and me.

S is for Southeast Church of Christ. Our Christian family for over 25 years proved that distance doesn’t equal forgetfulness. They covered our family with prayers, cards, and love this year.

T is for time. I am a go-er. I don’t often stop to spend the time to think, relax, and just be. I was forced to slow down this year and although it was hard, it was also good for me.

U is for united. Thank you to our wonderful preacher, Patrick Mead, for teaching us that there is so much more that unites us than divides us. May we be united in our love for God and each other.

V is for vacation. We are ready for a vacation. We’ll keep you posted on where we decide to go.

W is for walking. I learned that a study shows that walking reduces your chances of cancer coming back. I “want” to walk, but am not always good at follow-through. I am asking that some of you who are reading this hold me accountable for being a walker—for my health’s sake.

X is for X-tra. I am extra thankful to be alive!

Y is for YOU! If you are reading this blog, you are most likely a friend or family member. Thank you for your kind comments about my random musings.

Z is for ??????.

I’d like to end this blog post not with the letter Z, but with a hopeful look at 2012. In April my surgeon told me that 2011 would be pretty miserable, but that 2012 would be WONDERFUL! I look forward, with God’s help, to a wonderful 2012. David and I wish you the same!

Book Review--The Buddy Files--The Case of the Lost Boy

2011-12-22T14:33:00.004-07:00

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy by Dori Hillestad Butler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a well written book for early readers. It is written from the point of view of a dog and is quite humorous.

View all my reviews

Health Update--Ring That Bell

2011-12-15T16:41:00.002-07:00

It is the custom at Penrose Hospital

where I had my radiation treatments

to ring the golden bell 3 times

when your treatments are complete.

Today was the GREAT day!

The nurses and radiation techs

who guided me through the past

28 days of radiation were

there cheering me on as

I rang the bell.

I am so thankful to God that both

my chemotherapy and radiation

treatments are completed.

What a wonderful way to celebrate

a very Merry Christmas.

I Had to Eat My Words

2011-12-14T12:00:00.005-07:00

When you are a parent,

you learn not to say things like

"I'll NEVER do......"

"My child will NEVER ....."

because often you have to eat

your words.

I have recently learned that the same

holds true for grandparents.

No offense to those of you

who love inflatable Christmas decor,

but I had always said, I will NEVER

have an inflatable in my yard.

The main reason is that

I dislike seeing them deflated during

the day. Santa just looks so sad in

a heap in the front yard.

But then along came grandchildren and I

couldn't help but think how much they would

love seeing a Santa waving at them

when they came to Nana and Ducca's front door.

Caleb and David like Santa fine,

but Aaron is his biggest fan.

No, that is really an understatement.

As Mandy says, Aaron is obsessed with

Santa.

So obsessed, in fact, that when Aaron

is at our house, we have to bring

Santa inside because it is just too

cold to hang out on the front porch with

Santa and his 2 reindeer.

Santa even gets frequent kisses from sweet little Aaron

And Aaron's little "Ho! Ho! Ho!" is enough

to warm anyone's heart.

Book Review--Wonder Struck by Brian Selznick

2011-12-02T09:36:00.004-07:00

Book Cover Courtesy of Goodread.com

Like many people, I waited in anticipation

for Brian Selznick's newest "picture book".

His book The Invention of Hugo Cabret

won a prestigious Caldecott medal and was

ground breaking because it was considered

a picture book yet was the size of a novel.

Wonder Struck is just as great

as Hugo in my opinion.

Selznick created a 639 page

picture book that tells two

stories, one with illustrations

and one with words.

At the end, the two stories merge

in a surprising way.

Whether you are 10 or 100, you owe

it to yourself to find a copy of this

book and enjoy a really good read.

Visitors

2011-11-27T19:35:00.004-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and sister came to visit.

In a show of solidarity, Kim purchased

a wig just like mine.

Aren't we cute twins?

(No I didn't break my hand--I

was having some swelling

and had to wear a

compression bandage for a

while.)

Sweetie, Kim and me

A back view of our look alike hair-do's

Kim and mom conferring

We kept each of the grandsons/great-nephews/great grandsons

by themselves on separate days.

This was Caleb's day and he had tired of playing

with puddy, but not mom and Kim

Caleb got to go on a date and have

Bananas Foster. He really enjoyed it!

David's Day and a picture with Sweetie

David and Aunt Kim

No, you didn't miss a picture.

We didn't get any photos with Aaron.

Poor little guy, on his day, we went

shopping and he went along.

He was a REAL trooper and

we enjoyed him so much but

we were so busy, we didn't get any pictures.

BOO! Happy Halloween (A Little Late)

2011-11-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

Halloween was very special this year

because it was the first entertaining

we had done in a while.

We had 4 little goblins and their

parents over to our house.

For those of you who remember Taylor, Mandy's cousin

who lived with them in Houston, this is her

daughter, Caroline (the closest to a granddaughter

that I have right now.)

She's not sure what to think of her first cupcake.

Caleb

Aaron

David

Caroline with her proud daddy Josh

Taylor, Caroline, and Josh (with Aunt Kelly looking on)

All four of the little goblins

At the end of the evening, when the parents

were ready to take the kids out to

Trick-or-Treat, Aaron and David

decided they would instead go

downstairs to play. This

is them heading down

"the safe way."

I hope your Halloween was wonderful!

Happy Thanksgiving and Health Update

2011-11-23T18:45:00.003-07:00

David and I have so much to be thankful for this year!

From the beginning of April, when I was

diagnosed with breast cancer, our world was

turned upside down.

Even though, it has been a stressful 8 months, I

can truly say that God has blessed us

amazingly through it all.

The most wonderful blessing of all has been

the friendship and love that you have shown us

in so many special and practical ways.

From food, to cards, to money to help with

insurance deductibles, to faithful prayers,

our extended family and our friends both in Houston

and Colorado have been there for us and

for that, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I apologize for not updating you on this blog earlier, but

as I told a friend the other day, when I started feeling

stronger, I started "going" again and that

has slowed down blogging a little.

I completed chemotherapy on October 5th,

and after about 5 weeks started feeling stronger

and more like myself. I began daily radiation treatments

on November 7th and am scheduled to

be finished on December 15th, just in

time to attend my nephew, Ryan's wedding

in Searcy, Arkansas.

As always, I continue to appreciate your prayers.

The specific things you can pray for are:

*continued quality radiation treatments

with minimal side effects

*an uncomplicated reconstruction

surgery in early January.

I also ask that you pray for my dear friends

Pervis and Barbara as they are going

through Cancer treatments.

Happy Thanksgiving Dear Friends.

God is so very good!

Book Review--Imogene's Last Stand

2011-11-04T13:20:00.002-06:00

Imogene's Last Stand by Candace Fleming

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book cover courtesy of Goodreads.com

This is a really good picture book about saving historical buildings. Imogene uses quotes from famous people as she strives to save her town historical museum.

Her first words as a baby were, :"Four Score and Seven Years Ago." (Lincoln)

She quoted John Paul Jones--"I have not yet begun to fight."

She even quoted Eleanor Roosevelt when she said "You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

This was a well thought out and crafted picture book.

HAIR--Not the Musical but the Reality Show

2011-10-29T13:56:00.005-06:00

As those of you know who have been following this blog,

I am the proud owner of two wigs

but not much hair--although

I am proud to announce that it

is beginning to grow back

very slowly but surely.

Two of my grandsons seem to be

especially interested in my "hair".

After getting his own red hair combed

after his bath, David decided it was time

to comb Nana's hair.

Good job, Buddy!

Caleb also has

very definite ideas about Nana's

hairstyles. He prefers the first wig

I bought, probably because it looks

the most like my real hairstyle.

The other night when he was visiting and I had on

my red wig, he came running out of my bedroom

giggling with the above "look".

Although he enjoyed wearing the wig for a few minutes,

what he really wanted to happen was for me to change

from the wig I had on to this wig!

Funny Boys!

So far, Aaron has not displayed a hair preference.

Book Recommendation--Press Here

2011-10-27T15:25:00.006-06:00

If you are looking for a great picture book

for the preschooler in your life,

check this book out.

Press Here by Henre' Tullet

is fun, interactive, and imaginative.

PS. If you are related to me, don't

buy this book because it will

probably show up as a Christmas present.

book cover courtesy of TitleWave.com

Chicka Chicka ABC

2011-10-11T17:07:00.000-06:00

Are you familiar with the book

Chicka, Chicka ABC's?

It is one of my favorite alphabet books.

Aunt Kelly is sharing the book

one day with David and Aaron.

This cute idea came from Pinterest

and the blog Little Page Turners

I usually look at the ideas, but

Kelly actually implemented this one.

The little guys had a blast!

Autumn in Colorado--2011

2011-10-09T11:47:00.002-06:00

We took a drive last week up to

Cripple Creek to enjoy the

beauty of autumn in Colorado.

This cute wagon and all the beautiful trees

were in someone's front yard.

See the satellite dish on the left.

Views from a distance.

We ended taking Country Road 8 from almost

Divide to Colorado Springs.

It turns into Gold Camp Road.

The up-close views were amazing.

Check out that beautiful lake.

I love seeing these old abandoned cabins

and wondering who lived there.

Up close view of the leaves.

I wish you could have heard the quaking of the Aspens!

A closer view of the lake.

Isn't God's beauty breathtaking?

Football Rivalry

2011-10-08T11:44:00.001-06:00

The two guys on the left are Steelers Fans.

The one on the right is a Texan Fan.

There was lots of yelling in this game.

We won't mention the outcome.

Race for the Cure

2011-10-05T20:14:00.000-06:00

My family showed their

support for me this past weekend

by running and walking in the

Race for the Cure

in both Houston and Lubbock.

They say that a picture is worth a

thousand words, so I'll show you

some very special pictures.

From left to right

My nephew Philip, my sister Kim, and my nephew Josh

Philip, my brother-in-law, Randy, and Josh

I love the signs on their backs.

I get tears in my eyes just looking at them.

Josh, Kim and Philip

My brother Lynn

Kim said that in Lubbock there were

9,000 people participating in the Race.

I don't know how many ran in Houston or nationwide,

but my sincere desire is that every form of cancer

have as much support in the form

of money raised for research.

Because of the amazing support

that breast cancer research has received over the years,

I am blessed with a 99% chance of

no recurrence of the disease.

Hopefully, one day soon,

all forms of cancer will be

cured!

Thank you Lynn, Randy, Kim,

Philip, and Josh.

I am truly honored!

Health Update--October 3, 2011

2011-10-03T19:32:00.006-06:00

Caleb bought Nana these Sunflowers!

Aren't they beautiful?

This is an exciting week for me because my

LAST chemotherapy session is scheduled

for this Wednesday, October 5th.

To say I am excited is an understatement.

I also had good news from my cardiologist.

In both an EKG and an Echo, my heart looks

healthy. The high heart rate that I have been experiencing

since I began chemo is either being caused by chemo

or possibly by a thyroid issue (I will have a test

for thyroid problems on Wednesday.) The good

news, though, is that I have a healthy heart.

Many people have asked what comes next in

my treatment. In November, I will start

radiation treatments. I will have

treatments 5 days a week for 6 weeks.

I don't want to sound naive, but

most people who have experienced both

say that radiation is much easier

than chemo.

I want to thank each of you who is reading

this update. I have received

SO much support in every way

imaginable during this journey.

I thank God for you!

Face Painting 101

2011-09-24T16:23:00.006-06:00

True Confession Time:

For the past two days, I hadn't put on make-up.

I was just too tired to worry with it.

But this morning, I decided it was time to

be "me" again, so I put on make-up

and even "hair." :)

Then this little superman and his dad and brother

stopped by our house to visit.

They had been to yard sales and Caleb

had bought a face painting kit.

Jeremy did the honors of painting

Caleb's face and then Caleb wanted to paint Nana's face.

Let me tell you, only a grandmother would

go to the trouble of putting on

make-up and then letting her grandchild

paint away at her face.

The white base paint was COLD!

The make-up expert was very thorough.

Not only did I get a full white face,

I got black bones painted on.

In case you can't tell, we are skeletons.

Caleb wanted us to look alike.

Can you tell how excited I was with

the final result?

Isn't it amazing what we will do for our

grandchildren?

We ARE Crazy!!!

2011-09-23T17:05:00.005-06:00

Back in April, before we discovered

that I needed surgery, chemo, etc.,

we had contracted and paid half the price

to have wood floors installed in our den

and dining room. They were supposed to be

installed in May.

Obviously, that didn't happen.

HOWEVER, they said we should

really have the floors installed before it

was time to turn the heating system on,

or the dust from sanding the existing floors

would float through the entire house.

YUCK!

So right in the middle of the other craziness in our life,

we decided to proceed with the project.

All the furniture had to be moved out of the

living room, dining room, breakfast room and entryway

so that the new floors could be laid and the

old floors could then be sanded,

and all the floors could be varnished so that

they matched.

This is how the breakfast area/den looked on Wednesday.

Fun!!

It is amazing to me how they "feathered" the

wood in so that it will look like it has

always been there.

This is the air compressor "thingy"

that does who knows what but

makes a LOT of noise. Trust me on this.

I can't wait to see how it looks

when they finish it next week!

It will be nice to eat in a dining

room that has floors you can actually

clean! Don't forget, I have 3 sometimes

messy little grandsons.

Little Boys are Falling Down

2011-09-16T13:14:00.008-06:00

I thought of the old Nursery Rhyme

"London Bridge is Falling Down"

with our two little guys recently.

DAVID

Little David was happily eating a plum

at the little folding card table.

Oops! I must have turned the wrong way!

Ducca to the rescue!

Why does Nana always have a camera

handy when I do something like this?

AARON

I think I'll just relax and read a book.

This is really a good one.

Can you see that I'm a reader?

What happened?

This chair just dropped me.

Don't worry everybody,

I'm OK.

Big David has a motto

that is famous around here.

"No grandchild gets hurt on Ducca's watch!"

Looks like we are safe for another

little while.

Grandchildren Room Unveiled

2011-09-12T17:29:00.015-06:00

WARNING: This post is long and photo intensive!

Have you ever heard the term

"brand loyal"?

One of the brands I am loyal to is

Sherwin Williams Paint.

It could be because my brother

has worked for them for over 30

years; it could be because they

have the best paint; or it could be both.

I found the perfect colors for the grandchildren

room at another store.....

and when I took the chips to Sherwin Williams,

they were able to match them for me.

I then bought 12 Spice Racks from IKEA.

I should say, my sweet husband stopped

by IKEA on the way home from Denver's

Airport and bought them for me.

These IKEA spice racks turned book racks

have been all over blogland and they

were out when we tried to buy them

several other times.

This is what they look like hanging on the wall

with the beautiful primary color paint on them.

The top book rack is being used

for my grandmother's vintage teddy bears.

The first time Caleb was here after the

bears were displayed, he took them

out and had me tell him the story of

"The Three Bears" so they are still bookish.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

curtain from Pottery Barn Kids.

It is actually a shower curtain but

don't tell anyone.

If you look very closely at the curtain

rod, you will see it has butterflies

on the end. That was David's idea.

This wall was a little bit of a pain for

my sweet husband because instead

of the shelves being put up randomly,

they had to all be in straight lines.

He was so wonderful about hanging all 12!!!

Very Hungry Caterpillar rug (bathmat)

from Pottery Barn Kids.

The white bookshelf isn't full of

children's books yet because I haven't

had the energy to move them all.

The shelf was a garage sale find for $2.00.

I just read yesterday that bookshelves

should be 10% empty so you

can actually search for books in them.

This is a wide shot of the room.

Another wide shot.

Books!

I can't tell you how many times Kelly and

Jeremy checked out The Year at Maple Hill Farm

from the library when they were kids.

The book with Caleb on the cover

was made by his mom on his first birthday.

Dogger is a precious book that my sister-in-law

Terry sent me. It is about, not sibling rivalry, but

sibling love.

I found the red table and chairs for $40.00

at an antique mall. They aren't antiques, but

they are cute.

The typewriter is from a yard sale.

We gave Kelly a typewriter for Christmas

when she was in about 3rd grade and have

never lived it down because she thought

it was the WORST gift ever.

Kind of like a husband giving his

wife a vacuum cleaner for Christmas.

On the other hand, Caleb, Aaron and David LOVE it!

The train table was found at a yard sale last summer for $40.00.

It had all the toy pieces with it and was in perfect

condition. Thank you, Jeremy, for finding it!

I really wanted a library-ish rug for the room.

I priced them. $400 plus was a little

out of my price range. I found this one at

Target for around $30.00.

You might remember this card catalogue

find from a previous post.

This little file folder also holds

books. It was a Marshall's find.

David painted the closet doors with

3-4 coats of magnetic paint and then

2-3 coats of green chalkboard paint.

As you can tell, artwork is already

proudly being displayed.

I have had this author's chair for ages.

When I go to reading conventions

where authors are going to be in

attendance, I take the covers off and

take a paint pen and get autographs.

It is the perfect reading spot and also

the perfect resting spot.

I just sit and let the grandchildren

play all around me.

A perfect chair for the little guys

to sit and read.

David said the other day that he had a feeling

that this room might never be finished.

There is one more project in the works.

I am going to make a book cover headboard.

Thanks Jenny for helping me collect book

covers. Stay tuned for the reveal.

Thanks for taking a tour of the grandchildren room with me.

We started it before I was diagnosed with cancer,

and it has fallen to my sweet husband to

do most of the hard labor. I mostly did the

sitting down stuff, like painting the

book racks. It has been great therapy for me, and

as you can imagine, the grandchildren LOVE it.

Just Because It Makes Me Smile

2011-09-08T02:40:00.000-06:00

When my family was in town, this is where

all the shoes landed.

This picture just makes me SMILE!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-09-06T16:04:00.004-06:00

Those of you who read this blog know that I am not a

successful gardener.

But check out that giant sunflower.

I planted the seeds

the day before my surgery on May 6th.

It took them quite a while to grow, but grow they did.

Aren't they beautiful?

God asks us to be patient for the important

things in life. I am learning that lesson

in this season of my life.

And isn't that little redhead on my lap

beautiful (handsome) as well?

Isn't it amazing how our hair is the same color?

Health Update--September 3, 2011

2011-09-03T13:33:00.005-06:00

These beautiful purple flowers are growing by

the driveway at Kelly, Adrian and David's

house. They make me smile every time

I visit. They seemed to pop up all on their

own, but I'm sure the previous owner planted

them and now others are enjoying them.

So many of you are planting the seeds of

prayer for me to enjoy the benefits.

A week and a half ago, I asked that you pray

that Round 4 went more smoothly than Round 3.

I am enjoying God's answer to those prayers.

I am still very tired, but somehow, it is more

manageable. I know the "somehow" is God

answering your prayers.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Four down, two to Go!

Animals! Animals Everywhere!

2011-09-01T19:22:00.015-06:00

If you don't like cute kids, and lots of animals,

you might as well stop reading this

post right now. As part of our family reunion,

we went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

Thanks to Uncle Randy, this post has lots

of pictures of the animals in the zoo

and quite a few of the family animals.

Disclaimer: Some family members

must have been hiding this day, because several

people are missing from the pictures.

Turkeys

Kangaroo in the background

Stacie and Kelly in the foreground

Caleb, Nathan, and Andrew on the train

Zebra

Mongoose (I think)

Very Pretty Bird

I have no idea what it is

See Caleb's head?

Can you believe how close he is to these

two bears?

Luckily, there is a pane of glass between them.

One of the things I love about this zoo, is how

close up you can see the animals.

The giraffes seem to be one of the favorite

animals at this zoo. The kids and grownups love

to feed them.

There is a really neat carousel at the zoo.

Aaron is not quite sure about it.

The giraffes liked Sweetie and she liked the giraffes.

Can you see the deer in the background?

This was not a zoo animal.

He just wandered in and made himself at home.

Porcupine

Moose

It is amazing how big these animals are.

Andrew on a pony.

The real wild animals

Chipmunks run around the zoo.

So cute!

Uncle Mike and Nathan like the carousel

Kelly and David do too.

This is one of Caleb's favorite

parts of the zoo.

When he was smaller he called

it the "Merry Ride".

Monkeys

I am restraining myself

from mentioning my brother Terry.

Great Restraint, I must say!

Still

2011-08-30T08:30:00.000-06:00

These flowers came from my mom when

she was visiting!

Aren't they beautiful?

I tease Matt, our worship minister,

telling him that he "knows" the exact songs I

need, so he leads them just for me.

Last Sunday he led "Still".

I hope the lyrics bless you as much as they bless me.

Hide me now
Under Your wings
Cover me
Within Your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father you are King over the flood
I will be still and know You are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know His power
In quietness and trust

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father You are king over the flood
I will be still and know You are God

[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/h/hillsong_united/still.html ]

Happy Birthday Dear Mandy

2011-08-27T10:58:00.004-06:00

Since Jeremy was a teeny-tiny

baby, I prayed for God to provide

the perfect woman for him to marry.

As always, God provides above and beyond what

we can ask or imagine.

Mandy, from day 1, was an integral part of our family.

She was a beautiful bride.

She is an amazing mother!

All those years that I was praying for the perfect

wife for Jeremy, God had a tremendous surprise

in store for me. Not only did he

answer that prayer, but he answered an

unspoken prayer.

He provided a perfect daughter for me.

I love you Mandy!

Happy Birthday!

Girl's Week

2011-08-20T19:33:00.012-06:00

David went to visit his parents last week

so he asked my mom (Sweetie) and sister (Kim) if they

would like to come and visit me, since he didn't want

to leave me "home alone" while I am undergoing chemo.

I had a whole list of things we were going to

do together, but it turned out to be a low

energy week, so we mostly just hung out and

enjoyed visiting with the kids and grandchildren.

However, one of the things that Sweetie really

wanted to do was to buy me another wig.

I purchased my first wig at a place that specializes

in helping women who have lost their hair due

to chemotherapy, but I had also heard

that Merle Norman had good wigs, so one afternoon

when I was feeling strong enough, we headed there.

Of course, when three women go into a wig

store, just one cannot have all the fun.

Isn't Kim cute in this little short modern do?

A blond bob for me.

An auburn bob for Sweetie.

Kim with long hair (a side view).

Front view.

Me with a sultry look.

Kim with a blond bob.

I promise, she looked good with every

wig she tried on.

Now, I know you are wondering what, if anything,

we purchased. Well............

you'll just have to keep wondering.

Official pictures later.....the wigs are in the mail!

"Toad" ally Cool Mail

2011-08-12T18:07:00.003-06:00

When I went to pick up my mail today...

look who had hopped right into the mailbox.

No envelope, no box, just

Mr. Freddy Frog!

He had his own USPS Tracking Number.

My address and the sender's return

address were on his little back.

And even though he could not talk

aloud, he had messages for me.

Of course you can play with my

grandchildren, Freddy.

I'm glad you wanted to because you

probably didn't have a choice.

Is this clever or what?!!

The friend who sent this is one of the

most creative people I know.

If you'd like to guess who it is,

please put first names only

in the comments section.

If you guess the correct person,

that's great! If you guess,

the incorrect person, they will

be glad that you think they

are creative enough to come up

with this idea!

Reunion Garden

2011-08-10T16:55:00.006-06:00

Mandy made the comment at our Family

Reunion that it was so much fun seeing

how each of my siblings showed their love

and support for me in different, special ways

while we were all together.

My brother, Lynn, is the acknowledged

gardener in the family. He not only has

a green thumb, he has one of the most

beautiful gardens at his home in Houston.

I, on the other hand, have a black thumb.

I am terrible at gardening even though I really

like beautiful flowers.

Since I was in the midst of cancer treatment

right before the reunion, I didn't feel like sprucing

up the front flower bed, but you know how it is,

company was coming and I wanted everything

just right. Well, inspiration hit.

I e-mailed by brother, Lynn,

and asked if he would "enjoy"

creating a flower bed for me while he was there.

I knew what the answer would be.

Of course he would. Now that's a great brother.

We had a gift certificate from a local nursery

that had been given to us by the elders and their

wives at our church when my daddy passed away

and it was just waiting to be used by a master gardener.

It turned out to be a Lynn Aven family affair.

Lynn and my nephew Matthew went to the nursery

and picked out perennial, native to Colorado

plants. None of those annual

plants for me. Lynn says I need something

that will come back up each year.

Does he know his sister, or what?

On Sunday afternoon, just before they

had to leave to go to the airport,

Lynn and Terry, Matthew and Emily

(better known in our family as Lady Em)

created a beautiful flower garden

for our enjoyment.

I got last minute lessons on the importance

of watering and deadheading.

Thank you Lynn, Terry, Matthew and Lady Em.

I am enjoying the flowers immensely.

And yes, they are thriving!

Great Yard Sale Finds

2011-07-30T12:04:00.006-06:00

I'm not sure why, but Colorado Springs

is a GREAT place to yard sale.

Mandy, Jeremy, and kids were out this morning

enjoying the beautiful weather and some sales.

Mandy kept seeing things that she

thought I would like and texting me pictures.

Three red bar stools!

I passed since I have a red bar stool that I

am not using right now and probably

don't need 3 more in storage.

A retro ice cream freezer!

I really liked this, but wasn't sure

where I would display it, so again I passed.

She called about some bunk beds for the

grandchildren's room. They

were what I am looking for with

a full size mattress on the bottom and

a twin on the top, but they were metal

and I'm really looking for wood.

Again, I passed.

I have a very smart daughter-in-law

who was determined that she find

something that I was willing to buy.

The picture below was the last I received

from the morning's shopping trip.

The text message said:

"Want one of these?

$100 million each

My Reply:

"I'll take all 3.

It's a bargain at that price.

I would have paid double.

On a side note:

What do you call this kind of sale

in your part of the country?

In Houston, they were Garage Sales;

in CS, they are yard sales;

I have also heard Tag Sales,

Estate Sales (although I think those

are a little more shi-shi.

Are there any more names that I

haven't heard of?

A Play Date with Aaron

2011-07-25T18:42:00.007-06:00

When you are the "little" brother,

you don't get a lot of alone time with

Nana and Ducca.

Today, we invited Aaron over for a play date

without his big brother.

Sweet Caleb was fine with that and went off

happily with his dad for some male bonding.

The first thing you have to do at Nana's is eat!

Then we headed down the stairs to the

grandchildren room to play.

This wagon is really cool, Nana.

The best way to play at the train table

is to climb in the drawer with all the toys.

Hi, Mama Duck!

I can say "bear" Nana.

This is a bear that was made for

Kelly and Jeremy

by Aaron's great-great Grandma

Bergeron many years ago.

This helicopter is really cool.

Getting in the wagon is even more fun than pulling it.

I am a smart boy and very good with puzzles.

And I love to read!

"Tupperware" makes the greatest toy.

But the best thing of all is to head down the

hallway to Ducca's office. I knock on the door

if Ducca is working and he stops to play with me.

Brooms are my latest obsession!

Clifford, Nana and I decided we would play outside

since it was such a pretty day.

Hey, guys, having Nana and Ducca all to myself

is the greatest, but I sure was

excited to see my dad and big brother when they

came to get me.

Family Reunion Memories--Winning a Car!

2011-07-22T16:02:00.000-06:00

The newest member of our family

is Filiberto Hinojosa, Jenny's husband.

They were married in March and Fili

is just a super guy that we all fell in love with immediately.

On Saturday night, a large group of the family went to a

Skysox game. They are the minor league baseball

team who make their home here in Colorado Springs.

Someone had heard before the game that there were going to be

10 used cars given away at the game that night!

Guess who was the FIRST person to win a car?

That's right--Fili--the one and only family member

to be so lucky. Of course, there were a couple of

problems. Jenny and Fili had flown here, and they

both already had cars. So on Monday morning

they paid the taxes and sold the car.

I'd say the newlyweds had a pretty good story

to tell from their first family reunion

as a married couple.

Super Hero Reunion Memories

2011-07-20T15:48:00.004-06:00

Sweetie made matching Superhero Capes

for all the little boys at the family reunion.

(left to right) Andrew, Caleb, Nathan

who had a big time playing together during the reunion

Sometimes Superheroes need a rest!

Sometimes Superheroes have no clue what all the

fuss is about!

SuperNana got to commission the

Heroes and tie on their capes!

This little Superhero needed a hug.

This is fun says Superhero Nathan.

The most fun was rolling around on the floor

and wresting since everyone had

Superhero strength. They were

even able to successfully conquer big

cousins Matthew and Josh.

Sweetie was even kind enough to make

a cape for SuperNana.

What a sweetie that Sweetie is!

Did We Have Fun?

2011-07-18T17:47:00.003-06:00

Did we have fun at our family reunion?

Jenny and Fili did!

Jon and Andrew did!

Bethany and Jon did!

In the next several posts, I will show

you highlights of some of our adventures.

All of the pictures were taken by

talented photographers other than me,

but everyone was so busy snapping

photos, that I'm not sure which pictures belong

to whom.

I hope you enjoy!!!

Thoughts

2011-07-16T19:14:00.004-06:00

My friend Vicky mentioned in a Bible class once

that she kept a stack of index cards on which

she wrote verses/quotes she wanted

to remember and then read them during her

quiet time. I started that practice and it has

been very meaningful to me.

Here are some of that have meant a lot to me lately.

"He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me

because he delights in me."

Ps 18:19

"I could have no greater joy that to hear

that my children are following the truth."

3 John 4

"It is well, it is well, with my soul."

"I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him."

Ps 62:1

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of

righteousness will rise with healing in its wings."

Malachi 4:2

"I am not afraid of tomorrow for

I have seen yesterday and I love today."

quote sent from my mother

"If you hold on to me for dear life, says God,

I'll get you out of any trouble. I'll give you the

best of care if you'll only get to know and trust me.

Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;

I'll rescue you, then throw you a party. I'll

give you a long life, give you a long drink of

salvation."

Ps 91:14-16 (Message)

Sent to me by my neighbor Carmen

Family Reunion Worship

2011-07-11T20:16:00.000-06:00

Day 4 of our Family Reunion fell on a Sunday!

Our big family has been blessed with

unity of faith in our wonderful God.

We decided to worship together in the beautiful

Garden of the Gods.

(One of my nieces said we should

rename the park Garden of THE GOD for today--

pretty profound thought!)

We sang, prayed and heard stories

of both family legacy and a legacy of faith

while we worshiped our God in

his beautiful creation.

Wish you could have been with us!

Thank you Adrian, one of our newer

family members, for this great group photo!

Happy Belated Birthday Dear Jeremy

2011-07-09T13:32:00.002-06:00

When your birthday is July 6th,

just two days after the nation's birthday,

it always seems like you get the BELATED

birthday wishes! Sorry Jeremy!

Wasn't he an adorable one year old?

This picture reminds me just a little of Aaron.

He had such fun with his big sister, Kelly.

He still enjoys his afternoon naps, just not with

Kermit the Frog anymore.

He is an amazing Christian man, friend, husband, father, son, uncle,

and all around good guy!

And he's not a bad dancer either!

Happy Birthday Jeremy!

Thanks for all you do to make

your mom and dad very proud to call you our Son!

Nana's Dream Come True

2011-07-08T13:24:00.003-06:00

We had an unfinished bedroom in our

home when we bought it.

I dreamed that it could become

a room for the grandchildren.

My sweet husband, while

taking care of me after surgery and during

chemotherapy made sure my

dream came true before the

family reunion!

This is what I dreamed of.

Little David and Aaron playing at the train table.

All 5 of the boy cousins playing together.

From top right, Nathan, Caleb, Aaron, Andrew, and David.

The pictures aren't the best in the world, but

they were all so excited to be together

that they wouldn't sit still long enough

to have a really good photo taken.

A New Do

2011-07-06T11:57:00.007-06:00

Well, friends, the day I had been dreading finally arrived.

And much like the quote from Mark Twain,

"I am an old man and have known a great many troubles,

but most of them never happened."

it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting.

One of the side effects of my chemotherapy is losing my hair.

Those of you who know me well know that I spend

a lot of time and a lot of money making

sure my hair looks good, so naturally I was dreading being bald.

Several weeks ago, my daughter Kelly and I went to

a wonderful little shop here in Colorado Springs

called In Care of You. The owner is

a breast cancer survivor and she specializes in

helping women through the whole process of getting well

both physically and emotionally (which for me

includes a wig that I feel good in.)

We tried on several wigs and settled on the one above.

One of my sweet friends from church, Joan, had agreed to

shave my head when the time came. She used to be a hairdresser and

just has the most wonderful servant's heart.

But one day my precious daughter-in-law and I

were talking and she said that she would really like

to do that for me. Isn't that just the sweetest offer you

have ever heard? By the way, the picture above

is Mandy modeling one of my scarves.

The last couple of days my hair has been falling

out at an alarming rate, so I knew for certain

it was time. So this morning, on my sweet son's

birthday, Mandy came over and shaved my head.

Before she shaved it, she prayed over me and offered

to give me a Mohawk, saying it would probably

be the only time in my life I would ever have that

opportunity. I politely declined, but that set

the tone for the morning and we actually laughed and had fun!

Here is a picture of the new do.

Side and back view.

Sadly, I actually like the back of the wig better

than I like the back of my own hair.

Here I am in the cute little scarf that Mandy was

modeling earlier for times when I don't feel like

wearing a wig.

I do have a picture of me bald, but I must say that I am not

brave enough just yet to put that on the blog. Let's just say that when

I look in the mirror, I see my precious bald headed

daddy. Now that's not a bad way to spend the next few months

of my life, is it?

On another light note, shortly after my head was shaved,

I got the following text from Jeremy.

"Don't tell Sweetie about shaving your head. I heard

you can get into trouble doing that sort of thing!

I love you!"

Those of you who have known our family for many

years might remember a certain time when

Jeremy shaved his head without permission

while at camp. His mama was not a happy camper!

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Life is very good!

Strawberry Picking

2011-07-04T19:30:00.002-06:00

There is a neat little Farmer's Market

called Froberg's in Alvin, Texas

The entire time I lived in Houston,

I had never visited this wonderful place.

When I was in Houston for my niece, Jenny's

wedding, my mom, sister and sister-in-law

spent one morning picking strawberries

at Froberg's.

The fruit was everywhere, and we were picking away.

Aunt Kim

Aunt Gail

Definitely the pro--she takes her grandsons a

lot during strawberry season.

Sweetie

Yummy!

I must admit that after about 20 minutes of

picking fruit for fun, I had a whole

new appreciation for people

who do this kind of work for a living.

Guess Who's Coming to My House?

2011-06-30T08:00:00.001-06:00

All five of my mom's great grandsons

will be in Colorado Springs next

week to play in the newly created

"grandchildren room".

We had an unfinished room in our basement

and were just in the middle of having it finished

when Kelly, Adrian and David moved

in while waiting for their house to close.

Big David has just finished the painting

getting it ready for the family reunion.

This green background is the green magnetic

chalkboard closet door. There are 2 of them.

I'll post more pics when it is completely finished.

Right now, we just had to rush and get

things situated so that it is functional.

I have a feeling lots of happy times are going to

be had in that room.

Karen Health Update--June 29, 2011

2011-06-29T13:19:00.006-06:00

this is not the wig that I will be wearing in

a few weeks, but it is a picture of one that my sweet son

sent me when he was in Seattle. If I remember

correctly, he even offered to buy it for me if I

wanted. After all, it is RED!

As you can see, we are trying our best to laugh our way through

cancer treatments.

I thought my blog might be the best way to keep people updated on

my progress rather than trying to e-mail, post on FB, etc.

One week ago today, I had my first chemo. The process, itself, wasn't bad at all.

I actually played games on my IPad and talked to David through the

whole process without any problems at all.

This past week has been one of ups and downs as I/we learn how

to handle chemo. Mandy suggested that I keep a diary so

that in future rounds I will know what to expect, and I think that

has also helped me to see that, for the most part,

every day has been pretty good.

The biggest problem has been fatigue. I'm used to "blowing and going" so

being tired is hard, but maybe God wants me to learn to be still sometimes.

I've also had a little problem with elevated pulse rate, even though my blood

pressure remains great. My oncologist today said that this is from both

the steroids and drugs and gave me medicine (another pill) to control

it. She said I didn't need to feel like I was running a marathon all the time

(and you all know, I'm not into running marathons).

I don't know if I have shared this before but my surgeon and

oncologist worked together to time my first chemo round

so that I would be in week 3 (which is the week you feel most

normal) in order to be able to enjoy a family reunion that the

Aven/Gibson/Rollett/VanLoenen/Hinojosa/Burke/Taylor

Clan is having in Colorado Springs next week.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to have my family here.

That's going to be the best MEDICINE in the whole world

(and it's not even another pill--yeah!!)

Happy Birthday Dear Kelly

2011-06-27T16:31:00.006-06:00

Who is this movie star?

....this beautiful lady?

....this precious mama?

....this adorable sister and daughter?

Kelly

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

Although with all that's going on in our world,

this hasn't been the perfect first Colorado Birthday,

next year, Lord willing, is going to be a HUGE CELEBRATION!

We might just birthday party all year long.

One Thousand Gifts--Highly Recommended Book

2011-06-18T18:32:00.002-06:00

This is an amazing and a life changing book that God knew I needed to read right now. It is beautifully written but stick with it because it is not an easy read. A quote from the jacket cover says it best. "A beautifully practical guide to living a life of joy, One Thousand Gifts invites you to wake up to God's everyday blessings. As Voskamp discovered, in giving thanks for the life she already had, she found the life she'd always wanted."

A friend challenged Ann Voskamp to write down 1,000 things she was thankful for in a year's time. She went far beyond 1,000 and thankfulness became a way of life. She discovered the truth of God asking us to be thankful in all things, and it changed her life. The book also changed my life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Book cover courtesy of Follett.com

Gold and Silver Friends

2011-06-06T18:02:00.004-06:00

For some reason the song I learned in Brownies

came to my mind after our surprise visit the other day.

"Make new friends, but keep the old,

One is silver and the other gold."

Terry, Rhonda, Hannah and Zach Kirksey

made an unexpected detour through

Colorado Springs on their way to

Yellowstone, so they came by for a quick visit.

I have known Terry and Rhonda since

they were little children and Terry

and David worked together for many

years with real estate and air conditioning.

You've heard the expression that "It takes a village

to raise a child." Terry and Rhonda were part

of the village that raised our son Jeremy.

Happy and Safe Travels, Friends!