Trust Me...

Well, while Ed and the kids were out on a bike ride this past  weekend, I went out for a walk.  I invited God to come along.  You see, I had another pet scan on Friday because my numbers were elevated.  And I needed His comfort and peace.  Again.

As I walked, I felt God whispering the words into my heart, "Trust. Trust Me."  

I found out this morning that my cancer has returned.  Now before you go all crazy on me, there is plenty of good news.

First, I don't need surgery (can I get a hallelujiah?!).  

Second, the cells they found have remained in my pelvic area.  Third, they're very small.  

Fourth, the chemo I require will allow me to keep my "naturally curly hair."  Keep.  You read that right.  

Fifth, I feel 100% healthy.   Not behind the eight ball like I was prior to chemo last time.  

Sixth, I still have the port in my arm which makes needle sticks so very easy.  

And finally, my odds for remission are very good.

Now I could go on and on with the good news.  

OK, maybe I will.  

8.  My parents are coming in on Thursday to begin the fun with us again.  I love having them here.

  

9.  My sisters, in-laws and friends are ready, willing and able for round two.  

10.  My kids were told the news this afternoon in all of five minutes.  They were just bummed to learn they have to clean out the litter box and help with laundry for awhile.

11.  I found a great couch last week that fits perfectly in our kitchen.  (I've always dreamed of having a couch that actually fit in our kitchen).  God knew I would be more comfortable lounging on a cute couch during chemo than sitting by myself in the family room.  To confirm that, the fabric I ordered to make the slipcover came today.  Coincidence?  I think not.  :)

And finally, that ol' oven-mit-chewing dog Tucker is sure to be by my side.  

So chemo begins on Tuesday.  This round will be a little different than the last.  I'll be going two Tuesdays in a row with one week off.  It will last for about four months or 12 cycles.  Totally doable.  You all remember how much I loved living in my pajamas! 

I told Ed on the way down to Cedars this morning, that though I spent a very long Labor Day weekend awaiting the results and feeling like a human Don't Break the Ice! game (ready to crumble at the smallest tap), I knew God had again prepared me for this news.  

When I shared my feelings with my girlfriend this weekend via an email, she replied, 

"I do believe God uses all of this to keep you close and dependent on Him!  You are much more radiant when you need Him!"

As I read that last sentence, it prepared my heart even more.  

Remember, cancer was one of the best things that ever happened to me.  During chemo, so many people told me I was glowing.  And I thought it was my new blush. 

But I believe it was from knowing that I felt the presence of my Heavenly Father.  I received His peace.  I felt His comfort.  

THERE IS NOTHING BETTER. 
Tears were shed today, but not too many.  My strength and courage come from Him.  

So though I thought these next couple of months would be filled with decorating our house for the holiday home tour and getting in shape with my new trainer, God apparently had other plans.  

So the words, "Trust Me" will lead me 
into the next chapter of my life.    

And I look forward to sharing that chapter
 with all of you. 

Ten Things I Learned This Summer...

Hi, everyone!

Well, I think all of our kids have returned to school by now and I'm guessing that most of us already miss the lazy days of summer.  I know I do. This was the first summer that my kids grasped the idea of sleeping in.  

God love 'em!

 I tried my best not to blog too much this summer as I wanted to keep my focus on my kids and not my blog.  So instead of writing ten different posts, I compiled them into one titled,  

Ten Things I Learned This Summer.

Number One.
I like green tea.

Coffee Bean has two great green teas called Strawberries 'n Cream and Japanese Cherries.  They're actually tasty.  And they're sugar free and good for you.
Just don't be tempted to add any sugar.
And if I'm off on the names (which I wouldn't be surprised if I am) just ask them for the green/fruit teas.

Number Two.

Eating 23 almonds a day is great for your body.

Go to almondboard.com and order one of these darling

tins to stash your daily alotment in.

 They're about $2 a piece and come in really cute prints. 

I thought I could just re-use an old Altoid tin, but these are smaller, and therefore hold less.   And absolutely pair your almonds with a dark chocolate square or two.  
My all-time favorite snack.

Number Three.
Ping pong brought me closer to my son.
For those of you who are Moms to active, athletic boys --
nightly ping pong games are a great way to stay connected to your growing boy.  Jake and I played most every night and it's a good way to hear about his day at school.   And may I add, I even beat him a few games. 

Number Four. 

Vacations with our kids
are more relaxing when they carry cell phones.
"Mom, we're getting candy at the gift shop.  
We'll be back in five minutes." 
 Ahhhhhh.
 (That's the sound of me relaxing on vacation).

Number Five.
Always put away your oven mits after you bake apple tarts.

Especially when this guy's around.

So, so guilty.  

He can't even look at me.

Number Six.
Dr. Scholl's Double Air-Pillos inserted into darling plaid
Converse sneakers actually make darling plaid Converse 
sneakers comfortable! 
(Sorry, Heidi!)
$2.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond

Number Seven.
Brown rice and brocolli are fantastic for breakfast.
Or anytime.  
I hate brown rice, but I love this brown rice.
(Texmati, $5.99, Gelson's)
If anyone wants the recipe, I'd be happy to email it to you.
Step away from the bagel and cream cheese!  
Have some brocolli for breakfast!

Number Eight.
It's OK to indulge in my passion.  
Provided I do it in moderation.  
And better yet, maybe even bless someone in the process. Hmmm, who could that be?
Who do I know who needs my help? And doesn't expect it?
What fun!

This is a sneak peek of Rachel's new bedroom. I'll post more photos of it soon on my other blog.
 Decorating brings me great joy.  Decorating other people's homes brings me even greater joy.


Number Nine.
Speaking of blessing someone with your passion -- my path has again crossed with an amazing girl named Aimee.  Aimee had heard about my diagnosis and brought my family a meal during my chemo days.  She's a Mom to four young ones and still found the time to bring a stranger a meal.  I love her.  


Well, we began emailing each other just last week and she is now my official new fitness trainer.  We're actually starting a little work-out group up at Bethany this fall.  Anyone interested in thanking God for your healthy body and getting it healthier?  Come join us!

And 
Number Ten.
Devote your mornings to God.
Yes, I did sleep in this summer.  Way in.  Yes, I sometimes failed to start my days with Him.  But, oh, how good it feels to connect with God and praise Him for all He has so richly blessed me with.  


I'm still reading Jesus Calling daily and loving it.  And I look forward to reading so much more than I ever have before.
I picked up this cute little book shelf at Goodwill for $4 and many of the books on its shelf were just $2.
I can't wait to read each and every book it holds.  
And it looks cute in our kitchen.

So that's what I learned in a nutshell.
I was reminded to care not only for my body, but for my soul.
To start my day with Jesus, fill my day with good food and exercise, and end my day with gratitude.


So here's to a healthy, memorable Fall.
May each of your days be blessed 
with walking a little closer to God.


And for any of you who live nearby, don't forget Calvary's 
Club 31 bible study starts soon (next week I think) 
and Chelsea Cameron's 24/7 Family class 
starts again in October.
I love them both.
You can register at 
calvarycc.org.

Loyal with a Capital L...

Many years ago, my husband and I went to Laguna Beach for the weekend.  While shopping, we saw this man walking his dog.  There was something about that dog that I just loved.    I remember thinking that if I ever had a bad day at work, I could come home and a dog like that would just make me laugh.  

A few years later, Ed and I were married.  It wasn’t yet time to have kids, but it was time to get a dog.  But given that we lived in a very small condo, I knew I had to put my love for a big golden retriever aside, and find a small dog that could adapt to our small space.  And then I remembered that funny-looking dog from Laguna, and began looking in the newspaper for a breeder.

I called Ed one day and said I found a breeder nearby.  I was sure that this was the dog I wanted.  On the drive out there, Ed played the role of my Dad - “Now you know, honey, we’re just looking.  We’re not going to get the first dog we see.”

Fast forward three hours, and there we were sitting with this nice couple and the last two puppies in their litter.  Ed kept holding both of them up in the air in the palm of his hands as if scrutinizing a brilliant diamond.  

“I think we’ll get this one,” he proudly said.  So much for the lecture on the ride there.

So the three of us drove to the nearest Target to get our new “child” all of her necessities.  I stayed in the car with her and called my parents to tell them they had just become grandparents to an eight-week old Jack Russell terrier we named Bailey.  

One hour later, I saw my husband pushing two, yes two carts, down the parking lot to our car.  He excitedly showed me her new collars, leashes, towels, baby tub (for babies, not dogs!), assorted shampoos, chew toys, several brands of dog food -- the list went on and on.  If Bailey could talk, I’m sure she would have said, “SCORE!  I’m going to live like a queen!”  And she did.

Though we both worked all day, that dog had it made after 5 p.m.  I would take her out for daily walks every day, and she lived at the park on the weekends playing frisbee for hours.  We can prove it.  We have hours of videotape of her making amazing sky-high catches.  Ask my parents, the poor souls who were subjected to watching them whenever they came by for a visit.  If there were a frisbee tournament held in Calabasas, that dog would have taken first prize.  

When we weren’t playing frisbee with her, we were taking her to the mall to sit on Santa’s lap or to the pumpkin patch to get a photo of her amidst a field of pumpkins.  When we brought both of our kids home from the hospital, it was Bailey who announced to our friends and family that Ed and I had become parents.

This morning I woke to find her breathing very quickly.  After my doctor appointment, I sat with her and stroked her nose.  I vividly remembered all the good times we had shared and tried to forget the few moments of anger I felt as I had to clean up yet another mess from her ailing body.  

As I grabbed a beach towel to wrap around her, I found her lying under my desk.  She was on her side and struggling to breathe.  The kids and I placed her in the car and made our way to the vet.  I don’t even think she made it out of the driveway.

As I sit here and allow my fingers to recall thirteen years of life with Bailey, I love that her last few minutes of life were beneath my desk.  At my feet.  Though I often forgot about her needs after my kids were born (and am filled with guilt about that), she epitomized what every dog should be.  Loyal with a capital L.

Good bye, Bailey.  We will miss you forever.

Tucker Strikes Again...

Well, I’m sure our dog is the healthiest dog around.

I came home to find three vitamin bottles under our kitchen table.  The lids were chewed off.  And they were empty.  And Tucker was asleep in our entry.  Not dead.  Just asleep.

Apparently, each and every vitamin was devoured.  He ate a bottle of vitamin D3, mushrooms and green tea.  Following my diagnosis, I met with a cancer nutritionist who suggested I take several daily supplements. They’re expensive.  

He ate $138.97 worth of daily supplements.  

And he’s still alive.  The supplements didn’t kill him.  

And neither did I.  

So if I keep a running total of expenses, we’ve just embarked on a four-digit figure for this guy.  By the time you factor in his adoption fee, training sessions, bones, dog food, more bones, many collars and leashes (every trainer I meet recommends a different one -- plus he chewed one right off his neck), more bones, new walking shoes, and antlers (yes, you read that right), this guy’s expensive.  

But still worth it.

The day before he ate my vitamins (which by the way, I felt were far out of his reach on the kitchen counter), my daughter and I took him to Yozen Frogurt.  We had dreamed of this day -- Rachel and I and our new Golden Retriever sitting outside on their patio on a beautiful summer’s day enjoying the best yogurt in town.  Except Tucker came to us with one fear -- 

getting into a car.  

So we hired a trainer who, in five minutes, had him jumping into our car.  So the next day, we headed out for yogurt.   And into a nightmare.  

After we ate our bowls of yogurt, we walked back to our car and said, “Tucker, in the car” and he refused.  He wanted nothing to do with getting back into the car.  So I did my best to coax, carry and pull him into our car.  I couldn’t do it.  Remember, the guy weighs close to 90 pounds.   So as I grabbed his collar one more time and tried to throw help him in, he squirmed out of his collar and made a mad dash off into the parking lot.  Thankfully, I grabbed the very end of his yellow tail and hung on with all my strength.  

Thank God, there just happened to be sheriffs from a Search and Rescue team finishing their yogurt.  I had Rachel hang onto him and ran over and asked two sheriffs to use their rescue skills on my behalf.  He fought them off too, but eventually their skills won out over his will.

Oh, what fun memories of owning our very own Golden Retriever!

  The name Marley is popping into my head more than ever before.

Our next training session is today at 3:45.  I can’t wait.

And, again, the guy got off easy.

14 Children...

I have a friend who's mom's funeral is today.  

As a tribute to her, please enjoy an article she wrote a few years back for a book titled, 

I Love Being a Mom by Therese J. Borchard.  

Not only was she a gifted writer, but a gifted Mother as well.

Boom!

By Marie Poyer

I have Boomers.  Baby Boomers.

Lots of them.  Fourteen.  That's lots.

They came in two varieties.  Boys and girls.  Seven of each.

They came to live in my heart from 1947 to 1964.  They never left.

They came with tiny fingers tucked inside my heart, sticky kisses plopped upon my cheeks, and eyes of brown and eyes of blue that followed my every move.

The angels that sent them down equipped them with skates and scooters and bikes and all the toes and arms and legs to ride and pedal and scoot.  And laundry.

All but one.  One little girl must have hidden behind a cloud on the day the finishing touches were spread around.  She stayed a few short years and went Home to open up some rooms for the rest of us at the B&B in the Sky.

They came with hot dogs and cookies, diapers and skinned knees, homework and carpools, chocolate and Cheerios, socks that never match, footballs and baseball bats and swim meets and proms.  And laundry.

There came a day when they gave their hearts away to that cute boy from English Lit or that little redhead at 31 Flavors.  There were bridal gowns and flowers, tuxes and boutonnieres, new homes and cars and starry eyes and dreams.

Now I have Boomettes.  Baby Boomers' Babies.

Lots of them.  Thirty-five.  That's lots.

They came in two varieties too.  Boys and girls.

They came mixed with Irish and Italian, Polish and

German, Dutch and Latino, Jewish and Lebanese, French and Yugoslavian, Native American and Canadian.  And laundry.

One day I blinked and the Boomettes were Boomin'!  And the sticky kisses keep on coming and the eyes still follow me around and so many fingers, large and small, are tucked inside my heart.

So many years.  So much love to give and take.  So much laundry.  So many socks that were impossilbe to match.

I love being a Mom.

May I Present to You...

Exhibit A.

Formerly, a foam finger that was bought at a Dodgers game.

Exhibit B.

My favorite (and only) pair of walking shoes.

Now may I present to you Defendant A.

Creamy.

Likes to pose as a water goblet.  She would never hurt a fly.

Defendant B.

Newmis.

Spends most of his days just like this.  

With his eyes shut and a smile on his face.

Defendant C.

Twiggy.

Looks a little crafty, 

but can always be found in the corner of my closet.

Asleep.

Defendant D.  

As in Dog.  

As in Bad Dog.

Looks a little guilty, don't ya think?

Possibly remorseful?

Last week, we officially added this Defedant, also known as 

Tucker Douglas Marek,

 to our family.

After I signed the papers to adopt him, he celebrated by killing a baby bird in our backyard, chased our cats up the stairs all night and chewed things that he was told were off limits.

Clearly, he was excited.

Clearly, the honeymoon period is over.

Needless to say, I was not happy to come home to a half-eaten shoe.  

But I am happy that my rule (pet peeve) of putting away our shoes 

must now be followed (especially by me!)

Or else.

Looks like this guy got off easy this time.

Happy summer from Tucker and his new 

shoeless/foam finger-less family!