Good News

It has been a great week! First, I celebrated my 43rd wedding anniversary this week. I can’t believe I’ve been married that many years, and I know many of you can’t believe that I’ve put up with Dean all these years! Ha! We celebrated by going out to dinner, which was a nice change of pace.

Best of all, I saw one of my doctors on Wednesday and things are looking great! A quick ultrasound exam showed that my breast tumors are breaking up and shrinking. It was really what I wanted to hear. We may extend my chemo since I am tolerating it well, which is fine by me. I was also cleared to go on vacation in October, which was fantastic news. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better week.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

I’ve been thinking about all of my friends who are headed back to school while I’m hanging out NOT preparing schedules, taking meetings and dealing with cranky parents. It’s all such a weird feeling. But, I have to say, retirement is still pretty great!

Despite being the heat of summer, we really have been busy. Cate stayed with us for a few days to go to vacation bible school. She was put into the “big” kids class (that’s 5 & 6 year-olds) and made lots of art projects. She especially enjoyed the pool party at the end of the camp. She can swim pretty well with floaties, but really wanted to swim to the deep end. Let’s just say she and Pa had some disagreements over swimming past the shallow rope. All that said, we loved having her. It was a nice distraction for us.

We recently attended a wedding hosted by our friends the Baxters. It was such a lovely event and we really enjoyed seeing all of our “old” friends and several former students. My friend Melinda came to visit over a weekend and Dean even took her to his shack. She really should feel privileged. Very few women have been invited to the shack (or frankly, even dared to visit)! Speaking of the shack, Dean and his buddy George have decided to expand the illustrious shack. After they get done, I think Southern Living is doing a feature on their beautiful creation! Ha! I will post a picture soon so you can appreciate their hard work.

I continue to feel good. I have five treatments left and we're upbeat about my progress. I hope to provide a more detailed update later next week. For now, I’m just ready for August to be over and the weather to cool down. Will this heat ever end?

Away We Went

Did you think I started a blog and forgot to update it? Our retirement actually hasn’t been too relaxing! In addition to the usual weekly treatments (more on that shortly), we traveled with the girls down to South Padre Island for short vacation. Padre probably sounds like an unusual choice for those of you who know us, but we go at least once a year to visit our Aunt Rene and Uncle Bob. It’s a happy coincidence that it’s a great spot to relax, breathe the ocean air and eat some great seafood while visiting relatives!

Being on the beach with the girls was an interesting experience. Cate loved the beach this time, while in the past she has not been so keen about the sand and rushing waves. Peri was a little more reserved. She loved the water, but seemed confused about the sand. I walked the beach by myself every morning to watch the sunrise. It really was beautiful. Best of all, we got to spend time with our relatives including our cousin Lauren, who is 14. She and Cate hit it off immediately!

With ongoing treatments, it was nice to escape reality if only for a few days. I loved being with my family and I think we all needed to get away. While the car ride was long, the girls traveled well and I think everyone had a great time. So now, back to reality!

I have eight more chemo treatments and I am still feeling pretty good. I get tired a few days after treatment, but I have still been working on many projects around the house. It’s never-ending! Leslie recently went with me to buy a wig, that I think I’ll be starting to wear this week. My hair has finally started falling out, but the wig will allow me to have “good hair days” every day of the week! Look on the bright side, right?

Hope all is well with you!

Beginnings

Hectic is the only word to describe these past few weeks. We’ve officially moved everything back from Arkansas and even after getting my first chemo treatment, I’ve unpacked most of the moving boxes!

Most importantly, after weeks of countless doctor appointments, I have officially started taking chemotherapy treatments. I will take one treatment every week for the next 12 weeks (well, 11 now). So far, the side effects have been few and I am thankful that I can continue my daily activities. We’ll see how the following weeks progress.

Throughout my diagnosis and beginning treatment, I have been blessed to have so much advice and support from friends and family. Thanks to everyone for your kinds words and concern. I especially want to thank Joyce and Wally for their endless time and boundless support. Your information and support has really made the past few weeks so much easier. Thank you!

On a brighter note, the kids have been spending lots of time here. Cate went fishing with Pa for the first time recently. She liked the fishing, but not the actual fish. We’ll have to work on that! We have started referring to the girls as “Princess One” and “Princess Two.” We are looking forward to a summer with the girls, who change every week. They rule the roost!

Hope all is well with all of you. More soon…

Greetings!

Welcome to our blog!

Since we have a little extra time on our hands these days, we thought it would be great to start a blog keeping friends and family updated on our lives.

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