MONDAY!!!

Hi Friends!

On Sunday, I never got around to blogging. For the first half of the day, I was feeling awful -- really tired, weak, and a bad headache. In the late afternoon, I started to feel better -- then we jost got busy doing stuff. At 2 p.m., yesterday Molly, Annie, and I met Carrie and friends at JoAnn's to buy our materials for our quilting class. That was fun, and I picked up some lovely material to make the baby quilt for Dr. Cohen's new baby girl! Molly and Annie are making quilts, too -- but theirs will be wall hangings. So, over $100 and 2 hours later, we left the fabric store. By the time I got home and started to feel better, it was time to make dinner. Then we spent several hours organizing Nate's room. My little mad scientist! That was not a job for the faint of heart!!! Other than that, yesterday just went by very quickly.

Today we all slept in after Bill left for work. I am still in my PJs and the kids are watching TV/playing computer games. I never got around to budgeting/balancing my checkbook or laundry this weekend. So, those are my goals for today! And, I have my Chronic Illness group to lead tonight.

Much Love,

Michele

SATURDAY!!

Hi Friends!

Today was a busy, but productive day. For me, I actually got up fairly early -- around 10 a.m. Brandon and Nate were here and up and wanting to go outside to ride bikes and skateboards. I got up and fed everyone a brunch. We did our household chores, and then Cam, Molly, and I went to Smart and Final grocery shopping. We bought a ton of groceries -- 2 completely full carts -- I hope it lasts at least a week! We also went to Theresa's ( a pet store which is next door) and picked up crickets for Cam's lizards. Their pet engraving name tag machine was working -- so we got 2 for the new cats -- Itty Bitty Kitty and Puss 'n Boots AKA Fluffy (Isaac couldn't decide on one name!).

I bribed all the kids with M and M 's ice cream bars to get them to help unpack the groceries. Shortly after that Shirlene came and picked up Brandon. Nate and Isaac then moved onto playing with Will and Heather. My feet and knees were extremely swollen after the grocery shopping -- which I found pathetic since Cam and Molly did all the work, and I just walked alongside them and paid! So, I lay down in bed for about an hour before going to 5:30 church this afternoon.

After church I made pizza, monkey bread, and salad for dinner. Then I lay down again because of swollen issues -- what a pain, literally! At 9 p.m., I sucked it up, and Cam, Isaac, and I did a major cleaning and sorting of their room. It looks great. We were even able to move the beds around to position them better in the room. We actually finished the room by 10:30 p.m. It was mostly me and Cameron, as Isaac got distracted with a really cool toy that Cam gave to him and Nate. It was a remote-controlled flyer!

Bill has been busy painting and doing other home repair this weekend. He's still at it, and I'm getting tired just watching him! Mama hamster lost a baby today, and now she is down to only 3 baby hamsters. You think she'd be better with them as they get bigger, but she's actually worse. When they wander off, she doesn't seem to notice it. So unless we reunite them or they find the Mama on their own, they perish! As if I don't have enough children of my own to keep an eye on!

On a good note, while cleaning Cameron's room -- I came across his goodie bag from the LA marathon. Their were aloe bandages which I put on my feet. Well, my feet haven't felt this good in 2 years! Tomorrow I'm going to the drug store and buying a big supply of aloe, because it's the only thing that I've found that helps!

Tomorrow we are going to do the last room of the house -- drum roll -- Nate's room. Hmmm? Why do you think I've saved it till the end. Honestly, I didn't want to face it. I am also meeting Carrie at the fabric store to buy supplies for my quilting class. I'm making a quilt for Dr. Cohen's new baby, a girl who is due any day! And I need to budget and pay some bills tomorrow! So, I guess I'll leave Bill to the painting and go off to bed. I don't blame him for painting now,
though -- it's easier with the kids in bed and not running into the wet paint!

Much Love,
Michele

HOME IMPROVEMENT !!!

Hi Friends!

As you can see, Bill and Itty Bitty Kitty were busy on home improvements today. Actually, it was mostly Cam and Bill doing the work -- but suprisingly (or not!) Cam didn't let me take any pictures of him. They were putting the outer wall on Cam and Isaac's bedroom, which was formerly a loft. I awoke this afternoon to the sounds of Bill sawing off the handrail. VERY LOUD!!! And it was a bit scary seeing him and Cam lift the huge pieces of drywall up so high. Then, I mostly tried not to watch while he did all the ladder work. Our whole house is done in a stucco-type finish. So, after putting up the drywall and taping it, he spent the rest of the day plastering. Tomorrow it should be dry and ready to paint. We had a huge problem keeping Itty Bitty out of the dust and the joint compound. She is definitely very curious, which is cute sometimes -- but today it was a little annoying for Bill!

I am still dealing with my chemo sleepiness. Bill had the day off, and he and the kids let me sleep until almost 2:30 p.m. I finally got up and moving, and I managed to sort and organize the upstairs hallway, bathroom, and my bedroom. That was a real feat, because our closet was a disaster! And then, at 9 p.m., Molly decided we should do her room. I was about ready for bed, but I decided I'd better go with it while she was willing! She wants a more grown-up teenager room, so she sorted through her stuff and is giving a lot of her toys to our good friend and neighbor, Heather.

Anyway, we finished around 11 p.m. Tomorrow and Sunday, I am hoping to do the boys' rooms. Cam and Isaac's won't be bad, but Nate is like a mad scientist and his room reflects his personality! I also need to grocery shop this weekend, and we'll go to church on Saturday night.

Nate is spending the night at Brandon's and Shirlene will bring them back early tomorrow morning, so I'm going to sign off now and go to bed.

Much Love,

Michele

WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY :-)

Hi Friends!

I am really enjoying summer time and just hanging out with the kids. We've been staying up late and sleeping in every morning. Poor Bill is the only one up early and off to work. Yesterday we went to see Monsters vs. Aliens at the $3 movie theater. The kids really enjoyed it, and I love the prices of the bargain movie theater!

Today we stuck around home. I've been working on some summer cleaning/sorting. Each day, I do one room or area, and I freecycle away want I don't want. Yesterday I did the family room and today I did the kitchen. It's very freeing to see all of the clutter taken away by people who want it and consider it a blessing. Tonight we also had our Heaven Bible Study, and that was from 7-9 p.m. Other than that -- like I said, we're just enjoying the summer and doing not much of anything. I REALLY LIKE IT!!!

Have a great night!!!

Much Love,
Michele

FREEDOM ...

Hi Friends ...

I am officially allowed out of my protective bubble. I had my bloodwork done at the oncologist today , and it came back good -- or at least, good for someone on chemo. So, I am allowed out in public again -- at least for the next 2 or so weeks until it's time for the next round of chemo. My oncologist was happy with how I'm doing. He did suggest, however, putting me back on a steroid to conteract the chemo fatigue. I could barely stay awake while in his office, which didn't help my case for no more steroids. They said the chemo hit me harder this time because I'm no longer on my favorite med of all time -- Prednisone, AKA the puffy drug!!! So, I told them I want to wait until I see Dr. Cohen, my rheumatologist, to decide. Meanwhile, I'll just go with sleeping a lot! It is summer break after all!

Stunningly, though, I woke up early (8:30 a.m) today with Bill and made him breakfast and coffee before he left for work. I also made his lunch. It felt like old times! Then after he left, I made a less healthy, but fun breakfast for the kids -- chocolate-chip pancakes and bacon! Oh, to be young again!!! The kids and I vegged most of the morning, and then we did our household chores, pet care, etc. In the afternoon, I went to the doctor, recycled, and hit Wal-Mart, and the grocery store. And I even went for a walk with Nathaniel today. I thought it might be a good idea to exercise. It felt good at the time, but it definitely didn't give me more energy throughout the day. After running all my errands (big kids stayed home to babysit younger ones), I came home and took a 45 minute nap before dinner, which luckily I had cooking already in the crockpot. Bill came home by 6:15 p.m. and we all ate before he and Cameron left for Boy Scouts. I did some sorting in the dining room tonight, and the kids are now watching a movie upstairs in their beds. I am off to sleep myself!!!

More tomorrow...
Much Love,
Michele

MONDAY, MONDAY!!!

Hi Friends!

I am really enjoying the summer, and the kids and I all slept in. Then I lounged around the house until about 2 p.m. in my pajamas. We officially counted the animals in our zoo today:
6 hamsters (Mom,Dad, and 4 babies) + 2 lizards+3 cats+1 dog=12 animals. We were busy taking care of them all today especially the baby hamsters. I received 2 new hamster cages from friendly folks on Freecycle.org., so we were setting those up today. The mom is still with the babies, and the dad is now in his own cage. We'll use the other cage for the baby hamsters when they can be sexed and separated from Mama. Hopefully, we'll do well with this litter (learning experience!) and take a break from hamster babies for a while.

This afternoon I showered and the kids helped me with some housework. Besides the usual, we cleaned out the front coat closet, getting rid of old shoes and storing winter gear. We also sorted and put away all of our school gear and made the dining room look like a nice dining room again, rather than school central. And since all the cats are eating out of one bowl anyway, we consolidated the cat food and posted all the extra bowls on Freecyle.

The kids played outside, biking and doing what kids do -- whatever that is! Before we knew it, it was 6:30. I quickly fed the kids left-overs for dinner and sent them upstairs before my Chronic Illness Bible Study members showed up. We have a very nice group of 10 people, and I hope they're getting as much out of being in the group as I am leading it. Today our topic was "I Feel So Guilty." We learned to focus on the grace that God has provided us so that we don't have to live with guilt. Our Bible verse for the week was 2 Cor 9:8 -- "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

On that note, I'll sign off for the day ...

Much Love,
Michele

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

These are some pictures of our 2 new kitties. Itty Bitty Kitty (3 lbs and 8 weeks old) belongs to Nate. Puss 'n Boots (10 lbs and 1 year old) belongs to Isaac.

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Hi Friends!

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there! I just called my Dad in Wisconsin, and he is doing well. Since he's taken up golfing again in his retirement, we sent him personalized golf balls that say, "Happy Father's Day, Grandpa Rick!!!" He seemed pleased with them. And of course, I am thrilled to have my husband and the father of my children back at our house! Bill arrived home on Friday at around noon. He cancelled his Washington D.C. trip for this coming week, so I'll have him home for the forseeable future. Praise God!

I'm sorry I haven't blogged for a while. On Friday we got up in the A.M. and did some errands. I had promised the kids a while back a trip to 7-11, so we started there. We also went to the bank and then to Pet Smart. We got a few things there (most interesting was a companion green anole for Cameron's lizard -- now we have Annie and Alex lizards), but we had specifically gone to get new tags for Itty Bitty and Puss 'n Boots (the 2 new cats). Unfortunately, their tag engraving machine was down -- so we'll have to come back. Then we drove over to Lemon Park, where there is water play for the kids. We let the kids play and run around in the water, and when Bill arrived home, he drove over on his motorcycle to join us. We spent the afternoon around home. Then in the late afternoon, Bill took me and the 3 younger kids out for a ride. I was getting a bit stir-crazy at home. We drove over towards Malibu and stopped at the beach. Cameron stayed home and took delivery of our dinner -- a lasagna and salad made with love by Sylvia. We ended up out longer than intended, though -- and stopped at McDonald's for dinner in Camarillio on our way home. We arrived home around 9 p.m. and I went straight to bed. I think the rest of my family pulled a late-nighter!

On Saturday -- I slept until 3 p.m. and it was heavenly! Bill was busy doing household repairs. It turned out that our water flood from the toilets had tripped a circuit, knocking out the house alarm and the refrigerator outlet, causing it to defrost. Make sense! He replaced the outlets and circuit, and all is better. When I finally joined the world of the living on Saturday afternoon, the kids and I tidied up around the house. Then we all got ready and went to 5:30 p.m. church. It was really nice to be back to church and worship!!! After church we stopped at Albertson's -- we needed a few things, most specifically soda and fruit. Our friends, Tom and Barbara, from our Chronic Illness Small Group had blessed us with a $100 gift card for Albertson's "to replace our freezer damaged food" -- so we were able to use that, and it was very nice. We got home around 8 p.m. and had left-overs for dinner. Shortly after that, I again went to bed earlier than the rest of my family.

This morning, I got up a bit earlier than yesterday, and I was moving by 10:30 a.m. I have a sinus infection and a low-grade fever, so I am hoping my immune-compromised system can fight it off. I'll see how it goes today, and then call Dr. Cohen tomorrow to see if he wants to start me on antibiotics. The kids and I still have some last minute preparations to make for Bill's Father's Day celebration -- he's going to Target soon, and we're going to use that time to make him some cards. I also need to run out and pick him up a present. But, what to buy for the man who has everything? Then at 5:30 we are going to take him out to dinner at a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser for David Lavoie. He is a local man who was in a severe bicycle accident, which has put him into a coma. This dinner is by donation only with all proceeds going to his family. Since we probably would have taken Bill out to dinner anyway -- this seems like an opportunity to bless him while also blessing others for a good cause.

I will attempt to blog more tomorrow...

Much Love,

Michele

THURSDAY...

Hi Friends ...

My sleeping schedule has been really off these days, because I am just sleeping when I'm tired, which is not necessarily at night. That's why I'm blogging now instead of sleeping. I did not help myself today by accidentally taking my nighttime meds in the morning, and then I had to take my morning meds at bedtime. That, of course, made me sleepy during the day and awake at night. Oh well! Nothing like a good screw up on the first day of summer!

The kids all slept in this morning. And I have a list of chores for them to do each day. Everyone did really well with that today. They spent the rest of the day just enjoying being off, and they all had some friends over. I am feeling a lot better -- I think I'm almost over the chemo effects. On Wednesday, I'll get to go in for my bloodwork, and then if all is good -- I will be officially out of my bubble. Of course, I'm cheating already, though!

Tonight we had dinner brought to us by LeAnn, and it was really good -- beef and mashed potatoes, rolls, and squash! We also had our weekly Heaven Bible Study at our house. Annie led it since Bill is still out of town. I wasn't quite up for public viewing, so I hung out upstairs with the kids. We rented Bedtime Stories and snuggled in my bed watching it. Then we played some card games. After Bible Study, I had the brilliant idea to make chocolate chip cookies. Kind of crazy because I've just begun eating again -- but I had a craving, and of course -- the kids told me to go with it! So, we made a bunch of cookies with Scooby Doo sprinkles. And then we spent time bonding with the kitties. We have another new one who is 1 year old and named Puss 'n Boots. She is beautiful, long-haired, and gray. So, I think we have reached our official limit of cats! At least until we move to a farm. Maybe Someday!!!

Tomorrow I have promised the kids a trip to 7-11 after they do their chores. We are also going to go to Lemon Park where they have water play for the younger kids. And I need to stop at PetSmart and the bank. Bill is due to get back into Burbank around 10:30 a.m., so I'm expecting him home around noon if there are no glitches. He does have a tight connection in Dallas! And he was supposed to be going back to Washington D.C. on Sunday, but it sounds like he may have gotten out of it. That, of course, would make me very happy!

More tomorrow .. or should I say later today!

Much Love,
Michele

P.S. -- Princess Bella's name has officially been changed to Itty Bitty Kitty. It fits her to a T! She is Nate's cat. And Puss is Isaac's. Of course, Bo Bo has always been Molly's. And Cam's claiming his lizard and Bingo. And then the boys still have the hamsters -- although they are being neglected with all the new cats. What a zoo! And I mean that literally!

WOO HOO! SCHOOL IS DONE!!! IT'S SUMMERTIME!

Hello Friends!

Cameron and Molly are officially done with school. Today was their last day! And the big news is that Cameron has passed Computer Website Design. He normally gets all A's, but he has had a hard time with his computer requirement. Last year he took Computer Keyboarding and failed it, and this year it was questionable whether he'd pass this class. But he did, and we're all doing the happy dance of joy!

I am feeling OK today. I have stopped puking, and I have even begun eating again. So, that is good. I am just very tired, though. This morning, Annie took the kids to school, and I slept until 10 a.m. Then I got up, because I had an appointment at the DMV to renew my handicapped placard. That was at 11 a.m., and Annie and I turned it into our outing of the day. Annie and Nate went to McDonald's to pick up lunch while Isaac and I stayed at the DMV. We all finished up at around the same time. Then we went to Sycamore Park to have a picnic lunch and let the boys expend some energy!

At 12:30 we did our last after-school pick up of the year. MADE ME SO HAPPY!!! We picked up Cameron and Molly from school, and then we all came home. I lay down for a while with Itty Bitty Kitty, and Terry showed up with a much needed surprise -- new flatware. She had been here yesterday and noticed that we were running short on spoons! I love practical gifts! Thanks, Terry!

The kids went swimming and rode bikes and were just generally kids this afternoon! Ross just brought us a lovely dinner that Carrie made for us. It's chicken and rice, homemade bread, and an Asian salad. Thanks, Carrie! The kids and Annie are currently eating, and I am going to join them in a minute. I think I could do some salad and rice.

More tomorrow... I am SO looking forward to our first day of summer!!!

Much Love,
Michele

MORE FLOODING...

Hi Friends,

I just finished cleaning up another flood. Today our garage freezer turned off and defrosted for no apparent reason. The power on it is out, but the circuit breakers are on. By the time it was discovered, half of the food was bad and needed to be thrown out. We salvaged a bit of food, and dried up the garage with all of our junk towel -- which we had just washed from the whole poopy toilet flood of yesterday. I wonder what will flood tomorrow?

I am still feeling really exhausted/depleted. Annie has been largely watching the kids while I sleep. I got up around noon today, and we got the house ready for the housecleaners. When they came, Annie, the boys, and I went to the park. The little boys really needed to get out and have some activity! The rode bikes and played on the playground equipment. Annie left for a bit at 3 p.m. and picked up Molly from school. Then they stopped at 7-11 and brought us drinks.

We got home from our outing around 4 p.m. I let the kids go swimming to further get rid of their energy. And then at 5:30 Linda Hamilton from church brought us dinner. We had spaghetti and meatballs, salad, bread, and brownies. It was quite tasty.

After dinner, we sent Cameron off to Scouts and forced poor Nathaniel to take a bath. You would have thought we were torturing the child. Molly's friend, Regina, is over right now. And Nate and Isaac are playing with blocks. Hopefully, we'll have no more household issues, and I can get to bed soon. I AM SO TIRED!!!

More tomorrow...
Much Love,
Michele

MONDAY ...

Hi Friends!

I'm really not feeling well today -- my stomach has been very upset and my headache has been excruciating! So, I spent most of the day in bed -- sleeping and then just laying around watching TV. The kids came up one by one to talk, watch TV, play cards with me, etc. We had a bit of excitement late this afternoon when our upstairs toilet overflowed. It overflowed through that whole room, and then rained down into the downstairs bathroom which is right below it. After filling the downstairs bathroom, the poopy water moved through the front entrance and into the shoe closet. After that, because of the way the house is angled, it moved into the the pantry in our kitchen. So, we had a lot of fun, fun, fun cleaning that all up. Cam, Molly, Annie, and, I must have used 50 old rag towels wiping it up. Then we had to call Annie's Dad to help us get the poopy water out of our ceiling (transclucent over the lights) tiles. He came over like a good sport as did Ty and Terri and they even helped us to disinfect the bathrooms.

Terri also brought us dinner tonight. We had Barbequed chicken, corn on the cob, fresh bread, and pasta salad. I heard that it was really good, but I was only able to manage the pasta salad and bread. That was an accomplishment, seeing how I had only kept down cherry 7-up earlier in the day. After the bathrooms were de-flooded and put back together and everyone ate, people started showing up for our 7 p.m. Chronic Illness Small Group. Since I was under the weather, Annie led it for us tonight.

That's about all... Please pray my head and stomach start to feel better. And that we have no further floods at our house. Only 2 more days of school for Cam and Molly!

More tomorrow...
Love,
Michele

SLEEPY SUNDAY!!!

Hi Friends!

As you can see Princess Bella AKA Missy Belle AKA Buttercup is getting lots of love. I guess we haven't settled on a name yet, because the kids seem to keep changing it. Luckily, she doesn't really care. She is a very loving and playful cat! Bo Bo, our other cat, is slowly adjusting and not as upset about the new kitten, although I wouldn't say they're friendly yet. But I think they will be after some time.

I am doing fairly well after chemo. Bill left for Washington D.C. at 4:30 a.m. I got up early and made him some breakfast -- eggs and coffee. Then I sent him off and went back to bed. I slept on and off until about 1 p.m. I'd wake up every now and again for about 1/2 hour and check on the kids. They did a good job this morning, and the big kids held down the fort.

Eventually I woke up for the day in the afternoon. Nate and Isaac went over to Judi's to play for a bit with Will and Heather. I helped Cameron with an essay on Shakespeare that he needed to write for English. I love Shakespeare, so it was a great thing for us to collaborate on. However, the timing wasn't the best to do it today. I had major waves of nausea coming and going, but luckily there was no throwing up today.

Annie came over in the afternoon, and she will be staying with us until Bill returns on Friday. She brought "Yes Man" and "Paul Blart, Mall Cop," so we got to watch those today. That was fun! We had left-over chicken and macaroni and cheese (still from Barbara and Tom, Thanks:))

for dinner, and Annie brought Baskin-Robbins ice cream for dessert. We had Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream, and it was a real hit with the kids. I enjoyed a little bit of it, too -- that was the most I've eaten in the past few days. So, it was good!

I got the kids to bed a little late, and now I feel very wide awake -- my sleep schedule has been very off since chemo. I just sleep when I'm tired, which may or may not be at nighttime.

Cam and Molly have school until Wednesday of this week. Cameron is off at 12:21 each day, however, because he is doing finals. And Molly goes until 3 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, and then is off early on Wednesday. I am done with the official homeschooling year for Nate and Isaac -- although we will still be learning and doing activities, of course, during the summer. We'll mostly focus on the basics -- reading, writing, 'rthmetic, and we need to do more social studies as we didn't finish our studies in that this school year. But, I am definitely looking forward to summer with more freedom and not having to get the kids anywhere at certain times.

I'll try to write more tomorrow.

Much Love,

Michele

NOT FEELING WELL ...

Hi Friends,
I am going to keep this short as I'm not feeling well. My stomach is very upset and I just threw up. Sorry if that's Too Much Information, but it is what it is. Mostly I've been sleeping, because the chemo makes you feel completely exhausted. So, I've been sleeping on and off since 3 p.m. yesterday. I wake up for about 15 minutes, and then go back to bed. Annie is here right now, and she is taking care of me with Isaac. Bill and the other kids all went to church, and they are still there. We had a lovely dinner brought from Tom and Barbara tonight. Thank you!
Love,
Michele

I LOVE THE SMELL OF CHEMO IN THE MORNING...

Hi Friends,

That's one of my favorite lines from The Bucket List! If you haven't seen it , just disregard the title of my post for today. But I said those words this morning upon waking. We were up really late last night due to Bible study at our house from 7-9 p.m. And then I was doing my typical pre-chemo nesting. I felt the need to stock up on groceries for my family. So, Annie -- Bless her heart! -- went with me late last night. We were checking out our groceries around midnight at Ralph's. But I got all the staples bought, and that did make me feel better. We have dinners brought from our church members for chemo weeks, so I just needed to get breakfast/lunch/snack items. However, with a large family (and Cameron whose stomach seems to be a black hole these days) -- even that much shopping can be a large undertaking!

So, this morning I was VERY tired and not all that thrilled about going to chemo. But go we did! I've been meditating on 2 Bible passages to get me through this.

First -- "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."
2 Tim 4:7 That gives me the peace of knowing that God understands how hard life can be, and it helps me to focus on heaven -- my true home.

Second -- "He MAKES me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul." Psalm 23:2-3. Sometimes we need a forced rest to reprioritize.

Anyway, I put on my big-girl panties and went to chemo after sending my two oldest off to school. Bill stayed home in the morning with Nate and Isaac. Annie took me to chemo.

Chemo was at 9:45 and it went well. The only glitch was that the first vein they tried didn't like the IVs. It had good flow, but I was in constant pain while it ran. So, they ended up changing my IV site, and the second attempt was much better.

We finished chemo shortly after noon. We stopped at Yolanda's for lunch. Thanks, Annie! I usually try to get one good meal in while the IV anti-nausea meds are still on board. I also had a margarita with lunch. I rarely drink, but it sure did hit the spot. It was funny, though -- I felt the need to explain to my waitress why I was drinking at noon. Like she really cared!

Bill had picked up Cameron from school at 12:30. He is doing finals, so he gets out early for the next and last 4 days of school. He also solved a clothing crisis for Molly at school by delivering clean clothes in the morning to Hillside. There's never a dull moment around here! Unfortunately, Bill had to go into work today, even though it was supposed to be his day off! So, he left Cam in charge of the two boys and left for work by 1 p.m. Annie and I got home shortly after and they were doing well.

Molly got done with school at the usual time (3 p.m.), and Annie went to pick her up. Nate and Isaac went over to Judi's to play this afternoon, and I spent most of the afternoon sleeping. I feel very depleted, fatigued, and nauseous. I thought I'd do this to try and take my mind off my stomach. Our new little kitty slept with me all day. She is so sweet. And Cameron took very good care of me. He answered my phone, checked on me frequently, and brought me whatever I needed.

Molly and Annie went to a dance recital in Thousand Oaks tonight. Their friend, Regina, is dancing in it. They left around 5 p.m. -- I think, because I was still sleeping! Isaac is spending the night at Judi's tonight. (Shirlene hurt her back, so she has been off of work and not in Simi this week!) Bill got home around 8 p.m. He, Cameron, and Nate went to Target. Bill needs to pick up (what else?!) meds and the boys want to shop with their allowance money. It's payday!

I am going to lay back down in bed and snuggle with the kitty. I will probably watch some TV until I get sleepy again.

Annie took some pictures of me at lunch, so I'll have her add them to this later when she gets home. At this point, we've decided that she pretty much lives here. And once again, I say I'm blessed to have such wonderful friends! Yesterday, I read a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said, "The ornaments of a house are the friends that frequent it!" And that is so true!

More when I'm up to it ... Thanks for all your prayers. I have FAITH that these next 6 rounds of chemo will put me into complete remission.

Much Love,
Michele

I AM THE QUEEN OF QUILTING!

Hi Friends!

It's been a crazy busy day that passed very quickly, and it seemed like I wasn't getting much done. However, now I'm having my usual burst of midnight energy! So, I am planning to write this and then do some puttering/organizing in my family room.

I took the kids to school this morning, and then went back to bed until 10 a.m. Nate and Isaac had an art day today, and they spent much time playing and creating with Bendaroos -- thanks to Auntie Annie AKA Alice. I had a visit from an old friend who just found out I was sick, and she stopped by for several hours late this morning. We also spent much of the day bonding with our new kitty and trying to coax Bo Bo out of Molly's room!

After picking up the kids from school, Cameron stayed home to babysit the boys -- Nate, Isaac, and Will. Molly, Annie, and I then went to Carrie's house. Carrie is a friend from church and our Bible Study group. She had a stroke several years ago. One of her favorite things to do is quilting, but since her stroke -- it is challenging for her to do. So, we had the great idea that she could teach us how to do it -- and maybe between all of us we could create something beautiful!

We had a really fun time tonight and Carrie taught us how to cut the squares and sew them on the sewing machine doing a continuous seam. Next time, we are going to meet at JoAnn's and buy fabric. We will each be making a small quilt. I am going to make mine for my favorite Dr. Cohen whose wife is expecting a baby girl in the next month.

After our quilting fun, we took a drive over to the bank and to 7-11. We also went to Pet Smart and picked up some needed supplies for our new kitty as well as some things for Bo Bo and Bingo. We found A LOT of stuff, but it sure was fun! We hit Del Taco on the way home and brought food home for dinner. We didn't make it home until almost 8 p.m. and the house was pretty much demolished! Bu the kids were happy. So, we had dinner, the kids did baths/showers, and we cleaned up the house. Molly's friend, Regina, came over and stayed for dinner and didn't go home until LATE!!!

Right now, I am going to sign off and doing a few things before bed. Tomorrow should be busy as I always feel the need to prep the house before my chemo. And Bill is coming home just in time to lead our Heaven Bible Study at 7 p.m.

I am posting pictures of me quilting today so that you can see what I'm looking like off of Prednisone and without chemo for two months. I'm hoping to keep the hair that I've managed to grow again! But we'll see what happens during the next 6 months! Being bald can be liberating and you can get ready so much faster! So it's really a win-win situation!

Much Love,

Michele

INTRODUCING PRINCESS BELLA!

Hi Friends!

I am now officially the crazy cat lady of our neighborhood! We were given a little doll of a kitten today. She is 7 weeks old, black with white paws and a white stripe under her chin. She is very cute, very loveable, and so friendly and playful! The kids are having a great time with her! Bingo seems to like her. They touched noses, and when Bingo wags his tail -- Princess Bella (or little Missy as Isaac likes to call her!), chases it! Bo Bo, our other cat -- is having a hissy fit of jealousy, and after much hissing and growling -- he is currently hiding under my bed. I told the kids that's what they look like when they throw a fit. We are getting ready to make dinner, or at least send Annie (Alice) to the store to buy us something. Bill, if you're reading this -- SURPRISE on the kitty!

More tomorrow ...

Much Love,

Michele

SUNDAY...

Hi Friends!

Sunday was an OK day for me, and I'll take it! Ok is good at this point!! We had done church on Saturday, so we got to sleep in this morning, or should I say until this afternoon. Bill, as usual, had more energy than me and was cleaning the pool, and the yard, and the garage. I felt a bit lazy in the house, but I wisely resisted the urge to overdo. Cameron and Molly helped me tidy up the house, and Isaac and I went to the grocery store. Other than that, my only trip out was a trip to 7-11 for my liquid nourishment of the day -- yes, you guessed it, my daily Double Big Gulp. I took Cam along with me to 7-11, but I had him get a smaller soda since he's still growing and I don't want to stunt him with bad nutrition. Wait, Maybe that was a bad decision since at 16, he is 6'2" and wears a size 12 shoe! Oh well!

I managed to repurpose the beef stroganoff by making it with noodles tonight. Last night we had it with mashed potatoes. Nate was having a rough night tonight, arguing about everything. I think he was just overtired, but I am glad they're all sleeping soundly now. That is, except Molly who is putting the final touches on her science project with Bill on the computer. We Blands work better under a deadline, and after all it is due tomorrow 1st period!

Tomorrow Bill is leaving for Washington DC for the week. He has a lot of travel lined up for this month! I am meeting with the oncologist tomorrow at 2:45 and after that I should know when chemo will start. I also have my Chronic Illness small group at my house tomorrow night. So, the day will be busy and eventful -- but that is LIFE!

Much Love,
Michele

OH, I HAD A GOOD DAY!

Hi Friends!

I just thought I'd add to my earlier post, and tell you that I had a good day. I did a few things slowly around the house, made an awesome beef stroganoff from scratch (can you say heart healthy? for Bill) for dinner, and we went to church tonight. It's now 10 p.m. and I am going to lay down in bed, to rest and watch TV.

Judi had an X-ray done of her leg today. They say her total recovery should take about 6 months, but she is doing well and progressing slowly but surely.

Molly is currently working on her science project with Bill's help. Since it's a computer slide show -- that is more his department than mine. They are doing well together. And Molly has even admitted that it's a good thing that I made her go back to school on Friday to get her science book. Turns out she really did need it! Imagine that, Mom was right! But I took the high road and didn't even say,"I told you so!"

Cameron is already in bed. He is tired after doing his yardwork and chores. The younger boys are watching a movie in bed. And Bill is waiting for me to get off the computer so that he can go to work on his website. Please go to his website and click on the advertisements. That's how we make money! If you have some free time, we'd definitely appreciate it!

More tomorrow ....

Love,
Michele

TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LEVEL OF INSANITY...

These are a few more pictures of our recent camping trip at Lake Isabella -- AKA, my last hurrah before 6 more months of chemo. And the last two pictures are of Bill's tattoo. He just had the footprints added last night -- symbolic of our Walk to Emmaeus.

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Hi Friends,

I'm feeling much better today. So, my challenge will be not to overdo it. I'm going to spend the day puttering around the house, and this afternoon we will go to 5:30 church. Brandon and the boys are outside skateboarding, Molly is outside juggling, and Cameron is what else -- watching TV. I just reminded him that he needs to cut the grass today, but he has decided to put it off until the last possible moment and do it after church tonight. I can't say that I blame him!

Bill's tattoo turned out nicely, and he was home by 9:30 last night with our Chinese food. I'm including some pictures for you. He is currently outside changing the oil on his beloved Harley-Davidson motorcycle!

And rather than boring you today with the details of my life and illness, I thought I'd share this. My sister-in-law, Shawnna, sent it to me a few months ago. I think it is too funny!

TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LEVEL OF INSANITY ...

1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hairdryer at passing cars.

See if they slow down.

2. Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.

3. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.

4. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine

addictions, switch to espresso.

5. In the memo field of all your checks, write "For Marijuana"

6. Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophecy."

7. Skip down the hall rather than walk and see how many looks you get.

8. Order a diet water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

9. Specify that your drive-through order is "To Go."

10. Sing along at the opera.

11. Put mosquito netting around your work area and play tropical sounds all day.

12. Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you have a headache.

13. When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I WON! I WON!"

14. When leaving the zoo, start running for the parking lot, yelling "Run for your lives! They're

loose!"

15. Tell your children over dinner, "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you

go."

16. And the final way to keep a healthy level of insanity. Share this with someone else to make

them smile. It's called THERAPY!!!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

Much Love,

Michele