NEWSFLASH

I'm not dead!!!

I've just been VERY distracted...

More to follow...

in theory.

How long would YOU wait?

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Overall...

I'm SO EXCITED!

On the 11th of this month I am going for a visit with my primary care doctor to be referred to a plastic surgeon so I can FINALLY have my breast reduction!!! I'm not looking forward to the operation itself or the recovery time following the operation BUT, I am VERY eager to be done with the back spasms and assorted pains that lugging around GG cups causes.

In OTHER news:

Dad is still doing chemo to fight cancer. All things considered, he is holding up fairly well for a guy who was supposed to be (at least according to the doctors) long gone by now. Unfortunately, the cancer HAS jumped to a new organ system, which brings us to a grand total of three. It started as colorectal, metastasized to his liver & has now migrated to a lung. On the bright side: The tumors all seem to be responding to the chemo and shrinking a bit so, even though it has spread to a new organ, it is still feasible to treat the cancer as a chronic illness instead of a fatal one! We continue to hope for the best and live each day thankful for every moment God chooses to give us as a family.

The kids are hitting Summer FULL SWING! Auron graduated kindergarten, Xander is almost fully potty trained and Drayden has hit his "terrible two's" early and is driving what little sanity was left in this house screaming as it bails out the back window! Samantha has been fighting off a nasty infection around her feeding tube for the past month but I think we have almost won that battle. Seizures are a whole different story. I can't seem to convince Samantha's neurologist that aggressively treating her seizures, even with an increased risk of side effects, would be well worth it if she gains even a marginal improvement in her quality of life. In his defense, Samantha has only been his patient for about 6 months and he is still getting to know us. I have to give him props for being open to discussion and happily letting me be an active participant in Sam's care and for being reasonable when it comes to his willingness to ask for consults with doctors out of state who specialize in treating neurological issues in people with Angelman Syndrome. Any doctor who DOESN'T think he is God gets MAJOR bonus points in my book!

I'm still happily growing the relationship with my long lost sister and only wish she lived closer so we could have more bonding time face to face. Funds are tight, as they always tend to be when you have a family of six to feed and clothe, but I feel very blessed and fortunate because I know there are SO many without any income at all right now.

Overall, life is good!

Overall, we are wonderfully BLESSED and THANKFUL for the gifts GOD provides!

Walking For Samantha...

WOW, I have no words...

Only in America would this be possible: Bacon-Flavored Soda Sizzles Onto Shelves

Where did all the dust-bunnies come from?

As any repeat reader of my blog can attest, I generally blog when I can't sleep because I have too many things buzzing through my brain. Such is the case tonight, so I thought I would fight off the ginormous dust-bunnies that are trying to colonize my poor neglected blog and fill you guys in on life changes around here. (I'm also prepping for my Christmas letter, so this is sort of a first draft.)

Major update highlights for this year: I am no longer an only child! Months ago, my long lost paternal half sister and I finally found each other! She is a fabulous person and we hope to meet in person as soon as we can manage it. I am just going to call her "T" or Sis here to protect her privacy when I talk about her. T is six years older than I am and is married with two beautiful step-daughters and one handsome son. She has had a less than ideal life but was blessed with a loving adoptive Dad who still stays actively involved in her life. I'm her only sister (which is super cool from my perspective!)

Dad is still fighting the good fight and recently had another operation to remove more cancerous tissue. He is ornery and doesn't go to the doctor for half of the things he probably should but he assures me he is not going to give up any time soon. He has lost weight (much more than would be healthy) for over a month and is struggling to keep enough nourishment in his system to even stay hydrated and maintain his weight. My grandfather swears he is starting to look like a toothpick.

Dad's hospital stay after his last operation was much longer than they originally anticipated which left Samantha in the care of a family friend who didn't have the proper paperwork to seek medical treatment for her in case there were an emergency. The Army considered the situation a child care emergency and granted emergency leave to my husband so he could drive to Texas to pick up Samantha and her mass amounts of equipment and bring her back home to live with us again.

MY CHILDREN ARE ALL UNDER THE SAME ROOF FOR THE FIRST TIME - EVER!!!!

We are still working out all the details that go into meeting Sam's needs but the good news is that my body has held up surprisingly well to all the lifting and moving involved in her day to day care! Things are VERY busy around here because we don't have nursing help set up for Samantha yet and adding all of her daily requirements to the already hectic schedule of three small boys has been... interesting to say the least! We have not had the jealousy from the boys that I expected. They have all been exceptionally sweet with their sister and mostly argue over who gets to help take care of her. I have been blessed with some wonderful kiddos and I can't wait to see what wonderful and compassionate men they will grow into as a result of growing up with our beautiful girl!

Auron started school this year and is doing great! He loves his teacher and has made lots of friends. Focus is a bit of a problem for him, but he IS mine after all! He is turning into such a sweet little gentleman and I am so pleased with the tender personality that he is growing into. Xander doesn't look like a baby any more. He has grown so much this year and looks so much more like a little boy now. He is a very loving child and constantly follows me through the house kissing my hands and hugging me. He has one of the most beautiful smiles I've ever seen and a giggle to match! Drayden is almost a year old and just started walking. He is bursting with WAY more personality than the average twelve month old. He dances every time he hears a beat, wags his pointer finger at you when he is talking to you, giggles and smiles all the time, and ADORES Auron.

I am feeling very BLESSED and thankful for so many reasons. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers as we always need them, and special prayers for my Mom and Dad would be much appreciated!

Never Gonna Stand For This by Teachenor Clark

Parenting and Happiness Pair Well, Despite What You Read

Great article: Parenting and Happiness Pair Well, Despite What You Read

USS Indianapolis CA-35

This story has touched me over the last few days. I never learned about this in history class, but it is an important thing to know and remember. In memory of all those lost and in honor of those who survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis CA-35 please read their story.