Cancer Part Deux

As all good plans go...they are always subject to change.  :)

It turned out I did not have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 Genetic Mutation.  I, instead, have the FANCC genetic mutation which could be the cause for my breast cancer (as well as a myriad of other health issues I've had all my life).  Unfortunately, Tricare doesn't recognize that mutation for the removal of the second breast so I kept one breast and they removed the other cancerous one.  I opted against breast augmentation and instead decided to use a breast prosthesis.  

How did the surgery go?  Well, I was allergic to something and broke out in a rash all over my neck, lower face, and upper chest.  The doctor thinks it might have been the tape the anesthesiologist used.  I thought it might be the Ancef antibiotic but he doesn't want to take that off the table in case he needs to use it in the future.  It was more painful that the actual 14 inch incision in my chest that wrapped around to my back until it cleared up two weeks later.  It started as blisters and then itched me into craziness.  Good distraction from the actual mastectomy I guess.  lol.

After they took the tube out, I have developed a really nice seroma.  (This is a pocket of clear serous fluid that sometimes develops in the body after surgery. When small blood vessels are ruptured, blood plasma can seep out; inflammation caused by dying injured cells also contributes to the fluid.)  We want to wait and see if my body will absorb the fluid as it should but it really is quite painful now that it is the size of a small breast sitting there on my chest muscle.  I see the surgeon tomorrow and I may take on the risk of infection just to get the fluid out.  (This is why it isn't recommended to drain them.)

So, all this is EXTREMELY boring but I wanted to put it in here so that I would remember it all if I ever got cancer in the other breast and had to go through this all over again.  You know, like "what is normal and what isn't for my body".  lol  

Everyone is so concerned about me psychologically losing a breast.  Personally, I say GOOD RIDDANCE.  That breast had provided me with nothing but worry for the last five years.  Once this pain is gone, I am going to be a very very happy woman.  I have no regrets for having lost the breast.  I just see it as God's plan for my life.  I don't need it to be a better person.  I don't need to be happy.  I don't need it to worship God.  My husband loves me just as much without it as he did with it.  Life is still GOOD.  I am thankful for the opportunity God gave me to rid myself of current and all future cancers in that breast.  Praise be to God...

"Say Thank You

By Max Lucado

The Apostle Paul says, “Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

You don’t have to name a child after God, but then again, you could. Or you could draft a letter listing all His blessings or write a song in His honor. You could sponsor an orphan or adopt a child just because God adopted you. The surest path out of a slump is marked by the road sign, “Thank you.”

But what of the disastrous days? Are you grateful then? Jesus was. “On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it…” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24). Not often are the words betrayed and thanks in the same sentence, much less in the same heart. Anyone can thank God for the light. Jesus teaches us to thank God for the night!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

The PLAN

"As soon as you're diagnosed with breast cancer, you desperately try to figure out how it could have happened.  You analyze your life a thousand times over, rack your brains searching for THE reason, beat your head against the wall, experience endless guilt.  All you get is a headache.  Drop it!  Save your precious energy for your health and well-being."  Maris Weiss, M.D.

I've be given the blessing of a second diagnosis of breast cancer.  It's different this time.  (I can say it is different after having the full diagnosis and being armed to the teeth with knowledge....I don't care what anyone says...knowledge is power.)  I feel no fear this time.  I felt nothing but fear last time.  I felt like the cancer demons were nipping at my heels.  This time...I have a 'PLAN'.

This isn't a recurrence of the last breast cancer.  My body wanted to generate an entirely different kind since we found a way to beat the last one.  Last time, it was Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.  This time it is just measly Ductal Carinoma In Situ.  All contained in the ductal region of the breast.  Not even strong enough to break out yet.  We can take our time and map out a real plan to conquer this one.  So....here's the 'PLAN'.

Yesterday, we went to see the Breast Health Specialist at the Breast Center, Sandy Cross.  She made several recommendations.  I've added some of her recommendations to my 'PLAN'.  Sandy felt because my body had generated two completely different types of breast cancer within a 4 year span that it would be a good idea (just in case I had a gene mutation that would continue to cause me to grow breast cancer over and over) to have a double mastectomy as opposed to a single mastectomy.  She suggested I see a geneticist counselor.  We have TIME to make these decisions with this type of cancer.

Today we went to see the Geneticist Counselor, Amy George, to talk about checking my genes for possible gene mutations.  (Step 1 of the 'PLAN')  She agreed that with two different types of breast cancer that it was a good idea to check.  If I have a gene mutation, then I will have a double mastectomy, if I do not, we will do a single.

We also talked to my Cancer Doc, Dr. Waples.  He talked to us about no chemo 'at this time' BUT if they found other invasive cancer cells when they do the biopsies on the breast tissue they remove, that I may need chemo after all.  I am supposedly not allowed to get my hopes up about 'no chemo' yet.  He also told us to keep our options open about reconstruction.  He says they've come a long way with breast implants but does not recommend using body tissue to rebuild the breasts.  He wants us to talk to a plastic surgeon and hear what they have to say.

Step 2 of the PLAN is to discuss options with Dr Sheppard our surgeon tomorrow.  We're having a bit of trouble getting a good plastic surgeon that is in the tricare family.   There are only three in the area and none of them are ones that my cancer doc recommends.  We'll see what Dr. Sheppard says.  Since we cannot have radiation a second time on the same breast, we know that we have to have a mastectomy on at least one breast.

Step 3 is either the implant surgery or just recovery.  No radiation and hopefully, no chemotherapy.  Doesn't really sound like I know the PLAN very well does it?

BUT, it sounds super simple, huh?  It's nothing at all for my God to take care of.  After all, it's all in God's PLAN, not mine.  I'm just waiting to see where He takes me.

By Grace Alone...

I'm just sayin'...

I haven't visited here since September of last year and I don't really know why. 

Life is still happening...in fact, it is rushing by like a raging river faster than I can catch the current.  Fall turned into winter which is just about to leap into spring again.  I watch Shadow growing old (she's almost 12 now and kind of lumbers around like she hurts when she walks and I want to tell her that I understand how she feels but somehow we tell these things to each other without words) and I look in the mirror and see the same thing in myself and it's OK.  I'm OK with all that.  Other people fight it.  I don't...after fighting cancer, I wear my lines of age gratefully.  (no, that word wasn't gracefully...lol..but gratefully)  Ever thankful that God has given me more time with my family.

I guess I'm visiting this page because tomorrow is another of those mammogram visits and, no matter how many times I go there, they are terrifying to me.  I know it's been 3 and a half years since the previous diagnosis but it doesn't stop the fear of having to go through all that over again.  I mean, just imagine if every time you walked down a certain road, there was a bully ready to beat up on you, would you really want to walk down that road again?  I'm thinking not.  Mammograms are just big bullies to me. 

I'm just sayin'...

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Been a While...But She's BAAACCCKKK

Yup, it's been a while....

Tom and I have been busy with redesigning the office.  It was supposed to be HIS project.  HIS hobby.  Somehow, it became my project too.  Well, actually, it was fun. 

Truth be known, I started the project. 

When we lived in Florida, we had a huge office.  The office had two LARGE desks, desk chairs, two bookcases, and two file cabinets (as well as ourselves and Shadow) that fit in it.  There were also two high back chairs for reading.  It was sweet.

When we moved to Alabama, we downsized a bit since we were no longer supporting a passel of children.  (Whoo whoo!!)  Well, along with the downsizing, came a smaller office.  Hmmm...so, the office furniture no longer fit.  We could get the two desks in and the file cabinets (and once again ourselves and Shadow) but none of the other stuff.  We left it that way for about 6 years then all of a sudden I put on the brakes.  I'd had enough.  Too hard to clean, tired of bumping into each other, and no matter how I arranged it, it basically sucked.  Ugh...there had to be a better way.  So, I turned on my ultra huge chemo riddled brain and came up with the floating desk idea.  I went online and saw these little tiny floating desks they were offering.  No way was that gonna cut it for me. 

The MAN needed to get out his power tools and come up with a ROOM SIZED floating desk for me.  I knew he could do it.  I had total faith in him.  After all, I had the entire idea in my ultra huge chemo riddled brain.  All he had to do was dive in there and get it out.  (Good luck, honey!) 

I gave him my general idea (nothing on the floor and everything attached to the wall) which I think he heard much like Charlie Brown's teacher talking and started off on his own track.  He started researching brackets, drawing up designs, cutting up paper into dimensional layouts of the room until he had it just right.  The he found the brackets he wanted.  The big heavy duty kind where two of them can  hold 1000 lbs.  (What did he think we were going to do on this desk?????)  He ordered 17 (SEVENTEEN) of these brackets to hold up this amazing desk that he was going to build. 

I'm thinking...WOW...That's 8,500 pounds of STUFF we can load on that desk.  Is that super cool, or what?  We could put baby elephant bookends on the desk if we wanted to since the average baby elephant only weighs 250 lbs.  (Stuffed of course...ewwww....) 

In case you are interested, and I know you must be or you wouldn't still be reading this dribble that I am writing...here are some pictures of the process.  Somehow, he got to do all the fun stuff with the power tools like measuring, sawing the pieces, and routering and I got to do all the drudgery like sanding, staining, and varnishing.  (Now who has the big brain...looks like someone in this house is smarter than I am...)



Starting with the Cleats



1000 pound Brackets are next.  :)



First Board Cut



Nice Router Cut Made.  :-)



Staining the underside of the Desk



Fastening Down the Desk



Looking at the Underside.

First Look at Backsplash

Top Stained

Grommets In Place

Backsplash In Place

Moved In...WHOO WHOO!!!

New Pictures Hung

 

So, you might be asking, what's next?  Well, He is going to make some kick panels to cover the brackets (that I get to sand, stain and varnish) and then some drawers (gotta have junk drawers)  (that I get to sand, stain and varnish)  You'll notice that there isn't anything on the walls ABOVE our computers...that is because I have other thoughts in my ultra huge chemo riddled brain for those walls.  :)

 

By Grace Alone -

 

Teresa

Quiet Time Book Land

Aren't new friends fun?

I've made a new friend and she has ALL KINDS OF IDEAS on how to utilize my sewing skills.  (She doesn't sew a stitch but is good at finding things for me to sew...LOL)  She really is fun and she is stretching me beyond my current comfort zone.  Her name is Sarah and to protect the innocent, I won't divulge her last name.  We also work together.

She is a lot younger than I am but she is a kindred spirit.  She likes to do crafty things but she also has two young children (ages 2 and 4.5).  So we aren't exactly moving in the same dimension of this world.  I am in the slow turtle part of the world...kind of relaxed and laid back...enjoying the lack of constant energy that kids bring into a house and she is thoroughly enjoying the constant energy.  As it should be. 

We do a lot of texting.  She has helped me design and create these two (yes, I said TWO) Quiet Time books for her children.  Each book ended up with 12 pages.  I got to do lots of embroidery in them and she got to do some crocheting for things like flowers and apples that snap on.  She did a lot of the cutting out of the small pieces (ugh...I hate that part)  Lots of sewing (I LOVE that part).  I'll see if I can post some pictures here so you can see some of the finished products.

Here were the two finished books.  I am uploading a video of Ryan's finished pages.  Avery's is pretty much the same as Ryan's with a few differences.  She had Flowers instead of apples and a Jean skirt instead of overalls.  She didn't have colors and shapes, she had cupcakes for counting.  She also had a clock to learn to tell time but it was all feminine instead of having Woody in the middle of it.  Here are the pictures that are different.

 

Each of the cupcakes have beads on them that equal the number on the cupcake holder.  The cupcakes come out and can be mixed up and then she will need to match them back up by counting the beads.

 

 

Enjoy the video.  This was actually made to send to Sarah because she lives across town and we do everything virtually.  I figure you can get a good laugh out of it too.  

 

We started these books on May 25th and I finished them this morning.  I'm not sure it is anything that I want to do again though.  8-)  I am sure they will bring a lot of joy to both the kids and Sarah.  She had one when she was a child which is what started the entire project.  She says she is going to play with them as much as her kids.  Too funny.  She really is a character. 

Here is a little Max for today:

"Put Your Trust In Him

By Max Lucado

How did Jesus endure the terror of the crucifixion? He went first to the Father with His fears. He modeled the words of Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Do the same with your fears. Enter them—just don’t enter them alone.  And while there, be honest. Pounding the ground is permitted.  Tears are allowed.

“Take this cup,” Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemene. Give God your fears. Give God the number of the flight. Share the details of the job transfer. He has plenty of time. He also has plenty of compassion. He won’t tell you to “buck up” or “get tough.” He knows how you feel. That’s why we punctuate our prayers as Jesus did: “Father, if you’re willing. . .”  Was God willing?  Yes and no. He didn’t take away the cross of Christ, but He took away the fear. Who’s to say He won’t do the same for you?"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Making Memories

My Mom and I sewed together on Skype yesterday.  That is always fun.  I like to spend a few hours on the weekend just sitting back and playing and chatting about nothing and everything.  When we started our conversation this weekend I wasn't sure what I was going to do during it.  Tom and I had just gotten back from the grocery store and Hobby Lobby.  I needed some furniture for my sewing room to hold already cut pieces of cloth so they wouldn't get strewn all over the shelves with the cloth that wasn't cut yet.  (Yeah, this has become a SERIOUS hobby.)  Anyway, I started out cleaning up the furniture while we talked and then I started looking at the ironing board that was up against the wall and was comparing it to the new wall hanging that I had just gotten finished this week and hung up the night before.  They really clashed.  Started talking to my Mom about it and we decided that I probably had enough cloth left over from the border on the wall hanging to cover the ironing board so (to continue this run-on sentence) we sat there and designed it together.  Even after she is gone, I will look at that ironing board and remember the good times we had laughing during the creation of that ironing board cover.  :)

Here is the wall hanging and the finished matching ironing board cover.  :)

The biggest challenge was Shadow wanting to play with the elastic while I was threading it through the binding on the cover.  She's almost 11 years old and she's still such a kitten.

I got a REALLY good deal on one of the two pieces of furniture I got at Hobby Lobby.  It was regularly $299.  They had it marked down 30% to $209.  It had a big gouge on the front of it and I thought...hmmm....I don't really care about the gouge since it is just going in my sewing room but I don't want to pay $200 for a gouged piece of furniture.  So I called one of the clerks over and asked if I could get a deal on it.  He said he'd ask the manager.  The manager said I could get 50% off.  I figured that just meant 20% more off which would make t $150 which was ok with me.  But when I got up to the register, they gave me 50% MORE off of it so I ended up getting it for $105.  Very cool.  Here is a picture of the two new pieces for my sewing room.  The big one is the one that I got the deal on.  I actually paid $20 more for the smaller piece but it didn't have any flaws so that was ok.  :)

Here is a little Max for today...I just love the ones about food.  :)  This one is a particularly good lesson for Tom and I since we are having a few battles with our neighbor right now.  His kids like to put gum on our brick mailbox (easy to remove)...they don't mow their grass regularly (but they eventually mow it)...and their trash quite often blows into our yard (easy to pick up)...oh, it's the little things.  Good lessons from God.

"Chocolate Ice Cream or Okra?

by Max Lucado

Jesus said: “The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.” (Luke 6:38).

It’s as if God sends you to purchase your neighbor’s groceries. “Whatever you get your neighbor, get also for yourself.” I’m crazy about double-chocolate ice cream, so I buy my neighbor double-chocolate ice cream. But suppose your neighbor’s trash blows into your yard. He’s in no rush—says he’ll get to it next week.

You’re just about to have a talk when God reminds you, “Time to go to the market and buy your neighbor’s groceries.” You march right past the double-chocolate ice cream toward the okra and rice. You drive back and drop the sack in the lap of your lazy, good-for-nothing neighbor. “Have a good dinner.”

The next time you go to your pantry, guess what you find? What will you be eating? Chocolate ice cream or okra? It’s up to you."


By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Technological Whiz or Technological Ditz??

I used to be a techology whiz.

Not sure what happened.

Now I find myself screaming at my iPad and wanting to throw it in the trash.

No, it isn't menopause.

I've just had one of those weeks.

Lately, I've had some password challenges.  I'm sure everyone has these nowadays (that's a word, right?).  I mean, we have to create passwords for different email accounts (yeah, I've got an email account for my apple id, an email account for my internet account that is tied to my cable, I used to have one that was tied to my old internet account with AT&T that we got rid of when we got our new internet account and that one was on our iPads, iPods, and iPhones.  I was trying to change the iMessage on the iPad from the bellsouth.net account to my me.com account and it wasn't taking what I KNEW was the right password for the me.com account.  (You followed all that, right?)  I ended up handing it to Tom and saying "It's all yours."  Turned out the iMessage doesn't even work on the iPad so no wonder the password wasn't working.  Not sure why it worked with the bellsouth account to begin with.  Who knows.  Another of life's mysteries.

Side Note: At last count, I had about 168 different passwords in my password database.  Yeah, kinda extreme, but I'm a complicated gal.

I got froggie and decided to go to google + with my comments on my blog.  AFTER I did that I saw that it said that I would lose all my previous comments when I did so.  WHAT???  I have so FEW comments.  I CHERISH all my comments.  Oh well.  A technical HIT again.  It turns out that it isn't as bad as I thought.  I can't see the comments in the stats but I can still see them on the individual blog entries.  More cumbersome, but all is not lost.  (Whew)

The new med the doctor put me on for the migraines is doing really well.  No migraines in the past week.  I adjusted to one a day and started on two a day today.  Back to feeling fuzzy but I am sure that will straighten out after a week just like the one a day did.  I REALLY like not having a headache. 

Here is some Max for today:

"The Fire that Consumes You

By Max Lucado

God will speak to you differently than He will speak to others. Just because God spoke to Moses through a burning bush doesn’t mean we should all sit next to a bush waiting for God to speak. No, God reveals His heart personally to each person. We learn His will as we take up residence in His house and seek to listen to him every single day.

Want to know God’s will for your life? Then answer the question: What ignites your heart? Forgotten orphans? Untouched nations? The inner city? What is the fire that consumes you? Mark it down. Jesus comes to set you on fire and he will speak to you. The fire of your heart is the light of your path. Fan it at your own delight. Blow it. Stir it. Nourish it. Disregard it at your own expense! Your delight is God’s message to you!

God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing. Ephesians 2:10"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Three Cookie Days

This really is a big deal for a cancer survivor...

Yeah, I'm gonna talk a little about cancer again today.  I try not to go here anymore but this is like celebrating a birthday.  :)  It's definitely a three cookie day!

I am TWO YEARS (count them) TWO YEARS past my last radiation treatment.  I just had my 2 year checkup with my medical oncologyst and everything is going well except for some migraines that I have been having.

So, now I'm on a new and exciting (not) med.   I was having migraines just like these BC (before cancer).  After chemo, I didn't have them anymore but a couple of months ago, they decided to start visiting again just like old friends.   (I did not invite them and they are definitely not 'best' friends'.  HA.)

The new med is Topromax which was initially released for epilepsy but they found that it stops migraines in their tracks before they get started so I'm willing to give it a try.  I've been on it for two days and the first day, a headache was acting like it was going to start but today, nothing.  So far, so good.

The good news is that all my blood work is NORMAL again also.  My white count is all the way up to 5.1 which is amazing for me.  My platelets are normal for the first time, my BUN is within the normal range.  Anyway, without boring you totally to death, let's just say that they all look really good for the first time in two years.  We've been exercising again which I know is a good thing.  (Probably what is causing the headaches...LOL)

Off of cancer and back to sewing...lol.  A WAY more fun subject.

I did finish some curtains to match a quilt hanging in my bathroom.  Here is a picture of that.

 

Yes, this was actually the wall hanging from my office.  I took the one I had made for the bathroom and took it to the office because I wanted to make the invisible hanger for this one and the other one ended up matching my office better and I had a lot of matching material to this one for making curtains so I did a switcheroo.  This one matched the bathroom quite nicely too.  8-)  It has taken me almost 6 years to decide what to do with that window.  I'm such a procrastinator.  sigh. 

 

I also made curtains for the guest bedroom so that it would be homey when Mom came down to visit. 

 

Here is a pic of the curtains.  I made them out of some of the material that I had left over from the monstrosity quilt material.  8-)  The color of the walls is correct in the picture below and the color of the walls in the picture above is incorrect.  I took the picture of the bathroom with my iPhone and the picture below with a real camera.  The walls are actually the same color in the two rooms...lol. 

 

I ran across these neat little magnetic curtain tie backs that are holding the curtains open.  I wasn't sure if I was going to like them or not but I like them more and more each time I see them.  It's such a simple concept.  It is two metal leaves with magnets inside of them and a metal wire running between them.  You put one leaf on the back and one on the front of the curtain and they snap together to hold them in place.  I'm sure when Roman spends the night, he'll have a lot of fun rearranging them.  HA!

 

 



That is about all I've been up to lately.  Here is some Max for today.  Cancer was all vegetables, but I'm definitely having three cookie days lately. 

"Three Cookie Days

By Max Lucado

Every day, God prepares for us a plate of experiences. Some days are “three cookie days.” Many are not! Sometimes our plate has nothing but vegetables, twenty-four hours of celery, carrots, and squash. Apparently God knows we need some strength, and though the portion may be hard to swallow, isn’t it for our own good? All are important and all are from God. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him.”

The next time your plate has a portion you find hard to swallow, talk to God about it. Jesus did. In the garden of Gethsemane His Father handed Him a cup of suffering so sour, so vile, that Jesus handed it back to heaven.

“My Father,” He prayed, “if it is possible may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Mark 14:36)."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Really Just a Hobby

I am thinking more and more about sewing for money after I retire.  I love to do it so why not make money at it?  I don't want to do things like alterations or making clothes (ugh)...I just want to be creative.  I feel like I have all this creativity just bursting to get out of me.  I don't know that I have a natural talent but I am seeing great strides of improvement with each quilt that I do.  Practice makes perfect and all that...

This all started just a year ago.  Tom bought me a small machine that did sewing and embroidery.  I made some window dressings and then moved on to a quilt.  I quilckly realized that I needed a machine with a bigger opening for quilting so we went shopping at our local Sew 'n Vac store and found a Brother Quattro 2 for a healthy price but I swear the thing dances for me.  Every time I use it, I find new features to it that make me go 'WOW'.

I got all excited about the machine and thought up a very complicated quilt design with embroidery on every other square and a log cabin design for the alternate squares.  Green being the major color for the embroidery matching the green in the log cabin on one row and then the next row would be burgundy.  I got 11 rows done with 9 squares across and said to myself "ENOUGH".  Too much work.  It wasn't fun anymore so I put it away.  As I said in another posting...it was a monstrosity.  So, about 3 months later, I pulled it out and rounded the corners and finished it with binding.  All right...I have to be honest here...When I decided to pack it away, I had just seen a flaw two rows up from where I was.  I couldn't fathom ripping out all those seams and fixing it.  One of the embroidered designs was going in the wrong direction.  YES I'M A LITTLE OCD.   But, even with that mistake, I really like the way the quilt came out.

Then, for Christmas, he bought me some quilting design software that allows me to create my own designs and print out templates for each piece that needs to be cut out.  I created an optical illusion quilt hanging from that software over Christmas and realized that the possiblity of creating is endless. 

My boss asked me to turn his T-shirts into a T-shirt quilt and he PAID me 250 dollars when it was done.  I mean...he actually paid me.  I had told him not to pay me because he loaned us his trailer to help move the kids out but he insisted.  (I wanted to give him an out in case he didn't really like it.)  BUT he really loved it.  I was astonished.  Of course, that just fed the beast and flattered me to no end.  Can't hardly get my head into the house now.  I got brave enough now to make my Mom a quilted wall hanging for her birthday.  (Since she doesn't read my blog anymore, I'm pretty safe putting this out there)  Sent a picture of it to my sister and now she would like one for Christmas.  I did some very intricate quilting on the wall hanging.  I'll probably make myself one also.  Each year we always give each other something that we have ourselves so that we have like items.  Not really sure how that got started.

Anyway, everyone wants to do what they love for a living.  If I knew how to market what I do, it would be great.  I could easily sew for 12 hours a day with no problem.  I'd probably lose touch with reality though which wouldn't be good.  Tom might move out and I wouldn't even know it.  I'd end up in the twilight zone just sewing away.

I want to get better at free motion quilting.  They make it look so easy in the how-to videos and when I try it, my free motion looks like someone with epilepsy was doing it.  I know I know...practice, practice, practice.  I've ordered some templates and a pouce pad so that I can just follow some lines on the quilt when I do the quilting part.  I'm afraid that will be the best I can do.  I will continue to practice the free motion quilting but I'm not sure I'll ever get good enough at it.

I understand the joke now about "Whoever dies with the most cloth wins".  Cloth and I are having a love affair.  I just keep stocking up on my favorite colors when they are released from Connecting Threads.  This is an awesome site that have amazing quilting material.  Good thick material at very low prices.  No, I'm not advertising for them...just sayin'.

I guess the bottom like is that it is really just a hobby but I would love to make money at it.  8-)

OK, enough about sewing...here is some Max for you today.

"Get Ready For a Surprise

By Max Lucado

Have you got God figured out? Get ready, you may be in for a surprise. Hear the rocks meant for the body of the adulterous woman drop to the ground. Listen as Jesus invites a death-row convict to ride with Him to the Kingdom in the front seat of the limo. Listen as the Messiah whispers to the Samaritan woman, “I who speak to you am He.” And listen to the surprise as Mary’s name is spoken by a man she had buried.

God appearing in the strangest of places. Doing the strangest of things. Stretching smiles where there had hung only frowns. Hanging a bright star in a dark sky. Many more knees will bow. And many more seekers will celebrate.

“For no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him!” (1 Corinthians 2:9)"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Monstrosity

Sometimes, I get myself in over my head (and way over my patience level) with sewing.  (How else am I going to improve though if I don't try new things?)  I had this great idea last fall (Here is the link to the thought process on the creation of this quilt monstrosity.) to design this quilt that had embroidery all over it as well as squares that were pieced together.  It was fun for about 10 minutes and then it became a monstrous amount of work.  Being the person that I am (all type A personality) I forged on with it.

I worked on it from September until about December and then I folded it up and packed it away until BJ and family got out of the house because it really was consuming too much of my time.  Oh, AND, I had found a flaw right in the middle of the quilt.  I had turned one of the embroidery pieces in the wrong direction which pretty much ruined it for me.  (Yeah, more Type A personality going on.)  I had already sewn two rows past that mistake and there was no way I was going back and taking all that stitching out.  (I tend to quilt as I go with each row so that it isn't so bulky when I am quilting.) 

I finished a project last weekend and then found myself fingering the material on the monstrosity quilt.  I  HATE to have unfinished projects cluttering up the back of my mind so I pulled it back out.

Here is a picture of the wall hanging I finished for the bathroom last weekend....it really did come out perfect!  I think I even impressed Tom with this one.  I am improving in my skills all the time and for the most part having a blast with it!

You can see that I even tried a little free motion quilting on the center squares on this one.  I am still nervous about doing that and I need to practice a LOT more.  8-)

So, back to the monstrosity story...

I pulled it out and laid it across the twin in the guest bedroom and realized that I had done enough on it to have it be an additional blanket for that bed.  I finished the quilting process on the last two rows, put the binding on it and wala...it is finished.  It has a lot of minor flaws (all giving it character of course...ha ha ha) and one major one that if you look closely, you can see in a couple of these pictures...

It adds some color to the white bedspread in there.  I might make some curtains for that room out of the burgundy flowered material I had left over.  (I had a LOT of that material left over.)  Not sure why I bought so much of that one...probably just liked it.

The quilt had 99 squares by the time I was finished with it and for those that know BJ...in his words...'tas enuf.

Here is some Max for today...kinda fits in with my theme (in a very loose way...lol)  I like to think I took something that I thought was a failure three months ago and took another look at it and finished it.

"What's Done is Done

By Max Lucado

What do you do with your failures? Could you do it all over again, you’d do it differently. You’d be more patient. You’d control your tongue. You’d finish what you started. You’d get married first. But as many times as you tell yourself, “What’s done is done,” what you did can’t be undone.

That’s part of what the apostle Paul meant when he said, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23). He didn’t say, “The wages of sin is a bad mood.” Or “The wages of sin is a hard day.” Read it again. “The wages of sin is death.” Sin is fatal.

What do you do? Don’t we all long for a father who will love us? A father who cares for us in spite of our failures? We have that kind of a father. A father whose grace is strongest when our devotion is weakest. Your failures are not fatal, my friend!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Is Heaven for Me?

Busy busy weekend.  We went truck shopping and found a beautiful new Tacoma for Tom.  It is a Magnetic Gray Metallic.  We got there at 1:00 (had an appointment) and were driving away with it by 3:30.  We got a great deal on the trade-in for his 2008 Tacoma.  This will probably be our retirement truck.  We still need to get a hard tonneau cover for it though.  He's found the one he wanted and has ordered it.
The rest of the weekend was spent chatting with my Mom, cleaning house, sewing, and resting.

Roman's birthday is on Saturday and we're going to do a cake, eat out, and then I got them tickets to the hockey game for Saturday night.  Yeah, we don't do hockey but they really enjoy it and I get the tickets free through Boeing so it makes for a perfect end to his birthday. 

I gave the finished t-shirt quilt to my boss and he really seemed to love it.  It is a good feeling to make people happy with quilts.  I understand why my Mom enjoys doing it so much!

My next project is another wall hanging.  One of the walls over the tub in my bathroom is totally bare.  (I"m never in a hurry for decorating...I have the rest of my life and it makes it fun along the way to decorate instead of killing myself when we first move into a house.  Ok, so it's been 5 and a half years since we moved in and I still have blank walls.  Big deal..it's my house...lol)  I've designed the pattern I want for in there, cut the cloth and I laid it out to see how it would look.  The binding will be made out of the darkest gray color.  I am having a ton of fun with the design software Tom got me for Christmas.  8-)

I've been reading a book that was written by Amber Myers called "The Swimmer's Assistant".  Amber is the one that does the Whispering Writer Blog. (You can connect to that blog over on the right in my "Blogs I enjoy reading" section.)  The book is every bit as funny as the Stephanie Plum series books.  In fact, in some ways, I'd say it was funnier.  If you like funny books, you can get this one on Amazon for .99 in Kindle format.  It is a LONG book too...not just a little short one like most of them are today.  And no, I don't personally know the writer...I just read her blog a lot when I was going through chemo to keep my spirits up.  She is as humorous in real life as she is with her books.

Here is a little Max for today.

"Is Heaven for Me?

By Max Lucado

My friend Joy teaches children in an inner city church. Her class is a lively group of nine-year-olds. There’s one exception—a timid girl named Barbara. Her difficult home life had left her afraid and insecure. She never spoke. Never. Always present. Always listening. Always speechless. Until the day Joy talked about heaven—about seeing God. About tearless eyes and deathless lives. Barbara raised her hand. “Mrs. Joy? Is heaven for girls like me?”

I would’ve given a thousand sunsets to have seen Jesus’ face as this tiny prayer reached His throne. A prayer to do what God does best: To take a pebble and kill a Goliath. To take a peasant boy’s lunch and fed a multitude. To take three spikes and a wooden beam and make them the hope of humanity. To take the common and make it spectacular!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

T-Shirt Quilt

I've been working on a quilt for my boss.  He ran marathons and 2K runs a lot when he was younger.  He had to have his hip replaced in 2005 and he ran for one more year and then decided the hip and running just didn't work out so well.  Anyway...long story short, he wanted me to turn all of his t-shirts from the runs into a t-shirt quilt.  I'd never done a T-shirt quilt before but I was sure that I probably could do it.  I'm not one to give up on a challenge.  :)

It is one thing to make a quilt out of material that you could easily replace...kinda scary when you are doing it with non-replaceable t-shirts.  In fact, I had kind of a scary moment when I accidentally cut off a corner of one of the t-shirt squares.  I repaired it and it is hardly noticeable now (I doubt he will ever see it) but at the time I had a few choice words to say about the error.  (Note to self: keep the table cleaned off when cutting.  ARGHHHH.)

I found the secret to making a t-shirt quilt is in the interfacing that you back the t-shirt squares in.  The interfacing keeps the squares from stretching all out of shape when you are sewing them together or quilting them.

Here is a picture of the quilt without the binding.  I'll be binding it next weekend.

We are heading Friday to find Tom a new truck.  This will be his retirement vehicle. He had a red truck before this gray one that he has.  He says he wants another red one.  The Tacoma comes in a very pretty Barcelona Red.  I'm trying to decide whether to trade in my car and his truck when we go to pick it out.  He drives me everywhere but I hate to give up the independence in case I want or need to drive.

Here is some Max for today:

"Whispering Thoughts
by Max Lucado

Reporter Dan Rather once asked Mother Teresa. “What do you say to God when you pray?” Mother Teresa answered quietly, “I listen.” Taken aback, Rather tried again, “Well then, what does God say?” Mother Teresa smiled, “He listens.”

Why don’t you give God your listening thoughts. Just whisper to him, “Am I in your will, Lord?” “Am I pleasing you, Lord?” By the time your life is over, you’ll have spent six months at stoplights, a year and half looking for lost stuff—double that in my case, and a whopping five years standing in lines. Why don’t you give these moments to God? By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as, “Thank you, Father,” and “You are my resting place, Jesus,” can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn’t leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Give God your whispering thoughts."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Where have I been??

OK, so I've been a bit busy for the last four months.  Shoot me.

So many holidays, so much family time.  (It's  been amazing!)  I've made several quilts, helped my son and his family move out of our house and into their new one.  (Yeah for all of us...lol)  They now have a very beautiful newly built home that should last them a lifetime.  No, surprisingly, I don't have any pictures of it yet.  How odd is that?  Didn't even think to take pictures...maybe I will this weekend. 

Well, maybe not this weekend.  We still need to tear apart the trampoline and get it moved over there and they have some stuff in the storage unit that still needs to be moved to their house so I probably won't have time then either.

I'll give them a chance to settle in and get it decorated the way they want to before I start flashing the camera all over the place.  HA!

I connected with my very first best friend during the last month.  That was amazing...it's probably been almost 45 years (ahem..yeah...wow...that long) since we were connected and it has really been fun to catch up.  I hope to stay connected with her as time goes on.  She has some physical challenges (don't we all!) but she is one tough lady with a sweet heart.

I have given my house a good spring cleaning and reorganization since the kids moved out.  I even have my own sewing room now.  While they were here I had used our formal dining area as a sewing room....hated all the mess out in the middle of everything but I couldn't give up sewing...lol.

I'm currently working on a T-Shirt quilt for my boss.  Yeah, it's a bit nerve wracking to be sewing for my boss....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Here is a very poor picture of a wall quilt I made over the holidays.  Tom got me some quilt designing software and this is the first thing I designed.  I had a lot of fun making it and what is really cool is that the software even spits out the templates for the pieces that you have to cut.  I made it to hang on one of my office walls at work because the calendar that was up there had been put up by the janitor and he put these huge holes in the wall and the calendar wasn't being replaced.  So....I had to get creative.  8-)

We also bought a couple of bicycles in the last month.  We had gotten our grandson a bike for Christmas but he didn't have anyone to ride with so we thought we would make great riding pals for him.  We used to enjoy riding bikes so we thought since we didn't have our treadmill room while they were here we would take up biking again.  WOW, was that hard.  The first time we went out our legs felt like weak pitiful old rubber.  We are slowly (EVER SO SLOWLY) building back up those muscles.  We live out in the country so it is a great place to ride the bikes. 

Well, here's some Max for today...very interesting perspective:

"What if?

What if, for one day, Jesus were to become you? Waking up in your bed, walking in your shoes, assuming your schedule? With one exception—nothing about your life changes. Not your circumstances. Your schedule. Your problems. Only one change occurs! His priorities govern your actions. His love directs your behavior.

What would you be like? Would people notice a change? What about the less fortunate? Would you treat them the same? And your friends? Would they detect more joy?

Pause and think about your schedule. Obligations. Engagements. Appointments. Would anything change? Keep working on this for a moment. Adjust the lens of your imagination until you have a clear picture of Jesus leading your life. Then frame the image. What you see is what God wants. He wants you to “think and act like Christ Jesus.” God wants you to be just like Jesus!

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)."

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

This and That...

Trying to decide if there is really anything to blog about. 

I don't have any pictures to post.  Not as much fun without pictures.

Nobody is sick in the house this week.  Hurrah!!  I ended up with the flu last week.  Yeah, that pretty much sucked.  I stayed home from work for a couple of days just lying in bed and sleeping through it.  I had fun everytime Tom came in the room I would imitate Roman and cry "I'm dying...I think I'm gonna die."  It made him laugh every time.  Oh wait...I guess I didn't tell that story on one of my blogs.  Roman was sick the weekend before I got sick and at one point we heard him back in the bedroom crying and screaming at the top of his lungs, "I'm dying...I think I'm gonna die."  Ok, maybe it loses something in the translation but neither of us had ever heard a child say they were going to die when they had a cold or flu.  He is very dramatic about everything. 

I went to the oncologyst and we talked about the cancer meds that I quit taking a couple of months ago because of bone and joint pain.  (I know EXACTLY how it is going to feel when I get about 20 years older...)  He gave me a new script for Tomoxifin.  Side effects from that one sound really yummy.  More weight gain, embolisms, stroke, etc.  Nice.  Can't wait.  (Yeah, yeah...that is heavy sarcasm you hear.)  Of course, he swears there is no bone or joint pain with it.  We'll see.

He's doing a pet scan to make sure the cough I have isn't anything to worry about.  I'll be doing that on the 23rd and then going back on the 25th to see if there are any concerns from it.

Roman is making great grades on his school work.  He is working really hard.  His Mom had bought him a Spongebob umbrella and the kids made fun of him at school yesterday.  Is six REALLY too old to like Spongebob Squarepants?  It seems like the perfect age for it to me...kids are just mean.

Work is busy as usual.  I had a 'meet and greet' with one of the guys from home office in St. Louis yesterday.  He was diagnosed and treated for Stage 4 melanoma eight years ago.  He is a walking miracle.  I am daily thankful for the strides we have made in getting rid of cancer cells.  God is so good all the time.  8-)

Here is a a little Max for today...amen and amen...

"Not Just Mercy, But Grace

By Max Lucado

We are poor, spiritually for sure; monetarily, perhaps. We’ve buried our dreams, desires, and aspirations. Like the mother with Lupus or the businessman in the unemployment line, we’re out of options.

Yet Christ approached us “while we were yet sinners!” “Will you cover us?” we asked him, and Grace smiled.

Not just mercy, mind you, but grace. Grace goes beyond mercy. Mercy gave the prodigal son a second chance. Grace threw him a party. Mercy prompted the Samaritan to bandage the wounds of the victim. Grace prompted him to leave his credit card as payment for the victim’s care. Mercy forgave the thief on the cross. Grace escorted him into paradise.

Mercy pardons us. Grace woos and weds us. Grace does this. God does this. Grace is God walking into your world with a sparkle in his eye and an offer that’s hard to resist!

“Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5″"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Changing of the Season

I always feel a bit melancholy when summer turns to fall.  I looked out the kitchen window this morning and this is what I saw.

Now, I'll admit, the sun isn't up yet and, even when it comes up completely, it will be overcast but it really matched my mood this morning.  The leaves are beginning to fall off of the trees and I know that before long, the trees will be bare and that will be the view for several months while the world goes into the dormant winter state.  The air has turned crisp and cool and I have already turned the heat on to knock the chill out of the air. 

It's funny, even though the leaves are falling off the trees, the roses are still generating new leaves.  I haven't fertilized in probably six weeks so I must have fertilized to late in the summer.  They are still really pretty and I stand amazed that they survived me and the drought this year.  8-)

I have been able to avoid all doctors for the last six months and, I have to admit, it has been wonderful!  Next Wednesday I have to go see my oncologist for my six month check up. (Which will generate other appointments such as mammograms and probably a pet scan).  Hopefully, all the diagnostics that they insist on doing will come back clean and I can go on for another six months without any more doctors.  8-)

Sometimes, I get so caught up in life that I forget how precious this time with BJ, Madora, and Roman is.  Sometimes, I find myself screaming internally, give me just five minutes without the noise and bustle that their family brings into the house.  Max has some wonderful words of wisdom about how I should be dealing with this.  I mean, I never let them know that I feel that way but does being Christ-like mean that we don't have those feelings or that we don't show them?  8-}

"Piranha Hour

By Max Lucado

We used to call 5:00 p.m. the “piranha hour.” It was that time of day when our girls all wanted a piece of mom at the same time. And I, the ever-loving, ever-sensitive husband, wanted Denalyn to drop everything and talk to me about my day. When is your piranha hour? When do people in your world demand much and offer little?

Jesus teaches us how to live through them successfully. When hands extended and voices demanded, Jesus responded with love. He did so because the code within him disarmed the clock.

The code is worth noting: “People are precious.” He gave sight to eyes that would lust. He healed hands that would kill. Many of those he healed would never say “thank you” but he healed them anyway.

God’s goodness is spurred by His nature—not by our worthiness. He knows the value of people!

“…but the crowds learned about [what Jesus was doing] and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. Luke 9:11″"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Pre-Approved!

Well, we had some really great news last night.  BJ and Madora have picked out the house they want to have built and they are pre-approved for the loan.  Hurrah!  We were all estatic about it.  I mean, really...the house we live in, while it is a 4 bedroom, all of us are used to having our own space so it will be nice (in about 4-6 months after the house gets built) to return to our usual spaces and get together once a week for family night as well as other occasions.  It will be nice to have family living in the area (but not in our house...lol).

At Roman's school this week, they've had dress-up days all week.  The first day, they wore their pajamas.  (Get out of here...PAJAMAs?) and the second day, they had to dress up like someone from another era so Roman picked dressing up like a Gangsta.  (Gangster in normal language) Here is a picture of him from that day.

I mean really...does it get any cuter than that?

I found a winter coat for him at the Boeing Store.  He is all about being in the military right now so I got him a fighter pilot jacket and surprised him with it on Monday after it arrived.  He was so excited when he was telling his Dad about it that he couldn't speak clearly.  It came out "Dad, loo loo, Can you believe, look what GiGi got me....loo loo...it's a 'for reals' fighter pilot coat."  You have to imagine all the gasping breath sounds in between all the words.  I can honestly say that I have never taken a kids breath away in excitement before.  It was amazingly adorable.  (Mark one up for GiGi...whoo whoo)

We are looking forward to our Friday off tomorrow...it will be our first day with no one in the house in two months.  We are almost as excited as Roman was about his coat...ROTFL.

Well, that's about all the news for now.  Here is some more from Max on Grace...(my favorite subject)

"Make it Personal

By Max Lucado

Christ took away your sins. He endured not just the nails of the Romans, the mockery of the crowd, and the spear of the soldier, but the anger of God!

God didn’t overlook your sins, lest he endorse them. He didn’t punish you lest he destroy you. He instead found a way to punish the sin and preserve the sinner. Jesus took your punishment, and God gave you the credit for Jesus’ perfection. As long as the cross is God’s gift to the world, it will touch you but not change you.

Precious as it is to proclaim, “Christ died for the world,” even sweeter it is to whisper, “Christ died for me!”

For my sins he died. He took my place on the cross. He felt my shame and spoke my name. Thank God for the day Jesus took your place, for the day Grace happened to you!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa

Reflections...

I thought it might be time for some reflection this morning.  Life has gotten very busy...sometimes fun, sometimes stressful, sometimes just plain old relaxing (not a whole lot of the relaxing thing happening though...). 

I am coming up on my 6 month Oncologist appointment and it always throws me into a bit of an internal frenzy.  For about 5 months I just pretend I didn't have cancer and enjoy life, then about a month before my appointment, I have to assess how I am doing 'cancer-wise' and be prepared to talk about it.  I have a bit of a cough that has us concerned but it could just be allergies.  Especially since I am allergic to dogs and we have added one to the house.  The only thing is that I had the cough a bit before the dog...it has just gotten worse since he got there.  (See....that totally points to allergies!)  I found a lump in my other breast a couple of weeks ago but I think it is just a milk duct.  They told me that if I ever find a lump in the other breast that it will not be from the original cancer but that it would be a brand new one.  Anyway, I'm pretty sure that is just a milk duct that I never felt before...I mean, good grief, who can remember all the lumps and bumps in breasts.

On to other reflections...

Roman is a special child who loves easily and is just one big burst of energy that is non-stop. 

Imagine, if you will, a fifth dimension...one where the atoms in a child are always in motion, never stopping, always eating to fuel it's constant state of flux.  A dimension where if the child stopped, he would literally explode into nothingness.  A dimension that is not just imagination but a reality called the Small Person Twilight Zone. 

Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration but believe me...he never seems to stop moving.  Even when he is eating, he is squirming in his chair, ready to take off as soon as allowed.  Not sure how many times my mouth has uttered, "Roman, please stop running in the house..."  Sometimes, watching him just wears me out.  LOL

Madora is a good daughter-in-law.  BJ is right...'She IS the one.'  She is his soul-mate and it is obvious that they adore each other.  She asks my opinion on things (which is unheard of in past daughter-in-laws) and we laugh together.  We also disagree at times and that is ok...it is good that she feels comfortable enough with me to disagree.  (It obviously doesn't mean she's right...but I'll let her disagree if she wants.  HA!)

They've been with us now for a couple of months and we've settled into an easy rhythm.  On the weekend, she helps me clean house and BJ helps Tom with the yard.  We cook and eat meals together Fri-Sun.  During the week, we fend for ourselves since we are on such different working schedules.  Tom and I get our laundry done on Thursday and Friday evenings and they get theirs done on the weekend.

Saturday mornings, I work with Roman to help him learn his spelling words and do the 4-6 worksheets he  has to get done for school.  He is doing really well in school now.  He is in the first grade and the first week, before we really understood what the teacher wanted, he didn't do so well on his spelling test or the worksheets but now that we understand (we meaning, his Mom, myself, and Roman.) and we are making sure he learns everything and understands all the math, spelling, and reading worksheets that he has to accomplish each week.  He doesn't like to slow down enough for good penmenship (reference twilight zone paragraph above) and we are having to work on that a lot. 

I am still sewing when I have a moment or two.  I got 38 squares sewn together this weekend for a quilt I am working on.  Next weekend will be doing the embroidery squares for inbetween the pieced squares.  Here are the first two rows of the quilt that I put together a few weeks ago.  It is made with basically 5 different fabrics.  I cut 1.5 inch strips of 4 of the fabrics and sew them together, then I cut out triagles that are 4 inches tall.  Then I sew 4 of one type of triangle together to make the squares.  I use the alternating triangles for every other row.  Then I use the basic cream color fabric to make the embroidered squares.  I didn't have a pattern for this quilt, it was just something that I thought up out of my widdle head.  Not sure what I will do the border in yet.  It is going to be 11 squares wide by 14 rows long when I am done.  Each square comes out to approximately 7 inches. 

Well, I guess that is enough prattling for today. 

Here is some Max for you:

"Grace Happened!

By Max Lucado

We are incarcerated by our past, our low-road choices, and our high-minded pride. We have been found guilty!

Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. We sit on the floor of the dusty cell, awaiting the final moment. We don’t look up as he opens the door. We know what he’s going to say. “Time to pay for your sins.” But we hear something else! “You’re free to go. They took Jesus instead of you!”

The door swings open, the guard barks, “Get out.” And we find ourselves shackles gone, crimes pardoned, wondering, what just happened?

Grace happened! Christ took away your sins.

Romans 3 says: “God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.”

What happened? Grace happened!"

By Grace Alone -

Teresa



Jumping Beans...

We recently had a new addition to our back yard.  The three men of the house built it.  Here they are about half way done with it.  (I think they were mentally scratching their heads at this point)

Later, I could hear Roman stating "I can help, honest, I know things."  I was proud of him though, even though he kept saying that, (which was annoying to the men on many many levels) he kept his little arms folded waiting patiently to help.

He got to help when it came time to test it out.  He was totally fine with that!

 



Then BJ had to get in and make sure it could handle the extra weight of an adult.  (right)

 

Roman is getting the hang of it now.

 



 Then the next day, we had a 'bug' problem.  I wish I had gotten a picture of him laying down on the trampoline trying to identify every leaf and possible bug on it.  Roman does NOT like bugs.  So we moved it from under the trees to the back of the house.   This way he could climb up in it from the porch.  Another amusing thing was watching him try to get into it without help.  Oh...did we have a good laugh watching him. 

Finally, GiGi gave it a try.  It really was a lot of fun and some tremendous exercise.  So, every night we go out and jump around in it and when we get tired, we both lay down on the trampoline and toss a soft ball up in the air for him to catch.  His catching skills are getting really good.  8-)

 

 

 Tom has been tremendously patient through this transition of more family in the house.  He isn't getting much 'me' time but he also knows that this is just a small transition time until they get into their own house.  I feel blessed to have the time to get to know my grandson so well and to spend time with BJ and Madora. 

Tom and Madora got on the trampoline also but I didn't have the camera at the ready when they were on it.

Roman has taken over the watering of my roses and he's doing a really good job.  He likes to work and help around the house.  He is quickly becoming my little helper.  He also helped me scrub down the patio last weekend.  I used the hose while he scrubbed with a brush on a pole.  He is also doing well with his school work.  He seems to like to learn from me and I enjoy the teaching.  8-)  We are pretty much becoming best buddies.  I had forgotten how much fun little boys can be.  8-)

By Grace Alone -

Teresa