Dashing Through the Springs...5k

I ran my very first 5K last weekend at Shocco Springs. It was brutal. I couldn't run the entire thing because it was so hilly. But I did run alot of it and I finished strong. The kids did the fun run. The kids and I have not finished the couch to 5K yet. We got out of our routine the week we went to Houston and this week has been an off schedule kinda week too. But we will complete it!! These are some pictures from the day.



Tracy, Jessica, Giny, Mama, Me, Lori
Ruthie, Emma, Erin, Samuel, and Abby
All our runners!!





Katerri and Carla



Old Christmas Coupons

Mama was looking through some old stuff a few weeks ago and came across these coupons I had given her and Daddy when I was in the 3rd grade.  I wonder why I didn't color them.  Oh well....I guess even in the 3rd grade I wanted to show people I loved them by doing stuff for them.  I promised to help Daddy do yard work.  I also told him I would be good in 1983 :)  Mama always liked a clean house, so I promised to help clean the house.  The next one makes me laugh.  It says "I will whack the baby's".  I think it should say watch the babies......but it says whack the baby's.  Sorry Lori, Giny, and Tracy....I guess I was planning to whack you  :)  I love that she found these.  Homemade gifts really are the best!

Our Trip to Houston, scan results, and such

We had a good visit with Dr. Ravi on Tuesday. Dave's long term prognosis looks good. There is only a 30-40% chance of recurrence after you have had chemotherapy and Dave's chances are even lower because they found the tumor so early, it was not in any other tissue, and it came out so easily. I could see the weight lift from Dave when Dr. Ravi told him this. We enjoyed some time in Houston Tuesday afternoon. We rode by the apartment and got ut and walked around. We have good memories from our time living there. He had his scan last night at 7pm then we had dinner with Sarah and Ron afterward. It was a light and happy time. It was the first time I have seen Dave really happy in a long time.  We are so blessed to have friends here to visit with and stay with on our trips to Houston. We got happy news from home last night too. Daddy sent me pictures of Samuel from his karate class. He got his yellow belt last night. He has been waiting on it for almost 2 months since he tested. He was so excited.

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We are meeting with Dr. Pollock, the surgeon, today and getting scan results.  We are waiting on that now.  His appointment was supposed to be at 10:30, but they must be running behind.  Dave is not nervous about this meeting.  He was more stressed about what Dr. Ravi would say more than anything else. I scheduled our flight home for the last one of the day at 8:30 so we are gonna have a long afternoon.  While we are waiting to see the doctor I'll tell you a story.  I forgot to reserve a rental car.  I remembered at about 9pm Monday night. I got online and tried to rent one, but every single car company said they were sold out.  I thought there is no way this could be true and that we would get one when we got to Hobby Airport.  Oh no....they were completely sold out.  So we took a cab to the hospital and then we were able to rent a car near MD Anderson.  So it all worked out and it actually cost us less money than if we had rented it at the airport.

ok..We just saw Dr. Pollock.  We couldn't have asked for better results.  Clear scans!!!!!!  He said recurrence rate is probably 20%. He told Dave to go live.  We are THRILLED!!!!  Rejoice with us.  thanks for praying with us.  Now lets go and LIVE LIFE!!

Happy December Y'all

December came in with a bang at our house. Thursday the kids all rode on floats in the Jacksonville Christmas parade.  The girls rode on the float with my sisters children for the dentist office and Samuel rode on the Yoshukai float.  When his float came by, I actually heard him yell "Santa Claus is for Alabama."  Oh my goodness...that boy!

ok ....this was in November, but I had to add this picture of the girls and I with Christy at her baby shower. In a little over a month we get to hold her baby girl.

                                                   

Friday we had a Christmas party with Campus Outreach at JSU.  We played dirty Santa and had dessert.   It's always fun to hang out with the students.



poor Courtney...Dave is stealing her coffee mug!

                                     

Christy and I schemed and sadly ended up with these yucky shoes :)

Abby ended up with a Justin Bieber poster.  Can you tell how happy she was :)

 

Samuel got an Alabama cookie jar after a trade off with Richard.  thanks for making my boy so happy Richard.

Erin was at a spend the night party with her cousin Emma!


Saturday was a big work day at the lake.  We raked lots and lots of leaves.  ok....so we played a little too :)

                                    

  Today we had lunch with the Campus Outreach students.  The lunch was supposed to be at our house....BUT...when i woke up we had no power.  Our power never goes out. NEVER!!  so i thought it would be back on any minute so I proceeded to make my corn chowder and Chili in the crock pots.  An hour passed...still no power.  So I ended up taking all of my crock pots to Jason and Christy's at around 9am and just hoping the food would be hot when all the students go there to eat. It turned out to be a great day. It was a good time of fellowship with the students.  They take finals this week and then go home for Christmas break.  I know God was trying to teach me something this morning.  Probably several things.  I hope I learned the lessons. 

Tonight Dave is speaking at my parents church.  He will be giving his testimony of the past year. It has been a very difficult week for him as he thinks about next weeks scans and has had to prepare for this talk tonight about the past year.  If you read this before 6pm, please pray for him.  If you read this after that please pray for us as we travel to Houston for scans Tuesday.  I'll post Wednesday as soon as we get scan results. 

Today begins week 6 of our couch to 5k workout.  Last Wednesday I ran 21 minutes....without stopping.  The reason it was 21 minutes is because my sister Tracy pushed me to run more than my goal of 20 minutes. The girls conveniently spent the night with Giny to avoid this run.  I am excited to finish up this program and be able to run 3 miles.  I am going to run my very first 5k on Dec. 10th.  The kids are going to do the 1 mile fun run.  Not sure they are as excited as I am :)


We had a good Thanksgiving holiday. We got to see alot of family, do some shopping, and spend alot of time at home being lazy.  I celebrated my 37th birthday on Friday doing some Christmas shopping.  Saturday we spent the day at home watching football. 


Dave and I fly to Houston next Tuesday for his first scans since surgery.  He is already getting a little anxious about it.  I have to not think about it or I could get overwhelmed.  I feel like we are gonna get good results. Please pray for peace.  Stupid Cancer!!  It really changes things.  Even though surgery was a success.....there is always a reminder of cancer.  Whether it be knowing there are scans coming up, pains that make Dave wonder if there is something wrong, or just the memories of the treatment and how sick he was last year.  One positive thing about having to go to Houston every three months for scans is that we get to see Sarah and Ron.  Always have to find something positive in there :)

Samuel's first Alabama game

Samuel and Uncle Kenneth



Mamaw and Samuel



He had the best time.....cheering the whole game.



 Thank you Mamaw for taking him.  Thanks Uncle Kenneth for the tickets!!  He had a great time!

What are we? What do we believe? a post from Aimee's blog

My friend Aimee did a blog post last we about what we believe as a church.  It was so good and I thought I would share it with you.  She did a great job explaining what we believe. So go to  Aimee's blog  and check it out.   Thanks Aimee for letting me share your post.   Enjoy the read!