Spring is here.  Well we've almost completely skipped spring and jumped into summer.  It has been absolutely beautiful lately....and HOT.  We have been working in our back yard alot over the past few weeks.   It finally came together this week. I snapped some pictures of our progress.

a little school on the trampoline while we were burning the wood.

We had to burn all of the wood before we could plant grass.

Swing...before

and again from a different angle....with the new frame

Today's project....painted the swing black.  Frame has to be painted later :)

we even have some grass coming up :)

the view from the deck......100% improvement!!

We had our Project Fair and Geography Bee at ACA a couple of weeks ago.  All three kiddos did projects and participated in the Bee. Abby's team came in first place.  We all learned alot about while we were preparing for this.

The kids have been kinda sad because we didn't get to have Spring Break this week.  We had to take a week off when we went to Houston, so that had to count as our Spring Break. :(    But they are getting a couple days off due to a doctor appointment and Kids Market.  I guess two days off is better than nothing. 

Clear Scans

It has been 6 months since Dave's surgery and we have another clear scan!! We are so thankful. Next scan 3 months from now.  We still have to see the surgeon tomorrow about the hernia.


We were up most of the night with Samuel coughing. He was very dramatic!!  He ended up in between Dave and I in a queen size bed.  I'm pretty sure he was the only one who get much sleep.  We left all the kids at Sara's this morning and a friend has taken them to the Children's museum.   Always thankful for our sweet Houston friends! 


I'll update tomorrow after our next doctor visit!

scan time again

Well where have I been?  I haven't been on the computer blogging. I have really been a slacker in the blogger world.  We have just been busy with life.  School, church, campus outreach, family, friends, and getting our house ready to sell.... no time for blogging.  But it is that time again.  Scan time.  Doesn't it seem like he just had scans?  It has been 3 months....almost.  We had to move the scans up just a bit.  Dave has an incisional hernia that needs to be checked out too.  So Monday is scan day.  We should have results on Tuesday morning.  Dave is having scanxiety.  I guess he always will.  It is not near as bad this time as it was in the past.  Hopefully it will get better with each clear scan.  The kids are super excited about a road trip to Houston.  They have made lots of plans of the things they want to do on this quick trip.  Hopefully we can fit some of it in.  We are looking forward to seeing our gracious hosts, the Pruets.  We have missed them since coming home. 


I mentioned we are getting ready to sell our house.  We have been wanting to move to Jacksonville for a while, so what better time than now.  We have a couple more things to do before we stick a sign in the yard.  It's a great house and we will miss it, but now it's time to sell it. 


So please pray for us as we venture out to Houston and Dave has scans and doctor visits. Thanks for checking in on us!

It is the best of jobs.  It is the most difficult of jobs.  It can cause the greatest of pain. There is nothing as fulfilling and exhilarating.  There's nothing so depleting and exhausting.  No area of your life can make you feel more like a success when everything is going well.  No area of of your life can make you feel more like a failure when things go wrong.  (The power of a Praying Parent)


Monday was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right.  School was difficult, the kids were bickering with each other, the house was a mess, the couch was covered in laundry, and we were working on history fair projects which were spread out all over the living room.  I felt like a big ole failure at the end of the day.  We had our mom's meeting Tuesday night to turn in semester grades and attendance sheets and I was greatly encouraged by some older than me homeschool moms who have done what I am doing and have lived to tell about it :)  I really needed the encouragement not only for school, but for parenting in general.  It really is the best job...even with all the hard stuff that comes with it.....and through all the ups and downs of the week we finished our history fair projects!!

I am spending a couple of days with my sister this week.  She had surgery on Tuesday and then my nephew broke his arm Wednesday night.  So Erin, Samuel, and I are here to help for a few days.  The kids love getting to spend a few days with their cousins.  

I found a yummy recipe on Pinterest that I thought I would try on them in the morning.  I made it a little while ago and it is in the fridge ready to be baked in the morning.

French Toast Bake

Ingredients

1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

1 cup brown sugar

1 loaf Texas toast

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions

1. Melt butter in microwave; add brown sugar....stir till mixed.

2. Pour butter/sugar mix into bottom of 9 x 13 pan....spread around

3. Beat eggs, milk, and add vanilla

4. Lay single layer of Texas Toast in pan

5. Spoon 1/2 of egg mixture on bread layer

6. Add 2nd layer of Texas Toast

7. Spoon on remaining egg mixture

8. Cover and chill in fridge overnight

9. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

10. Sprinkle with powdered sugar

11. Serve with warm maple syrup

Doesn't that sound yummolicious?  oh yeah... that's a real word :)

Dave is doing great.  He worked at the lake a little last weekend and I could tell it really took everything out of him. I think he's back to 100% and then on days when he goes nonstop, I can see the effects of so much chemo.  But other than that he is doing great.  Next scan is in March.  We will hopefully drive out with the kids, enjoy our Spring Break in Houston, get some clear scans, then head home.  

Now to go cuddle with my two babies...my 9 year old and my 10 year old babies : ) 

Roll Tide

BCS National Champs
Roll Tide!!

They were ready for the game....

A Happy New Year

Dave and I rang in the new year in Chattanooga with friends and students from all over the country.  We spent the last few days of 2011 at the Campus Outreach National Conference.  We heard great speakers and had some really good time with the students and leaders.  As the clock turned to midnight, Dave reminded me what a difference this year brings.  Last year there were so many unanswered questions as we began 2011.  As I have said before, we enter this new year hopeful!!


I started planning for our new semester today.  One very positive thing about this new semester is that we are not overwhelmed with activities.  I am excited about getting back into a routine.  I love the holidays, but I am ready for some scheduled days! 


One thing I have noticed as I have followed other people with sarcoma is that when they get better, they stop updating.  I totally understand why.  You want to move away from the world of cancer once you are feeling better.  It's discouraging sometimes because it seems there are no good stories out there.  No encouraging words.  So I wanted to update on how Dave is doing.  His last chemo was 7 months ago.  His last radiation was 6 months ago.  His surgery was 4 months ago.  He got the news of clear scans 1 month ago.   He is pretty much back to normal.  I don't notice him being as tired.  His hair is slowly but surely coming back.  He laughs alot.  He is scheduled for scans again on March 22. 

2011 Year in Review

Whew!!  Here it goes.  2011.  Farewell. 


January- We rang in the new year at home in Weaver. We got to see lots of friends and family and it did our souls good to be home for a week.  We flew back to Houston around the 6th and Dave jumped right back into chemotherapy. Round 4.  We jumped back into school with the help of Dave.  It was nice having him teach History and Science.  My sister Lori came for a visit.  Carlton, Aimee, and Hope came to visit us.  John came for a visit also.  We had another trip to the ER and ct scans at the end of the month.  We met Stacey and Brad who were also being treated at MDA for a rare sarcoma.


February-  This was the coldest month.  It even iced over the roads one day in Houston.....but no snow!!  Dave's oldest friend Ricky and his wife Angie along with their little girl Emily came for a visit.  Dave was very weak from the chemo.  Mama flew out and spent the month with us.  We took the kids to the Rodeo parade and the zoo.  Daddy drove out a couple of weeks after mama got there.  We took  3 day trip to San Antonio.   Believe it or not, the kids went swimming! in the outside pool!!


March-  Dave's sister Brenda came to visit.  We went to the Houston rodeo.  We got to go home for a few days.  Dave began having neuropothy in his feet, legs and hands.  Dave also started passing out alot.  March was a difficult month.


April-   With April came beautiful bluebonnets to Texas and it also marked 6 months for us in Houston.  Dave began his 8th round of chemotherapy. We had yet another trip to the ER. Our friends Linda and Gary came for a visit.   We went home for Easter.


May- We were home at the first of May for Relay for Life.  Dave walked his survivor lap. Dave began radiation this month.  Abby had her 11th birthday. 


June-  This was an exciting month.  Dave finished radiation.  Erin had her 10th birthday. Dave and I celebrated our 13th anniversary. Our friends Holly, John, and Murren came for a visit.  We moved home on the 23rd.


July-  Home.  We tried to get back into our routine. I painted the kitchen.


August-  We worked hard trying to finish our bathroom remodel.  Dave started back to school at Donoho. We went back to MDA for Dave's surgery.  Surgery....Success!! Dave had his 38th birthday in the hospital.


September-  Dave spent most of the month recovering from surgery.  We started school. 6th, 5th, and 3rd grades.  Samuel started football.


October-  We were crazy busy with kids activities.  Life was easing back to normal.  The changing of seasons was beautiful.


November-  Samuel turned 9.  I turned 37...ouch.  We had a great Thanksgiving with family.  The kids and I started training for a 5K.  We decked the Swinney halls for Christmas!!


December-  Dave's first scan after surgery brought us great news of NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE.  (NED)   I ran my very first 5K.  We spent lots of time with friends and family.


Just as we were last year.....we are filled with hope for 2012. 

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8







  Happy New Year from the Swinney's!