In The Blink Of an Eye

Blake has flown through his high school diploma classes. His teacher said she has never seen anyone finish the classes so fast. Blake was tested and tested out college level entry. He is expected to finish the middle of May. He will then send for his orders. It is expected to take about 30 days to receive them and he will go to Red Stone Arsenal Alabama for 9 months for his EOD training. I already am getting empty nest syndrome. :(

Friends Along The Way

It was great for Scott to hear from a long time friend. Fortunately, Scott and I have had the privilage of friends we've lost contact with over the years finding us or us finding them. Scott and I love it when someone from our past looks us up. It's nice to know the people's life you touch along the way.

We also received an e-mail from MaryLynn, the wife of our friends we met through chemo.
Mike is still confused, MaryLynn still has to tell him there has been a new tumor. They are both on an emotional roller coaster. My heart goes out to the two of them.

Teamwork

My mom phoned me on Tuesday to ask me if I could help her lay floor in her rental property. I could here the distress in her voice. I decided to go up Thursday after work to see how much we could get done. My mom, my sister and myself worked into the night we had gotten the living room laid and called it a night. I took Scott to chemo the next morning and headed back to try to finish the kitchen and hallway.

Scott gets discombobulated after chemo so I really wanted to finish and get him back home to his own bed. I told him to call my cell phone when they started the Avastin. When he called we had probably 6 pieces to lay so I decided to finish to pick him up. I was a little late but it worked out perfect. We had taken up MRI's and needed to speak with Dr. Nick. Dr. Nick was very pleased with MRI's and the area is stable. Yay!! Scott has now been moved from 6 weeks to 8 week reviews. This is great news!

I did get Scott home and neither of us felt our head hit the pillow. It's nice to be in our own bed, where we can both rest.

My mom is feeling overwhelmed over all the work that needs to be done. So I offered to go up again Thursday afterwork and help her either lay carpet or baseboard, so she can get it rented. My mother, my sister and I make a great team. You forget how well you work together. After it was done my sister mentioned how much fun it was. It was weird because I felt the same way.

Skylar called me and told me she was packing to come and see me. So looks like I am going to have a full day tomorrow also. I am hoping she will occupy herself so I can get a few things done. I always hope but, it never works out that way. ; ) I have a wedding and a shower coming up in two weeks and am feeling a bit stressed.

Who Do You Call

Gammy and Pappy. I phoned Skylar last night and she was so distraught. She had ants and they had got into her cupcake. Skylar asked me what she was going to do, how she was killing to kill them. I told her she needed bug spray. Confused she said "bug spray" how am I going to use bug spray. Then she asked me if I had bug spray. I told her yes in the garage. She asked me to bring it over and she would give it back tomorrow. I told her they were in her cupcake because they like sugar. When she found out they like sugar as much as she does she really wanted to kill them.Our 20 min. phone conversation was over the ants and bug spray. Girls are so dramatic.

20/20

Scott's vision tested out 20/20. His eyes are perfect. Turns out the eye doctor uses Avastin to treat vascular bleeding, it is injected right into the eye. Scott can proceed with chemo on Friday. We will hand carry the MRI with us that Scott will have on Wednesday for a review with Dr. Nick.

Princess Valium

I am so stressed over Scott's eye appt. Thank you Dr. Cwikla for calling in a favor. Scott's appt. is this morning (as soon as he can get there ) I love doctors knowing doctors. We always see patients that are in pain. Not that Scott is in pain but, it makes me realize, what goes around, comes around.

A Penny For Your Thoughts

Scott and I worked on the back porch and in the yard on Saturday. At the end of the day I had mentioned Mike and Marianne and how I thught about them all day. Scott said he thought about Mike when he was grilling. It is so easy to put yourself where they are now. Scott had chemo with Mike, who has his own law firm, Jeffrey, who is a pediatric surgeon but when it all comes down to it we are all equal fighting the same disease. When we were visiting Mike and I asked them if we could get them anything, something to eat, something to drink etc..She said no, they had friends that has visited and brought them things but, didn't really understand what they were going through. At chemo we share our stories. What we found to be easy to eat after chemo, physical therapy for atrophy etc..
Scott has made me the person I am. He has made me appreciate life and not take anything for granted. I admire him for his strength, for his words of encouragement to others and for his strength to fight. We don't know why things happen to good people or why we are put in their lives. I wouldn't trade my life for anything. The friends we've made along the way, I treasure their frienships. I treasure the love I have found in Scott.

Bump In The Road

Dr. Nick choose not to give Scott his chemo today. Dr. Nick wants Scott to see an eye doctor. cott's left eye is blood shot. We are to be back in Dr. Nicks office with the report from the eye doctor and his MRI. Scott wowed all the girls with Girmaldies chocolated covered potato chips. Scott has chemo on Friday's with the same people. Over the year we have become friends with the patients and their wives. We found out today that our friend Mike was in tower 10 in the hospital. It was a hard desicion to make. Because both he and Scott are fighting the same disease.You imediatley think of yourself. 1. Is it something you are emotionally ready to handle? 2. Is it a personal time for him and his family? 3. What if it were Scott and I ? Mike and Marianne had become friends of ours so we wanted to be there for them. Mike had a new tumor show up in the thalamus. He has a polomary aneurysm. The prognosis is not good. Mike needed a words of encouragement and Marinne needed hugs. Scott and I live our lives on a wing and a prayer and our prayers go out to Mike, Marianne and their family.

Happy Valentines Day

Love Is In The Air

everyday. Scott and I have never celebrated Valentines Day.It was fun when we were kids and had Valentine parties at school. In keeping up with tradition I mailed Valentines from Skylar to the cousins, grandmas etc..Curious where Valentine came from I found this:

St. Valentine's Day

As Christianity became prevalent, priests attempted to replace old heathen practices. To Christianize the ancient pagan celebration of the Feast of Lubercus, the church officials changed the name to St. Valentine's Day. To give the celebration further meaning and eliminate pagan traditions, priests substituted the drawing of Saints names for the names of the girls. On St. Valentine's Day the priest placed saint's names into an urn or box. The young people then drew a name from the container. In the following year, the youth was supposed to emulate the life of the saint whose name he had drawn.

By the fourteenth century they reverted back to the use of girl's names. In the sixteenth century they once again tried to have saintly valentines but it was as unsuccessful as the first attempt.

While it can't be proved historically, there were seven men named Valentine who were honored with feasts on February 14th. Of these men, two stories link incidents that could have given our present day meaning to St. Valentine's Day.

One of these men named Valentine was a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Valentine was revered by the young and old, rich and poor, with people of all walks of life attending his services. At this time Emperor Claudius was heavily recruiting men to serve as soldiers for his wars without much success. The men preferred not to leave their wives, families and sweethearts to fight in foreign lands. Claudius became angry and declared that no more marriages could be performed and all engagements were cancelled.

Valentine thought this to be unfair and secretly married several couples. When Claudius found out, he threw Valentine in prison where he died. Friends of the priest retrieved his body and buried it in a churchyard in Rome.

Another version had St. Valentine jailed for helping Christians. While Valentine was in prison he cured a jailer's daughter of blindness. Claudius became enraged and had Valentine clubbed and beheaded on February 14, 269 A.D.

Yet another story claims that Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter and wrote her letters that were signed "From your Valentine."

All of the seven Valentines eventually evolved into one. In 496 Pope Gelasius declared the day in honor of St. Valentine. Through the centuries the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. Lovers' quarrels come under his jurisdiction and, naturally, he is the patron saint of engaged couples and of anyone wishing to marry.

The Innocence Of A Child

Skylar's big thing lately is "Where do you come from"? When we tell her - she wants to know where's your mom, where's your dad etc...She knows that my dad has passed away. She remembers being at our home when Scott's mom passed away. She asks where we come from , we go through the whole routine only when we get to Scott's mom - she says how she went to heaven and woke up Pappy's mom, so pappy wouldn't be sad. It makes me realize how innocent children are.

Fun Weekend

Skylar was invited to a Belle and Halle's birthday party at Liberty Park in Palm Bay.  Skylar had a wonderful time. Scott was able to visit with people he had not  seen in a long time. I just passed
by hi and bye as I tried to keep up with Skylar.
The park had an area where you could roller skate and was a big hit with both adults and kids. I don't think Skylar has ever been on roller skates. Miss Keri helped her out. I told Skylar to thank Miss Keri for inviting her to Belle and Halle's party but she thanked her for helping her skate. We listened to the party CD that Skylar had gotten in her party bag. Scott told Skylar he
had some really good music but, she thought her CD was really good. Sorry Pappy - you lose.
We exhausted and all in bed by 7:00 pm. As soon as the sun came up Skylar's eyes were open "sun's up time to get up" Gary and Linda (Keri's parents) introduced the bubble wand at the party. Skylar loved it. We headed out to buy 3 of them Sunday morning. One for her at our house, one for her at dad's house and one for Scott and I (just kidding) one for emergency purposes.  We sat in the yard blowing bubbles and I drew at hop scotch on the side walk for Skylar. Pappy and I were so excited to see Tom we were exhausted. It seem so much easier with kids when we were younger.

Tom + The Bud Shoot Out =

Scott and I with Skylar for the weekend. Yay..I am taking her to a birthday party on Saturday. She will be able to try on her flower girl dress for Michelle's wedding - it finally came in. Maybe she will let me get some photos of her and her dress and some for valentines day. I am going shopping today so I'll have drumsticks and popcorn in the house (she always looks for those)
I do have a few things to do for Michelle's bridal shower.

Scott Needs His Land Legs Back

It was a good decision to stay home and not head to Ant's super bowl party. We know we are going to miss a great time. We haven't seen those guys since the last super bowl party. Scott has felt like he has been on a boat the last couple of days. I guess I can understand why he hates boats. I would too if I felt like I was always riding waves. I feel so bad for him.