What's happening in Waikiki!

These past 10 days have been nothing short of amazing. In between all of the doctors appointments Maureen and I have been able to explore this beautiful island of Oahu. Since arriving here we've been able to experience or have learned many many things:

1. Sitting by the pool and completely relaxing is truly a gift.



2. We have laughed until tears have rolled down our cheeks, many many times! The Bible says laughter does good like a medicine! We've experiences some really good medicine. Seems we laugh all the time.



3. A stop sign is a stop sign; it will never turn green to tell you to go!



4. People honk their horns a lot.



5. Saw Diamond Head, it's the most well known landmark ya know! (we didn't know that!)



6. People are much nicer to you once they know you are medevac'd here for cancer!



7. We saw a sea turtle at the beach just a few feet away... so beautiful.



8. Almost peed our pants because of the thundering sound of the fireworks outside our hotel (which we didn't know was going to happen.)



9. Drove all around the island from the North shore, to the south shore, to the east and west. The sights are breathe taking. God you did good, it's majestic here.



10. Love love love that everything is open, doors, windows, walls of buildings... allowing the sweet fragrance of Hawaii to permeate every nook and cranny of our lives!



11. Military discounts abound here, we are taking full advantage. Thank you Mark!



12. We have eaten at some ... WOW... super delicious places: like Duke's, The Cheesecake Factory, PF Changs and McDonalds (love their fries nothing like them in Okinawa!)



13. Sea kayaking is so much fun, especially when we go outside the boundaries to ride the waves. The "safety police" came out to yell at us on his paddle board. But in our defense they never told us we had boundaries we just knew we had to be "home" in a hour!



14. Sea kayaking is very hard on the abs and back after surgery... I don't recommend it unless you don't want be able to sit, walk, sleep or lay down; the muscle cramping was unbearable.



15. Sam's club is the Mecca of Slurpee lovers... they come GIANT sized! Yep I got one!



16. Surfing is a beautiful art, one day I am going to take lessons and learn how do it. Just because I can!



17. A girl can get spoiled with valet parking!



18. The the humongous flying cockroach we saw in a parking garage scared us, then made us laugh and then made us thankful it was the only one we've seen.



19. The World's Largest Marshmallow is out there you just have to look for it, get out of your hotel and explore. We haven't found it yet, but have found some other pretty neat sights.



20. The GPS is your very best friend!



21. Old men in thongs should be outlawed, and big fat hairy men (of any age) in speedos is a close second.



22. But I love women comfortable enough in their own skin to try something new... like that group of ladies we saw learning to paddle board (they were all well over 55+).



23. Most people come to Hawaii to shop for clothes and jewelry. We bought a frying pan (a big one you can't get in Okinawa), some 80's music, poptarts, Slurpees (lots of them), underwear (can't find my favorite brand in Oki or online), and let's not forget some "over the shoulder pebble protectors" for the little girl in our lives.



24. Skype is a beautiful thing, it's the time difference that will drive you crazy.



25. I miss my scrapbook store boy oh boy do I miss my scrapbook store.

Now I am off to the shower to prepare for another day of finding more scrapbook stores, Slurpee sipping, followed by chillaxin' on the beach!

What a week for Mark!

When I was diagnosed with cancer we (Mark and I) decided that life was going on as normal and things weren’t going to change around home, as much as humanly possible life was just going to keep on the same. We didn’t want this to adversely affect the kids’ lives. When I left for Hawaii I told them that things will keep going the same as always but Dad’s home and will take care of you. Apparently I painted the picture pretty blurry or I wasn’t specific enough as to what normal might look like without mom home! Here is a tiny glimpse into my sweet husband’s week since Monday (it’s only Wednesday night in Okinawa)!

Monday: Boys up @ 6 out the door by 6:30. K80 up at 6:30 and dropped off at a friend’s house by 7-7:30 so Dad can be to work by 8. Boys home at 2:30 (starving b/c the school lunches aren’t big enough for preteen boys). K80 flops in the door at 3. Homework all around and then a paper route to complete.

Tuesday: See above now add… 8:30 am Mark gets a call from the school nurse about Seth’s ear. “it’s swollen and I can’t see in it. He needs to see a doctor!” Mark now has to call the doctor, let’s just say the customer service was lacking and Mark almost pulled the rank and my wife has cancer and is at Tripler card on this poor corpsman! K80 is on a field trip and then has to stay late after school for the Asian Fest rehearsal. Mark has to pick K80 early from rehearsal (teacher is now mad) so they can get to the band concert for Seth at the middle school. Oh Crap the papers haven’t been delivered yet. I guess that happened after the band concert. The kids ate at the food court and had milkshakes (according to them “Dad Rocks and is the BEST!” (I lost that status, so sad!)

Wednesday: See Monday and now add… 8:30 doctor appointment with Seth (he has a serious outer ear infection and is on drops twice a day!) The kids had a normal day of school as far as I know . All of the kids arrive home at normal time. K80 announces to dad that she needs a bunch of “FRUIT KABOBS” tomorrow for the Asian Fest. That reminded Seth that he needs 2 dozen cupcakes for Friday; followed quickly by Caleb chiming in that he needs “DIRT” for Friday as well.

Mark almost lost it. He called asking where the “superwoman” cape was in the house b/c this is crazy. He asked the kids… “Do I look like Mommy? Do you suddenly think I can cook? K80 you’re somehow getting this fruit-on-a-stick stuff and boys you’re getting donut holes or something I don’t know what!” I love my husband. He always makes me laugh. I felt so bad for him. He’s having such a crazy week, and it’s ONLY Wednesday!

Oh Yeah I forgot to tell you… we (Okinawa) are getting a direct hit from a Typhoon this weekend. So he has to batten down the hatches, square away work plus make fruit kabobs, and buy donuts. I love my man in uniform… He’s not just a Marine, he’s SUPER DAD!!!!!!!!!!!

(I was too afraid to ask if the kids were taking baths, brushing their teeth or wearing clean clothes.What a mom doesn’t know won’t hurt her right!)

Not as planned...

This week hasn't exactly gone as planned. If you would have spoken to me a month ago I wouldn't have even dreamed I'd be here. Shoot cancer wasn't in my vocabulary, neither was borderline tumor, another surgery or shoot Hawaii. I was excited to be part of the all the fabulous end of the year activities with my children. Choir concerts, band concerts, Asian Festivals, middle school tours, graduations, pool parties, birthday parties, good-bye parties and last but not least field day! I am truly blessed that I do not have to work outside of the home and I get to do all of these activities w/ my kids. I don’t HAVE to… I truly WANT to! ... (There’s a difference) I shouldn’t complain; I am here in tropical Hawaii with no humidity and a sweet summer breeze, but this wasn’t in my plan.

Tonight I should have been listening to the sounds of middle schools sharing their talents on their musical instruments at the end of the year band concert and awards ceremony. I cried only once today which is pretty good for me. This morning I called to chat w/ the kids and my sweet babboo. K80 was the last one on the phone, she can have the tenderest voice and the way she said “Mommy!” today broke my heart. I began to tear up and I realized how much I am really missing with this trip and it breaks my heart. I love my family; I truly don’t enjoy time away from them. I’d so much rather experience all of this with them. I said I wanted to fit my cancer around my life and NOT my life around my cancer. Look where I am, fitting my life around it. I ache because of it.

I thought a lot about what I tell my girl friends when things get rough… I decided to take my own advice and I put on my Big Girl Panties! Sadly they don’t make UnderRoos in my size believe me I’ve looked. But I am walking with my head held high and with a positive attitude. But please continue to keep me and my family in your prayers.

I had my cat scans today and won’t get the results until next week. I still taste the dye, nothing will get that gross taste out of my mouth. Not even that super YUMMY Coke Icee I got from Target today. The little joys in life… Target and a coke ice… just a few of my favorite things!

Update... In Hawaii

I am so sorry not to get on here sooner! I've just gotten back to our room tonight, we left at 8am this morning. After several doctor appointments w/ multiple doctors (all which are AMAZING!), lots of lab work, CT scan scheduled and more followup appointments scheduled I have some news. They are going to do a open surgery on June 2. It's a little bit more extensive surgery than previously expected. I will have to remain here on island for 4 weeks. Unless something crazy creepy is discovered in the CT scan and during surgery I should NOT need Chemo! YEAH PRAISE GOD! I will have to be monitored every 3 months for the next year, every 6 months for the next 2 or 3 and then yearly until I am toooooo stinkin' old to count! I will be able to have some testing/monitoring on Okinawa and then maybe twice a year or yearly here at Tripler (Hawaii). This is fabulous news. I definitely wanted surgery a bit earlier in the week but they promise I'll be ready for my trip in July. I'll have 4 weeks from the time I leave Hawaii to prepare for Alaska! I have to be pretty healed to even leave here so I am beyond tickled. Not exactly my first choice of surgical operations but I can still get this all done. It's all in God's hands.

I am not exactly sure at this moment who is coming to stay here w/ me for the remainder of my 4 weeks. I'll figure this out come Monday when the offices on base open up,and Mark and I can talk in more detail and we make some big decisions.

Thank you for the prayers keep them coming. So blessed by these doctors and staff here. Tripler is amazing and so very very helpful. Keep Mark and the kids in your prayers too. I've got it easy. Mark's got all of the kids programs, school functions, scouts, sleepovers, laundry, cleaning, and cooking (okay burning eggs and charbroiling tomato soup!) PLUS going to work everyday. He's a wonderful wonderful man... I thank God for him daily! I love you Mark!!!

sands of the hourglass

"Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our lives!"

"Time keeps on tickin' tickin' tickin' into the future..."

Which brings me write back to what I have posted on the header of my blog...

Be Happy for THIS moment... for THIS moment is your LIFE!

Truth be told some moments suck. Guess which moments I have more of right now. I know what you are thinking and you are wrong. At this very moment in my house Seth is upstairs playing the Marine Corps hymn, Caleb is doing his reading log and K80 just popped in the door dodging huge raindrops on her way home from school. It's a great moment, we are all here together (minus Mark he's still at work, some one's gotta pay for this cement doublewide and all our health benefits!). We are still here, we may not be 100% healthy but together we are. In this moment I have peace, if you'da called a few hours earlier I had moments without peace, I was filled with many emotions none of which promote peace. Those moments are in the past, this one is new, it's positive it's peaceful... it's mine!

I've been up for several hours; can't sleep. As I've been praying throughout the night and researching on the computer I am reminded of a scripture talked about in yesterday's sermon. Now I am taking this scripture completely out of context from what the message was, but it fits me where I am right now. I'll explain why in a minute or two have patience it is after all 5:27am here!

"Take captive EVERY thought and make it obedient to Christ!" 2 Cor
10:5b

Random negative thoughts run through my head like cockroaches on a dirty kitchen floor in the south. You turn the light on and they scatter so fast you'll never catch all, you're lucky to catch one of them nasty beasts. When I turn the "light" on in my head those negative thoughts scatter, but the second I take my mind off of Him, they come running back for more. The more I focus on Christ the more at peace I am in the midst of all this. Is my life suddenly perfect? No. Am I cancer free? No. Do I suddenly love homework time? No. Is the laundry finished? No. Dinner on the table? No. Do I realize I can handle all of this? Yes. because ...

"God has not given me a spirit of fear (or cowardice) but He has given us a
Spirit of power and of love and of calm and a well-balanced mind and discipline
and self-control!" 2 Timothy 1:7

If I can conquer my mind, where all fear begins then I can conquer anything brought before me. Cockroaches begone... let the Peace begin!

Of course I lived in the south for many years and sometimes you need more than a light to get the cockroaches to scatter, a hammer will do, Terminx will often do the trick... and on the rare occasion I've resorted to SCREAMING! So what am I asking... for anyone and everyone who reads this to pray 2 Timothy1:7 over me and my family. My family is also forced to deal with this beast, they need peace of mind as well.

Sunday... Church Day!

I admit I was a mess at church. Couldn't figure out why, then it dawned on me. When I close my eyes and Praise I cry. I can't help it. It's not fear, anger or anxiety... it's Praise. I am completely humbled by the grace and presence of the Most High. Many many years ago when I was going through life's struggles I cried every time I entered church. The presence of God was overwhelming. I was strong throughout the week but come Sunday morning I was a blubbering baby. Today was the same. I've been praying, not as much as I should I am certain of that, because one can never pray too much, but He is always on my mind. He brought me through the unspeakable storm 13+ years ago and He'll carry me through this one. Am I worried? I am not worried for me, I am scared for them... my Caleb, my Seth, my JR and my amazing husband Mark. Are we as a family ready for this challenge, this valley, this bump in the road on the way to our destiny? I say yes we are, wishing and praying all the while this detour be removed from our path. God, you know the plans and the purposes for our lives. You will never forsake us, You'll always be there carrying us when we need carried and pushing us when we need a push, and I cannot thank You enough.

On to a more positive note... K80 bought her IPod Touch Friday. She used the money she earned from her paper route. What a giddy school girl and a huge step for her to hand over that much money for something she's wanted for so long. I'm so proud of the young lady she's becoming.

Tonight the boys had Court of Honor for Boy Scouts. They were each awarded 7 merit badges, 3 were Eagle required and 1 was a heritage merit badge. They also pinned on their 2d Class Rank. They are well on their way to Eagle. Sadly I do not have great pictures of the event b/c in my absent mindedness I left my big camera at home and had to fall back on my little blue one I keep in my purse. I was able to get this one of the whole group, obviously my two boys are front and center. If you look closely at the photo you'll find 3 sets of twins in

the troop. Crazy huh...!