Prayers for Kayleigh

I haven't figured out exactly how to make a blog button or rather the small square image. I wanted to post about our friend Kayleigh. She is 12 years old and is going through her second round of cancer. Her first bout was less than a year ago and it was in her quadricep. This time it has returned and it is in her lungs. She is a wonderful girl. Her spirit is beautiful and her faith is strong. We need prayers for a full-recovery. We have to storm Heaven with our prayers.

This is the most recent update from her mom:

I wish I could say we had better odds, but Kayleigh is strong and she's very healthy now, so there is hope that the treatments will be a success. We have 2 options for treatment, the traditional chemo method, which really doesn't have a lot of success with this type of cancer and is very hard and damaging to the rest of the body (not to mention all the side affects and their complications added to the mix). The other option is to try an alternative treatment, which is experimental, using an antibody/antigen to attack the cancer cells and hopefully destroy them. This has had some success in other patients with other types of cancer, and she has time to try it and if it doesn't appear to be working, we can choose to switch back to the chemo method. It doesn't have a lot of the side affects or complications that chemo has, but does have some of it's own. (She wouldn't loose her hair with the alternative option, not that that's really a factor in deciding.) He seemed to favor the new, alternative method over the chemo at this point. He explained that the chemo would most likely only take care of these tumors developed, but not necessarily all the cancer cells still not detected, and that's very probably the case now. In essence, it would only buy some time until the next round of tumors cropped up and we find ourselves facing the same decision again. There's no guarantees, and the odds aren't great, but there is a chance that the new treatment will work and kill the cancer cells.

So you see, there is no time to waste. We love Kayleigh and we want to help her in every way we know how.

Favorite Things Friday-Sports Award & Summer

I love the end of the school year! So many fun things take place. This year is the beginning of son # 3's sports awards for school. He is in 6th grade and was the only 6th grader to make the basketball and football teams. He was so happy. He just loves to play any sport. HIS Sport is basketball, but he will play anything. As you probably know, sports are a great motivator to get homework done, keep them busy, keep them out of trouble, and learn valuable lessons about teamworkand about themselves. Each of our kids have played sports and we've never had a single problem with them! JUST KIDDING!! It is worth every bit of blood, sweat and tears!

Everybody gave me their dessert cookie at the banquet. They know I love sweets! I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so I had to eat them all :)

This is just good ole swimmin' time that goes along with summer!

Happy Memorial Day!

This morning we went to our son's Boy Scouts Memorial Day celebration of Veteran's. It was a really nice ceremony. I'm so glad we were able to be reminded of why we are so lucky to be free. Freedom is not really "free." Someone pays the price. We need to be appreciative of all that we have, every day! I'm thankful to live in America.

Jacaranda Trees

I just feel like blogging and posting some pictures.

Our life is good. We are blessed with so many wonderful things. We are healthy, happy, have good jobs, we have smart kids who are appreciative and respectful. We trust God in our day to day lives and, of course, on the biggies, too. God has given us so many gorgeous things to enjoy.

We have the most beautiful trees lining the street, two streets over from us. They are jacarandas. They have already passed "full bloom" and are now starting to fall. First, they look like a canopy of lavender. Then, they are just beautiful flowered trees and last, they end up looking like a purple carpet.

We love to take walks around our neighborhood and that is our favorite street. These pictures do not do these amazing trees justice. It was getting late and I missed the best light.

Wordless Wednesday--Thankfulness & Love

Mother's Day 2009-I LOVE these children!

Favorite Things Friday-The Lazy Days of Summer-I Can't wait!

This is a picture of Jake, last summer. We were on Catalina Island. We camp over there at Two Harbors. We go with good friends and have a wonderful time! We see tons of dolphins on our boat ride there and back. It's so amazing to be able to witness all that God has created for us.
This picture epitomizes the relaxing and fun time we have. Jake's smile is genuine. He gets to fish and dive and ride the tube. We explored a sea cave and we hiked. We eat and drink and be merry!! I can't wait until August so we can go again!

Wordless Wednesday- Ice Cream winners

Favorite Things Friday- Coffee Mugs

I love coffee mugs/cups! I wish I had room for 100 of them, but I do not. I, of course, love coffee, too. The ritual of having a warm cup of coffee, in the morning, makes me happy at any time of the day. What I mean is, just thinking about a cup of coffee makes me happy. Now, add a cute coffee mug/cup and I tell you... Ok, I did drink a lot today and maybe that is what is spurring on my rambling, sorry. Anyway, I love my coffee mugs, but I'm always wanting to buy another "special" one to add to my collection. Here are a few of the ones I like to use, right now.