Monday, January 18, 2010

Our Beautiful Journey into a New Year























These are Our latest Family Pictures. I love them and think they turned out beautifully. Each time I look or upload them I admire each one and I am so thankful for the family God has blessed us with. I hope you enjoy seeing how much the kids have grown in the last year. Especially how grown up the boys look. How did I become the parent of a almost 10 year old. I don't feel that old. Even after the year I just had. LOL Oh well it is exciting seeing them each grow into their personalities. Caitlyn is in size 4T clothing and a size 9 shoe. She is not even 2 1/2 years old yet. She is talking so much. Almost nonstop when she is awake.
I was fixing lunch for Caitlyn and she asked for Macaroni and Cheese. I told her I didn't have any. She says, "Well how about some noonles" She is too cute. Each night when I lay her down and cover her up she says, "Thank you Mommy. I love you!" No matter how the day has gone or what she has done or the boys, it makes it worth it all just to hear those sweet little words.
The other night Connor and Chandler had some friends spend the night. Chandler apparently hit one of the other boys in his "privates". This little boy proceeded to tell Connor if you get hit there than you won't have any kids. I heard Connor say, "That is not true." I went in told them to go to sleep. Of course Connor was not done with this conversation. So he asks me. I told him that if you got hurt there very bad then it was possible for things not to function properly. Pretty good right? Wrong. Connor says, "That doesn't make any sense. Boys don't have babies!!!" LOL What am I going to do with him?? Too funny though.
Ok. So for my New Years Resolutions, I figured if I blog them than I would be more apt to follow thru with them if it was all out there for everyone to know and hold me accountable.
1. Lose 10 lbs or talk Shane into having another baby. LOL Contradictory I know. My list. Make your own.
2. Read my devotional/bible every day or at least M-F. Sunday is church. Again my list. Good for you if you do every single day. I am starting somewhere. OK.
3. Not holler at the boys so much. Be more patient
4. Get more involved with the boys school.
5. Make more "We Time" for Shane & I.
6. Make a new friend
7. Be a better friend to the ones I have
8. Don't be so critical of others.
9. Positive Thoughts only
10. Enjoy each moment of every day.
11. Catch up on all my Shutterfly Books.
I think that about sums it up. So now I am held so accountable by all of you.
Well on Wednesday it will 14 years since I married the Love of my Life. I would have to say that this was one of the most trying of all of them. It was 13 of course!!! If I wasn't superstitious of the #13 I am now. LOL JK Kind of????
Anyway, he has been my rock thru all of this. I know most men would stay by their wife's side but I know there are those who don't. It becomes too much and they get scared and run. How blessed am I that I have a husband who has stood by my side thru it all. And it was a lot last year. Not just cancer either. Our motto was, "Just don't cry on the same day!" So if I was down he would encourage me and vice versa. Most of the time it was him encouraging me. My hormones were so out of whack.
But we made it. By the grace of God we Did IT!!! And so in celebration of that we are going to Cancun, Mexico. I am so excited. I love Cancun!! It is very relaxing to us both. I can't wait. We leave Wednesday morning and will be in Cancun by 11:30am. You can't beat it. We don't leave until 4:30pm on Sunday. So 5 days & 4 nights of Heaven on Earth.
When we get back, on February 4th I have my reconstructive surgery. 1 day before my 1 year Anniversary of being told, "You have breast cancer." But I am a survivor. I only have 2 more herceptin treatments. One on the 25th and one February 15th. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!! Then it will only be follow up appointments.
In church yesterday, Pastor Doug was talking about Jesus going into the wilderness and experiencing trials. He asked if we were willing to go thru a trial for ourselves or the sake of our families. My answer: "Not me" LOL I did that last year. The end of 2008 I prayed that God would use me however he chose, without taking my life, to bring our family & extended family to a place of realizing that we desperately needed God in our lives more than ever. We had just experienced the separation of my mom & step dad a few months before. That was a big blow to our family. And so I prayed that prayer that God would use me. Guess what happened about 30 days later. I found my lump. So I am not volunteering anytime soon for any trials this year. Anyone else want to volunteer??? LOL This year is about healing and learning to live again.
This year has a lot of promise and I am still holding to God's promise of Jeremiah 29:11.
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
So I am looking forward to God's plans in our life, on our Journey in this New Year He has given us. I can't wait to be prospered, given hope & live for the future. I have the opportunity for a second chance in life. Now how am I going to use it? I have a different perspective on life after this past year. I am not sweating the small stuff this year either. I am ready to live with hope for my future.
All my love,
Rachael

Monday, January 4, 2010

New Beginnings























Happy New Year
Everyone!!!!!
I know there are probably a lot of people who are glad that it is finally a new year for new beginnings, however I don't know if there is anyone more glad than our family. After the year we have had.....Wow. Thank you God that it is a NEW YEAR!!!!!
As a family, we have gone thru a lot of obstacles last year & amazingly and miraculously we have overcome. We are all survivors of 2009. The crapiest year ever. WooHoo!!!!!!
As you can see, Caitlyn received her first fourwheeler. She loves it & looks so cute like a such a big girl on it. The boys got BB guns from Papa Robin & Grandma Chris. They had a blast shooting them out at Grandma & Papa's.
Wednesday evening we celebrated Christmas with Tony, Kim, Chandler & Bryson. We had nachos/tacos for dinner. Not very traditional but it was delicious.
Thursday Shane put "some assembly required" toys together for the kids. We baked and then went to Grandma Lins for Christmas Eve as we do every year. We had homemade soups and bread for dinner. Then we came home and had our Christmas with the kids at our house. Needless to say it was a long day and we finally went to bed around 11:30 or so.
The next morning we got up and headed for Papa Robin and Grandma Chris'. Our ritual for Christmas Day. We opened gifts around 1 and then had an awesome meal of Beef Bourguignon. We stayed over on Friday night. And spent the day there. We cut down a vine in the woods and the guys had to swing. Needless to say, Daddy & Connor didn't make it all the way. They both fell in the water. Later we drove into Raleigh to see syncronized Christmas Lights to Christmas Music. It was really cool. Then we drove home and again didn't get home and in bed till about 12am.
Shane was off the following week. Which has never happened. He did go in on Tuesday to take care of a few things. The boys wanted to go too. They thought it was "Go to work with Daddy Day". LOL They got up at 4:45am. By 11am, Connor was asleep in the truck on the way back home. But they thought it was totally cool to get up with Daddy, have coffee, cheesestick & a granola bar.
We took down the Christmas decor later that week. Caitlyn was so sad to see the Christmas tree come down. She is still singing Christmas songs. Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas are her favorites. Speaking of Caitlyn she is doing pretty good on potty training. Hopefully I have bought my last box of diapers. We shall see. She is talking so good now. I look at her and can't believe how much she has grown in the past year.
Shane went back to work today. I miss him. Other than our cruise to Alaska for 10 days I have never had that much time off with him. It was so nice to have him home with us. I even missed the boys. The house was so quiet. Caitlyn when she woke up said, "I go downstairs and see Daddy." She was disappointed that he was not home. Then the school called and I had to pick Chandler up because he was coughing so much. I think he is getting bronchitis again. Fun stuff. So we started his inhaler again. Hopefully that will work. Caitlyn is finally feeling better. She has had a bad cold and cough the last 5 days or so. Connor is starting too. So I really don't want to spend $75 to take them all to the doctor.
Mom is still visiting friends in Oregon. She is coming home later this week. We miss her. It is weird not having her home while we were all off. The kids keep asking when she is coming home. Soon.
So overall we have been very busy but had a relaxing week at home with all of us. It was very nice. We had some really good family time together with the kids. I really am thankful to just be here for another year. As the new year came in and I sat next to Shane in our living room with the boys, (Caitlyn was asleep) I wept for all we have been thru this year and how blessed I am to have such an awesome family who supported us thru this last year. Thankful that I was here period. But most of all for a second chance at life, a new year & new beginnings.
There are a lot of changes in our family this past year. We have been thru cancer, divorce, car wrecks, job loss, income cuts, & adjusting to new relationships. None of this has been easy for anyone. But guess what? We made it. If we can make it thru this past year....I truly believe we can do anything. I think we are finally on the brink of the top of this mountain we have been climbing. And I am so excited to see what God has on the other side of this mountain.
So to my wonderful family...I know this year is going to bring new changes....especially Dustin, Yessie & Isabella moving to DC for his job with the Secret Service. Other than when my brothers were in the military we have always been close. Only 5 minutes from each other. So this will be a big adjustment. I always thought our kids would grow up together but now.....I guess God has other plans in store for all of us. So Family, if we can just keep trusting that he is in control and let him guide our paths. We will be A OK. I love you all so much.
So here is to a wonderful NEW BEGINNING OF 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! May we never take a day for granted. We still our truly a blessed family.
Love,
Rachael