Shipping & Handling

This is such a cute and funny story of a conversation my boys had tonight at dinner.

Connor was asking if he had $100 would it be enough to buy a Lego Crystal Sweeper. Chandler was told him that he wouldn't have enough because he would have to pay tax, shipping & handling. Connor asks, "Whats the handling for?" Chandler, "It means that if you don't buy handling that they will just throw it on your doorstep." Connor says, "Well that is rude! Why would someone just throw your toys on the doorstep?" Chandler says, " Because you didn't pay for the handling!!"

LOL How cute is that?!!! The things that kids say. I love it.

Have a great evening!!

Rachael

Just Believe....And you will See

We seem to be so busy lately. There is so much going on. Trying to get all the Christmas shopping done is fun but time consuming. I love the holidays, especially this year. It always makes most people realize how blessed they really are no matter how bad that year has been.



I had my last fill on the 10th. She was very impressed by how quickly my skin tissue healed from radiation. In only 3 weeks it looked normal. Thank you Jesus. She says she never has tissue heal that quickly and then do a fill that same day. But she did it on me. Yeah!!!! Then I went back 3 days later for the final one on Thursday the 10th. So now she said we could schedule the surgery for the week of February 8th for my reconstructive surgery. She will also be able to do my nipples at the same time. I laughed and said, "Yeah, I haven't seen those in so long!" LOL Crazy the small things in life that make us happy. LOL Then about a month later she will tattoo on the areola. Fun stuff HUH!!!! So I am finally proportional and very full. Much to the delight of my hubby. LOL




I had herceptin on Monday 14th yesterday. I also saw Dr. Lemantani. I told him all of the side affects again and he said apparently my body just will not tolerate the Tamoxifin. Bummer!!! In a way. It is more of a preventative medicine but my body just will not handle it. And there is no alternative meds to take. So like my Grandma Shirley said, "She is healed of cancer in Jesus Name, so why should she have to take anything more." So here we go Grandma, in Jesus Name. It still is kind of scary though. My biggest fear is that it will come back somewhere else. Obviously not my breasts because those are gone but anywhere else would not be good at all. But the good news is I can have a baby if I, I mean we want. LOL Shane says I am totally crazy. So I don't know. We will have to wait and see. I didn't think it would be possible till I was 39 and that would be crazy. Sorry Aunt Carolyn. LOL However, God changed that. So maybe........But at least now it is a possibility. And that makes me feel better about at least having a choice in the whole thing.




Last week on December 8th, a lady whose book I think I mentioned that I read when I was first diagnosed. Her name was Glenda, she lived here in Harrisburg and the book was "Victory thru Breast Cancer". She passed away on the 8th. I didn't know her but only her story. She had been cancer free for almost 20 years. It came back in her sinus' and when they did surgery she bled into her brain, was having seizures and passed away in a hospice. I have never been an overly fearful person about much of anything. But CANCER scares the crap out of me!! I have seen what it can do and does and know I am so blessed for how "easy" my journey was compared to others. Would I be so lucky the next time around? I guess that is where faith steps in and has to take over.




Well our family prayer for the last 3 months or so, really for the last 18 months but ever more fervently the last few months was for us to sell the Jacobs Ridge house by Christmas or the end of the year. The kids have been praying with us also. Chandler asked me the other day, "What happens if it doesn't sell?" I told him it just must not be God's time for us to do so but let's not think that way and have faith that God will sell this house soon. We do have a family who is looking at it for the second time last week. So we are hopeful and very prayerful that this is our Christmas Miracle on its way. The Bible says he knows what we have need of even before we ask. So now we just wait.........In Jesus Name. And Oh What a faith builder for our Boys to see how God really does answer our prayers when we ask. I can't wait to see what He is going to do.



Our next family Christmas Miracle is with my youngest brother Dustin and his wife Yesenia. Dustin several months ago applied to the Secret Service. He has gone thru rigorous interviews, drug tests, a 4 hour lie detector test, family, friends & job interviews, health exams & physical fitness tests. One of the recruiters told him it usually takes 12-24 months before acceptance, but Dustin has prayed that God would open the doors and show him what direction his life is supposed to go and that he would be obedient to walk thru that door. So guess what God did. After only about 4 months, Dustin has been accepted into the Secret Service. Talk about God working fast. He is so excited and we are so proud of him. We will miss them so much when they have to move to D.C. but know that he is in the will of God.



So this week I am going to try and finish Christmas shopping so I won't have to be out there next week with all the procrastinator's. LOL I would rather be home baking. So that is my plan anyway. We shall see how that goes. Tomorrow I have a follow up Radiation appointment, Thursday Chandler's Christmas party & Connor's is on Monday. Baking on Monday with Yessie and maybe Audra. Christmas with Tony on Wednesday, Christmas Eve with Mom, & Christmas Day at Shane's parents. So busy busy busy but loving every minute of just being alive. Sometimes I start to get stressed about everything and I just have to slow down and say to myself, "Does it really matter?" or look at my children and know I am truly a blessed mommy.



All my love,
Rachael

One Big Happy Dysfunctional Family

Bellas Family at her Dedication on

Sunday November 29th, 2009

The Whole Higginbotham Clan

Baby Gavin 8 months Old


Bella Boo 13 months Old


Papa Fred, Shane & I celebrating our birthday at

The Higginbothams over Thanksgiving.


Our Family with Papa Fred and Shane's Parents

CaityBug

Uncle Chad with Gavin

Mommy Daddy & Caitlyn having Thanksgiving Dinner.

Dad with his 3 kids

Yesenia & Bella

Mom with her 4

GrandBabies

Caitlyn eating my Birthday Cake

Travis & Audra

Connor with Mommy

Beautiful Bella

Tony with the Boys

Pastor Ross after dedicating Bella

Isabella Grace Lassiter

Well as you can see we have still been very busy. Of course we celebrated Thanksgiving which was especially special this year to me. Then we had Bella dedicated on Sunday & then my 34th birthday.

We went to Shane's parents in Raleigh area for Thankgiving Day. His brother Chad and his wife Marcella came up from Florida. So that was nice to see them again. The boys loved being able to ride their four wheelers. Caitlyn too. She loves to ride with her Daddy. She spent about a half an hour throwing pine cones into the pond. We tried to have a bon fire that night but all the wood was too wet.

We celebrated Shane, Papa Fred & my birthday while we were there. And Christmas for Chad and Marcella because they won't be able to come up for Christmas. We took a lot of family pictures. It is very rare that we are all together. And with Papa getting up in age, 81 now, you just never know when it will be the last holiday that you might all have together. So Papa and I decided this year we were just Thankful to be here period.

My Dad Kyle flew down from Idaho/Oregon for Thanksgiving also. He spent the day with the boys, Travis & Dustin. But he stayed with us the rest of the weekend. We get to see him about twice a year. The summer and usually one holiday. So while he was here Dustin & Yessie had Bella dedicated. As you can see from the first picture, we were all there and her side of the family also.

I started last Monday taking my Tamoxifen. That is the pill that I am supposed to take for the next 5 years. However, all last week I was feeling sick. Like I was going to throw up all week. I kept thinking that it was just a flu bug because Shane has been sick Monday and Tuesday. But then I became very moody, having horrible thoughts & just didn't feel at all like myself. So Shane said to maybe try and take it at night instead. So I didn't take it on Sunday and felt fine, but I took it that night before I went to bed. I was so sick all night. Monday was horrible. It was like it was all built up in my system or something. I was so bad I had to ask Shane to come home and hour or so early. I have never ever done that. I was miserable. So needless to say Shane had to come home and take care of me, the kids, house and all. I hated it. The next day was my birthday and I was still sick. Not quite as bad but still felt horrible. So we had to cancel our dinner plans to go to Barringtons in Charlotte. I was so bummed. My neighbor, Mrs. Costner, brought us dinner from KFC. It was the grilled chicken with all the trimmings. It was so nice not to have to worry with dinner but KFC was not what I had in mind for my bday dinner. LOL Oh well.

I am so much better now. I had called the doctor on Monday and they told me to stop taking the medicine immediately. So I have to go back on the 14th and we will see what Dr. Lemantani says. Shane took me out to dinner Saturday night to Barringtons to make up for having to miss dinner Tuesday night. The meal was delicious and awesome.

Thank you to all for your continuing support, love & most of all your prayers.

Love,

Rachael