Chit Chat

Hello, friends! Did you all enjoy a nice weekend? Ours turned out to be a very good one :)

Our daughter, Tess, had to cheer at an 'away' football game on Saturday afternoon. It was just over an hour's drive away (school does not provide transportation) so Tess & I made the trip. (That was one of the reasons why I made sure I took it easy on Friday so I was feeling up to going on Saturday :) The weather was absolutely beautiful and I enjoyed watching Tess do her thing cheering on the 7th grade boy's football team. As I mentioned, Tess is one of the cheer captains so she leads out some of the cheers in a rather big, deep voice...it was a real 'proud mom' moment! The team lost (the season isn't going so well for those poor boys) and we all felt so bad that one of the boys fractured his wrist...

Speaking of Tess, could you say a little prayer for that girl again, please? She is home again today with that whole abdominal pain thing. We finally got the results of the bloodwork back and everything was clear. So I'm not sure what is going on but we're going to have to go back to the doctor.

Bobby & I met some friends of ours for dinner on Saturday night. Bobby went to high school with them and they've all remained friends over the years. This couple's daughter attends college about 30 minutes from where we live and they were visiting her on Saturday so we made plans to get together on their way back home. We ended up going to the restaurant where our son, Tyler, works. Our friends were glad to see Tyler and couldn't believe how grown-up he is now! (It IS hard to believe my oldest child will graduate this year!) They even brought me a thoughtful little gift, which I thought was so nice :) We all had a great time together...eating, laughing and catching up on life.

We also got a lot of work done around the house this weekend, unpacking and such. I was overjoyed to pull out my decorating stuff and get some things arranged...I've gotten quite tired of looking at white walls...give me color!!!! I'll have to take some pictures of what I've accomplished so far. My sister is coming over tomorrow to help me again. Let me tell ya, I have a WONDERFUL, CARING, HELPFUL sister...she is a blessing for sure!!!

I had more bloodwork done this morning. UGH, I'm so tired of being poked with needles! It really hurt today. I think the lab technician took 4 vials of blood. She was really sweet; we'd been talking about everything that has happened in my life the last 6 weeks and she just gave me this great big hug and encouraged me! Tomorrow is my next appointment with the oncologist. Betcha I'll find out when I start chemo...

Here's what I decided about my hair. I AM going to get it cut into a shorter, sassy, fringy style right now before chemo starts. I made an appointment to have Bobby's Aunt Pam cut it this Thursday morning. I'm sure there'll be some tears but I know it'll be best in the long run. I'm just not sure I can face losing big clumps of this longer hair I have right now. I'll have to remember to take my camera :)

Hope all of you have a wonderful Monday!

A Good Day

Thanks to everyone for your sweet, encouraging comments and kind thoughts & prayers. I am feeling somewhat better today. I've just been taking it real easy - basically laying around, resting. I never used to take naps during the day but today was different :) It certainly was strange not to be up and around being busy and active like I usually am. But I know how important it is to give my body a chance to heal up. I realize I'll pay for it later if I don't...

Does anyone have any special plans for the weekend? Whatever you end up doing, enjoy!

A Jumble of Thoughts

Today was a difficult one. Today I had outpatient surgery to have the med port placement in preparation for chemotherapy. I'm not gonna lie...it hurts! I'm in A LOT of pain!

The procedure itself went more smoothly than what I anticipated. My breast surgeon is the one who did the surgery. She is such a kind, compassionate, caring doctor and for that, I am very grateful.

Last night didn't go so well for me, to be honest. I was anxious, afraid, crying and feeling very physically uncomfortable from the saline injections that were put into my chest expanders on Tuesday by my plastic surgeon.

The realization about how this med port puts me one step closer to chemotherapy hit me full force last night.

This is a tough road to walk, but I know God is with me every step of the way...

The Latest News...

Moving is such a HUGE JOB and it's definitely not one of things in life I enjoy, to tell ya the truth! But I am happy to report we are are moved into the new place, Praise the Lord! Now the fun begins of purging again, organizing & putting things away. Our family was very blessed to have a large crowd of people show up on "Moving Day" to help, in addition to many family members who made the hourlong trip to pitch in and get us moved. I can't even tell ya how awesome it was! I had a bit of trouble, though, because I wanted to help more than what I did but I just wasn't physically up to it. It was very frustrating for me and I ended up getting a very bad migraine headache on Saturday afternoon so I spent all of yesterday laying around. I am finally better today and I am grateful for that.

The only thing left to do is go back and clean the other house before we schedule a final walk-through. I really want to get that done ASAP - it's starting to feel like a monkey on my back!

Today I had a few appointments...full body scan, ekg & echo-cardiogram. Everything went fine and my doctors should have the results in a few days.

Tess is also feeling much better. Thanks for praying for her :) We still haven't heard any word on her blood work that was done last week. I find that very frustrating when medical people don't always follow through with what they tell you, don't you? I understand things happen but here we are, waiting and waiting for results. I'm calling tomorrow if I don't hear anything...

Hope you all have a great evening!

Tess the Mess

Please say a little prayer for my daughter Tess (or as she is affectionately known...'Tess the mess' :). She saw the doctor yesterday because she has been experiencing abdominal pain. He ordered blood work but we haven't received any results yet. They do not believe it is her appendix, thankfully - she's not running a fever or anything. Tess is just not feeling well. I've got her home from school with me today. She's resting and taking it easy. I'll keep ya posted on how she's doing. Thanks for praying - it really does make such a difference :)

This will probably be my last post for several days. We couldn't get an appointment with the cable company to set up our cable/internet service *before* next Tuesday...yikes, that will seem like an ETERNITY! ha ha ha But I'll be back around after that :)

Hope you all enjoy a great weekend! Fall is definitely in the air, isn't it? Have any of you visited the apple orchard or someplace like that? Tell me about it...would love to hear!

A Newsy Post

Well, I've got plenty of news to share so I thought I'd take a few minutes to do that...

My mother-in-law, Sandy, was cleared by her doctor to go on their previously planned cruise...yay for Sandy & Bob!!!! They both need to get away, that's for sure. They're going with Bobby's aunt & uncle. Sandy REFUSES to get on an airplane so they'll have to drive to FL to board the ship. They will be leaving this Friday. Sandy's birthday and her sister's birthday are one day apart so they will be celebrating their birthdays together on the ship next week :)

As I mentioned earlier, I had my first appointment with the oncologist last week. It went all right, although we are waiting to clear up some things regarding the pathology report about my lymph nodes. There was also a test on my breast tissue that came back as being 'inconclusive' so it will be sent to the Mayo Clinic for additional testing. I'm looking at between 4 & 6 months of chemotherapy and possibly radiation. The oncologist ordered several tests so my next week is packed full of appointments. (Um, guess my unpacking plan has changed!)

Next Monday I will have a bone scan, echo-cardiogram and EKG. Tuesday my plastic surgeon will begin the first of several saline injections into my expanders (part of the reconstruction, you know). Wednesday I get a day off - yay! Thursday is the appointment I dread the very most...the med-port placement. Yuk! I keep thinking about that being put under my skin near my collarbone and I'm just grossed out! (The oncologist made sure I knew it would be visible because he said I am so thin...oh great...glad 'sweater weather' is just about here!) Hmm, then I think about the alternative of being stuck with a needle *every single time* I have chemo and I warm up a little to the whole port idea! LOL (I'm such a BIG baby about needles...oh, how I HATE needles...you'd never have to worry about me becoming a junkie or anything!) I have Friday and the rest of the weekend to get my bearings before I have to have more bloodwork done and return to see the oncologist again.

Remember how I've really been struggling with the hair loss thing? Well, I have to tell you what happened over the weekend. Oh, it's AWESOME!!! My dad's sister is a breast cancer survivor. Aunt Pat had several wigs made when she lost her hair. Five, to be exact. SHE GAVE THEM TO ME! Yup, all five of 'em. Can you believe that?! They're all really cute styles. Only one won't work for me. Now, no offense to any of you auburn haired people out there - my husband is just not a fan of auburn hair. Bobby is pretty easygoing about everything else in life - but he's quite vocal about his dislike for that hair color - it cracks me up, really! It's almost like he's a little boy complaining about hating a certain vegetable or something! LOL So, as you may have guessed, that's the reason one of the wigs won't work for me :)

Now, I was also concerned about the whole possible eyebrow/eyelash loss. It may happen and it may not. I was talking to Bobby's Aunt Pam at church on Sunday (you know, the one who does my hair) and we were discussing all of that. She told me, 'Honey, don't worry about any of that. We'll just tattoo your brows on and get ya fixed up with fake lashes.' Pam went on to tell me that most of the girls who work at the salon wear fake lashes - ooh, guess it's 'in vogue'! ha ha I had completely forgotten that Pam is licensed to do permanent make-up! Her own brows are done and so are my mother-in-law's brows/lips. DUH! So honestly, I'm feeling like I can better face the future knowing I've got several options, ya know. Tell me...do any of you out there have any permanent make-up tattooed on? Do you like it? Have you had any problems?

My dear sister has been helping me out SO MUCH! We're packing & packing & packing. I'm actually not quite sure what I'd do without Lisa :) The days leading up to this weekend's move are passing quickly. Like vaporizing before my very eyes! So much to do and such a limited amount of time - oh well, I have confidence we'll get everything handled just fine. You don't *know* my sister...she's been 'encouraging' me to part with things around here, let's put it like that! ha ha ha She'll say to me, 'aw, you don't really want that, do ya?' I have to chuckle! I tease her that *I'm* coming to her house when I'm better - watch out, Lis!

Hope you're all enjoying a good week! I'm keeping busy but life sure is good and has gotten so much better :)

Beautiful Handiwork

Do you remember a few days ago when I posted about this wedding gift my mom made for us? Well, I thought I'd take a picture and show it to you. (It's too beautiful *not* to share!) I feel really blessed that my mom took the time to make it...I know every stitch was done in love for Bobby & me. Check out the groom's eyes...isn't that funny? My mom really did change them to the light ocean blue color of Bobby's eyes (I tease him that's the reason I fell in love with him...you should SEE how gorgeous his eyes are :) and oh, in case you're wondering *why* it says 'Shelly'...that's what all my family calls me. (To be honest, I'm NOT real wild about that nickname so I opted to go with my given name of 'Michelle' on the blog LOL) I *need* to get myself motivated to find a new frame so I can hang this picture after we get settled in the new place. I'll have to post about it later once I do that :)
My mom cross-stitched this picture for my sister. Isn't it just adorable? Did I mention that my mom taught me to cross-stitch? Yeah, she did. I can't say I do it too much anymore. Mostly because it's so time-consuming and I've gotten kind of burned out with giving those kind of handmade things to people who don't really appreciate this type of handiwork. I'm not saying anything bad about anyone; I just think people don't realize it takes such a long time, that's all.

There's one more gift I'd like to tell you about that my mom made for one of my aunts. It's still hanging in my Aunt Lois's kitchen and she said if anything ever happens to her, she wants to give it back to our family. I don't have a picture of it... but anyway - what's REALLY cool (besides its beauty) is that my mom attached a handwritten letter on the back, just sharing her heart like she usually did. I loved that about my mom, too...she was so honest and didn't hold back her feelings. It's so important to do that, you know. Then you don't live with any regrets that way.

Thanks for reading about some sweet memories of my mom!

My Mom - The Prayer Warrior

I wrote about my mom in the post below and I really felt like I forgot to include a very important aspect of her life...what she greatly valued and made her the type of person she was. My mom was a prayer warrior like you wouldn't believe! I found this paper 'For Others' among her things after she died. My mom had typed this many, many, many years ago - like when she was a teenager - so prayer has always been a very important part of her life. She actively interceded for others and I remember her going to early morning intercessory prayer at church. She also had a notebook with many names listed (mine included!) and she sincerely prayed that God would move in all of those situations. I think that's a great idea and I plan to use one of the lovely journals I've received to do that very thing. My mom certainly understood the power of prayer and I'm so glad she did!

'The effective, FERVENT prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16

Remembering Someone Special...

My mom was about 15 months old at the time this picture was taken. She is being held by one of her older sisters.
My mother's name was Alice Doreen. Her family called her 'Addie' when she was a little girl.
My family at our wedding...August 1990. My mom was such a talented seamstress! She sewed her own dress she is wearing, my sister's matron of honor dress, my niece's sweet little pink dress - and together my mom & I made my wedding dress.

I've been thinking a lot about my mom today. If she were alive, we would be celebrating her 66th birthday on this day...wow! My mom died of breast cancer about 3 months shy of her 50th birthday. Some days it seems like yesterday that she died; other days it seems like a lifetime ago. But the memories of Mom live on so strongly in my heart. I miss her so much.

Especially as I am now at the beginning of my own cancer journey. There are so many things I wish I could ask her. You know, all of these years, this question was at the back of my mind...'Will I have cancer someday?' It wasn't like I lived in fear of it. That thought didn't consume my everyday life. No, it was just something that I sometimes wondered. My mom was such a great example of someone facing a difficult situation and trying to make the best of it. She didn't complain, even when she was in the greatest pain. I just remember her crying out to the Lord at those times, asking Him to help her. She didn't blame anyone because she had cancer; in my opinion, she just handled it with as much grace, class and style as she possibly could. I only hope I can do the same.

My mom had quite a bit of knowledge about cancer and I sometimes think that made it worse for her...to know every step of the journey she would be facing. You see, she was a nurse on the cancer floor for almost 24 years and was forced to medically retire after her diagnosis at age 45. The nurturing way she took care of patients was very evident at her funeral - many family members of patients who had passed away came to pay their respects and mentioned how my mom had eased some of their stress with her gentle, caring nature and sincere concern for their loved one.

The one thing my mom always did was make one feel SO special! She loved to give cards of encouragement and hand-make gifts for others. She was a talented cross-stitcher (in addition to being a gifted seamstress) and so many people had the pleasure of receiving framed cross-stitch pictures from her that she had put much time & love into. (Bobby & I received the 'Precious Moments' bride & groom as a wedding gift...my mom even changed the groom's eyes to the light blue color of Bobby's!) On birthdays - no matter how old you were - there was always a simple meal with cake, ice cream and a nice gift. I will always remember that; always. I do try to follow that same tradition. The example of my mom doing that just goes to show that you don't need a lot of money to make someone feel like they're extraordinarily special!

As I've shared in previous posts about my mom, I miss her laugh most of all. Do you know someone who has a hearty contagious laugh that beckons you to join in the fun? That's how my mom's laugh was. She would throw her head back and just laugh! It wasn't a giggle. No, it was like a silly, can't-help-but-laugh, gotta-laugh-with-her kinda laugh! It was very infectious and a precious gift to all who knew her. We were so very blessed and I look forward to reuniting with my mom someday again in heaven!

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you! Philippians 1:3

Don't Ignore It

When you feel an urgency in your spirit to pray, just do it. Right at that moment. Don't question it. You may not understand why or who right then, but take my advice...PRAY!!!

My husband just called me a few minutes ago. It's about 7:30 AM right now. Bobby is leaving this morning to go on a weekend golf trip. He was taking our daughters to school on his way out of town. On the way there, Bobby looked both ways (obviously!) before pulling out onto the main road. No cars. All clear. Suddenly a speeding truck was heading straight for Bobby's vehicle!!!! Apparently some guy decided to pass another car but didn't see Bobby. Thankfully there was no accident.

I had been awake for part of the night so I was rather tired and still in bed when they all left this morning. I was awake; just not up out of bed. My stomach felt sick as I was laying there. My thoughts went to praying for Bobby as he would be traveling today. That's when I started praying....EXACTLY THE SAME TIME AS WHEN THAT TRUCK WAS SPEEDING TOWARD BOBBY & THE GIRLS!!!

How do I know that? I know because Bobby called me right after it happened and told me he & the girls were almost killed. I asked him what time. He told me and it was the time when I was praying.

So, really listen to that still small voice; that 'prompt to pray'. It's ALWAYS good to pray!

Pray without ceasing! 1Thessalonians 5:17

Good News All Around!

My appointment with the plastic surgeon yesterday went very well. (That is, once I finally got in to see him after a TWO HOUR wait!) My reconstruction (expanders behind the chest wall) is healing up exactly the way it's supposed to and I'm right on schedule for the next part of the process. This afternoon is when I meet with the oncologist to get all the chemotherapy treatment plans in place. My heart is very thankful for each and every day. I am feeling better and better and better with each passing day! I'm careful not to physically overdo it since I don't want to take steps backward in the healing process :)

My MIL (Sandy) successfully picked up those films of her heart from the hospital and dropped them off to her doctor's office. That way the doctor will have plenty of time to review them before Sandy's upcoming appointment on Monday; she'll have her answer about the trip then.

I found out we'll get the keys to the new place a week from tomorrow (next Friday) so that will be a very good thing. My sweet sister is coming back over this Saturday to get down to the business of doing some serious packing. Boy, all I can say is I'm sooooo thankful for all her help...couldn't do this without her! (Thanks, Lisa :)

Besides packing and getting ready to move, I've been doing a lot of thinking about chemotherapy and losing my hair (and possibly my eyebrows). I try not to dwell on that but it's been on my mind. Now, I'm not an overly vain person or anything - but the thought of being bald or even having really thin hair makes me quite upset. Part of my attitude is 'Oh well, just gotta deal with it' and the other part is 'HOW am I going to deal with that?' I've always enjoyed very thick, nice, easy-to-manage hair and well, I'm just not ready to part with it. I happen to really like my current hair style! Oh, I know it will grow back and there are options in the meantime...human-hair wigs (which I'm planning to get), do-rags or bandanas, caps...but thinking about all that stuff reduces me to tears right now. I looked at a picture of a lady wearing a bandana in some of the American Cancer Society literature from the hospital the other night and I got so bummed out. I was like, 'Wow, that's going to be MY reality soon'. I DO NOT want to look like some bald freak! Is anyone else out there who has gone through the same thing and feel like I do???

Mission Started!

My sister Lisa came over yesterday and we got to work on packing up the kitchen. We thought that would be a good place to start. I'm so thankful we got so much work done. Thanks very much, Lisa! I had a good time with you yesterday and appreciate all your hard work and help.

Well, my MIL is still waiting to hear if she will be able to go on her trip. Her doctor won't release her to go without reviewing the films of her heart. (Remember, she was at our house an hour away from home when she had the heart attack so all of her care was at the hospital here in this area - same place *I* was.) So yesterday she got the 'run around' in trying to obtain the necessary films for her own doctor to see. No one but her can pick them up, due to the privacy laws. Hopefully everything will go smoothly for her to get them from the office here and take them to her appointment there. I know she's looking forward to going away :)

In other news, I have a doctor's appointment this morning to see my plastic surgeon. Tomorrow I will meet with the oncologist to discuss chemotherapy treatment.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!

I'll Have a Slice of "NORMAL", Please

Thankfully life is settling down to 'normal' (I use that term loosely LOL) and I couldn't be happier about that! I actually made a grocery shopping trip BY MYSELF today and I am getting back to being able to physically manage the things I did before. Tomorrow is the 2 week mark since I had the bi-lateral mastectomy/reconstruction surgery. I really am feeling stronger every day and for that, I am overjoyed :)

Oh, and I forgot to tell you we spent yesterday with my in-laws. Sandy is doing very well and they will more than likely be able to go on their cruise next week. They've been looking forward to this trip for many months. I think it will do her a world of good to get away and relax. 8)

Sweet Relief!

I couldn't be more pleased to tell you we found a place to live within the same school district and have put a deposit down!!!! PRAISE THE LORD! If all goes according to plan, we will be moving in a couple of weekends. Our monthly payment will be $600 less than what we're currently paying so that will be a huge blessing :) (I love to save money whenever we can!)

There will be adjustments we'll have to make (girls will be sharing a room again after many years of having their own, yard is VERY small, walls are all off-white...can't paint) but in my opinion - those are small sacrifices when looking at the big picture, ya know.

I'm getting ready to go the first middle school football game of the season, where Tess will be making her 'cheerleading debut' LOL I'm planning to take pictures :)

My brother, sister & nephew are coming over later to help me start packing and get some things done around the house. It's such a relief to finally have a plan of when and where we're moving. I"m pretty laidback for the most part, but I don't like living *that* close to the edge :)

Have a great weekend everyone! I'll be sorting and packing :)

A House Update

Well, I'm sitting here all bummed out and disappointed...the house we were looking at it was leased by someone else. PLEASE pray for us to find something soon! Oh my word, I just feel like my heart will break into a million pieces if my girls have to change schools. They both have started back to school on such a positive note and I will hate it if they have to change....

Thoughtful Bloggin' Friends and Busy Hands

My family brought up a package to the hospital that I had received from Diana Lyn (Candles From the Heart blog) and my oh my, does this candle ever smell heavenly! The scent is 'ylang ylang @ ginger' and I love it. Thanks, Diana Lyn!
If you are interested in some good quality candles, please contact Diana Lyn. There's all the info you need!
I love this precious journal from Deena (Can I Be Pretty in Pink blog)! It's so wonderful, Deena, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness! It's so pretty I don't want to write in it! lol (I will, though :)
Look at the beautiful things I received from Michele (Country Vintage blog)! They are all so dainty and sweet looking. Thanks so much, Michele, for your kind thoughtfulness!
Miss Tess is quite flexible. She can actually do the splits for cheer leading! (Yeah, I know - the grass needs to be mowed :)
I finally have something I can actually do to keep my hands busy - yay! Our youngest daughter, Tess, will cheer at their first game of the season this coming Saturday. Oh, she's so excited! The girls get to wear their uniforms to school tomorrow. The skirt is too big in the waist so I have to take it in today. So glad to have busy hands!

As I've shared before, I'm constantly amazed at the kindness, warmth & encouragement from those I've met in the wonderful world of blogging. Your friendships mean a great deal to me. It's like we've all connected 'at the heart', even though most of us have never met in person. What a blessing that is!

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In other news, I'll give you a little update on my health and share what I learned at my follow-up doctor's appointment yesterday. I'll start chemotherapy treatments in about a month. The entire process will last for 5 months. Some of the side effects include 100% hair loss and tiredness. My breast surgeon will implant a port underneath the skin by my collarbone to prepare for the chemo. (That even sounds gross to me, don'tcha think?!)

I am SO HAPPY to learn I can start driving again, as long as I haven't taken any pain medicine. Whew, regaining some independence sure sounds good to me!

I'm feeling really good today! Bobby & the kids have been helping around the house and I'm grateful for that. Everything is done - dishes, laundry, etc.

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So I've got a question...how is the new school year going for everyone? Our kids are doing well. They've been coming home and getting their homework done almost right away - I'm so relieved; we used to have some, shall we say, 'issues' in that area! lol They seem to like being back to school. How 'bout your kids?

Have a wonderful day!

A NEW DAY

I'm NOT a whiner. Really, I'm not. I don't have a negative personality where all I do is sit around and complain. Yesterday was just like that children's book..."Alexander and the terrible horrible no good very bad day"! (Have any of you ever read that?! I haven't in years, but that's exactly what yesterday felt like.)

I talked to my brother on the phone this morning and just like I was telling him - I'll be better once something gets settled about where we're going to move. That's A LOT of stress for anyone to deal with, much less already dealing with the current health situation I've got going on.

Speaking of which, I'm going to see my breast surgeon today for a follow-up appointment. The lymph node they removed during my surgery came back from pathology as being cancerous. Got that news yesterday so that was just like icing on top of the *stress* cake :)

I'm so glad for this particular scripture...

"Great is His faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day." Lamentations 3:23

Boy, am I ever glad for a NEW DAY! Hope you all enjoy yours :)

Please pray

Please continue to keep me in prayer. I'm not doing very well today. It's hard to be positive right now. Thanks in advance.

Cheer

Don't know about you, but I LOVE flowers! As you can tell by looking at this picture, I've received some pretty bouquets and lots of beautiful cards. I'm really cheered up when I look at them!

My sister & two of her kids, my brother and one of my mom's sisters came over for a visit this past Saturday. We really had such a nice time together! We took a little drive in the afternoon. I only live a few miles from the old farmhouse where my Grandma (mom's mom) grew up and also the cemetery where several of the relatives on that side of the family are buried. I posted last year about how a young couple bought and renovated the farmhouse where Grandma grew up. Well, we drove by - as I mentioned - and it looks like it's done! Aunt Loraine said it looked much the same as it did all those years ago. We also took her to the cemetery. It was interesting to learn more family history. For instance, my great grandpa was a navy bean farmer who owned 80 acres. Or my grandma would hitch up the horse & buggy and make a visit to her aunt & uncle's house at the end of the road when she wasn't getting along with her mom. How interesting to think I only live a few miles away from such family history!

Yesterday my dad and his wife brought dinner for us. We ate together and had a nice visit. Today my cousin Tammy is bringing her mom (another one of my mom's sisters) with her to visit. I'm looking forward to seeing them! I'm sure we'll enjoy a nice time together.

On another note, thanks for your encouragement and prayers for us - especially in regards to us finding another house. Unfortunately, we already know our school district does not offer open enrollment with schools of choice. Gotta live in the district to go to the school. I know A LOT of people do the unethical thing of using someone else's address or they move and don't update the school....there's just no way I could do that, no matter what happens. To me, right is right and wrong is wrong. No judgment; I'm just saying it's unethical in my opinion and I don't feel right about being dishonest, that's all. (Please don't think I mean any of you suggested it; I don't :)

So please remain in prayer about all of that. We've got a call in on a house located in a subdivision across the street from the schools. (Didn't expect a call back right away due to the holiday weekend.) Honestly, it would be PERFECT...and the rent is SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS less than what we currently pay! We can afford what we pay here but what a blessing it would be to save that much per month! I'll keep everyone posted.

Enjoy your 'LABOR DAY', whatever your plans are :)