Brief Update

Just checking in. I had surgery on Tuesday at 7 am. The procedure lasted about six hours (or so I'm told). This was the first procedure in a series that will reconstruct what was removed last May. My surgeon is excellent, and assured us that everything went perfectly in the OR. I am still in the hospital, but should be discharged tomorrow if everything looks good. Thank you for your prayers. I hope to be feeling somewhat normal again by Father's day, but we'll see!

Again, if you need to get ahold of Jeff or me, our email is davis-clan@hotmail.com.

Thanks for checking in. Love you all,

Leslie

Good Advice

Good advice. Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland ,Ohio

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends andparents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck..

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journeyis all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is upto you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no foran answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don'tsave it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, willthis matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did ordidn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'dgrab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

A Favorite Summer Poem

Bed In Summer

In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see
the birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people's feet
Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?

Robert Louis Stevenson

Anybody there?

Hello...just checking in so that you know I'm still alive and kickin'. We've been so busy lately, that I don't even know where to begin. I need to get a lot done today, so real quickly I'll just leave a few prayer requests, and then hopefully later type an update on the family along with a few pictures.

Prayer requests:

1) For my newest new insurance to be agreeable to my continuing treatment at MD Anderson. They are contracted on paper, but their front line customer service associates haven't found that yet, and we are back to square one in that area...with a surgery pending in June! Umhmmm...sounds crazy, but really...whatever happens, it's no big deal. I don't mind putting a surgery off for awhile! HOWEVER...it would be nice to get it out of the way, and get back to whatever normal is.

2)For our past insurance to figure out what in the world is going on. They pay some claims as in-network(08), then forget what they were doing and reject the next batch (pay out-of-network) (09). It's a quagmire, as Jeff would say! Gonna take a lot of phone time, and that is something I'm rather low on! Especially with the boys out of school! It will work out...it's just highly frustrating.

Basically...those are the 2 main worries right now. Kinda nice for a change, eh? In light of the past year and a half...it's laughable. Just got to keep things in perspective.

Blessings to you all!

Leslie

Rules of the Universe

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
2. Don't worry about what people think; they don't do it very often.
3. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.
4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
5. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
6. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention! It never fails.)
7. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
8. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
9. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of cheques.
10. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.
11. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
12. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it. Embrace your differences. Love each other.
13. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
14. A balanced diet is a chocolate in each hand.
15. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
16. Opportunities always look bigger after they have passed.
17. Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
18. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
19. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
20. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
21. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.
22. Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
23. It isn't the jeans that make your butt look fat.
24. There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.'
25. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
26. You should not confuse your career with your life.
27. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
28. Never lick a steak knife.
29. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.
30. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
31. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
32. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.
33. Your friends love you anyway.
34. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.
35. How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are.

Happy Easter!!!

Prayer Request

Hello again! Hope everything is well with you and your family, and that you are enjoying the beginning of a beautiful spring! We are all doing great, and enjoying our life that amazingly seems much richer this year!

I never dreamed when I was involuntarily plunged into membership in the cancer club how my life would be changed. It seems like daily I am learning of friends, family members, and acquaintances who are newly diagnosed...young, old, in between. People just like me, who have no history or risk factors, "don't smoke, don't chew, don't hang around with those who do..." type people who are just blindsided by the news. It's alarming, really.

Case in point...our teaching pastor from Fellowship Bible Church. Phillip was just recently informed that he "might" have cancer. Still awaiting the results of a biopsy. He was told that it might be lung cancer, lymphoma, or...an infection! I told him Sunday that I had never before prayed for my pastor to have an infection, but that was exactly what I've been doing. Although we are members of Calvary Baptist, we just recently began attending Fellowship again. Fellowship was our home church for many years, and when we introduced our friends to it last fall, we felt the urge to go back. So...we've been "visiting" for awhile now.

Anyhoo...all that to say that maybe this is why. I had a wonderful visit with Phillip in the hallway last Sunday, and we understand one another on an entirely different plane now. I hope his diagnosis comes back to say that our camaraderie is short lived, and that it is truly an infection. Either way...God is good.

When you think of it, would you please pray for Phillip and his family? What a blow...even if temporary. I can say from experience that it takes awhile to recover from the initial news...and he and I both agreed that if someone were to say, "Well...looks like we made a mistake! It's just an infection!", we'd kiss 'em on the jaw and run out of the room!

You can read about his updates on the church website here. Just click on "Phillip's Health" on the left hand side.

Thank you for your continued prayers for me and my family. I had a great doctor's visit on Tuesday here in town, and had another Herceptin treatment. Life is good!

Blessings to you all!

Leslie

20 Answers from Levi

1. What is something mom always says to you? Do this.
2. What makes mom happy? When we're good to her.
3. What makes mom sad? Being disrespectful to her.
4. How does your mom make you laugh? Being funny.
5. What was your mom like as a child? I don't know.
6. How old is your mom? Are you 34?
7. How tall is your mom? 38 feet or 60 inches
8. What is her favorite thing to do? Play with me.
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? Cry!
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Being a movie star!
11. What is your mom really good at? Cooking.
12. What is your mom not very good at? Riding bikes.
13. What does your mom do for her job? Take care of children.
14. What is your mom's favorite food? Shrimp?
15. What makes you proud of your mom? When you play with me.
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Fat Albert!
17. What do you and your mom do together? Go to Silver Dollar City
18. How are you and your mom the same? We have the same skin color.
19. How are you and your mom different? We don't have the same color hair.
20. How do you know your mom loves you? You hug me.

Picture of the Day

Last May...at the beach with one of our favorite cousins!

Top of the Morning to You!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Not that we do anything to celebrate, but happy day anyway! Did you know that my children didn't even know about the whole pinching thing? I tried to make them wear green today so they wouldn't get pinched, only to be informed that pinching was against school policy, and no one would pinch or be pinched today or they would get in serious trouble.

"How about I just draw a shamrock on your knuckle just for good measure...in case someone didn't get the 'no pinching' memo?"

"No thanks...Mrs. S. won't allow anyone to pinch."

"Neither will Mrs. M! We're good!"

Well...alrighty then! Guess some things are just outdated!

Hope you are having a great week so far. I am loving this weather. Isaac and I are headed to the park to look for leprechauns!

Blessings (Irish and otherwise...),

Leslie

Photos from Radiation treatment Last Summer

Product Recommendation

From one mom to another:

I am a generic girl. Especially on dishwasher detergent. However, I just tried this for the first time, and I LOVE it! Our dishwasher wasn't working so great...lots of residue on the dishes. Jeff picked this up while browsing at Lowe's, and we love it. Caked on casserole dishes come out sparkling clean. No more grit in the glasses! It does a wonderful job, and I thought you'd like to give it a try!

Leslie

Checking in...

Good morning! I have a thousand and one things I need to be doing, but I thought I'd check in and let you know how things are going in our neck of the woods.

We have been so busy with livin' lately that very little else has gotten done. We all fought off colds or endured springtime allergies these past two weeks, and I'm glad to report that everyone is breathing much better now.

We finished off basketball season, and are going full steam ahead into baseball season. Owen will play this year. Levi wants to, but we'll see about that. I hesitate to get them involved on a team until they BEG for at least a week. Then I know they're serious. There'll be YEARS of organized sports in my future, and I don't see any reason to rush into it until I have to!

Jeff's work is keeping him busy, which is a good thing given the number of people we know who have recently lost their jobs. We are so thankful for God's provision for our family.

Our van is pushing 200,000 miles, and we have enjoyed getting it back from the repair shop SEVERAL times this past month! She keeps running, so we'll keep driving her! Can't seem to find another one I like any better anyway!

I completed another round of "chemo" yesterday...just the regular Herceptin treatment I get every 3 weeks. The Outpatient Oncology staff at Cox are wonderful, and I have felt very comfortable getting my treatments there. They are CLEAN...which is all I want! AND...even better...I don't have to travel 12 hours to get a treatment. I went in yesterday, and still had dinner on the table for my family last night! Woohoo! It's nice to be back to normal, or a resonable facsimile thereof!

I hope you and your family are enjoying some warmer weather. Here at our home we have a severe case of Spring fever, and are anxiously awaiting Spring Break in a couple of weeks.

Blessings to you and yours! Thank you for your continued prayers for our family. We so appreciate it!

Love,
Leslie

Win A Wii!!!

Ever consider buying a Wii? Here is a way you can win one for as little as $10 AND help our friends Bryan, Kim, and Jenna bring their new family members home from Ethiopia!

We are selling raffle tickets to win a Wii...and the proceeds go toward the purchase of plane tickets to bring everyone home from Africa. It's a wonderful cause, and a great way to win a Wii for a small contribution. Visit their blog at A Blissful Heart to purchase tickets. You can even help them sell tickets! The person who sells the most can win $50! You can't beat that! (by the way...I'm not in the competition to sell the most tickets, in case you were curious!)

I hope you'll stop by their website, and if you are able, make a contribution toward the purchase of a plane ticket. Wii would be very grateful!

Blessings,

Leslie