Vintage Moon is kicking my ass!

Seriously! I can't put it down = good. But I can't pick anything else up = bad! I can't seem to get excited about anything else I have ready to scrap with, I only have eyes for Vintage Moon. *sigh* Tried to pick up pink and purple, my fav girlie colors for a girlie layout and... nada! The only problem with Vintage Moon? I've run out of it. :( Here's what I did for TTT and for me:

healing is the process

Yes, we're home and healing in all ways. Simplifying life, I guess you could say. I've been so busy taking care of the rest of the family, I've forgotten to take time out for myself... to take time out for Jesus. I did that today, spent most of service in tears and made a new friend who began a friendship by offering a tissue. Love that. Listen to CENTER in my playlist. HE was talking to me today. I'm blessed in so many ways.



If ya have a spare moment, say a prayer for my parents who are down on a medical missions trip in Nicaragua. All I know right now is that they've arrived safely and have begun the first of 9 18-hour days. They'll be sharing the Message tonight with some who have never even seen a church. How amazing that they may know Jesus by nightfall.



After putting the Bible down, I find myself in scrap therapy. Have done a few sketches lately and have been asked to be a feature sketch artist, which is really fun. I'll share more on that when I can. Here's one of the latest, a Pink Sketch. It just makes me happy.

Toby, 3

I can't thank you, my online friends and family, enough for your love and support. However, all the hopes and prayers in the world couldn't have kept Toby with us. His anemia level had dropped another 2 points and if he was a walking amazement at the levels 10 and 8, he was a walking miracle at 6. All this was highly indicative of a bone marrow defiency, most likey cancer. He just wouldn't give up - couldn't, I guess. Such a stubborn, strong-willed pup, living on meds and for us, I guess.

We got him thru his 3rd birthday Saturday, which he enjoyed throroughly even tho it rained all day. He got a special treat of ice cream and Milkbones, and you'da thunk he'd struck gold. Eventually, he ditched the Milkbones and dove straight into the cup of ice cream.

Sunday was absolutely beautiful and sunny and peaceful and he spent most of the day outside, laying in one or two of his favorite sunny spots.

He had breakfast of bacon and dog bits and later passed peacefully at the vet.

Telling Matthew was not as hard as we had thought. He's still asking question after question and is sad every once in a while, but it passes quick as it comes.
It's quiet around here now, the healing process set to begin.

Thanks, again. I couldn't have, and will not, get through these times without friends like you.

LK

I sure could use some good news.

Updates:

Doug is the same. Mom & I have almost talked him into a 2nd opinion @ the hosp for special surgery in NY. We just don't really trust his (dad's) ortho and would like to hear about it from someone else. He'll have another MRI scheduled in a few weeks to determine if surgery is needed.

McKenna - all results from bloodwork came back perfect except for a "questionable" but "nothing to worry about" value under Lime. Anyone know anything about it? I'm going to call in to the doc to ask more ques. This "questionable" value was 41. That's all I know. Her ortho appt is Wednesday, both 2-year recheck of her hips from her baby dysplasia and for him to look over this injury, the two apparently unrelated. She's limping a lot less, mostly in pain only at night.

Toby, the dog - things don't look good. His hematocrit (sp) levels came back today very low, both indicative that he's not producing new red blood cells/platelets and that this is most likely bone marrow cancer. After his significant dive in health last weekend, he got better but has planed since. He's just so not himself. Doc is giving him till Tues., another 5 days on this course of meds and vitamins to see if his anemia #s come up. If they do, we'll keep going. If they don't, he recommends euthanizing. Nothing looks promising. His 3rd birthday is tomorrow, the 6th. He's on antibiotics (3 pills), prednizone (6 pills), iron supplement (3 tsp/day) and vitamins (3/day).

Life is going on, but I sure could use some good news.
Got this quote today via email:

September 05, 2008
Quote of the Day
"I have always believed that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value."
– Hermann Hesse

School, Kindergarten and Buses, oh my!

So we survived the 1st day of school & the 1st bus ride... but just barely.

The morning went great - breakfast, dress, even a little Wii before school. Doug's parents and my mom and neighbor came down to the buststop and we got cute ordinary pics and Matthew went on no problems, hesitations or anything! He loves his driver, Mr. Fisher. A friend who was dropping her kids off to school said she saw Matthew get off the bus and walk in all macho and with a huge smile to his new big school. What a relief!

Although 2 gf's and I have some reservations about this new K teacher, today (day 2) seemed to go better. Still comparing notes and stories and deciding where to take it.

While Doug, McKenna, nighbor and my dad waited yesterday after school, the bus home was a diff story... apparently they had a substitute bus driver for the way home and she had no idea where she was going! Not only was she 25 minutes late, but she tried to drop Matthew off in the next development over. He came off that bus sobbing! I felt so bad! Called school and bus garage and made sure it wouldn't happen again, and today was perfectly smooth. Met his afternoon bus driver and she is very nice. Just a very few minutes late and she was smiling and talking and called Matthew by name. Whew!

Oh, and I'm a soccer mom!! Matthew absolutely loved soccer last night. The first thing he asked me this morning was if he had soccer today! Although the league is still reorganzing - he's now on Team Venezuela and his first game is the 13th. Would you believe the phone just rang and it was his new coach?! Funny! Anyway, he's SO cute all dressed and was really diggin' the soccer stuff! What a man!

We have Toby's appointment in about 45 minutes. They'll redraw blood and we'll find out if this treatment is working. I'll keep y'all posted.

Did I mention that 1/2 of McKenna's bloodwork came back and all is perfect. That's not lime and things like that, but so far, so good. She's even been limping less, so I go back to state that I really think it's an injury - either knee or pulled muscle in calf or thigh... let's hope!

at the 99th hour...

and Toby is still with us. He's such a fighter, such a dog with a stong will and soul. He's up, if I dare say, a bit more today... still smiling and wagging when he has the strength. And sometimes when he doesn't. I'm scared to say I even think some of his color is coming back. He has now successfully surpassed the 72 hours they gave him. The emergency vet's heart and chance combined with our home vet's will and opportunity have kept him with us longer than we expected just days ago. I now find myself between the predicaments of uber-worry and a hint of hope. It hurts to hope, for I'm afraid losing him in hope would be harder than losing him in time of despair. Our next milestone will be keeping him close to us until 2:20 Thursday afternoon when our vet will tell us if this treatment is working. Lucky for him, we don't mind completely and totally spoiling him with love, hope, hugs and table scraps.

No less important, of course, Doug is wobbling around, finding new love in fantasy football and McKenna, our dear sweet McKenna's limping and pain seem to becoming fewer and futher between. We're still awaiting her blood test results and her peds ortho appt will be next week. Not to be outdone, Matthew starts Kindergarten and soccer tomorrow and has his own very quiet apprension. He's such a strong kid for us.

I cannot thank all of you, my friends and family and church prayer committee for your kind comments, wishes, virtual hugs, actual angelic offers and, most of all, prayer. We live and breath on prayer, and now, my family, Toby included, does, too. If ya wouldn't mind a few more days of it, would sure could use it.

Thanks again my friends. Please, if there is anything I can do for you...