The Norton's Life in PA

Farmland Park

2011-05-22T15:45:00.002-05:00

Trip to Lancaster County

2011-05-22T15:00:00.002-05:00

May 22

2011-05-22T14:18:00.000-05:00

To update everyone things here are so much better! I feel as though 100 pounds have been lifted off my shoulders. We are now getting ready for our trip to Texas! As of today we have 16 days left and then the boys and I get to stay until July 5th. We are so ready and excited. There is finally green here and it is beautiful. A lot of rain but the temps have been in the mid 60's, so nice. I have learned the weather pattern here stays the same for weeks instead of days (like in Texas). I hope to see all of my Azle area friends real soon!

Starla

Keep 'em coming!

2011-04-27T18:40:00.000-05:00

I want to thank each of you for your kind words and MANY prayers. I can feel them everyday. We are still under attack daily but since my last post I am not as affected. I am now more focused and confident in my faith and the reason why we are here. Satan will NOT win!!! Please continue to pray for our family as this battle is not over.

Aaron and I are doing very well, our marriage is growing stronger and closer everyday! The boys are adjusting well to the move and are really enjoying the time they get to see their dad. I enjoy the church here and feel I want to get more involved, not sure where yet, but I know God will point the way. If any of you want to know more about the church it is called Glad Tidings Christian Life Church. I know they have a website, but not sure what it is.

Can't wait to see all of my Texas people!! 40 more days!!!

Love to you all! Starla

Need Prayers

2011-04-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

So most of you know that Aaron and I decided to move out here to PA because we really felt God pushing us here. And yes I mean pushing. This past week I really feel the Holy Spirit pointing out the many ways Satan is attacking us and I am begging you for your prayers. Of course, this just makes me more on fire for the Lord! I would like to list all that has happened because I feel specific prayer is needed.

Where to start...Since we moved here it has been the worst winter they have had in years. We have had to replace the refrigerator twice. The truck has broken down twice and at the current moment may have to have a new transmission. I went through the worst battle of depression I have ever been through. I have missed church for the last 3 weeks for different reasons I had no control over. We would have missed today if Jonathan had not offered to come pick us up. I am currently sitting in the house with NO power. Thank you technoloy for lap top battery life! It seems the more I pray the more I am attacked. I know the evil one will hate this blog post but do not care. I am sure there is more I should add to the list they are just not coming to me at the moment. Also, I am sure there are many typos but I am trying to get this posted before my battery dies.

I love you all and thank you in advance for your prayers!
Starla

Nothing Much

2011-04-01T18:38:00.002-05:00

I am sorry it has been so long since my last post, but not much has happened here. Still cold, today's high was 40, and still snowing.

Riley seems to really enjoy school and seems to be doing well. I can tell his reading has improved since we moved. I guess because the class is so much smaller. Toby is getting so big. He is trying so hard to talk but mostly says the same sounds over and over. And Dakota has so much energy! I am ready for warm weather so he can play outside. I am to register him for school in the next few weeks. They let the upcomming kids have a half day at real school and let them ride on the bus to get them ready for next year. He will love it!

Aaron and I are doing great. His work schedule has allowed him to come home and spend time with us almost everyday. Sometimes it is only for a couple of hours but we take what we can get!

Well, that is about it. I hope all of you back in Texas are really enjoying the warmer weather! Miss you all!
Starla

Trip to Philadelphia

2011-03-07T13:05:00.001-06:00

The house

2011-03-07T12:31:00.001-06:00

A Whole Lot of Snow!!

2011-03-07T11:51:00.000-06:00

As some of you have learned from facebook somewhere around 20 inches of snow fell between yesterday and last night! Here are some pictures!

Ready for March

2011-02-27T17:29:00.000-06:00

Wow a lot has happened since my last post! Last weekend Aaron was off work and Riley had a 3 day weekend so we decided to go on a mini vacation. We loaded up the truck and took off to Philadelphia after school on Friday, and had a great time. We had no idea what to do so I found on the internet a City Pass that included tickets to a few of the things we would be interested in doing. We also met up with Aaron's friend David and his family. They live outside D.C. and came up for a museum and lunch Saturday. In all we went to The Please Touch Museum, the Big Bus Tour, The Philadelphia Zoo, Adventure Aquarium, National Constitution Center, and The Franklin Institute. I would recommend looking for a city pass if you are going to a big city and don't know where to start. We had a great time and found many places we would like to visit if ever the chance to return.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were pretty normal but school was closed Friday because of snow. The news said Gillett got 9 inches of snow on Friday so we were stuck in the house on Saturday also. Aaron actually had to take the truck both days because of so much snow!

Today we were able to get out and went to church. It was once again a great service with amazing music! I truly felt the Holy Spirit in the room. What an amazing gift God is sharing with me. I also was introduced to several different families and hope to make some new friendships very soon.

Miss you all in Texas and will see you soon!!!!!

Mom's Week Here

2011-02-13T08:06:00.000-06:00

This last week seems to have flown by! Tuesday we woke up and I took Riley to school with a two hour delay because of the amount of snow that fell over the night. On the way to school the roads had been plowed but the wind was really blowing and the snow was starting to build up. The whole way home from taking him I debated on turning around and going back and getting him because of the snow drifts on the side of the road. After about 3 hours I decided to go get him. Good thing I did because the snow drifts were half way across the road. That night on Aaron's way home he was pushed off the road and into the thick snow because of these snow drifts. The next morning I decided to keep Riley home from school and Aaron had to call someone with a tractor to come pull the Expedition back onto the road. Mom and I stayed home with the boys while Aaron had to go back to work.

Thursday morning the wind had stopped and the roads again were clear so Riley went to school and Mom and I decided to go into town and get some shopping done for the house. The nearest town is Elmira/Horseheads which is about the size of Weatherford. It has all the normal stores and a mall. We had some lunch out and then back to the house and pick-up Riley from school. That night Aaron took me out on a date and surprised me by taking me to the jewelry store to trade in my wedding band and get a new one. We then went to a movie and dinner. What a great evening!! Thank you so much Aaron!!!!

Friday after I took Riley to school I took Mom to eat in Towanda. Towanda is a quaint village on the banks of a river that looks like it came out of a picture. It is mostly two story Victorian style homes with cute little shops on the main street. Then we headed back to the house to drop Mom and the two little boys off so I could go to Riley's Valentine's Day party. Little did I know parents don't go to the party"s here. I was the only parent. Oh well, Riley was glad I was there and that is what matters.

Saturday we woke up got ready and headed back to Horseheads to do a little shopping and take Mom to eat lunch before we took Mom to the airport. As the morning went along Mom's flight was delayed a couple times because of mechanical problems. The flight was delayed so much that we were afraid she was going to miss her connecting flight in Philadelphia. When she went to check-in we decided it was better for her to wait a day instead of getting to DFW at 11:45 at night. So we get an extra night with her! Whoo hoooo!!!! While in town we decided to go to the pet store to get Riley a new pet and came home with a cute little white MOUSE!! (and a cage)

Today we are going to try a new church eat some lunch and once again take Mom to the airport. Hope you all have a blessed day! Miss and love you all!

Busy, busy

2011-02-07T18:20:00.000-06:00

The last couple of days have actually been pretty busy. Sunday I spent the morning cleaning the house and finishing up the laundry before the boys and I left to pick-up Mom from the airport. Her flight came in around 3:00 pm and the boys were so excited to see her. We then grabbed a bite to eat and headed to the house pretty quick to make sure we were home before dark and the water on the roads started to freeze. Then we enjoyed time together while watching the Super Bowl.

Today I took Riley to school and was able to leave the other two here with Mom so I didn't have to get them out in the cold. When I returned we spent the day hanging pictures and arranging furniture until I had to leave to get Riley. The house looks so much better as I sit here tonight! I am so thankful that Mom is able to be here for a week to help me get the house together!

Miss you all in Texas!!!!

Feb 3

2011-02-03T13:58:00.001-06:00

Let me tell you about my morning...Riley had school today so we got up and ready early not knowing what the roads would be like today. Everything went well and Riley was even a little early. Then on the way home I accidently went past our road and tried to turn around. "Tried" being the key word here. I managed to get my front tires stuck in the soft snow and my back tires on the icy road. Oops! After about 30 minutes of me trying to get us out I decided to call our landlord to see if he knew anyone with a tractor to get me (and Dakota and Toby) out of this mess. He called his wife and she called a few numbers. After waiting a few more minutes she called me back and said she had left a few messages but could not get hold of anyone. Oh man, what do I do now?! I then spent the next half hour again trying what I could to get that darn truck on the road! I finally got hold of Aaron and decided to get the boys out and we would just have to walk the rest of the way back to the house and come get the truck later. As I start to unload the boys I hear the magnificent sound of a TRACTOR!!!! One of the messages the landlord left was heard and I had someone coming to my rescue. His name is Jonathan and he is my new hero. He pulled me out and followed me home to plow the snow off of the drive. What an awesome person God sent to my rescue. When he was done he came in for a few minutes to give me his phone numbers (in case we needed his help in the future). But while he was inside we started talking about where things were like doctors, hospitals, churches, grocery stores, etc. He then invited us to church with him on Sunday. He said if Aaron is not able to go that he and his family would meet me so I would not have to go alone. I am really excited about this and hope this is the reason I was stuck in the first place.

Praying that we have our hearts open to what God has planned! Miss you all!

Our Big Move!!

2011-02-02T10:14:00.000-06:00

To update everyone we arrived to our new home in PA late Monday night (the 25th) because of the cold weather. We were stuck at the hotel all day trying to get the moving truck to start. Finally had it towed and put into a big building and they had to use heaters to get it warm enough to start. When we got to the house it was so late we decided to just unload the mattresses and go to sleep. Aaron took off Tuesday and unpacked the whole truck mostly by himself. Poor Aaron. Since then we have unpacked most of the boxes and are getting our house to look less like a storage room and more like a home.

We have had snow fall almost everyday and I am thankful Aaron has chosen to drive the Expedition and let me drive the 4x4 truck. Aaron has been stuck almost everyday just trying to get down our road and into the driveway. I on the other hand, have not been stuck at all! Thank you four wheel drive! We did get to skype for the first time last night and were able to talk to and see Amy and the girls. What a blessing technology can be! I hope to post pics and in the near future and keep all of you updated as best I can. Love to you all!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-01T10:09:00.000-06:00

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Love my life

2009-10-20T16:51:00.002-05:00

Today I realized how great my life is. I am currently sitting typing this with this beautiful weather outside my windows. The boys are having a great time on the trampoline laughing and playing. I have less than a month until my new bundle of joy will be here. My husband has a job that he gets to be home every night! And most of all, I have a God who will always be here with me no matter what. My cup over flows!!

Nothing Much

2009-09-20T19:51:00.003-05:00

I am sitting here at home and thought I would post on my blog. Maybe someone out there is still reading this. There is not anything big going on so I will just update with all the little things at one time.

Riley is in the first grade this year! What a change from last year. There are spelling tests and homework. Yuck! He seems to be hanging in there so far. He knows many of the kids in his class from last year which brought him a lot of comfort on the first day. It is amazing how much he has already learned in such a short time.

As I type this I am watching my belly move as if an alien is trying to get out. I am 32 weeks and the baby is running out of room to move. I think we have decided on a name... Miles Ethan Norton. I think I am going to have to wait and see him before I decide for sure. This is probably the 10th name we have come up with.

Aaron once again has a new job. He is going back to FedEx, but in a different division. He will start next week on the 29th. We are both very excited. For us this means weekends off!! It has been a long time since we have been able to use that phrase. God is blessing us daily!

Belly Painting Pics

2009-08-13T20:48:00.001-05:00

Belly Painting

2009-08-13T18:41:00.003-05:00

I have decided I want to have some pictures taken of me while I am pregnant. I wanted to do this with my last pregnancy but did not want to go to a public place and expose my bare belly. We have a close friend who takes pictures and I approached him about doing the pictures and he said he would love to. In the mean time he has a friend who wants to paint pregnant bellies and they asked if I would like for her to paint mine. What a great idea! So, last night I went to her house and sat for her while she used my belly as her canvas. What a great experience! I did not really know what to expect but I was amazed at what a great job she did! She was able to do two different pictures and they are both fantastic! We decided to get together again later when I get bigger and she what she can do.

I am also going to wait until I get bigger and have some pictures taken with Aaron and the boys without a painted belly. I figure this is my last pregnancy and I am going to take advantage of this opportunity!

Starla

A Day Out!

2009-08-07T15:07:00.003-05:00

I decided I wanted to take the boys to do something fun before school starts. I decided to take them to the museum while it is in the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and was talking to mom about it the other day. We decided to take the kids on a day that she had the girls. So we loaded up in my car and took off for Ft Worth. When we got there somehow Riley got it in his mind that it was going to have animals. What a big disappointment for him. After we cleared that up he wanted to know where all the cowboy stuff was. We had to explain to him that it was only about cowgirls! On the way home we stopped in Lake Worth and ate at Chick-fil-a and let the kids play for a little bit. In the end everyone seemed to have a good time including Riley. I told the boys we would go to the "big" museum once they were finished working on it. I think they were wanting to see the dinosaurs!

Vacation

2009-07-31T09:34:00.003-05:00

Last week all 12 of us went to Gulf Shores, Alabama. What a great time. We decided to take a vacation this year that was a relaxing vacation on the beach. The guys took a day and played golf then the next day they went bay fishing. Us girls (and Brandon) decided to take a day away and go to a spa. Now granted it was not the best spa but it was nice to have a relaxing day. Then my parents decided to watch the kids so that us young adults could have a date night. Brandon found a sunset dolphin cruse we went on then went out to eat. It was a good night away from kids. We all had a good time! Aaron took the boys to the beach a few times. Other than that we did a whole lot of nothing. My dad spent most of the vacation on the porch looking through his binoculars. He called them his "necklace". I think that everyone had a good vacation.

News!

2009-06-23T08:18:00.002-05:00

So most of you know that I am pregnant. Well, yesterday we found out we are having a boy!! Three boys...Wow! During the sonogram they measured everything and he was perfect. Everything was where it is supposed to be, and closed up where it is supposed to be, he looked wonderful. What a blessing! Now we get to start the name game/ conversation/ discussion. It takes us a while to find a name we both like. My due date did not change, it is still Nov. 14.

On the other hand with some sad news.. a good friend of mine from high school lost his mother last Friday. She had a heart attack. I can not imagine loosing my mother at such a young age with no warning. The family seems to be handling everything as best as can be, but it just breaks my heart. It makes me remember to not take one day for granted.

Thank you to all of you who still read my blog. So far I do not have a desire to do facebook so I will try to keep up with this blog.

Catching up!

2009-04-19T14:28:00.007-05:00

I have decided I am the worst blogger!! I don't make time to sit down and type. That should have been my new years resolution! I have decided today to make the time...

Everything is going pretty good with us. Aaron has been busy working!(yeah!) Riley is loving school and is doing very good.

We went on a camping trip Easter weekend to Mineral Wells and had a wonderful time. We came back to town pulling our camper to church, but no one seemed to mind. It did rain on us but did not hinder our fun.

Now I am trying to get everything ready for the relay for life. It is this Friday night. There is going to be all kinds of things planned for us to do during the night. We will see if I make it till 6 am. I am going to try! Our theme is "Mamma Mia". We have had shirts made and are selling jewelry and lemonade and crossed to decorate with mosaic pieces. It should be a lot of fun.

I know that in my last blog I said I was going to update my pictures but I am having some difficulties with my camera so maybe next time. May God bless you all with a wonderful week!

Starla

One last thing, for you all who have commented on my necklace that my friends made me, they now have a website! Check it out! The link is on the right of my page!

Relay!!

2009-03-20T09:29:00.009-05:00

As many of you know, Azle has a Relay for Life event every year. This year to celebrate being finished with chemo and radiation my mom has decidedto become a team captain. She has enough people that want to help she now has two teams so I have stepped in to be a captain also! If you would like to help with a donation or would like to join my team please go to: www.RelayForLife.org/AzleTx and click on Joyce's Journey 2. Thank you all for your continued prayers for my mom!

Update!!!

2009-03-06T22:59:00.002-06:00

Hello to all! I know it has been a long time since my last post. A lot has happened this year. This year has not been my favorite by any means. I have decided I want a do-over! 2009 started out with a miscarriage with a D & C, Aaron was laid off the next day, and then we found out it would not be a good idea to get pregnant again. (Sorry for the small pity-party.)

Things are getting better now so I felt that I should update everyone with what is going on! Aaron did get another trucking job. He is working for a company out of Decatur and likes what he is doing. We are not sure about the hours so he is still somewhat on the look. He is thinking about becoming a teacher (I think he will do great). It is because of God that we are surviving. The good thing with all of these bumps in the road is Aaron and I are getting closer everyday! I also know that life could be much worse than it is now!

I promise I will soon update the pictures! Thank you for hanging in there with me. Hopefully I will stay up with my blog!

Starla

Friends

2009-01-06T20:03:00.005-06:00

We have all heard that trying times will show you who your true friends are. I have not really experienced this until this last year. The year started with having to recover from a DNC while packing a whole house with just me, my mom, and Reagan. Aaron was wonderful to me but he was not able to help much physically as he still had a job to do. We moved to our new house and at that time, because of my sadness, I could not see how different friendships would affect my life. Thank you to those who called and checked on me, helped me unpack all of the horrible boxes, and kept me moving forward.

Fast forward to this summer when my mom had a car wreck and soon found out she had lung cancer. At that point in time I realizied who I could truly go to with my deepest concerns. (You all know what I am talking about!) Now that Mom is finished with the 16 weeks of chemo I can look back and evaluate the different types of friendships in my life. In this trying time I have realizied each friendship has a different purpose: some for prayer, some for tears, some for laughs, and some for when there are no words. Some of my deepest friendship are from childhood and some from a few months ago. It is amazing to me who God places in our lives to get us through each situation we face.

I am thankful for all of the wonderful friends, no matter how close, that God placed in my life. Thank you all for your continued prayers for the last 5 months since all of this started. Thank you to those who have called and checked on me, offered to help me with my boys while I took Mom to chemo, or took Mom to chemo so I did not have to take her every week. I may have not said thank you to everyone but please know that I am so grateful for each one of you!

Starla

Rock Band Christmas

2009-01-03T11:08:00.002-06:00

Aaron and I are celebrating our first Christmas in our new house this year. We decided to have all of my family over on Christmas Eve. We did our normal snack foods. Then let the kids open their gifts. While they were playing with their new stuff us adults did our Chinese Christmas. It was so fun. There was some dirty looks given but over all everyone had a good time. To top the evening off we played a little Rock Band and had red velvet cake. What a fun night! Hopefully I will get pictures to post!

Christmas morning was a blast. We all had a great morning. There were too many gifts to list each one off. Our house looked like a Christmas tornado went through my house. There was wrapping paper, boxes, and twist ties everywhere. I am still finding trash hidden in small places.

For New Years Eve Aaron and I, with another family, took our kids to a hotel in Decatur. One of the rooms had a huge hot tub in the room so the kids got to go "swim" there in the room. We took all kinds of snacks and games so we did not have to leave the room. The little kids were asleep by 9:30 and the big kids were asleep by 10:30. The adults stayed up playing cards and talking till midnight. It was a good family friendly night.

I pray that this new year brings blessings to everyone.
Starla

Blood Test Results

2008-12-08T23:03:00.002-06:00

Just a quick note to say thank you for all your prayers! All of my tests showed normal. No problem with my thyroid. Praise God!

Also, thank you for your prayers for my mom. Please continue to pray for her! The doctor gave her half of her dose on Monday. Her white blood count was still low but the doctor wanted to go ahead since she is only getting half of her scheduled treatments.

All Day Dr. Appt.

2008-11-29T15:32:00.002-06:00

I went to the doctor the other day for what I thought was a sinus infection. I was taken back to the room where the nurse asked me all those questions about the medications I am on and stuff. She takes my blood pressure and pulse. All the normal stuff they do before the doctor comes in to see you, and leaves the room. In comes another nurse who proceeds to take my pulse again and askes me what I have done that morning and if I have had a lot of caffiene to drink like a red bull or a pot of coffee. I proceed to tell her that I have been in bed asleep all morning and had a little water to drink. She leaves the room and comes back to take my oxygen level with that think they clip on your finger. She then pulls out of the cabinet a paper gown and tells me to undress waist up and she would be back in to do an EKG. At this point I am wondering what is going on. She comes back in the room does the EKG and explains to me that my pulse is much to high. Finally the P.A. that I had the appointment with comes in and tells me that they are very concerned about my pulse rate. It was at 123 b/m and rising. WHAT!! She looks at my sore throat real fast (which was nothing more than the start of a sinus infection) and tells me that I need to go straight to the emergency room because of my pulse. Aaron was with the boys in the car so I get in the car and try to explain everything to him. We drop the boys off with some friends and head toward downtown. After some blood tests, urine tests, a CAT scan, and 4 hours (not bad) of sitting in a tiny room, I was told that I have an over-active thyroid. Who knew I would go from possible sinus infection to thyroid problems in a few hours. Now I have to check back with my primary care physician (see you next week Brenda) so they can do more blood work. Good news is that this could possibly make me lose weight and can be taken care of with medication.

On to a different subject, my wonderful husband surprised me the other day with a partially painted wall and informed me that my dad was comming over the next day to start painting!! It took them 3 1/2 long days and the finished product looks amazing!! Thank you Dad and Aaron!! I now have beautiful green walls and ceiling instead of the white that came with the house. It makes the whole inside look better.

Last, the boys and I went to a friends house today for their family Thanksgiving. It was so much fun. There were so many people in that one house. I forgot what it is like to be surrounded by so much family. She had a great-grandmother there all the way down to her cousins and their kids. What a day! I look foreward to being able to do that later on in life with my kids and their families.

Happy Holidays to everyone!!
Starla

2008-11-10T21:33:00.003-06:00

Camping again

2008-11-10T19:57:00.002-06:00

Camping for the Nortons has always been a summer thing. Until this last summer we were tent campers and I am not brave enough to camp when the nights are in the 40's. Well, since we now have a camper we decided we would try it out last weekend. We went with the Osborns and had a blast. It was an amazing experience alone just to be able to set up our campsite without breaking a sweat. Who knew that was possible? Another wonderful thing is we had a reason to have a fire all day long!! We were able to eat smores before lunch - WOW!!!

The guys went on bike rides and played washers. Dina and I sat around and caught up with what is going on in our lives. I cooked Dina helped where she could. It was an all around fun and relaxing weekend.

I recommend it for anyone with a camper or anyone with a tent who can stand the cold weather while they sleep!

A side note... took my mom to get chemo today and she failed her test again. Her white count was still low but up from last week. Keep praying!!

Starla

For Michelle

2008-11-03T20:18:00.003-06:00

It has been almost a month since my last post and I am sure most of you are thinking "about time". Nothing big has been going on so this post is all of the little things the last few weeks. First of all, my mom went to have chemo today and was turned away. Please keep her in your prayers. Her numbers were really low this time. I keep telling myself "it is all in God's hands". Hopefully next week will be better. The good thing is Mom gets a week without poison put in her body and an excuse to rest all day.

Everyone told me that when Riley started school I would make friends with other moms. I did not believe them but sure enough it has happened. I have become pretty close to a mom of a boy in Riley's class. The odd thing is that we both feel that we have known each other for ever. Anyways, we let the boys have their first sleep over. The first weekend at my house, the next weekend at their house. They are like two peas in a pod. When I volunteer at his school and I see them down the hall they are always next to each other. Poor Mrs. Whiteman. It does remind me of the friends that I was real close to growing up and still talk to today. I am curious if this will be one of those friendships.

This Halloween Aaron and I were invited to a friends house that lives in Fort Worth for a party for the kids. Before we went to town we decided to trick-or-treat my parents and the Gearys. Between the two houses there was no need to trick-or-treat any more. They had so much candy. I think we walked away with the equivalent of a whole night knocking on doors! Riley chose to spend the night with his friend so we dropped him off on our way into town.

Although my friend in Fort Worth does not have any children of her own she decided to put together a party for all of her friends and family who do have small children. It was a hit!!!! She had fun games for the kids to play, lots of food, and made the cutest cupcakes. I wish I had pictures to show. During the evening we went to one of the near by neighborhoods and, of course, went trick-or-treating more.(If anyone wants candy we have plenty to share!!!)

Cooks, we hated to miss your party! I am sure it was a blast also. Cant wait to see the pictures!

Sorry this is so long. I will try not to let it happen again.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for my mom!!

2008-10-12T09:01:00.000-05:00

Birthday Party

2008-10-12T08:25:00.004-05:00

It had been a while since I posted anything. I thought that I would update you with all that has been going on with the Norton family. First, as most of you know, I took mom to get her chemo treatment last Monday and she was sent home without her chemo dose. It seems that her blood count was too low. This is something normal. The good news is that she gets the week off. She is quarantined to her house. A good excuse to do nothing all day.

Also, my baby boy is now 3! I can't believe that I am the mom of a Kindergartner and a 3 year old. We had a good party. Everyone came over last Sunday and my dad did a shrimp boil. (My first thought was YUCK!) Just the name sounds bad. Dad brought over the turkey fryer and boiled in water: potatoes, corn on the cob, 3 kinds of sausage, shrimp, and some seasoning. It was so good. We put paper towels out on the table, poured out the contents of the fryer, and literally dug in. I made a Spiderman cake for his birthday, which we managed to eat all but 2 pieces. A couple of our friends came over with their new baby girls. They are so precious. It was an all around great day!

Thank you all for you continued prayers. We appreciate all of them!
Starla

The Big One

2008-09-29T18:20:00.002-05:00

We had a great time camping this past weekend. We went to a 1000 Trails site first for a free 2 night stay. The whole point was to get Aaron and I to buy a membership, which did not happen. While we were there we played several games of mini-golf and Aaron and Riley went fishing. They decided to go early in the morning while Dakota and I were asleep. They came back to the camper around 8:30 to come get me to show me their big catch! Of course I could not wait to see what "Riley" had caught! He was so proud. Aaron and I decided that it would be best to let the fish go back to his family in the water, Riley did not agree. He was so mad that he did not get to eat his catch that he did not talk to us all the way back to camp. Who would have thought?

On Friday we moved camp to the other side of the lake to the group camp site. There we met 5 other families and had a blast. There was a lot of fishing, eating, and sitting around being lazy. It was a very relaxing camping trip. We are already talking about planning a trip for the spring. I cannot wait!!

ONE DOWN

2008-09-23T16:16:00.005-05:00

I am sure that everyone knows that mom had her first treatment yesterday. God blessed us with a day much better than I expected. To give you the short version of the story... Mom, Dad, and I got to the office around 9:45 am. Mom got her blood work done and saw the doctor by 11:00 am. Then Dad left around noon (there was no reason for both of us to sit with Mom). She was hooked up by 12:30, and we were back in the car by 3:45 pm. Not bad for a first dose of chemo.

Amazingly Mom has not been very sick. Praise God!! I talked to her today around 3:00 and she was feeling good. She said she did not sleep well through the night, so has napped a lot today. Overall she is much better than anyone would have expected. I hope it will be this good next week. Thank you for all of your prayers. I know it is because of prayer that she is doing so good!

For the full version of yesterday, go to Mom's blog page. If you don't have "Joyce's Journey" it is under "My Blog List".

As for Aaron and I, we leave tomorrow for Lake Whitney!! A much needed family vacation. Hopefully I will be able to put the pictures on my blog when we get back.

Cancer, Cancer Everywhere

2008-09-19T10:43:00.002-05:00

So it seems that everyone I talk to knows someone who is dealing with cancer. I don't know if I hear about it more lately because it is in my own life or if there really are more cases of it today. The other day I went to the bank and was talking to a friend of mine from when I worked there. As I was talking to her about mom and all that is going on she started telling me about her sister that was just diagnosed with cancer. I could not believe my ears as she tells me that her sister has lymphoma. A side note here, my Maw-maw had lymphoma so this touches me deeply. I then find out that she is pretty much on the same schedule as my mom. She got her port in yesterday and starts her chemo today. Her name is Jessica. She is married and has two very small children. My request to those of you reading this is as you lift up my mom in prayer please also lift up Jessica and her family. Thank you to my many prayer warriors.

Starla

Here Goes Nothing

2008-09-17T16:04:00.004-05:00

Okay, I have decided it is my turn to give blogging a try. I mean my mom even has a blog. I make no promises to how well or often I post. It is a known fact that I am not the writer in my family. For those of you who are avid bloggers, I will take any advise given. For those of you who are English teachers, please do not pay attention to all of my mistakes.

Hope you enjoy!
Starla