Cook Christian Academy and Students

Fun with Play-Dough.

Wet clothes from jumping in the tub with sisters to Mommy's dismay.

Classic.

Dr. Suess time

So much more fun, when shared.

Walkin' on the treadmill. Daddy's our trainer :-)

Teacher's desk

Pre-schooler's desk

Kindergartener's desk

What we've been up to

I ran across this old picture of Charity the other day and thought it was cute. My girls love oatmeal. This little beauty helped humble me today in one of the stores I went to today. Poor kid was so tired... but, her behavior drew much attention and I was humiliated. I dealt with it after I got home. She says she is going to be good the next time (particularly because her older sister was awarded a quarter for excellent behavior while Mommy shopped... doesn't take much to make them happy!).

The other day, Ron and I took the girls to McDonald's Play land, and guess who should show up but Ronald McDonald himself! Charity looked a little frightened at first, but the girls had a blast!

Thought I would let you know that I am recovering well, and the "large nodule" and the 3 lymph nodes found were benign, and finally diagnosed as a "follicular adenoma." Blood test will be next week to see if my right thyroid is putting out enough hormone so that I will not have to take Synthroid. We'll see. Not too worried about it, really. It was just a bump that shouldn't have been there, and it is gone... and, I am really glad.

Ron is planning to go back to work next week on Friday!!!

Ron's liver enzymes were rising. They suspect GVHD possibly being the cause. Yet, this guy of mine is hoping to get back to "normal." Can't blame him there. Maybe, those counts will go back to normal, too. We'll see.

Hope had her 2 year physical the other day, and wow, is she big! She is tough, too! She let them poke and push on her, and prick and stick her (x2) and she only let out one short cry! Since when do I have children two years old that are actually counted as being in the 85th percentile in length?! Maybe there was a mistake... or, maybe I am actually going to have a tall child! The other 2 girls have been hanging out below 10th percentile in height for a while, I think. Her weight was somewhere around the 75th percentile (she has a pretty big tummy... she really like to eat!), and her head circumference was like 90th percentile... I do tend to have children with big heads... a lot of brain going on there, I think! Is that bragging? I am hopeful on getting with potty training her again soon. I tried the other day, but after a couple of accidents, I quit... I value my carpet, you know!

Well, you want to hear about a good deal I got today? Good, cause I want to tell you.

I saved sixty dollars and some cents at the Christian bookstore today! I actually saved over double what I spent!!! I had done my shopping around on-line before I went, and then made the purchases at the actual store... I had been given a gift card for $25, and spent less than $4 of my own money! I bought a box of 100 hymns and a devotional set that was usually about $40, for only $4! It was not labeled this at the store, but the lady checked the price for me, since I had seen it on-line for such a cheap price, and sure enough, $4 was the price... I saved 90% on that item and I am very pleased with it, since I love the old, traditional hymns, and so far what I have heard, I love it!!! I bought some things for the children and me for very low prices, because I had done my homework before I went there, and although some of the items were not marked so low, the lady scanned them for me and I was right... cheap prices! That was really fun!

Ron has been really helping me out with de-cluttering the house, and I love it! I hate to de-clutter. Gasp! I know, it sounds horrible, and I love my house being not cluttered, but, I get too emotional over stuff... so, I tend to be a pack rat... I don't like it, but that is the way I am. Ron is the opposite. It is best if I don't watch him do it, because I will argue about this and that item. He really made our office/schoolroom look great the other day! I am so excited about it. Unfortunately, I saw him throwing away some of the stuff, and it was hard for me to shut my mouth... but, it was for the best, and I just want to say "THANK YOU, HONEY!"

He has been busy with tract distribution and jail ministry lately... He loves it. Sometimes, if walks too much though, he has that cramp problem... suspected as neuropathy. It is so weird. I mean, it will strike his legs, feet, hands, or back, spontaneously, and he can't move that muscle. It is very painful! He doesn't let it stop him though from doing ministry. He's one tough "Cookie." He's a brave man!

Well, that is just a taste of what is going on here. I will try to get some more pictures on here soon. Thanks for your prayers!

I am home! Surgery is over, and life goes on.

I returned to a pretty clean house, as Ron's mom stayed overnight with the girls and cleaned house a whole lot. It was a relief. She also came to see me before my surgery and stayed with Ron some while he waited. She even did my hair for me after I got home and got my shower. Thank you so much to my kind MIL!
The nodule is gone, and the site is tender. I am so glad the surgery went well. The quick biopsy showed no cancer, but now they are dissecting the thing to check it more thoroughly. It was about the size of a walnut, according to the surgeon... he showed me on his hand... take your index finger and thumb tips and barely touch them, if you are a man, or not quite together for smaller hands... I imagine an oblong golf ball. He was glad that I had it removed. He did a good job. They acted as though it definitely could have been the source of my choking because of it's size and location. So, now I don't have my left thyroid, but I am happy... I think it is even easier to breathe, isn't that weird?! Now, I am back to changing diapers and giving demands... ha! I am not allowed to yell, lift over 10lbs, or vacuum for a few days, and I have to start out with soft foods. The children seem to realize my inability to talk louder than them, and that is causing quite a challenge, as they can be very loud sometimes, and they act like they cannot hear me.
I am enjoying the yummy ice cream the last couple of days. I LOVE ice cream, and this gives me the perfect excuse to indulge :-) It does feel good to my throat, and they also gave me this ice pack for my neck that feels absolutely wonderful! I also have Vicodin, if I need it. I am feeling so much better now, so I might not need medicine as much.
Well, I just thought I would let you all know how it went. Ron came back to the hospital last night to stay with me, as I was rather lonely and got nauseated from eating too much too soon and from my room being too hot. They gave me nausea medicine in my hip... OUCH!!! Tip: after you wake up from anesthesia, take it easy, even on a full liquid diet! I wasn't too terribly lonely for a while as I talked with the nurses and read my Bible, and Ron and our pastor came to see me. That was nice. I mostly felt lonely when I was nauseated.
I am well now, and am actually about to leave for a church ladies evening at the Golden Corral... soft foods, here I come! I haven't eaten there in a VERY long time!
Thank you all for praying for me, and for the phone calls.

Yesterday... day 100! And this and that...

I know this may mean absolutely nothing to most people (unless you are well acquainted with bone marrow transplants), but yesterday was Ron's 100th day... a marked day in a post-transplant patient! Woo-hoo! We did not get to celebrate because I wasn't feeling that great yet, and decided to get checked, and that took forever... just so you know, I'm cool... got some medicine and am feeling better. Ron had cleaned and cleaned and cleaned in the house while I was getting "checked" yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised when I got home. He even oraganized the kitchen cabinets and washed laundry! He went grocery shopping yesterday, too! Talk about exciting! He must have had some energy rush or something! I hope he gets it again next week... hehehe!
Thursday, although I still didn't feel that great, we took Faith to her piano lesson, dropped off some hand-me-downs to Wes' children, ate out, and went to GBS, visited, and enjoyed the revival service. The children had way too much fun! They had some college students doing all sorts of games, and Faith was trying to teach some of them about Jesus... she even put one student in "time-out". It was good seeing some "old friends" and being back at the "Hill Top", where Ron and I met. It is a great place to be! I LOVED being a student there, and the friends I made along the way! Thursday was such a good day!
Just in case some folks are wondering, I heard Marcia got home Wednesday. I love good news!
I hope y'all are praying for Haiti right now. Years ago, Ron traveled there several times, and Ron and I both have been to the Dominican Republic once for just a few days (same island). I want them to know that we have been praying for them!
I got word the other day that my grandmother may be having mini-strokes. Please, pray for her. She is the one you see on my blog pics. She's a sweet grandma!
Well, maybe next time I will put some more pics on here. Just thought I would give a quick family update. You probably won't hear from me until after my thyroid surgery. I am so excited about this surgery. I know that sounds weird, but I have always been a bit different, huh?
Until next time!

BLAAAA!

That is what I have to say about what has happened since my last post.
First, Ron's neck pain was discovered to be a blood clot, sometimes caused by a central line... so they removed his line and he's on anti-coagulating shots and pills. Praise God they found that clot in his neck and are working on shrinking it. Pray it doesn't break loose... so far, so good!
Second, on the same day, our friend, Dr. Marcia Davis, has a heart attack... then 1-2 more in the following day, and even coded once! Was strange seeing her in a hospital bed in pain. She is an incredible lady! She is one of the most multi-tasked ladies I know... I do know several, but she is one of the top. I haven't heard any news for a couple of days, so I am assuming she is doing better.
My emotions, then, spiraled downward and I started caring less about my goals. Charity catches a small cold, and Faith seems to be catching a little one, too. I, on the other hand, got slapped yesterday with an illness that helped me loose a few pounds un-voluntarily. It was horrible! Once the vomiting, etc., ended, my body was aching furiously with fever. It was difficult to even walk... I felt like I weighed double what I really do. Ron was forced to sleep in the girls' room, I think. If you want to hear the wildest part of the story, you can ask me later, I still ache, but I feel much better than yesterday! At least today, I have been able to eat.
Well, isn't it amazing how things can change so quickly!
Maybe next week will be a good one... Yes, next week... hmmm... that is when I have that thyroid nodule removed... fun! Not that it is a big deal or anything, but, I am glad to say goodbye to that annoying lump! Yeah!!!
Well, Ron, Faith, and Charity have left for church, and Hope is with me... and, she has awakened from her nap. I was hoping she would sleep longer, but nope... not today. sigh
Well, I guess I had better respond to the youngin. Check in again soon... like I said, things can change quickly.

On my way...

toward reaching those goals. God is helping me to get there. I will have to tell you about them as the year goes by.
One thing of note, is that we are back on track in Faithy's homeschooling. It was tough for both of us to get back into the "groove."
She has also been practicing her piano more, and she is excited about some of the new songs she is learning.
The house had great improvements yesterday after Ron took the two older girls out for a while so Mommy could get some housework done.
My devotions are becoming so much richer, and God has been teaching me some tough lessons, and although some of them hurt, I am really glad He is teaching me.
I, also, have that thyriod surgery soon... less than two weeks away! Yeah!
I have already lost some of the holiday weight! Yeah!
Ron's energy level seems to have improved so much in the past few days. He had some complication going on, and they put him back on steriods, and he has been doing so much better. It is exciting to see how ''normal" he has been the past few days... actually, I think he is even better! Not sure what is going on, but, I think I like it. I think I would like to have the energy he has... before he had cancer, he was like the "Energizer Bunny." He was always doing something... conqueoring some task... he is back at it! He is done with the heart monitor. We'll see what the conclusion of that study was. He is even talking about going back to work. He seems even sweeter than before! I have soooo much to be thankful for!
God has met all our needs! It is incredible the things He has done! Praise Him forever!
I hope you all are encouraged to hear good news! I am not saying it has been any easy week... rather it has been stressful, but wonderful are happening, and I just thought I would share them with you!