Two weeks and a lot of catching up to do..

Since this post was a draft back from Mothers Day, I guess I will begin here.   Mothers Day this year began with a dozen red roses and coffee in the morning from my hubby. A perfect start to the day.
We headed off to church with my oldest son Tim and his fiancé' Stephanie. My middle son Kevin, and his wife Nikki surprised us by joining us at church. Meanwhile,my youngest son Matt stayed home and prepared everything for a BBQ and cleaned up the house. Not bad for a bunch of guys!

After we ate I had a few gifts to open up and I realized that they know me better than I thought and they pay attention to the little things you think are not noticed.
Matt gave me a  basket with M&M's, crosswords, a coffee cup and bunny for my garden.
Kevin & Nikki gave me a purple butterfly, garden pad and purple gardening gloves.
Tim and Steph gave me a watermelon scented candle. Every gift was special and had meaning behind it.
I love spending time with my adult children  and can not wait to enjoy so many adventures with my first little grandson, Liam James.
We usually go for a Run on Mothers Day to celebrate the beginning day we started running, which is now 4 years ago.However,as we sat out back visiting with our kids we realized a couple of things. The moments to run are many, the moments to sit and visit with your adult kids are precious and few.From our conversations with them we also realized we are still leading and teaching them, just in a different way now. As it has always been, it is a privilege to be their mom.

Writers Group

Having recently participated in the A-Z Challenge, I realized how much I enjoyed the challenge of writing everyday. This prompted me to look into a local writing group and last night I went to a writers group for the first time!

It was a small group that meets at the library once a month. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to continuing on. I have absolutely no formal training as a "writer" but have been considering writing  my story for quite some time. I had been thinking about a memoir, which was exactly what the group suggested.

Last night was a huge step for me. Although I teach and coach people everyday I have had a lot of trouble with new environments and meeting new people over these past 4 years. Dealing with more stress than one should has a funny way of knocking you off balance. You get back up again and brace for the next hit while praying that it will not come.This tends to shake a persons confidence. Even in the simplest of situations.

So, last night was really stepping out for me.Even one year ago I would not have been able to walk into that situation with any level of confidence.It feels good to be moving forward, even if it is just a little step.

Do you have a favorite blog post or story you may have read through the A-Z challenge or just on the blog? Would love your feedback!

Neurologist 2nd visit

Today was my one month follow up visit to the neurologist. Over the past month the doctor had me take ibuprofin for 2 weeks (12 per day), then off for 2 weeks. I had to keep a "headache log" the whole time so he could see any patterns or concerns.

He and I were both quite happy with the outcome. The 2 weeks on the Advil, I had nearly no headaches and the 2 weeks following the headaches were mild and managable. No migraines in the past 5 weeks, so that was good news.

I askedabout having to have the lumbar puncture and he said if there was any spread to the meneges around the brain I would not have improved with the Advil, I would have continued to get worse.

So, bottom line, the Advil seemed to help and if the headaches begin to get worse I go back on for another 2 weeks and use the Imitrex nasal spray if I have a migraine again. See Dr. C again in 2 months for a follow up.

Thanks again my faithful friends and family for your thoughts and prayers. That's it for tonight as I have a headache and need to get some Advil..... :)

I Survived!

Award given by author Elizabeth Mueller http://elizabethmueller.blogspot.com/

Z~ Zip

This is the story of Zip. When I was a little girl my uncle Chicky owned a toy store. How cool is that? My parents took us to his store and he said "pick anything you want in the store"! I remember looking up and all around at the toys, bikes, everything! But then, I found Zip! Yup, out of the whole toy store I chose this stuffed animal with his hat, yellow shirt ( with his name on it), his red overalls, plastic white shoes and an arm that squeaked when you squeezed it. My Zip also held a banana.

Zip became my best friend. He went everywhere with me, bike rides, sledding, camping, climbing trees, everywhere!

A few years ago, my husband and I walked into Cracker Barrel and there he was, ZIP, sitting on a shelf! I was so excited, I told my husband "you have to go buy him for me"! I hadn't seen Zip since I was a little kid. I now have another Zip. He is not the true, authentic Zip of the 60's but it is fun to have a piece of my childhood and wonderful memories with my Zip :)

As this challenge has now come to an end, I have learned so much, made new blogger friends and created new memories! Thanks for allowing me to be a part of the challenge, sharing your blogs and stopping by mine with your encouraging words. I have signed up to for a writers workshop once a month and look forward to learning more and meeting up with all of you again at next years A~Z Challenge!

y~ Years ahead

This week I have been reminded once again of how God has answered our prayers over these very difficult years. Thirteen years with cancer and the last four with it being considered "non-curable".
So, what does that mean for someone like me and my future years? How do I plan? How do I dream? What do I pray for? How do I remain hopeful?

I plan to be here as long as God chooses for me to be. I dream about short term goals and long term goals. It has taken me quite some time to have any comfort level at all about thinking into the future. I pray that God will continue to show me what His plans are for me, and my Hope is in Him,Yahweh.

He has once again answered our prayers and brought this little boy into  my life. My first grandchild, who is right now growing big and strong in his mama's belly. Before I knew he was a boy, I dreamed about swimming with him. There were snakes in the canal where we swimming  ( I am a swim instructor, so this job has already been assigned to me, yeah! :). I,in the dream was scared but he was brave and strong!

So, how do I think about the years to come? With hope, with faith and with joy as I consider  how much more there is to do and how much more God wants me to do. I think about being a grandparent and all the wonderful and exciting things to do and teach to this brave and strong little boy!
My husband and I have prayed all these years to be grand-parents and Great grandparents. I pray that this is just the start of many years with all of my future grandchildren.

X~ Xiaobo, Liu Awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize

Liu Xiaobo (pronunciation: [ljǒʊ̯ ɕjɑ̀ʊ̯pɔ́]; born 28 December 1955) is a Chinese literary critic, writer, professor, and human rights activist who called for political reforms and the end of communist one-party rule in the People's Republic of China (PRC).^[1] He is currently incarcerated as a political prisoner in the PRC.
Mr. Liu has served from 2003 to 2007 as President of the Independent Chinese PEN Center, an organization funded by the National Endowment for Democracy,^[2] an organization almost entirely funded by the US Congress. He was also the President of NED-funded MinZhuZhongGuo ("Democratic China") Magazine since the mid-1990s. On 8 December 2008, Liu was detained in response to his participation with the Charter 08 manifesto. He was formally arrested on 23 June 2009, on suspicion of "inciting subversion of state power."^[3][4] He was tried on the same charges on 23 December 2009,^[5] and sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment and two years' deprivation of political rights on 25 December 2009.^[6]
During his 4th prison term, he was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China."^{[7][8][9][10]} He is the first Chinese citizen to be awarded a Nobel Prize of any kind while residing in China.^[11] He is the fourth person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while in prison or detention, after Germany's Carl von Ossietzky (1935), the Soviet Union's Andrei Sakharov (1975), and Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi (1991). Liu is also the first person since Ossietzky to be denied the right to have a representative collect the Nobel prize for him.

W~ Well, What is it???

Tonight we attended a "gender reveal" dinner party to find What our first grandchild would be.
Well, It's A Boy!! I can't wait to meet my Grandson!

V~Victory

 I have learned over these years of battling cancer that victories come in many ways.
They may be small victories like getting out of bed and taking a shower which the day before you were unable to do. Or perhaps being able to get up a few mornings a week to work. For many, going to work does not seem like a victory...until you can't do it anymore. Then it becomes a great victory.

Some are much larger victories, like surviving chemo, radiation, surgeries , on-going tests and endless treatments.
Perhaps it was the day I crossed the finish line at my first marathon...that was indeed  a Victory!

Very wise counsel was given to me not long ago. "Celebrate the Victories, no matter how big or small they may seem". I try very hard to remember this advice, especially on the hard days when I may feel more defeated than victorious.


 Deuteronomy 20:4
For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."

U- Understanding

My friend has cancer~ by Elayne Minich (2008)
What do I do, how do I be a friend when my friend is living with cancer?

I decided to touch on this because I think this is a tough area for everyone. Just last week I sent an e-mail to a few friends after talking with my counselor and decided I needed to be specific about how they could help. Realizing that others don't know what you need if you don't ask. Many people can't or won't ask so I hope this puts a voice to those that need it. There are some do's & dont's here that I hope you find helpful. I realize that it is very difficult to know what to say or do so hopefully some of this will help you and your friend. After 10 years of living with cancer these are a few things that I have found helpful~

~ phone calls, cards, e-mails, comments on their blog, etc. Sometimes phone calls are too much, especially if your friend is going through treatments and does not feel well. If you are a caretaker, maybe encourage letting voice mail pick up the calls until the person feels up to returning them. Don't be discouraged if you don't hear back from them, it still means a lot.

~ going for a walk or run together if your friend is well enough. This is always a nice change and helped me both times. Getting outdoors and moving is very therapeutic however sometimes your friend may need encouragement to get out there.

~ Staying positive about your friends future. Talk about goals, plans, life. There are plenty of doubts regarding the future and talking about moving forward is very helpful.

~ talk about your life and family ( hopefully the positive things). Your friend wants the distraction of other people's lives. Not to dwell on theirs all the time.

~ No-one wants to be in this situation, and your friend definitely does not want to be perceived as "unable". If they are up to it give them opportunities to help you or others. This may be in a big or small way. Whatever they may be up to, use your discretion so they don't feel "obligated" if it is too much. Many people going through or that have been through cancer like to "speak" to groups or encourage others in any way that is helpful. If there is an opportunity, ask them.

~ Get together. Do the things you always did together. Go out for lunch, coffee, shopping etc. If your friend is not up to that just visit, talk, watch a movie together. Work on a project together ( photos, painting, family journals, etc). Especially during times that family members are away. Idle time is very difficult, so filling in some of that time is helpful.

~ Let your friend know you are praying for them. I can personally tell you I know when there is prayer being lifted up for me. Trust me-they know.

~ Let them know how you feel about them, that you love them and what they mean to you.
~ Have Fun! Laugh!

What to avoid~
~ Questions, questions, questions. It is very difficult for the person with cancer to continually be answering questions. Each time it brings the situation to the forefront of their minds and they have to then work very hard to "shake it".
It is understandable that you want to know what's going on and how your friend is "really" doing. I have been in the same position with many friends. If they have a blog or newsletter that is the best way to keep up with the details they want to share. Otherwise asking someone like their caretakers, or family would be a better alternative.

~ Don't ask them if they are going to die or how long they have to live. Yes, people do ask these questions. This is troubling enough with out having to answer that question. Remember, be positive and look forward with them. If they want to share that, they will.

~ please do not feel the need to tell your friend about everyone you know that has cancer and how horrible a time they had or that they did not make it. This really does not help. If the story does not have a happy ending it is not appropriate to share with your friend or their family members.

~ please avoid introducing your friend as "this is the one with cancer" or "cancer patient". Your friend is trying to live a normal life and their "normal" name works just fine :)

~ If your friend is in treatment, be encouraging about the beautiful person they are to you. Avoid focusing on what it may be doing to them physically. It is temporary. It is not helpful to your friend if you take one look at them and begin to cry or have a horrified look on your face. Just remember who that person is~ your friend.

Most people are affected by cancer in one way or another. I hope that sharing this is helpful to you and your friend should you ever be in this situation.

I know some of you are also survivors, family members, caretakers, etc. Your thoughts left in the "comments" section would be great to share on this subject from your own experiences.

T~ TIME IN A BOTTLE, JIM CROCE

Just can't get this song out of my head today.I guess the Time spent at the lake this past weekend with my family just went by too fast.
T is for TIME...cherish it, enjoy it, savor it, love it, spend it!
 

S~ Socks and Surprises!!

I have a few letters to catch up on with the A-Z challenge. Letters S & T will explain why I am behind.

This past weekend was spent with my family at the lake celebrating 2 Special birthdays. My husbands 50th and my youngest son's 21rst!

This is where SOCKS and SURPRISES comes in! My husband, Chris is always asking me ( before he heads off to bed) "do I have any black socks for tomorrow"? Well, sometimes I can answer yes and...well, mostly not. Either way, it is an on-going question here. One night I said "you are going to end up with 50 pairs of black socks for your birthday"! He said "good"!

It was now time to decide what to do for his 50th birthday. A surprise party, a big get-together with everyone, a vacation?? We talked about it and decided a weekend at the lake with the kids would be perfect. However, I really wanted him to know how much everyone loves and appreciates him. So, with the help of Many of his family and friends, we were able to collect and sneak bags full of black socks to the lake!

Saturday night, after a surprise fajitas dinner ( his favorite) that was catered in, us girls set all the gifts out for Chris to open. One by one he opened his presents! First one, black socks, he laughs, second one, black socks, he looks curious, and on and on till he reaches 60 pairs of BLACK SOCKS!! It was fun watching him open them up and reading who had sent each pair. He was defiantly surprised and we all got a good laugh!  Thank you to everyone who was there in "Spirit" and helped make this a Black Sock Surprise Birthday!!                                          

             "I will never complain about anything ever again"!!~ Chris

R~ Running!

Inspired To Run
By~ Elayne Minich

My journey as a runner began nearly four years ago when I, along with five other family members trained for and ran The Dallas  Half Marathon in memory of our brother Jim, who just 7 months prior lost his short but heroic battle with leukemia.

 While I was in training I decided to have a physical due to pain in my back that was getting worse. At that time I was a 9 year stage 3 breast cancer survivor, about to be hit with the news that the cancer had spread to my bones, stage 4. Now facing more treatments and very difficult decisions including whether or not to keep running. I did, and completed the Half Marathon, inspired the whole time by how hard Jim fought. That was what kept me going.

 It did not take long before  I decided to tackle a full marathon with my goal set on the Dallas White Rock marathon. Again, during training the cancer roared it's ugly face, this time spreading to the pectoral muscle. More treatments, surgeries and tough decisions combined with the loss of my father-in-law, mother-in-law and 18 year old nephew, all within a years time.

  I have been fortunate to have support from my doctors, family and friends that fully supported my running and did everything to help me reach my goals.On  December 5, 2009, I completed my first marathon with my husband and running partner by my side, and our kids cheering us on at the finish line!

 Running has not only helped save my life and helped with the many healing processes, it has become my passion.

  I decided to become a Personal Trainer and share this love with anyone that will run with me. I teach 5k and 10K run groups and boot-camps. The joy I have teaching and sharing my running experiences is what gets me up each day and keeps me going as I continue to fight for my life.

 

Queen Liliuokalani

LILIUOKALANI: HAWAII'S LAST QUEEN Hawaii’s last sovereign queen was born on September 2, 1838 in Honolulu. According to Hawaiian tradition, she was adopted at birth by Abner Paki and his wife, Konia (a granddaughter of King Kamehameha I). Liliuokalani’s childhood years were spent studying and playing with Bernice Pauahi, the Pakis’ natural daughter. Liliuokalani received her education at the Royal School and became fluent in English. She was also a member of Kawaiahao Church, which was built under the direction of Hiram Bingham, the leader of the first group of missionaries to Hawaii in 1820. In 1862, she married John Owen Dominis, the son of an American sea captain. In 1874, Liliuokalani’s brother, David Kalakaua, was elected as Hawaii’s new king. One of his first acts was to name William Pitt Leleiohoku as his heir; just three years later, however, the crown prince died at the age of 23. Liliuokalani was now directly in line for the throne. Kalakaua himself died in January 1891 in San Francisco. On January 29, the USS Charleston was sighted off Diamond Head, its hull draped in black and the Hawaiian flag at half-staff. Suddenly, the Hawaiians knew: Their king was dead. Government ministers insisted that Liliuokalani immediately sign an oath to uphold the constitution that had been forced upon her brother. Under the constitution, Liliuokalani wielded little power. She formed a Cabinet three times, and each time it was rejected by the Legislature. She drafted a strongly royalist constitution, but no one supported it. Finally, on January 17, 1893, pro-American forces overthrew the government and proclaimed a provisionist government with Sanford B. Dole as president. Liliuokalani had no choice but to surrender her throne. She made a plea to the U.S. government for reinstatement, and a representative of President Grover Cleveland found the overthrow to be illegal. Dole, however, refused to accept the decision. The queen withdrew to her residence, Washington Place, and urged her supporters to be patient and avoid bloodshed. A fierce uprising was firmly squelched in January 1895, and although she denied playing a role in the attempted takeover, Liliuokalani was arrested and taken to a second-floor room at Iolani Palace. It would serve as her jail cell for nearly a year. During her confinement, the queen wrote one of Hawaii’s most beloved songs, "Aloha Oe" ("Farewell to Thee"). Liliuokalani was pardoned in October 1896. In her remaining years, the deposed queen fought for the restoration of the Hawaiian kingdom. She died in 1917 at age 79.
If you have made it this far there is a special reason I chose to write about Queen Liliuokalani.In 2005 we had an opportunity to spend the summer in Hawaii on the Island of Oahu while my husband worked on a job. Our apartment was on  "Liliuokalani Ave". While there, we decided to learn about the history of Hawaii as well as the Queen whose name our street was named after. Several years later, after my second diagnosis my son Kevin and his wife Nikki brought me a little kitten to cheer me up. Needing to choose a name for her, we chose a strong name that brought "happy thoughts" and wonderful memories. This is our "Queen Liliuokalani" ( real name) who we just call LiLi.	.

P~ Personl Training

This is a fun topic for me as it is my passion as well as my profession! Teaching and training people of all ages and levels is such a rewarding job.
From my "Little Swimmers" as young as 1 year all the way up to the women in my boot camps and running classes.
There are always success stories for each person as they conquer their own goals, fears, battles and victories. Be them large or small, they do it!
After nearly 30 years of teaching swimming and 7 years of training there are many success stories. Here are just a few recent ones.

Little 3 year old Sarah who accidentally fell in her home pool was able to swim back to the side and pull herself out after learning this skill in our swim class!

                                      

Vicki, started out as a student in our 5k learn to run class. In just several months she went on to complete her first half marathon!

Seeing the excitement on the runners faces as they cross the finish line at their first 5k!

Watching the "trickle down effect" as  my clients teach and involve their family and friends!

I am so blessed to be able to work with and teach so many people of all ages and physical backgrounds. There are days, like my clients have, that are harder for me than others with many side effects to deal with. However I believe it helps keep me strong, healthy and committed as I continue to fight my own battles and reach my own personal goals.
P is for Personal Training~

Nature & Oasis

Getting behind, need to cover N and O today! These are two of my favorite words and very important parts of my life.
I have always been in love with nature. Pretty much anything you can do outdoors I love. In these last four years this has become more important than ever as it provides for me a place of rest and healing.
What is your oasis? A question I was recently asked, and the answer is Nature, in all it's beauty, peace and wonder.
Sometimes it is just sitting outside in my backyard or planting my garden. It may be climbing a mountain to take in beauty that is so breathtaking you never want to leave.  A midnight kayak ride under a full moon or watching the sunset at the end of a long day at the lake.

Biking through the woods in Oklahoma or running at a park in Prague, taking in all the sounds, smells and beauty! The snow stinging my face as we run through the falling snowflakes.

Walking along a beautful beach with your feet in the water. Swimming...anywhere. I love the feel of gliding through and being under water, I can spend hours and hours swimming and never tire of it.

Oasis~a place of peace, safety, or happiness in the midst of trouble or difficulty. In Nature is where I find my oasis, the places where I feel peace, comfort,rest & God.

M~ Minichs

Meet My family~ The MINICHS!

                                                Matthew Minich

                                               Kevin & Nikki!

                                        Timothy and Stephanie!

                                                 Chris & Elayne

M~ is for My family... The Minichs :)

L~ Life and Death in Shanghai

Who do you think of when you think of a hero, someone you admire and would love to meet? One person that always comes to mind in Nien Cheng. A phenomenal women who stood for what she believed in under conditions that most men and women would have crumbled.

The book Life and Death in Shanghai written by Nien Cheng is one of my all time favorites. It was a required reading book in my oldest sons history class in high school. He suggested we read it. One by one the book has been passed around our family and on to friends. It has traveled from Texas to Hawaii to China and recently returned from Spain. It is well worn and I hope many more people will read her amazing story of strength, courage, and standing for what you believe in.

After reading this book, I was so inspired I decided to locate Nien Cheng and try to contact her. I was successful and wrote her a letter letting her know how much her life and courage inspired me.  I also told her that two of my sons were able to travel to China after reading the book which added so much more meaning to their trip, especially as they stood on The great wall of China and visited Beijing.

I was thrilled when I received a letter back from her. At the time she was 91 years old, eloquent in her response and even sent me her e-mail address!
This is a women I would have loved to sit and have tea with and consider a hero. I am so thrilled to have this well worn book and her letter she so graciously took the time to write to me.

                        Life and Death in Shanghai~ a must read!

K is for Kim likes Kefir and.....

Tonight I felt stumped with the letter K. Nothing sounded good. I decided to call on the FaceBook friends and asked what their favorite word, book, movie,place, etc. is that begins with the letter K? A few good suggestions, but I have to say Kim's answer was too good not to use..thanks Kim!

Kim likes Kefir and kabobs but not ketchup and looking through a kaleidoscope in Kalamazoo but stay away from kryptonite while watching Kite Runner in Kansas which only has Kangaroos in zoos where kerosene is not often used and karaoke is a...n ear killer and kit kat candy bars are popular and Kim recalls Katowice, Poland where there wasn't anyone Kayaking at the time and nobody had a Koran like they have in Kazakstan but don't play a kazoo while wearing Keds in the kennel with a kernal keepsake and making one long sentence is the key.

 

Thanks to the Kindness of some friends I didn't miss the letter K .

J is for Jim

Today I would like to share a very special person with you, my brother-in-law Jim. There were so many special things about Jim's life that I can not list them all here. I will write about some of the most powerful ways Jim impacted my life and gave me strength and courage to face what was ahead.

Almost four years ago, we found out that at age 38 our brother  had Leukemia. He was treated very quickly and aggresivly. This is where Jim became a hero to so many of us. He was so young and strong and fought with everything he had. Trial after trial he hung in there, when most people would not have been able to. In just 3 short months and one very courages battle, Jim went home to be with the Lord.

Jim taught us all how to love and give with everything we have. How to hold on and fight until God says "it's time". We witnessed suffering and miracles. We loved, laughed, cried and lost together.

Feeling so helpless we wanted to do something special to honor Jim's life. This was the beginning of "Team Ambo" and my start as a runner. Six of Jim's family members trained and ran the Dallas Half Marathon, including myself,my husband and son, Jim's wife, sister and brother-in-law. It was a bitter sweet race!

TEAM AMBO!

During training and only 4 months after we lost Jim I was diagnosed for the 2nd time with Stage 4 cancer. I don't think either my husband or I really ever considered not finishing what we had started. So, with the approval and support of my doctors I began treatment and continued training.

There were so many days that I had to pull from this experience with Jim. I would picture him in my mind when I was having trouble running and think about how strong he was and how hard he fought. "If Jim could go through what he endured I can do this"!  We lost our sweet Jim on April 26, 2007 and finished the race in November of 2007.
                      In memory of our hero.. James Patrick Minich...Ambo!

J is for JIM