It's Pammie's 16th anniversary free of cancer!! To celebrate this awesome event...

Make a donation to Children's Medical Center of Dallas.
Make a donation to Camp Esperanza, the summer camp for children with cancer.
Make a donation to the Make-A-Wish foundation.
Give thanks for all the wonderful medical advances in the world today that were non-existent even 20 years ago.
Give thanks for all the doctors and nurses in pediatric oncology who have chosen their careers because of their compasssion for seriously ill children.
Give thanks for friends that stand by you through the difficult times.
Give thanks for employers that show compassion and understanding through those times.
Give thanks for the body of believers all around the country that show support through prayer.
Give thanks for your family that surrounds you with love.

And give thanks to our Almighty God who is the ultimate Physician, Comforter and Savior!

For all of this...and more...we can kiss our healthy child today.

The bed in the hospital room at Zale Lipshy University Hospital wasn't too bad. I'd rate it better than the chair/bed at Children's Medical Center. The pillows, though, were pretty non-existent. They really don't want you to spend too much time here, and that's fine with Bob and me. The coffee is definitely not Einstein's or Starbucks. And the food...well, I have never tasted good hospital food for patients. However, the medical care here is excellent, and that's what really matters. Bob's prostate surgery went "exceedingly well" according to his surgeon, Dr. Claus Roerborn, head urologist at UTSouthwestern Medical Center. He used the daVinci Robotic Surgery System. I told Bob he had Edward Scissorhands work on him. The surgeon controls the robot from a 3-D monitor a few steps away. It truly is amazing. According to the doctor, this system allows just minimal blood loss, a better ability to spare nerves, and a quicker recovery for the patient. Dr. Roerborn confirmed the first two, and we are waiting now to see how Bob recovers. Pain meds helped last night. (Another wonderful medical advancement!) He rested somewhat comfortably and was able to sleep. He woke up cheerful and alert this morning. I wish I could say the same for me! Bring on the coffee. We may be able to go home later today. It all depends on Bob and what he can tolerate. They want him up and walking first. Recovery from this type of surgery usually means off work for three to four weeks, which for Bob will seem like an eternity. I'm sure he'll be on the computer and the phone quite a bit from home. We will be waiting anxiously for his pathology report that will tell whether all the cancer was removed. We should know something by Friday. Again, as always, trusting God for good news.

Wii and Mii

So where are Grandma and Grandpa? Oh that's right. They're out on the porch playing Wii bowling and golf. And what's this I hear? Becca knocked out her father in boxing???

We never had Atari, Nintendo or XBox at our house. We didn't even get cable until the kids moved out of the house. But I have to say...this Wii thing is a lot of fun. My brother Rob gave his kids WiiSports as a Christmas gift. He had the smarts to have them open it at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Florida with the family all around. Yes! It's been on every day since Christmas morning. My parents have the perfect spot for it, out on their screened-in Florida porch. We don't need a big screen TV to enjoy this game. We've played bowling, golf, tennis,baseball and boxing. Boxing is too intense for me first thing in the morning. Bob and Becca worked up a sweat and I banished them to the showers. As soon as they relinquished their controllers, Grandma and Grandpa took over. If you're not playing, you're in the audience. The difference I see from past video/DVD games, is there can be more family participation and involvement. My brothers are thinking of starting up a Tuesday night bowling league, originating from Atlanta, Savannah, and Dallas. Of course, that would mean we'd all have to get a Wii. After the fun we've all had this holiday, a Wii may be in our near future.

One negative...we are all sore from playing these multiple sports. Becca's thinking she may be getting tennis elbow! Bob's out running now to get in shape to box some more. Fanatical? Well, maybe just a little. But I'm sure that once we get home and are faced with work and house stuff, we'll forget about playing the game. You think?

Mom, Dad, Mickey & Minnie

We're spending Christmas in Florida this year, and I can't wait. Even though I was brought up a Yankee, I've learned that my body does so much better in warmer weather. Not hot weather, but nice, cool 60-70 degree weather. Love it. According to weather.com, that's what we should be expecting down there.

But besides the warmer weather, I look forward to spending time with my family. It's been a rough year for my folks. Dad had quadruple bypass surgery in February, from which he's recovered well. Mom had a knee replacement and is still bothered by the after effects. They finished off the attic space above the garage to accommodate more of the grandchildren. The space will get used as two of my brothers and their families will be there as well as Bob and I, along with Pam, John and Becca. There will be 15 of us, sleeping in every nook and cranny, but we love it. We've done this for many years. I remember a year when my youngest brother, single at the time, had to sleep on a cot in the small entry way by the front door! It works when the family gets along! And we do, as long as we're not playing Trivial Pursuit or Pictionary. Then it gets a little intense. We mainly stick to Rummikub or Dominoes. Not as competitive.

This year Bob and I decided to take the family to Disney World before heading down to my parents' house. We made this decision back in the summer, and now are very happy we have a fun distraction before the new year. Bob's prostate surgery is scheduled for January 12th. He'll be down at UTSouthwestern Medical Center for a few days. We feel very good about the procedure. We are blessed to be in a city with great medical care. But we also know that our Great Physician will be with us. We have a lot of people praying for Bob.

So we are off for the holiday. Going to see Mickey and Minnie first. Can't wait to see all the lights. Disney is magical. You can feel like a kid no matter what your age. We've got our itinerary thanks to John who has been thinking about this trip between law finals. I told him I just need to see Buzz Lightyear, Pirates and the Haunted Mansion. And of course, the Castle all lit up.

Wishing everyone a most blessed Christmas! May you feel the hope and peace that comes from knowing our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Instead of being one long journey, life seems to be made up of a series of journeys. You travel down one road, reach a fork, need to make a decision on which way to go and continue on your way. Sometimes the decision is an easy one. The choice is clear, because maybe the other way is obviously blocked and impassable. Sometimes the decision is not yours to make...it's already been made for you. Then there are times when the decision is difficult, because the choice is not clear. While standing at the crossroads, the paths that are in front of you may appear to be the same, but we really don't know where they are leading us. Here's where we step out in faith. It's easy to say we have faith when the road is clear and the journey seems to be going smoothly. But it's a whole different ballgame when the road's a little foggy and the bumps in the road are rough and jolting.

We are now traveling down a familiar road. One we journeyed about 16 years ago. We learned a lot on that road back then. It was rough and difficult at times, but we had the best traveling companion, Jesus Christ. He never left us. He stayed with us through all those visits to Children's Medical Center. He was and is The Great Physician.

We are again asking for His services. A week ago, Bob was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The good news in this is that we caught it early, and there are treatment options that could yield good results. Choosing the right treatment is the difficult decision. So we will be researching our options to help us in that decision.

We are praying that God would direct us to the right doctor. We feel blessed that we live in an area with excellent health care. Our options are great, but we need His help in making this choice. We have already seen God's hand in this situation. It's amazing.

We know the power of prayer, and we are asking our friends and family to lift Bob up in prayer. Christ knows our needs, but prayer is a form of worship, and we are here to glorify Him.

So our prayer is that while we are on this journey, though rough it may be at times, may we always remember that Christ is our traveling companion, actually going before us and guiding us along the path. May He be glorified in whatever situation we may find ourselves.

He will never leave us nor forsake us. Blessed be His name.

This has to be the prettiest fall season we have had here in north Texas. The trees have kept their color for the longest time. The colors are brilliant. The reds are the deepest and brightest ever. I'm amazed every day as I travel down the roads. The colors just lift my spirits. I love this time of year.

Today Bob and I traveled out to Rockwall to witness the marriage of a longtime friend, Mary. We met Mary and her husband Kim when our firstborns were just babies. Another couple, Bob and Beth, had brought us together in a bible study. We did a lot together those first years, including being pregnant at the same time, each with our second child. But then as life happens, we moved to the west side of Dallas (Flower Mound), while they moved to the east side (Heath). We didn't see each other much, but kept in touch with cards and letters. Four years ago, we got an unexpected call telling us that Kim had died from a heart attack. He was only in his early 50's. Mary was too young to be a widow. The funeral, sad as it was, was a reunion of sorts, with Bob and Beth coming in from North Carolina.

When the invitation arrived in the mail last month, announcing Mary's upcoming marriage, tears of joy were shed. The ceremony was at the same church in Rockwall where Mary had held Kim's funeral service four years earlier. The bride and groom were extremely happy. Their story is an amazing testimony of God's faithfulness. Mary and Richard...we wish you all the best. And thank you, Lord, for bringing the joy back into Mary's life through this new life partner.

May Thanksgiving blessings abound for you this wonderful season!

Monday Morning

It's Monday and I really wanted to stay in bed this morning...at least for another 30 minutes. The weather is cooler and it's great sleeping weather. But I had a dream that I was late for school, so no sleeping in this morning. Why I am writing this blog, I don't know. My mind's been a little scattered lately. Lots floating around up there.

I'm missing Becca who is with my folks in Florida right now. She's there for a little comforting support for my mom whose knee replacement surgery didn't go as smoothly as she had hoped.

Have a lot of prayer requests out there for family members who are going through "life stuff."

It's funny how young couples are having the same money issues as most young couples have had in their marriages. But it's amazing to see how they deal with money problems when they bring God into the equation.

I'm loving my bible study in Ephesians right now with a fabulous group of ladies. I can't miss a Tuesday night.

Looking forward to this weekend and catching up with Dave and Penny.

I love the word "serendipitously." It makes lifes interesting.

Lately I'm thinking...why is change so hard for everyone?

Well, got to go. School is waiting and I can't be late.

Happy Monday!