On her way to womanhood . . .

Arden is definitely understanding her role as a woman . . . she's got bad hair days, sorts (umm. . .eats?) the laundry, and shows off her finest holiday attire!

A Bump in the Road

It began like a normal phone conversation, then my mother said, "I found a lump in my breast, and I had a biopsy done this week." My head immediately began spinning. This sounded all too familiar. "It's cancer," she ended shakily.

It is almost exactly two years after my dear father died of cancer. I can't even believe how surreal this all feels. I remember the diagnosis of my dad's cancer around Christmas in 2004. I had left Hudson who was only four months old with Stuart's mom in order to rush to San Antonio for my father's emergency neurosurgery which confirmed the diagnosis. Life has never been the same since.

My mom has a consult with the surgeon on Tuesday to discuss what to do, treatment options, etc. We won't know the stage or aggression of the cancer until lymph nodes are investigated. Please pray for wisdom and peace during this time of uncertainty.

I feel like my family has barely gotten over my father's death, and it is overwhelming to have to face cancer again so soon. The journey is still too raw, and I can still remember the bad parts of his final days all too clearly. I don't want to allow my mind to go down the road of the "what if's," and I'm trying to think positively.

My mother's mother (my maternal grandmother) died from breast cancer while in her forties, so my mother has always been vigilent about mammograms and preventative care. Now that my own mother has been diagnosed, there is possiblity that breast cancer in my family is due to a hereditary gene mutation. We are hoping that my mother will be able to get the genetic testing done this next week to see if she has the BRCA1/BRCA2 gene in order to help her decide whether she should elect more radical treatment as a prophylactic option due to her family history. If her genetic test comes back postive, then my sister and I will have to decide if we want to pursue genetic testing (which would then be covered by my insurance) to see if we also have the gene (I think there would be around a 50% chance I would have it, if my mother tests positive), and then we would have to make some decisions on prophylactic treatment options if we are found to be carriers. From what I've been reading, women who are shown to carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene have up to an 80% chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime.

God is in control. I believe He is the same today with this news as He was yesterday. As a friend reminded me today, God was in control of my recent move which takes me further away from my mother at this time. He orchestrated the events so obviously to bring us to Bentonville, and He knew she would be diagnosed with cancer at this time. There can't be any regrets if we trust that God is in control. So, please pray for us as we navigate this bump in the road. Please pray that the cancer is in early stages and will respond well to treatment. Pray for wisdom as my mother has to decide what course of treatment she desires, and pray that the genetic testing does not show that she carries the breast cancer gene.

We trust in Him.

Arden is ONE!

So full of spunk . . . she's got a red-haired personality! She's in the 98th percentile in height and almost 32 inches tall! She has decided to boycott baby food this week in favor of feeding herself finger foods, and she is off formula and on whole milk. She's cuddly, silly, and a little joker already. She loves to play peek-a-boo and is walking about 12-15 steps in a row now. She is cutting her 10th tooth, and it's not been fun! Arden hates bows and dresses (so much for my girly girl!). She rips the bows out as soon as they are in place, and the dresses get in the way when she's crawling which makes her mad. We're thinking she's got some tomboy genes in her! Where has the year gone? Happy belated birthday, baby girl! You have blessed us beyond measure already.

Quick Update -- We moved!

We arrived on Monday night . . . very late. We stayed in Stuart's rental house which was furnished for the first two nights. The movers unloaded all day on Tuesday, and we haven't found any significant damage to anything so far. We were pleased with our movers and felt they worked hard and did a good job.

The move has been the hardest one physically that I've had yet. It is so much more work to move with three kids (vs. just one child the last time we moved). With a 12 month old, it is hard to get much unpacking done since she is underfoot and clingy a lot. I'm used to furiously unpacking and seeing some semblance of order in a few days, but not so this time. We had a huge semi-truck of belongings delivered, and we are still trying to locate missing boxes in the mass of clutter in the garage.

Nothing is decorated yet or even completely unpacked, and it is driving me crazy, as clutter makes me stressed out. I can't relax yet or feel at home until I have everything in its place. It is making me edgy, so please pray for patience as we get through the next few weeks of unpacking.

The house has its pros and cons. We like the layout and the floor plan. The neighborhood has seemed quiet so far, and the boys enjoyed playing on the neighborhood playground yesterday when it actually got all the way up to 70 degrees! That was a nice treat after a lot of cold weather.

I'm adjusting to living in a pre-owned home after being spoiled by having lived in brand new construction in my previous two houses. It's not perfect, and the previous owners had a different definition of "clean" than I do, so I've gone through about six Mr. Clean Magic Erasers so far! I have a handyman coming over this week to begin to work on my "punch list" of projects for the house which involve minor repairs and some painting and woodworking projects (the old owners had a dog that ate woodwork).

We attended church this morning at Grace Point and just love it. The people we've met are very nice and friendly. The kids are adjusting well so far, and Owen begins his new school tomorrow. Please pray for an easy transition for him.

I'll update again soon . . . with pictures!

Crazy Days!

My great idea of Christmas shopping without any kids last week came to a screeching halt when the local schools closed for TWO DAYS due to a mild ice storm! It was quite crazy because on the second day, all the streets were clear and dry. Everyone I know was frustrated that school was still out. I finally went shopping with Arden on Friday morning, and Stuart is still wrapping up buying kids' gifts today (yes, three days before Christmas!).

On top of that, Arden has now gotten another bad cold with yucky nose and crankiness. She has also had a really bad diaper rash for almost two weeks now, so I am taking her to the pediatrician today to get that checked. The boys have never had one that wouldn't clear up, and hers is pretty bad. From what I've read, it might have turned into a yeast rash that needs medical treatment. I hope we can get her feeling better before we travel for Christmas on December 24.

We closed on the Cabot house today and are in the midst of taking everything off the walls and doing touch-up painting, etc. It will be a crazy remaining six days to get everything loaded up, but we are excited that the end is near!

Keep us in your prayers, and please pray that Arden gets better and no one else gets sick this week!

P.S. I must make sure I dress Arden in more pink because she has been mistaken for a boy three different times this week when I've had her out!

14 days and counting . . .

We are getting down to the final 14 days before out big move! It has been pretty busy, as I just finished my semester at the college (where I'm an adjunct instructor of Comp I) on Friday and entered my last grades this weekend. Last week was a blur of trying to grade final exam essays every night after the kids were in bed, while dealing with title companies and packing during the days!

This next week, I intend to shop . . . Christmas shop that is! If you know me, then you know that in my entire life, I have never, ever been this late in doing my Christmas shopping. Usually, I'm done before Thanksgiving. This year, I have absolutely had no time with the house selling, house buying, and my job (which is normally very relaxed except for the last two weeks of each semester). So, I am aiming to hit Target on Tuesday between 12-2 p.m. That is my only window without kids before school gets out on Friday for Christmas break, and every other daytime hour is booked with three dental appointments, school Christmas parties, a haircut appointment, and a photo session for the kids. So, Target had better have the items I need, or Christmas won't be very merry!

Stuart headed back to Bentonville today for his last week apart from us. He comes home on Friday and will be on vacation leave until January 2, in order to make the big move. Next weekend, we will have to wrap up some final Christmas shopping. We close on the Cabot house on Monday, Dec. 22. Then, we will head to Stuart's parents on Dec. 24. Then, we will have Christmas Day alone back in our house (for one final time). We will visit my mom on December 26 and prepare for the packers (ie: put aside everything we don't want them to put into boxes, so we have clothes for the next four days). Then, the packers arrive December 27, and the truck is loaded on December 29.

If anyone would like to volunteer to take my children(one, two, or all three), on Saturday, December 27, or Monday, December 29, we could really use a few hours of childcare, so the kids aren't here in the house and underfoot while the packers and loaders are working. Let me know if you feel charitable! Ha ha.

A Great New Blog

If you know me, then you know that I love to decorate. I love fabric . . . the kind that is $50 per yard. I love expensive fringes and ribbons. I drool over the thought of new furniture, and I enjoy browsing in stores like Norwalk and Ethan Allen. One of my favorite catalogs is Pottery Barn. I enjoy making things for the house . . . window treatments, table runners, fringe trimmed lampshades.

Well . . . I also have the problem that I can't afford to buy full price, or even new most of the time. I have that "champagne taste" on a "beer budget" problem. I do enjoy a good bargain, flea market, Ebay auction, etc. I love to be able to share that I bought all my living room furniture used, that the boy's valance is actually just stapled bandanas from Walmart that I spent $8 on, and that Arden's custom made crib bedding was purchased used from an Ebay auction. I do have "splurge" items every once and awhile (like Arden's custom made drapes . . . but I can count that as money well spent to get a baby to sleep!).

I came across this wonderful blog about decorating. She's a Christian gal in North Carolina who also does the "crazy, Dave Ramsey, only pay cash for everything" plan that I also do. She gets my philosophy! She has a house to die for . . . and she makes everything with tacks, a glue gun, and remnant fabric! She's my new hero!

I'm excited to find some new ideas to implement in our new house, which is a great time to repurpose some old items and try something new.

Check it out!

http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/