And so I thank the Lord....

......for giving me, the things I need, the sun and the rain and the apple seed, the Lord's been good to me...



I just realized that I have not posted any Hawaii pictures. Gosh, I feel like that was so long ago. Almost as if it were a dream, and sort of like it didn’t happen. I’m glad that I took pictures, or else I wouldn’t have believed I was there at all. So much has been going on that I haven’t focused on vacation. I’m so glad we went, because no one knows what the future holds. The doctor actually told us he wanted us to go ahead and go. I think we’ll just go ahead and chalk 2008 as the year of crappy circumstances. With the only bright moment being that “BeeBug” will be joining us this year. :-)


So instead of talking about Mom’s cancer, and all of the depressing things that go along with that, I’m going to do a little list of things I’m thankful for….

1. My Family first and foremost. My parents continue to amaze me every day, and I hope one day to have a love like theirs. I should only be so lucky!!

2. My dog. No matter how darn crazy she may seem sometimes, and how annoying she is to others in the neighborhood, she is honestly the light of my life. Sounds crazy to call a dog your light of your life, but it’s true. She barks relentlessly at random things, and gets spooked very easily by quick moving objects and barks at those too. Sometimes I wish I could just make her stop, but it teaches me patience. Although I’m not sure it’s teaching the neighbors that. :-)

3. My friendships. I value my friendships even more now than I ever have. Life it too short for drama. I think I’ve mentioned one time before that I reconnected with a friend that I had up in Boone when I went to school there. I feel so blessed to have him back in my life that words can’t even describe. He taught me a lot, regardless of whether he knew it or not, when we were at ASU. He teaches me so much more now. This guy has a definitive purpose on this earth. He may not know exactly what that is just yet, but I do know that when he finds it, he’ll surprise himself and others at how amazing that purpose is.

4. Health Insurance!!! I’m not quite sure how anyone goes without this!!! I’m all for universal healthcare for children 18 and under, as well as for Students attending college. However, when it comes to working individuals… You can’t AFFORD to NOT pay every paycheck. Those people who say that they can’t afford to have the $50+ taken from their paycheck… Just wait until something happens to you and you have to go to the doctor.. you end up with a bill for $10K… That’s something you REALLY can’t afford!

5. As much as I can’t stand my job sometimes, and as much as it really irritates me to the point where I feel like I have to complain, I am VERY thankful that I still have a job. I have excellent benefits, including a great 401K program. I do enjoy who I work with, and I think that is half the battle. Although it would help if there were a few extra people around here to cross train with some of the things that I do. At least I have things to do. I know I get stressed out and want to throw in the towel, but at least I have the stress and the towel.

If you are reading this blog.. What is one thing you are thankful for?

Alright.. I’m going to get back to work.. (that’s another thing I’m thankful for… I can blog at work! When I’m supposed to be working.. when I have a whole bunch of stuff to work on.. thank goodness that they allow breaks every now and then!)

Love to you all!

And I leave you with a few Hawaii Pictures.. haha

Dear God, it's me, Christie..

I am having a “Dear God, It’s me, Margaret.” moment, right now. I’m sitting here trying to wrap my brain around the reality that my mother has cancer. She underwent her third chemo treatment yesterday and I think now the reality is haunting me. Her second chemo treatment went well, but when she got home, she took a nap, and woke up with a fever that was quite vengeful. By the end of the night it had spiked to 102.something. It landed her a dandy little trip to the emergency room to be poked and prodded and bled to figure out what was making her sick. After being pumped full of fluids and antibiotics, she was allowed to come home and rest. We still don’t know what caused it. We thought it was just a virus. That is, until yesterday. Mom underwent the chemo, did fine throughout the whole day, and then in the evening, she struck another fever. This time it was not so vengeful, but every bit as worrisome. We were all concerned about her, but I hate that Dad feels he has to carry the burden by himself. The doctors this morning again poked and prodded her and drew blood to check for any blips. Now, they seem to think that Mom may have developed an antibody to the chemo on the first treatment, and then when she went back, her system is trying to fight the foreign substances flowing through her veins that are supposed to be killing the foreign little cancer buggers.
My Dear God moment was just now, as I was completing a report for work, and the sun just all of a sudden came out (it was very overcast this AM). I’m sitting here thinking Holy Crap, this really is real to my life. I’ve been having some heart to hearts with God about helping Mom beat this thing, and let her get through the worst parts of this chemo. I sure hope He’s listening!
I think I’ve also been having a pity party for myself. Work has been rather hellish and overwhelming lately. I finally got a raise yesterday. Which I’m thrilled about and Thankful for! I just feel like I don’t have the time to sit and absorb the things that are happening around me. That in turn, causes a lot of stress. So again, I have a “Dear God” moment asking for things to stop spinning so quickly so that I can catch up without getting too dizzy. Then I have to ask myself if I would actually try to catch up or if I would sit there and feel sorry for myself. Probably the latter.. I just wish that this year would slow down! I can’t believe it’s already April, and in October Beebug will be joining the family.  Beebug is my new little niece or nephew that is due to make their grand entrance on or near October 19, 2008.
I guess BeeBug will be our shining star and the hope that everything will be okay.
I just had to vent for a little bit. Thank Goodness for the blogosphere world! 