I DID IT!

Yessiree - I finished the book and therefore, the whole series. Ah, it feels like such an accomplishment.

I really enjoyed the books; although the last book wasn't my favorite but at least it had an ending that I felt satisfied with. It would have been the worse to read all 4 books and then not like the ending!

Now I need to find another book to read because I have myself on this funny sleep cycle now and am usually up late, laying in bed, NOT falling asleep. Although it did work out good for this weekend because Kurt had another home show and so I didn't get to see him all weekend, except at nights so we stayed up watching movies together. It was very nice. We rented Push (which we didn't like or even finish) and Knowing with Nicolas Cage (kind of freaky but not so scary in the end).

Oh, and just for the record - when I came home last Thursday, I didn't make it for 5 minutes in the house before I picked up the book and finished it. Ha ha ha - so much for willpower! The kids were all playing nicely in the toy room so I took full advantage of that time and cruised through the last chapter.

Oh, and just a little OCD confessional - I bought the movie! Oh, ya! Hey, Blockbuster had a table where you could buy 3 movies for $20 so it was only $6 - you can't pass up that great deal! Plus I got Fireproof (great movie that I was going to buy anyways) and I let the kids pick a movie too.

Almost done!

I am on the 4th book of a 4 book series and I am so close to the end I can smell it. I can’t wait to finish it!

I have been staying up til 1 or 1:30 am to read. I only let myself read at night when everyone else is in bed because if I read during the day, NOTHING gets done and the kids start feeling completely neglected. Although yesterday I did slip and read between laundry loads and feeding the kids (technically, they weren’t totally neglected because I did feed them, right?)

I could have finished the book last night but I was so tired from staying up late so many nights in a row that I crashed at 10 pm and didn’t get my reading in. I woke up this morning thinking “gotta read, gotta read” so I did . . . while putting my make up on. Let me just say this is not as easy as I thought it would be! Ha ha!

Without giving away the ending, here is what happened: I got to a part where one character is saying goodbye to another character because they think they are going to die and I immediately tear up. (I don’t do goodbyes very well – obviously) So there I am trying to read with blurred vision, trying to put my make up on with blurred vision and then Kurt calls. Trying to hide any emotion in my voice, I answered the phone.

Now I am sure most of you have noticed that there is a HUGE difference between men and women and so he would have thought I was completely silly for tearing up over a book. However, I am sure that if he had been home he would have hugged me and kissed me and told me how much he loves this emotional, feminine, silly side of me, like he does anytime I cry during a movie.

But he wasn’t home and I was suppose to be getting ready for work and I am sure he would have realized that reading during that process was bound to slow me down so I quickly put the book away and got ready.

I am down to the last chapter and dying to finish it but I am going to be good and wait until everyone goes to bed tonight.

I can wait.

Right?

a GREAT weekend

This last weekend was a WONDERFUL weekend!

First, and most importantly, my mom went to the dr. on Friday for her 3rd shot and didn't have to get it! YIPPEE! Her white cells had come up enough with the first 2 shots that the 3rd was not needed. Boy, was she relieved (and so were the rest of us)!

Then her dr. called Friday night to let her know that her blood work came back and that her tumor markers dropped A LOT! This is a great sign that the chemo is working! We were, and still are, SO EXCITED!

Then the best husband ever, which happens to be mine, surprised me with the 3rd book in the Twilight series. He went out and bought the hard cover for me "just because". Plus he got me a sushi roll that I really love too! Isn't he the best!

I finished the book last night and will be purchasing the 4th and final book shortly.

Ah, it was truly a wonderful weekend! We are all truly blessed!

Our new time-out spot

And for the double time-out times:

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!

My Mom's Story

My mom is having a rough time right now with her current chemo. Her white cells were so low they had to give her a shot to boost them back up. The problem is that my mom does not respond well to that shot - one shot will send her into painful muscle spasms. To make matters worse, they forgot to give it to her last week so her levels dropped so low they have had to give her the shot Wednesday, Thursday and again today - 3 shots in 3 days - not good.

So I am asking, no begging, for you to keep her in your prayers. She is so strong but she just needs some extra strength right now.

I felt prompted to share my mom's story, so here it is:

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer the day I picked my wedding dress up from the seamstress. I stood in my wedding dress waiting for her to meet me to see the dress finished. I waited and waited. When she finally arrived she had tears streaming down her face and I instantly knew something was horribly wrong.

She had surgeries, tests, etc. and they determined that her lymph nodes were clear so she only needed to have radiation. After her radiation was finished she had to take a pill form of chemo for 5 years. They said that if she made it the 5 years without a reoccurance, she would probably be in the clear.

And she was for 8 years.

Then in November 07 they discovered that she had liver cancer. Turns out that it is the same cancer that she had previously. Even though her lymph nodes were clear, it only took 1 cell to sneak through and "hide" dormant in her liver for 8 years. We don't know what triggered it to become active but this is her current battle.

She has been on chemo for a year and a 1/2 now and is currently on her 4th type of chemo. They are trying to get the cancer back into dormancy and then keep it there with the same type of chemo pills that she was on for 5 years. Liver cancer is not curable and she will battle it the rest of her life.

She was blessed because they were able to catch it early - they found it in her blood work before her liver showed any symptoms of it. Actually, her liver is still functioning normally and shows no effects of being spotted with cancer cells.

Please pray that she will be able to be strong and get through this, that her pain may not be so bad and that it may pass quickly. I feel completely helpless because I can't do anything to make the pain go away so I am doing what I can do - praying. Please pray with me.

My new hobby

I love reading books - when I have the time, that is. But when do I, a working mom of 3, ever have the time? NEVER! I can’t remember the last book that I read – let alone enjoyed and finished. It has been a really loooonnnng time!

Well, last Wednesday we went camping with April, Rick, Kaulana, Michelle and baby Maddy for the 4th of July holiday. Rick had purchased a book and brought it with him (presumably so he could read it – he he – sorry Rick!).

On Thursday morning, almost everyone went 4-wheeling but I stayed at the trailer with a kiddo who didn’t want to go. I spotted Rick’s book and thought “hmm, I will just read a few pages and see if it is any good”. The book had vampires in it which I really don’t like because I don’t do scary, evil, monstery type of books but I was hooked! It is more about a love story (I’m a romantic at heart!) and not evil although there was definitely some action in it. The book was Twilight and was approx. 550-600 pages. I finished it Friday night. Then Saturday we went into town to get some supplies at Target. I may or may not have purchased the sequel New Moon (another approx. 600 page book) and devoured it by Sunday night. It is safe to say that I was “addicted”.

I don’t know if it is because I haven’t read anything for a long time so I just went crazy reading or if it was because they are really good books, which I think they are, but either way, I thoroughly enjoyed them. I am now anxiously waiting for the 3rd book to come out in August in paperback so I can read that one too.

So if you have any really good books that you have just loved, let me know. I think I may have a new hobby developing!

So the question now becomes: will I be able to wait til August when the paperback comes out or will I cave and buy the hardcover?