favorite things

I decided to make a list of my favorite things, so here they are....
1. CHOCOLATE! (of course)
2. Hugs from my kids
3. watching movies: One Night with the King(favorite), Any of the Jeanette Oake series, The Nativity Story, Fight the Giants
4. reading: right now I am into the "Plain People" stories...mostly about the Amish
5. taking time to do crafts with Caleb
6. Making up songs with the kids: sse who can be the silliest
7. Going for nature walks
8. laying in my husbands arms(not that this is # 8 but this is where I just put it)
9. capturing those special moments on film. or as Caleb says close your eyes mom and make a memory picture
10. talking with my mom about anything
11. Getting together with the girls for girls night out, we just don't get to do it that often
12. sitting in church singing the praise and worship songs and watching other worship God and the joy on their face

these are just a few of my favorite things. what makes you glow?

life

this week I found out that a good friend of mine has colon cancer stage 3, to make things worse she is just turning 6 months pregnant. This is her first baby and will probably be her last due to the chemo. SHe has tried for several years to conceive but nothing happen, so they tried the infertility stuff and nothing, the only thing left was invitro. SO this they tried 2 times and the 2one took, she was so excited, but apprehensive that things would go smooth. They were going great until now.....needless to say they are devestated. SHe will deliver the baby on Febuary 15 if things go as planned that will put her at 30 weeks. She has been seeing different specialist hoping to get a different story or better story but they are all the same...deliver early start chemo right away, then do surgery. The tumor is about 1 inch away from her sphincter and it is an very ANGRy tumor. there is no family history for the colon cancer just her father having prostate cancer.
SHe is running the luge of emotions, the what ifs, the why, but all in all she is holding up really well to say the least. Her husband Michael is a really great guy and is sucha great support, but he will soon go from husband to new father and her main caretaker. She is really worried about him and then the what if she should die. SHe is worried about leaving him, and then never getting to know her precious baby boy.
What do you say to someone that is going through this? How do you encourage them to face a really tough battel that you have had a love one go through and seen the outcome? You try to stay positive, but come on, the chances of this being a not so good come out is there. Both for her and the baby, who will be in the NICU for several months. I know that GOd is able, but I am human. She is such a sweet person and does not deserve this, but then nobody does. Please pray for her and her husband, her name is Diane Roth and her husband is Michael. Include in those prayers baby Roth(his name has not been decided).
love you all
tam

Okay....Finally

So I found this little slip of paper and it had information on it so that I can post here again. Can you say ....she finally cleaned her desk.
So many things have been happening lately. SICK is the main word that comes to mind. the kids, now me. I have got the most awful cold/virus. I have not slept in 2 nights and I do mean sleep. awake.....all night long.....UGH. Then Audrey and Caleb have the end of the same cold/virus and still have the nasty cough. They are so tired of seeing me get the medicine bottle out, they both go running in different directions. not fun to fight with a dropper full of medicine.
2008 has taken off with a bang and proves to be an even busier year than last. GOALS!!!!! setting them.... realistic goals that I know I can achieve.Hmmmmmm.

1. Setting my mind on Godly things. I have gotten away from my devotions and need to get back to them.I also need to get back in the habit of going to church on a regular basis even when Michael is not there. That is a hard one. keep two kids in class so that I can get something out of service.

2. Family time. Put away the excuses, T.V. house work, work, work: and concentrate on my family. Read more, play more games,hold them more (they are growing so fast), listen more, have first times with again, discover more through their eyes. What amazing insight my kids have. Have date night at least 1 time a month for Michael and me. Get up in the morning with him to have coffee or a bite to eat before he leaves for work.

3. Me time. I have realized that I am important, that I matter. So in that realization I am going to make time for me. when the kids are napping, I will do a pedicure, take a nap myself, read that book,pray, just sit and reflect.

4. Community. I have been talking to Caleb about helping out other kids and giving something of ourself. I made him clean his toy box out and the toys that he did not play with we bagged up and gave to new foster parents that have a boy about 5 and they did not have that many things for him to play with. He did not understand that whole foster parent thing and why the boy did not have a mom and dad or toys. He did not want to give his toys away, he told me "that the toys were just waiting for him to play with them later", I told him that this little boy wouyld love the toys and that it made Jesus happy that he did this. Well, later that night as we said our prayers he asked Jesus to make sure that the little boy took good care of his new toys. Since then we are trying to think of others first and ourselves last. So if you hear of anything/anyone that we can help let us know.

well that is about as far as I have gotten on my goals. I think that they are pretty realistic and obtainable. I did not mention weight loss as that is something that I need to do, but do not want to set myself up for a fall, so that will just have to come in time.
well I love you all and look forward to getting together this new year.