Early Morning

This is what I woke up to this morning. The air was crisp and cool and the fog was just lifting off the pasture. It was exilerating!!! Our home is in such a beautiful area and everytime I go outside I thank God for His creations.

We spent the weekend camping with Bryon and Lorena and AJ. Keith and the kids came up Friday night and spent the night and all day Saturday with us. Gary consented and brought up a motorcycle that Taylor could ride, and Bryon brought his bike and 4-wheeler, which made for alot of fun for everyone. We timed everything just right...got there just as the rain stopped, and left just as it was starting again. My hope is that happy memories were made.

When I was growing up, my parents traveled quite a bit, and we either had a tent or a camp trailer. I have fond memories of Yellowstone, the moon coming up on the Nevada desert, and the Oregon Coast. I loved the outdoors as a kid, and loved to explore. My grandchildren don't seem to like the outdoors very much...and it is sad to me. I do hope they will remember some good times camping with grandma!

Some friends of mine bought me an airline ticket to SLC to go to their daughter's wedding. I am so excited!!! I will stay with April and Chay while I am there and get to see how things are coming with their house. I feel good today and sure hope that for the next week I can keep up with everything!! When I was first waking up this morning, I thought of how much my prioroties have changed. All I really care about is being home and/or being with family and my dearest, closest friends. It made me realize even more how thankful I am that we are an eternal family. Now that I am facing the possibility of death every day, the deepest joys come from those I love the most.

Go outside today and listen to the birds. Smell a flower and let the sun warm you. Tell someone you love them. Let go of a worry and trust that God will take care of you. It is a beautiful day!!!!

Life is Good!

There is a little boy, 3 years old, in our ward named Jarom. His primary teacher told me that she asked him to say the closing prayer after class was over, and every other thing he prayed about was for me. He'd say, "Thank you for this day, and bless Sister Tomblin, and thank you for our teacher, and bless sister Tomblin, and thank you for my mommy and daddy, and bless Sister Tomblin..." I guess he said my name 13 times in his prayer. She reminded me that people really are praying for me!!! Thanks to ALL of you!!!

Another friend came by today and shared a very personal trial that their family went through. Nothing seemed to be going as promised by the Lord, and after 8 years of this heartache in their lives, a miracle suddenly occured, and her husband was healed. The sweet thing for me was that she shared it, hoping to give me the strength to keep doing Chemo. I do #2 of round two today if all is well with my blood counts. We are taking this one at a time. I have not felt very good this week, so it is hard to keep going. But yesterday I felt good enough to work in the yard. It was a beautiful day, and really lifted my spirits!!

Mother's Day my children and grandchildren were all here (except April, Chay and Mckenzie, and we missed them horribly). They all got together and gave me a really nice camera. We had a wonderful day together. I also felt good enough to go to church and teach my laurels. They are such incredible girls, and they help me be strong and want to keep going. My sister called to say hello.

Several friends came by today to encourage me. I am sooo blessed, and can feel their love and support. One friend offered to fly me to his daughter's wedding in Utah if I was up to it. I could stay with April!! I hope I am able to go!! Life is good. It is harder than I ever imagined sometimes, too...but good.

Home

It was so nice to go to church today with the people I love so much. It was good to hear familiar testimonies and see familiar faces. Everyone was so nice, and seemed happy to see me. I loved Sunday School and Young Women's. It was wonderful to see some of my laurels today.

The past two days I have felt a little better...especially yesterday. Bryon and Lorena came over for awhile and Bryon worked on his truck. Lorena and I went for a short walk, and it was heavenly to be outside. I even had enough energy to clean up my kitchen and do some laundry.

I am pretty tired tonight after going to church and having company, and tomorrow I have a Dr's. appointment with Joni. I suppose if my blood looks okay, she will want to do another round of chemo on me soon. I must tell you, I don't want to do it. I am just now feeling halfway human again.

The Bishop spoke today of the strength we get from reading the scriptures and praying, and even though we hear this all of the time, I know it is true. It has been hard for me to do these two things as of late because I have felt so sick, but the past three days I have really tried to pray and study, and I can already tell the difference. My outlook is better and I am more at peace...more willing to trust what the Lord has planned for me.

It is so nice to be home.

A Bump in the Road

I went to my cancer Doctor here last Tuesday for a check up. I was having a little trouble breathing and my legs were swelling, so she sent me for a CT of my chest. Sure enough...I had blood clots in my lungs. They were not in the main arteries, which was a good thing...and all I could do was thank Heavenly Father for sparing my life once more. I think I got them sometime over the weekend with April, and I could have easily died. I have been giving myself shots of fragment...a blood thinner, all week, been on strict bed rest and now I am on cumadin again. I saw Joni again yesterday and she said I am a walking miracle, but she decided to hold off for a week or so with my second round of Chemo. I felt so bunk yesterday that I told her if she did chemo on me this week, it would kill me. She sort of agreed. On the bright side, I do feel quite a bit better today, and I think I will go outside and work in my pansy patch...taking it really easy, of course. When the gal that was running the CT scanner saw the clots, she was so sweet to me, and she said, "Well, this is just another bump in the road." I liked that...helped me put it in perspective. I am still alive. I can still feel the cool breeze and hold AJ on my lap and play peekaboo with her. Like Joette said to me yesterday, "Mom, we still need your presence in our lives." Today is the beginning of a new week!