Enjoying Lazy Days

What a busy time last week was!  Thursday all the kids (3 girls and 2 spouses, and Brennan!) were here making cookies.  The girls get together here every year to make sugar cookies.  We do it the easy way and buy the Pillsbury dough, then shape them, bake, and decorate.  Decorating is the highlight.  I make butter cream frosting, and we have lots of sprinkles and such.  Alyssa, my mom, and I did a little shopping while Rachel was making the cookies.  When we got home Rich and Jaren were on the roof clearing off snow.  Alyssa was driving and when she saw her hubby up there she squealed and covered her eyes.  She didn't like seeing him up there--I hate it when Rich goes up there!  Next thing you know, Alyssa is up on the roof too!  Lots of prayers were said by me! Jaren jumped off into the huge pile of snow on the ground, after helping Alyssa down the ladder, and Rich carefully slid/jumped off!  After the cookies were done, we all ate pizza for dinner, then the kids headed home.  At the end of the day I was very tired, but very happy!  I am always amazed at how God has blessed me with such wonderful kids!
Friday (Christmas Eve), we all went to church together at 2pm.  We didn't go to Bridgewood, as their times didn't fit our schedule.  We went to our former church, North Heights, and got to see some of their Christmas production.  It was nice visiting there as they have wonderful productions, music, decorations and such, but I don't miss it.  Bridgewood is home now.  After church we had dinner (I make a simple spaghetti dinner) then we opened some presents.  Our tradition is the girls open their presents to each other, and Rich and I open our presents to each other.  When the kids were really little, Rich and I would open our gifts to each other after the girls went to bed, by the lights of the tree.
Christmas day started off with the kids coming back about 10am, and then they opened their stockings, we had cinnamon rolls, and they we opened the rest of our gifts.  My big gift this year was my new laptop, which I got about a week earlier.  Love it!!  I also got a Chronological Bible from Rich.  I plan to read through the Old Testament again, and I thought this might make more sense to me.  We'll see.  All the gifts Rachel bought for us this year were items that supported orphans, or the families trying to adopt them.  She gave me a pretty necklace.  Brennan was the highlight of the day.  He would help rip open a present now and then, but never really cared what the gift was!  He was happy and silly, and fun to watch!   The kids all dispersed about noon, then we met up again later at my brother's house for the family get-together.  We finished the day around 7:30 or 8. 
On Sunday church had only one service at 10, so no sleeping in then either.  Rich had to be there a little early in case they needed him for ushering. Alyssa, Rachel and I went shopping after church for some after Christmas sales.
Rich has this whole week off, and we have been doing a lot of shopping.  Using gift cards, and getting things we need at good sale prices.  I'm finding that going to more than one store at a time is too much for me, unless we are traveling between stores and I get a bit of a break in the car.  If I get too tired, Rich will drop me off at the door and pick me up again. Sometimes I just need to find a spot to sit for a bit, or wait in the car and let Rich run in by himself.  After we get home (usually late afternoon) I'm pretty much done for the day!
The mornings have been especially nice. I've been sleeping in, and taking it slow, and enjoying the mornings.  Rich has been taking it easy too--he needs that.  I'm glad he's getting some downtime. We head out around lunch time, get a bite to eat, then hit a few stores. 
I was thinking this morning how much I am enjoying this break.  I've been doing chemo, then rads (every day for 33 days!), then when radiation was done I so busy with Christmas stuff!  So Monday was the first day in a loooong time that I could really take it easy and just do fun stuff, or whatever I wanted!  So free feeling!  Finally! 
I've been very happy lately (although sometimes I'm sure I just look tired!).  Some people get depressed after they are all done.  There is such a whirlwind of activity for so many months, then it just all stops.  While going through treatment you don't always have time to really think about things.  Then when it's all over, you have too much time...and think too much.  It's hard to understand if you haven't been through it.  If you know someone who is going through cancer treatment, don't expect them to bounce back to "normal" right away.  They may never be back to the "normal" that you expect them to be.  They will be different; changed.  And it may take them awhile to move on.  Be patient, and just be there for them.  And never tell them to "get over it"!!!  You might get punched!
Although I have a little different perspective on things, I totally understand what others go through. And I can not say I never feel down or will never get depressed.  Right now I am just grateful for each day God gives me.  My life is in His hands.  None of us know how long we have.  Why waste time wishing for this or that?  Just count your blessings.  Do you have a roof over your head?  Heat?  Clothes?  Food?  Family and/or friends?  Then you are truly rich and blessed!  Help those that don't have those things.  And pray for them.
Speaking of those that don't have much, the country that Rachel and Ken are adopting from are NOT closing the adoptions!  Our prayers were answered!  Things can always change though, and we won't rest too easy until we have that little boy home with us.
Shonna and friends are down in KC at the Onething convention.  She'll be back on Sat.  Which is Alyssa's birthday.  Tomorrow we are watching Brennan for a little while in the afternoon.  It's been awhile since I actually babysat him.  We have a lot of new toys for him to play with!
Next Monday Rich goes back to work and I will try to put together some sort of schedule for myself.  I need to get back to reading God's word, exercise, and make a "to-do" list.  There are so many things I want to do, I need to list and prioritize them, or they won't get done!  There are things that have been put off for 2 YEARS! :)
On the medical front, I have my next MUGA (heart function) scan next Thursday.  Hoping and praying my heart function has increased with the new med I'm on so I can continue getting Herceptin.  I will see the doc the following Wed.(the 12th) to discuss the results and hopefully get my next Herceptin infusion.
Time for bed!

Good night and God bless!
Tina