Happy Birthday Jesus

I invited a few of our friends over for a "Happy Birthday Christmas party" two days before Christmas.  It was so great to let the kids hang out while the mommy's sipped on coffee.  We all sang to Jesus and ate birthday cake.  I might have to do this every year!

photos

Why is it so impossible to get a photo of the three kids all smiling?!

Merry Christmas!

Carmen's Christmas play

Carmen had her school play before Christmas and it was so adorable.  She loved performing!  This girl was beaming with joy and light the entire time!  Her teacher came up to me and said, "So, I hear from Carmen that you have a baby in your belly."  No!  Apparently Carmen gave her great detail about this mystery baby.  There are no more babies in mommy's tummy unless Jesus decides to come!  It was awesome to get to attend the performance this year.  Last year, I was getting a mammogram and MRI.  Crazy!

One year

Exactly one year ago today I received the devastating news that I had highly invasive breast cancer. I stand here today to show that Jesus Christ can bring beau...ty from ashes and is in the business of restoration. My Healer has guided us every step, protected, and provided faithfully. Thank you friends and family for all your love, prayers, and support. I am forever grateful!
Hug your loved ones a little tighter this Christmas season. Nothing lasts forever on this earth except our eternity.

"— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." (Isaiah 61:3)

 

Thanksgiving break in Tulsa

Thanksgiving was spent in Tulsa this year.  We spent the week.  Matt flew a couple of the days his first trip, so it worked out for me to be around family while he was gone.  We all went out for dinner on Wednesday night to celebrate Pam's birthday.  We had such a great night!  A babysitter came and played with all the kids.

 

We all drove an hour to the lake on Thanksgiving day.  It's always fun to spend time at the lake!

We have so much to be thankful for this year!  God is so amazing!

Design

I got approved to do some design work for Browns bridge church!! This is so exciting to start designing on my own on the side. I am so grateful for this opportunity! Now I better get to work!

God's living words

We spent the week of thanksgiving in Tulsa at Matt's parents house. I got to meet Stephanie (Matt's cousin's sister in law) who is just now battling breast cancer with three small children. She had her first chemo today. I was able to pray with her and her mom. It was a humbling feeling to know what they were about to face, but to show them how Christ can give us so much joy and hope through the pain. I am grateful for the opportunity to help her in any way possible like so many people helped me. 

I gave her a few hand written note cards of verses that my friend Anne had given me. I explained that out of all the gifts people had given me, God's living word was the best gift that I continued to rely on daily. I'm praying that this chemo kills every single remaining cancer cell in her body. 

Flying

He's back! Matt had his first flight in 11 months last week. This is a huge milestone for our family. He went back to training the week that I got released from physical therapy. I am feeling stronger every day and can finally take care of our babies on my own. It's time for Matt to go back to providing for our family and enjoying his hobbies. He has been more than an amazing husband and caregiver then I could have ever imagined. We are so blessed to have him! It has been a tough year especially on Matt! We love you daddy!!!

Carmen's Thanksgiving feast

Carmen had her Thanksgiving feast at preschool last week. It is so adorable to see so many cute little 3 and 4 year olds bring thankful. Parents weren't invited to this exclusive party, but her teacher sent these cute pics!

Tree

We put the tree up early this year because we were gone a week for Thsnksgiving in Oklahoma. I've never been one of those people that decorates for Christmas before Thanksgiving, but we are choosing to enjoy this whole season this year! Last year was simply insane! It was honestly hard to get that Christmas tree out. Last year when we were putting all the decorations up we had no idea what our future would hold. We were living in so much fear. Praise God for his healing and for Jesus! We are trying to soak in every minute of Christmas this year!

Halloween!

Halloween was amazing again this year! The kids absolutely love getting dressed up and hanging with the neighborhood. It was actually really cold and rainy, but we suffered through and had a bonfire with the neighbors. It was so much fun!! We feel blessed to have so many great neighbors!

Fulton County Women's Journal

They published my story! God told me to write my story down and they published it! So excited to see him follow through with the details!

My chains are gone

I had my last check up with the plastic surgeon last week and then my last physical therapy session on Friday. It was crazy to hug the nurses and doctors knowing they had helped me so much and we were done with this journey. As I got in my car to leave Turning Point (my physical therapy) this song and exact verse was playing. 

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace

It was God telling me that this is over! Not only am I free from eternal death, but he has healed me. The chains of fear are gone! Time to move on and help others. 

Last Monday night a group of my friends,  my mom, and I all drove down to Passion City Church for the Grove. It was amazing worship for women all over Atlanta. Regina spoke that night of how God has guided her through her whole life and now her cancer has come back and spread throughout her body. (Regina was the very first 'survivor' that called me the night I found out that I had cancer. She was a mentor to Ashley Jansen.) She is currently living a life of gratitude and still praising God in this season of the unknown in her life. That night after hearing her speak, I had a dream that people kept trying to break in our home. I couldn't keep them out and kept having fear. The Holy Spirit explained to me that I no longer need to live in fear. I just need to thank him and trust him in today and not worry about tomorrow. 

 

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy reigns

Unending love, amazing grace

Bone scan

My oncologist suggested that I get a bone scan and routine ct scan since I had been having bone pain for a while now. I am just achy all the time. I was getting pretty nervous, but really trying to trust God. 

After the nurse injected me with the dye for the scan, I felt so nauseous and then almost blacked out. I think it was cause I was so hungry. I couldn't eat anything that morning and had been up early getting Roman to school. Anyways, I survived and then anxiously waited for the results. 

A friend sent me a sermon from Passion Church that talked about being in a storm. Louie Giglio talked about getting on our knees and praying God's will be done, not ours. It was powerful. I went on a walk the next morning and finally got to that point where I said, "God, your will be done. If it's your will for this cancer to come back and spread and me not raise my babies, then your will be done." It's a pretty tough place to be. 

We got the results the next day. No cancer! Praise The Lord! I am so grateful. I'm ready to live my life now without fear. It's time to move on and get normal. A new normal. 

Lunch

We surprised a roman and ate lunch with him the other day at school. It was so great of my mom to watch Hudson so we could spend a little one on one with our big boy!

Fall break in Tulsa

We decided to fly to Tulsa for Roman's fall break. We flew out on Wednesday afternoon and came back Saturday. It was so fun to spend time with Pa and Grandma and the triplets. 

Our first flight in a long time went pretty good. Carmen had diaharia in her pants of during the flight. That was fun to clean up in the tiny plane bathroom! I found out later that Matt had fed her tons of raisins and grapes earlier that morning. Seriously!?

Just a crazy dinner at Pa and grandma's!

We took at cousin trip to the zoo on Friday. The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast!

They loved checking out the rhinos

We all enjoyed the train ride too!

Roman was so excited about his baseball trophy that he had to bring it in his suitcase and get a photo of it with the triplets. So cute!

We all made a visit to see grandma Jones. 

First ER trip

I was so proud of my little girl. She was starting to cut the pieces of apple into smaller pieces for Hudson. But if you look closely, you'll notice her butter knife was upside down. About 30 seconds later, the knife slipped in between her fingers and cut deep. There was blood everywhere! Matt immediately threw her in the car end went to the ER. She ended up only having to have it glued together. No stitches! I felt so terrible! Poor girl!

Fair

We enjoyed another year of the Cumming fair. The kids loved riding the rides. Hudson actually stayed in the stroller the entire time. We ended it with corn dogs and a funnel cake of course. Until next year!

Hudson is 17!

Months that is!  He's growing so fast! Hudson screams a little less lately. He's communicating so much now. He repeats almost everything we say. Hudson likes everything in its place and perfect. He's fast, strong, and all boy!  I am cherishing holding my baby boy again. I truly think it's helped him to have his mommy back!