Mountain cabin vacation 2011 Day 1

This post's pictures are especially for Jeffrey.. if the rest of you get bored, oh well. =)

We were so glad that Daddy and Jason were able to get off of work for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for us to go on vacation in the mountains west of Colorado Springs, at a cabin in Lake George. We vacationed there last year as well, except two weeks earlier than this year, when more of the aspens still had their leaves. Despite "fall" already happening for the most part, we really enjoyed the rest that the quiet and scenery provided for us all.







The Phillips-Brown cabin...




We arrived at lunch time on Wednesday, after Jason (student driver), Daddy, and Beth had all driven. We came down via mountain roads, which were more "fun" than 1-25.


This picture of Jason was actually taken Friday.


After lunch we decided to go driving and find some place to hike. Here's Mother all ready to go... she ended up getting hot in her sweater and hat, because the weather was so nice and she has hot-flashes.


We were looking for a trail that Dad, Jas, and Em had hiked at last year, but after a long unsuccessful search for that, explored and "hiked" somewhere else... Lake George Cemetery. This cemetery was very interesting in that the burial sites were scattered all over the rolling ground, AND up a hill, seemingly without rhyme or reason. Death dates ranged from the 1800s to 2011. Some of the grave sites were surrounded by fencing or wooden frames, while some were simply piles of rocks (poor people buried there).



After we got done looking at a lot of the tombstones and figuring out how old people were when they married (if recorded) or died, and musing about what kind of people they would have been, we decided to hike up the hill behind the graveyard.

Hiking


Mother and Daddy opted to sit and wait for us to finish the climb to the top.



And learn some things about Jeff's camera... =)


Here's Em.. we had to rest before getting all the way to the top.


Beth, after her heart stopped racing.


Jason...


Not posing this time, just enjoying the view.


Which was this:


Coming most of the way down to Mother and Daddy again we found some nice rocks to sit on.. that was until Dad told us there was a cave to look at!


This picture kind of shows how deep it was.


Right beside the cave.


Going back down to the van--notice the headstones in the background?


Next we got our curiosity satisfied about someplace else we had passed on the drive from the cabin--the Lake George Community Park (and Arena). Knowing it to be public property, we walked around, then



played in the park, of course! (This is "scarier" than it looks, at least for "cats".)


You look like a 7, Jas!


The 3 "kids":



Meanwhile Daddy and Mother enjoyed the glider swing, and bravely watched us.


Happy 28th Anniversary, Daddy and Mother!! (Saturday 22nd)




Finally tired from the hiking and playing, we were ready to go back to the cabin... ("just one more" picture first, though!)



...and consume some energy.


This picture ::smiling faces:: was BEFORE the smoke got in our eyes, I'm guessing!






That's smoke from the fire...


And after supper, Dutch Blitz

2011 Quilt Show

{Please feel free to click on any picture in this post to enlarge and see the details of the quilts!!!}
Our JHS Quilt/Craft/Demo Show was last Saturday. It was one day only this year, so we helped set up on Friday evening, and took everything down on Saturday evening.
There were a record number of quilts displayed this year, 197, with 52 of them made by our featured quilter, Doris Popejoy. It was a joy for me to interview her for the paper, and Beth wrote up a very nice article about her. She has made around 100 quilts, and inspired her daughters and granddaughter to quilt also! Her daughters had beautiful quilts in the show too. This is Doris standing by her 80th birthday quilt (on the left). Her friends in the quilting club made the blocks and she put them together. The fabrics used in this quilt are all 1930s reproduction fabrics.

The following are the front row of Doris's quilts. Her quilts were on three rows. I loved all of them.




This one is one of my favorites of hers.

More of her beautiful quilts.

We had to get creative to fit all the quilts in this year. We added a couple more complete rows, but also strung a second line for Doris's smaller wall hangings.

This one was made by Doris's daughter, Laura Morrison, and she won the Arias Floral Business Choice. This was paper pieced, and after quilting, many tiny "gems" were added.

Patricia Lamfers won 1st place in the viewer's choice with her "Colorado Gold" quilt. It was also chosen as Hays Market Business Choice. The machine embroidery is truly wonderful!

Daisy Bolter made "Irish Sam in the Fields" and won 2nd place in the viewer's choice. I told her my quilt was honored to hang beside her winning quilt. (You can see my quilt at the right edge of the picture.) The quilting on this one was so special and I loved the mint green and browns.

This closer view shows the quilting better.

This is called "Down on the Farm" and was the 3rd place viewer's choice. It was made by Minerva Lee. The details on it are very amazing!

"Staci's Lighthouses" by Patricia Lamfers was ACE Hardware's Business Choice.

These are some others that our family loved. I voted for this tulip quilt. I loved the colors.

The flowers were so pretty in this one.

Our very favorites are our own, even though they are not fancy or intricate. They are ours! Nine Patch Plaid, which I gave Jason for graduation.

Five Stripes which graces Rowen's and my bed.

My girls "manned" the bake sale table from 9-11 and 3-5. They are old hands at it. This year was my first time to work the bake sale.

We have hundreds more pictures, but won't post them all here! There was also a gym full of vendors selling their crafts, and a hallway full of crafters demonstrating their skills. It was a fun and successful day.

News about Janet

Last Thursday, I had a check up with the oncologist and signed up for the clinical drug trial. Dr. Stroh thinks I have done extremely well. I know it is all the Lord's help and answers to many people's prayers.

Yesterday I had my chemo port removed. It was in the office of my surgeon. I didn't get to watch, because the blue sterile drape covered my head! It didn't really hurt, just pressure part of the time, and "bee sting" feelings for the stitching back up. I made the mistake of saying "yes" to the doctor's thoughtful suggestion of a waterproof bandage, so that I could have a shower last night. Too late I realized it was the clear bandage I have developed an allergy to throughout the course of this year's procedures! By evening, I was quite red where the sterile drape (with the hole for the procedure) had been adhered for the 15 minutes and where the clear bandage was. Immediately after the shower, I removed the bandage and put a large bandaid on. Normal bandaids don't affect me like the fancy hospital ones do. Vitamin E cream helped a lot with the burning of the allergic reaction. The skin is missing in one spot, but the redness is less today.

I have 6 steri strips on top of the stitches. The steri strips will fall off by themselves in the next week or so. The stitches are supposed to dissolve. A resident shadowing my surgeon did all the sewing.

I am so grateful to have the port out. It was a wonderful thing to have in my body as long as I needed it. I am glad to not need it anymore!

Next week I will see the plastic surgeon one last time and the following day, I will have a fasting blood sugar test, a chest xray, and get to fill out a questionnaire to start the clinical trial of Metformin (or a placebo, if that is the group I fall into). The tamoxifen, (anti-estrogen drug), has been ordered and has not yet arrived, but I'll be taking it daily.

The excellent news today is that I believe I can taste foods accurately now! It is wonderful when food tastes like it is supposed to taste, rather than the taste of a tin can. I am very thankful for that.

Though I still have bruising on three of my fingernails, only one fingernail is loose more than half way down. I think I will only lose that one, if it comes off.

My hair is growing already! Some are just emerging, but there are some up to 3/4 inch long and every length in between. So far, no curls... I have very sparse eyebrows.

I am feeling stronger this week. The weakness of arms and legs was my biggest complaint since the final chemo. Something about "cumulative effect," I suppose.

God has blessed me so much by getting me through the cancer journey. I want to use the time He gives me to be a blessing to others, to give Him praise and honor, and to accomplish what He has planned for the rest of my life. Thank you each one for the prayers you have prayed for me.

Just one miracle this week

Psalm 33:18 & 20, "Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him... He is our Help and our Shield." Psalm 34:1, "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

This was written on Saturday October 8th, with corrections Thursday, October 13th. It happened Friday, October 7th. (This is written by Beth, for those who see Mother's blog notes on facebook.)

I say "just one miracle", because I'm sure the Lord has given us many this week, but this one was "special".

What didn't happen is the miracle. Today my sister Emily and I are not dead. In fact we aren't injured. Our windshield didn't even get busted out, as we expected it to. Aren't you glad? I am!

Yesterday was a big busy day. Our dear friends, the Hinkles, just lost their mother/grandmother to cancer last Saturday, and the funeral was yesterday (Friday). I hate to say a funeral was nice, but that one was really good, honoring to the Lord and Mary Anna. After the service some went to the graveyard for the service there. Our family did because of Jason and Daddy being pall-bearers, but Jason and we girls had to leave right after he was done helping because he had to get to work. We three came home, ate (really quickly), then we dropped Jas off at work and we headed to the BRIGHT Lights meeting, for which we were already late. (It was, fortunately, an excused tardy. =) )

We drove out of town by going north on CR 17 and were past one of the railroads, less than a mile south of CR 54. There was a truck heading toward us, (to my memory and description to Dad, a stake-side truck) which was carrying building supplies. As it passed us, a large board (Dad and I are guessing a concrete form) came out of the back of the truck and was airborne, and in the path of our car. We surely wondered if it would fly up and crash through the windshield, or hurt our car otherwise. I pressed on the brakes (Emily remembers) but there was nothing else I could do to avoid collision: no shoulder to pull into, no way to change to the opposing one-way lane. Pulling into the ditch of weeds wasn't an option, and no, I sure didn't think to pray in that split second--it all happened so quickly. As the car and board came closer together, the board went around us (miraculously).

I thought everything was fine, although I was shaken, but Em noticed that the right rear-view mirror was gone from its frame. Not knowing whether I should go look for the mirror in the ditch, I pulled over next chance I got (a farm driveway) and called Mother and Daddy (who were at the funeral lunch) while Emily inspected the exterior for other damage (Dad later noticed that the board scraped along the right front fender before catching on the mirror). I was shaking as I told M/D what happened, but assured them that everything was okay. By the time I was done and Dad was comforting me and thanking God for His protection, I was crying. Dad said we should go on to Bible study, because the mirror probably broke and we were much too dressed up to look on the side of the road for it. I dried my tears and told Emily "Let's sing to feel better" (calmer). We got to Bible study safely in time for most of the lesson.

There are many times while driving that the Lord has mercifully spared me from harm that I deserved because of errant driving, but yesterday He put His shield of protection around the car, when I didn't cause the problem and couldn't fix the situation.

When Daddy and Mother got home from shopping (post-funeral), Dad and I drove up to where the accident DIDN'T happen, to look for the board of mirror. We found neither, walking along the road for ~a mile, searching. The construction truck must have stopped and gotten their board. We did find an onion in good condition! Dad has since ordered a replacement mirror.


Reflections:

1. We were sharing our story with a few people after it happened, and got different responses.

Our babysitting girl said it right, "God blessed you!" That's exactly right, it was His shielding, His hand on us.

Our aunt said, "Probably an angel was sitting on the hood of your car and pushed the board around the side!" (This would be like Psalm 34:7, "The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.")

After hearing the story another person (who had seen Dad and me in our mirror-search and asked "why?") remarked "Thank your lucky stars!" We HAD to say, "NO!! Thank the LORD!!" We give Him all glory! We thought about why someone would say what he did, and we think that it is because people know that it was greater-than-human power that would give protection, but they are unwilling to acknowledge God as the Creator, Giver, and Preserver of life that HE IS and do not have the personal knowledge of His work in their lives. (Psalm 34:8, "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!")

2. When we were walking (both north and south on the east side of the road, by the northbound lane) I thought about something: it was more comfortable walking north beside the northbound lane than it was when walking south beside it. Walking north I was trying to be careful, but was walking on, or even a hair west of the white line instead of through the weeds; but walking south I realized what danger was in front of me (all those approaching cars) and was subconsciously willing to risk pricklies in my socks by walking through the weeds, rather than walk west of the white line! I thought about how if people are walking in the ways of the world (north by a northbound lane), it is "easy", and they don't realize the true danger they're in. On the other hand, if people are walking with Jesus Christ, following the Bible, going His way, against the flow of traffic and what the world wants, they are enabled by the Holy Spirit to be on their guard about the dangers surrounding. Sometimes this protection/watchfulness involves a lot of careful thought, self-sacrifice, and yes, opposition (weeds that are prickly).

New Picture of my Fingernails

I laid my hands on the scanner tonight. This is what my fingernails are doing. All the bruised areas are sore. So far they are not falling off, just hurting! My toenails have some of the bruising too, but they don't complain as much; probably because I don't use them as much!

Book Review: The Scroll by Grant Jeffrey and Alton Gansky

In The Scroll, Dr. David Chambers is the leading archeologist on a mission in Israel to try to find treasures hidden for thousands of years. The story is set in 2013, so that made it especially interesting to think of what could happen in Israel in the next couple of years. David is a person who has lost his faith in God. A lot of the interest I had in the story was to find out if he regained his faith. Because of the tensions between team members, the unrest inherent in the Middle East, and the spiritual conflict in David’s own heart, constant action and surprising twists occurred.

Much information about Biblical truth is given as part of the story. God’s past dealings with His people Israel and promises for their future are featured. I was challenged to consider just what I believe will happen as the end times wind down. I found myself comparing articles in the newspaper with what I had just read about Israel in the book!

I chose to read this book because of enjoying reading Alton Gansky’s Distant Memory many years ago. Between Gansky and Grant Jeffrey’s writing, this book is cohesive, informative, scary, exciting, and captivating. I recommend it for serious readers interested in Biblical archeology, Biblical accuracy, End Times, Israel, mystery, intrigue, and danger. There is a little romance in there too, but it is not the major theme. God’s patient faithfulness to call people to Himself is a topic that appeals to me.

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Couple of Blessings

We just wanted to take the opportunity (our blog) to share a couple of blessings we received from the Lord today, through two different ladies.

1) Plums for Mother. The woman who is learning Dad's work has a plum tree and shared some plums with our family last week. They were VERY yummy, but especially so to Mother. Her taste is very adversely affected with the treatments she's been having, so when something is good, we try to capitalize on that - like having SunnyD available for her to drink! Well, Dad told this lady that the plums were DELICIOUS to Mother, and she gave her some more today. We are SO thankful!!!

2) A homeschool friend picked and gave ~5 or 6 gallons of green beans to us today. We always try to grow green beans in our garden, but have had very small crops for a couple of years. We were so glad for the gift of more to can (or "jar" rather =) ).

Beth's 18th birthday September 26, 2011

When I think about our daughter, Beth, the word "faithful" comes to mind immediately. Since she was 10 1/2 years old, she has published a monthly newsletter called "God's Girls' Newsletter." When she started it, this is how big she was:

We never would have thought that at age 18, she would still be doing it. She started out typing it in Word, and has since then learned two different versions of Publisher. She has written her own articles, edited articles sent in by the members, designed layouts, mailed and emailed the newsletters faithfully month by month. "I have more understanding than all my teachers..." Ps. 119:99 is definitely true about all my children and their computer skills.

This May, Beth graduated from our homeschool and said she wanted to stay at home and learn more homemaking skills. With this being the year of my cancer journey, she has been invaluable in so many ways: driving me to appointments, doing a lot of the meal preparations and cleanups, cleaning house, keeping laundry going, besides doing her babysitting job and cleaning the Chamber of Commerce every week. She has done some canning, has a quilt in progress (that she designed by herself using Photoshop), and has been one of the main gardeners this summer. I cannot tell you what a huge blessing she is in our home!

Every day she performs whatever needs to be done in our home without complaining or resenting having to do it. She has been active in a girls' Bible study all summer, being a mentor to younger girls. She faithfully helps with the children's ministry in Federal Heights each Sunday, encourages her pen pals by writing interesting letters, and is diligent in personal Bible study and prayers for many on her prayer list.

We are blessed to have such a wonderful, loving daughter! We are praying God will bless her life for the faithfulness and unselfish service she is showing.

Happy 18th birthday, Beth!

Last Chemo Day Praise the Lord!!

To start off, I thought for educational purposes, I would show you my port site. It is on my left upper chest. I have to have another appointment with the doctor in three weeks, another lab draw, and then I can schedule with the surgeon to have it removed. It is supposed to be an in-office procedure to remove the port. It has been a huge blessing to have the port in place for all the chemo and blood draws. I have some numbing cream I put on it an hour before my appointments and I cannot even feel the poke of the needle into it. The place of "poking" is in the middle, below the longer incision, where you can see the round spot.

This is a picture of me today getting the last chemo infusion. I wore my new pink fuzzy hat and the nurses and other patients loved it! Everybody had to comment on it. One man patient who is getting chemo for breast cancer also, said he didn't think it was my natural hair color. Then we compared our bald heads! Yes, men get breast cancer too! It is more rare, but it happens. In pictures this hat looks almost white, but it is a pastel pink.

This is after the chemo was complete and I am ready to go home. My infusion nurses, April and Kathy are left and right of me, and my oncologist, Dr. Ann Stroh, is on the right of the picture. These are wonderful people and all Christians who care about and pray for their patients. I am holding an afghan gift and a card Kathy made and everyone signed. If you click on the envelope, you will see the word: Survivor, and a poem about it.

Everything went really well today. The part I dreaded the most, when I get the Benadryl, my legs usually getting very restless and jumpy, did not happen today!! That was an answer to prayer.

I found out what the plan is for the future.
In three weeks, I have an appointment to get my labwork checked and visit with Dr. Stroh about followup meds, which will include Tamoxifen for 2-5 years. Since I was pre-menopausal when I started this journey, Tamoxifen is the drug of choice for suppressing estrogen production in my body. My cancer was receptive to estrogen, so it is advantageous to not have it running around in my body. If I have cycles again in the next 2 years, I will stay on Tamoxifen for 5 years. If I do not have cycles again in the next 2 years, I can be put on a drug for post-menopausal women, which I do not remember the name of at the moment.

There is a clinical trial that Dr. Stroh would like for me to be in. Studies have found that diabetic women who are on Metformin do not get breast cancer. So now studies are being done to see if adding Metformin to the anti-estrogen drug regimen is more effective at preventing recurrence of cancer than just the anti-estrogen drug. It is a double blind study, so the doctor nor I will know if I am getting Metformin or a placebo. Metformin is the pill that Rowen is on for his diabetes. I am hoping that that means he will never face male breast cancer!

Dr. Stroh believes that I should have the flu shot, which I will get at that appointment. I have not gotten the flu shot for many years, but she feels it is very important, so I will do it.

She said I will not have mammograms in the future, but she will check me at my every three month appointments with her. These will not continue forever, but at least for a while I will see these dear people every three months. It will not be as often as every three weeks, at least!

Tomorrow I go back for the liter of normal saline, and my Neulasta shot. I stay on steroids by mouth through tomorrow, so I should feel pretty energetic for another day. Thank you to each one for your prayers for my chemo today. I appreciate every one for thinking of me. The doctor said since I have been under the influence of chemo for the past 18 weeks, I should expect that it could take that long to fully recover from the effects.

I am going to try some Tea Tree oil and Hard as Hoof on my fingernails. One of them is loosening up. I really would rather not lose them if I can prevent it.

God is good to me. I feel really blessed for how He has brought me through!! Love to all!

Almost done!

This next Thursday (September 22) will be my last chemo treatment. I am feeling pretty well and ready to get it over with! This last time, it seemed like the "aggravations" I have for side effects were harder to get through. In the interest of honesty, transparency, and education, I will share what these aggravations are.

I take steroid medicine by mouth the day before and the day after chemo, and by IV on chemo days. This causes a flushed appearance like I am horribly embarrassed (steroid glow). After Saturday, this wanes, and I have the hot flashes every half hour or so that make me hot and flushed. (The chemo sent me into menopause.) If I am at home, I might take off my head covering during these. If I am in public, I fan myself or will myself not to react in any obvious way. I even have hot flashes in the night, so I am taking covers off and on all night long.

By Saturday, I have blurry vision. This lasts about a day. I don't trust myself to drive the Saturday after treatment.

On Sunday, Monday, Tuesday I have bone pain from the Neulasta shot I get on Friday after chemo. It is mostly in my legs and hips, but sometimes shoulders and arms. I take Ibuprofen on a schedule for this and it really helps the pain be less.

By Monday through Thursday, I have gastritis, which includes feeling kind of "flu-y" abdominal cramps, lots of burps and indigestion, running to the restroom, tummy hurting after eating.

By Friday, I am feeling better, more normal and more energy, but there are other things that go on until the next chemo day that are just not fun, but part of the package.

During the second week after chemo, each time I have gotten a sore on the side of my tongue. It takes about three days before it is gone. I am very thankful to only get one at a time, because I know that many people have multiple mouth sores when they are on chemo. While I have it, even talking is painful.

Everything tastes strange, like the taste of metal cans. Some days it is hard to make myself eat. Someone asked me what I was most anxious to eat after I get my taste back. I am planning to enjoy everything, even a glass of milk, tasting normal again. Sometimes I crave a certain food, and it is so disappointing that it also tastes weird. I know it will take longer than three weeks after this last chemo to get my normal taste back, because I have never gotten it back in between the treatments. Almost every day, I think of my brother, who lost his taste and smell from a head injury several years ago, and I know he has it worse than me. I can enjoy the smells of food, and I have hope that soon I will enjoy the tastes of food again.

My eyes have twitched every day since probably the second treatment. At times, the twitching gets really frustrating, so I am glad for the hours that go by without it happening.

My fingernails and toenails hurt a lot. My fingernails have a very strange shape and there are bumps and ridges on them because of the chemo. When I type, or pick things up, or wring out a washcloth, or do any number of things, my fingernails hurt. My toenails hurt also, but not as much as the fingernails. My fingernails have rings in them. I figure kind of like the rings in trees show the years, my fingernails show the rounds of chemo they have endured. They haven't fallen out yet; the doctor says they can.

I don't have the strength or endurance I used to have. Vacuuming one large room in our house makes me tired. When I try to lift heavy things, or hold a baby, I know I am not as strong as I used to be. I know it will take awhile to get over the effects the chemo has had on my overall strength. When we go on walks and do long stairs as part of the walk (like up and down from the track around the football field) my legs are shaky. I hold Rowen's hand because I love him, but also because I need to hold his hand.

One very frustrating thing is short term memory problems. I have a very hard time remembering what I did yesterday, or today, or, what was I doing right before I started doing this? I do remember that they call this "chemo brain." I am hoping that my memory will improve over time.

If you ask me how I am doing, I will say, "Great!" and mean it with all my heart. I have so little to complain about, compared to so many people. I have some inconvenient things going on, but everybody does, or will have inconveniences sometime. I am so blessed to have able bodied, kind, and loving family around me who do everything that I cannot do right now, without complaining, even! Some have intimated that I am trying to make it look too easy, so I thought I would just share the little things I have to complain about. Please know that I will be thrilled to have the last chemo day behind me, but I will not feel well for at least a week after it. Then I will still be working through the other "aggravations" for an unknown length of time. We will wait and see how long it takes.

I am so grateful for God's help to get me through this journey through cancer. Without Him, what would I do? I have the joy of the Lord each day for my strength. He gives me a sense of humor so that I can laugh at myself instead of hating looking like a bald old lady. He has given me a dear husband and precious children who would do anything in the world to help me and regularly do 'way more than their share. Many family and friends are faithfully praying for me. All of our family has been so healthy this summer, so I have not had to worry about germs. Besides all the wonderful birthday cards I got, I have been blessed with many, many 'get well' and 'praying for you' cards. I have a wonderful doctor, and kind, competent nurses. I have gotten excellent care. I feel like I am spoiled rotten!

I hope no one else has to go through the cancer journey. But if it helps to know what mine has been like, I want to share enough details to take the fear out, and help someone to know that they can get through it. With God's help! Never try it without God's help.