I have fought and won against breast cancer so what next! I met with an Integrative Oncologist this week - I LOVED her. She has studied with and worked with Dr. Weil. We are doing pretty well with food already - I am just going to try and make a few adjustments - more green tea (up to 32/day), more fish... She ran some testing on my blood for Thyroid, Vitamin B, Vitamin D and . They called me the following day and told me it was PERFECT! She had wanted me to stop taking my doTERRA LLV (a multi-vitamin), but after seeing my results they told me to keep doing whatever it was I was doing! Love the LLV! The next big challenge with her treatment plan is to start an exercise program - I am going to do the one offered through the YMCA for cancer survivors - I believe it is a 12 week program.

Alex's appointment this week didn't go as well. He has been working so very hard on what he is eating - he has cut out all grains & most sugar since December. His cholesterol numbers did not go down - so very frustrating. Our nutritionist said she has only had one other patient in 15 years that that has happened to. He has now started statins which concerns me. There can be memory issues - on top of the MS, that is definitely a concern. It can also cause or contribute to Diabetes and his sugar numbers are already pre-diabetic. I am going to make sure he does better with his nutritionals and he also needs to start working out again. He is researching bikes - so a tri or a marathon training is what I think he wants to do.

The boys are as wonderful, challenging, beautiful, sweet, driving me out of my mind as ever! I love that they love to play together - I love how creative they are, I love that they love to hear reading (either from one of us or from books on CD), I love how amazingly sweet they can all  be with others, how considerate they can be. Two of our biggest challenges are sitting through dinner and getting ready for bed - prayers that those will both get better in the near future! ;o) Avery is super excited to start Kindergarten in the fall and ride the bus with Evan. I know Owen is going to have a hard time with both of his brothers in school full-time. Owen will be attending school five half days and I believe he will have speech three days a week this year - so we will be busy too!

We finally got a countertop and backsplash in the spring - LOVE them. Our next goal - flooring in the family room/kitchen by the end of August. I continue to work on de-cluttering our home - NEVER ending! Progress is being made - but never enough quick enough.

The boys can earn and/or lose tickets depending on their behavior, helping out, misbehaving... Yesterday as Evan was unloading the dishwasher he  asked me why I was making them be our servants! Seriously? So I informed him if he really wanted to be my servant he could start washing our clothes, folding them, (they do now put away their own clothing), grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning... he decided he didn't want to do all of that.

I am drinking my organic green tea as I type this - yay me!

We have been to the mountains this summer - Avery managed to run down a hill into an old fence and cracked open his head. In lieu of watching fireworks at Crossnore we spent 4th of July in the ER and waited for them to glue his head closed. The boys, Alex & Bodaddy all went to the caverns and falls there and had a great time! We also got to see Erin, David & Ellie twice - once for dinner at the Linville house and once out.

We went to Richmond for Aunt Nancy's wedding (it is always strange to say, think, type Aunt Nancy - as I always think of my amazing Great-Aunt Nancy). The boys and I loved meeting our cousins - Alex loved meeting the next generation and we all loved meeting Bill's family (our new joined family). We got to have dinner at Aunt Nancy's with everyone. Saturday we went to the Science Museum of Virginia after we went out to breakfast. We then went to the lovely wedding reception lunch, back to the museum then on to Uncle Monty's for pizza with everyone. We were sad to have to leave. The boys now want to visit their cousins in Montana.

We got back from Ohio on Sunday. We had a great time there. Mom and I organized and went through everything in the upstairs storage room. Alex found her sewing machine from the 60's and was super excited as he has been researching them and it is perfect for his hammock making he has been enjoying. I even managed to find some of the additional attachments in the storage room. Now if I could just get our home as organized as that room! All of us, including mom went to COSI for a day followed by a trip to Jeni's Ice Cream - YUM! We got to have dinner/breakfast with aunts/uncles/cousins which we all loved. We got to go swimming and have lunch with cousins followed by making chocolate chip cookies with Mackenzie. Then she let Avery & Owen walk her cows and feed them candy - they loved it. They also played on the swing set that has been there longer than I have been alive - Owen showed us some of his gymnastics moves on the rings. We also got to enjoy Benny's pizza with more aunts/uncles/cousins! The boys so love seeing family - I love it!

Yesterday the boys and I made Chai banana muffins - yum! We still have many things to accomplish from our summer to-do list. Avery, Owen and I have been to Discovery Place, but Evan hasn't made it yet. We have been to the pool - but need to continue to learn to swim better. Avery slept with Alex in the tent while we were in Ohio. We have read and listened to books. Avery has learned to ride his new Trek bike - but can still use some practice. We have been to the mountain house, Ohio, Plaza and farm. We have made & eaten ice cream. I don't think we have yet worked on snapping. We have built Lego (Evan & Avery are currently working on building Evan's Sea Cow). I don't think we have watched the "Lego Movie" yet - it is on the big screen in the next week or two though. We have been to the movies, blown bubbles, worked on school books, played video games, watched TV, played outside, taken walks, planted a garden, made s'mores, played with friends & blown bubbles to list a few things. Oh and we need to do some science experiments/kits yet too - eeks! Summer is flying by! Some days too quickly and some days I just have to ask if it is August 24th YET?!? HA!

I think I have typed & sipped on green tea as long I can possibly allow for today - until next time! Ciao my friends!

I saw my surgeon this morning and all went as perfectly as possible with the surgery! She thinks radiation is still the way to go – but POSSIBLY I won’t have to do the Tamoxofen  (the drug for 5 years)– which would make me REALLY happy!!! I still need to meet with my ocologist and radiologist to learn what they think will be best. So appointments continue… but so far so good!!!

Also said it could take up to 3 months before I am feeling up to par. I am still getting really tired – good to know that is normal (still frustrating, but good to know). I also learned working out is good for me and my recovery so  to gym I will go for some work on the elliptical machine – probably later this week. Then I will work my way up to Pilates.

Erin

Wow! So t has been over a year since I have written anything - not good! Today's post is about me... not my crazy boys.

A few weeks ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I am thrilled that it has been caught early thanks to my yearly mammogram, but at the same time scared, sad, frustrated to name a few of the emotions. I am also very tired of having surgeries. I thought the 5 major abdominal surgeries in less than 3 years had me covered for a very long time... I guess that is not to be the case. I have had genetic testing done (negative), and MRI to check to see if there is anything else (negative) - both of these things are great! As I mentioned it has been caught early and is small - it is slightly invasive - but unless the surgery shows something more dramatic we are doing pretty well. At this time I have seen two surgeons and selected one, I have seen the radiologist & the medical oncologist. The plan is to have a lumpectomy next Thursday - I have to go in at 9:00 am, the first procedure will be at 11:00 and surgery will begin around 12:00-12:30. Assuming all goes well and they get everything I will begin radiation around the beginning of October and I will have to do that every weekday for 6.5 weeks. We will also meet with the medical oncologist again 2 weeks after the surgery to discuss what the surgery has discovered and what options are best for me taking into consideration the hepatic adenoma I had removed from my liver. Ideally they would like me to be on tamoxifen for 5 years. I meet with pre-op on Friday then we should be good to go next Thursday. The surgery will be a outpatient procedure. It is going to be a long road, I am so thankful for my mother who is amazing and helping us out, to friends and family and for all the prayers and positive thoughts.

So sweet!

In all the craziness that is our daily lives there are moments, brief glimpses if you will that we are doing something right... below is a message from a substitute teacher for Evan's Sunday School class last week...

I was in Evan's SS class yesterday and I just wanted to share with you how incredibly kind and loving he was.  We had a special needs child, Sean, in class yesterday.  Evan reached out to him several times.  It was really amazing!  Very special.  You would have been so proud of him.  I was for sure!  And he said a precious prayer!

Hope your summer is off to a good start!

Kelly

On Wednesday nights early last year one of Avery's teachers remarked how sweet & caring he was - there were some of the children who would just cry and cry because their parents had left and Avery would take them toys and talk to them to try and make them happy.

There are also moments between the boys that just make my heart melt. Today I asked Evan to help Owen get his underwear & shorts on - Evan did that and pointed out the Avengers to Owen and Owen started shooting his Iron Man bullets and Evan just started giggling - so fun to watch!

I am so very proud (not all the time, but much of it) of the people they are becoming!

The things they say...

Evan "Mommy when I grow up I want to a Lego expert!"

Had to laugh yesterday... I took the boys to see a $1 movie and there was a life size poster of the new Lone Ranger & Tonto and Avery points to Tonto and says "Look! There is Captain Jack Sparrow!". They haven't seen the movies, but they have met Captain Jack Sparrow at Disney the last two years and they have gotten on stage with him to learn to be pirates. Thought it was hysterical that in different make-up, a different character he as still recognizable.

Evan's conversation this morning with Alex... Evan "daddy i have a surprise in my pants for you"-- Alex - now i'm worried.

 June 7

Avery loves to help me in the kitchen this morning he pushed down the press on the French press coffee for me - he remembered he had to do it very slowly. When he was done I told him he had done a great job and that he was a good helper. He said "I actually is". Confidence is obviously not a problem for him ;o)

June 4 via mobile

At dinner the boys did not like the zucchini fries but couldn't get enough celery... who knew? Ya never know what will happen at mealtime.

February 28 via mobile

So sad awhen a trip to Trader Joe's by yourself seems like a vacation.

February 27

So impressed with my hubby, Alex Lind. I left him with three boys and come home to discover he had made green eggs and ham to celebrate Dr Seuss' birthday. 

July 22, 2012

Evan "God is with me everywhere I go"

Evan "I am thirsty out of my bones!"

Evan "Mommy, you look handsome tonight"
Me "Why thank you Evan. Typically you say a man or boy looks handsome, but that a lady or girl looks pretty or beautiful."
Evan "I like the boy word better - handsome. You look handsome."

Oatmeal pancakes

Oatmeal Pancakes

1.25 c rolled oats (I like the thick Bob's Red Mill ones)

1.25 c milk (any type - cow, almond...)

Soak oats in milk for 20 mins

½ c wheat flour

1 T dark brown sugar

1 t baking powder

½ t salt

I typically sprinkle in some cinnamon

Mix

1 T butter

1 eggs 

1/4 c applesauce (without sugar)

Mix oat mixture with dry mixture then add in butter & eggs/applesauce.

Use about ¼ c of mixture on hot griddle or pan.

I love to add fresh blueberries, apples and/or red raspberries with this or in the winter I will use dried craisins or dried blueberries and rehydrate them and add them – also great to make an cinnamon apple topping for them. I also typically chop up walnuts and include those - the boys even love them in there. I love these even plain