1st Stop ~ Lake Oswego, Oregon

After 4 1/2 hours of driving, stopping at Dick's for dinner, snacks in Cougar, Washington, we finally made it to a hotel in Lake Oswego (just outside of Portland). I could have driven for a couple more hours because the time flew by with these ladies in my car.

We brought along our travel mascot "Bare Lee" who will be joining in our photographs on this journey.

I'll write more tomorrow.

Until then,

Dream Big

Doreen and the girls

Plans have changed

My road trip buddies have all agreed to leave tonight instead of tomorrow morning. Yahoo! If for no other reason we'll have air conditioning tonight when we stop at a hotel. We figured as long as we're ready to go why not leave a little early so we can spend more time in San Francisco?

We're packing up the SUV right now so I should probably go help.

I'll do my best to write a quick blog (with photos) each night if we have wireless at our hotels.

Keep Dreaming Big and Stay Cool,
Love you more ~ Dor

I'm Melting....

No one told me the real down side to being bald. When the weather is 105 degrees with high humidity and you're sweating profusely, the sweat goes directly down your face and neck. It has nothing to "cling" on to, like HAIR. It is not a pretty sight and it's way too hot to wear something on my head. So, I guess I'm just going to have to deal with it for a few more days.

We checked the weather forecast for California and it will be a cool 75 degrees on Saturday when we arrive in San Francisco. Hallelujah!

For those of you reading this blog who live in Stanwood or the surrounding area, you know that our weather has been record breaking and ridiculous. For those of you who live elsewhere I'm sorry if this is your usual summer weather. I wish I could stop talking about it, but it's 10:30pm and our house is still 90 plus degrees. We don't have air conditioning because we get about 10 really warm days a year (if we're lucky). We do have good heating however because the other 355 days are usually cold.

I'm not sure if chemotherapy does something to our internal thermostat but I'm starting to go a little crazy from the heat. I'll try to write more tomorrow unless I'm delirious....

Dream Big and Stay Cool,
Doreen

Happy Birthday Ricky

Today my honey is celebrating his 53rd birthday. Who would have known that only a few years ago we acted like birthdays carried the plague, now we can't wait to have another one? We celebrated like we do most birthdays in the Schmitt house....Jimmy's Pizza. Why change a great arrangement?

This afternoon my friend Kim came for a visit and lunch. We had a very nice visit and talked for hours about life and our kids and how lucky we are. I was feeling pretty good while she was here, but right before it was time to go out for dinner the heat really got to me. By the time we made it to the restaurant, I had nausea and sweat running down my face.

Now that we're home, I'm going to get into really cool clothes and head downstairs where the temperature is about 15 degrees cooler than it is upstairs. Ugh! We have a guest bedroom downstairs and I told Rick that tonight we need to be guests in our own house. Perhaps we'll sleep better than we have the past few days.

I'm really getting excited about the trip to California. 3 friends (Janeen, Cathy and Donna) will be joining me for a very special road trip. We are planning on spending 2 full days in San Francisco (including Bonnie's Golden Gait 5K Walk) and the other days will be scheduled for traveling. We plan on stopping (whenever we feel like it) to enjoy the sights along the way. I hope to bring my lap top and share the journey with all of you.

I still have the link attached to the right of my blog for Bonnie's Walk. If you're interested in donating or joining our team, you still have a few days to participate by clicking the link. I'll be bringing back t-shirts for those who signed up but didn't make it to San Francisco.

As much as I would like to write and tell you more about Rick turning 53 and the rest of my day, I really need to get out of the heat before I get sick again.

Stay hydrated. Wear sunscreen. Find a cool spot.

Dreaming Very Warm, But Big,
Doreen

Jake and Megan in a magazine

Jake and Megan's wedding was chosen as a "local wedding of note" in the Seattle Bride magazine. If you're in line at the grocery store, turn to page 124...it has a nice photo and an article about how they met and got engaged. They're the cutest couple in the article, but I might be a little biased.

Yesterday I went with Pam and bought new sheets for "the bed". The estimated date of arrival is Tuesday and I can't wait. Did I say thank you enough? If not...thank you, thank you, thank you!

Nothing much planned for today. Rick has to go to work for a couple of hours, I need to do a little housework, and the sun is going to be a scorcher again today (so I'll be working on staying cool). I hope the rest of your weekend finds you warm and happy.

Love you more,
Dor

Surprise!

This afternoon we headed out to our friend Shelley's house for her 50th birthday party. Last year on her 49th, we threw her a 50th so this year she said she was going to throw her own party. She did throw a party, but it wasn't for her...it was for Rick and I. Many of you were in on the surprise, but for those of you who weren't, Shelley instrumented a party where people had to pay to attend and the money was going towards an adjustable bed for Rick and I. All of this started from a little broken bed incident that Shelley and I would like to forget, but can't help laugh when we think about it.

What is so amazing about this gesture is that I know I will sleep better with my head elevated. Rick will be able to adjust his side to fit his needs and I will be able to do the same to my side. I do most of my coughing at night because my head isn't elevated enough. Now that won't be a problem.

Besides the surprise of the new mattress, we were greeted by many friends who had donated towards the purchase, my parents, and the kids (minus Jake who was working). The food was incredible, the friendship was immeasurable and the night was unforgettable. Shelley painted rocks and wood from the beach with the words "Dream Big". We can't help but Dream Big on our new mattress.

Thank you everyone for the incredible gift.

Dreaming Bigger than ever!
Doreen & Rick

Rick is feeling better

I think Rick is finally coming around. He's still pretty fatigued and has lost weight this week but over all, he seems more like his usual self. When he feels better, so do I. It's a love thing :)

These past couple of weeks have felt like a lifetime of uncertainty. I can't imagine how the kids, our friends, and family cope with the day to day struggles we put them through. Thank you all so much for your unconditional love and support.

Yesterday afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised with a beautiful gigantic bouquet of lillys and tulips from a friend and blog reader, Jeff. I had to use 3 different vases to get all the flowers in water. They are absolutely gorgeous. Thanks Jeff. They were just what we needed to cheer up our household.

I'm hoping to take a road trip with a few girls to San Francisco for Bonnie's Walk. We'll be leaving next Friday and will be gone for a few days. I don't think the drive to San Fran is that long (maybe 14 hours or so) and with a car full of women gabbing and laughing, the time will fly by. Let's pray my fever stays down so we can make this happen.

I guess I'd better get off the computer and think about making dinner. Mom and Dad gave us some fresh cracked dungeness crab so I think we'll have Crab Louies for dinner. MMMMmmmm Good!

Dreaming Big,
Dor

Uncertain Future

This morning, Janeen picked me up for my chemo appointment, then we stopped and got Pam (because she and Janeen were having mammograms during my appointment). Well that was what we had originally planned. Today it was a very long wait for my chemo drugs because they've moved the pharmacy and are working on all the glitches. In the end Pam and Janeen were both finished (with good reports) before I even got my drip. They didn't seem too upset about it, but I hate to put people out.

I guess while I was gone today, our cows got out and my sick husband, son and daughter along with some fabulous neighbors, got them back into the field after a couple of hours of hard work. Thanks to all of you who helped Rick out today when he needed it most.

Today's appointment was a little bittersweet for me. Dr. Eaton said that today was my last treatment of this kind. Then I'll have a PET SCAN, and determining how that reads, I will go on a break. I can tell you that my body needs a break, but breaks mean NO TREATMENT, and NO TREATMENT causes growth (or so it has so far). I asked how long the break would be and he said indefinitely (until they see more growth). All of this sounds good but very scary for me.
Now, I suppose if they find that Doxataxel (the drug I'm on now) has been working according the the Pet Scan, they'll probably let me continue with it. Past Pet Scans weren't very promising so I think that's why the break will come instead. The next drug combo I'll try will be Alimta and Avastin. This is the last drug combination they have for me at this time. I could look at other hospitals for more clinical trials, but SCCA doesn't have any right now that fit my criteria.

Rick has chemo tomorrow morning (if his body can tolerate it). I know he just wants to get it over with, but he still isn't feeling well from the Artery Embolization. I'm sure he'll really be worn down after the cow fiasco today.

I'm feeling groggy after my chemo treatment today so I'd better call it a night.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Big Dreamer, Dor

Happy Sunny Monday

Angie sent me a quote this morning that I thought was very fitting for the blog:
Don't regret growing older. It is a privilege denied by many. (anonymous)

This has been a very trying weekend at the Schmitt house. Rick has spent much of his time in bed. He's very fatigued, in pain, and just not himself. The doctor explained that once the chemo was shot into the liver, it eventually works it's way out to other organs or tissue in the body. He has pain near his shoulder (which they say is radiating pain) and the pain medicine just makes him confused so he doesn't like to take it. He says he's feeling better today but he isn't out of bed yet so we'll see how he's feeling once he's up and moving around.

Thankfully, the antibiotic my doctor prescribed on Wednesday hit the spot. I haven't had a fever since I started taking the prescription and I feel well (except for my heavy heart when I'm dealing with Rick).

The kids and my dad have been awesome. Stopping by to check on us, doing odd jobs while they're here. My dad stops by twice a day to feed the steers grain. I told him I could do it, but he says he likes helping out.

This morning my sister in law and nieces stopped by with some homemade cherry crisp (Dawn knows how much I love cherry desserts). It was good for my soul to see them. My little nieces, who refer to me as "Auntie" were freely handing out hugs and kisses. Dawn is careful not to bring the girls around when anyone has the sniffles or isn't feeling well.

My son is here now to visit so I'll have to say my good-byes. I have chemo tomorrow and Rick has it on Wednesday. I'll try to write something again tomorrow or if anything changes.

Keep Dreaming Big,
Dor

Chemo treatment : CANCELED

My parents stayed in Seattle last night in order to save themselves from driving down there early this morning. Apparently the drive was not necessary either way. Dad is suffering from what was described to us as "typical" side effects from his surgical procedure that took place on Tuesday. He is having pain in his chest, shoulder, back and stomach. In addition, he is lethargic and literally needs assistance keeping his balance while he is walking around. Hopefully these are signs that the chemo drug is killing those tumors. I'm putting all of my positive energy into believing that is the case anyway...

I was waiting at my parents house when they arrived home from Seattle late this morning so that I would assist them in any way possible. Mom and I got Dad tucked into bed and then spent a couple of hours visiting over lunch. She keeps apologizing for what has been happening with their health lately. She feels bad that we are the ones having to help them out. I just continued to re-assure her that we WANT to be there through the good and bad that we will be facing in the future months.

On a positive note, Mom is feeling better today and is working hard to schedule a family trip for all of us later in the year. She is thinking a 4 day cruise sounds good. I would have to agree! I like the idea of planning something big to look forward to. It takes our attention off of being sick and puts it on trip planning!

I would like to once again thank everyone for the supportive cards, emails and phone calls that show us that you care. They are greatly appreciated! Thank you friends....

Dreaming Big,

Angie

Doreen is BACK

Hi everyone. It's me again....feeling much better than yesterday. Gosh, I don't know what's going on with me. One day I'm fine, the next day I'm lethargic with a fever. I felt terrible yesterday that Angie and Jake had to take care of Rick while I laid around feeling sick.

After all the sleep Rick has had over the past few days, he was up early today and thought he should go to work to do a little catch up. He was gone by 8:00am and got home around 3:30. I know he's a little wiped out right now, but he would never admit it. He feels good that he got his work done. Early day again tomorrow. Rick has chemo (does it ever end) and we hope it treats him well since he got a blast of it on Tuesday directly into the liver. Amazing what they can do now to keep people alive and thriving.

I have some clothes to fold out of the dryer and I need to think about making dinner. Until tomorrow, Stay cool and Dream Big.

Love you more,
Dor

Happy to be Home!

Today I have several things to report. First, the good news. Dad's CT scan showed no signs of liver failure after his surgical procedure yesterday and his blood pressure is back down to a near-normal range. He is scheduled to go back to see this doctor again the first week in August. In the mean time, he will continue with his scheduled chemo treatments.

Our un-expected hurdle appeared first thing this morning when Mom woke up. She was shaking, coughing quite a bit and didn't look like she felt good. By the time we arrived at the hospital Mom grabbed my arm and said, "I am going to throw up! Where is a bathroom?" We made it to the bathroom but that was just the beginning of our day. When we arrived in Dad's hospital room I asked his nurse to check Mom's temperature. It was over 101 degrees. It was at that time that Dad was about to get released from the hospital. Jake ended up coming down to Seattle with Megan and drove Dad back in my parents car while I stayed with Mom to get checked out. By 11:00 AM she felt nausea, had a fever and was being transported around the hospital by wheelchair. They took blood, got a urine sample, did a chest x-ray and eventually released her from the hospital just after 3:00 PM this afternoon. The doctor said that her counts are elevated, which they should be because of her bone marrow building medicine, but they might also be elevated because her body has an infection. They put her on a strong antibiotic and told her to come back if things get worse and they will admit her into the hospital.

What a long day! Jake is planning to stay the night with them tonight so that I can go home and sleep in my own bed tonight. If you call the house you will find that I left a new phone message thanking everyone for calling to check on them but that I disconnected the phone in their bedroom so that they can sleep.

Thanks for all of the prayers and well wishes. We can't get enough of those!!

Dreaming Big,

Angie

Rick Update from the UW

Today was a long day at the University of Washington Medical Center. My parents arrived for Dad’s procedure at 6:30 AM and all of us kids arrived shortly after. Mom and I just left the hospital at 10:00 PM and are staying a mile away at a hotel so that she can try to get a much needed night of rest. Apparently she did not sleep for a single minute last night because she was worried for Dad’s surgery. She said that her steroids were making her feel “funny” and were also doing their part to keep her awake all night. The good news is that I ran her a bath and got her tucked into her bed nice and cozy when we got back here to the hotel. I am praying that I hear her snoring any time now…

According to Dad’s doctor, his surgery went well. The chemotherapy drug was successfully administered into his right lobe of his liver and that was the goal. He did mention that there was a minor complication during surgery that ended up working out just fine. Apparently my dad’s Hepatic vessel closed itself off sometime during his battle with cancer so it created a new challenge for the doctor who planned to travel his instrument through there today. He had to find a new vessel that was also leading to that lobe of his liver. Lucky for us he found the vessel and the rest is history.

Upon returning to his hospital room we quickly noticed that Dad was showing high blood pressure readings. Even with his sickness he tends to be like clockwork when it comes to blood pressure…120/80. After surgery it elevated from 160/100 to eventually 181/108. By that point I was getting scared and so was the nurse. They gave dad a shot of medicine to lower his blood pressure and we waited. The worst side effect of today’s surgery for Dad was that he had severe back/stomach pains and he literally could not move his right leg or sit up in his bed for 6 straight hours. He was in pain and going stir crazy because he could not move around to get more comfortable. After allowing his medication to kick in and finally being able to urinate we immediately saw a dramatic drop in his blood pressure. When we left tonight it was 144/95.
I tried to post this blog late last night (Tuesday) but the internet at the hotel was down. It is now 7:20 AM and I am trying this again before we head back to the hospital. As for an update on Mom, she seems to have slept pretty well last night. Her breathing was labored and she woke up several times coughing but I jumped right up and got her water, more medicine or just crawled in bed with her and rubbed her back for a few minutes. Each time she fell back to sleep within minutes. Her poor little body really needed some rest.

One of us will write a quick note when we get more details about Dad’s progress later this morning.

Dreaming Big and praying for a Starbucks coffee,

Angie

Chemo? What Chemo?

I got a call from Mom this morning to inform me that she WOULD NOT be getting chemo this morning after all. Apparently they had her scheduled for the wrong chemo drug and therefore they gave her the day off. She will have chemo next Tuesday instead. Since Mom was already in Seattle with Pam and Janeen they decided to go shopping instead. I think this scheduling error may end up working out just fine. Instead of being exhausted tomorrow from her treatment today, she will be alert and ready to take good care of my Dad as he recovers from his surgical procedure and the UW Hospital. Mom mentioned that they are taking her off of the clinical trial that she is currently on (but not necessarily taking her off of the chemo drug that she is taking) because she was unable to follow the exact protocol of the experiment. She will be able to give you more details in her next blog. She was so busy shopping with the girls that she did not exactly load me up with a lot of details. When her "retail therapy" is over I am sure she will give me a call to help me understand this information a little bit better. Until next time...

Dreaming Big,
Angie

Weekend Update with Dor

These past few days have been filled with lots of business. Rick and I met with his company president in Bellevue on Friday morning, which turned into a full day of being gone. The meeting was great and we feel good about where we're going in the future.

Saturday a busy day of doing things around the house, then heading to Janeen's to celebrate her son Will's college graduation. Go Cougs.

Today has been another productive day tied in with a little Rest and Relaxation :) You can never have too much of that. I need to start packing for a couple of days in Seattle for my chemo and Rick's surgery. Sometimes it makes more sense to just stay down there rather than making the trek back and forth.

I'm a little anxious/nervous for Rick's procedure on Tuesday. I know the outcome should be fantastic, but until they get started, I'll just keep biting my nails. :(

I have chemo in the morning, and I believe it is still just Taxotere without the fever making Gemzar. I'm not sure if I'll be getting a blood transfusion, but if that's on the menu....I'll order it. Dr. Eaton won't be at my appointment tomorrow but his associate Dr. Martins will be there. I need to make sure they are going to give me a little time off so I can go to Bonnie's "Golden Gait" the first part of August. I'm hoping a little break is in the forecast and I'll get a week off for good behavior. I could use a few days without nausea or headaches...

The kids have all been really busy this weekend, so I've hardly seen hide nor hair of them. I hope to see them all on Tuesday during Rick's surgery. I always need their moral support.

I'll try to write a quick little blog before I doze off tomorrow night after chemo, but if not...One of the kids or I promise to write something on Tuesday after Rick's procedure is complete.

Keep Dreaming Huge,
Doreen

Blog #920

Blog number 920? Somebody shut me up :) I still don't have a solution to what I'm going to do when I run out of blog space, but in the end, it'll work out.

It's 6:00am and I finally just got out of bed instead of tossing and turning like I'd been doing for most of the night. My hip, pelvic and thigh bones are working overtime producing bone marrow and apparently they wanted me to stay awake and keep them company. Between the coughing and the aching you can imagine what a good night sleep I had. Maybe I should just go stay at a Holiday Inn (or whatever hotel it is where they promise a good night's rest).

Rick and I are heading to Bellevue this morning. He has a meeting and I get to tag along and take notes. (I'm hoping this will also include a nice lunch with my honey)

I met up with Janeen for lunch yesterday. She was in town doing some errands and she had her grand baby with her. What an adorable little girl with the biggest dimples you've ever seen. I had a great time, then did a few errands of my own.

Jake woke me yesterday morning with a kiss to my cheek. He worked at Sylvan yesterday afternoon, so he came up early to mow our lawns and do some odd jobs around the house that just didn't seem to get done. He is such a great help! After all his hard work was complete, he and his papa went to lunch.

I'd better end this blog. If I'm going to Bellevue soon, I should start getting ready.

Have a fabulous day and keep dreaming big,
Dor

Rick's Dr. Visit

This morning we met up with Angie to make the trek to Seattle to visit with Dr. Kooy who will be doing Rick's "newest procedure". Surgery is scheduled for next Tuesday and after the appointment today we all feel much better about it. They will be doing a procedure much like an angiogram only they will stop at his liver and shoot 3 different types of chemotherapy directly into the right lobe. The following morning they will take a CT scan to make sure the chemo grabbed on to the tumors and are doing their job. It all sounds intense, but it makes a lot of sense to go directly to the root of the problem. :)

Have I mentioned lately what wonderful kids we have? Tonight, they all met at the house so we could discuss everything we'd learned today at the doctor's office. Amy brought dinner (though Angie and Jake passed on it since they already had dinner plans). We had an amazing family meeting where they asked the important questions to Rick and I like, what do you need from us? How can we help you? Don't be afraid of counseling...we're all doing it and it makes the process much easier to deal with. How did they get so smart? I'm serious, sometimes I look at them and think they must belong to someone else.

We had to change my chemo routine for next week so I would be available for Rick on Tuesday. As of now, I have chemo Monday, Rick has surgery Tuesday, then a CT scan on Wednesday.....Sounds like next week is nearly full.

My Neulesta is working again. I can feel my pelvis and hips throbbing as I sit her writing the blog. I know this is a good thing. It means my body is producing bone marrow. Yahooie! I don't know yet if I'll be getting a blood transfusion on Monday, but the nurses told me it's like having an oil change. I'll feel great, refreshed, almost new afterwards. I'm holding them to it.

I'm heading to bed now. It was a long day with lots of information crammed into my brains. Thanks to all of you who've been joining our Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation team. We're currently in the lead....and we have 23 members. I'm so proud!

Dreaming Big,
Doreen

Weekend Update

What a great weekend this turned out to be. When we arrived at Desert Aire on Thursday night, I wasn't feeling well, so I went to be early to try to sleep off the crummies...I woke up Friday morning with a fever (so apparently the extra sleep wasn't what I needed). I stayed in my jammies and in bed until around 1:00pm when the fever finally broke and I felt good the rest of the weekend. Yahoo!

The temperature outside was up in the low hundreds for a couple of days so we did our best to be outside when we could tolerate it, and stayed inside with the air conditioning playing games when we couldn't take the heat.

The food was great (everyone did their part...either with a dinner, or snacks, or clean-up). We were like a well oiled gang. Never did we miss a meal or go without something cold to drink.

I'm attaching a few photos from the weekend...golf cart parade, PVC pole game (That Angie and Shannon brought...don't ask me how I did...it wasn't a pretty site) and other misc. shots.

We got home last night around 11:30pm thanks to the great driving of Ricky. I was sound asleep for the majority of the trip home. (what else is new?) Because we got home so late, we did a good job of sleeping in. Once I was awake, I took a nice warm bath, then surprised Janeen and Pam at a movie. We has a nice time and got caught up on how each of our weekends turned out. Sounds like we all had a great time. After dinner tonight, I stopped at the McCune's to wish Ann a happy birthday. She's leaving for Europe with 12 kids tomorrow morning and she's be celebrating with them in Paris on Wednesday. What a fabulous time I'm sure they will all have. I told her it would have been dangerous for me to go with...I would have kept all the kids wound up and we would all probably get in trouble.

I guess I'd better head to bed. It's getting late and I've been fighting queasiness all day. Queasiness and tears... Some lady in Bartell's saw me with a scarf on and my bald edges hanging out and nicely touched my arm and said "cancer"? I lost it. I was standing in the store bawling like it was the first time I'd heard the news. I felt so bad for her. I'm not sure what set me off. Perhaps it's because visually I now look sick. :( Whatever the reason for my outburst, I'm feeling better tonight but I still think a little extra shut eye can't help.

Until tomorrow...keep dreaming big,

Love you more, Dor

Have a fun and safe 4th of July

Every year I try to give you all my best advice when it comes to fireworks, matches and alcohol.  I know many of you follow all of the rules (and I thank you in advance for being good students).  Others however, need a gentle reminder that bottle rockets don't stand in for swizzle sticks, or straws.  Please use caution when lighting anything during the driest season especially when you have no idea where the item is going to eventually land.  Don't make pipe bombs out of old materials you found at your grandpa's house (I was having my appendix out 30 years ago and the girl laying next to me in the hospital lost her voice box to a "pipe bomb" that someone had just wiped up).  The trouble with trouble, my friends...is that it usually starts out as fun.

Today was the golf cart parade.  Our decoration committee did a fabulous job.  I can't post a photo tonight, but I promise to when I get back home.   The weather was a comfortable 104 degrees, ugh!  We had cold water, ice cubes to cool us down and candy to throw at the kids to keep them under control.  Vickie and I were the chosen ones to represent our gang for the parade.  We had a great time.

Everyone is upstairs playing games, doing dishes, getting ready for the fireworks show in the park.  We'll all be snuggled up on the deck watching other people shoot off their prized purchases from the local fireworks dealers.

We spent a great part of the day down at the water.  We hauled floaties, umbrellas,  chairs, coolers, bug spray (just in case), sunscreen and so much more to our cool little haven.  If you got too hot, just jump in the freezing cold water and you're good to go for another couple of hours.

Megan is training for the Avon 3 day walk that's coming up in August.  This morning, while we were all still sleeping, she got up and walked 13 miles.  We were all awake when she returned, so we cheered her over the finish line.  I can't imagine doing her training routine.

Ok, time for me to head upstairs and join the rest of my party.  It really is one of the nicest times we've had over here.  ALL the kids, Vickie and Tom and Rick and I have filled both houses with lots of love and laughter.

Love you more than all the bottle rockets shot off before it even gets dark tonight....

Dreaming Big and Sparkly,

Dor

Gearing up for the 4th

Well it's time for another Independence Day at Desert Aire. Golf cart parade, Fireworks display, good food, fruity drinks, laughter, more food, water balloon fights...oh the list goes on :)

It's always nice when we go away for a long weekend to have great house sitters. This weekend is no exception. Besides taking care of the house...I'm sure the flowers will appreciate getting watered and the cows will appreciate being grain fed. Thanks for always being here for us when we're gone.

Today is Melana's birthday, so we plan on doing a little celebrating tonight with strawberry shortcake. All the kids will be joining us as well as Vickie and Tom (not to mention the whole Cherry Lane neighborhood).

I didn't feel well yesterday, but I woke up today feeling much better.  

I wrote the first part of this blog early this morning.  Things changed a little as the day went on.  I fell asleep by 9:00pm and forgot to finish writing to you.  I'm exhausted now and I promise to write something meaningful tomorrow. 

Good night for now.

Dreaming Big,

Dor