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Texas, United States
Sweet Remission! God is so good!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Holidays/New Year


This blogger completely missed December AND January!  So, as I sit here, hands poised over the keyboard......where do I begin?  Hummmm.........let's start with a picture!  A thousand words!


It would take more that a thousand words to share our struggles and blessings over the past year!


February 2011 was the beginning of Leslie's battle with breast cancer.  This diagnosis came less than one week after I had accepted a job with UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas!  To be 95 miles away from Les and her family as she began her treatments.......was almost unbearable for me, as her mother.  Six long months and so many prayers and tears later, I was so blessed to land my current job at Trinity Mother Frances.  I am so thankful to be home!  As I told my best friend, everything I want or need is here in East Texas, except Mandy, Andy, Andrew, Spencer, Mark, Buddy, Louie V & Seline.........but, they can come visit! 

Les has now completed chemo, mastectomy, hysterectomy, radiation and on Monday, February 27th she will have her last herceptin treatment.  The immediate plan for the future will be IV treatments every six months, indefinitely.  These treatments are for her bones.......due to the toll the chemo takes on the skeletal system.

In the midst of all this, Les has worked diligently to insure a happy home for her husband and her two precious little girls.  Thanksgiving.....Christmas......Riley's Birthday.........all were very special due to Leslie's planning and careful attention to the details that make for happy ocassions.

Christmas was so much fun and we celebrated all the way through to January due to Spencer & Mark's obligations at Presbyterian of Denton and Baylor Heart Hospital.  The extended celebration was very nice!  Actually just having eveybody together was wonderful!

One of Miss Avery's gifts was a cool pink basketball goal and as you can see from the photo, she can already "slam dunk".......She's a natural!!
Big Sister is excited too and cheering her on!


Slam Dunk!

Later we took the festivities outside as we cheered for Riley's much improved bike riding skills. 
As you can she, Riley was lovin' every minute of it!


And of course, no celebration would be complete without a cookie cake!


Celebrating a Brand New Year full of Hope

Later in January, Avery came to spend a few hours with me while Les & Jim went for a treatment. 
We played beauty shop and...........voila'.......Avery's very first pony tail! 
She is such a girlie girl, but climbs on everything like such a tom boy! 
Such a daredevil!   

Avery recently had surgery to put tubes in her ears.  She actually seems to be hearing better now and has increased her 18-month vocabulary to include......shoes, backpack, RiRi...........and of course every toddler's favorite....."mine!"  She has such a healthy appetite and every day is a new adventure for her.  Makes my heart so happy just walking in the room and having her run to me with arms outreached to be held.  ...........Somehow all the cares and struggles of the day just melt away..........

Just look at this little face after ear surgery.  She still has the IV and she is protecting it with her other hand.  She was such a trooper!  She actually did much better that her big sister, Stacy...........and I think Daddy had tears too........sweet.





I also was lucky enough to have Riley all to myself one weekend!  We went for pedicures, did some shopping and finished out the day with lunch at Red Lobster.  Riley would say, "Just livin' the life, baby."  She can be a real clown sometimes.  And talk about vocabulary.....she boggles my mind with her words and phrases........

Check out her modeling photos below...........by the way, she put this outfit together,
we purchased it and she wore it to Marvin for church the next day.  She was stylin'.....

OH!  By the way........Riley got to attend the Youth Hunt at the Mineola Nature Preserve!  Her Daddy got her all bundled up, added some snacks in her backpack and they spent a wonderful day at the Preserve!   

She was focused!


Leslie now faces one more major surgery to complete the reconstruction.  Her surgeon wants to wait until May for this.......to allow enough time for her body and her skin to repair itself.  The reconstruction process was started several months ago at the same time as the mastectomy.  This last surgery will be hard, but hopefully not as difficult as the mastectomy.......supposedly.  But, when it's your loved one...........each procedure is MAJOR!

Les really is looking forward to getting this behind her before Riley is out of school for the summer.  Please continue to keep Les and her family in your prayers.  They have come a long way!  But you guys have all been breathing life and energy into us through all that you do.  Your are so appreciated.........more than you will ever know.

Enjoy your February!
Happy Valentines Day!