I'm Thankful

Things I'm Thankful for...

I sat down for about a 1/2 hour today and tried to think of as many things as I could to be thankful for in my life. I know that there is a LOT more that I could list, but this is what I got in only 30 minutes. It's nice to sit down and reflect on what you've done and where you've been. Sometimes, the things that don't seem great at the time turn out to be a blessing in the long run, too. Love, ~Brenda

Being a Mom, Wife, Aunt, Friend.
Paris in the summertime
Motorcycle rallies in Portugal
An breast cancer surviving aunt
My daughter’s face at Chuck E. Cheese’s
Having a yellow jeep
Friends that feel like family
Swimming in the Dead Sea
Quitting Smoking
Horseback riding
Campfires, hot dogs and marshmallows
Tire swings
My husband; my rock
Living with the constant excuse of drywall dust
A husband that has several projects going at once
The love of my Dog and my Cat
Best friends: Jannian, Tammy K., Sylvia, Rachele, and Tammy B.
Scoops and Salsa Fresca from Sam’s
Schwan’s Fudge Ripple ice cream
Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
Loud music coming from Ash’s room
The smell of Play Dough
Cell phones and digital cameras
Sleeping in and afternoon naps
Double stuff Oreo’s and milk
Warm rain and rainbows
Fresh paint
Vegetables of all kinds
Pie: apple, chocolate, pumpkin, key lime….
A plastic surgeon in Spain
Coming home just as the sun comes up
An ice cold beer
Giggling with my kids
Rock-n-Roll
Questions from children
Tim’s tiny, gentle kisses along my spine
Tim trying to teach me to ski
Carley trying to “read” a map on the Paris subway
Ash trying to burn down the Eiffel Tower
Tim almost burning down our house
Visiting the Louve and seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time.
Riding a camel in Dubai
Being a strong, beautiful, capable woman
Seeing the “Phantom of the Opera” with my Mom in Detroit
Trips to Canada and Niagara Falls with my Mom
Summers spent on the farm
My hat and scarf collection
Nail polish and make up on my “ugly” days
“The Princess Bride”
Relatives planning to visit
Letters from my Grandma!
Living in Florida
Christmas lights on palm trees
Halloween and costumes
Beautiful gowns for the annual Christmas party
Pittsburgh Steelers
University of Michigan Wolverines
Detroit Red Wings
My fuzzy, orange blanket
Comfort food
Pasta
The smell of preschool and kindergarten classrooms: juice, crayons, and paste
Macaroni art and jewelry
Bacon cheeseburgers from Wendy’s
Fall colors in Michigan
Growing up with an amazing father!!!
Dried roses, old photographs, strands of pearls
A husband who always want6s to hold my hand, draws me baths, and makes me hot toddies
French Onion soup
Tulips, lilies and roses
Caterpillars
The Statue of Liberty, Old Glory, nd the US Military
Helicopter rides out of Naples
10 classes until graduation
The word searches and comics in the Sunday paper
Football and Hockey seasons
Reading
Shel Silverstine poems
Public library cards
Sticky little fingers holding my hand
Spilled milk
Blissful silence
That there was no room in the inn
Crab legs and lemon butter
Seeing “Stomp” twice
Friends that live only 9/10 of a mile away
“Amazing Grace”
Church bells
Sushi
That the vow, “in sickness and in health” really means something
Forgiveness
Girl Scout cookies: Thin Mints and Samoa’s
Visiting the Ocean and the smell of Salt Water
Disney World
Cedar Point and roller coasters
6th grade Toronto trip
Bedtime prayers
My brother’s Kermit the Frog imitations from when we were kids
7 years in the Navy and 2 Med cruises
Taking the train from Seville, Spain to Paris, France
That the tomb was empty
Sunshine
Muscle shirts
Braces
Christmas lights

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey, everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday! I got up and made cinnamon rolls (out of a can) this morning and I thought my kids were gonna attack me for them! I guess I don't make them often enough. lol.

I had my second surgery yesterday, and all seemed to go well. I was in and back out in about an hour. I spent the rest of the day in bed catching up on old episodes of Grey's Anatomy. I love that show! lol.

Today, Tim is going to fry a turkey, and then we're going to go to Kevin and Tammy's house and take it easy. This way, I don't have to cook. I am a little sore from surgery, and I'm not allowed to lift anything. Besides, I'm on drugs right now, and the dr. told me that I'm not to be driving or cooking for a couple of days.

We wanted to go to Atlanta to visit Tim's Dad and Jane today, but I don't think I'd be able to tolerate a 6-hour car ride right now, as much as I really would love to see them. So, Tom and Jane, I hope to get to see you soon... just not this weekend. Have fun at the Vols game on Saturday! I love you!

To everyone else, have a wonderful holiday! I am thankful for all of my friends and family this year, and most especially for the gift of health. I realize that I am fighting cancer, but every day is a bright, beautiful day towards the end of my battle. I am learning to cherish the NOW and not worry so much about TOMORROW. Everything has a wonderful new meaning to me. I know that having a cancer diagnosis is never good, but you wouldn't believe the way it changes your outlook on life. I do believe that there are some blessings that God ment for me to find with this. Maybe it's His little way of telling me to slow down and take my time.

Oh, and one more thing... I want to brag just a little: I have quit smoking! My last cigarette was on Saturday around noon, and I haven't had one since! I've managed to quit "cold turkey" and so far so good. I have a deep-down feeling this time that I've never had the other times I've quit: I really do feel like it's "forever" this time. I really don't need that negative part in my life, and I do want to be finished with it. So, that is my gift to myself. Sometimes you just need to do the right thing.

Ok, I guess that's it for now. Have a wonderful holiday! Love, ~Brenda

"Sometimes the best we can do when we get to the end of our rope is to just tie a knot and hang on." ~Vickie Girard

Second Surgery

Hey, Everyone! It's about 6am, and Tim and I are leaving for the hospital in a few minutes for my second surgery. It should be less invasive than the first one, since they're not messing with my nodes this time. Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. Love, ~Brenda