Thanks and Praise

Thank you all for your prayers for Will. Dr. Jain said they found no traces of Leukemia in his blood!!! YEA!!!! He does have some protein build up, which the doctor explained is also made in the bone marrow, and he's a little concerned about that, but he basically told Will that he could drastically reduce the infections in his body by losing lots of weight. He has to go back in three months to repeat the blood tests, just to make sure their first assessment was correct, but otherwise, everything looks good. He did discover that Will had fractured a rib as some point in time, and the only thing we can think is when he ran off the road in his truck about three years ago on a very icy day coming home from work??? We don't really know.
We are just praising God for the good outcome, and going to try to eat better and get more exercise. The doctor said if Will can't do it, they will provide a nutritionist.
We already got a good start. The evening after the appointment, we both came down with the stomach virus. Not a pretty picture, I will spare you all with the details.
Anyway, just wanted to say thanks again.

On a Lighter Side...Out of the mouths of babes

After a rather tense week, I really needed something to make me laugh. Well, I got my wish tonight. Mom called me shortly after we got home from work and invited me to come to dinner with her and Miranda, and then go see Grams at the nursing home. Will already had plans, so I was glad to go with them. As we got to Pizza Hut, we were pleasantly surprised to see John, Amy, Jenna and Alyssa pull in. We ended up sitting together and we had a good time. Jenna sat beside me and boy is she animated! Gets more so every day. She folded the paper place mats and was making "air-o-planes" which she accused Deda of ruining, and had me hide one because "Deda ruins little kids air-o-planes". She was trying to make me disappear with her straw when she became a fairy. It was all very entertaining, as she usually is, but nothing topped the evening like a certain comment she made that had me just about wetting my pants! She turned her back to me, tipped her head back and layed it backward on my arm and looking up at me asked me, "Can you do this?" "Yes." I answered. "No, I mean can you lay on people?" she asked. I told her that I'd be way to big to lay on people, I'd hurt people. She glanced around the room and then pointed to a guy a couple of tables over. "That man's big Gigi, you could lay on him!" Ohhhhh my goodness!!! Well, anyway... as I said in the title of this entry, "Out of the mouths of babes".
Thanks again to you all for praying for Will. He made it through his tests and is very relieved that's over. We go Tuesday afternoon back to the specialist to get the results.

Update on Will

Hi All, We went to the specialist on Monday, and he told us that there are four conditions that Will might have. I forget what he said two of them are, but he seemed to focus more on an internal infection, or Acute Leukemia, but said he really does not think it's Leukemia. His white cell count has been 16,000 for over two years now, (normal is 10,000-14,000). He said the good thing is that it's not gone up any, just stayed the same which is why he thinks we can rule out cancer. Big relief there.
Will goes in tomorrow for a bone marrow test, CAT scan and brain MRI, so please keep him in your prayers for the results of these tests, and if you read this before time, please pray for his nerves. I'll keep you updated as soon as I know anything. Thanks and God bless you all.

Prayer Request

Please pray for Will. Last week, we got a call from the doctor's office saying that Will's white blood cell count is elevated, and has been for far too long. They've been keeping an eye on it for about a year and then some, and it's been elevated everytime he goes in for tests. The nurse told me that the level should have dropped with the anti-biotics they've given him, but it's not working. I asked her what may be causing it and she said it usually indicates an infection in the body. Miranda explained to me that we have five types of white blood cells and they all do something different, but basically, they rush to an infected area and begin to fight the infection. She said it may be because of the condition he has in his right leg. He has a condition which causes leg ulcers and open wounds and we never know when they will fester. The specialist he goes to for this condition says he will have that condition for life. Miranda said it may be that his white blood cells are just constantly fighting the infections? Anyway, we will be going to the specialist Monday morning. Thanks for your prayers.

Just some thoughts...

After reading all the latest entries, my mind is so full of all your news. I want to start by saying how thankful I am to be able to share with you ladies. You are all an inspiration to me. Your responses and encouragements to one another are so uplifting. It's the best type of support group and I just wanted to thank you all for allowing me to be a part of that. I love you all!
I don't necessarily have a top ten list of things remembered from the past year, although I've certainly been abundantly blessed. I don't even have a list of resolutions for the new year, although I have goals I'd like to accomplish. (If I can stay awake long enough to focus!) One thing I'm so thankful for is the relationships I'm developing with Jenna and Alyssa. They are so special to me. I LOVE being aunt gigi and seeing their faces light up when they see me. Sometimes I could cry from sheer happiness over it all. Sometimes they make me laugh so hard I can barely breathe! When Jenna hugs me or Alyssa lays her little head on my shoulder, I feel all is right with the world... Nothing else matters.
Will and I will be going on five years of marriage this year. I remember hearing everyone say, "The first five years are the toughest." We have had many ups and downs, but I'd say more good times than bad. I'm truly blessed to have this loving Christian man by my side. Yeah, I have to rib him and sometimes I'm a grouch, (yes, really, can you believe it?? hehehe..) He puts up with me though.
My fun (usually Friday nights when Will is working late) nights with Mom and Miranda are a blessing to me. We usually do a lot of laughing and catching up with each other. I think this has been a big healing process for us this past couple of years. I look forward to these times.
John and Amy have a beautiful new home to raise the girls in. I thank God they are raising them in a godly home and are great Christian parents. I'm really proud of them.
I am really loving teaching the Ladies Sunday School class. Who would have thougth that I'd be teaching a class again, let alone adults! I praise God for the opportunity He has given me and hope that I'm doing His will.
One thing I would like to be able to accomplish this year is to be able to add some pictures to this blog. I see all of you have really nice pics, whether personal or from the internet, and I'm just a little jealous of your computer abilities! So, I'm gonna have to have emjaye come back over an show this computer illiterate brain of mine how to accomplish this task! Do you think I can do it? It remains to be seen.

Christmas and New Year Blessings...

Wow! It's only been about a week since I've been able to blog, but it seemed like such a long time. This is certainly addictive. I've had a great time reading all your Christmas entries this evening. I hope all your wishes came true and that you are all ready to enter this new year with joy and excitement!
Will and I had a very nice Christmas. Christmas Eve was spent at Mom and Miranda's where we enjoyed a delicious dinner with all the gang. Watching the girls open gifts was so much fun. They truly are the high lights of the holidays for me. Aung Gigi could not be prouder. Christmas morning was spent with Everett and Becky eating a delicious breakfast and exchanging gifts with them. Then it was a quick trip back to our house to heat up the Christmas ham and back off to John and Amy's for Christmas dinner. Our heads were whirling, but we are just so thankful for all our loving family that we would not have it any other way. God has truly blessed us with such love and devoted families.
Backtracking a little, the Candlelight service went very well. We were very pleased. All the singing and the readings were great along with the candlelight, you could just feel the Spirit of the Lord with us in celebration. All the worrying I did over the whole thing was really just useless. I should have known that God would take care of everything! Oh, "me" of little faith!
Well, just another couple of days of 2007. Time is flying by so quickly. I know understand that what all the grandparents said is true. The older you get, the faster it goes... how true. The bright spot is that it's one day closer to Jesus return. Praise the Lord!!!
I hope everyone has a safe and blessed New Year.

Candles, songs and Peekaboo

Is everyone ready for Christmas? Wow, not me. Everytime I think I'm winding down and ready, I remember something else that needs done. But that makes life interesting. Right now, Will and I are busy planning for the Christmas Candlelight Service on December 23rd starting at 6:00. Hope any and all can come. We have special music lined up, as well as some readings, and even a couple of singers from somewhere other than Pickaway. You'll just have to come and find out who for yourselves. We are planning cookies and hot chocolate, punch, afterwards. I hope everyone has a good time. This is the first time Will and I have been in charge of this.
Oh, this is too funny. Not to change the subject, but my kitty, Peekaboo, who I call Peekie is trying to type with me right now. At first I didn't realize she was there, then I thought I saw a little white paw reach up through the back of the computer desk where the keyboard sits, but thought I must be seeing things. Then I saw it again and then two little white paws reaching up trying to catch my fingers, or maybe she has a message she wants to type, who knows. You'd have to be here to see it. She's probably trying to keep me focused on all the things I still have to do. So on that note, I'll say so long for now.

Here I Glow Again...

WOW, have I been tired! Trying to catch up on my rest after the weekend of Christmas parties, then back to the grind stone on Monday. But anyway, Aunt Helen's party was very nice. We stayed at their condo in Reynoldsburg and we were a little crowded, but it was still fun. She gave out a stocking full of "stuffers" for everyone this year. Deda, your artistic eye would love the way they are remodeling. You'd especially love the kitchen, very fancy schmancy and right out of a magazine! Very cool way of utilizing small spaces. I ended up spending much of the evening sitting on the stairs with a some others and talking, and my rump got super stiff, as well as my legs. I would situate over and over so as not to be in such pain, but then my pant leg would ride up and expose my ever glowing, (and I do mean glowing in the dark)skin. Oh well, I'm proud of the fact that when the electricity goes out, we can still see by the glow from my legs... hmmm...
Ok, enough of that. Anyway, today, I found out that the report I get every three months at work shows I'm below average these past two months. The real stink of it all is I've been feeling like i've never worked harder! So, I guess I'll just be myself, do my best and if that's not good enough, well, then, let what comes come. As long as I do the best I can, that's all I can ask of myself, right? It won't matter once I'm a famous writer and public speaker, and have regular singing gigs, and all, huh? LOL!

Parties..Parties Galore

We had a really nice time at the Pickaway Christmas party. The food was delicious, we had a potluck, and every lady brought a dozen cookies, which of course were wonderful! Doris had games ready to play for everyone. One game had three of us ladies with Vaseline slathered all over our chins, cheeks and necks. (I was one of the lucky ones) The teams stuck cotton balls on our faces and the one that looked the most like Santa Clause won. It was a really cute game, but I've had a sticky neck every since. After a couple more games, we finished out the night singing Christmas carols. It was a really nice time.
So many plans, so little time. After church tomorrow, we have the Spires family Christmas party to be held at Wills Aunt Helen and Uncle Bill's condo. Helen is known for her big parties. She's taken the family to Oglebay on a chartered bus, thrown the Christmas party at the Columbus zoo where she gave each family and each single person a Longaberger Picnic basket, which is why Will and I have one. Last year the party was held in the Fireside room of their church building, where she had everyone pick a gift out of a book and she ordered the gift for delivery, then she had everyone act out a play. While everyone was telling her what they wanted, she had Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer playing on the big screen tv. Never a dull moment.
Well, I'm getting sleepy and should get ready for bed, so I'll sign off for now.

Update on Praise/What to Study??

Well my blogger friends, thanks for the comments on the Praise Team. We held another practice after Wed. pm Bible study last night, and it went well. Fortunately, Teresa was able to find the first song we will be doing on a CD. Up until last night, we were going to have to adapt a tape to the sound system and go from there. Oh, and you will be wanting to watch Carleta on the closing song. That's all I have to say on the matter, you will have to come and see for yourselves.
I've been sitting here trying to decide what rarely mentioned woman from the Bible will be the topic of our Ladies Sunday School lesson this week. I really should be working on that, but I've yet to decide and this is already Thursday! We've just begun a new series on this topic and it's not as easy to pick one as it may seem. I have a good reference book, and of course the Bible, however, I also want to make sure I don't do it halfheartedly. So, seems like I'm avoiding instead. Hmmm....not good. Maybe we...um,hmmm (I should say I) need a lesson on procrastination, of which I am the queen!
Well, I guess I'd better cut this off for now too, so I can see if you've all posted anything and then get busy on my lesson before the it's time to get some much needed zzzzzzzz's. Nighty-night.

Movin' and Groovin' With the Pickaway Praise

I AM SOOOOO EXCITED ABOUT THE REVAMPED PRAISE TEAM!!! All I can say is, if you live in the area, and are not coming to Pickaway Church of Christ, then you are going to miss sooo much! We are going to be movin' and groovin' with Pickaway Praise and it's only just the beginning! Ya gotta come and check it out. AND, if you like it this coming month, just wait and see what's in store for the upcoming year.

Will and I had everyone over for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday and it was such a nice time. We all ate way too much, but that's just the way it goes. Jenna and Alyssa continue to brighten my life! They make the holidays more fun than I could ever have imagined. Some of the things they do just crack me up. They are so cute when they play hide-and-seek. Jenna will hide, each time in the same place, then Alyssa will find her right away and giggle like it's the first time she found her. When it was Alyssa's turn to hide, Jenna told her to go hide and she would count to ten. As soon as Alyssa saw Jenna go to the hallway and lean against the wall, closing her eyes and begin counting, Alyssa toddled over to join her. She put her head against the wall, closed her eyes and began saying, "Two, two, two.." This of course frustrated Jenna, but Alyssa was having a perfectly good time. :) When John and Amy announced it was time for them to leave, Amy asked the girls to clean up the toys they had been playing with. Jenna looked up at me kind of sheepish like and asked, "Can you clean 'em up Gigi?" I told her I would. Then Amy said it again, to which Jenna cleverly replied, "Gigi said she'll do it." This did not sit well with Amy, but it was so cute.
This morning, (no not at 4:00 a.m.) but actually closer to lunch time, Mom, Miranda and I braved the mad, mad world of Christmas shopping. It was actually a pretty productive day. The lines are getting longer and longer, and I suppose they'll continue to be that way. They always are what would make this year any different. There've been times in the past when my temper has spun out of control in such cases. However, I'm hoping and praying that I'll be able to be good this year. The only thing that happened today was, (and Heather, this kind of reminds me a little of your entry when you felt really bad after talking to the woman outside the store) Mom was in line to purchase a jar of moisturizer for my Grams and she was kind of standing a little too far back and suddenly an older lady just walked right around her and stepped right up to the counter in front of her. All I did was look, then look over at Miranda like "I can't believe she just did that". Unfortunately, I must have made more of a face than I realized because the two younger ladies who were with her spoke up and said, "She was being waited on by the lady behind the counter who told her to come over here." Then I noticed there were two registers and the other lady was also helping Mom. I didn't mean to seem mean, and I hope I didn't. I've just had people step in front of me in line before like I wasn't even there, and it bothered me. Aside from this it was a really good day. We ate Chipotle for lunch and as always that was reallllllly good! Well, I'm going on and on and need to quit.

Yeah for days off!

Four days off work! Yeah!! How great is that. Even though I have lots of cooking to do, I'm so excited to be free of sitting at the computer all day. So, here I am sitting at the computer. Go figure. The one difference is I WANT to be sitting here on this computer, doing this new blog thing. Much nicer than reinstating cancelled insurance policies. In the spirit of Thanksgiving though, I have to say I am thankful I have a job.
Is anyone planning on actually getting up and shopping at 4:00 Friday morning? Unless I'm going to work, I don't even know that 4:00 in the a.m. exists. I don't even wake up to relieve my bladder at that time. I just go in my sleep. (yes in the toilet, not in bed) I need to do more Christmas shopping, but 4:00 a.m. is just insane! I'll leave that to all the early birds.
Well, no matter what you do this weekend, I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
God bless.

My First Time

I am finally entering the world of the blog!!! Yeah!!!!! Since I've been waiting to write for so long, I now have nothing to say. Yes, my blogs will be very interesting. But once my blog fingers relax, and I am no longer a blogging virgin, LOOK OUT!!!!