A Happy Easter

 Easter Sunday was sunny and the warmest day we have had in a long time.  The trees are still bare, but the spring flowers are starting to bloom.  The Easter flowers in church today were barely blooming.  My lily has several trumpets left and the tulip has yet to bloom.  I hope that it does.

Our church service was wonderful.  The orchestra did well and Jeff gave a good sermon. The pews were full of people!  Praise the Lord!

All of us took a nap when we got home at different times while watching Tiger baseball.  Meanwhile the ham was heating up in the oven and when we were all up, enjoyed a nice meal together.  I am thankful to be healthy this year and enjoyed preparing parts of the meal.  It's fun to work together, isn't it?

Mary had to return to Ann Arbor while Sarah stayed over Sunday night since she had a job interview on Monday.  She felt that it went well and sounds like she is staying with Mary tonight. I am so happy that my kids all love each other, miss each and like doing things together!  We skyped with Matthew on Easter evening and chatted for 30 minutes or so.  It is so nice to be able to talk to him and see him too!  We all miss him very much.

In other news:

• Mary's last Glee Club Concert went very well.  Sarah met us at Hill Auditorium and we all had a nice dinner at Red Lobster.  

• The weather continues to be crazy here.  One day we will have sunny mild temps, then a serious hail storm and another day with 2" of snow.  The last two days have been more seasonable, in the 70's only to have another cold front go through today.

• We had a very nice 29th Anniversary one week before Easter.  We had a nice dinner together at On the Border.  We love ther fajitas. Then we went to see "Monuments Men"  It was a very interesting and well done film.  I had no idea that there were army persons searching for art stolen by Hitler.

• Jeff and I finally retired our "dumb" phones for some smart ones, only I don't feel very smart.  There is just so much to learn. I do like my phone very much and have had fun learning how to use it.  The girls had some fun laughs too watching their mom struggle at times with her new phone. They even took a silly picture while I wasn't looking and set it up on my phone.  These are times and things I will always remember with smiles and love.

• Mary tried to get tickets for The Price is Right while we are in LA next month, but the last day of taping in May 5th. Then they take a two month break.  I'm sad.  I have been wanting to be on that show for a long time!

• Work is going well.  I am much more confident.  Luckily I got off work early today and made it to Myeloma support group at Gilda's House.  I always look forward to our monthly meetings.  I picked up an extra shift this week and then will attend the LCMS Michigan District Pastors' wives conference (aka Katie Conference). I am looking forward to a nice weekend with some good friends.

• Graduation is right around the corner.  Both girls have worked very hard and are both ready to get out in the "real world" and begin their careers.  I am so excited for them and we look forward to having family here for the festivities.

I have posted lots of pictures on our online photo album.  Check them out.

Lots of Love,

Gracie

Will Spring Ever Arrive??

Mr Robin Redbreast has been back in our yard.  I even saw he and his family eating some worms.  As you can see A LOT of our snow has melted.  However, temperatures are still quite cold and we had snow again last night.  I asked Jeff this morning if the snow is over, and he said no.  There is still possible snowfall next week.  I guess taking it week by week or even day to day is best.  Although yesterday was a very gloomy day, we did have a few days of sunshine, which always makes for a much better day no matter if it is 30 degrees!  That is warm compared to many days of our winter.

The first week of April had no jokes or fooling around for us.  I had a few doctor's appointment and physical therapy.  We had bible study and church.  My day at work was very good.  Our census has been lower now that the new outpatient surgery center opened, so my patient load at the hospital is much better and I am much happier with my new department. Still miss my buddies and the babies up on the childbirth center.

Last night Jeff and I went to Gilda's House for Pizza and Percussion. We had a really time!  Good pizza and then a lesson on percussion, mainly the congas. There were maybe 20 people there and we all played.  We sounded pretty good for an hour of playing together.  This really gives kudos to our teacher.  He was awesome.

 


Both girls have job interviews this coming week.  Mary's is Monday in L.A. at  a middle school. She is going to be out there for spring break, so it worked out so well.  We know that this wasn't a coincidence. God is Good. All the Time.  Sarah has a phone interview with Albion College Thursday morning.  Praying that God's will is done with these job opportunities for our girls, who would be an asset where ever they start their careers.

Baseball is back!  I had a really fun time with my buddy Deann at her Tiger's Opening Day Extravanganza! Delicious concessions, prizes, a Tiger Win and fellowship with friends!

 


Time to get going to Mary's last Glee Club Concert at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor.  Sarah will be joining us.  It should be another fun afternoon and evening!


GO GATORS!  FINAL FOUR!

March MADNESS

There are so many reasons to call March 2014 Madness! Some call it Mayhem!  While some of us are Miserable. I will even use the word Magnificent! Here's why:

Madness

• It is almost the last day of March and there is still snow on the ground.  Infact, we had heavy snow one day that was supposed to be rain.  The good thing about spring snow is that it doesn't hang around too long.  It melted by the end of the day.  Now with some sun and warmer temps, we can now see a lot of our sleeping grass. When I say warmer temps, I mean 20s and 30's which means I still need a heavy coat.  I am ready for just a jacket or sweatshirt. 

• The Road to the Final Four began and many of us filled in brackets of the teams we think will win the championship.  The Florida Gators are favored to win!  Sooners lost in the first round and the Michigan Wolverines play tomorrow to earn their way to the Final Four.

Mayhem

• Sarah worked hard all month writing and re-writing chapters of her thesis. Even after having all four wisdom teeth extracted at the beginning of the month.  I am so glad that I could be there with her for 4 days. 

• Mary has been lead teaching in the classroom until yesterday. She had a good experience.  We have made several trips to Ann Arbor, one to attend Honors Convocation!

• Matthew is balancing many classes and two jobs in Oklahoma and lined up a summer job as a carpenter in Wichita Kansas.

• Getting sick at support group the night Matthew flew home. I spent the whole week with a stomach virus I know as rotavirus. Yuck!  Not the way I planned on spending spring break with Matthew. Even worse, I gave it to Jeff just in time for his birthday.  

• Needless to say I had to call in sick to work one day and then I was cancelled this week for low census.  Jeff was down for the count for several days at the end of the week, but thankfully the Lord gave him enough strength to lead worship on Sunday.

• The NCAA basketball tournament has been crazy.  Lots of unexpected losses. Dayton was the Cinderella team this year, but the Gators sent them home today. What will happen with the Wolverines tomorrow?

Magnificent

• Even though we weren't feeling so well, it was magnificent to have Matthew home for 3 days.  I am glad to report that he did not get the rotavirus that passed through Jeff and me! 

• Sarah did a great job defending her thesis.  Jeff and I were able to go to Toledo and be there in person.  It was a learning experience for me.  Sarah has applied for a job that seems to be a perfect fit for her.  She is still in the waiting period.  In the meantime, she loves caring for all the high school athletes.

• On the way home from Toledo, we stopped to see Mary and her classroom.  The high school is huge and there were lots of steps.   Exercise!  We also met her supervising teacher who had only nice things to say.  Of course!  

• We have a new car!  The RAV gave us some good years and miles, including the trip out to Mt Rushmore and back.  Our new car is a 2013 KIA Optima Hybrid.  I have nicknamed it the James Bond car.  It rides so smooth and the new car smell is awesome!  It has been over 20 years since we bought a brand new car.  So Jeff and I are driving hybrids which really helps on gas!

• Tiger baseball starts on Monday!  I will be watching the game with my buddy Deann in their theatre basement.  Let's go Tigers.  It will be interesting to see how the new players and manager help our team. No more snow....or the players won't be able to see the ball!

This week is filled with medical appointments, work and Mary's last Glee Club Concert. It won't be long and we will be celebrating the girls' graduation.  Sarah with her Masters', Mary with her Bachelors' and Kaitlyn with her High School commencement. Wow! Magnificent!

Wisdom Remains after Teeth Extracted

March blew in like a Lion and we received another few inches of snow.  Today in Toledo it was nearly 50 degrees. I didn't even need my winter coat!  Jeff reported to me this afternoon that is was warmer in Greenville too.  He was snow tubing with the youth group today and said while the sun was out, it slowed down the slope.  It was nice to enjoy the sun and warmer temperatures.

Jeff and I attended a theological seminar on the first with several other church members and found it interesting and very pertinent in these times.  My work is going better and although I applied to work a night position in the department I am wondering if 12 hours might just be too much.  Perhaps just sticking to where I am is the best choice.  After all I truly believe that God gave me this position.

Thursday night after work I started my current journey to Toledo. The drive wasn't as bad as I thought, but I did have to stop twice for about 30 minutes to keep my hip from hurting. So one stop at Steak n Shake for dinner and another at Mary's house for a nice visit with fresh baked chocolate chip cookies!  Four and a half hours after work I was finally at Sarah's house and prepared for the big adventure Friday.....

Friday we were off to the oral surgeon's office. Dr Sydlowski and his nurse were very nice and took time to explain everything and answer all our questions.  After all, this was the first time we met them.  Everything went well; they gave us two of her wisdom teeth to take home.  Neither one of us have looked at them yet.    She was a little crazy afterward and looked pretty glazed over and seeing double.  The nurse said that happens to everyone.  Time to go home so we were on our way by 2pm. She slept on and off all day, taking her pain medicine, keeping gauze in her mouth and ice on her cheeks.  Ate some pudding. 

Today I increased her diet to scrambled eggs.Maybe we will try mashed potatoes or noodles with some chopped up chicken for dinner. We have plenty of ice cream and yogurt.   I am so happy to be with her, since she really didn’t have anyone to take help her at home and get her started on her recovery. We are watching sports and  movies, playing games and just enjoy having each other's company.  I am heading to wal-mart after the game to buy some more food and hit the red box too. She is doing much better today.  Not as much pain, no bleeding and much more awake.

Enjoy your day and remember to Spring Forward!

Gracie

 

A Wonderful Day

I had a wonderful day.  It has been one year since my stem cell transplant at Karmanos. In celebration, many friends came to my open house this afternoon. It couldn't have been more fun.   I am just so happy tonight.  Well, it would have been better if Matthew and other family could be here.  Matthew then Dave and Leslie skyped with us.  Our house was full of happiness.   Here are some specifics.

• We had potstickers and rice, little smokies, chips, cake and cupcakes.
• Lots of friends had fun together.  Many of my favorite young people came too.
• Although I said no gifts,  I did receive some nice things.  
• Everyone got a little party favor that  my friend and I made last week.  

Sarah took some great pictures that are posted on Facebook and will be on shutterfly very soon.  Both girls were so very helpful with the cooking and hosting.  I am so blessed.

I am officially done with orientation and had a couple busy but acceptable days.  I work on Monday then off until next week Thursday.  I think working one day a week is plenty.

Matthew was named to Dean's List of the Weitzenhoffer College of Fine Arts for his academic and artistic achievements. I am a proud mama.  Mary has her lesson plans for Lord of the Flies ready.  Sarah loves caring for her basketball teams and will get her wisdom teeth out in a few weeks. I am planning to be in Toledo with her for several days.

Check our famly photo album and my caringbridge.  Click here to see a video.

Valentine's Second to Today's Birthday!

My favorite valentine ever was born twenty years ago today!  Matthew makes us happy parents as do all of our wonderful children!   We love them all so much. Happy Birthday Matthew!  Wish we could all be there to celebrate with you.   He has been very busy with homework and school.  Unfortunately, he had car trouble over the weekend and had to deal with getting new struts.  Jeff was able to help over the phone and we helped him with funding too.

I am officially off orientation and will work my first shift solo tomorrow from 3pm to 11:30pm.  Of course there is some anxiety about going to work tomorrow, but I have some good co-workers and a savior who is with me all the time.  "If God is for me, who can be against me?" Other activities I have been actively doing are: children's church, Gilda's House meetings, signing up for Laughfest 2014 as a volunteer and planning my upcoming transplant birthday party.  I am starting to worry about how much food to prepare.  For now, I need to be ready for church orchestra and work tomorrow, including making sure we have clean clothes. Laundry! Oye.  Jeff keeps our quikbooks up to date,  attends meetings with me and takes me out for dinner when I get home late.  All in addition to his shepherding our church.   We both finally feel better after being sick with colds and congestion for a few weeks!

The girls are busy as usual.  Sarah needs to have her wisdom teeth pulled, but with a very busy basketball schedule with make up games due to snowy weather and the writing of her thesis, she will need to find the best time for this to happen.  She defends her thesis March 28th! Mary continues to student teach English, work at Pizza House and finish her year as president of the Women's Glee Club.  Her last concert will be on April 5th. Then graduations on May 2 and 3.

I had better get to business.   I am looking forward to a Birthday Skype with Matthew later this evening!   For everyone else~  Happy Valentine's Day!   We love you all!

January is Almost Over

Wow...it's only been two weeks, but it seems like a lot longer.  I'll catch you up before February arrives.

If you would like to see or play in the snow.  Greenville has plenty.  We  had  7 inches at the end of last week and at least another inch or two this weekend.  There has been so many closures (since before Christmas) and the temperatures are rarely over freezing. many closings are due to the bitterly cold temps rather than snow.  It was 1 degree this evening according to my car's thermometer at 6:30 pm.

Jeff has been sick for the last week or so.  He is taking antibiotics for sinusitis. I followed suit and began antibiotic for chronic sinusitis, only to have them fail and now am on several new medicines.  You can read all about it on my caringbridge.  

Church work has been busy.  There was a vision planning workshop last weekend with 30 in attendance.  I have suspended regular Sunday School for elementary aged kids and beefed up our Children's Church.  It begins on Sunday.   I still have fun bible games and activities for kids during bible hour.  Jeff has been preaching some really good sermons lately.   My memory isn't always too good, so I have been taking notes for the last few months, it sure helps.  I am still on orientation at the hospital.  Slowly I am getting better, but keeping up with the pace is a challenge in my new department.

Sarah loves being at her high school and caring for the athletes.  She has been missing the kids due to all snow days.  Lots of time has been spent working on her thesis as she looks toward graduation. There have been some frustrations especially since there have been changes at the University of Toledo.

Mary has been student teaching since the beginning of the semester.  I guess all is going well.  She has a nice little website for her classes.  Mary's Class.  She is going to be a great teacher!  Her "new" car is working well.  Since it is making it through the snow, I think it should be fine in the LA warmth!

Haven't heard too much from Matthew, but that is usually good news.  Judging from his class schedule, he will be very busy throughout each week. Tonight we watched the Sooners beat the OSU Cowboys at basketball.  Jeff did get a response when he texted boomer and got a sooner right back!  Matthew is ok!  :)

With February fast approaching we look forward to:

1. Matthew's 20th birthday
2. Janelle's birthday and Dan and Janelle's Anniversary
3. Check up with my oncologist.
4. Follow-Up Vision Planning at our church.
5. A Pastor's Conference early in the month along with a CPR class for me!
6. My Stem Cell Transplant Birthday.  My bone marrow turns '1'! Some call it a re-bday. I am having a celebration!  Come and join us in person (preferrred) or by skyping (gracie.wilhelm)

A Celebration!

~Grace is One Year Post Stem Cell Transplant~

(Her One Year re-Birthday J)

When?  Saturday, February 22, 2014

Where? 319 W. Cass Street, Greenville MI

(at the corner of Cass St and Irving, one block north of M-57)

Time?  Open House from 2 pm to 5 pm.

No Gifts!  Just your presence and smiles!

Call Grace at 616-894-0139 with questions or for easy directions.

Skyping during the party is welcomed!

Silver Lining

Guess What? I am looking at the silver lining of some of our cloudy skies.

After his flights were cancelled twice, Matthew finally made it back to Oklahoma Sunday evening.  He started classes and so far I haven't heard any complaints.  I miss my kids.  Mary is enjoying student teaching so far and Sarah is glad to be back caring for her high school basketball athletes.

My last few days of work have been going better and I will fly solo on Friday!  Say a prayer, I will need it.   I also finally received my Revlimid from the new specialty pharmacy. Now I can get back on schedule. I made the red dots to put on the lid so people think stop!

Cloudy skies do continue here in Michigan with another inch of snow and lots of wind last night.  I even missed my exit home while driving home from work.  It was crazy.  Still I like seeing the snow covered ground.  It's is pretty most of the time.

Well, look for some new pictures that I will post soon.   Have a great day!

A New Year ~ 2014

Christmas Day concluded with a call telling us that Dad W. went to heaven.  We packed up and were on the road heading for Florida by lunch the next day.  Mary and Matthew rode with us, and we bought Sarah a ticket to fly down Sunday afternoon.  It was so nice to spend time with our extended family over the weekend.  Although it is sad to not have dad here with us anymore, we know that he is in heaven with his Savior.  We celebrated that at his funeral early on New Years Eve.  New Year's Day we got back in the car and drove another two long days, with bad weather back to Michigan. Luckily, we were able to stop for dinner and watch part of the Sugar Bowl where Oklahoma was victorious over Alabama! Boomer Sooner!  Check out our Family Photo Album to see pictures.

I made a new motto for 2014:  Trust More ~ Worry Less.  I am trying my best to stick with it. My new position at the hospital has me busy and tired at the end of a day.  I often wonder if I will ever be able to keep up with this fast paced job.  I have decided that I need to let Dr. B worry about my myeloma and keep trusting the doctor that facilitated my remission! I know that God has a plan for me here on earth for now and I need to work on living day to day as "normal" as possible.

Mary is back at U of M, and will start her student teaching as soon as school resumes. Michigan students have had snow days all week!  I told her she has an extra day to plan, but knowing Mary she is ready to go and chomping at the bit to get in the classroom.  Of course we all look forward to Mary's Graduation Friday, May 2, 2014.  She will then move out to LA to begin her new job with Teach for America, at a high school, teaching English.

Sarah just returned to Toledo after getting an extra few days off thanks to the snow days. She worked diligently on her thesis over the break with Matthew's help.  He would read the statistics and she would type them in (even in the car during the ride home from Florida).  She is anxious to get back to her high school and take care of all the basketball players.  Sarah will receive her Mater's Degree on Saturday, May 3, 2014.  We all look forward to seeing her hooded at graduation and find out where her next job will be.

Matthew has only another day here at home with us before returning to the Unversity of Oklahoma.  It has been so wonderful having him home. He has worked hard helping us keep the house clean and clearing lots of snow that fell. We have had a lot of fun and did some of the goofy things that we used to do when he still lived here full time.  His sisters had fun with him too.   Tonight we are going to try and see the northern lights  after midnight.  They are supposed to be visible in west Michigan if the clouds clear. Matt flies back to OK on Friday morning.  That will make me sad...but I am so proud of him and his success at OU!  I want to try and fly to Norman this spring to see a show, afterall,  I am still a theatre mom!

Jeff has been super busy.  He was strong for all of us and his family throughout the week of the funeral. He gave a very nice message before the service. Back home, he is back to getting ready for church, keeping up with the bills and did snow blowing for us and the neighbors.  He continues to be my caregiver as needed, especially yesterday after I had 4 shots and an infusion they left me pretty sore last night and today.

We learned last week, that Sammy, our dog of 10 years, died at his new home of one year after being adopted just before my transplant.. I couldn't be around dogs and their dandur among other things.  We are glad that our friends that adopted him gave him a wonderful last year!  Sammy was 14.

So in keeping with my new motto~ I am back to work orienting to recovery and I am looking forward to continue learning more and more and increasing my stamina.  Going in with a good attitude.

Here's to a great new day, week, months and year!

Merry Christmas!

We have had a very nice Christmas. This morning we woke up to a lovely flurry of light snow. By 10am we were all up and about, deciding on breakfast options. We ended up with a homemade recipe for cinnamon rolls that was... well, unique. They were pretty gooey and sweet, which could be good in some people's eyes, but may be too much. It was a fun experience to make though, either way. After breakfast was through, the ham went into the oven and we made our way to the tree for the gift exchange. We had quite a few large, suspenseful packages that kept everybody on their toes and everyone was very happy and grateful for all of their lovely and thoughtful gifts. Most of all, we were happy to all be together having a fun time as a family. The smell of  ham was starting to permeate the house so we made all the fixings and sat down to a feast of champions: ham, corn, carrots, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and hawaiian rolls. Feeling full and friendly, we played a family game of heads up, leaving us with two champions in Sarah and Dad. Matt then informed us that the final showing of the day of Frozen would be at 4:10-- in just half an hour! Everyone flurried to get ready and we quickly shoveled the snow off the driveway and sidewalks and made it to the movie on time. It was a cute film, though I didn't stay awake through the middle (not a surprise, with my track record). We came home and spent a little individual time for ourselves-- Sarah and I took a nap, so I can't really say what the others did. It was a nice Christmas Day for the Wilhelm family in snowy Greenville. ~Mary

                                                                       

There are lots of Christmas Pictures on our Family Photo Album.  Enjoy!

Christmas Letter 2013

Rejoice Rejoice Emmanuel!

“Behold, a  virgin  shall  be  with  child, and  shall  bring  forth a son, and they shall call  his  name  Emmanuel, which being interpreted  is, God with us.” Matthew 1:23

God With Us.  I saw God’s hand in every aspect of my cancer journey over the last year. I felt His presence on many occasions. I was never alone. Knowing God was with me and my family was so comforting and gave me a sense of peace. I don’t know how anyone can go through any trial without having God With him. Even in a world filled with anxiety, bitterness and sin, we have so many reasons to Rejoice, especially during the Christmas Season. God sent His only Son Jesus as a baby, true God and true Man, to be the perfect sacrifice in our place to Redeem us from our sins.  The Reward?  Eternal life in heaven, where the Son of God is preparing a place for us!  How exciting! Let’s prepare the Royal Highway.  Jesus is coming again; we need to be ready.

Remission!  We rejoice in the fact that I have been in a complete remission (aka a complete response) from my Plasma Cell Leukemia since 1/29/13 after 4 months of chemotherapy.  My autologous stem cell transplant on 2/22/13 is supposed to deepen the remission for a longer period of time.  There are no standards with plasma cell leukemia, as it is so rare.  So I am taking maintenance chemotherapy orally indefinitely. With God’s help I forge ahead one day at a time adjusting to my new normal.  I am back to playing for church, facilitating orchestra and leading Sunday school at church.  I have also started a new position as a nurse in Surgical Prep and Recovery!  I like the job and my co-workers, but it will take some getting used to the different pace of this unit versus the night shift on post-partum and nursery.

Reverend Jeff’s plate is always full.  So it was fun to get away when we attended a Pastor’s conference in northern Michigan and then a fun-filled time in Oklahoma where we visited Matthew and attended Jeff’s 30 year reunion.  Back at home, Jeff keeps up with church business (God’s business) writing sermons, forming Sunday services, preparing the power point slides, visiting members, volunteering as a chaplain at the local hospital and for Habitat for Humanity. As busy as he is at church, he also finds time for me and activities we like to do together like shopping at Meijer late at night, attending support group at Gilda’s House, watching sports on TV at home or at Applebee’s after 9 pm when we can eat our favorite appetizers for 50% off. He was a wonderful caregiver and quite competent managing all my needs as a patient, wife and mother.

Racing here and Racing there is the name of the game for Sarah.  She has class at University of Toledo for her Master’s Degree in the mornings and then drives 30 minutes to Summerfield High School , in Michigan, where she is the Athletic Trainer.  She has handled multiple injuries with competence and professionalism this year and has a wonderful rapport with the students, coaches, staff and parents!  I know there will be some tears flowing at the end of this school year when Sarah graduates and moves on to another high school and a new set of students.  Finishing graduate school, however, will cause many tears of joy!

Reading and writing, (aka English) will be the subject matter Mary teaches at a high school in Los Angeles, CA. She was offered and accepted a position with Teach for America earlier this fall.  This means she will teach for them for the next two years.  We plan to ride out to California with her in late May, perhaps be on The Price is Right, spend time at the beach and of course help Mary move into her apartment.  Mary reports for work June10th.  Until then she will be completing her final semester at the University of Michigan, doing her student teaching, leading the Women’s Glee Club and working at the Pizza House.  I am proud to report that she has passed her teaching certification tests to teach English and History in the state of Michigan and already passed the general teaching certification test for the state of California.

Regal Cinemas was happy to have Matthew working over the Thanksgiving holiday. Besides working at the movie theater, he works as an undergraduate assistant at the scene shop for the OU theatre department. He is doing well at school and appreciated as a perfectionist in his work on stage. It was nice seeing Matthew last October, visiting his apartment, watching him play softball, enjoy his favorite eateries and just hanging out when he wasn’t busy studying or working on the fall production, Carousel, as the Props Master. Most of all, he can’t wait to be home for Christmas and New Year’s since he spent the summer working in Norman.  He will be happy to have nearly a month in Michigan with family and friends.

We hope that you had a wonderful year and that 2014 will be a blessed one! You can keep up with us @:

Family Blog: http://wilhelm5.blogspot.com/    
Grace’s CaringBridge: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gracewilhelm

Holiday Time!

It has been nearly a month since my last post.  I am sure there were things I wanted to write about that will get missed.  But as I try to keep up with my chores and activities, I don't always get to writing everything down here on my blog.   So, I will have to update you with my standby "bullets".

• Thanksgiving was fun. We spent the day with our good friends the Clarks.  It's always good to be thankful with friends. Little ones included!

• Our Tree is up, my Christmas Cards are done and most of my shopping complete, wrapped and sent in the mail! 

• Work has been kicking my butt!  Have back pain and fatigue afterward. I continue to plug away and will work toward completing my orientation and get to my regular schedule of one day a week.

• Mary and Matthew are home from college and since received news about their good grades!  Sarah will be home next week. 

• We have had some big snow storms.  There is another storm heading this way this weekend. Sounds like a White Christmas to me!

• Jeff donated blood today and received his 1 gallon pin!  I am so proud of him.  I won't be donating anymore, obviously, but could be the receipiant one day in the future.

                             

 Well I am pretty tired.  Need to load the dishwasher and get to bed. Maybe I can update a little sooner next time.

Look's Who's Back to Work!

I have one week of my new job under my belt.  I am liking it a lot and my co-workers are very nice, helpful and welcoming.  It was a very busy week and I was very tired at the end of each day and had some back ache too. But I felt much better in the mornings, ready for another day.  All in all it was a good week.  I wonder how busy it will be this week.  It is so nice that my department is closed on holidays and weekends.  Taking call for a few times each year isn't bad at all.

I ended up staying with Mary in Ann Arbor for three nights last weekend.  The Leukemia Lymphoma Conference was excellent. I am so glad we went and will receive continuing education credits too!  Sarah met us for dinner at Olive Garden in Ann Arbor and then all three of us had a little down time before Mary had to work.  Sarah and I kept busy working on some projects/homework that we brought along and watching TV together. Both of us were planning on leaving Sunday afternoon, but bad weather rolled across Michigan and Ohio and we decided to stay put and be safe, especially after dark when the possibility of "invisible" downed tree limbs and such was real and a high wind advisory was put in effect until Monday morning.

Jeff arrived home safe and sound Tuesday late afternoon and it has been interesting having to share a single vehicle with me being back to work. So far it has worked out fine, however we are looking for a new set of used wheels to trade with Mary, who has been driving my cute little Prius since May.  Once we find one, Jeff will drive it for a few months to make sure it is safe and reliable before making the switch.  With my work hours ending in the evenings, we have been enjoying eating out together.  Jeff enjoyed tasting four different beers at our local microbrewery.   Tomorrow I am off from work, so I can actually cook!  I think enchiladas sound good.

Well, I have been working on crossing things off my to do list, but the list keeps growing.  Slowly but surely, I am making progress.  Everything takes time. Lots to do tomorrow:

• Last Physical Therapy!
• Water Aerobics.
• Wrap Presents (that's right I have started my shopping!)
• Call Social Security
• Bake and Cook
• Car shopping??
• Laundry

Wow I had better get to bed.  Aren't my slippers pretty??  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I have so much to be thankful for this year.  Just being here is one of them!

Gracie

Happenings

Can you believe  we are half way through November?  Hard to believe 2013 is coming to a close.  Time keeps flying by and so does the activities of our lives.  Here are some highlights of the last week and the week to come!                  

                  

• We met Sarah in Ann Arbor last weekend for Mary's Glee Club Concert. We all enjoyed dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings before the concert began at 8 pm.  I can't believe that three years have passed since I first moved Mary to Ann Arbor in 2010. Now she is the president of the Women's Glee Club and has the honor to direct the beloved "Yellow and Blue". As you can see, she did a beautiful job: Click here to watch!

• Jeff is in Florida this week to help out with  his mom and dad while she is recovering from knee-replacement surgery.  It is pretty strange to be in my big house all alone. I am getting some things done that I normally wouldn't do.

• I have a new nursing position at Metro hospital in  Surgical Prep and Recovery. Orientation begins on Tuesday.  I am a little nervous but very excited to be a nurse again!  I went through my nursing stuff and have everything organized for my first day.

• This weekend I will be heading back to Ann Arbor.  Mary and I will be attending a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society conference in Troy, MI.  It starts early, so I will stay with Mary on Friday night and drive to Troy together first thing Saturday morning. It should be a good day.

• Monday is my Myeloma Support Group.  Instead of going alone, I think I will invite a friend to go along.  Then it's Tuesday, my first day of work and pick Jeff up at the airport on the way home!

That does it from chilly Michigan. The temps are going to rise the rest of the week, might get up in the 60's on Sunday with rain. I prefer a sunny 45 or 50. Right now it is 33 degrees.  Think I will sleep in my sweatpants tonight.

Oklahoma! It was the best!

First of all let me say that we had a WONDERFUL time in Oklahoma!  The alumni events were fun and our time with Matthew priceless.  I smile just thinking about it.  I would have loved writing each night about all the fun times we had, but I think a brief summary with bullet points will have to do.

      

• THURSDAY started early with a 0630 flight.  We had a 3 hour layover in Chicago and got to OKC around lunch time.  Ate barbeque at Billy Sims' restaurant.  It was very good!  We spent time at the Softball Hall of Fame and the Cowboy Museum with a personal tour from our long time friend Don, who is the curator.  The highlight of course was meeting up with Matthew at his apartment.  It is very nice and well maintained.  Thursday is softball double header.  It was a little chilly, but we enjoyed watching both games.  There is one hour between games, so Matthew took us to Diamond Dawgs for a light meal.  He had fries, I had the Wonderboy, a hot dog on a stick coated with Cap'n Crunch and deep fried. It was delicious.  Jeff had the Bambino, a dog with pulled pork on it.  We both loved it.  Of course after the second game we went for a late dinner.  Where? Buffalo Wilds Wings.  I tried some wings, but boy they were spicy.  So I got some plain ones.  It was a very fun and hap hap happy day!

     

• FRIDAY was Alumni Day.  Breakfast, tours and a lunch at Lloyd Noble Center.  It was very good for banquet style food.  All the alumnus were recognized and had their picture taken with President Boren.  We took advanatage of the organ concert before lunch, which was outstanding and spent the afternoon at OU's Natural Science Museum.  The night finished with a meal at the Union with casino night. No money needed! They gave us chips and you won tickets to put in for drawings, a signed football, money for the bookstore or a paver at the stadium.  Neither one of us won anything, but came home with some nice free giveaways.  

                                       

       

• SATURDAY means football!  Took a shuttle ride to campus and stopped by the meteorology building, watched the parade and had lunch at the  Boomer Bash in the union.  it was there that I got a text from Matthew that the he was released from work to go to the game with us!  First we had to wait for an hour or so for the rain stop. It was quite a game, with moments where I worried that the Sooners would lose.  They came back with a stellar play and ended up winning the game!  Matthew returned to work but soon after called and said he could have dinner with us, so we went to Yamato's Japanese Steak House. It was delicious and as usual, fun to watch them cook and had way too much to eat.

                                                                             

                            

            

• SUNDAY ~ The Lord's Day.   Matthew was able to have an early breakfast with us before his call time for rehearsal.  He is the prop master for the musical "Carousel".  It kept him pretty busy while we were there, but he managed to get away and spend some time with us. We are thankful the director for letting him off early on Saturday so he could have fun with his parents.  Since Matthew was busy all day, we took time to use the hotels exercise room and walking/jogging path.  I walked over mile.  The weather was beautiful on Sunday.  Remember our friend from the Cowboy Museum?  We drove to to see and his wife, Val, at their church's trunk and treat.  It was a huge success. It was nice to visit with them afterward at their home.   No trip to Oklahoma is complete without some Braum's, so we stopped and had a bite to eat and some delicious Braum's Ice Cream.                                                    

                                                                                             

• On MONDAY we finally got to sleep in.  Jeff took me to the National Weather Center for a tour which was pretty cool.  I bought a few cute souvenirs too, with flying cows on it!  We met Matthew for early dinner at one of our campus corner favorites, O'Connels.  Their burgers are delicious!  I had a ranch burger. Oh sooo good!  Jeff was nice enough to share his onion rings with me.  Another trip to Diamond Dawgs was in order for unlimited soft serve ice cream. Oreo bits, chocolate sauce and sprinkles made my sundae perfect.  By then it was time to get Matthew back to rehearsal.  We stopped by our car to give him a basketball we bought for him to use at the courts of his apartment complex.  He needs something fun to do to help break up the business of school and work. He was happy to get the ball, but we were all sad for our time to end. I have hugged him a dozen times!  I miss him already.

                   

We traveled home Tuesday and I was able to stop and get some lab work drawn and a TB test done.  Wednesday was my day for therapy, shots and zometa. You can read about that on my caring bridge.

In other news:

• I had a good meeting at Metro Hospital about getting back to work.  Since I can't work in the childbirth center anymore, they are looking for a position that will be good for my re-entry.  
• Mary has been offered a position to teach HS English with Teach for America in Los Angeles.  She is very happy, I know Brandon is too.  He is doing well, but very busy with law school at UCLA. Next week is her first glee club concert as the president. I can't wait!
• Mount Calvary's Trunk and Treat was a huge success.  Lots of kids and families.  Jeff certainly didn't look like himself.

• Matthew has three shows of Carousel under his belt tonight as Prop Master.  Hope all went well. I am sure he did a great job.
• Sarah's final football season with Summerfield High School as Athletic Trainer. Now they are gearing up for basketball.  Hopefully there won't be as many injuries that there were with the football season.  She takes good care of those kids.

                                                                                         

• Our new appliances arrived Friday not without some problems.  Although Home Depot said installation was included, the delivery man said he is not allowed to work with the copper tubing connected to our fridge. He also said he couldn't, wouldn't disconnect our old dishwasher. What???  Evidently, it wasn't on our ticket so we didn't pay for it. After several phone calls, they did disconnect the dishwasher and moved it to the garage as he did with the fridge after Jeff disconnected the copper tubing from the ice maker.  As of now, the fridge is working and we do have working water/ice maker, but the dishwasher is sitting in the kitchen waiting for the plumber to come on Monday to install it.  We will have him check the fridge too.

That's all...I will try to keep you updated as needed. Have a great week! Be sure to check out the Family Photo Album!

Appreciating Pastor's Appreciation

There are so many holidays and awareness days and months for this and for that, even a hot dog day and a  left-handers a few months ago.  How can anyone keep track of all this craziness?  October has:  Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, Mental Illness Awareness Week, Fire Prevention, Breast Cancer, Dental Hygiene, Down's Syndrome, Infertility, Domestic Violence, Lupus Erythematosus, Physical Therapy, Spina Bifida, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), American Pharmacist and Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month and even Pastor Appreciation month!

Jeff and I don't expect any gifts or recognition for our service to the Lord in His House and to His flock. That doesn't stop our members from expressing their thanks to us during the month of October. We have received gift cards to restaurants and a beautiful hand made natvity!  I have decided that I am going to display now and enjoy it, instead of putting it away for a month.  The congregation usually has a Sunday with cake for us and that hasn't happened yet, so I better be ready tomorrow since we won't be here the last Sunday of the month. I spoiled the event last year after the diagnosis of cancer and it's immediate hospitalization for treatment.

  Sarah has had a few rough weeks with multiple injuries at football games practices along with the woes of writing a thesis.  Mary enjoyed her time with Brandon in L.A last weekend including a night at Conan O'Brien. (I would rather see the  Price is Right).  Anyway, she is back in Ann Arbor and had her interview with Teach for America.  She will hear where their offer of a teaching job is located on October 31st.  Matthew is doing well at school and is looking forward to our arrival next week.  Me too!  The Opera is playing this weekend and it has a beautiful set.  Matthew told me that it was the main project for most of the summer. I am so proud that Matthew had a hand in it!  (I'm smiling!)



Jeff is at "The Big Day of Serving" in Grand Rapids today, helping with the packaging of more dinners for Kids Against Hunger.  I dropped him off at a local church at 0630 and will pick him up around 6 tonight. Until then, I have been doing bible study, blogging, cooking and baking and have the laundry downstairs (thanks honey!).  I still need to go shopping, pick up my prescriptions and go for a walk.  It sure looks nice outside!  

Hope you day is a great one!  I don't need a certain day to remember you, because I remember you and pray for you each day!

Gracie

Hoping the Detroit Tigers can even up the playoffs tonight.

Matt Maher - Lord, I Need You

It's Been a Year!

One year ago, Jeff and I attended the Pastor's Conference on Mackinac Island. It was centered around Prayer.  It was an emotional time for us as we awaited news from the oncologist's office. Since then, my prayer life has blossomed and I will forever remember feeling the power of prayer at the Mission Point resort. It has surely been a year of prayer and the strengthening of faith.



This week we attended the All Pastor's Conference at Boyne Mountain Resort. The trees hadn't changed color as much as I thought, but it was still a beautiful setting and other than one day of light rain, wonderful weather.  Instead of awaiting news on cancer, we were thankful and rejoiced with those we prayed with last year about my current remission.

The topic this year was about Spiritual Disciple, with Rev. Dr. Kleinig, from Australia, as the speaker. I enjoyed listening to him and hearing his teaching.  He often made sure he was using American English, which I thought was cute.  Sitting for prolonged periods was hard on my back and I ended up returning to our room after lunch each day for a nap.

Our pastor from Jeff's field work church during seminary, Darryl Zimmerman was there to speak about Relieving Stress.  He is now serving with Grace Place and his presentation was very good. It was nice to talk to him during some free time to catch up with family news.

Jeff and I enjoyed using the outdoor hot tub, more like hot pool.  Even though it was chilly, the hot water felt good and ensured our body stayed warm while drying off.  I took advantage of the nice weather and took some pictures on a walk back to my room before my nap.  They had 6 passenger golf carts for rent to drive around the resort that I know Matthew would have loved!  I would have had fun too, but everything I needed was in walking distance so we saved our money.

For the first time I know of, the pastors and wives came together for a service project.  We packed over 10,000 meals for Kids Against Hunger. It was a fun time and for a great cause. Jeff and  I weighed the packaged dry meal to make sure they were exactly 390 grams.  It was tiring for me, especially with the tables being a little low causing more back problems.


I would be remiss if I didn't mention baseball. Many pastors were keeping track of their favorite teams, with the Tigers being most popular of course, throughout the conference. I made a few new friends through keeping informed of the progress and ultimate win against the Oakland A's in the playoffs. Now I am here watching game one ALCS against the Red Sox.

I reached another milestone this week; I got my first haircut since my diagnosis with cancer. My hair started growing about 3 months after my stem cell transplant and after 5 months of growing, it needed a trim and a shape.  My hair stylist did a great job. Not too much different, just looks more like a hair style instead of hair growing after treatment.

Before                            After   

The kids are doing well. Sarah has been especially busy with her studies and high school football athletes.  There seems to be a lot of injuries this year.  Lots of good experiences, but you certainly don't want your students to get hurt.  She has an excellent relationship with her high school and they would love to find a way to keep her on next year.  Sarah would like that too, but is more than ready to be done with her formal education.  I am so proud of her perseverance in staying in school to get her Master's degree.

Mary has several days of student teaching done and has the responsibility as Glee Club President this year.  The director is on sabbatical, so her leadership skills will come in handy.  She recently wrote her first article as the UMWGC president in their newsletter, Arioso. The fall concert is next month, and I am looking forward to attending.  She traveled  to LA this morning to spend a few days with Brandon at UCLA.  I expect a report full of fun and joy.  I do believe that Mary will have an interview this month with Teach for America and hopes to be placed in an LA school next fall.  Boy, her college years really flew by quickly.

Matthew reports that things area going well and his grades are good.  I know that he likes living in his apartment and occasionally cooks for all guys who live there. I was asked to bring his quesadilla maker with me when we visit just two weeks from now.  I just can't wait to see my boy and give him a huge bear hug!  Besides seeing our favorite son, we will also be attending the OU Alumni weekend.  Jeff graduated 30 years ago! Does that seem possible?

Happy Birthday Mom W!  Hope your day was happy!

I think that about does it. Things here are pretty good and stable.  That is fine with me.

~Gracie