tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87079143890418268002024-03-05T20:01:50.281-08:00R&R in Spain - Aarons AbroadR&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-74978511262490277112017-01-11T01:39:00.004-08:002017-01-12T00:29:47.755-08:00When Everyone Else has a Special Talent or GiftApril 8 2015<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8707914389041826800" name="OLE_LINK1"></a><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">I come from a family of
really talented people…I mean, SUPER talented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kind of God-given talent that makes people say, “WOW!
That’s so cool.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And careers and
livelihoods have been built on that talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while I have watched in awe and pride at their gifts,
I’ve often been asked by others, “Can you? Do you too?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, I have to say, “NOPE.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8707914389041826800" name="OLE_LINK2"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">And it wouldn’t be truthful to say that it
didn’t bother me at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it
seems like everyone has a special talent or gift, it can be lonely until you
find the gift that is for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">For far too long I was stuck waiting for God to
reveal the mysterious special gift he had for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that Ephesians 2:10 proclaimed that I was His
workmanship, created in Jesus specifically for these <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good works</i> that God had prepared in advance for me to walk in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I wasn’t sure what those
gifts were or when they were coming and so, I did nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt like whatever gift I was going
to get was going to be HUGE and I wanted to be ready…so I just waited and
waited and while I was waiting, I noticed that person’s gift, and that person’s
gift, and it seemed like everyone had some special gift except for me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">And I’ve been to churches where they encourage
you to pray and ask God for specific gifts and/or reveal what His gift to me
was because clearly I didn’t have this gift yet or I’d be using it, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clearly, it was still on its way…and
so, I continued to wait. </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">And I got discouraged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt kinda useless and kind of jealous of all the other
people who were using their special gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then finally, one Sunday morning in a women’s bible
study, we were discussing “Doing God’s Will” and being willing and available
for the work that He has for us…and this woman raised her hand and asked the
teacher, “Well, How do you really know what God wants you to do?” And my heart
skipped a beat because that was exactly what I wanted to know too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was thankful that she’d asked because
I didn’t want to ask such a dumb question! Especially since I was under the
impression that everyone (except me) already knew the answer to this…</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">The teacher gave an answer that resonated so
well with my soul…she said, “God has already told you what He wants you to do.
In His Word, he’s given us very specific instructions to Love and Serve, Be
Light,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>refrain from ungodly
behavior … And if we can just focus on what we know He’s already told us, we
will be better positioned to hear what else He wants to tell us: Go, Do….”</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">And so, instead of sulking and waiting on some
specially wrapped gift from above, God opened my eyes to see the gifts that
were right in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Colossians 2:9 “For in Him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him who is the head of all principality
and power.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am complete in
Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not tomorrow. Not whenever I
receive some special gift, but now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, I changed my focus from worrying about the gifts that others had and
stopped trying to compare and just started working on how well I was doing what
I know to do, and lo and behold opportunities came that allowed me to serve and
in serving it became clear that God had made me especially for serving in these
particular ways and I realized I wasn’t waiting anymore…</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;">Are you still waiting to know what God has
called you to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stop waiting and
just start serving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m willing to
bet there are gifts in you waiting to be used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-38213056979998019642017-01-11T01:37:00.003-08:002017-01-12T00:29:24.274-08:00Secret of a Happy Life - DWM 15 January 2015<br />
<br />
I wrote this for Deeper Water's Ministry Blog as well. It's a piece on the book, The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith. <br />
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I remember, even though I was a
small child, sitting through our annual summer revivals – the church would be
packed for the week long visit from a traveling evangelist. Women with hats
bobbing and swaying to the rhythmic sound of the minister’s hoop as he crescendos
to a close usually centered around the fact that Jesus was coming back and
soon…Then, the alter call.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
tearfully, grown men and women would head toward the outstretched hand of the
minister warning against eternity outside of God’s grace. These conversion
stories always moved me. Lost sons and daughters redeemed by a loving Savior. </div>
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But not me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got saved when I was 5 years old.
Which is code for: I did all my sinning while I was saved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My biggest obstacle in this journey has
not been giving my life to Christ. That was a done deal from very early on. My
difficulty, as is the title and theme of Chapter 7, was in submitting my will
to His. Particularly, I think, for women who are raised in this day and age and
kind of groomed to achieve and dream big dreams of what we want for our lives,
this can be a challenge. </div>
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I remember adults
asking me my entire youth what I wanted to do when I grew up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They encouraged me to follow my heart
when it came to decisions about where I’d go to college, or what career I’d
pursue or who I would marry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
for so long I got stuck there trying to follow My heart and My dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when I prayed, it wasn’t “Thy will
be done” it was always, “Lord please let My will be done.“<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Whitall
Smith says “It is not the feelings of the man God wants, but the man
himself.”*** And thankfully, He pursues us relentlessly so that we are not left
to our own devices and limited to the smallness of our dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God has exceedingly abundantly more
than we could ask or think waiting for us when we release our will and embrace
His will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But often we’ve worked
so hard for our dreams and waited so long for our plans that we don’t want to
give them up. Especially for His will which may not be what we had in mind, or
worse, an undisclosed will that requires us to wait and just trust in His
plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ick…Waiting is the worst!!!</div>
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Yet, God is asking
us to release our plans and like Indiana Jones in the opening scene of Raiders
of the Lost Ark, we approach the alter and instead of trading our will for His,
we bargain, “Lord, I’ll trust you with that, but I’m going to hold on to
this.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we try to offer the
counterfeit idols of our heart on the alter and fakes are found wanting…the
stone lowers, and a giant rock comes to crush us. Ok, sometimes the giant rock
is actual something else that gets our attention…perhaps an illness or loss…
and when it’s all been stripped away, then He presents His will as an
alternative to the Path of Me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I realize now there was only ever One way; His way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All other roads were a
distraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His will is where I
can stop chasing my plans and rest in the knowledge that I am walking in the
good deeds He set in advance for me to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Daily dying to my emotions and the lies of the enemy bent on
my distraction and destruction…Daily praying, “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be
Done.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amen</div>
R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-44131807986045154912017-01-11T01:33:00.002-08:002017-01-12T00:32:05.039-08:00Hope Beyond the Pain - Deeper Waters Blog23 October 2014<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Wrote this piece for Deeper Waters Ministry. I hope it blesses you.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Earlier this week my daughters and I were watching a sitcom
and the tv mom was having a dream about having another baby. She was doing the
stereotypical heavy breathing and moaning associated with dramatic (and
comedic) television births.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
daughters, I’m sure had seen this portrayal several times before. But, I guess
the harvest was ripe for discussion because they began to question me about the
validity of pain and childbirth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They were horrified when I confirmed that yes, women do
indeed typically have a great deal of pain associated with childbirth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I may have mentioned Eve and “the
curse”…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also mentioned that thanks to medical interventions, women
could “opt out” of the natural pain of childbirth with an epidural.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they were totally onboard for that
idea, until they pressed further about the details of epidural; “HOW long is
the needle?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It goes in my
SPINE???”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then they weren’t so
sure. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I assured them
that they had PLENTY of time to worry about natural versus pain managed birth
plans in the next (at least) FIFTEEN years it would take them to finish their
education, marry, and have children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And more importantly, I assured them that the pain of childbirth is not
even comparable with the joy that comes with the birth of a child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And this segued into another lesson about how God gives us
glimpses of His glory and reassures us with hope during the pain in our lives…
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also mentioned that a lot of women (myself included)
report that, while, “Yes, childbirth was painful…Perhaps the most painful thing
I’ve ever experienced…” I don’t<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>really
remember the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">specifics</i> of that
pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Why else would people have
subsequent children”, I joked? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, it’s not that you completely FORGET the pain, but,
perhaps the newfound joy overshadows the pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pain, in fact, is “worth it” when it’s all said and
done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which I think is a beautiful
metaphor for the trials of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even our Omnipotent God, thankfully chooses to forget some
things…“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…For I will forgive their
iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”</i> Jeremiah 31:34 – </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hallelujah, right?! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead, He makes sure to remind us that He remembers his
promises to us, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He remembers his
covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations.” </i>(Psalm
105:8)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, He commands that WE remember:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Matthew 15: 32-39 records the miracle of Jesus feeding the
four thousand…and then in the next chapter, Jesus is exasperated with the
disciples because AGAIN, they are asking him, “what are we gonna do about all
these hungry people?!” Jesus is like,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Um, hello? Remember the miracle I JUST performed? (my paraphrase of
Matt 16:9). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jesus calls us to remember who He is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He calls us to remember His promises to
us and our children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He calls us,
particularly in our trials and pain to REMEMBER how He has brought us through
past trials and encourages us that He will bring us through again and again,
until finally, He brings us HOME. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Importantly, He instructs us to teach our children to
remember what He has done in our lives so that they can learn to trust Him in
theirs. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He commanded the Isrealites to collect stones from the
Jordon as a remembrance of their deliverance from 40 years wandering in the
wilderness and the provision of the Promised Land. He did so, not just as a
tribute to Himself for what He’d done for them, but specifically as a testimony
to the next generations, so they would know too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Joshua 4:6&7 – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“And
when your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you? Then
you shall tell them…So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial
forever.”</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How are you REMEMBERING Jesus?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What kind of STONES are you sharing as a testimony of what
He has done in your life that others may know and trust Him in theirs? </div>
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I love that there is hope beyond the pain and His name is
Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love that the same Jesus
who promised to “never leave me, nor forsake me”, makes that same promise to my
daughters. And, it is my constant prayer that they will REMEMBER and rely on
those promises too. </div>
R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-35101987562175912252017-01-11T01:31:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:31:31.632-08:00Cancer #23 - A Reality CheckSeptember 29, 2012<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So, on September 11th, I met with the Rockstar. She asked how I was doing and I assured her that I was feeling great. And she called me, (get ready for it...) "Pollyanna"...which I thought was a bit unfair. I mean, no, I don't sit and pout (most of the time) because I have cancer, and I don't wallow in self pity about what is, or was, or could have been. Instead, I am grateful that at this time, the crappy chemo is gone, along with the crappy chemo side effects. I've finished my radiation. I have *most* of my energy back. My fingers and toes are *mostly* not numb anymore. I am pretty much back to my normal schedule in terms of my schedule, I can get my daughters up for school, dressed, fed, and out the door, AND I am able to volunteer in their classes three times a week. I cook dinner most nights. And so, I am pretty darn grateful at this point in my life.. so, when I'm asked, I say, I FEEL great! Because I do. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I am not 100% back to my old energy level, probably because of the extra 25 pounds I'm carrying. But, I digress...</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">She said I was doing great and she'd see me again in December. I asked her about my survivor care plan...I explained about my military (read: transient) lifestyle and the great possibility that we would be relocated next summer and she said, by all means, "Get on with my life". Which made me really happy. I have been SO ready to get on with my life, but it also made me a bit nervous because I was also hoping she'd give me some kind of "cancer free card." She pretty much said, that that doesn't exist. There is no way to tell if, where or when I my cancer will or will not recur. She just said I need to be diligent about paying attention to my body, seeing a doctor for check ups regularly and staying healthy. And Live. She said, to focus on things I can control...cancer is not one of those things.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So, I left her office and went to get my Herceptin and pondered life beyond treatment...moving ON!</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I was seated next to a woman who was on her very last infusion of Herceptin! She was by herself and she and I got to chat a bit. She shared how thankful she is that God blessed her with insurance when she didn't have any previously. And I congratulated her on finishing her treatment and wished her luck as she got to "move on". </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I imagined my very last infusion, which, if all goes well, will be in March 2013 and what I was going to do to celebrate.</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I'd had my mind all set that I was giving cancer ONE year and then I was going to be DONE, DONE, DONE...</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">But then I got a call from the Plastic Surgeons office two days later to ask if I wanted to cancel my appointment because, "the doctor doesn't schedule reconstructions until a year post radiation"...I said, NO WAY, I am not rescheduling, I wanna see this Dr...and when he sees me, he will marvel at how WELL I have healed and will schedule the surgery in March...right after I finish the Herceptin...</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Oh, how naive I can be when I so badly want to believe something...I did get to meet the very talented Dr. Tan, and he IS a rockstar. He is also a realist and he explained that there is no surgeon in his right mind who would operate on radiated muscle,skin, tissue within a year. And then he said, I needed to loose all this weight I'd gained during chemo, and that he'd see me in MAY 2013 for my consult and he'd do surgery (granted Uncle Sam lets us stay in the area) in August 2013. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Well, I was glad for the wake up call. I was glad to be yanked back into reality...No, cancer was not going to be over completely in one year. In fact, I will JUST be getting done with my chemos, in March, which will be One year and 3 months post when I started the chemos in January 2012...and he also said, the surgery wouldn't even been complete for a year...he'd do it in August, and then I'd go back every 3 months over 12 months for "adjustments." So, I'd be put back together again, a la Humpty Dumpty, around August 2014... And lets not forget that I have to take Tamoxifen for 5 years...</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So, really, maybe 5 years from now...in...2016, I can be DONE...and that's granted there is no recurrence anywhere else. Additionally, I will have to see a Dr. 3-4 times a year for check ups for the next 3 years and well...for the rest of my life, I'll be looking over my shoulder...</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Kinda sucks. Particularly, when I was sooo wanting to MOVE ON. :-) and be done already...</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I am sure I will come to some kind of pass where I am at peace with the trajectory of my life...but it hasn't happened yet. In the meanwhile...I am on mission, LOOSE THE CHEMO WEIGHT. And, GO!</span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-8959287338336297602017-01-11T01:27:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:27:48.914-08:00Cancer #22 - Peach Fuzz and Reminiscing about the ERSeptember 8, 2012<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Over the last two weeks, (about 2 months post end of Taxol/Abraxane), my eyelashes are back in full effect!!!, as are my eye brows (I even went for a wax yesterday!) and there is marked peach fuzz on my head....it's about 1/4 inch all around and densely populated! Super excited!!!</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Also, as a side note, I was reading through the past journal entries and realized that I forgot to mention my ER visit. Most of these posts have been written in reflection mode so forgetting details is often a result...but I want to document everything so that looking back, I remember all the details (and so, anyone reading this and wondering, would know) of what I went through this year...</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So, here's the ER story: I mentioned before about my adverse reaction to the Taxol chemotherapy...but what I didn't mention was that a few days later, I got severe chills and cuddled into the bed with tons of blankets and took a nap. My husband came to check on me while i was sleeping and noticed (by touching my forehead) that I was SUPER HOT. So, he woke me up and took my temperature. It was 103! </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I was convinced that it was just because I was under so many blankets and spent another 30 minutes lying under a fan, drinking cold water, placing cold towels on my forehead, trying to get my temperature down...it did not budge...So, we called the City of Hope nurse line and they insisted we come in. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">It was about 9pm. Long story short, I went in, they ran a bunch of tests and took an Xray of my chest to make sure I did not have an infection (I didn't) and then they gave me some tylenol and hydrated me with IVs, my temperature went down and we got home around midnight. Much ado about nothing. </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-12630702103842192772017-01-11T01:26:00.001-08:002017-01-11T01:26:49.818-08:00Cancer #21 - In which I start MELTING like the Wicked Witch of the West...<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I am anxiously awaiting my appointment on the 11th with the Rockstar. In fact, I have a laundry list of questions for her now that I am past all the hard core treatment and looking at my "Survival Care Plan". </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">A Survival Care Plan will consist of my marching orders from now on from the Doctor on best practices to ensure that I live as long as possible. (Ie. how often I will need to check in, what tests I will need to take this year, next year and subsequently, what kind of diet she suggests, etc. etc. etc...) </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Coincidentally, the City of Hope recently called to ask if I would take part in their new trial; and it has to do with Survivalship. Specifically, survivalship of African American Women (who have the lowest survivalship percentage.* Many reasons contribute to this low percent: type of cancer - most are triple negative, late diagnosis, socio-economics, etc.) But, this particular study will examine how specific Survivalship Care Planning and Mentorship can contribute to survivalship. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">It's a blind study, so I may or may not get paired with a mentor, but ideally, when the study begins, I as a young woman, currently receiving treatment will be paired with a mentor who will also be an African American woman who has already gone through treatment and is at least in her 5th year of survival. She will talk me through MY survivalship care plan and we will meet once a month 1 on 1 for support and encouragement. So, it's very exciting to start planning BEYOND the treatment and thinking about getting to my new normal.</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I am going to ask when I get to take my Matrix like port out of my shoulder. I say "Matrix" because it's kind of like when Neo and them are in the real world and they have to "plug in" to the matrix...well, when I'm getting my chemo, the nurses "plug in" to my port to hook up the IV...of course I don't immediately find myself dressed in leather with 500 dollar Ray Bans on, but you get the picture. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So...two more days until the big sit down with the Rockstar...I will also check in with my radiation oncologist, and then I will get my monthlyish Herceptin...which brings me to the title of this post..."Hot Flashes".</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Herceptin is a hormone treatment that inhibits production of estrogen in my body since my cancer is estrogen positive (ie. my cancer feeds on estrogen). I am ALSO taking an oral pill, Tamoxifen, which I began the day after my radiation treatment ended and which I will have to take or 5 (*yes, FIVE) years! Anyway, the inhibition of my estrogen has caused me to go into a pseudo menopausal state, which is, for lack of a better word....unfortunate. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">As a result, throughout the day, as I am minding my own business, I will immediately feel as if I have fallen into a volcano. It usually starts at my neck and the heat will move into my ears and then my entire head feels like it is engulfed in flames...Beads of sweat will pop up all across my bald head and then starts to pour down my face...it lasts anywhere from 1 - 2 minutes, but is totally annoying and really uncalled for. As if cancer isn't crappy enough!</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The Rockstar did prescribe some medicine that she said would help with the hot flashes, but I tried it for 2 weeks and it didn't make that much of a difference so I put the bottle back in the pantry with the rest of the pills. I am SO over taking pills, so anything not absolutely necessary goes! </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-35046838104950362442017-01-11T01:25:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:25:23.886-08:00Cancer #20 - Radiated...<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I had to do radiation Monday through Friday, with weekends off. I'd sit in the waiting room for a few minutes until they called my name over the intercom, then I'd go to the dressing room and change into a hospital gown. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I'd then wait outside the Radiation room until they called me in. They had us booked back to back, so usually someone was walking out as I was walking in and when I was leaving, someone would be sitting in the chair waiting to go in also. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">In the room, there was that metal bed, but the techs would dress it with a clean/warm sheet and then they'd put another warm blanket on top of me once I was on the table (it was always freezing in that room). They'd ask for my birthday (to make sure I was THE right Melissa Aaron :-) ) and then I'd lay there while they pulled and shifted my body into the right position for the laser radiation beams. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">They always had music on and the techs would usually be singing along to Madonna, Anita Baker, Luther Vandross, or some other 80s/90s pop singer. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I'd just lay there and about 3 minutes later, after the machine with the beam moved around me to the 3 different positions and gave me my three blasts, they'd say, Ok, Mrs. Aaron, you're all done...and off I went...until the next day. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I'd see the Dr. every Monday and he'd say, "How ya doing?" and I'd say, Great! I was feeling SO much better now that I was off that "crappy chemo". The every 3 week Herceptin wasn't causing that many problems...although my toes and fingers were still a bit numb. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I'd JUST seen the doctor the 3rd week of radiation - about day 26 and was bragging about how great my skin was doing. Unfortunately for me, I was only looking at the skin on my chest, which WAS doing great...just a bad sunburn...what I wasn't considering, or TREATING for that matter (I had some cream to put on the burns, but I was only treating my chest, not my UNDERARM, which I should have been treating)...my underarm was BADLY burned and the top layer of skin was completely burned off. It looked really ugly. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Thankfully, my nerve endings hadn't quite healed from my surgery yet so it wasn't particularly painful. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I went to see my Radiologist and he took a look and said, "Oh, it's not so bad...I've seen MUCH worse." which didn't really make me feel that much better. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">He said he wanted to give me a break from treatment...which made me cry a little, because I was SO close to being DONE - I only had 7 more treatments to go and I felt like I was taking a set back...</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">He assured me that I was NOT taking a set back...that I'd take 2 days off, then do the 5 electron treatments directly to my chest ONLY then do the final 2 full treatments by which time my armpit should be healed and what do you know...He was right...my armpit healed in what seemed like amazing speed! and before I knew it, the Radiation techs were presenting me with a MEDAL for completing my radiation treatment!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I felt like Gabby Douglas and proudly wore my medal the rest of the day! I got smiles from all the people as I walked through the hospital to the car. </span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I go back to see the Radiologist for a check up on September 11th which coincides with my next Herceptin and my next meeting with the Rockstar.</span><br />
<br style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">AND....September 21st, I get to meet with ...the Plastic Surgeon! Woot Woot! I am definitely moving toward the light at the end of the tunnel!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Praise God! </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-18469632466963643682017-01-11T01:22:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:22:52.398-08:00Cancer #19 - Radiation and Tears<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Ok, I admit it...I cried. But just a little. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I went for my "mapping" where they put you on this cold, steel table and take lots of X-rays to figure out where your heart and lungs are so they don't zap any unnecessary and essential organs while they are busy zapping away the nasty and evil cancer cells that may be lingering.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So, one of the techs came out to meet me and he was joking and nice and having me sign paperwork that I understood, this that and the other...and then he goes, ok, we'll call you back in a sec...and he left me back in the waiting room. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The next thing I knew, I was being led back to a dark room, where I was told to put on a hospital gown and they'd be back. I did and they did...then they asked me to lay down on the table and I did...and THEN, 800 people came in and they removed my gown and started talking over me and marking on me with markers (ok, so there weren't 800 people there, probably about 7, but half were men and ALL were strangers and I just felt exposed and violated and I had one of those, "this isn't fair moments" and then the tears came...not hiccuping, sobbing tears, just silent tears rolling down my cheeks and onto the cold steel bed. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The Dr. noticed my tears and screamed at everyone to get out. The tech that I met earlier brought me tissue and gave me a pep talk about how brave I was and how they were almost done. He and the Dr. finished by themselves and then they had me get dressed. The tech told me about his mom who had cancer and didn't make it through chemo and how I was doing great and had just a bit more to go...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I felt like an idiot for crying, but thankful that it was over. I started radiation the next day and felt like a pro. No more tears from me. </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-88987288662155257952017-01-11T01:21:00.001-08:002017-01-11T01:21:38.385-08:00Cancer #18 - Encouragement<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">My girlfriend Alyx, (who also happens to be a Rockstar neuro oncologist at the Scottsdale Mayo Clinic) flew out for the day to pamper me. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">She'd threatened me when I was in Spain that she was going to fly to drag me back to the states if I didn't come on my own, so she said she was happy to spring for airfare to LA and a spa day with me which, she said was by far cheaper than the intercontinental airfare. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Anyway, we went to the spa at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena for a day of heaven - massages, facials, mani/pedi, lunch, and a chance to catch up face-to-face instead of via email for the first time in forever!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Additionally, one of the beautiful women at my parents church (along with her family) has committed to pray for me each and everyday, and Mrs. Onnie Pointer has done just that! She also sends me beautiful cards about once a week (EACH WEEK) to remind me that she is praying for me each and every day, which was such a blessing because there were many a days that I wasn't able to pray for myself. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">And those two examples are icing on a glorious cake of family and friends who are also fasting and praying on our behalf. I can not express how this boosts my faith and encourages my heart. I KNOW that God hears and answers prayers and I it makes me giddy with joy to know that the Heavenly Father, God of Heaven and Earth is being bombarded with prayers specifically about little old Me!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Thank you to ALL of you who are praying! Don't Stop!!!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Amen!</span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-82117930439222506912017-01-11T01:21:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:21:06.294-08:00Cancer #17 - A bad reaction, Abraxane and when I start to whine, "It's NOT fair" ...<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So, remember all the "pre-meds" and steroids I mentioned in the last post to ward off any horrible allergic reactions to the Taxol? Well...I had a bad allergic reaction to Taxol on my 3rd round. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">They'd just hooked me up to the IV when I had this horrible shooting pain down my spine and my heart started to pound in my chest. Johann ran into the hall to call the nurse who ran in and stopped the IV and immediately, the pain stopped and my heart started beating normally...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Turns out, THAT was the allergic reaction I was trying to avoid with all the meds....</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So, the Rockstar gave me a week break and then took me off Taxol and on Abraxane for my final 2 rounds of the treatment. Abraxane had the same side effects as the Taxol, but where I didn't experience neuropathy with Taxol, I did with Abraxane. The very next day, in addition to the achies I usually get after chemo, my fingers and toes got numb. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">My fingernails and toenails were black by now also and my skin was taking on an ashy, greyish tone. My face (and the rest of me) was puffy .Not only was I now bald, but my eyelashes and eyebrows were also gone. I hardly recognized myself in the mirror. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Also, as I was getting ready to finish the hardcore chemo, I was getting ready to move on to radiation and I met with the Radiation Oncology department who gave me a run down of their part in my treatment plan - 33 treatments 5 days a week. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I felt like I was definitely making progress toward the END. The milestones were visible and I felt some accomplishment moving from one thing to the next. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Lastly, I went to my first echo cardio gram. One of Herceptin's side effects is heart damage - sometimes irreversible. So, I went in to see if my heart was in a condition to take the Herceptin in the first place...it was...and then I'd have to go back every three months to keep on top of my heart's progress while on the meds this year. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">It seems kind of daunting...if I beat the cancer, then I may have to deal with the long term damage to my heart from the chemo/radiation and or/ lung/skin damage from the radiation. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">"It's not fair" is a phrase that sometimes runs through my mind. Particularly when my mind is ready for a little pity party (which can be quite often, depending on how I'm physically feeling that day)...but then my spirit (and THE Holy Spirit) reminds me that I am SO glad God is not fair...that He does NOT give us what we deserve, because THEN I'd really be in trouble. Instead, He gives grace, and He gives mercy, UNMERITED favor and love and forgiveness, not because I've been so faithful, not because I always obeyed, not because I trusted Him to be with me all of the way, but it's because He loves me so dearly, He was there to answer my call, He was there always to protect me, for He's kept me in the midst of it all. </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-70085532073636258032017-01-11T01:19:00.002-08:002017-01-11T01:19:53.425-08:00Cancer #16 - Taxol and Herceptin and a Life Interrupted<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Johann was back, so he got to meet the Rockstar at my next appointment. It was also at this appointment that I moved into my 2nd round of treatment with the new drugs, Taxol and Herceptin. The Taxol I would take weekly along with the Herceptin for 6 weeks and the Herceptin I would take weekly with the taxol for weeks and THEN once done with the taxol, I'd keep taking Herceptin every 3 weeks for 1 year. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Also, since Taxol is highly toxic, most people have severe allergic reactions to it. So, not only do they give me an IV full of Benedryl in my premeds prior to infusion, but I have to take 10 (yes, TEN) steroid pills the night before I have the chemo - 5 pills 12 hours before and 5 more pills 6 hours before. So, I was setting my alarm and waking up at 2am sometimes to take these pills...and yes, THESE are the dreaded steroids that make you blow up like a balloon. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I digress...the side effects from these drugs were similar to what I experienced on the A/C but slightly worse. The Rockstar had to prescribe some pain pills for daily use just so I wouldn't be completely miserable all the time. This was weird, since I HATE taking pills and here I was was having to take pain meds just to get out of bed. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I feel like I lost most of May and June to the bed. Thankfully the girls finished school and went into summer mode! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I think it was the weekly treatments that did me in. But I still felt like, whatever it takes, I'll do. I knew that this was going to be an uncomfortable time, but that it would be over and it would be worth it. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">At the same time, my girlfriend Venise and I began a Women's bible study group with some other women and we used Priscilla Shirer's study of Jonah, "Navigating an Interrupted Life". This study couldn't have come at a more opportune time. "An Interrupted Life" was certainly what I was experiencing. The study was exactly what I needed to hear from the Lord, in regard to how I was seeing and experiencing my interruption and instead of looking at cancer as an entirely negative intrusion from God, repackaging the "interruption as a Divine Intervention, and looking at it as an opportunity to partner with Him in a work on my heart and in my life. I'm so grateful for the many ways God has sent messages of Hope and encouragement to me throughout this journey. </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-83838940461129839392017-01-11T01:18:00.002-08:002017-01-11T01:18:52.851-08:00Cancer #15 - City of Hope<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Finally my slides from Germany met up with my paperwork and City of Hope called to admit me just in time to keep up with my 4th dose dense blast of A/C and to schedule my appointment with my new oncologist.. I call her, "The Rockstar" because she's pretty reknown for her breast cancer research and I was counting on her to do her thing, still holding onto Dr. Harris, from Germany's goal of CURE. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Unfortunately, my first meeting with the Rockstar left me a little disappointed. I went in, kind of expecting a partner to kick cancers butt. However, when she walked into the room where my mom and I were waiting, the first thing she said was, "I'm VERY sorry to meet you. You are WAY too young to be here." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">CRAP. I knew I was too young for cancer. But I didn't want to hear that from her! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">We spent the rest of the time recanting my medical history and going over the recommended treatment, which hadn't changed any...and then she sent me off to get my 4th and final round of A/C. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Johann and Zeke arrived that weekend! Our little family was back together again, even though we'd been displaced and completely knocked off our feet. The girls were happily adjusted in school, I was getting fantastic medical care and Johann was given an office 10 minutes from home. God is incredibly gracious and in spite of it all I can see His handiwork, His care, His grace and His incredible love for all of us. </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-60638529643258762582017-01-11T01:17:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:17:46.055-08:00Cancer #13 - Chemo #2<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The folks at Naval Station San Diego were awesome. I think inherently, all doctors and nurses working in oncology have an amazing compassion along with their expertise. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I met with Dr. Gable and he listened to my medical history and I spoke with him about referring me to City of Hope, which made sense since San Diego was a 2 hour drive and City of Hope is a 10 minute drive. He said he'd get the paperwork going immediately. In the meanwhile, he oked my chemo for the day, and off I went to the infusion center. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">This room was about twice as big as the infusion room in Spain. But, set up the same way, with the big recliners around the room and lovely windows, letting in the sunlight. I noticed the population in this room was markedly younger, but I'm sure that was due to the population of the Navy base. Most were my age and there was a retiree or two also. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">My mom drove me down and got to sit with me in the room. The room was equipped with wifi so I got to read my iBooks, and surf Facebook. I think I posted something about finishing up another chemo and the responses from my friends were so encouraging and uplifting. I still go back and reread them occasionally and am continually grateful for the support system I have, literally all over the world. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">We stopped at Carls Jr. on the way home and carbed out. I remember my neighbor telling me that she gained 20 kilos during her chemo because not only do the steroids in the 2nd round of treatments cause you to gain, but the chemo itself makes you crave carbs and sweets. Nice...not only do I get to be bald...but I get to be bald AND fat...Oh, lucky me! </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-55670983800765162352017-01-11T01:16:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:16:53.815-08:00Chemo #12 - Old Stomping Grounds and BaldAugust 24, 2012<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The day after I got to my parents home in San Dimas, where we'd be staying during my treatment, I noticed that if I tugged, even the slightest bit, at my hair, that it would come right out....which meant, it was TIME. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I told my dad to grab the clippers...it was time to shave my hair.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">My dad pulled out his clippers AND the vinyl The Wiz soundtrack and we rocked out to "Ease on Down the Road" and "Home" while all my hair (which I'd cut short the previous summer anyway) went on the floor and then into the trash. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">It wasn't as traumatizing as I thought it would be - going bald. In fact, it was nice to not have to wrap up my hair that night when I went to bed. I had bought a bunch of head wraps and a few hats from the Gypsy market before I left Spain. My mom had also bought me some wigs to play around with so I was all set. A friend and fellow survivor from Spain, Heather, also sent me a care package with a bunch of soft caps and my oldest and dearest girlfriend Kerry sent me a carepackage with not only a cool hat, but a BUNCH of feel good, taste good, pick me uppers ranging from beautiful cards with encouraging scripture, candy, nail polish, pretty jewelry, cozy slippers and more. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Getting cancer was a huge bummer. But, having amazing friends who step up and encourage and love and pamper and care really allowed me the ability to keep it movin', bald and all. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Here are the girls and I at Disneyland on the tea cups. Rockin' my scarf! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-32308067259125815392017-01-11T01:15:00.001-08:002017-01-11T01:15:46.792-08:00Chemo #11 - Change of Plans<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">After my first chemo, I met with my primary care doctor at Naval Station Rota. She was the doctor who originally identified my tumor. This was the first time I'd seen her since she sent me to the radiologist and surgeon back in November. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">She set me up with a hospital liaison who was going to accompany me to all my chemo visits and act as translator, etc with the Doctors and nurses should I need help. She reiterated that the base hospital was not equipped to handle chemo patients and that all my care, should I need additional care, would have to be done out in town at the Spanish hospitals. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Johann and I decided that given the long road ahead, with numerous doctors appointments, chemotherapy, radiation, and the unknown factor of how I would handle such treatments, AND given Spanish is not our first language; we decided we would return to the states, California to be specific and I researched the leading cancer centers available and we agreed City of Hope, in Duarte, California, would be where we would plan to go for my care. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">We met with the head surgeon at Rota, who wrote a recommendation for a Medical Evacuation for me and the Navy worked its' magic and within a week, the girls and I had airplane tickets in hand to return to California. We were sent to San Diego Airport because technically, my medevac was written from Naval Hospital Rota, Spain to Naval Hospital San Diego where Dr. Preston Gable would take over my care until he could arrange my referral to City of Hope. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I packed up suitcases for the girls and I and celebrated my birthday with Johann, the girls and my mom at Venta la Feria in El Puerto where we had the best paella I'd ever had. Johann dropped us off at the airport on his birthday two days later and off we flew to San Diego, via Madrid, and Philadelphia. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Johann stayed behind while his transfer paperwork was processed and to pack up our home. He would join us, along with Zeke our chocolate lab exactly 3 weeks later. </span><br />
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Here's a picture of the delicious paella!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPjOz8PHvuOJImqAO3Wb2WKlfD6pypxAJUeHSqOb-N2n2FJaly-Ejf_SrAwLTUVv-oJl041W7jS47ypF5Xw_7kwgowEmFvj1wkrKmHHxG4Siu6sWDasgLBTzv8q3n2ow-qbhI2NSp6ew/s1600/IMG_0775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPjOz8PHvuOJImqAO3Wb2WKlfD6pypxAJUeHSqOb-N2n2FJaly-Ejf_SrAwLTUVv-oJl041W7jS47ypF5Xw_7kwgowEmFvj1wkrKmHHxG4Siu6sWDasgLBTzv8q3n2ow-qbhI2NSp6ew/s1600/IMG_0775.JPG" width="240" /></a>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-64629570517368208722017-01-11T01:15:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:15:06.687-08:00Cancer Blog #10 - Remembering Chemo...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtM7yTv5dhZXiNyQvDgr_qGNXrcb3-XPuthbObIT5xa4BNjLXXIjIMVlE2Fz0yGZCoEnEHfj6JyTJc3h1AWMAXa0SbvdDHZg1MwacFKPJ0ufz7rsUrVg7xTniHFPpskb-2tkTsjGwqlfk/s1600/IMG_0600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>August 24, 2012<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Confession: The last time I wrote on this blog was 7 months ago... I will try to recap as best I can the last few months. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">My chemo was delayed on January 30th because my white cell count wasn't high enough, so I went back the following Tuesday. My Dad left Spain that previous Thursday and called that morning to make sure I was ok. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Everyone knew I was pretty nervous about the chemo. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Johann and I got to the clinic early and after my blood draw which comes first (so the doctor can review my numbers before I take the chemo) and then went to the hospital cafe for breakfast. We had molettes (toasted spanish bread with butter and jam) and cafe con leche. We giggled at some patrons who came in to have a ceveza (beer) to start the morning...I joked that I better not see MY doctor in there and just as I said that, he walked in. He only ordered a coffee (you KNOW we were watching!!!) </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Then it was time to check in for my appointment. It was only down the hall from the cafe, but it seemed like the longest walk ever. I felt like I was walking to the guillotine. There was a small chapel in the hospital, conveniently located between the cafe and my Dr.s office so I slipped in there to say a little prayer...a BIG prayer actually. Begging God to have mercy on me. To give me strength to face whatever was coming down the line. I was fully aware that I was facing a long road and today was the beginning. I needed His help. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I kneeled there for a while and then realized, after my prayer ended and I was still sitting there, that I was no longer praying, but stalling...so I got up and met Johann in the Dr.s office. He'd set up my iPod so I could listen to my favorite songs and relax a bit. He'd also downloaded some movies and television episodes to keep me busy while we waited...I turned on Israel Houghton's Friend medley and listened to it on repeat and felt immediately relaxed. That song would get me through pretty much ALL my chemo sessions...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">And they called my name. Johann and I met with the doctor who oked me for chemo and I went to the ambulatory infusion center right next door for the treatment. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I would learn that this chemo room would be pretty standard in the comfy recliners that lined the room. Big windows along the wall, letting in lots of sunlight. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I saw men and women, mostly older, some youngish, like me, laughing and chatting with their spouse, friends, or other family members as if they were sitting in a Starbucks. This made me feel better too. I don't know what I was expecting, but there they were, no one was in pain or crying or even looked particularly "sick." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">My nurse came to start my infusion. I noticed the IV contents were red and knew that must be the Adriomycin (aka - Red Devil). Johann gave my hand a squeeze as the nurse found the port in my chest and poked right in with the IV. She asked me (in Spanish) if I was ok, and I said, yes, and she smiled and gave my arm a reassuring rub before walking away. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I noticed too that the other patients in the room had looked over to see me getting my (obviously) first chemo. Johann was busy taking my picture hooked up to the IV, and I had that shell shocked look. So we were clearly the newbies...all of them also gave me a reassuring smile. As one older women finished her chemo, she and her husband stopped by to ask how many treatments I'd had. I told her this was my first and she said, that that was her last. She said (in Spanish) for me to be strong ("muy fuerte") and hang in there! I loved her immediately and wanted to hug her. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">And so, chemo number 1 came and went without much ado. I was also given a Neulasta shot which I was to inject into my stomach. Neulasta is a drug that boosts the immune system to counteract the chemo which kills all my white blood cells. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Johann played nurse and gave me my shot the next morning. I was not happy about being given a shot especially by someone with NO medical training...but there was a lot of things I didn't particularly like about this situation...</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">t spent the rest of the day in bed, resting and feeling slightly nauseated. I didn't eat much. But overall, felt that I felt better than I expected to feel. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNHzsHuCZeiLWixA5791RhxawLyY5tB05c2kOGhHYqGyLNT0lt0uekDqKml7Wx9403VXMMOXWd9ApfiGhP4Apoc3b7AOFx_SmEmfuaOibzIvzA5BxjyRj2eW5tExx8mWl8_enQZYP0rA/s1600/IMG_0767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNHzsHuCZeiLWixA5791RhxawLyY5tB05c2kOGhHYqGyLNT0lt0uekDqKml7Wx9403VXMMOXWd9ApfiGhP4Apoc3b7AOFx_SmEmfuaOibzIvzA5BxjyRj2eW5tExx8mWl8_enQZYP0rA/s1600/IMG_0767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNHzsHuCZeiLWixA5791RhxawLyY5tB05c2kOGhHYqGyLNT0lt0uekDqKml7Wx9403VXMMOXWd9ApfiGhP4Apoc3b7AOFx_SmEmfuaOibzIvzA5BxjyRj2eW5tExx8mWl8_enQZYP0rA/s1600/IMG_0767.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNHzsHuCZeiLWixA5791RhxawLyY5tB05c2kOGhHYqGyLNT0lt0uekDqKml7Wx9403VXMMOXWd9ApfiGhP4Apoc3b7AOFx_SmEmfuaOibzIvzA5BxjyRj2eW5tExx8mWl8_enQZYP0rA/s1600/IMG_0767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Here is the photoshoot Johann took of me in the Infusion Center about to get my first chemo. </span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2hxD4Pk9YceTGenUxIkSTkAbhvV_aHUEniyE9kBM59Q3VHsqbHxpz8ctluwauxmNI5bYTowxyojuoC5f_z86h9MwyZXbBRVclPIBQI-F2d_VYV3dc7hWvC9uhB9E19QFXTAfJmsZsGA/s1600/IMG_0768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2hxD4Pk9YceTGenUxIkSTkAbhvV_aHUEniyE9kBM59Q3VHsqbHxpz8ctluwauxmNI5bYTowxyojuoC5f_z86h9MwyZXbBRVclPIBQI-F2d_VYV3dc7hWvC9uhB9E19QFXTAfJmsZsGA/s1600/IMG_0768.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4kIFHIlJUDekaYbCbGIcakOlYZuqRFxclsXSQaJIFpHVW2Qf-MHLCQ-RnnE_iAczRPRp_iyude2Ub_8k_VpQ9AfIqknG3ITEqP-5C2hUkt4nB7CICRiLPblZ2fvJ02TBrTGzLnrS8hs/s1600/IMG_0769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4kIFHIlJUDekaYbCbGIcakOlYZuqRFxclsXSQaJIFpHVW2Qf-MHLCQ-RnnE_iAczRPRp_iyude2Ub_8k_VpQ9AfIqknG3ITEqP-5C2hUkt4nB7CICRiLPblZ2fvJ02TBrTGzLnrS8hs/s1600/IMG_0769.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXf7o9DvMeR9swKWr6twgR7OYakyK_eoluHjrr4zHe0zQxYsmzZDyGFzr5l2Xymx-AaFha7ixphoaSyU3j5iVTjxaFD8C-pv8OEZWheoLlsaRu453UJQMuDnAtZTrdVuzE3f9qosf_gY/s1600/IMG_0772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinXf7o9DvMeR9swKWr6twgR7OYakyK_eoluHjrr4zHe0zQxYsmzZDyGFzr5l2Xymx-AaFha7ixphoaSyU3j5iVTjxaFD8C-pv8OEZWheoLlsaRu453UJQMuDnAtZTrdVuzE3f9qosf_gY/s1600/IMG_0772.JPG" width="240" /></a>Here's a picture of my "Port scar"...underneath that small incision, the Dr. in Germany placed a plastic portal that attaches to my vein and receives the chemotherapy. It's kind of like the Matrix, but instead of plugging into an alternate reality, they plug the chemo needle in and I get the meds without messing up the veins in my arms. <br />
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And here's the DREADED NEEDLE!!!! :-)R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-60225323377436796392017-01-11T01:14:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:14:00.089-08:00Cancer Blog #8January 30, 2012<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I ended the last entry mentioning that everyone here was coughing...and that I was scheduled to begin chemo on Thursday...well, the cooties got me. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I showed up for my chemo appointment at the clinic in Jerez and gave blood so they could see what my numbers were...My appointment was at 8:30 and when I went to see the Dr. for my consult before the chemo began, he let me know that according to my blood work, my white blood cell count was too low to begin chemo...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">He said I must have a "beruz"...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Johann and I were like, WHAT? I have a WHAT??? A BERUZ??? What is that? So, he wrote it down...VIRUS...(ahhhh.... the subtleties of English/Spanish vocabulary!) </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Well, I was relieved to know that a "beruz" was just a virus and yes, I had been feeling a teeny bit like I had the smallest cold...itchy throat, bit of sneezing...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">But, mostly, I felt like the turkey who is pardoned by the president on Thanksgiving day, because I tell you I was NOT, NOT, NOT ready for chemo...I was a nervous wreck. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">When he said, Sorry...let's see how you do after resting this week and we'll start chemo next week, I wanted to hug him!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So, this week, I am avoiding all contact with coughers...I've forbidden my darling daughters from drinking out of my cups. And doing all I can to rest up and get ready, cause NOW, I'm ready. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Bring on the chemo! And thank God for knowing that I am a chicken sometimes and needed an extra week to prep. </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-77157953546032142692017-01-11T01:13:00.001-08:002017-01-11T01:13:40.550-08:00Cancer Blog #7January 21, 2012<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Back in Spain. Healing well from the surgery and enjoying my parents who have flown in. Met with the Dr. here in Spain who referred me out to the Spanish oncologist. (The hospital on base does not have an oncologist on staff, so we get sent to a local oncologist). Dr. del Toro (Our Spanish oncologist) was very nice and I am set to begin chemotherapy on Thursday (1/26). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I am thankful to also have my friend's cancer team at the top cancer center in America consulting with my recommended treatment and we are moving forward with my very aggressive regime. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I also have my oncologist from Germany checking in and concurring with my RT! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">It is wonderful that I have so much medical support in addition to the the prayer covering and I am confident that the two are not mutually exclusive. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">In the meanwhile, I am trying to stay healthy as I go into chemo. I understand that the drugs will lower my white blood count which will lower my immune system and make me more susceptible to illness. Unfortunately, everyone around here is coughing...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Pray for ALL of our health in this household!</span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-10823977595025409492017-01-11T01:13:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:13:06.337-08:00Cancer Blog #6<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Our final days in Germany I went through a series of CT scans of all my vital organs, a Bone Scan and an MRI to rule out that cancer had gone anywhere else in my body. The surgery confirmed that the cancer was stage 3A - based on the tumor size 2.7 and the number of affected lymph nodes 6 out of 19. Praise God, all tests came back negative for metastasis (ie, the cancer has not spread to any other part of my body). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The 3A staging was sobering news, but we know that God is not surprised by any of this, so we have comfort knowing that He is still in control. And we were continually blessed by the professionalism and kindness of our medical team in Germany who provided us with all the information we needed to digest the information and the marching orders toward CURE (ie. treatment in the form of chemotherapy and radiation to be arranged when we got back to Spain). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">We flew back to Spain on Friday, January 6th and after being gone for 3 weeks were SO happy to be HOME! We will meet with the medical team here in Rota tomorrow to get our referral to an oncologist here so we can move forward with treatment tomorrow!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Please keep those prayers going up on our behalf!</span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-31428212326045022372017-01-11T01:12:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:12:24.198-08:00Cancer Blog #5<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I stayed the night and half the next day in the hospital - mostly in a drugged haze and got lots of lovely rest. Everything went textbook. No complications and Johann and the girls took me home that night. We spent the next days just relaxing at our apartment. Johann cooked and kept the girls busy. He put up a beautiful Christmas tree and covered the bottom with presents! It felt just like a regular family vacation! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Christmas day came and we spent the day as we usually do, celebrating God's greatest gift to us, His son, and enjoying the gifts we gave each other!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I spent a few more days resting and got a little restless and ready for a little road trip, so we drove back to the beautiful village of Heidelberg to finish the shopping we wanted to do while we were there last time and picked up some lovely German souvenirs. And on New Years Day we drove 4 hours to Paris, France for a few days to kick off 2012 with a bang! We know that all of God's blessings are not in the past and we anxiously look ahead to this new year to see what miracles and blessings He has in store for us! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Here's a picture of me from the morning of surgery right before I went in.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtM7yTv5dhZXiNyQvDgr_qGNXrcb3-XPuthbObIT5xa4BNjLXXIjIMVlE2Fz0yGZCoEnEHfj6JyTJc3h1AWMAXa0SbvdDHZg1MwacFKPJ0ufz7rsUrVg7xTniHFPpskb-2tkTsjGwqlfk/s1600/IMG_0600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtM7yTv5dhZXiNyQvDgr_qGNXrcb3-XPuthbObIT5xa4BNjLXXIjIMVlE2Fz0yGZCoEnEHfj6JyTJc3h1AWMAXa0SbvdDHZg1MwacFKPJ0ufz7rsUrVg7xTniHFPpskb-2tkTsjGwqlfk/s1600/IMG_0600.JPG" width="240" /></a>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-42976528488987367762017-01-11T01:11:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:11:29.129-08:00Cancer Blog #3 <span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Today I meet again with the oncologist and go to pre-op for the big day tomorrow. Yesterday, I went to radiology for mammograms and ultrasounds of both breasts. The right is free and clear! (Hooray!) The left is up to all kinds of shenanigans...In addition to the small tumor that was originally identified, another small one was discovered near the bottom and there is calcification of the tissue throughout. So, a mastectomy was decided upon as the best way to move forward. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">In addition to the mastectomy, the surgeon will remove a sample of lymph nodes from underneath my arm to see if the cancer has spread to other locations. If there is cancer in the lymph node sample, the Dr. will remove ALL of the lymph nodes on that side (they will get lab results while I am in surgery). And we'll treat the metathesis with chemo or radiation when I get back to Spain. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I will stay overnight tomorrow after the surgery and go home the following day. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">In addition to all our Dr. appointments, Johann, the girls and I have been able to explore this base here in Germany and all its American amenities! There is a Macaroni Grill here, a Chili's! (This is exciting news to a family who has been living out of the country for the past 2 years)...and we hear there is a 24 hour BREAKFAST diner on base! This is really exciting news since the Spanish don't eat American breakfast and unless you make it yourself, there is no such thing as pancakes. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">We were also able to drive down to Heidelberg on Sunday afternoon. Germany is famous for it's Christmas markets and Heidelberg's was lovely! So grateful for the memories and family time we are able to share here in spite of the circumstances!</span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-22826084263060874292017-01-11T01:10:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:10:25.476-08:00Cancer Blog #2December 20, 2011<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The next few days past the positive diagnosis were filled with logistics of travel, and as we were coming up to the Christmas holiday, the girls were jam packed with activities, ballet rehearsals for the big Polar Express event on the base, and Johann and I trying to get all our Christmas shopping done for them since we were to be leaving in the next few days. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Everything was arranged and approved and we were set to leave for Germany on Sunday the 19th. Then we got word that Ibiria Airlines (the American Airlines Spanish counterpart) would be starting a strike that day, so we had to push our travel up to Saturday. I LOVE that the Spanish advertise their anticipated strikes so people can plan...so thoughtful. :-) </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Friday night the girls performed BEAUTIFULLY. These two little girls are such a blessing to Johann and I and they bring us so much joy and pride. Always, but especially during this holiday season we want to spoil them and love them; and it was brought to my mind, Matthew 7:11 - "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him (NIV). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">We know how much we love these girls and we can only imagine how dearly and passionately the love of God is for us but when I say He has poured our his love and blessings on us everyday throughout this journey, it is no exaggeration. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I began calling to inform our family of the diagnosis and started with a few close friends and each call was emotional, exhausting and left me with a terrible headache afterward. So Johann and I discussed going public with it on facebook. To let our friends know what was going on in our family and ask for prayer. I was a little hesitant about it because I didn't want to be "the girl with cancer"...but then I realized, I AM the girl with cancer. I may as well let people know so they can join us in prayer. And we are SO glad we did. The response was OVERWHELMING love and support and promises of prayers and blessings from all over the world. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The prayers and love has given me strength, comfort and courage! We are so blessed to have such amazing family and friends committed to love us and walk with us. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I also have been blessed by women who have privately and publicly shared their breast cancer survival stories with me and their stories too have inspired me!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Finally, and most importantly, it has been continually made clear to me that this is not about me. Why do I exist? Is it to have gone to Spelman or work in film? Is it to publish a best selling novel and go on fancy European vacations? Is it to be happily married and mother these two precious girls? Why? Well, I believe that all of the events of life are gifts and mostly opportunities. But the real reason we are all here is to know God and to make Him known to others. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">As my mortality is ever before me these days, I realize how nothing else really matters and it is my prayer that in this test of my health, my faith, my strength and stamina; all that really matters is not whether I live or die, but how I live while I am here. Am I pointing to Jesus with my life? Am I bringing Him glory because He IS worthy in spite of my circumstances. He is worthy and not because He has blessed me exceedingly abundantly beyond my wildest imaginations already, and I have no idea of the miracles in store for my life in the future, but I will praise Him because He is God. </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-19978199972384287512017-01-11T01:09:00.000-08:002017-01-11T01:09:39.099-08:00Cancer Blog #1<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">So, I am beginning this journal a little ways into my journey so I'll do a little recap...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">In October I went in for my annual health screening where women have a Pap and are given routine breast exams. My primary care physician gave me a clean bill of health but spent some time focused on a small nodule in my left breast. She said it wasn't too suspicious but that we should watch it and see if it changes and if not, that she'd send me out for a closer look. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I went back the following month for the closer look and the nodule was unchanged so she sent me immediately to make appointments for general surgery (she said it would need to be removed whether it was dangerous or not) and also with radiology (to determine whether or not it was dangerous). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I saw both Dr.s the following day and both Dr.s were cautiously suspicious of this little lump...the General Surgeon did a small ultrasound then said it was "probably nothing to be alarmed by, but we'd better be sure"...and he sent me down to radiology. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The radiologist also did an ultrasound and then a biopsy of the lump where he made a small incision and collected three tissue samples that he placed in a jar and sent to the lab in Landstuhl, Germany (the largest military medical facility in Europe) since we don't have all the fancy pathology equipment down in little Rota, Spain. He said my results would be back in a week. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The following week, I was scheduled for my follow up with him but his office called with the news that his baby arrived (Yay!) and that we'd reschedule to a few days later...I asked if my results had come back from Germany and the Corpman said she'd check. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The next afternoon I was home with the girls and got a call from Family Practice and asked to come in TODAY..."Ut oh". Sign number 1.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> So, I called Johann who was on base and told him what was going on and asked him to meet me so I could give him the girls and go to the appointment. Of course, my husband was like, "No, I'm coming with you." And he was there in the waiting room when I arrived. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">The funny thing about cancer is that everyone is totally freaked out by it. And I get it. It's not a party. It can be a killer. But what I noticed immediately was how it can make people very uncomfortable. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I had checked into the clinic and about a minute later, this poor Corpman (enlisted physicians assistant who work in the hospital/clinic) comes to call me back to the room and he doesn't </span><em style="color: #545559; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">really</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> make eye contact with me. And usually when the hospital staff calls your name, they look at you in the eye, smile and say, with some pep, "Mrs. Aaron!!!" </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">He said my name like he was calling me for the Hunger Games. Sign number 2.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I went to the back and was led into a patient room, and immediately a Dr. I'd never met before, and a nurse came in..both looking all somber. The Dr. sits down and says, "Mrs. Aaron, the results of your biopsy came back today and it's positive for cancer...(pregnant pause)." He's watching me...waiting for me to freak out...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I stare back at him cause I'm wondering if that is ALL he has to say? Is he going to rush me to surgery now? Let's get the sucker out!!!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Then he is all Dr. Phil..."I know this may be a shock to you, but we have some social service workers available to help..." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Bwahahahaaaa - Ok...so, I explained this wasn't exactly that huge a shock...I've been seeing this train coming for about a month after the initial discovery of the lump in my breast...so I ask some questions...He answered as many as he could and set me up to meet with my Dr. the following Monday (that was a Friday). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Ok, so Monday, I meet again with the General Surgeon and he confirms my positive diagnosis and we discuss treatment options. Obviously I will have a lumpectomy or a mastectomy depending on the extent of the cancer and we discussed the need to travel since they do not perform this procedure in Rota. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Because my husband ROCKS, he was already well aware of all the Medivac (Medical Evacuation) procedures for his command and was well on his way to getting us out of Rota and me on an operating table as soon as possible. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #545559; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Within 24 hours and with my Dr. in Rota calling ahead on our behalf, writing orders and getting the Commanding Officer of the Hospital in Rota to send an official memo to the Commanding Officer at Johann's command, we were heading to Landstuhl, Germany to meet the Oncologists and General Surgeon and schedule the surgery. </span>R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-64004159624288796452012-04-13T11:47:00.019-07:002012-04-18T10:54:31.153-07:002012 in Paris!There were beautiful photos of German castles and villages on the walls of our apartment and we were thinking of driving to the famous, Neuschwanstein Castle (the one Walt Disney based Sleeping Beauty's castle on)...but looking at the map, it was about a 6 hour drive north from where we were staying...<br /><br />So, then we realized we were only a 4 hour drive from Paris and since Paris is my favorite place in the entire world, and since we wanted to start the new year off, true to our 2012 motto, "The Best is Yet to Come" based on the verse, 1 Corinthians 2:9 "Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, nor has entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him", we decided there wasn't a better place to be than the City of Lights on New Years Day!<br /><br />So, off we went...<br /><br />It was an adventurous ride as it began to rain pretty heavily and the windshield wipers STOPPED working...we made some detours to try to swap the car out with dealers along the way, but since it was NEW YEARS DAY, everything was closed...Thankfully, the rain slowed and we got to Paris safely, where our rental car company swapped us out for a new car at Orly Airport, but again, and continually, God showed us how carefully he watches us.<br /><br />Paris was incredible. We arrived just as night fell and checked into our hotel. Johann worked his magic as he is so well equipped at doing, and scored us a room with a view of the Eiffel Tower. The girls and I oooohhhed and ahhed each time it glittered every hour on the hour. We dropped our bags off in the room and headed to the Eiffel Tower to see it sparkle up close and while there ate some delicious crepes, sausages and FRENCH fries!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMduCaVYuXOTpsP0j5ErcKXq4yiyEZ19baqsm1dK_BdWyUz3dpQ1d3wFdKeGtcqYWJbby5u_Sbac4Om1jKdY9bs0iyJCf5xkcxewpPKsRCuk4RSjYLrSXmSGoxQDsHIXU3X32JViEYIg/s1600/DSCF2871.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMduCaVYuXOTpsP0j5ErcKXq4yiyEZ19baqsm1dK_BdWyUz3dpQ1d3wFdKeGtcqYWJbby5u_Sbac4Om1jKdY9bs0iyJCf5xkcxewpPKsRCuk4RSjYLrSXmSGoxQDsHIXU3X32JViEYIg/s320/DSCF2871.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732784664612549890" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlpM_dOtRMJY62xbDOhiWCtQL2C0fcyULVr8LjII3s2DBznSQVm8405F-9RWhvYqC9VPZ1PYeemXw-6Wefniyupjy6EQNssyWCkfUALcPWm4JLZ0oNaRyNG9g4dqKmG40DAc5n9X89Yg/s1600/DSCF2864.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlpM_dOtRMJY62xbDOhiWCtQL2C0fcyULVr8LjII3s2DBznSQVm8405F-9RWhvYqC9VPZ1PYeemXw-6Wefniyupjy6EQNssyWCkfUALcPWm4JLZ0oNaRyNG9g4dqKmG40DAc5n9X89Yg/s320/DSCF2864.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732784654516198034" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyay6xkRTZzLlw6NlYXo_P-AZOUzIQoP0lPnTLAGGFI7xzFU78QTncMpbEjYupeUgL-Zea23q497785IacZtFlYBG4fQrDO0SwzNk4fe_2iqlMiLnD2tieDoQUa3z_HQzFDyu9Aylz84s/s1600/DSCF2875.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyay6xkRTZzLlw6NlYXo_P-AZOUzIQoP0lPnTLAGGFI7xzFU78QTncMpbEjYupeUgL-Zea23q497785IacZtFlYBG4fQrDO0SwzNk4fe_2iqlMiLnD2tieDoQUa3z_HQzFDyu9Aylz84s/s320/DSCF2875.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732784679187339298" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0a3l4nUmqiiHv268F6dj5dAVOA8Hx5pBNViDZAiLI4sPWywJFTmfOcL09ffTwzElgJfUT0fFAZ0gzudjU7jYTwX7j6dgOQngizD3_VUIM_AtUlvSZz6zEhbvAVzefWSfDjxxSAyDc-o/s1600/DSCF2879.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo0a3l4nUmqiiHv268F6dj5dAVOA8Hx5pBNViDZAiLI4sPWywJFTmfOcL09ffTwzElgJfUT0fFAZ0gzudjU7jYTwX7j6dgOQngizD3_VUIM_AtUlvSZz6zEhbvAVzefWSfDjxxSAyDc-o/s320/DSCF2879.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732789322547592914" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyLEXMkJ3dB2fxfVuw49J-D-DnDlIaoE8jvplBA3elBLAbeQbY4N9kPd1cfLkWxNyIkXgLmxWnCHR3AagVdN9IMZCu2b7hohZCiGbykV1FHh5VtHfkxlv6ba1Fhyun4IDV7VqL44xJzM/s1600/DSCF2881.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAyLEXMkJ3dB2fxfVuw49J-D-DnDlIaoE8jvplBA3elBLAbeQbY4N9kPd1cfLkWxNyIkXgLmxWnCHR3AagVdN9IMZCu2b7hohZCiGbykV1FHh5VtHfkxlv6ba1Fhyun4IDV7VqL44xJzM/s320/DSCF2881.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732789327907472786" border="0" /></a><br />It was a magical night. My favorite New Years by FAR!<br /><br />The next morning we got up bright and early to eat breakfast at a lovely cafe...the girls were excited for their fresh baguettes avec buerre et jus d'orange (which they have been talking about since our last trip to Paris) and Johann and I enjoyed our quiche lorraines and cafe au lait!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qUoGJTLW1FieaHplwLZji5t9CnxpofkjGuFzH7CoLc02Je5HwLzdQbnuk_9sf4YRpa7DlZbfaKaEfVDkfDN4v8CSg23oMZ92d4vc4U5Wb0diIn_B74jT-9WWr3zi2EDXdD66RHA-BQo/s1600/DSCF2889.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qUoGJTLW1FieaHplwLZji5t9CnxpofkjGuFzH7CoLc02Je5HwLzdQbnuk_9sf4YRpa7DlZbfaKaEfVDkfDN4v8CSg23oMZ92d4vc4U5Wb0diIn_B74jT-9WWr3zi2EDXdD66RHA-BQo/s320/DSCF2889.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732787960330160642" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdUtsF-P3JswFe6Ds7Gi-BR4pn83PzDccyD1GG-pZnNLbnB1mHJUqlG1DLEqv3vkCki6UGddIFASwMyzLFm9FsAwqAISS4S5Ko_c2t0_FwAQg91453gxm6OP0ndswHOxUpQKSWfYKWNs/s1600/DSCF2893.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdUtsF-P3JswFe6Ds7Gi-BR4pn83PzDccyD1GG-pZnNLbnB1mHJUqlG1DLEqv3vkCki6UGddIFASwMyzLFm9FsAwqAISS4S5Ko_c2t0_FwAQg91453gxm6OP0ndswHOxUpQKSWfYKWNs/s320/DSCF2893.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732789338615881682" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After breakfast we walked to the Hotel de Ville where there was an ice skating rink!!! Johann took the girls skating while I snapped pictures and laughed at their efforts to stay up right! Still recovering from surgery, I decided to keep my two feet on the ground! The girls said this was the highlight of their trip!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91ATfQWBWnPS9swy7ebF_Dd5FJEhIzmssWWlGiwUaaqQN0VtkcY1VHtQLC5iWv38M53aOmxvliGHiIifZ2RJL8WVFx3awTErHjLreJkCFTE_wNzAc0a-R2Uf82ibT7AbPXNVfSSpDooU/s1600/DSCF2903.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91ATfQWBWnPS9swy7ebF_Dd5FJEhIzmssWWlGiwUaaqQN0VtkcY1VHtQLC5iWv38M53aOmxvliGHiIifZ2RJL8WVFx3awTErHjLreJkCFTE_wNzAc0a-R2Uf82ibT7AbPXNVfSSpDooU/s320/DSCF2903.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732787945134723522" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9xz0E2Ga9ZyoPAAnknyKmn54-wNGZ-huV_w43KaAk_nFutmQV4MDVSZQRz_qX4EqLu-LdpfcOOxL2jrgS_cvwfSlyDetbG3JmmVbamb8yFYYdXGKWo26dom2T_d4bhWsQkbzwQi4EoU/s1600/DSCF2916.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9xz0E2Ga9ZyoPAAnknyKmn54-wNGZ-huV_w43KaAk_nFutmQV4MDVSZQRz_qX4EqLu-LdpfcOOxL2jrgS_cvwfSlyDetbG3JmmVbamb8yFYYdXGKWo26dom2T_d4bhWsQkbzwQi4EoU/s320/DSCF2916.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732787968713516322" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBojrhG8VAbuQwYLV1hPO_oDytVF-UVS_GnyCi-Wju-W4yE0kCbVIxCXRn0HOl9t_5ycu4n4sCvHozgMekU6IvGnx7srH-jAxEKsEU9Zc6AmyS08fkiGTRuhJA3g3NYwLqrQSyd12ysN8/s1600/DSCF2925.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBojrhG8VAbuQwYLV1hPO_oDytVF-UVS_GnyCi-Wju-W4yE0kCbVIxCXRn0HOl9t_5ycu4n4sCvHozgMekU6IvGnx7srH-jAxEKsEU9Zc6AmyS08fkiGTRuhJA3g3NYwLqrQSyd12ysN8/s320/DSCF2925.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732790626049071314" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqqE9XMXSkvENyjRxVXpMaFCuKRMWo0hAgmymFjv7B4WJupxtLK9QmnwcyvO0CrKcFPriLSYvElUFV3QJ8fLIAytuMCP1RwnKLImNzJWBHcFisnAKnfLiFD27AxO0KwRD1J_ze86AkmE/s1600/DSCF2953.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqqE9XMXSkvENyjRxVXpMaFCuKRMWo0hAgmymFjv7B4WJupxtLK9QmnwcyvO0CrKcFPriLSYvElUFV3QJ8fLIAytuMCP1RwnKLImNzJWBHcFisnAKnfLiFD27AxO0KwRD1J_ze86AkmE/s320/DSCF2953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732790617536515234" border="0" /></a><br />We walked from the skating rink, along the Seine River to Notre Dame...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG81yqCal3lcHL1DQmPRUZGnhu5BrPXd3TixP5CoMqZzuv-49j0gRM43jPmIo48cANFe3ownnPKcAn1sOOOnlY1jn2D8PSIwb_Rx5dcJtIFLI0MgpHlX4sNFUm3y0MsE4KkOHFuG4Vrog/s1600/DSCF2958.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG81yqCal3lcHL1DQmPRUZGnhu5BrPXd3TixP5CoMqZzuv-49j0gRM43jPmIo48cANFe3ownnPKcAn1sOOOnlY1jn2D8PSIwb_Rx5dcJtIFLI0MgpHlX4sNFUm3y0MsE4KkOHFuG4Vrog/s320/DSCF2958.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732790639572710786" border="0" /></a><br />Praying in a church like Notre Dame really gives you a sense of awe and wonder at the hugeness and majesty of God. I think sometimes it's easy to get very casual with God when we worship in our churches at home, but the builders of the ancient cathedrals knew what they were doing to build such glorious tributes as a place of worship. I am honored to have been able to kneel there and worship my God!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEHbfkpKcFy1ha78giqljrORhbgPYmiJxL8TnfCLuQLu19TxDKaUqiYk6VgT_VbiW5mXfuWOeUSpbzadqOn7jGbuuom8FCk3H5QeOdvrzZOxMgdrWzE74lIduGtsaWsexZtthP5g2yZo/s1600/DSCF2970.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEHbfkpKcFy1ha78giqljrORhbgPYmiJxL8TnfCLuQLu19TxDKaUqiYk6VgT_VbiW5mXfuWOeUSpbzadqOn7jGbuuom8FCk3H5QeOdvrzZOxMgdrWzE74lIduGtsaWsexZtthP5g2yZo/s320/DSCF2970.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732792048106386434" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OcCwOvMfZ3fbk7WJJY3I_QzkFewX287orSQv0MyiFex979GdV4sAdjvP9jkGD7hSn-_jo7R4xNnd7hv7GwvkGdQE3tCOXpLt2GUvowexR7U9LMKGnftlOR2MvLSoJeXeFaD8gcfP1kY/s1600/DSCF2968.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OcCwOvMfZ3fbk7WJJY3I_QzkFewX287orSQv0MyiFex979GdV4sAdjvP9jkGD7hSn-_jo7R4xNnd7hv7GwvkGdQE3tCOXpLt2GUvowexR7U9LMKGnftlOR2MvLSoJeXeFaD8gcfP1kY/s320/DSCF2968.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732792051667535106" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ24SzuyF44cNaBX15SBYYpo-pT6OYFi7qPRVIi0VH86AnEYh4WNvbSx0VV35GQc3qXUzABPIZ4DFRBhDm86GYF5LmV7oRjOnFiNZKQkYtF8kF7HBU85qJTkdJfnbl9kK5-aOGCv4mOrg/s1600/DSCF2982.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ24SzuyF44cNaBX15SBYYpo-pT6OYFi7qPRVIi0VH86AnEYh4WNvbSx0VV35GQc3qXUzABPIZ4DFRBhDm86GYF5LmV7oRjOnFiNZKQkYtF8kF7HBU85qJTkdJfnbl9kK5-aOGCv4mOrg/s320/DSCF2982.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732792061829289570" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4o_yNoP1CIGwiU0KSAhxNz_svt0a4AUjwZteNHcBQUrGC0jPO1xjJVTMpzwCLGW2Mvs0R_tpa8-ULmBexyQABTSXHsK41mswxF2BheRti_uiybY0V34UtB8qwV4myBpI0p3w6ReA6ow/s1600/DSCF2991.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4o_yNoP1CIGwiU0KSAhxNz_svt0a4AUjwZteNHcBQUrGC0jPO1xjJVTMpzwCLGW2Mvs0R_tpa8-ULmBexyQABTSXHsK41mswxF2BheRti_uiybY0V34UtB8qwV4myBpI0p3w6ReA6ow/s320/DSCF2991.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732792067547797810" border="0" /></a><br />Nutella and Banana crepes on our way back to the car and hotel for a little nap...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-Qquv3GjYYYHUUqGllbL3SvZbs8esZvXLWUhfAI4NgipTVgJmiLnJSXQu9hsPnZVjJ34ZRKyLem7NihHM5Yo844NHnc8HwKysjMuZvgNixPNhMAkvKLwkocYX1WrYIu9RSBRcYa1JJQ/s1600/DSCF3008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-Qquv3GjYYYHUUqGllbL3SvZbs8esZvXLWUhfAI4NgipTVgJmiLnJSXQu9hsPnZVjJ34ZRKyLem7NihHM5Yo844NHnc8HwKysjMuZvgNixPNhMAkvKLwkocYX1WrYIu9RSBRcYa1JJQ/s320/DSCF3008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732793362936138658" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pv_DtvWMLyPy3W627QL2euOvY4-kgp492y3eyS9OCZhT9DIdY8DFYLpWqmWEdx_Fp0RTEjsTUYJVEz36Gw3Of_DB0FjzdWhiHfqsggDYGLZ31-FpNXBGJRG1g7Mtn3d_3p5Yh98WfBY/s1600/DSCF3010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pv_DtvWMLyPy3W627QL2euOvY4-kgp492y3eyS9OCZhT9DIdY8DFYLpWqmWEdx_Fp0RTEjsTUYJVEz36Gw3Of_DB0FjzdWhiHfqsggDYGLZ31-FpNXBGJRG1g7Mtn3d_3p5Yh98WfBY/s320/DSCF3010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732793369683559122" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That evening we drove to the Champs Ellysee for dinner at this delicious sushi restaurant! We sat and grabbed plate after plate as the fresh sushi went by via conveyor belt!! Then to Haagen Daaz for dessert. Mmmmmm!!!! We walked the Christmas markets along the avenue...even riding the ginormous ferris wheel at the Place de la Concorde! (Against Rayna's wishes!) And finally a post midnight snack at Le McDonald's :-) before retiring to bed on our last night in Paris.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUmW8-HLbT67zu3yDI1OebV1_JrIftQ1knPNaI4_xY4Crc-vbMz36qalvCB79LF5KIEOZ9MVD58po7BSQ36eMpJSkub1Q3ndMA1rGn0cWlSF0sHdPCFumQPQMoFWq3Y4CiP3qZtM2Vls/s1600/DSCF3029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUmW8-HLbT67zu3yDI1OebV1_JrIftQ1knPNaI4_xY4Crc-vbMz36qalvCB79LF5KIEOZ9MVD58po7BSQ36eMpJSkub1Q3ndMA1rGn0cWlSF0sHdPCFumQPQMoFWq3Y4CiP3qZtM2Vls/s320/DSCF3029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732793384570088914" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcAuUhRFHNYkhmFhjPxRJQYqgwiFxJxEwumDK9HHiJ-lRQX41C_n5MfYdrRgEkqTzwXqSFqYqgvhThWxpnrjNF2HvLkMWLpQLWn9506lH02DRo59UDws20Zb6q56P8NRUmXo_SJ9fj5U/s1600/DSCF3039.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcAuUhRFHNYkhmFhjPxRJQYqgwiFxJxEwumDK9HHiJ-lRQX41C_n5MfYdrRgEkqTzwXqSFqYqgvhThWxpnrjNF2HvLkMWLpQLWn9506lH02DRo59UDws20Zb6q56P8NRUmXo_SJ9fj5U/s320/DSCF3039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732793395268788258" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the morning, we slept in a bit, and then had brunch in the Latin Quarter by the Sorbonne...Croque Monsieurs all around! We took a long stroll through the beautiful Luxembourg Gardens and let the girls play in the large playground before taking the 4 hour trip back to Germany.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRVqZRloRrRvHIWFeCJkUBfJt0e1alN_sBL2ONrg51z2avRO8GPp2rXw4Rb_SDtdf2or_m_m-1FCDpDKDSneM0SPFqTXe3WOBF4tUfyLmmk4XgPhI9TJp_-D602JWd4I1fYg8gi3uzyQ/s1600/DSCF3060.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRVqZRloRrRvHIWFeCJkUBfJt0e1alN_sBL2ONrg51z2avRO8GPp2rXw4Rb_SDtdf2or_m_m-1FCDpDKDSneM0SPFqTXe3WOBF4tUfyLmmk4XgPhI9TJp_-D602JWd4I1fYg8gi3uzyQ/s320/DSCF3060.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732798182333189090" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTlDOE2VOJMFjZdWMtv_fM-73rYv7vumqdxNUuf5zI9VZGeX2GJ5CnH5YTEt6dMXMD4IfxjXmDlkWm8lsqix6CNKqakPK1oNQ0ODuC4NOIR6hvOg7Q7eEWQ2jnS80VI7nXHCHSGiaoxU/s1600/DSCF3064.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTlDOE2VOJMFjZdWMtv_fM-73rYv7vumqdxNUuf5zI9VZGeX2GJ5CnH5YTEt6dMXMD4IfxjXmDlkWm8lsqix6CNKqakPK1oNQ0ODuC4NOIR6hvOg7Q7eEWQ2jnS80VI7nXHCHSGiaoxU/s320/DSCF3064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732798189274724274" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORx0rZoNu1s34yKdslE7vURY1yUEza5MBgAdCAUB7xy7Ldpnrb133qUhPYZq20XplTHN7p8MGW0rQR5bhyphenhyphenDba12JVpMGMUO1f8YClwX1uimz_01hkzNSbunNElk9bMUauthrWDZ9yYCQ/s1600/DSCF3066.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORx0rZoNu1s34yKdslE7vURY1yUEza5MBgAdCAUB7xy7Ldpnrb133qUhPYZq20XplTHN7p8MGW0rQR5bhyphenhyphenDba12JVpMGMUO1f8YClwX1uimz_01hkzNSbunNElk9bMUauthrWDZ9yYCQ/s320/DSCF3066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732798197102012290" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZfpCbgfNp1FNEudl1m2pgFYaywcX24YHPCm66rxnVNRgkG-0GPyZFeUVCaBSt1uULmYgpxOipKvluRfK20t94hFhiDf0tgWgIOXxb1knQ4ZPWfGpq0GeSKjFm2j9n-Q2YGPWJTJ0DQs/s1600/DSCF3080.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZfpCbgfNp1FNEudl1m2pgFYaywcX24YHPCm66rxnVNRgkG-0GPyZFeUVCaBSt1uULmYgpxOipKvluRfK20t94hFhiDf0tgWgIOXxb1knQ4ZPWfGpq0GeSKjFm2j9n-Q2YGPWJTJ0DQs/s320/DSCF3080.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732799529461703666" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9QOlsqdzU_S1HdNhpTN_sk9wOxDSnQXFn6YL9lfN9sSWuVO3FpE_G5cjUdy5zppMmVd6sfCCCCEGPhx46XezMbgp2gLECt2a3VvhmYFUO2XMU2Z06fFn0fh2cdo0l09otdO6IQ3-ppU/s1600/DSCF3088.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9QOlsqdzU_S1HdNhpTN_sk9wOxDSnQXFn6YL9lfN9sSWuVO3FpE_G5cjUdy5zppMmVd6sfCCCCEGPhx46XezMbgp2gLECt2a3VvhmYFUO2XMU2Z06fFn0fh2cdo0l09otdO6IQ3-ppU/s320/DSCF3088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732799537692039906" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEi6Dc96pVYjYX5nToiwTH7WcMY6AIDpbgobP7sgAxuRQLGPBTMKxMqk9_b9zKhJfzbKCqfNo-NzLGBrNyRiZ-N663-z5RjfyEgq9bk-EEZyGNZbYVlWFEFvl9iYJOVuj9YR-wjVbksKg/s1600/DSCF3096.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEi6Dc96pVYjYX5nToiwTH7WcMY6AIDpbgobP7sgAxuRQLGPBTMKxMqk9_b9zKhJfzbKCqfNo-NzLGBrNyRiZ-N663-z5RjfyEgq9bk-EEZyGNZbYVlWFEFvl9iYJOVuj9YR-wjVbksKg/s320/DSCF3096.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732799553611972610" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFwjahPgW721cjJlWKB2BHZuIgYx1Ywk3peEjGi03fIk5RjSaviiIDAohAU4fo0A-s7YRupsMJAuxEdmz9W1ZKHByUhA_SOnGcZpfCyBkZAE1g2ognGUZGXDUwyBhpEBkJTWhj38FgXk/s1600/DSCF3083.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFwjahPgW721cjJlWKB2BHZuIgYx1Ywk3peEjGi03fIk5RjSaviiIDAohAU4fo0A-s7YRupsMJAuxEdmz9W1ZKHByUhA_SOnGcZpfCyBkZAE1g2ognGUZGXDUwyBhpEBkJTWhj38FgXk/s320/DSCF3083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732799526764821570" border="0" /></a><br />Happy New Year Indeed!!!R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8707914389041826800.post-44756211614772782332012-04-13T11:46:00.009-07:002012-04-18T09:14:23.625-07:00More pix of Germany!Here are some more highlights from our trip to Germany...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YEXCR2Bt3MSOQEM77L0DA12ECrod1a0UpQ9venDiX1F21gPchqgux_Z5bjSJsJ7aSpHEbH5NkKtvh_27MtEsF_vhURwF8gU2kzBY5wn9gqniQJRdZ7o3qFSZ1DAuE1snaoYirVWY0Es/s1600/DSCF2742.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YEXCR2Bt3MSOQEM77L0DA12ECrod1a0UpQ9venDiX1F21gPchqgux_Z5bjSJsJ7aSpHEbH5NkKtvh_27MtEsF_vhURwF8gU2kzBY5wn9gqniQJRdZ7o3qFSZ1DAuE1snaoYirVWY0Es/s320/DSCF2742.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732774051951506866" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Driving to the medical center each morning...which was on top of a mountain and overlooked this charming, snow covered village below...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFxXViJO3LOI3reD08b4fiNr-V9VDZl4Q9jJ91VOtJU4mzpDsfV3nnYi9eyLQQKyEcahII1ERuNm8BZxRrWCAkKXPeqWtjAsmRq-x2lhCKe86PGpv09co5DKIp_UI5lzu4a98sisExTM/s1600/DSCF2782.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFxXViJO3LOI3reD08b4fiNr-V9VDZl4Q9jJ91VOtJU4mzpDsfV3nnYi9eyLQQKyEcahII1ERuNm8BZxRrWCAkKXPeqWtjAsmRq-x2lhCKe86PGpv09co5DKIp_UI5lzu4a98sisExTM/s320/DSCF2782.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732768408723184242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The hospital...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjs-g9PXEaKNrVN6RRiyBpTbcqq6acdOQfsen51rd-0xSCIa0gRwhEMJiWdVVrOizLuYMKjUW4wwH5F6lXj_8v60XPAWyev3MigZO3X28-PyvkkbzzmnG5drM_5Vgxcf629GNvVqvvJqA/s1600/DSCF2794.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjs-g9PXEaKNrVN6RRiyBpTbcqq6acdOQfsen51rd-0xSCIa0gRwhEMJiWdVVrOizLuYMKjUW4wwH5F6lXj_8v60XPAWyev3MigZO3X28-PyvkkbzzmnG5drM_5Vgxcf629GNvVqvvJqA/s320/DSCF2794.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732774041903420866" border="0" /></a>Childcare center for the girls...<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3JBqZd2d-3HROJq1usHAO1sdjpmYpXvThoOIjgQ9_Z2Pt8jf-YA5et___xHWqEiaTDBuao1jBK1ZOvYyYI0-Nlm52jPpSGM_eJFoSww07l5Flr-FqHZu04oFF1btHqP34o6bex4KAUo/s1600/DSCF2789.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3JBqZd2d-3HROJq1usHAO1sdjpmYpXvThoOIjgQ9_Z2Pt8jf-YA5et___xHWqEiaTDBuao1jBK1ZOvYyYI0-Nlm52jPpSGM_eJFoSww07l5Flr-FqHZu04oFF1btHqP34o6bex4KAUo/s320/DSCF2789.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732774038305935218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Scenes of Heidelberg...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqLx7WFU-u08SnOWtM81xnHnYGgk7Fed4hHqAiHw7xpy1PoTUUaae95Zy4LYbQ7J4YkYL9OKLKJiLJQ8Wc2-bGq9MXECHa_zQlAJeO5FPCd9DeZ528nSSTndeK9GEVWhqNNkd1ArS4dc/s1600/DSCF2847.JPG"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxonY-ldHp3jAJ7xaPjoAPHiLV6-qKT1thAY_bNG9oZHsZagNhD7P1L5M4vXTvwzshaun061vwoFlxD-Gjsd9K6Iusdpf5jGo_rujV82tMpriM9hyphenhyphenxBEI59j-zhXbBzcLLTqQCpKpJcw/s1600/DSCF2714.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxonY-ldHp3jAJ7xaPjoAPHiLV6-qKT1thAY_bNG9oZHsZagNhD7P1L5M4vXTvwzshaun061vwoFlxD-Gjsd9K6Iusdpf5jGo_rujV82tMpriM9hyphenhyphenxBEI59j-zhXbBzcLLTqQCpKpJcw/s320/DSCF2714.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732767635451788946" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GQUnup2wXNUoc7X8UiElgXEJPYg5evVpRaajLEoflJv98pS3tDEsag4j_j-sGLcXGexMfntXrvOQwWpW8vQRyonR9RpRiFjBM26rqvTC2Afp3SkGgI4mpXsgJ0gkUD-ggKxsbypVqi0/s1600/DSCF2715.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8GQUnup2wXNUoc7X8UiElgXEJPYg5evVpRaajLEoflJv98pS3tDEsag4j_j-sGLcXGexMfntXrvOQwWpW8vQRyonR9RpRiFjBM26rqvTC2Afp3SkGgI4mpXsgJ0gkUD-ggKxsbypVqi0/s320/DSCF2715.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732770719499566866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mNMcgflyf_N0gzbMQyIgVl7SuDooY8yjXZktBTHHZplbfey8Suhn31fO819Rcr1eBMhwXiokuzufcNgtV-y2LfEOIym2QQRWkCj2zL5_7Z3ZPaOWs2doNFHBEkgAdManxskTGREYKEM/s1600/DSCF2829.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mNMcgflyf_N0gzbMQyIgVl7SuDooY8yjXZktBTHHZplbfey8Suhn31fO819Rcr1eBMhwXiokuzufcNgtV-y2LfEOIym2QQRWkCj2zL5_7Z3ZPaOWs2doNFHBEkgAdManxskTGREYKEM/s320/DSCF2829.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732770724510078898" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Taking the girls to Build-a-Bear to create one of their Christmas presents...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMPfUGQHirSVd7LJprfX8hwoeAiMQAi4eN8PA5Fct5kdveKyeGlNZAlhcU_aXI8SEz57YU5sr4t1547QvfF_3uLLHbz2b4EFhEn-TunufxjKne_rOH7Hcyd6pT5ih0jE2CI10g522Kqw/s1600/DSCF2763.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMPfUGQHirSVd7LJprfX8hwoeAiMQAi4eN8PA5Fct5kdveKyeGlNZAlhcU_aXI8SEz57YU5sr4t1547QvfF_3uLLHbz2b4EFhEn-TunufxjKne_rOH7Hcyd6pT5ih0jE2CI10g522Kqw/s320/DSCF2763.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732766919278265874" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0gIB4SfyTC42sIQU-imOyRtnpcFjzcG6YNBroEghyN_V1CdT9l6BzuU8CdMsOjtPVnIt1ix_aXcZxJTSYKt9RjWDOaWbf5H0wthgCJogwkCw_BAnrP6q_iG1dE7qXhiZPDCkDI8EomM/s1600/IMG_0734.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0gIB4SfyTC42sIQU-imOyRtnpcFjzcG6YNBroEghyN_V1CdT9l6BzuU8CdMsOjtPVnIt1ix_aXcZxJTSYKt9RjWDOaWbf5H0wthgCJogwkCw_BAnrP6q_iG1dE7qXhiZPDCkDI8EomM/s320/IMG_0734.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732767642834906898" border="0" /></a>Rayna adopted "German" and Reese adopted "Chicha" (above)<br /><br />Reese making a snow angel in the freshly fallen snow!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9-QGkO6aY6NfVu_D7Yme7o-sVUX7ovMcXUVRq1tHzlUAJyMcJRIihuIYQ2I5wry3ZDkOmvaZw_Cpo0sLR0tCcUDUTfKIFwMrDMN9k1vF43GQC4xD-mgWnjwoXYuh0ksOEojpEHNeLnQ/s1600/DSCF2792.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9-QGkO6aY6NfVu_D7Yme7o-sVUX7ovMcXUVRq1tHzlUAJyMcJRIihuIYQ2I5wry3ZDkOmvaZw_Cpo0sLR0tCcUDUTfKIFwMrDMN9k1vF43GQC4xD-mgWnjwoXYuh0ksOEojpEHNeLnQ/s320/DSCF2792.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732766903212800178" border="0" /></a><br />Me and Ray in the fanciest Starbucks we've ever seen! Heidelberg, Germany!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGC-BQ9muLWqI3Vx8AMCjyF2mg3agS1U4KYAmrWmz_p0-Fe8Teub0hQOnJJvJB9XsbT2wAcD5uo5gaX_1dPL2gjbuDL5SFcSm-ibZBv189uu7vyHyp6hPPAW0X6KSI3rOjmIUpCzd0XPI/s1600/DSCF2772.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGC-BQ9muLWqI3Vx8AMCjyF2mg3agS1U4KYAmrWmz_p0-Fe8Teub0hQOnJJvJB9XsbT2wAcD5uo5gaX_1dPL2gjbuDL5SFcSm-ibZBv189uu7vyHyp6hPPAW0X6KSI3rOjmIUpCzd0XPI/s320/DSCF2772.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732766928470131538" border="0" /></a>R&R diving into a bowl of scrumptious pasta for dinner...it was Reese's dish...Rayna got this amazing Risotto...she ate that TOO!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNNpxZ9Bs0kNKbcNAsusvEfz8epK6I4Ak4yfpeFwwify-MBus_lPpLwgVhamFoB39sq44c7rh7Oj2bWyKi7pqED_hfs-dsU7452ujijFUr3vQE0BmVpyoyMPOWslJEzQAAAVxPP9dgso/s1600/IMG_0752.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfNNpxZ9Bs0kNKbcNAsusvEfz8epK6I4Ak4yfpeFwwify-MBus_lPpLwgVhamFoB39sq44c7rh7Oj2bWyKi7pqED_hfs-dsU7452ujijFUr3vQE0BmVpyoyMPOWslJEzQAAAVxPP9dgso/s320/IMG_0752.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732767650281200882" border="0" /></a><br />Picking through the 75 flavors of hot chocolate...you buy the solid mass of flavored chocolate on a spoon and you get a steaming cup of milk to mix them up...delicious!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1-X3n9kDA-vwhL7IFBZqv73SCvupoEQw4Sq8RRdvL4SnJ5lUQBUIAisEQVs7DDTigCM3FzPaOyY5a4R_ZapiYZigaMOp74oZbqQIrV1g13sK7zGAOO0edwQkTkXoz8xNmycXgurSX9Q/s1600/DSCF2832.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1-X3n9kDA-vwhL7IFBZqv73SCvupoEQw4Sq8RRdvL4SnJ5lUQBUIAisEQVs7DDTigCM3FzPaOyY5a4R_ZapiYZigaMOp74oZbqQIrV1g13sK7zGAOO0edwQkTkXoz8xNmycXgurSX9Q/s320/DSCF2832.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732768425059834802" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqLx7WFU-u08SnOWtM81xnHnYGgk7Fed4hHqAiHw7xpy1PoTUUaae95Zy4LYbQ7J4YkYL9OKLKJiLJQ8Wc2-bGq9MXECHa_zQlAJeO5FPCd9DeZ528nSSTndeK9GEVWhqNNkd1ArS4dc/s1600/DSCF2847.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqLx7WFU-u08SnOWtM81xnHnYGgk7Fed4hHqAiHw7xpy1PoTUUaae95Zy4LYbQ7J4YkYL9OKLKJiLJQ8Wc2-bGq9MXECHa_zQlAJeO5FPCd9DeZ528nSSTndeK9GEVWhqNNkd1ArS4dc/s320/DSCF2847.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732768440360760274" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSKq5klAw3qSmvK5o27aLlMcP6W5LNAbOemirCyaP6lO5WEgqe6oH5YtAcChVAFLV0fXX4VRys71RL7hMCoO1OZP-4fqjcqKjaXWxXmrD5dZIp2INphx_rTO3nCyp3E0i3Bfk6VFGTOQ/s1600/DSCF2858.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSKq5klAw3qSmvK5o27aLlMcP6W5LNAbOemirCyaP6lO5WEgqe6oH5YtAcChVAFLV0fXX4VRys71RL7hMCoO1OZP-4fqjcqKjaXWxXmrD5dZIp2INphx_rTO3nCyp3E0i3Bfk6VFGTOQ/s320/DSCF2858.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732770733349984338" border="0" /></a>Good times!!!R&R in Spain - Aarons Abroadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151985853344881556noreply@blogger.com0