Just wanted you all to know that God answered HUNDREDS of prayers yesterday. I had my 4th treatment and I did NOT throw up once yesterday!!!!!!!!! PRAISE GOD! And thanks to soooo many of you for praying or me. I am having some “false alarms” today, but I haven’t lost anything yet!

It feels so good to say I’m DONE with the first treatments and ½ way done with the whole treatment. I see that light at the end of the tunnel.

I know in my heart I would not be making this journey if I didn’t have all of your prayer support! THANKS from the bottom of my heart - and the bottom of my stomach!!

What’s the perfect Easter? It’s the one I had yesterday. On Easter I am reminded that my Jesus came down to earth as a person - blood and flesh. He walked the streets, worked the jobs, met the people, and lived through the sinful challenges. He “understands” my world! Then He went and allowed them to kill Him in the cruelest, painful, and unusual way all that my mistakes (sins) can be cleared in front of my heavenly Daddy - so that I will go to heaven when it’s my time and spend ETERNITY there at my Daddy’s side. Then Jesus overcame death! On Easter He rose to life! I have a Lord that is alive and understands everything I am going through and died because He loves ME so much - not that He didn’t do it for the rest of you - but He would have repeated history JUST FOR ME! That’s how special I am - and you are! What makes Easter perfect - not just remembering the historical facts - but FEELING THEM!

Then of course there is other things that made yesterday so wonderful! COACH CAM came to visit. Yes, my children’s soccer, t-ball, basketball coach etc. from Illinois (who we all love and adore) came to share Easter service with us and the day! We had not seen her since we all moved out to CA (God brought her to Hollywood, so we are still close). It was incredible to be able to give her a hug and spend time sharing stories and catching up. She is a gift to our family!

Then, we had our “CA” mom and dad. That’s always fun listening to stories, feeling safe to be you, and to just laugh together. The bond is strong because our bond is Jesus!

The food - was to DIE FOR! Lon out did himself with this incredible Pork roast with rosemary, apples, carrots, onions etc. etc. It was like from a TV show - oh it was incredible! Keona made her first and delicious Marble cake. She picked out Chocolate Fudge frosting to go with it - a dream cake! We all had plenty to eat and to be thankful for and the best part - it tasted good to me!!

Church service I even surprised myself. I got the 2 inches of dust off my sax and I was able to play a couple songs with the band - how fun is that! Shelly - our Creative Arts director wouldn’t give up (thanks) to figure out the keys etc and it all worked. I had some rusty notes but it felt right - it felt like the good old days!

I wore a sleeveless fancy long dress. The one tradition I will never give up is my “dressing up” for Easter. It was great feeling someone elegant (even with fake boobs etc) and I owe it all to my husband because he was willing to shave my numb deformed armpit!!

As you can see - we had a glorious Easter.

It doesn’t end there! I was able to make sure the house is clean and tidy, the dishwasher is empty, the laundry is up to date, the bed sheets all changed so I am ready for CHEMO today. I can lie on the couch for the next 3-4 days and not worry about the house falling apart! No, chemo doesn’t sound good and the drive there is always hard - but it’s the ½ waypoint - and the COMPLETEION of the 2-drug drip. The next 4 are just a 1-drug drip.

I sit here right now feeling SO THANKFUL and BLESSED! I am taking every day as a gift. I am looking at the positives and I am enjoying living! Yesterday was such a bonus.

My prayer is that next Easter, the Easter in 5 years… 10 years… 15 years? I will see as just a gift as yesterday was. I want to always be thankful for family, friends, church services, delicious food etc. I don’t want to start taking things for granted once I’m cancer free and not feeling like the “clock of life” may be ticking away. I want to continue to enjoy and realize the beauty and special gifts we are given each day! Isn’t that how God wants us to live?????? Are we sharing those blessings with others????

So, sit down and think about your Easter. Write down all the things that made it such a blessing - like being “alive”. Hold on to the smallest blessing and cherish it - remember those are gifts from your heavenly Daddy! Then go out there and share those gifts with others!

How would you define “the perfect husband”? For most of us, if we’d admit the truth to ourselves, our definition would be something like: a man that provides for us financially by having the house we want, the car we want, and all the “extras”, a man that remembers to give me gifts and do nice things for my birthday, anniversary, and holidays, a man that helps around the house and with the kids, a man that keeps the family active and together, and of course it doesn’t hurt to be a handsome stud!

I have to admit, that I was looking for Lon to be several of those thing for me to be able to call him “my perfect husband”. Then, my cancer showed me what a “perfect husband” is and my Lon is just that!!! Thanks sweetie! I love more every day!

The cancer has shown me that a perfect husband is someone that can look at your naked body - that only has one boob (and let’s face it - men like our boobs) and he still tells me that I’m sexy - and he means it! A perfect husband is someone that is willing to work 20 hours a day to provide for the family while his wife spends 20 hours on the couch watching TV and he tells her that he wants her not to worry about finances or working. A perfect husband is one that see that his wife isn’t feeling well and he helps keep the house up so that doesn’t stress her out while she can’t clean - even if the house looks fine to the normal, non-compulsive eye. A perfect husband is one that will stroke your brow when you feel like throwing up and he tells you over and over that he is proud of you because you are fighting this for the family. A perfect husband is one that helps you see the positive about the treatment and encourages you because you know he doesn’t want to ever be away from you! The last and most incredible sign of a “perfect husband” was this morning… a “perfect husband” is one that is willing to take his hair shaver and help shave the ONE INCH of hair under your armpit that is deformed by surgery!

Lon and I have been married for over 10 years. I look back and I have wasted so many days not loving him the way he deserved to be loved because he just wasn’t being MY “perfect husband” under MY definition! For that, I am sorry and I apologize to Lon. For Lon is the “perfect husband”.

Who else, besides Lon have I not loved all the time the way they deserve to be loved? I’m sure that there have been plenty of times my kids, my extended family, my church family etc. etc. haven’t fit into my “definition” and therefore I didn’t show love. PRAISE GOD that even though when I am not fitting into His definition of a “perfect daughter” He still loves me unconditionally - all the time!

Cancer has waked me up to love my husband better, stronger, and consistent. No, I hate cancer and I hate the chemo even worse (I go this Monday for my 4th treatment / ½ way point), but I thank this cancer for showing me that I have the “perfect husband”. I plan on spending my next 20-30 years with Lonnie and thanking God for every day!

Love you Lon!