The Gift of Hope

Merry Christmas

2010-12-30T18:08:00.001-05:00

Both my Girls at 8 months old

2010-05-19T10:13:00.003-05:00

This month you started crawling everywhere!!
Now that you are crawling you crawl over to your big sister and play with her and her toys.
You are starting babble more sounds now.
You are such a happy baby and smile all of the time.
You take an hour nap in the morning and about a 2-3 hour nap in afternoon.
You have really enjoyed swimming this summer and kicking your feet in the water.
You are wearing 12 months and some 6-9 months and a size 3 diaper.
You still nurse 5 times a day and are starting to try finger foods suck as bananas, pears, cornbread, peas, green beans, corn.
You are starting to drink out of a sippy cup.

7 months old 4.18.2010

2010-04-27T14:18:00.001-05:00

Happy 7 months old! This month has been full of first time events.

You learned to sit up this month.
You got your first and second tooth. So now you have both of your bottom teeth.
You are getting on your knees in a crawling position. I think next month you will begin to crawl.
You are eating cheerios now and can pick them up by yourself.
When I am sitting you pull up on my leg and stand on your knees.
You have begun to babble the "baba" sound.
You are wearing 6-9 months and some 12 month clothes.
Still sleeping through the night but you have just started crying when I leave the room. You do not like being way from mommy or daddy.
You take a 1 hour nap in the morning and a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon.

6 months

2010-04-27T14:16:00.002-05:00

5 months

2010-04-27T14:12:00.002-05:00

4 months

2010-04-27T14:08:00.001-05:00

3 months old

2010-04-27T14:02:00.001-05:00

Avery Grace 11.18.2009 2 months old

2009-11-21T01:45:00.004-05:00

Avery Grace was 2 months old on November 18, 2009. She has been a wonderful addition to our family and it is getting easier and easier to have 2.

Some of the things Avery is doing at 2 months old:

You weigh 11lbs 5 ounces
You are 22 1/2 inches long
You are currently in the 50th percentile of growth
You are smiling all the time now when we get up close and talk to you.
For the last 2 weeks you have been sleeping through the night anywhere between 6-8 hours
You usually sleep some in the morning and afternoon but no set napping schedule yet.
During the day you nurse every 2-3 hours
You still sleep in your bassinet in Mommy and Daddy's room.
You still like your swing and mommy puts you there when you won't nap in your bassinet.
You have really started enjoying your bouncy seat.
When Mommy puts you on the floor you like to kick your legs.
You are starting to follow people and objects with your eyes.
You are wearing size 1 diapers.
You are starting to out grow your newborn clothes but you still wear 0-3 month clothes
You really like your pacifier.
We used to try to rock you to sleep but when we went to put you down you would wake up. So to get you to sleep we lay you in your bassinet and put your pacifier in your mouth and then you will go to sleep on your own. Sometimes we do have to put your paci in your mouth several times but you then will go to sleep.
Your sister still loves you but doesn't like it when you get so much attention. :)
She still loves to get directly in your face to talk to her. We are trying to teach her that you can still see her and hear from a normal distance. ;)
Addison loves to show you off to other people.
This month you also made your debut at church and we are taking you out more now that you are older.
You still like to be cuddled. If you are crying all I have to do is put you up on my shoulder and you stop.

A special visitor from Kentucky

2009-11-21T01:29:00.003-05:00

Papaw came all the way from Kentucky to meet Avery Grace. Addison adores her papaw and I am sure Avery will too! While he was here we went to White Oak state park to look at the scenery. He also played with Addison a whole bunch and she was wor out when he left.

Fall Fun with the Girls

2009-11-21T00:59:00.003-05:00

For Halloween we did several different events this year. Our church had their annual Trunk or Treat this year in the gym filled with games, food, candy, and games. We had over 400 families attend. We had it on the Wednesday before Halloween. Addison had a blast as you can tell from the photos below. Addison was a cat this year and Avery a mouse.
These are some of Addison's friends at church whom she adores!

At home we made cupcakes or "ca ca's" as Addie calls them. She loves cake!
And of course we carved Mr. Pumpkin

Avery Grace 10.18.2009 1 month old

2009-11-21T00:38:00.003-05:00

Avery Grace was 1 month old on October 18, 2009. I can't believe it has already been that long since I gave birth to her. My how time flies. I wish I could keep her this little forever but I must let her grow into the person God has planned for her to be. I plan to update this every month for her 1st year so she can look back on this when she is older.

Some of the things Avery is doing at 1 month:

At 2 weeks old you weighed in at 8 lbs 11 ounces and you were still 20 inches long
You have began to smile when looking at your mom and dad
You are nursing and like to eat every 2 to 3 hours
Typically through the night you eat at 12:00am, 3:00am, and 6:ooam
You do like your swing
You are starting to like your pacifier more and more each day.
Most of your days are spent at home because we don't want to expose you to germs so early.
You are currently sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's room in a bassinet.
You are wearing newborn and 0-3 month clothes.
You are still wearing newborn diapers.
You don't like your bouncy seat yet but Mommy is still very hopeful.
You like to be rocked and cuddled by Mommy and Daddy.
Your sister really loves you and wants to get up in your face to talk to you :)

Avery Grace 9.18.2009

2009-10-29T14:30:00.004-05:00

My blog has taken a backseat these last couple of months since the birth of Avery Grace. I have spent this time getting adjusted to 2 children which is a lot different then just having 1. I am making it though and life can still move forward with 2 preschoolers at home. :)

Avery Grace was born at 7:55am September 18 by way of a scheduled c-section. She weighed in at 7 pounds 11 ounces and was 20 inches long. Everything went according to plan.

Phil and I were very fortunate to have a strong, Godly man deliver Avery. Dr. Crump attends our church and we were and are so blessed to have him as a doctor. His wife is one of the most loving and giving person I know. She was there when Avery was born and was just so helpful.

My mom stayed with me for 3 weeks as I got adjusted to having Avery. She was so helpful in taking care of Addison and cleaning my house. Thanks mom for all of your help.

Avery Grace turns 6 weeks old this Friday and it so hard to believe she has already been here 6 weeks. Addison is adjusting well with a few bumps here and there. She loves Avery already very much.

Destin 2009 in Pictures

2009-07-18T10:28:00.006-05:00

Baby Girl Champion at 28 weeks

2009-07-09T15:14:00.001-05:00

It has been too long...

2009-05-09T21:29:00.004-05:00

I know it has been a really long time since the last time I posted. I really have just not gotten my energy back this go around. I am now 19 weeks pregnant and in my 2nd trimester. Starting to feel the little girl moving around more and more. When I was pregnant with Addison I seemed to have lots of energy in the 2nd trimester but not this time.

We had an ultrasound at 15 weeks and they were 90% sure it was a girl. I would post a pic of the ultrasound but we didn't get a very good one. We are starting to throw around some names but I think this time around we are keeping the name a secret. I know with Addison we told people early what the name was going to be and I got my feelings hurt with a couple of comments made. You should never make a negative comment to a pregnant woman about the name she has picked out for her child. Remember she has elevated hormones. :)

It does seem like this time around my hormones are more elevated. Is that even possible?? Oh, well lets just say Phil is trying to put up with them. I am sorry Phil!! :)

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and Addison will make her first singing debut in church. The preschoolers are singing a couple of songs but there is no guarantee Addison will even make it on stage. She has been singing these songs for months but when it came time to practice on the stage she was having no part of it. So we will see. :)

Happy Mother's Day!

Easter 2009 Picture above. You will notice the spot on Addison's head. She had a little fall and to have a stitch but she is okay. :)

Addison's First Concert

2009-03-27T12:37:00.003-05:00

Addison experienced her first concert last night. Phil had a trip planned for our teenagers so I decided to go and take Addison. I knew she would love the music but I was a little worried about the lateness.

When she first entered Alltel Arena in Little Rock she was in a little shock of how big the place was but she quickly adjusted. She did better than I had even imagined. She had so much fun. She participated, danced, and even raised her hands. Here is a small snippet of last night. Once in the car at 10:00 she was fast asleep and slept all the way home.

Still Moving Along

2009-02-20T20:04:00.001-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but I have been so tired. It is amazing how something so small can make you so tired. :)

We had another ultrasound and the baby is measuring at 8 weeks with a good heartbeat. I will not have the official report until next week so right now I think those are all good signs.

Another Little Champion on the Way

2009-02-07T10:51:00.002-05:00

We had our ultrasound yesterday and the baby is measuring 5 weeks and 5 days. A hearbeat was detected. None of my other pregnancies that I miscarried ever detected a heartbeat. I feel like this is a good sign but I feel like we are never out of the woods until after 12 weeks. Please, keep us in your prayers!

Since we just miscarried December 26th we were not expecting to get pregnant so soon but I guess God had other plans for us. :)

We are amazed yet again!

2009-02-03T23:59:00.000-05:00

More details to come later but we are not out of the woods yet. We continue to ask for your prayers. We will have an ultrasound on Friday.

Happy Birthday Phil!

2009-02-03T16:50:00.001-05:00

On February 1st, Phil celebrated his 41st birthday. Addison got this shirt especially for his birthday. We love you!

A Puppy Party

2009-02-02T23:09:00.002-05:00

For Addison's 2nd Birthday we had a small party with some children and dog friends from church. Addi loves dogs! For this party instead of gifts we had everyone bring toys to be donated to children at Arkansas Children's Hospital. We will be delivering the gifts on Friday.

Who does Addison look like?

2009-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is neatest website. Apparently, Addison looks like both of us.

Addison Hope is Two

2009-01-27T23:22:00.005-05:00

I can't believe our little girl is two today. It seems like yesterday I was in labor with her. It is already going by too fast and lately I have realized I have been too busy. I think God is telling me I need to slow down.

Addison was born January 27, 2007 at 11:18PM. She entered the world with some breathing and platelet issues and spent 11 days in the NICU. You do not plan for your newborn to be sick at birth but it happens for a reason. She has had no other medical issues since then and I am thankful!

I am so thankful for God giving her to Phil and I to take care of here. I hope we can teach her to be a light in this dark world!

Please pray for Harper. She is a precious little girl who was just born and will be spending some time in the NICU.

Kroger Day

2009-01-12T16:28:00.006-05:00

I haven't been to the grocery since before Christmas so I had a lot of items to buy. I did decent with many free items today. My total before coupons and kroger plus card was $177.13. I saved 33.13 with sale items on my plus card and 37.62 with my coupons for a total of 106.38.

Highlights from my shopping trip

3 4 roll packs of cottonelle=1/11 coupon 2/.50 which doubled, and a .50 printable= .97

Powerade zero=.89, mfc .40 doubled= .09 had 2 coupons bought 2

Cheerios= Free coupon

Suave deoderant= 1.00, mfc .55 doubled=free had 3 coupons bought 3 FREE

Colgate Total= 2.89, mfc 1.50, cellfire 1.50= Free and earned .11

Crest= 2.50, mfc .75, pgesaver 1.50= .25

Kroger Sour Cream= 1.39, mfc 1.00, cellfire .75= Free earned .36

Soft Soap Hand Soap= 1.00, mfc .35 doubled= .30

Pampers= 21.00, mfc 1.00, pgesaver 1.25=18.75

Cascade Complete=3.99, mfc .50 doubled= 2.99 had 2 coupons bought 2

Saved an extra $5.00 for buying $25 in proctor and gamble products so I essentially got both packs of cascade for .98. Generic is more expensive than this deal.

Surprised

2009-01-08T17:57:00.002-05:00

Phil hadn't been to a Louisville game since we moved to Arkansas. I thought the best gift I could give him was a set of tickets to a game while we were in Kentucky visiting. As you can see by the look on his face he was quite thrilled with the gift. We also used it as an opportunity as a date night. I love when I can pull off surprises for my my hubby. Love you sweetie!

The New Year is Here

2009-01-01T13:26:00.001-05:00

Christmas at Home

2008-12-31T15:16:00.004-05:00

We stayed in Arkansas for Christmas. We went to the Christmas Eve Service at church.

We came home and relaxed by the tree.On Christmas morning we opened gifts. Addi got If You Give a Pig a Pancake which Phil read to her.

Addison helped me open gifts.
Addi got a Kitchen set from her Grandma.

Phil's dad came down and enjoyed the festivities with us.

Chromosomes

2008-12-31T15:00:00.002-05:00

Phil and I have started trying for a brother or sister for Addison. We were successful after 4 months but sadly we miscarried December 26th and this is our fourth. I continue to have chromosome issues. My issue specifically is a balanced translocation. Basically, my eggs have the right number of chromosomes but the eggs with the balanced translocation break off and go to the wrong place which ends with the miscarriage.

Our prayer that this will happen in God's timing.

Beloved Cat

2008-12-23T14:52:00.002-05:00

We lost another cat today. Alley was 8 years old and was diagnosed with Kidney Failure in August. We had been giving her IV fluids every couple of months which had been helping until this time. The fluids just didn't work and she was suffering.

We got Alley in July 2000. We adopted her from a shelter in Stanford, Kentucky. She was most likely born around the time Phil and I got married June 3, 2000. She was our little baby. When I came home from work I would yell Alley, Alley, AlleyB and she would come running. She loved to get in my lap and purr. At nighttime she would sleep on my pillow and on me when I would let her. Addison has really grown fond of her saying her name often. She also refers to other cats as Alley. So I am sure we will hear her talk about Alley for quite sometime.

It is so hard to lose a pet. She has been a wonderful companion.

Thankful

2008-12-01T02:31:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Kentucky seeing many family and friends. Addison enjoyed seeing everyone.

I am so thankful for Phil and Addison. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Happy Fall

2008-11-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

Proud Single Issue Voter

2008-11-03T16:15:00.003-05:00

I am proud to say I am a single issue voter. I will always vote for the pro-life presidential candidate.

When I was diagnosed with Cancer in November 2004 I also found out just a few short days later that I was also pregnant. I was so excited to be pregnant but at the same time devastated that I was faced with a life threatening illness that needed to be treated. I was ready to carry the baby and hold off treatment. I didn't have to make that choice though because I would later miscarry. There are many mothers who do make the decision to carry the baby even when they are faced with a life threatening illness. Some of these mothers survive and others sacrifice their life so their child will survive. You can read one mothers story here.

I believe life begins the moment of conception. In Psalm 139:13 it states You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. I have had 3 miscarriages each in the First trimester and I believe that those children are in heaven now because life begins at conception.

I hope tomorrow, November 4th you will also vote pro-life.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and more Pumpkins

2008-10-31T15:46:00.010-05:00

This week we had a pumpkin theme.

1. Last Saturday we went to the pumpkin patch.

2. We carved a pumpkin.

3. We colored a pumpkin.

4. We sang The 5 Little Pumpkins. Luckily I saved my 5 pumpkins from my Literacy Days.

My Sweet Blessing

2008-10-28T21:59:00.003-05:00

Furniture Rehab

2008-10-28T13:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Kimba over at A Soft Place to Land I was inspired to turn old furniture into beautiful pieces I can use in my home. Since we are on a very tight budget there is no extra to buy brand new furniture. So I set out to find something I could rehab following Kimba's instructions using spray paint. I have tried refinishing a table once and I decided it was not my cup of tea. Pianting maybe I could handle.

There is a very small flee market here in town that is open sometimes. I stopped in there and found a few pieces. When the owner found out I wanted to paint something he didn't seem to like that idea of painting over wood. So he told me of an estate sale he would be having in several weeks and there was some old furniture already painted that I might be interested in. The next thing I know I ended up with this for $50.00.

I am usually the kind of person who does not impulse shop so after I bought this I was a little concerned whether this was a purchase I should have bought. I wasn't even sure if it was worth it and maybe I should have offered less for it. It had cob webs hanging off of it and it was just old. So I went to work on it with help from my mom.

We sanded the dresser to smooth out all of the rough area of the wood.

Next, we primed it with a can of spray paint primer.

Finally, we began spraying the satin black on the dresser.

Here we have the finished product complete with new hardware that cost $6.00. I am very pleased with the dresser. It is not perfect but it works for us. I originally intended for it to be for our guest room but I decided to add it to our family room.

Add some Fall decorations and it is complete.

I also have a gold rimmed mirror I bought at Big Lots for $10. I am going to spray paint it black and hang it over the dresser. Pictures to come as soon as I get it done.

Children's Place 15% Coupon Code

2008-10-27T21:49:00.004-05:00

Poor Addison is very sparse on her winter clothes. She has a couple pair of pants from last year that are a little snug and 1 new outfit we bought. She had no church dresses at all. Our 1 income family budget makes things a little tight. We don't have a clothing budget but just rely on birthday and Christmas gifts for our clothing. However, we had to get her some dresses for church because the mornings are too cold for summer dresses. I headed over to Children's Place online to see what I could find. Addison scored 3 new dresses and 1 blouse. Now that I am coupon shopping I also had a coupon code for 15%off. Head on over to Children's Place and do some shopping using this code T28XKMNKA8 for your 15% off. While you are there sign-up to be on their mailing list so you can receive coupons in the mail.

Check out her new wardrobe! We can't wait until they get here.

Coupon Shopping Day

2008-10-27T14:19:00.003-05:00

Today was another BIG shopping day at my local Kroger's. Since this is the last week of the month I didn't have a lot left in my grocery budget so I only got the real bargains and what I really needed.

My total before savings=$72.48

Kroger Plus Savings=$18.18

Coupons=$20.12

Total Savings=38.30

Total out of pocket spent=$34.18

Shopping Trip Highlights

I had a coupon for a free box of cheerios

8 packages of Cottonelle 4 rolls mostly free. I was having trouble getting my monthly coupons to print off from their website so I sent them an email and they sent me 3 coupons in the mail. Also, they sent an extra email with another 3 coupons plus in Sunday's newspaper there were 2 more 1 for .50 and the other for .25. So I got all that for .50.

2 boxes of frozen green giant vegetables for .50 each.

Pampers Jumbos for $6.99. The diapers were on sale for 9.99. I had an esaver coupon loaded on my Kroger card which can also be combined with a paper coupon and I had one for $1.50.

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2008-10-25T22:58:00.005-05:00

Addison enjoyed a long day today at Hardin Farms in Grady, Arkansas. It took us 2 hours to get there.

The pumpkins made for nice chairs.

Addison wanted this one but it was too heavy to pick up.
Tha hayride was fun in mommy's lap.
Addison liked any of the animals that looked like doggies or kitty kitties. She thought the chickens were dogs. She liked this little dog.

She didn't want to be near any of the other animals. As you can tell by the photo she will not look at the horse.

The day went a little too long past nap time. She started eating napkins.

She was very upset when we told her she could not eat the napkin.
It was a good day at the Pumpkin Patch.

Goodbye Sweet Kitty!

2008-10-23T21:34:00.004-05:00

Two weeks ago Puss N Boots did not get any better and we said goodbye to her. She was a good, sweet cat. She never bit nor scratched unless she wanted some attention. Then she would come up to you and ever so gently prick you with a very distinct Meow! She always greeted me when I woke up in the morning. She would always try to eat Emmy's dog food and Emmy would always growl at her but never bit her. She would then cuddle with Emmy. She loved to be brushed. Addison adored her and would often bend down and give her a kiss. When she was a kitten she belonged to our neighbor. She would come over to our house and get stuck in the barn. We always rescued her and then brought her in our house for a treat. She would chase my dog around the table. The neighbor eventually gave her to us. She was my first cat. She will be missed!

Beloved Cat

2008-10-07T15:17:00.004-05:00

Puss N' Boots was my first cat. She actually belonged to a neighbor when I still lived at home in 1994. She kept coming over to our house and we would let her in to play with our dog Peppie. Eventually the neighbor said we could keep her. Once I married and moved away she stayed with my parents. Then in 2001 my mom moved and couldn't take her with her so Phil and I took her in and she has been with us ever since.

She has always been a very good cat. She is timid of strangers but after time warms up. Addison adores Puss N' Boots. When Addison was little and only sitting up Puss N' Boots would come and lay beside her not minding having her hair pulled by Addison. Every morning when Addison wakes up Puss N' Boots come in the room to greet her. Addison always says, "Hi Ki Ki"

Now at age 14 Puss N' Boots is sick. Her lungs are filled with fluid most likely due to congestive heart failure. We are trying medicine currently but as of yesterday there has been no change. If she continues to struggle for air we will have to put her down.

Pets are such a joy to have and become such a part of the family. I hate to lose her but I also know she can't go on like this. I wonder if Addison will miss her or will she just forget she had a cat.

Please pray for Alyssa

2008-09-28T23:43:00.003-05:00

Please, pray for Alyssa. My heart is breaking for her.

Check out Freebie Fridays

2008-09-19T00:00:00.003-05:00

Check out Freebie Fridays @ Motherload courtesy of Freebies4Mom where you can get most of these free. Check out my loot I have been getting for free in the mail and by coupons. Check it out!

Kroger, Sales, and Coupons

2008-09-16T14:49:00.003-05:00

My coupon organizer has been coming in handy with lots of savings. I have decided that I will grocery shop every Monday and post my weekly savings on Tuesday.

I went to Kroger armed with my coupons, list, and sales ad. I already have my coupons matched up to the sales items thanks to The Grocery Game. I only get the items I will be using.

My grand total was $111.42. I saved $22.55 with my Kroger Plus Card buying the items that were on sale. I also saved $22.33 with my coupons for a grand total of $66.59 which is right in line with my weekly grocery budget. Yippee!!! I saved a total of $44.88. WOW!!

Shopping Trip Highlights:
1. Graham crackers are made with whole grain.
2. The whole baggie full of graham crackers kept Addi happy until the very end.
3. It only took 1 hour due to the prep time I spent getting organized for the trip.
4. FREE TOILET PAPER IS AWESOME!!!!
5. FREE TOILET PAPER IS AWESOME!!!!

Would you like free toilet paper? I got 2 4 roll packages of Cottonelle toilet free. If you go to Cottonelle you can print off a coupon (1 per person per month). I printed off 1 for me and 1 for Phil. My Kroger sales Cottonelle 4 roll toilet paper for .99 and the coupon .50 which Kroger always doubles.

Enjoy free TP!

Beautiful Gulf Coast

2008-08-30T17:02:00.003-05:00

Destin bound but...

2008-08-28T10:40:00.003-05:00

Gustav might be coming. What do we do? Well, we are still going with the HOPE he won't come there. If he does I guess we will be coming back home and will not have a vacation this year. :(

Coupons

2008-08-22T15:17:00.003-05:00

I have re-entered the world of couponing but this time on a whole new level. I used to clip coupons and I would save $2-$3 and the most I ever saved was $10 which I thought was great. I had my very small coupon organizer which I bought at an office supply store. I thought that was great.

Now, I have enetered a whole new world of couponing. I have started the Grocery Game which basically matches up sales with the weekly coupons. Each week you can get FREE items plus reduced items. I have completed one week thus far and my Kroger total was $71.00. After my Kroger plus card savings combined with my coupons my total was around $35.00. I am going to give it 12 weeks and if I continue with the same savings then I have found a new way to shop.

Part of the game includes cutting all coupons out of the sunday paper. I have been doing this since mid July and I now have massive amounts of coupons that needed to get organized. After finding ideas on frugal blogs I came up with one that I think will work for me. Here it is:

1. I chose a very lightweight binder made of thin plastic. I chose pink to make it more attractive. I then added an attractive simple cover page.
2. The first page I included was a pencil pouch. I will use this to store pencil and paper for my grocery list. I also have my rain checks as well as coupons I will be using for the shopping trip. I will still take the binder in because you never know when you might need another coupon.3. I used trading card holders to organize my coupons in by catergories. I started with food first and tried to create specific catergories.4. I followed the food section with toletries and household cleaners.

5. After these sections I added regular page protectors for restaurants, clothing, and household items such as Bed Bath and Beyond.
6. The last page is a place to store the weekly sale ads.
My grocery shopping day will be Monday or Tuesday. I will be posting my results.

Daddy's Girl

2008-08-21T13:57:00.000-05:00

PET Clean!

2008-08-18T22:23:00.001-05:00

The questionable node has decreased. This means my PET is clean!!!!

The Dancing Bear at the State Fair

2008-08-18T09:23:00.003-05:00

Addison really loved dancing with the bears. She would have nothing to do with the bears though. She made sure she kept her distance. :)

Kentucky Wildlife

2008-08-15T14:12:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed the afternoon at the Salato Wildlife Education Center. Addison enjoyed native animals as well as a small accident with a bird but she enjoyed it anyway.

Kentucky Good Times

2008-08-15T09:27:00.002-05:00

We are currently in Kentucky visiting friends and family. Addison has had a great time seeing her Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa surprised her with a brand new shiny green wagon. She has loved it and now Grandpa has to pull her around most of the day. He also taught her how to wear her hat properly. :)

Tonight Phil and I are having a little date night and going to a Cincinnati Reds game. Tomorrow Addison will get to visit her Grandmother at the Kentucky State Fair.

In other health news. I had my PET scan Thursday and will find out the results Monday.

Splashin' Fun

2008-08-15T09:05:00.004-05:00

Last Friday we went to Wild River Country Water Park. We had taken a children's group from church there and Addison had such a good time we decided to take her back.

The toddler area that Addison enjoyed while we were there.

She also enjoyed playing in the cooler as you can see in the above video. After this we left and she slept all the way home.

Bucket Head

2008-08-10T15:35:00.003-05:00

Addison has discovered she can walk with a bucket on her head. :)

Excessive Heat Advisory...

2008-08-05T15:44:00.009-05:00

that is what all of the local Little Rock news stations had been saying and then it happened. Saturday night the house temperature got no lower than 80 degrees. We slept with ceiling fans and no covers. It was bearable. We thought maybe we just needed freon.

Woke up Sunday morning Addison had what appeared to be bug bites including 1 with a blister. Addison did have the chicken pox vaccine but just to be safe I did not want her to spread germs to the church preschool area so we stayed home. Temperature in the house slowly rose I called Gatling's Heating and Air. Expected temperature for outside was 105 degrees and I will not even mention what the heat index was supposed to be.

The on call person came out and went to check for freon. I waited patiently in the house hoping it was just freon. On call person came back to door and let me have the bad news. The compressor was gone and we needed a new unit. He would call me 1st thing Monday morning.

I called Holiday Inn Express to make reservation because remember expected temp for Sunday was 105 degrees and I will not even mention what the heat index was supposed to be. After 2 lovely nights of staying at the Holiday Inn Express, swimming, relaxing, Addison falling into the pool head first, hotel fire alarm going off in the middle of the night we are now back home and very proud owners of a brand new, shiny air conditioning unit. Thank goodness for emergency funds. Addison adapted well to the hotel. She enjoyed swimming and most of all climbing on the luggage cart. She has become quite the little climber.

Hot and Humid in the South

2008-07-24T22:50:00.002-05:00

It has been really hot and humid in the south. We have already reached a 100 several days with a heat index of 104. Needless to say we run errands in the morning when we have to and stay in during the afternoons. We don't spend too much outside but here are some rare pictures of Addison playing in the yard.

Cute Friday Pic

2008-07-11T23:08:00.003-05:00

"Please, get this water out of my face"

Frugal Living

2008-07-09T22:43:00.005-05:00

With gas at 4 dollars a gallon I have decided to look at where I can make easy cuts to our budget. So today I needed to get a few household items that we were almost out. I usually go to Walmart but on way there I stopped at The Dollar General Store.

I took in my list and wrote down all of the prices as well as the amount of the product. Having done this before I knew to be leery of the amounts because sometimes that is where the company can get you. After I was done I then went to Walmart which is where I ended up buying all of my household needs.

Here is the cost analysis:

The Dollar Store
1. Pantene Shampoo 12.6oz $4.00
2. Pantene Conditioner 12.6oz $4.00
3. DG Brand Mountwash 1.5 liters $1.75
4. Angel Soft TP 24 Reg. Rolls $6.00
5. 200 Napkins $1.00
6. Shout 30oz $2.50

Total= $19.25

Walmart
1. Walmart Brand Pantene Shampoo 25.4oz $3.12
2. Walmart Brand Conditioner 25.4oz
3. Walmart Mouthwash 1.5 liters $2.78
4. Angel Soft 12 Double Rolls
5. 250 Napkins $1.75
6. Shout 30oz $2.00

Total= $15.71

Summary

It was cheaper at Walmart and I got more product
At DG they did not have a generic version of shampoo/conditioner
Walmart did have a generic version and I got double the product
DG mouthwash was a whole 1.00 cheaper but by the time I was finishing up Walmart Addison was on the verge of a meltdown so I opted for mouthwash at Walmart.
Napkins were cheaper at DG.
If I had bought the 2 cheaper items at DG I could have shaved off $1.78 to make my total spent $13.93.
By shopping at both places I would have saved $5.71 which buys at least 1 gallon of gas but it may not always be worth it depending on time and child meltdowns.
Since DG is right on my way to Walmart I feel it didn't waist any gas when I need just certain items it may be worth it to go to DG.

Where are you making cuts in your budget? Please, don't be shy about commenting I would love hear your ideas!

33 years...

2008-07-05T22:39:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe that today I turned 33.

Family Fun on the 4th

2008-07-05T15:33:00.003-05:00

So how do you make that noise?

2008-07-03T14:48:00.008-05:00

Addison imitating her Grandma after she blew on a blade a grass and made a very loud noise.

As if pictures were not enough here is also a short clip of video but I want to warn you that she does fall at the end with tears shed. It seems like all of my videos end like this...

Summer Fun in Pictures

2008-07-01T22:30:00.004-05:00

While visiting Kentucky Addison discovered the play area at the mall.

She also may have discovered her future husband. What do you think Tabitha?

Chasing after beach balls and playing in the slip and slide.

She swam with her daddy.

She now has her first car thanks to Grandma.
She loves playing in her little pool.

She discovered Grandpa's mustache.
Occasionally, she takes a 1minute break but not too often.
She enjoyed seeing her cousin Michelle.

Back Home

2008-06-27T20:28:00.005-05:00

Well, Addison and I made it back home to Arkansas. We had a wonderful visit but boy were we busy. We were busy everyday. Addison is happy to be back to her normal routine which makes mommy happy too. I got my scan results back on Tuesday. Going into the scan Addison and I both had a cold/sinus infection which I knew would cause something to show up on the PET/CT scan. A lymph node lit up during the pet scan in my upper left neck area with an SUV level of 3.7. The lymph node was slightly enlarged from the previous scans but not considered enlarged by CT standards. My oncologist believes this is consistent with me being sick but because the SUV level was higher than she would have liked she will rescan in August. I had hoped I would not have to scan for another year but oh well.

In the meantime my oncologist is doing some research to help find me an oncologist here in Arkansas. It is too hard to go back and forth if I have things like this come up. Last, August there was an area in my tonsil that showed up on the PET scan which was biopsied and proven to not be cancer. It is still showing up on the scan now but no one seems to know what it is. Anyhow, I am going to have false positives and it would make it easier to have an oncologist close to where I live.

Headin' to the Bluegrass

2008-06-16T22:22:00.003-05:00

I am flying back to Kentucky Wednesday and will be visiting for the week. My main reason there is to get what will hopefully be the last of my 6 month PET/CT scan on Thursday. If this one is clean then I will move to yearly scans until after the 10 year mark. I get the results on Tuesday. I also have some other doctor appointments to go to since I have not secured doctors in Arkansas yet. So relaxation mixed with scanxiety.

How do you clean house?

2008-06-10T13:00:00.002-05:00

I hate a dirty house but what I hate more than a dirty house is cleaning the house. If I could afford it I would hire someone to clean our house but that isn't an option. So I must clean...

I am curious to find out how other people get their homes cleaned. Do you clean all in one day or do you clean a little each day? What is your cleaning routine? Need some help in this area because I am constantly thinking about it and it is an overwhelming task. I could clean all the time but I can't. Love to hear from you.

I'm busy here...

2008-06-08T21:53:00.000-05:00

Diaper Rompin' Fun

2008-06-07T17:03:00.002-05:00

Why does eating have to be this messy?

2008-06-07T15:56:00.005-05:00

Addi loves spaghetti and while she was eating spaghetti she discovered she has hair which is great but why did she have to discover while she had spaghetti all over her hands. Using a spoon is still a work in progress as you can tell by the videos. Plus, the last video she says the word more.

Happy Anniversary!

2008-06-03T09:19:00.004-05:00

Today Phil and I celebrate 8 years of marriage. It seems like it was just yesterday we got married. It was a special day! We had no idea what life would bring us but it brought us ups and down but God used these trials to strengthen us together. I am so thankful that God brought Phil into my life. He is a wonderful husband who above and beyond.

This is the picture from our 5th anniversary. It is one of my favorite pictures as we had just been through a life threatening illness and God brought us out on the other side and now after 8 years we share a beautiful daughter together.

I love you Phil!

Serenity

2008-05-30T23:23:00.002-05:00

This adorable little girl has Leukemia. She is 22 months old. Her story begins here. Please, lift up Serenity to the Lord and pray that she will overcome this cancer and she will be a stronger little girl. It is hard to imagine your little girl going through something like this. She reminds me of Addison.

Memorial Day Adventures...

2008-05-28T14:16:00.006-05:00

Started when we woke Addison up early. She wasn't too happy with us as you can tell by the video.

We headed to the Lake to meet some friends who had invited us to Lake Degray in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was a beautiful day.

Addison didn't really like her life jacket today. A tired girl makes for a not so happy little 16 month old if you know what I mean. She took a little can nap on the boat and she was better.

Phil enjoyed tubing but the water was cold. I stayed in the boat where it was warmer.

Addison had a better time walking and playing off the boat.

Baby to Toddler

2008-05-20T13:52:00.004-05:00

I have been wondering when Addison would be officially a toddler. She has seemed like such a baby still but now she seems like a toddler. Here are some recent examples:

Example #1 She is finally walking on her own now!!

Example #2 There is a trail of destruction where she goes.

Example #3 The animals fear for their life whenever she is near. The dog runs from her and the cats hiss at her.

Example #4 When she doesn't get her way she goes limp and pitches a fit. How do they learn this?

Example #5 This week alone she has had a bloodly lip, bloodly nose, and several bumps on her head. You will see an example of a bump in the video.

Enjoy the video!

Boating

2008-05-11T22:16:00.003-05:00

Addison had her first boat ride on the Ouachita River here in Camden. She did really well and she even seemed to enjoy it. I had hoped to see an alligator but we didn't see one. Maybe next time.

Little Snake

2008-05-11T21:51:00.002-05:00

Phil found our first Arkansas snake in our backyard on Saturday. It was just a baby about 6 inches long. We were not sure if it was poisonous or not. I don't think it was but he was actually kind of cute.

Eating Independently

2008-05-06T14:15:00.003-05:00

In an effort to avoid the above mess I purposefully prolonged teaching Addison to use a spoon. Now I must let her be more independent and self-sufficient so as I cringe when I look at these pictures I also smile because my little girl is growing up. As she grows up she will make messes along the way but she will learn from those mistakes as that is part of learning. She also likes yogurt as I am sure you can tell.

Join the Bone Marrow Registry for Free

2008-05-05T22:08:00.003-05:00

May 5 to May 19, 2008

During the two weeks around Mother’s Day, be part of our Thanks Mom awareness and donor recruitment campaign. What better way to say “Thanks, Mom” for giving you life than to share that gift with another person! During the Thanks Mom campaign, costs to join the Registry are covered by generous partners and contributors for the first 46,000 people who join the Registry. (This includes the first 10,000 who join online.)

One Step at a Time

2008-05-02T13:31:00.003-05:00

Addison is taking lots and lots of steps!

Sleepy Little Addison

2008-04-29T14:33:00.004-05:00

Addison has never been the type of baby that falls asleep anywhere. Even when she was little I couldn't take her in the church service with me because she never slept. She was always wide eyed and wanted to chat or fuss. I think she only fell asleep some in church nursery with the help of Mindy or Kelly but she learned very quickly that she liked to be where the people and action were. She has always napped pretty well though just not why she is busy but only when I lay her down in her crib until today.

She didn't seem to sleep very well last night she fussed a little on and off last night. She normally wakes up at 8:00 but the last few weeks she has been waking up a little early about 7:30am. I usually still leave her in her crib though until 8:00am wise advice Dr. Chase. But today though she woke up at 6:30am. That is pretty early for Addi. She is cutting more teeth and she has had a little fluid on her ears which I keep contributing to her restless nights and early awakenings. Anyhow I think the sleepy time hit her at lunch. She fell asleep while eating. This is a first for Addison.

We finally stopped eating and I took her in for her nap. She was asleep before I put her in her crib. She never does that either. She is always awake when I lay her down.

Cruisin' Along

2008-04-21T13:58:00.006-05:00

Addison is cruisin right along but of course she likes the fireplace. She is walking around furniture now and walking with one hand. The video shows all of this but there are a few tears at the end. When she wants something she wants it NOW! We are still working on patience.

It's never too early...

2008-04-10T14:56:00.002-05:00

It's never too early to teach kids to help out around the house. Addison is already working on putting her socks in the dryer. She was a good worker and she was proud of her work!

Cancer...

2008-04-08T15:27:00.003-05:00

I started this blog in December of 2004 when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's. I don't write too much about it anymore because I have a 14 month old keeping me preoccupied with all of my time but occasionally it slips into my mind. What if it returns?

The scary part for Hodgkin's during relapses is patients must undergo a Stem Cell Transplant. Due to this when Addison was born we banked her cord blood. The patient undergoing a transplant has high dose chemo which basically kills the cancer plus the patients immune system. After the transplant you must redo all of your immunizations. Then the patients stem cells which were taken prior to the high dose chemo are administered back to the patient during the roughest 2 weeks. All this is done during a long hospital stay but it usually is the best bet for a cure however there are the rare refractory Hodgkin's patients who are not cured and go on to clinical trials.

I do think about this but I know what Lord has promised in Jeremiah 29:11. Please, pray for Adrienne, Jessica, Bekah, Mike, Darcy, and Steve. All these wonderful people are being treated for Hodgkin's either for the 1st time, 2nd time, or even 3rd and 4th time. They are fighters. I don't even know these people but I do follow their story. Also, check out the Hodgkin's Forum for others.

She finally did it...

2008-04-01T23:23:00.006-05:00

Addison has been a bit delayed in her gross motor skills but she didn't seem to start that way. She rolled over by 4 months and sat up by the 6 months but then she just sort of stopped. My theory is she was content in sitting and that also her Grandma walked her around all day. Addison has always liked to walk while holding her hands maybe a little too much. So at 12 months she finally began the army crawl and then on Saturday she finally began pulling up and climbing. When she was 11 months she attempted to pull up but never succeeded after several attempts and never really tried again. Then today the fun has really began. She climbed up to her toy box (basket of toys) and started pulling out toys. Oh the fun she had...

Then by the time Phil came home she was climbing over chairs. What's next?

Swimsuit OCD?

2008-03-31T14:18:00.003-05:00

I have a little problem with overbuying swimsuits for Addison. When I am shopping I just can't resist them. I just think they are sooo cute. It might be borderline OCD but lets hope not. If you are worried about throwing money away on all of of these swimsuits don't be because 2 were bought with gift cards and 1 was a gift from her grandmother so I haven't really spent spent any money on swimsuits. So when we go on vacation I won't have to wash any swimsuits.

The hard part was taking these pictures. As you can see I had to distract her by giving her lots of objects to hold and play with. But in the end I got the pictures and all Addison wanted to do was explore in her changing table.

Intense Game

2008-03-31T14:10:00.003-05:00

It was a very intense game as you can tell by Phil's reactions. North Carolina just proved to be the better team. There is always next year!

Go Cards!

2008-03-29T21:25:00.007-05:00

My husband is a die hard Louisville Cardinal fan. They made it to the Elite Eight. Let's hope it is to the Final Four. They are currently within 1 point of North Carolina.

Update-Well Louisville lost but it was a good game and good season.

Easter

2008-03-29T21:17:00.002-05:00

Learning Language

2008-03-29T16:43:00.004-05:00

Addison has just turned 14 months old and her language development is really starting to take off. In fact she is currently snacking on graham crackers as she babbles continuously as she eats. In the car she can just go on and on. It is so cute and amazing how language is learned.

Currently, Addison's resume of verbal words are mama, daddy, bye-bye, bye, uh-oh, hi, peepye as she covers her face with her hands, and thank you. Her non-verbal language skills are waving, blowing kisses, hugs and kisses, shaking her head no or waving her hand no, and reaching out with her hand opened when she wants something.

As you may know with Addison's mild hearing loss her speech could be affected so we are paying particularly close attention to her language development. We met with Addison's new audiologists in Little Rock yesterday. They are going to have her evaluated by a speech pathologist at her next appointment just so we can stay on top of it.

So far I think she is on track and continues to talk all of the time.

The Hunt

2008-03-15T22:05:00.005-05:00

It was a beautiful day for an Easter Egg hunt. I thought I would just post pics of the day.

I am ready for the hunt!!

Waiting for dad to tell the Easter story...

I found one! Now what?

Sharing at it's best! Thanks Jordan!

Thanks for the lift Dad! It sure is comfortable up here.

The big purple dinosaur...

2008-03-13T18:03:00.004-05:00

I was doing my daily reading at babycheapskate and came across some short ideas to keep toddlers busy for a minute or two. So I decided to let Addison see some of the sites. We watched a few video clips and she was really uninterested in the whole thing until I came to dear, old lovable Barney. I have never been a huge fan of Barney he is purple,big and sort of cheesy if you ask me. Addison has never even watched the program with me but I think grandma may have shown her a couple of episodes at one time or another. Anyway, we watched the Barney video clips and the only one she LOVED was the I love you, you love me, we're a happy family... She watched it over and over again. So she is now hooked on the song and it really does just melt your heart when she leans over to give you a kiss during with a great big hug and a kiss to me and you. Maybe Barney isn't that bad after all. My daughter thinks he is a pretty neat guy.

Playin' in the Snow

2008-03-08T12:04:00.003-05:00

We ended up getting about 3 inches. The funny thing is it is melting so fast and tomorrow it is supposed to be 61 degrees and Wednesday it is going to be 72 degrees. Wow! Addison liked the snow for a bit. She was so cute in her little pink snowsuit.

Addison Hangin' out with Her New Friends

2008-03-07T15:15:00.003-05:00

Addison has really enjoyed playing with all of her new freinds. The first picture Addison is huging the little boy. She has become quite the little hugger although this boy is way too young for her by about 6 months. :o) Notice the expression on his face. I don't think he is into girls just yet.

Arkansas Snow

2008-03-07T14:57:00.004-05:00

The native Arkansasans tell us it snows about every 13 years. This must be one of those years. It is supposed to be back in 60's again next week. I thought weather in Kentucky was crazy... We currently have 3 inches and it is still snowing. I have no idea how much snow we will end up with. All three weather stations had anywhere between a trace of snow and 5 inches.

Beautiful Pictures

2008-02-26T10:25:00.003-05:00

Kari McGrath took beautiful pictures of Addison when she was 3 months old. She takes fabulous pictures! These pictures just remind me how fast my little girl is growing up. What a wonderful gift she is from the Lord.

Dear Jesus-Thank you for giving us a wonderful gift of life. Addison has been such a joy and comfort to us. Thank you for letting me enjoy her daily and staying home with her. Help us to raise her in your name teaching her about you. We love you! Amen

We are getting settled

2008-02-20T15:29:00.007-05:00

We have been living in Arkansas almost a month now. We are slowly getting settled in our home which we love. The weather has been mostly great and warmer than what I am used to in Kentucky. The high today for South Arkansas is 61 degrees and the high today for Central Kentucky is 33 degrees. Due to this weather Addison has enjoyed swinging in her new yard.

I have been quite behind on posting and I hope to post more often now that I am home with Addison. I love staying home with her all day it has been a huge BLESSING! I am so thankful for this opportunity. I am finding out though my day is still as busy as ever but it is the good busy.

Addison has finally turned 1. We had a birthday party for her in Kentucky before we left. She was a ham. She loves being in the center of attention and she sure got it for her princess birthday party. She also celebrated her birthday at the local Mexican resteraunt but she was a little disturbed by

the large hat they were trying to put on her head. She also cried when they sang Happy birthday to her.

Addison has been a little slow in crawling in fact she never has crawled but only rolled everywhere until Sunday. On Sunday she started pulling herself on her stomach. I caught a little bit of it on my camera. She now is really doing everywhere. I was in the kitchen yesterday and she came in there after me. She is a little cutie. I can't wait until she finally decides to walk!

We're moving!

2008-01-12T13:36:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of writing but many new things are happening right now and taking all of my time. We're moving! We are heading to Arkansas country and it is exciting. The Lord has opened some exciting doors for our family. Phil is entering another phase of ministry as Family Life Pastor and I am going to be an almost full-time Champion Family Coordinator minus subbing one day a week to pay for my extremely expensive health insurance but I will save that for another post.

I have always wanted to be a stay at home mom but after having cancer it was even more important to me. Cancer makes you come to the reality very quickly that you will not always be here and I want my daughter to know me as long as she can. I want to make strong memories with her and unfortunately my career was taking all of my time and sacrificing my family. Now even though I am still busy at least now it is Addison and Phil keeping me busy.

Phil is already in Arkansas and it has been so hard to be apart. Addison and I were down there for 10 days but had to come back for a doctor's appointment and someone has to get us all packed up. I can't wait for our family to be back together again under one roof. I have a wonderful husband and he misses his family deeply!

The doctor's appointment Addison had to go to was for her hearing aids that she began wearing after Thanksgiving. When Addison was born she failed her newborn hearing screening. So after an ABR it was determined that Addison has a hearing loss most likely caused genetically. I also have a hearing loss as well but only in one ear. Addison has a loss in both ears and although she has lots of good hearing it may affect how she hears sounds and in turn cause her speech to have problems. She may not need the hearing aids as an adult but she will need them through school. The doctors want to continue to monitor her hearing so that it does not get any worse. Also, Phil's health insurance doesn't pay for hearing aids but again I will save insurance for another post.

Addison's 1st birthday is coming up which does make moving a little tricky. I anticipate having a small family birthday here in Kentucky because most likely we will be in Arkansas on January 27th. I can't believe my little girl is 1. She is such a blessing in our life.

Addison enjoyed her 1st Christmas. She mainly enjoyed the boxes and paper and also enjoyed hamin' it up for family and friends. She is such a social butterfly and she definitely gets that from her Daddy. On Christmas day she went to the fire station to see her Grandpa and she was all smiles. This is one proud Grandpa!

Beach Babe

2007-10-15T20:44:00.000-05:00

We just go back from the Emerald Coast! It was a wonderful trip and it is amazing how beautiful the ocean and white beaches are in the Florida Panhandle. Addision enjoyed her first of many trips to the beach. Her parents LOVE the beach! She loved puting her feet in the sand as the waves hit her feet and of course her favorite part is all the attention she gets while on the beach. :o) We are already making plans to go back very soon.

Longing for more time with Addison

2007-08-11T07:58:00.000-05:00

It's back to work for me. Yes, you heard it school is back in session and so am I. I put in 40 hours this week and it was only a 4 day week and I still didn't get everything completed.

I also missed 40 hours of Addison's life this week. I am horribly, upset about this and I don't think I will ever get over this. I am still shocked that I can't get affordable health insurance. Until Phil is back to working full-time again it looks like I will continue to work 50 hours a week 6-4. We have sacrificed a lot for Phil to work part-time. I am still looking for the blessings of this. Maybe its just me and my lack of Faith...

Usually, all of my posts are happy but I do get depressed just like anyone else. So right now I am just feeling sorry for myself and longing for more time with Addison...

Real Food (Almost)

2007-08-01T20:42:00.000-05:00

My Precious Girl

2007-07-26T19:57:00.000-05:00

My precious girl is 6 months old. It is hard to believe it has been 6 months.

Blogging

2007-07-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

I love reading biographies of people. I love watching documentaries about people. Presidents, actors, actresses, and everyday ordinary people. I guess that is why I love reading blogs. I love hearing others thoughts and voices on a variety of topics. Some of these topics are deep and some are not. I just enjoy it and it is something I do everyday.

I am curious if anyone still reads this blog?

Hope, Dreams, and Health Care Reform

2007-07-11T13:40:00.001-05:00

I have always wanted to have children and stay home with them full-time.
I wanted to raise Addison and take care of her full-time. Being a teacher and
my husband a pastor I knew it would be hard financially. Neither pays a
tremendous amount of money. Phil and I have worked hard not accumulate a lot of debt.

We tried to have Addison for over 6 years. We had 3 miscarriages along the
way plus at age 29 I was diagnosed with cancer. Finally we were pregnant. I
knew when I had Addison I would stay home with her. Well while I was pregnant certain circumstances happened and my husband resigned from his job leaving him with only a part-time position. But because we hadn't accumulated a lot of debt I could still stay home until I found out I could not get on my husband's health insurance because I had cancer.

Well this has changed my whole dream in life. Now I am stricken to have to leave this child everyday and go off to work because I can't get Health Insurance. There are policies out there I could get but you have to pay out the wazoo for them and we don't have the financial resources for that.

So because I had cancer, I certainly didn't ask for this, I have to go to work to keep my health insurance. Forgive me if I am wrong but this doesn't seem right to be penalized for having cancer.

We certainly need healthcare reform in this country!