Yes! I figured out how to merge the two blogs I had into one. I figure even if I write about private stuff I can hide it later I suppose. This really is about expressing oneself, flaws and all. Take the good with the bad, right? Loving this sunny day in January. Going with the family later to eat at PF Changs and buy fish for the tank Santa brought. Should be a fun afternoon/evening. Life goes on. I wonder how many folks start out January of the new year hoping to blog more. Probably not as many who vow to exercise more. That will not be my problem, however. I will probably exercise less than I did last year. Come on, I know it's true. I did download music to my blackberry so I can use that to listen to as I "walk". Ha! We'll see. (using reverse psychology on oneself can work, right?)

Merry Christmas to all!

I don't give much time to blogging. I'm sure I'll regret it in later years. Here's yet another attempt to get back into it. Anyway, here are some of our Christmas photos. I love the one where dear daughter is looking a bit put out with her zany boys.

Tornado Watch in November

Here we are in the middle of November under a tornado watch until 4 a.m. It freaks my youngest out completely. I don't know why he feels so afraid. Maybe he became unnaturally frightened by a storm as a child but honestly I don't remember a specific time. I know our tough but sweet Wolfie dog would howl and try to get under heavy boulders we have around our yard when a storm would hit. Maybe he watched her freak out and thought, "Hmmm, if this tough watch dog is scared of thunder, I ought to be too." He's very logical like that, even as a three year old. So, here we are, seven years later with a child who wants to crawl in our bed to wait out the storm. Poor guy, I don't know how to make it okay. I suppose he'll have to outgrow it, but our daughter is nearly 22 and still terrified of spiders. That's a whole other story.

Just got back from a cruise to the Bahamas aboard the same ship, "Monarch of the Seas", that we discovered we were pregnant with Michael ten years ago! I'm still swaying as if still on the boat. It takes me about 2 weeks to fully get over that effect. Strange. Anyway, here's a picture of the kids off the ship in Nassau.

Christmastime for the Wax Family

We spent time here in North Carolina before and up until Christmas Day and then on the 26th we headed south, deep south to spend time with my parents and my husband's family in Mississippi. We have done this every Christmas since we moved to North Carolina in 1989. That is a lot of miles and that's not counting the times in between Christmases we've gone back for visits. I don't think we'd know what to do were we not traveling at Christmastime. It just seems natural. We've adjusted our plans to suit our growing family. At first, we would all pile in various spots around the houses, on couches, on floors, in a spare bed, wherever we'd fit. As we had more kids and they kept getting bigger (they tend to do that, you know), we decided we'd be better off staying in a motel. This has changed our attitudes greatly. Now we can squirrel away when we're feeling squirrely, yet still get in nice long visits. It really makes us look more forward to the trips and we've really learned to like egg tacos, the breakfast of choice at the Holiday Inn Express. Mind you, we are very tired of it by the time we are heading home, but not so much that we aren't looking forward to it the next trip....besides, you can always eat cereal.

Standard College Essay?

If anyone is reading this blog you probably by now know that I am a part-time college student. I recently had the assignment of writing a narrative of 500 words or so. I would have to say this is my first actual college essay. I chose to write about a true-life event, which is as follows:

“Diagnosis: Cancer”

Gradually I come to, becoming aware of my surroundings. The room is bright and everything in it is white. The smell of clean cotton sheets, antiseptic cleanser and metal awakens me. I feel the pinch of an intravenous needle in my right arm. I begin to remember why I’m here. I have just had surgery to remove what the surgeon assured me was an aspirated bean in my left lung. I am not afraid, just curious to find out what it is that has made me cough nearly non-stop for a month. I am ready to feel better and my young children are ready to have their mommy back. As I look around, I notice the faces looking at me are not smiling. I begin to worry.

My husband, Tim, is holding firmly to my left hand. There is a doctor I don’t recognize standing to the right of my hospital bed. As the new doctor approaches the bed, Tim introduces him as Dr. Moore, a medical oncologist. The doctor carefully slips his hand into my right hand as the recognition of the word oncologist hits me. I am familiar with medical terms and I know oncology means cancer. My mouth goes dry and my heart beats rapidly. I begin to shiver. I am having a reaction either to the anesthesia I’m still coming out of or to the news that I know I am about to hear. Images of my children flash into my mind and I wonder if I will get to see them start Kindergarten.

Dr. Moore gently reveals to me that I have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of lymph node cancer the surgeon discovered encasing my left lung. My mind races as my husband’s grip tightens around my hand. I take a moment to absorb what I’ve heard and then I want to know what can be done. Dr. Moore tells me I will be receiving nine months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, during which I will be sick often. He assures me he will do his best to control my nausea. I take in a deep, painful breath and let it out slowly, feeling the burden of the months ahead of me.

Dr. Moore’s voice is confidant as he assures me he has treated many patients with the same diagnosis successfully. I assume this means many are still alive, but I’m afraid to ask. He elaborates on the side effects. I am doing my best to listen but words are swirling around in my head, confusing and exhausting me. Suddenly I hear the words “...your hair will fall out.” I begin to sob. The curly brown hair that flows half way down my back will disappear. It is the first and last time I cry during my struggle with cancer.

This type of cancer grows rapidly and must be slowed down as soon as possible. It is recommended that I begin chemotherapy before I leave the hospital, giving my surgery wounds little time to heal. I agree to this plan and begin to prepare mentally and spiritually for the months ahead. At 26 years old I am about to face the fight of my life.

By the way, I got an A.

New Semester

Well, with two classes behind me and a 4.0 GPA I'm looking forward to starting my math class on Wednesday. I've been on a short break and I actually miss it. Whether I feel that way midway through July remains to be seen. My instructor is supposed to be really good, but...she's going on maternity leave soon, so I hope her sub is equally as good. Learning for learning's sake...who would've thought.

My 6th grade son has been inspired to do a research paper on the War of 1812, a part of history I learned and shared with the family this past semester. It is such an important war, yet very underplayed in our history. I believe part of the reason it is underplayed has to do with the supernatural elements that occurred during the war. In my belief, God intervened to establish this nation.

I've been reading "The Unlikely Disciple" by Kevin Roose....I wish I could go to Liberty University. He isn't really endorsing it, in fact it is sort of an expose, but it makes me wish I'd gone to college there. It is Christian training camp accelerated. It is in the home town of my father and grandparents, Lynchburg, Va. I grew up visiting there about once a month to visit family my whole childhood. Once we moved to Mississippi I have only been about 6 times in 26 years. So sad really. Even here in NC, I don't get to Virginia like I should. Life gets in the way. Speaking of, tomorrow is a day of errands to complete before class starts. Time to get my daughter a new phone as she dropped hers almost immediately after getting it and the screen cracked. It has been usuable since, but sad looking. We are replacing with a cheapie one I think. Who knows once we get in there and the pretty phones are calling our names.....