oh boy, oh boy, OH BOY!!!

Things have been really good the past few weeks... I've been able to keep clipping right along on my "taking back the house"... I've redone/freshened up 5 rooms since May, when Josh moved out. Moved Joe's office to the former bird room/kids' room/guest room... Moved the kiddos' room from Daniel's old room/kids' room into what was Josh's room/Joe's office... Painted and decorated the Jack and Jill bath in between Joe's new office and the kiddies' new room for the first time ever. (the kiddos' new room hadn't ever been touched either... was full of nail holes and all kinds of other dents and dings... THAT was a MAJOR undertaking!) REpainted and refreshed the hall bath... that I had started on... over 5 years ago! Last BIG project before the holidays was Daniel's old room, which became my craft room, then had Josh in there for... 3 years? It is now my craft/guest room. I call in Mamaw's room, because I've done it up all old fashioned, like a room in Mamaw's house... AND am hoping that SOON, we will find a way to get her down here for a visit, and she's going to come stay with us for a day or two... and this will be her room. Today, I'm going to be doing some touching up of some of the wear and tear of life on the hallway and living room before we have a crowd of folk out on Sunday for target shooting and a weenie roast.

THEN, I've got to see how far I can get in a week on my little grandbaby to be's quilt, before the baby shower on the 14th... and THEN... I have to hit hard on Christmas gifts that need to be made!!!

I can do it tho!!! I just have to keep up a good head of steam, and the news of yesterday is just what I need to keep plugging along...

So... are you ready for some really... REALLY good news?!?!?

We had gotten Joe's CEA back of a couple weeks ago... and were a bit disappointed that it had gone up some... from basically 78 to 114... but, Joe had been off of his Xeloda for 3 weeks due to how badly it was messing up his hands and feet... so... considering it HAD been almost 700... we would take the little bit higher number. Well... they sent him for a CT scan on Monday, and we got the results at his visit yesterday... The smaller tumors in his liver are GONE! GONE!!! The larger tumors... GREATLY REDUCED... some as much as by 50%!!! He's only being doing the new treatment... 4 months? 3rd time seems to be a charm! At this rate, we could be really, REALLY close to all being gone by Christmas! OHMYGOSH!!! Amazing... God is so good!!! We may be finally seeing an end to this.

I'm not going to lie... there have been times over the past 2 years that both of us felt like giving up... just stopping the treatment and letting nature take it's course... But then Joe would get a second wind, which would buoy up my sails, and off we'd go again... We feel like we've sailed around the world through all kinds of storms... but it looks like fair weather is ahead!!!

Thank you, thank you for all of the prayers and good wishes... The Lord is listening! I love you!!! (*"*)