What a year it has been in the Stone house!!! I have to say that I am so ready for a clean slate in 2009. It got me thinking back to our year and just how crazy it has been… (pull up a chair and grab some popcorn, I’ve got a lot of pictures!)
Archive for December, 2008
Hey everyone! Sorry I’ve been missing for a little while. After all the holiday festivities, we have just really been hanging out and taking it easy. Back to the old routine today though, so no more excuses! I have tons of Christmas pictures, but I can’t get them to transfer from my memory card to my laptop! Arggg…. I will figure it out as soon as possible and get them up. Anyways, on to more important matters…
I just wanted to drop in and wish you all a very Blessed Christmas! It’s so easy to get wrapped up in all the festivities and forget the true meaning of Christmas. Take time to remember all that you have to be thankful for in your life. Take time to remember that this season is about giving, not receiving. Take time to remember the greatest gift of all. A sweet baby who was sent by his Father only to die for our sins.
Friends, my prayer for you is that you enjoy every second of this holiday season. Cherish every moment you have with your loved ones. May you all have a blessed Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior!
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:16-20
I love to bake. Love it!!! However, I found myself short on time this year. Hmmm….wonder why?!? However, I decided on Saturday that I was going to bake. I didn’t bake anything complicated, but I underestimated the amount of time I would spend doing it. I was in the kitchen last night and all day today. I made peanut butter balls (thanks Dana for this recipe from year’s ago), seven layer bars, peanut butter blossom cookies, and nutter butter santas.
Hey everyone! Quick update before I post pictures. We found out that Ricky will start his first round of chemo on December 29. He is taking an oral pill called Temodar and he will take 4 pills nightly before bed. He is on a cycle of 5 days on and 23 days off. He will also be taking Zofran every 6 hours to help with the nausea. They said to expect some fatigue and nausea, but at least the zofran will help with that. I will definitely keep yall updated when he starts.
We are finally back from our appointment and the news was good. It appears as if the remaining portion of the tumor shrank, but they can’t really tell because of it’s position. The area where the tumor is located is thinner than it was previously, so that is a good sign. The tumor cavity is a lot smaller than the last MRI because that portion of the brain is moving back into it’s space. Other than that, there were no changes, which is a GREAT thing. They always look for a stable MRI, and that is what he received today.
They gave him the option of following up with the year’s worth of oral chemo, Temodar, or just waiting. Dr. Yung said that the temodar is like an insurance policy and that is what he would do if he was in Ricky’s position. So, he will start the temodar and take 12 cycles worth. He will have 5 days of treatment every 28 days. We will return to Houston in February and will have a follow up MRI. He will have a scan and trip to Houston every 2 months during this first year.
We are so excited about the news and just thrilled with the Almighty Healer. He is truly the only one to thank and we just glorify Him for all He continues to do in our lives.
We love you all!
I just wanted to pop in and let y’all know that we had such an amazing weekend at the ranch. It was quiet and so restful! I have so many pictures to share and will do that as soon as we get home. Ricky rode around and did some “work” (I am using that word very loosely), and I worked on Christmas cards and just laid around. We both napped and just enjoyed the peace and quiet of the country. Did I mention how much we ate? Seriously, we really treated this as a vacation. We definitely cannot do this every time we come here for his appointment!
We came back to Houston this morning and enjoyed spending the day with friends. We are preparing ourselves for the appointment tomorrow. Thank you for all of the continued prayers and I will update tomorrow afternoon!
Hey everyone! It is 6:55 AM and all is quiet in our house. Ricky has his MRI at 7:45 and we leave for Houston early this afternoon. Please pray for a clean MRI today. We just pray that thre remaining tumor is gone! Even though the MRI is this morning, we do not meet with Dr. Yung to get the results until Tuesday.
We are so blessed to get to visit our friend’s ranch this weekend in Houston and have a quiet and peaceful getaway. We are so looking forward to this time to just relax and hang out without the stresses of everyday life. I’m not sure if we will have computer access there, so I may be MIA this weekend. I will definitely update on Tuesday after the appointment if you haven’t heard from us yet.
We love you all and appreciate all of your prayers.
Update: It is now 7:05 AM and no longer quiet =) Lily and Riley are both up and Riley is ”hungry so bad!” Meemaw is going to have so much fun while we are gone!!!
Okay, I obviously have way to much time on my hands. Not really, but I had to do this. The kids LOVE it and crack up.
Click here to see our disco dance. Unfortunately, you can only do 5 elves at a time, so Sarah was left out. Soooooo, I had to do another one. Click here to see the country hoe down dance.
Seriously, how funny are those. Are you not cracking up?
I just have to share this conversation that Lily and I had the other night…
Lily: “Mom, I have to show you something but I have to get the balls to do it.”
*I can’t see her. She is in the playroom and I am in the office.
Me: ???? Surely she doesn’t mean what she just said
Lily: “Okay mom, I got the balls. Now I can show you”
Me: Afraid to look
Lily: “Watch! My cousins showed me how to juggle.” (Holding two balls, one in each hand)
