Hey ya'll!

It has been 6 months since my last update, so it is time.   

Every 6 months I have CT scans of my chest, stomach and pelvis.  This is just preventive to make sure nothing is lurking. I also have diagnostic mammograms every 6 months. Also, there is a ton of blood work that is done.   The last scans I had were in December and those were clear! I had them again this past week and today my oncologist shared they are STILL CLEAR! Ya. All.  I am now officially 1 year cancer free.  I cannot begin to tell you how overwhelmed I am of God's gracious healing and power in my body and soul.  

It has taken a year for my blood counts to return to being in the normal ranges. PRAISE the Lord that today for the first time in a year they are all in the NORMAL range! WOOT WOOT!   I am starting to gain strength and the constant fatigue is less and less.  I even have HAIR now and recently got and update (peep the pics) and am grateful for my hair stylist.  I have embraced the chemo curls, but did not embrace the gray ! :) She really is the best ever! I actually was able to work in Vacation Bible School this last week - what a blessing!

I am on summer break right now and enjoying the sunshine.  I have even ventured to the pool and that has been such a special treat (if you know me, you know I love summer, water and sunshine) I am wearing swim shirts though - I think once you have experienced cancer then you tend to be more cautious about things.

I am still trying to eat a mostly plant based diet.  I have gained all the weight lost during treatment back. I need to get moving more now that I am feeling good.  One medicine I have been on causes weight gain and it was used primarily for an appetite stimulant during treatment.  I do NOT need that anymore, so we are decreasing that and hopefully done with it by the end of summer.  It's a slow process to taper off it.

We had a visit from John Edward and his parents last month.  We established our first Lolli & Pawpaw Camp and had him for a week while his parents celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in Mexico.  I cannot begin to tell you what JOY the week brought to us!  That little guy brings so much to our family and we are truly blessed.  I honestly would cry at night some days because I was and am in awe of all that God has chosen to do in my life and where I was last year at this time to where I am now.  ONLY GOD.

We lost my mom in March.  That was not expected.  She was 86.  I cannot begin to tell you how much this aches.  I know she is with Jesus and no longer suffering but losing mom has been more than difficult.  I called her every day.  There is a deep void that I just can't honestly explain. Even as I am writing to all of you, I long to pick up the phone and call her and tell her my good news.  She would be so excited! Some days it seems unreal that she is not here.  I know the Lord is with me and His comfort is real though.   I am grateful for the time we had together at Thanksgiving with all our family.  I will cherish those memories for always.  I will be traveling back to Arkansas in a few weeks and my siblings and I will be going through Mom's house and getting ready for an estate sale more than likely.  I know this won't be easy. Prayers for all the emotions that will no doubt flood this heart! We moved to that house when I was 12 and it has been home base for every single Thanksgiving since then. 

We have some family members coming this week to visit us as they are traveling to and from places. That is a plus of being in the smack dab middle of the USA! HA!  We look forward to it and I am gearing up to cook for them.  Sounds crazy because I am not the best cook but hosting and living life with those I love is something I don't intend to take for granted. 

I celebrated my birthday this past May.  I did a whole week long of celebrating! I have never done that before but oh how it brought me JOY.  John and I celebrated our 36th anniversary this past Monday. We didn't do anything special but we don't have too.  I cannot imagine doing this life with anyone else! 

I will be back to school the first of August and look forward to that - but for now I am going to enjoy time off and just living this abundant life God has graciously given me.  I long to know Him more and make Him known.  I am working through Jennie Allen's "Find your People" bible study and it's been incredible.  I truly found some of the most loyal people during the last year.  God gave me close relationships with people who were willing to walk this journey with me and continue to do so.  Those people include friends, family, church peeps, neighbors, work peeps, and more.  I cannot imagine living life without community.  It is God's design for His children to live life together and oh how that has been displayed to me this past year.  I pray that you all have people that you can reach out to, or who reach out to you if you don't.  We need each other! So, if you are needing someone to walk through life with, please let me know - I will gladly volunteer!

There are so many scriptures that come to my heart when I am writing to update ya'll.  They are the substance that keeps me going.  I am grateful to the Lord for all He has done and for how you have been such an incredible blessing to me over this last year.  There is power in praying.  There is power in God's children joining together and living life with intentionality.

"I have come that you may have life and that you may have it more abundantly" John 10:10

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not us" 2 Corinthians 4:7

"But Jesus held them, and said to them, with men this is impossible, but with GOD, all things are possible!" Matthew 19:26


In His Grip and grateful for all of you!

Much Love,
Janet