Okay, it is 3:00am and I have been trying to get back to sleep for 2 hours now and am giving up. I am about ready to have Rick go get the hammer to put me out of my misery. :) Some nights are better than others and this one will not go down in my history as being one of the best. And after SUCH a terrific day........

Yesterday morning Lauree Strong came to visit from Austin and it was great to see her! And with her she brought presents from the Round Rock ward. I couldn't believe it! The kids were thrilled with their boxes and notes (Emma was still packing her box around last night at 8:00) and I LOVED the notes from the Relief Society and the picture Lauree brought that Jamie had made. I am so grateful for all that Round Rock Ward has done for us! They have surely gone far beyond the call of duty to help our family. I am overwhelmed and it gives me something to work for so I can be of service to others someday. I know the Church is the Church everywhere, but I will always, always, remember Round Rock Ward with such happiness and love -- as a great example of what a ward can be when people love the Savior and want to serve His people.

As far as me, I have been working on my crutches (they are the kind that go around your arm- not the ones that go under your arm). They are harder for me and very scary. With a walker (which makes me feel like I am 85), if I am doing something and I lose my balance, I can grab the walker. With the crutches, if I lose my balance, I am going DOWN! But I am determined to get used to using them, because going somewhere like Church would be easier with crutches.

I also start chemo again this week. I have lost enough hair, so I am not anxious for this to start again. BUT the PET scan they did in the hospital compared with the PET scan they did in
April showed HUGE results. I went over it with my Dr. this week. I was amazed. And I feel so much more hopeful.

I will end with a funny little story. On Friday, I finally got a Port put in. It was NOT fun going back to a hospital, but at least I knew I would be leaving in a few hours this time. Anyway, when the Dr. doing the procedure came to talk to me, he said, "you are little enough that this will show through your skin". I could have kissed him! It has been years since anyone has said I was "little" enough for anything. I know I still have a little ways to go, but to be told that was great! It is too bad I had to get so sick to lose all the weight without even trying after years of struggling sooooo much with trying to lose weight and not figuring out why it wasn't working.

I am grateful for the peace that came to me today in Relief Society when we were hearing a lesson on prayer and personal revelation. I am so grateful to know that I can pray and receive answers to my prayers. I don't know where I would be without that. What a loving Heavenly Father we have who hasn't left us alone on the earth -- no matter how alone and scared we might feel at times.