CANCER---I'M TOO YOUNG!!

So I heard those words no one ever believes she will hear....you have cancer.  Seriously??  I'm only 42.  I breastfed 4 babies.  I had 3 of my 4 children before age 30.  No one in my family has had breast cancer.  It took literally seconds to think through this, and then it all made sense.  The doctor had simply went in the wrong room.  She meant to tell another patient she had cancer.  You know, someone who had a family history, smoked, drank, never breastfed....

Sadly...no....she was in the right room.  So my journey began.  I'm more than 1/2 way through radiation treatments now.  I'm tired, and my skin has a little sunburn.  So very thankful for this journey now.  

Photo Book

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Wishing I was back on the cruise ship today!

Wild Olive Tees

One of my favorite companies to our t-shirts for my girls and me is Wild Olive Tees. They are beautiful t-shirts, but it's the message with them that is really beautiful. I love that they have a scripture on the back. We almost always receive compliments when wearing them. I'm looking forward to seeing what they have for spring/summer this year.

Take a look. There is a great hoodie give-a-way right now too!

http://www.wildolivetees.com/blog/

For the child I lost 18 years ago today....

Ask My Mom How She Is

My Mom, she tells a lot of lies

she never did before.

From now until she dies,

she'll tell a whole lot more.

Ask my Mom how she is

and because she can't explain,

She will tell a little lie

because she can't describe the pain.

Ask my Mom how is she,

She'll say "I'm alright."

If that's the truth, then tell me,

why does she cry each night?

Ask my Mom how is she,

she seems to cope so well.

She didn't have a choice you see

nor the strength to yell.

Ask my Mom how she is,

"I'm fine, I'm well, I'm coping."

For Gods sake Mom, just tell the truth

just say your heart is broken.

She'll love me all her life,

I loved her all of mine.

But if you ask her how is she

she'll lie and say she's fine.

WE are here in Heaven.

we cannot hug from here.

If she lies to you don't listen,

Hug her and hold her near.

On the day we meet again,

we'll smile and I'll be bold.

I'll say, "You're lucky to get in here, Mom

with all the lies you told!"

-unknown

Perseverance

"God knows when something glorious in the future necessitates something difficult in the present. Because He knows the glory will be worth it, God will risk being misunderstood."

-Beth Moore

How thankful I am for a God that wants to walk with me through times I just can't understand. I love Him for being o.k. with the fact that I have questions and want to know why. I have had more than a few times in my life where all I could do was trust His hand in leading me. I remember a specific time where I prayed so hard for His direction and His will in a decision. To be honest, I wanted Him to choose the answer I had already chosen. But I asked Him to close the door in a way that I knew only He closed it if the answer was "no." Was I completely broken-hearted when He did just that--closed the door? Oh yes, I cried myself to sleep more nights than I would care to admit.

But God.

He carried us through to so much more than we could ever have asked or imagined. Clearly He had our best interest in mind and knew we had to go through a present difficulty to have that glorious future. I had the good fortune of seeing a glimpse of why God directed our path in the way He did. Years later I had a defining moment in my life as I realized just how fortunate we were that we did not get our answer in the way we wanted.

Yes, the glory is worth it!

As I help my child go through an experience today where I pray he learns this, it is so hard. The mother in me will experience many tears for him. Yet I know God is shaping him to the man he intends for him. And I know he will have an experience to share of how God used this present difficulty to provide a glorious future.

One of my favorite songs reminds me the when we don't understand, when we can't see His plan, when we can't trace His hand, trust His heart.

Snow in the ATL

We sure have enjoyed these last few snow days! Brent has been able to recover from his surgery longer instead of going back to school 1/2 days. Brandon, Ashley, and Victoria have certainly had fun in the snow!

We've had fun sledding down the hills around our house!

Brent even had the opportunity to stand outside for a little while today.

I thought this one turned out cute--looks like our little dog is pulling the sled!

More than anything, I am thankful for the time we have had to spend as a family.

Beach Living

We sure enjoyed our time at the beach. I really miss living close to the water. Destin is truly our favorite beach to go to, but the water was not as pretty this year. There was so much algae and seaweed that we spent our time in the sand and in the pool. I have to believe the ocean is compensating for the oil spill.

That being said, we still had a great time as a family. It's times like this that I start to realize how much different this picture will look as the kids get older. Already, the boys are taller than me, and it won't be long before the girls are!

Happy Birthday Ashley!!

I can't believe my little girls is 12! She is such a beautiful, young lady that we are so proud of!!!

Won't Be Long Now

Tomorrow I get to see this face again, and I can't wait! Brent has been on a high school mission trip to Australia for the last 2 weeks. We've heard so many positive things already, but I know there are endless stories of God's faithfulness.

I know this was a great time of growth for Brent to be away from his twin brother and parents, making his own decisions, and planning for what he needs. His sisters and brother have all missed him so much. David & I are counting the hours to be able to hug our son again.

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden. ~Claudia Ghandi

Sometimes I just need a reminder

Praise You in This Storm

I was sure by now,God, You would have reached down

and wiped our tears away,

stepped in and saved the day.

But once again, I say amen

and it's still raining

as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain,

"I'm with you"

and as Your mercy falls

I raise my hands and praise

the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:

And I'll praise you in this storm

and I will lift my hands

for You are who You are

no matter where I am

and every tear I've cried

You hold in your hand

You never left my side

and though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

Happy 4th of July!!

We took the girls to their first Atlanta Braves game today to celebrate the 4th. It was really strange not to have Brent with us, but he is having an amazing time in Australia on our church mission trip. The Americana service this morning was neat--brought back good memories from growing up in Mississippi.

One of our church members lost their son to the War in Afghanistan today. He was only 22 years old. This serves as a clear reminder that our freedom is not free. Thank you so much to all who serve our country.

All-stars 2010

Brandon had an amazing all-star season. He proved to be a very strong hitter with a high percentage of doubles and triples. He also had a good record for stolen bases. He enjoyed pitching and playing several positions, but catcher will always be his favorite.

Brandon loves baseball. He had one week this summer with high school baseball camp in the morning and all-star practice after that. The day ended with watching baseball games on TV--probably some xBox baseball in there at some point too. It's fun to see him so passionate about the game.

He has been a leader on his team this season and respected by coaching staff and umpires. It was fun to watch him get to know other players in our district through the tournaments we played in. While we won't be playing the state tournament, Brandon is a champion in my book!!

Feeling God's Love in an Amazing Way

Today, I am just feeling God's love in a very reassuring way.

My son Brent leaves for Australia on a 2 week missions trip. Yep...he'll be more than 24 hours away from me, and I'm going to miss him so very much. He is really smart and so much fun to be around. Most of all, he loves the Lord. The kids in the Australia school are going to love getting to know him and his heart.

So, the mom in me starts to WORRY in a way that only a mom can. How will I get to him if something goes wrong? Who is going to take care of him? How can I go 2 weeks without seeing him?

Then a word from God...."I AM." Nothing more needed. He loves Brent so much and has a special plan for him. Brent is living a life that matters. I know Brent will meet people in Heaven whose lives he touched during this trip, and he will be forever changed too as a result of this experience.

As an obedient child to my Father, I place Brent again in His loving care. I know he will be where he should be serving God.

Please keep the people of Australia and our youth group in your prayers. From our pastors:

http://radiateleaders.wordpress.com/

A GREAT GIVE-A-WAY -- ENDS 6/20

Check out my give-a-way blog for an opportunity to win a prize pack I really enjoyed!!!

http://dayinthelifeoftherobinsonsgive-a-ways.blogspot.com/

A special thanks for Pillsbury and myBlogSpark for giving me this item and one to share with a blog friend!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

I thank God for allowing me to be a mom to these awesome kids! I am truly blessed!

FREE SIMPLY GO_GURT--1st 30 to click below

I hope you enjoy this yogurt as much as my family has!

Thanks to myBlogSpark for giving my readers this opportunity!!!

WINNER--SIMPLY GOGURT GIVE_A_WAY

Congratulations to Christy. E-mail me by end of day Friday or I will need to choose another winner.

Here are your random numbers:

3 

Timestamp: 2010-04-29 10:54:17 UTC

Take Care of Yourself & Your Family--Give-a-Way

I'm excited to share the Simply ... Go-Gurt give-a-way with one of you!!! The prize pack includes a pocket Etch a Sketch, weekly planner, and a seat back organizer. My kids (o.k.--me too) have enjoyed having the organizer in the back. We could all use a little more organization, right??

We really enjoyed the yogurt! This yogurt is made from single ingredients we look for and contains no high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors or flavors. I love having something healthy to share with my kids! They LOVE having it in a tube that we can take with us for picnics, at the ballpark, or the beach. Convenience is big for me with everyone going in different directions.

Leave me a comment with your favorite organization tip or how you plan snacks for your family to enter the give-a-way. Follow me on Twitter for an extra entry (MrsMowItAll). Be sure to leave another comment letting me know you have done so. The give-a-way will close at midnight Wednesday, April 28.

The Simply... Go-Gurt, prize pack, information and additional prize pack were all given to me from Yoplait through MyBlogSpark. The opinions are all mine :-)

Nourish Your Inner Goddess--Enter by April 18

Updated: Congratulations, Hannah! You're the winner.

Here are your random numbers:

1 

Timestamp: 2010-04-23 20:53:00 UTC

Let's face it...as women we don't take enough time to stop and take care of ourselves. We spend so much time making sure everyone else is taken care of and rarely stop for ourselves.

This give-a-way is a retreat away from all of our responsibilities. You'll get some great items that will help you relax. Your gift pack will also contains two VIP* coupons for this delicious yogurt.

I tried the strawberry and honey vanilla flavors, and they were absolutely delicious. I am anxious to try the blueberry flavor, but I have never been a fan of just plain yogurt.

You can visit

http://bricks.coupons.com/bstart.asp?o=62092&ci=1&c=GM&p=aI8UZzdb to download a coupon* and save $0.30 on one cup of new Yoplait Greek today!'

But to win a fantastic give-a-way, all you have to do is leave a comment telling me the flavor you would like to try. I will draw the winner on Sunday, April 18 after 9:00pm ET.

The opinions are definitely mine, but I do want to disclose that Yoplait provided me with the free product, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSpark™.