Cancer in High Heels

And so I wore diamonds.

2011-12-12T16:24:00.004-06:00

There are very few times in life that require being fancy. I can think of a few times a year I get dressed up and require things such as hairspray, curlers, etc. Those events include weddings and my annual work gala. I was not really made for fancy. Sure I love great shoes. But I need “everyday” great shoes, and not “I am wearing a sequin dress to dinner” great shoes. I mean Friday nights with my friends at a cheap Mexican restaurnat and a dollar movie does not require diamonds, nor does whining after working out on the treadmill. So generally I am in work clothes, jeans or gym clothes. Simple.

But on my birthday I had a reason to be fancy. My phone rang and just like every year mom sang to me. We like to sing, it is always very off key. The Bible says make a joyful noise, not an on key noise. So we sing off key, loudly and don’t really care if we hurt your ears… we just love to sing. At the end of “Happy Birthday” mom started crying. November 30 should be a happy day for my mama. But Mom told me that about 8am that morning Big Mama had gone Home. Now please keep in mind that we were prepared. I would even go as far as to say we were ready and were praying God would take her so she would not suffer any more. But I don’t guess you are ever truly ready. So on my birthday, my Big Mama stepped into eternity. She probably ran a few laps around heaven. There were many times in the past 29 years I have seen her in pain, and there were many hospital stays, some for extended periods of time. In recent years, The highlight of her weekend would be going with her caretaker to the grocery and ride in the buggy. And then she would return to her recliner and place her walker about a foot away from her for when it was needed again.   And of course, there was always the Friday visit to the hairdresser, and church to attend on Sunday mornings.

I have no doubt that she laughed a lot when she saw Jesus and she celebrated at how beautiful He was and she probably told him “everything sure is fancy.” Then I imagine she hopped right up on into the choir and joined them in some singing. But instead of having to sit to sing, she got to stand up and sing and her little body did not shake when she sang. She is finally free. Finally.

I hung up the phone and cried the rest of the day. Not because I was sad, but because I would miss her and because I could not “fix” it for my mama. The next morning I got up and drove home. Since We were prepared, I had already bought a dress that I thought was pretty. A dress that I knew Big Mama would say “ooooh, Callie, you look so pretty” like she always did.
We had visitation on Thursday night. Lots of people loved my Big Mama and so lots of people came. When you love people as much as she did, you have lots of people that what to say goodbye. They were black and white, young and old. It did not matter how they knew her: work, church, community, etc. They had a story about her and it generally included the phrase “she helped me xyz…” She might have helped them have a merrier Christmas in a time of need, she helped them find a job, or paid so they could go on a mission trip, whatever it was she gave all she could to help meet other people’s needs. And of course they loved her and we are grateful for that. There were so many stories of generosity that we never even knew about.

There was a large crowd at the funeral on Friday. We had to do the awkward “family walk” down the center aisle. That is not exactly something I was prepared for: marching down the aisle toward my Big Mama’s casket. But we did it. Big Mama deserved a beautiful service and beautiful it was. She would have wanted us to smile, so we did. The music included How Great Thou Art, It is Well with my Soul, and I’ll Fly Away. I held it together right until about the line “just a few more weary days and then . . . .”      I started crying for 2 reasons: First, that last song meant it was real. We were moving from the church to the grave site. We would put her earthly body in the ground. That made me sick to my stomach that this was really happening and secondly, because there were no more weary days until she flew away. She was free.

There will always be funny stories to tell because my Big Mama loved to laugh; that’s where mom and I get it from. There will always be sweet memories that generally include her in the hospital or her quirky dog Big Boy that she loved so much. However, as sad as we are to lose her and to not “go to Big Mama’s house” on Christmas Eve, we are so glad for the 80 sweet years she had to live out her simple faith and to set an example of being tough, even when everything turns upside down. That’s where my “tough” came from. She was always a fighter and always prepared. She knew that heart disease, diabetes, and life were never bigger than her Jesus.

About a week before she passed away Big Mama was have some visions of heaven. She told mom that “She wouldn’t need food in heaven, because there is no hunger in heaven” and that Heaven didn't "need light because Jesus is the light” and “it's so beautiful “ and that she "couldn't find his face.” We knew with her visions that God was preparing His special place for her to join Him. I can tell you that the last time I saw her, we listed to Gaither hymns from Mom's iPod and we sang with them.  Big Mama mouthed some of the words.  It was such a sweet sight. She was armed with scripture for her sword and helped us all to be prepared.

And so that is why I wore my diamonds. There are very few occasions that call for fancy, and my Big Mama lived a lived a life that deserved fancy.

Big Mamas favorite verse: Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:30

The verses below were read at her funeral:
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Proverbs 31:10-29

Grannie Winnie, Big Mama, Mama, and me: 4 generations

Big Big, Big Mama and me: I don't have the first clue why they are dressed in Western Wear!

Big Mama and Parker

I'm assuming it was Halloween.

Family photo

Tiny Parker visiting Big Mama at the hospital during one of her many stays.

Her favorite: Big Boy

2 girls and their Meds!

Even so, it is well with my soul.

Celebrating Life today, note from the mom

2011-11-30T13:11:00.000-06:00

Today is Callie's Birthday!!!! Our family is celebrating it in a unique way with the homegoing of my mother. My mother went to be with Jesus at 7:35 this morning very peacefully. I had my ipod playing some of her favorite hymns for her in her final moments on this earth. "How Great Thou Art", "His Eye is on the Sparrow", "What a friend we have in Jesus", "The Old Rugged Cross", "In the Garden"..., and "I'll Fly Away". A few minutes after she passed, the song "It is Well With my Soul" started playing on the ipod.

And it is. . . .

Her favorite verse was Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not grow faint". She lived that verse.

Callie was very close with her "Big Mama". Big Mama loved reading her blog. Callie has the unique honor of sharing her birthday with mother's "Heaven Day." Mother left a legacy of faithfulness, kindness, and servanthood for all us to follow. You can read my 80th Birthday tribute to her here.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." (Psalms 116:15) A saint is now in His sight.

Amen and Amen.

I think I like dressing in costumes a little too much...

2011-11-07T14:17:00.000-06:00

So the problem with blogging is that when you lead a boring life there is not much to blog about. I go to the work, gym, bible study, grocery, and play softball. That is about the extent of my weeks activities. So my blog will be short. I am actually working on my final blog. It will be up at the end of moms cancer. People always email me and say you haven't blogged lately, is everything ok? Well here is the thing a. I am boring and b. blogging reminds me of cancer. So I really avoid blogging with all my might. But now that mom is being treated I will blog occasionally. If you are reading this then you have probably read her most recent blogs and are thinking "They should right a book." I agree. Maybe she and I will write a how to guide to guide titled: Shoes are the Best Medicine.

Well, mom started treatment. She did good. I was proud. She was nervous, but that is normal. If you know her she always has a plan and an agenda. She is the most organized woman I know. So cancer has thrown a bit of a kink in her schedule. I panicked my first day of radiation, like full blown melt down. So her shedding a few tears was really mild in comparison to me almost punching the guy that was trying to put my mask on. When they turned the IV drip on she hung in there. We were all nervous, but she was tough! And before we knew it she was done. 1 down, 5 to go! For more info on her treatment...see the 2 past blogs. She did a really good job recapping the entire process.

Here is something really cool from my friend Daniel who ran the NY Marathon Sunday. He is the nicest guy on the planet...I have such great friends: Hey Cal, I know "Nick Lachey" doesn't mean much anymore since he went bye bye, but I still wore your bracelet with me on my run. Not only for just you, but your mom as well. This run wasn't really about me and finishing the "big time" NY marathon, it was about others. Just wanted ya'll to know your strength got me through a lot of those hard 26.2 miles. When I think of drawing on the strength of others your family is the first that comes to mind. So thank you. You all are in my prayers. 2 Timothy 4:7

My Friend Alison Skinner Wydner and I went to Samford's Homecoming together. We had a good time. We also had a good laugh we we notice that we had been walking around all day dressed just alike. Red Coat...Check. White Shirts....check. Jeans....check. Brown knee boots...check. Blond Hair...check.

Alright, so Fall is here. And that means time for the GAP (Graduate and Professionals) Sunday School Halloween Party. Me and 2 of my girlfriends did Blue Man group. The face paint was not so bad...but removing the bald cap almost broke me. My little scalp was crying when we had to take them off and the glue was ripping out all the baby hair on our head!

A Baby, Minnie Mouse and Rainbow Bright

Mario and Luigi...Can we just note that all costumes are homemade. Even the boys made the Mario Cart and Yoshi out of paper mache and things found at Lowe's.

A UPS Man

Biggest Losers

Me and my friend Jason. He was Paula Deen. He carried around a bag of flour, real fried chicken and real butter all night.

My friend Daniel that ran the marathon is the Tin Man in the photo below...they were amazing! Hand made..So impressive!

Lastly, I think I mentioned previously that I was coaching Sunday School Softball this year. We are really good. Second place in our league. That has nothing to do with me. It has to do with that we actually have some talent playing! Mainly I just sit the bench and read out the roster. I have yelled a time or 2. Once cause our 3rd base coach dosed off while propped up on the 3rd base fence...cant make this stuff up. Anyhow, last week it was frigid so I wore layers, mittens, had a blanket. I was ready to battle the wind! My friend John from Indiana kept saying how good it felt out side, but I am positive by the end of the game I was blue...and could not feel my hands or feet.

Halloween week for our game, we dressed up! My friend Angela played in a cat outfit and I had a Cat in the Hat costume. Anything for a win.

Mom will continue to blog over the next few weeks. I will insert here and there. Just know we are so grateful for your prayers and for you keeping us laughing. Right now we aim to run and not grow weary. So thank you for running along side us. Isaiah 40:31

Adventures, Part II, from the mom

2011-11-06T16:27:00.000-06:00

Let's see, where did we leave off last time? Oh yea, It's time to start the treatments. In preparation for this, I had my wig styled, and even ordered two more. So now I have three. I guess I will rotate them over the next two years while I am waiting on my hair to grow back (after it falls out). And guess what? I love my wigs. I have really had a good time trying them on and playing with them. I think I will have a different point of view when my hair really falls out, which should happen in a few days. I'm sure I'm going to be devastated. I will probably cry. A Lot. But buying the wigs in advance has helped me to be proactive, and get ready emotionally --If you can ever be ready for something like this emotionally. I think I need to give my wigs a name. Do you have any suggestions? How about Amelia Bedelia for one of them?

I might even buy a few more wigs. Just for fun. It's kind of like a game now, I might as well laugh about it and have fun with it (when I get through crying). I have been browsing through every Beauty for U Supply and Ebony Beauty Supply store that I drive by. Trust me, I get lots of strange looks when I walk in the door. I found the cutest cap in one of them. It's a baseball cap with wig hair attached to the back. I think I am going to wear it a lot. I hope you think it is a cute as I do.

             I think everyone should go buy some wigs. Not just if you have cancer. I promise you that my wigs look better than my real hair. I already talked one more person into getting herself one. I went with her to the shop to pick it out. By the way, if you are in Columbus, please go to Trish at Trendsetters and let her order your wig and style it for you. If you are in B'ham, please go to Anita's Wigs at Patton Creek to buy your wig. Then take it to an experienced wig stylist to trim it to look good for you. I may never wear real hair again, even after my hair grows back. You'll never know what I will look like the every time you see me. It will always be a surprise.
           To also help me be proactive about the upcoming hair loss, I got my eyebrows tattooed on. Yep, that's right. I got a tattoo!!!! Well, I guess you can say that I got TWO tattoos. They were a little dark at first, but they've lightened up and look fine. Well, as fine as tattooed eyebrows can look. I thought it would be best to do it while I still had eyebrows, so the technician could see the shape of my eyebrows. It hurt a lot, but nothing like having a tube shoved down your nose into your stomach. (that's my new standard for pain). I got the tattoos from a retired nurse, turned cosmetic tattoo artist, from Starkville who came highly recommended. It's kind of weird, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. I didn't tattoo my eyeliner. That's a little too close for comfort. I can just paint that on every day. ha ha ha     I even bought some false eye lashes. Probably won't ever wear them, but maybe. . . .    I think you can wear them for multiple days. I've got to do a little research on that. I'm afraid if I slept in them, and one came off, that it might scare me to death when I woke up and saw it on my pillow. I might think it was a creepy crawley bug.
           One evening I was modeling my wigs and my baseball/hair cap for Parker. I was playing around and having a fun time with my hair fashion show. Parker tried to ignore me. But you can imagine that I wouldn't let him. I asked Parker which wig he liked best. His response was, "the one that makes you look most like yourself." I said, "which one is that?". He said, "the next one you buy." ha ha ha ha    I was thinking that I was looking really cute in my wigs, but obviously not. Bubble = burst.
            Wednesday afternoon, October 19, Mike and I drove to B'ham to be there for my port surgery the next morning, and chemo in the afternoon. I couldn't decide what to pack. I mean, seriously, what do you wear to your first chemo treatment? That was a hard decision. I wanted to look good for my first treatment. I packed about 1/2 of my closet because I couldn't decide. I didn't know what mood I would be in Thursday morning. And since I have hormones that are on a roller coaster ride, I knew that what ever decision I made on Wednesday would not be what I wanted to wear on Thursday. Good thing hotels don't charge a fee for extra luggage.  We ate dinner with Callie at PF Changs on Wednesday night. Mike's choice, not mine. That's a little upscale for me. I asked the waiter a million questions about the menu, and thoroughly embarassed Callie. She told the waiter that I was on a day pass from "the home". I don't think that Callie appreciated the fact that I was high on my Decadron steroid to prep for my chemo. The steriod had me wired. If you need me to work on a project with you, make sure that it's a day that I'm taking the steriod. I'll be your busiest, hardest worker. Just remember that I will talk more than usual, if that is possible.

After we ate, we went shopping at the mall. When Callie had her first radiation treatment in 2009, I gave her a David Yurman bracelet to commerate the event. At the restaurant last week I kept thinking someone would surprise me with a fabulous piece of jewelry, but since that didn't happen, I was forced to buy myself a new pair of shoes. And a fabulous new pair of shoes, if I do say so myself. As a matter of fact, they are so fabulous that I might love them more than a piece of Yurman jewelry. Well, maybe not that much. But I do love them. What do you think? Did I mention they are Calvin Klein? Yep, me and Calvin and Cancer. Callie felt obligated to do something in my honor to celebrate my first treatment, so she bought herself a pair just like them. Now we can be twins with our matching shoes. I just wish I looked as cute in mine as she does in hers, but 30 pounds prevents that. A few days after I got home, I paraded around the house in my new shoes in my nightgown. Again, Parker didn't think I was very funny. I thought about sleeping in them, but decided against it.

Mike and I stayed in a hotel room that is right inside Brookwood Hospital, so we could walk downstairs Thursday morning to outpatient surgery. I was scheduled to have a port inserted in my chest for the chemo infusions. We had also stayed there in September, the night before my exploratory surgery, so I knew what to expect. The rooms are old. Older than old. The TV is left over from the 1960s. Gusts of wind come in through the windows. Trust me, the convenience of the hotel room out weighs the amenities. So we were willing to tolerate the lack of amenities. One of the amenities that was lacking was a drain cover for the bathroom sink. I took a picture to share with you. The sink also had an extra long lever. If you're not my facebook friend, this was my post about the picture: If I poke my eye out with this long lever while brushing my teeth, and my eye rolls down the open drain do you think I can get out of this chemo treatment tomorrow? Nah, probably not. The show must go on for one-eye Dunaway. Gotta be downstairs for port surgery at 4:30. Chemo for lunch, yum yum.

The port surgery went well on Thursday morning. Hurrah for anethesia. I love that stuff. Well, I don't like a lot of it. It tends to make me nauseated if I have a lot. But a little bit makes me quite happy. I don't want to be awake for anything, not even having my teeth cleaned. Knock me out!!! I don't understand this port thing. It's something inside my chest that I will keep forever, so they say. I assumed that it would be removed when I finished my treatments in a few months. NOT! The nurses tell me that it will be a wonderful way to have blood drawn, blah blah blah blah blah. Excuse me, it's a triangle piece of plastic with some tubes all embedded into my chest. I can feel it! It's gross, and it doesn't feel very romantic if you know what I mean. The florescent socks the nurses gave me were precautionary in case the power went out, so they could find me in the dark. On my facebook page, I wrote this post: Not only does the hospital need an interior decorator for the hotel bathrooms, they also need a fashion designer/stylist for the hospital surgery attire. The yellow florescent socks with grip strips, do not coordinate with my blue backless floral gown. And I won't even mention the not so stylish hair net, and the white knee high support hose. Where is Stacy and Clinton from "what not to wear" when I need them? Help!

               After the port surgery at Brookwood, we headed to UAB for my chemo treatment. I thought I was going to freak out and be hysterical.  But I didn't. When I had my first visit with Dr. Austin in August, his nurses showed me around the rooms where I would be having my treatments. And saying that I freaked out that day, is an understatement. When I saw all of the women sitting in the recliners hooked up to tubes, reading, knitting, chatting, or napping, I lost it emotionally. I started crying so bad that Mike had to lead me away. I don't know why I had that reaction. The ladies were all wearing scarfs, hats, or were bald. They were friendly and happy and tried to give me encouraging words. I was having none of that! I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. I just couldn't imagine that in a few weeks, that I would be one of those women.  But suprisingly, when my treatment time arrived, I was very calm. I might chalk that up to the anethesia from the morning port procedure, but it was definately all of the people who were praying for me that day.   Callie came across the street from her office to be with me and Mike. First I had a IV drip of benedryl, then something called Aloxi, then more decadron steroid, then some Zantac.   Finally, I received my two chemo meds, Taxotere and carboplatin. Then a shot of neulasta. All of this took about 3 hours, maybe a little more. I slept most of the time, maybe because of the anethesia. Mike and Callie went to lunch, and sat in the waiting room. When I wasn't sleeping, I was listening to the other ladies who were receiving treatments chat. They were chatting about normal things like children, and recipes, and TV shows.  And sometimes they compared notes on their diagnosis, treatments, and prognosis. I guess they thought they were at garden club or something. HELLO?  We're in the chemo treatment room. Don't you think we should be having a pity party, instead of a social event? I didn't participate in any of the conversation, I just listened.  Maybe I'll take some recipes to exchange next time.
              Callie surprised me with a huge bundle of "get well" cards from lots of people. I don't know where they all came from, but it was a fabulous surprise. The sweet ladies from the Jewish center who meet weekly to knit caps for cancer patients, had even knitted me a blanket. I will take it to every appointment. I was so touched with everyone's thoughtfulness. Callie's friend, Mr. Tony, (she has mentioned him in several blogs), wrote me a very entertaining letter with helpful hints about cancer. So all of that helped me pass the time also.
             If you remember on Callie's blog she has had pictures of a crown that she and some college friends wear anytime they are in the hospital or sick. This crown has been mailed many miles among friends. Her sweet friends from Arkansas, Bill and Malia, mailed the crown back to Callie so I could wear it. We also shared it with my mother for her 80th birthday.

      I actually felt fine after the treatment. Mike and I stopped for supper on the drive home. Friday morning, I woke up and went for a walk in the neighboorhood and went to visit my mother. I had a great day. Hummm. . . . Wasn't I supposed to be hugging a toilet after a chemo treatment? Maybe this won't be so bad after all. Saturday afternoon I even felt like going to a friend's wedding.  But then it hit me. A little bit of queasiness. But I had some fabulous nausea meds ready to take. They made me groggy, so I laid in bed the rest of the day. Which is better? queasy or groggy? The verdict is still out on that.   Sunday morning I popped out of bed and went to church. I was feeling great. But right before the sermon started, the queasy hit me again.  Since I didn't know how severely it would effect me, I didn't think I wanted to take a chance and puke on the pew or the family sitting in front of me during the sermon. So Mike and I left church. Sorry, Bro. Gene. It wasn't your sermon, I promise!   I spent the afternoon in bed again, too groggy to function. But Monday, and ever since, I have felt fabulous. I've walked in the neighborhood some, and I taught a three day workshop at Columbus Air Force Base this week. So all is well. My next treatment is Tuesday, November 8.
         Now for the biggest news of all. My hair has already started to release! What? after only two weeks? Yes, I know that's what the nurses said the timeline might be, but I thought I would be the exception to the rule. I tried not to move my head too much when I was teaching my workshop at CAFB. I thought maybe that would help my hair not to fall out. And as an additional aide, I added lots of hairspray to my hair every morning. I guess I thought I could "glue" the hair in with Superhold spray.   And for heavens' sake, do not scratch. That might surely cause hair to rain down from my scalp.  A friend of a friend who has been through this has shared some great ideas about this with me. I have been sleeping in a nightcap, so hair wouldn't get on my pillow. Great idea! I have a sheet on the floor in my bathroom to make the cleanup easier. I was the "cleaner-upper" when Callie went through this in 2009. I can remember crying as I swept and vacuumed her hair. Now for me, Mike is my "cleaner-upper". He probably doesn't cry, but it sure does help me to keep from crying.   Yesterday, while I was in the shower, the released hair was so thick on my hands that my hands looked like a monster movie. I cried, then I sang a song from Parker's childhood: "Rise, and Shine, and give God the glory, glory"   I don't know why that song popped in my head, but it seemed to help. For a little while at least. . . . . Until I started drying my hair, and more came out by the handfuls. There was a big pile of hair on the sheet on the floor. Big pile!! I called my friend and cried on her shoulder and she reminded me that I have some very cute wigs waiting on me to wear. So thanks, dear friend, for keeping me from wanting to go jump off a bridge.
         As of today, my hair is very thin, but no obvious bald spots. I wore my cute baseball cap with hair today. Late today I went to my hairdresser and let her give me a pixie cut. Now whatever falls out will at least be shorter. I guess I'll be slick as a baby's butt by the end of the week. I couldn't have gotten a pixie cut yesterday. I wasn't emotionally ready. But God's timing is perfect. Last night we went to the simulcast of Secret Church with David Platt at our church. It was from 6 p.m. until midnight, but it ran a little late. We didn't get home until almost 1 a.m. I don't think I've seen 1 a.m. in years. The last worship song at Secret Church before we dismissed was "It is well, with my soul, it is well, with my soul. It is well, it is well, with my soul". When we finished singing, I looked at Mike and told him I was ready to get my hair cut. I was almost anxious to get it overwith.  Thank you God for your perfect timing, and helping me prepare my heart for this next step. It is well with my soul.
            Last week I was cutting out coupons from the newspaper and got very excited about finding a $4 coupon for Venus razor blades. I was all smiles, until I realized that I won't be needing a razor blade for a while. That will be one of the great things about chemo. Trust me, I'm digging deep to try to find the bright side to all of this.
           My friend Debbie, has a grade school daughter named Hannah. Sweet Hannah has prayed for Callie for two years, and wore the "Callie vs. Nick Lachey" bracelet faithfully. Hannah was at her dad's office (he is a urologist) and saw a blue bracelet. She wanted me to have it because of my diagnosis. What a sweet girl. How thoughtful of Hannah. Debbie brought it to me over the weekend. You have to look really hard to read it.   It says:

FIGHT PROSTATE CANCER

HA HA HA HA I laughed and laughed, and loved it! Thank you Hannah for your thoughtfulness.

I got a cute card from my friend Caren. It has a fuzzy dog face on the front with lots of hair. The caption reads, I will always be here for you through the good and bad hair days. Thanks for making me smile!

I close with two verses that have meant so much to me the past two years: Hebrews 12:1 and James 1:2

Run with endurance the race that God has set before you.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kinds.

I'll be rocking a wig at church tomorrow. Maybe nobody will notice. ha ha ha ha Like that's really going to happen. But that's OK. It is what it is. And I am thankful for wigs and for programs like Locks of Love that help those of us keep a little bit of dignity during this process. Let the wig rocking begin!

Adventures with Cancer, from the Mom

2011-10-28T13:23:00.000-05:00

It has been a long few months since I had a surprise visit with an ovarian cyst that landed me in the hospital in July. I posted a blog about that adventure that you can go back and read.

I then had a hysterectomy on August 3 that was no big deal. The wonderful di Vinci robot did the procedure. I went in the hospital on Wednesday, came home on Thursday, and was at church on Sunday. Fabulous little invention there. I highly recommend it! But the following Tuesday, I got THE phone call that would forever change my life. When your doctor calls you at home with idle chit chat, and then says "where is Mike?"-- you kind of get the feeling something is up. My reply was, "I'm not going to tell you because then you can't tell me that my pathology report came back positive."   Then the phone call turned into my screams, wails, and some harsh words. Like it was his fault.    My precious doctor just sat on the other end of the phone and let me get it all out. Even after I hung up on him, he waited a few minutes and called me back. I love my doctor!! After we finally finished the phone call, in which I vowed to climb in the bed and never get out and just die with my pillow over my head, I had to finish getting ready for the athletic sports pep rally at the school that was about to start. Life goes on. Of course there was no time to tell Mike because we had to leave for the pep rally a few minutes after he got home from work. I won an academy award that night. I was Meryl Streep at the pep rally. Wish I had been Jennifer Anniston, Meryl has a crooked nose.

I made arrangements for Dr. Chaney and Bro. Sammy to come to the house Wednesday morning to tell Mike. I just couldn't look my husband in the eye and say, "I have cancer". They both did a beautiful job helping us through that difficult time. Before they left we circled up and Dr Chaney prayed the most beautiful prayer for us. Amen! Then Mike went back to work. Life goes on.

That Thursday night at the opening season game football game, I am still in my Academy Award winning mode. And with 2 plays left in the game, Parker rolled his ankle and ended up having surgery the following week. No driving for 6 weeks. When it rains it pours. But life goes on.

I went to Baptist hospital in Columbus and had a CT scan on Friday. Everything looked clear. I had to have some dye injected in me before the scan started. During the dye injection and the scan, I couldn’t stop crying. I was alone and scared to death. Poor X-ray tech kid, I think I scared him to death. He was crying too before I got done. Hahaha.

The following Tuesday, Mike and I went to UAB in Bham to see Dr. Max Austin to discuss specifics and a treatment plan. We had told no one anything because we had no details to tell. Details: the path report of the hysterectomy showed I had two primary cancers, a very unusual finding. Primary means it started there, and did not spread to there, which would be called secondary. I had Uterine Stage one, and ovarian stage 2. All was hopefully removed with the hysterectomy. Dr Austin suggested 6 chemo treatments as standard procedure for this. He would talk with the cancer board the following week to confirm his suggestion.

When we left Dr. Austin's office we walked across the street and told Callie. When we quit crying, guess what we did? Went shopping, of course. I got a fabulous wig at the same store she got hers. It was fun, except for that crying part in the store.   We pretty much embarassed ourselves with our laughing and crying.

Then Mike and I came back to Columbus and made the rounds to tell our family and a few friends. The more I said it, the easier it got and I felt empowered for those words to come out of my mouth. I had to be strong when I told my family, so I was convincing myself that I was strong, and that all this was going to be ok.

That night we shared our news with Parker. That went surprisingly well. I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe a little emotion, or a tear or two, but he was in a hurry to get back to the TV to make sure Hope Solo didn't get kicked off Dancing with the Stars.

Parker had his ankle surgery the next morning. I think I accidentally hit some potholes driving him home. And I think I got confused on his pain medications and gave them to him every eight hours, instead of every four hours. Whoops, my bad. Maybe he'll shed at least one tear for me next time. hahaha. KIDDING!

The following week Dr Austin called and said the cancer board recommended that I should have exploratory surgery to make sure nothing had spread. I was in the middle of teaching a class when he called. Of course I was pretty shaken by this change of direction. My students (adults) noticed the shock on my face. One student asked if everything was ok. After a few seconds of hesitation, I took a deep breath and said "No, but it's gonna be". And with the next breath, I started teaching again, right where I had left off. Life goes on.

Exploratory surgery was Thursday, September 15. All I remember about that was that I was asking for Mike when I woke up. I kept telling the Nurses that I needed him. They said that he could not come in the room yet. So I insisted over and over again that they tell him I love him. The nurses kept trying to calm me down, but I was being insistent. Imagine that. Me being insistant? Finally one of the nurses said she would take care of it. I remember telling her to hurry. I heard her go into the hallway and relay my message to Mike. That made me happy. I told her thank you when she came back in the room. Anesthesia will make a person do some crazy stuff.   My pain didn't matter, I just wanted my sweetie pie.

I would like to make a few comments about my 3 day stay at the hospital (brookwood). First, the toilets are child size. I am a woman of mature age (old). Most women my age have knee trouble. I have double knee trouble. So it is next to impossible to squat on the baby toilet with bad knees, and with fresh abdominal surgery to boot. If you are ever actually able to sit all the way down, you need a forklift to get you back up again. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!! I told every nurse that came in the room how I felt about the short toilets. I want a high rise.

Next, this hospital thought they were improving customer service when they allowed patients to call in their meal to the dietary service from a menu. You had a window of about 1 hour before every meal, to call in your selection. And for heaven’s sake, don't call it in early. They don't accept early calls, or late calls. It must be within the one hour window. And you had to do this 3 times every day. If you missed the window of time, you missed your meal. If you happened to run late because you happened to be stuck in the bathroom because you can't squat because you had abdominal surgery and 29 staples, and have 2 bad knees trying to use a mini-toilet, too bad. Maybe you can catch them on the next opportunity. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

My last comment about the fabulous hospital is that they did a nice job making the rooms look nice, BUT. . . when you try to use regular bedroom furniture in a hospital room, sometimes it just doesn't work. Specifically, the bedside table was too low. Imagine being at a normal height in a hospital bed and trying to reach the phone which is on a small 2-drawer regular bedroom side drawer. There was no way that was happening. And I really had a hard time reaching into the top drawer to pull the meal menu out to call in my meal order. With fresh abdominal surgery, rolling over and reaching over the bedrail was not an option.

By the way, the doctors saw no red flags during my surgery, and all 14 pathology biopsies that were taken ALL CAME BACK NEGATIVE!!!! Can you hear my screaming? Praise God from whom all blessings flow.   The first person I called to tell, was my mother who was in the hospital very ill. About 1 hour later, she took all the strength she had and called me back and said: "Judy, Don't jump too high for joy about your good news. You'll hurt your belly." ha ha ha ha My sweet mother. . . . I told her that I wasn't going to jump for joy, but my mouth was sore from grinning about the good news. I love my mama.

Mike forced me to sit up, get up, and walk the day after surgery. I didn’t love him as much on Friday as I did on Thursday. I resisted, and cried, and screamed in pain. But he patiently helped me move inch by inch. He was relentless with me, patiently relentless. He had me walking the halls Saturday morning. The doctor was so impressed with my mobility that they released me on Saturday afternoon. That was almost unheard of. I think Mike’s motivation was to get home to his own bed because the vinyl couch in the hospital room was a little small and uncomfortable. Imagine that.

My motivation to get home was my mother. She had been admitted to the Columbus hospital on the day I left for Birmingham. Her 80th birthday was going to be on Sunday, and so Saturday I worked really hard to get home to see her on her birthday. And I did!!!

The week after I got home, I continued to recover fabulously. I had a very active week. And I had some fabulous meals from some great friends. As a matter of fact, when I got home from Birmingham I was surprised with a two week schedule of meals to be delivered to me. ARE YOU KIDDING? How awesome was that?
At some point during the week, I had a hormonal moment and wanted my hair cute. Right then. Immediately. Or I was going to cut it myself. Have you ever had that feeling? I called a local salon and begged them to work me in (seriously begged). They graciously complied. I called my friend Sylvia to come give me a ride since I wasn't supposed to drive yet. Got my hair cut. It was a little shorter than I wanted, but everyone said it was cute. Aren't you supposed to always say that to a woman with a new hair cut? Always always tell her how cute her hair looks. I don't know why I even cared since it is all going to fall out in a few weeks anyway. I've had a lot of hormonal moments lately. Poor Mike.
                 On Saturday, one week after I came home, I got a virus. Where did that come from? Saturday afternoon I started feeling queasy. By 4 pm, I was in full blow virus mode, hugging the toilet. Take my word on this—violent heaving, while having 29 staples in your tummy is no easy task. It takes the heart of a champion to do that. And I won the gold medal.

I was so sick from Saturday afternoon until Sunday morning about 4:00. No nausea meds would work, and trust me I tried them all. During the night, I was in so much pain it was unbearable. At one point, Mike was trying to sleep on the sofa in the den and came to the bedroom to ask me to please “hold it down” because he could hear me moaning all the way in the den and he couldn’t sleep, and he was worried that I was going to wake Parker up. Are you kidding? I told him I would try to moan quieter so he could get some rest. I sure did not want to inconvenience anyone. Ha ha ha ha ha Finally at 4 a.m. I told Mike to call me an ambulance. Ambulance? he said.   YES, an ambulance!!!! I NEED AN AMBULANCE, NOW!!!! It’s just three little numbers: 9-1-1. You would have thought that I had just asked him to sing and dance at the Superbowl halftime show. Mike brought me a Benadryl and said, “try this, I think it is supposed to help with nausea.” When I refused, he said “Let’s call the doctor one more time, and see if they have any other suggestions”. I said “I have a suggestion, Call me an ambulance!!!” He finally relented, but told them to keep their flashing lights off because it wasn’t an emergency. Are you kidding me? If I ever tell you I need an ambulance, trust me, it is an emergency. Come get me NOW.    (By the way, I have the most wonderful husband in the world. I love him beyond any words. But sometimes, men will just be men.)

The ambulance ride was interesting. The lights on the inside are very bright. I felt like I was going to fall off the stretcher when they were taking me down the steps of my house to load me up. A ride in an ambulance was not something I had on my bucket list. But it was worth it to get a shot of morphine, and to by-pass the waiting room. Here’s my new opinion of ambulances: It’s the only way to go. Sam and Darryl are my new Bffs. I didn't open my eyes in the ambulance. I didn't really want to see the inside. I was afraid it would scare me, or make me feel like a really sick person. So I just kept them shut and tried to imagine which route we were taking. I didn't figure it out, I was very confused. We only live one mile from the hospital, so it wasn’t a very long trip. But I did feel like a VIP, like I was riding in first class. By the way, Parker slept through all of this. He never knew it happened.

After running some tests in the Emergency room, it was determined that I didn’t have a virus, but a blocked intestine or bowel obstruction. What? How did that happen? The emergency room doctor explained to me that I would need a tube in my stomach to keep my tummy pumped until the obstruction worked itself out, or else I would need surgery. Innocent me said, how are we going to get a tube in my stomach? To which he replied, "through your nose." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? But before I had time to protest and complain a BIG man, who I am sure was a former member of the WWF, was in my room with a tube in his hand. He was a fast talker, Barking instructions and commands at me so fast that I couldn't comprehend what he was saying. I just started yelling for some twilight/ pain/ relax drugs. He said "I've got something right here to relax you", so he put that in my IV. Thank you very much, Mr. WWF. Now we just need about 15 minutes for them to work, is what I was thinking.   But no time to waste for Mr WWF. The next thing I know, there is a huge tube at the edge of my nose and Mr WWF is screaming "Swallow Swallow Swallow". All the while, I am screaming "STOP STOP STOP". But he didn't, and before I knew it there was a big tube being shoved up my nose and down into my tummy, and it hurt bad, real bad. So there I am, tube hanging out of nose, looking beautiful.

In the past when I see people at a hospital with a tube coming out of their nose, I turn my head because I can't stand to look at it. Now, I am them. And by the way, the twilight /relax meds finally kicked in --- 15 minutes later.

By this time, it was mid-morning on Sunday. Me and my nose tube were finally admitted to the hospital. I requested a room on 3rd floor so I could be near my mother, but my doctor keeps all his patients on 4th floor, so that didn’t work out. Do you know what the nose tube fluid looks like? YUCK!!!! I had several visitors on Sunday after church. I was obviously delirious with medications because I let them enter the room and see me with a tube hanging out my nose. As a matter of fact, later Sunday afternoon I decided I wanted to see my mother on 3rd floor. I let my friend Janet load me in a wheel chair and take me to see my mother. Nose tube and all. WHAT WAS I THINKING? We rolled through the hospital halls with her pushing me in the wheel chair, and me pushing an IV pole in front. We laughed and laughed and laughed. I visited my sick mother for about 5 minutes and rolled up beside her bed and chatted with a tube hanging out my nose. What was I thinking? I blame Janet for not explaining to me what I was doing. Obviously the pain medications made me have a lack of common sense. But what was Janet’s excuse? I would like to publicly apologize to anyone in the hallways of Baptist Hospital that saw me with a tube hanging out my nose. I’m sure your life will never be the same. I know my won’t.

By Monday, the pain meds had worn off and I had come to my senses. So I covered my head up with a sheet and cried all day long. When Mike came to see me after work, I made him leave. I didn’t want him to see me like that. I wouldn’t even let one of our church pastors in the room to see me. Sorry, Kenny. Thanks for coming to see me, but me with a nose tube just isn’t my best look.

At some point on Monday, the Tech who was supposed to give me a sponge bath came into room and told ME to get my pole and push it into bathroom. Excuse me, did she not notice the tube hanging our my nose? I guess no one told her I also had 29 staples in my tummy. So I got out of bed and pushed my pole to the bathroom door with one hand, while the other hand held the weight of the nose tube. I stopped when I got to the bathroom door because the pole wouldn't go over the floor hump into the bathroom. The tech said "push it on in" , I replied " I can't because of the hump in the floor". She replied, “you need to try harder cuz I got my hans full wit yo bat water". EXCUSE ME? Put the water down and push my pole over the hump for me!!!! I am the patient and I have a nose tube!!      So I pushed harder and got it over the hump. Now I am in the tiny bathroom with me, Mrs. Attila the Hun, the nose tube, and the pole. She washed my back and told me to finish up, and here's a towel. Good help is just hard to find these days.

My blockage cleared up on Tuesday afternoon, and I was released to go home Tuesday night. By Wednesday morning I was back at the hospital visiting my mother, and I was feeling great.
I continued to recover from my exploratory surgery remarkably well. I had a checkup in Birmingham on Tuesday, October 11 at 3 p.m. I left early in the day so I could squeeze in a little shopping at the Galleria.  I was so relaxed when I got to Dr. Austin's office. I had such a great time just browsing at the mall. It had been a long time since I had been to the Galleria. When I signed in at Dr. Austin's office, the two receptionists looked at each other oddly, then back at me oddly. Then one of them broke the news to me: my appointment was scheduled for 10 a.m., not 3 p.m., and Dr. Austin was gone for the day. WHAT?  WHAT?  You've got to be kidding. I am the queen of organization. I am the queen of schedules. The queen of the calender. Just ask my family. How could this happen to me, of all people?   I almost melted into the floor.   The sweet receptionists saw how devestated I was and got everyone in the office busy tracking down Dr. Austin for me. Wah-Lah. He appeared!!! And sweetly took time to see me. I love his staff, and him. I was so embarassed. I bet I apologized a thousand times.
        Callie came to his office and tried to help me listen to all of the fancy medical stuff he was saying. Bottom line.. . . .He was so impressed with my recovery from exploratory surgery, that he said I could start my treatments in a few days instead of in November. HUM. . . . not exactly what I wanted to hear. But life goes on.   So my first treatment was schedule for October 20.    I'll give you a detailed account of that in the next blog. I'm as tired of writing as you are of reading.

Through all of this, we have felt the prayers that our friends have given on our behalf. I have been added to the prayer lists of churches in Columbus and in other areas. It is a humbling feeling. I have asked friends and family to join me as we laugh and pray our way through this.
Proverbs 17:22 "A joyful heart is good medicine."

Just as a reminder, as I close, don't think badly of someone you pass in the hallway at the hospital with a tube hanging out of their nose filled with brown gunk. That could be you someday. Been there, done that!

Moms First Treatment

2011-10-17T14:14:00.000-05:00

Mom will have her first treatment Thursday, October 20th. She will go that morning and have a port inserted. That afternoon she will have a 4 hour chemo treatment. She will have a total of 6 chemo treatments, one every third week. She should be finished by mid February. I will write more next week.

Dr. Max Austin is wonderful and we are loving him. We appreciate your prayers, friendship and emails.

It's her birthday, and I'll cry if I want to. . .

2011-09-18T05:46:00.044-05:00

This is me, the mom, Judy. I've hijacked the blog again. I'm typing this in advance of surgery and setting it to post on the 18th. The 18th is my mother's birthday, or Big Mama as she is affectionally known. Truth be known, she's not big, she's just short, and it make her look big. She has an excuse. I'm not short, and I still look big. What does that make me? Yep, starts with an "f" and ends with a "t". But back to Mother's birthday.

This one is a big deal. She is 80 years old today. Yep, that's right, 80! And the world needs to celebrate. I wish I could be in Columbus with her. But I assume that I'll be stuck in a hospital bed, hopefully feeling great because of the soothing effects of Morphine. (hurrah for the person that invented that stuff) I tried to arrange for a few surprise gifts for her to be delivered before I left town. We wanted to have a party, but between her health and mine, we just couldn't seem to fit that in between our medications, hospital stays, doctors' visits, diagnosis, and surgeries. So here are some fun facts about my mother that you must know before you go to sleep tonight.

1. Her name is Daphine. Not Daphne. But Daphine, with an "i". You pronounce it Da-fene. Daphine. I can't figure out why that is so hard for people to pronounce. Please people, can't you see the "i" in the spelling? Just kidding. . . It's a common mistake. Nobody can figure it out.
2. She hid our Christmas presents in the trunk of the car when we were kids. It never crossed my mind to look there, because trust me, I looked EVERYWHERE else. She was smarter than me. Go figure.
3. She loves her scanner. Don't all senior citizens? Sometimes when we go to visit, she will have it turned on in her bedroom loud enough to hear it in the den. For some reason she wants to listen to it while she is watching TV or putting a puzzle together. Seriously, I can't even understand what the scanner talkers are saying when I listen to it in the same room at normal volume, much less in another room. I think the synonym for scanner is static. (That's a big word, Callie. Do you even know what synonym means?)
4. At one point, we had fig bushes in the back yard. I guess she was allergic to them, because when she picked figs, she would break out in a rash. Not a little rash, but a rash with welps. Yuck. I like figs, but not that much.
5. When I was a teenager, I told my mother that I thought the cat was pregnant. "Pregnant? Where did you hear that word? You better never say that word again as long as you live in this house!!!!" I haven't figured out to this day why that was a bad word. But I never said it again to her.

6. Mother loves Big Boy, her little white maltese. If you are wondering why the dog is named Big Boy, it's very simple and logical. My dad was called Big Daddy. He had a dog named Big Foot. She is called Big Mama. So Big Boy was the logical choice. Don't you agree?   We could write a separate blogpost about Big Boy and how much mother loves him. But just so you get the understanding. . . . the sitters (who stay with mother full time) have to hold an umbrella over Big Boy to go outside to do his business if it is raining. And let's not forget the coat he wears in the winter time when he goes out to do his business. We would never want Big Boy to get cold. There are many more Big Boy stories, but you get the drift.  (Just for the record, Mother, if you are reading this: I love Big Boy too.)
7. She has a "doll room". I think I was in college when my mother decided she wanted to collect dolls. Not just any doll, but a very collectable brand name. She finally had so many, that she turned a bedroom into the "doll room". The dolls have display cases and some miniature furniture to sit in. You'd have to see it to believe it.
8. Mother has a great sense of humor. She loves to laugh. As children we would sit around the dining room table for hours after supper with mother and tell stories about our school day and laugh and laugh and laugh. Then daddy would come in the dining room and ask why we were still sitting at the table 2 hours after supper, and what was all that noise going on. He would tell us to get busy doing something. Party pooper! But we always knew that we would be back the next night, laughing with mother.
9.   For a few Halloweens mother dressed up to greet the grandchildren when they came to the door to trick-or-treat. One year she was a clown. I still have that costume. Funniest thing I ever saw in my life!
10. For many years mother and I shared an office at work. One time Mother was on the phone with a service representative. The rep put her on hold for a long time.   Because mother's health has been difficult for many years, I told her to tell the rep when he finally came back that he shouldn't put her on hold for so long because she might not be there when he got back. You may not think that is funny, but we laughed a lot. A whole lot! We still think about that anytime someone puts us on hold on the phone. Another time, when we shared an office, she turned her swivel desk chair around a little too fast and fell out of it. I had my back to her when it happened, but heard the thump. When I turned to look I saw that she was lying on the floor. Instead of rushing to help her up, I looked at her and said, "Mama, what are you doing down there?" I guess I was thinking that she had a purpose for being on the floor. Again, we laughed and laughed and laughed. I guess you had to be there. . . . . .
11.   In church when mother watching the choir sing, and they open their mouths wide on big notes, it makes her yawn. We used to giggle and giggle as kids watching her do this. We couldn't wait for the choir to sing their special music each week so we could watch mother involuntarily yawn.

          On a serious note, my mother is obviously the person that I admire most in my life. My earliest memory of my mother is when I was four or five years old. I remember her in the kitchen cooking. I remember her helping all of us with our homework. I remember her washing the dishes. I remember sitting by her on the sofa at night as she read bible stories or books to us. I remember her being all things to all people. She tried so hard to please my dad, which was a sometimes difficult task. But at the same time, she nurtured six children with love and kindness. How in the world did she do it? I can't even do it with one child at a time.

She decorated two Christmas trees each year, one fake and one live tree just to make everyone happy. She shopped for needy families, and took needy families shopping. She came to every ballgame, usually wearing a dress and panty hose. That was the style back then. And she did all of these things and worked a full-time job. As a matter of fact, it was a more than full-time job.

And I remember watching her on Saturday night prepare the Sunday School lesson for a toddler class at church. I never understood why she did that because she already was so busy with her own children, but my mother was a servant. And more than anything else that she ever did in her life, she set an example for her children for Christian love and service. She loves unconditionally. She loved my dad unconditionally, and has always loved her children unconditionally. God calls us to love him, to obey him, and to serve him. My mother is a picture of Christ because she has done all three of those things all of her life. I could go on and on and on about my wonderful mother, but I will leave you with my greatest thought about my mother.

For 28 years now she has been in poor health. On April 13, 1983 she had her first heart attack. Her life as been extremely difficult physically for the past 28 years. She has had repeated episodes of heart problems, congestive heart failure, arthritis, diabetes, respiratory and other problems. Any normal person would have given up, and been depressed. Not my mother. She has never said a negative word about her health. She is living proof of Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." My mother's great attitude has been an example for me when I start having pity parties about problems that I might have. My problems are nothing in comparison to what she has gone through daily for the past 28 years.

But the sight that will live with me for the rest of my life is what I see every Sunday morning. When so many make excuses for not coming to church every Sunday morning, there she is. In her wheelchair, with her bible in her lap, coming down to row 7. If my mother can be there every Sunday to honor, praise, and worship our Lord -- so can I.

I will end with my mother's favorite verse. This verse was on a tattered piece of paper that was taped to the front of her typewriter for as long as I can remember. I think this verse has helped her through her many trials and tribulations. Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint

Thank you Mama for being the great role model that you have been, and teaching me to laugh and to pray. That sure is coming in handy right now!
Happy Birthday. I love you! Judy

P. S. Update: I got home from Birmingham last night (Saturday). I worked really hard to be able to come home asap because mother was in the hospital in Columbus, and I really wanted to see her. Surgery went as well as can be expected. No "red flags" were seen during surgery. And the preliminary pathology reports showed that all 14 biopsy slides were negative, i.e. Benign. Can I hear a big Amen, Praise the Lord on that great news!

Raise your hand if you love Dolly and hate Cancer!

2011-08-25T16:09:00.002-05:00

Well, I survived my 9 month check up. All the scans looked great (or so the doctors said, I still refuse to look at them). That was on Monday the 15th.
On Tuesday the 16th my parents came be-bopping into my office around lunch time unannounced. Now, the Dunaway crew does not just randomly show up in my office...so I knew what they were there for. I had a gut feeling. A few weeks ago (July 14th to be exact) mom had an ovarian cyst burst and she had to be hospitalized. I went home to visit her... because I work in a hospital, I think I am a doctor. Long story short, she ended up having a full hysterectomy on August 3 and one week later the path report came back positive for cancer in her uterus and ovaries. However, the good news is they caught it early and hopefully all was removed with surgery! She followed up with doctors at UAB and they will be doing exploratory surgery on September 15 at Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham, and once she has recovered from that they will begin giving her 6 treatments of chemo over 18 weeks (these details are subject to change).
Of course this was hard to swallow, but the fact that it is mainly precautionary is good. Yes, she will lose her hair. Yes she is scared. Yes, We are tired of cancer, and no she does not want to talk about it....treat her normally, pray for her, and make her laugh, just like you did for me! I will blog every step of the way to keep you informed. Right now we are not sure of her surgery date, but when we know...you will be the first to know! Best news of all...she will be doing some guest blogging. She is funnier than I am...so enjoy those! If you are on twitter and want more day to day updates follow her at @judydunaway or me @calliedunaway. We will post as go through this.

Below is a post from mom about her hospital stay in July:

A few weeks ago, I developed sudden SEVERE abdominal pain. After a lengthy stay in the emergency waiting room (which could be a separate story), to an all-night stay in the emergency room with tests and examinations, to a weekend hospital stay (which was NOT on my schedule), I was blessed to avoid emergency surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst.

Here are a few things I learned during that 3 day illness:
1. I refuse to call an ambulance because my mother (Big Mama) would hear my address broadcast on her scanner that she listens to every night. I would rather die first. Do all seniors listen to a scanner? If so, I need to get ours ordered. We're almost there.
2. If you are in enough pain, you will go in public with just your nightgown on and not care what anybody thinks. Never knew I had that in me.
3. Pain for a ruptured ovarian cyst is worse than labor, much worse. Trust me.
4. No matter how much I cried, moaned, whined, and begged, the waiting room receptionist continued to tell me "I'm sorry, but most of the beds in the back are full. We'll get to you as soon as we can." "MOST" of the beds? Is this a joke? Am I being punked?
5. No matter how much I cried, moaned, whined, and begged, Mike's response to me was: "they're doing the best they can" Then he stepped it up a little and said: "ok, Judy, that's enough, you need to quieten down" If you need a caregiver when you are in severe pain, think twice before you call Mike.
6. When I needed to go to the waiting room restroom to throw up, a young LPN person had to accompany me and my wheelchair into the ladies' room. As I proceeded to put my finger down my throat to speed the process along, my young helper grabbed my hand and said: "no, don't do that. That's gross." I asked her politely to please not remove my hand from my throat again unless she wanted me to bite hers off. Well, maybe I wasn't polite, and maybe I didn't say please.
7. When you haven't had anything to drink in 36 hours because you "might" have to have surgery, it is a scientifically proven fact that you will have severe cotton mouth. In addition, your veins will be collapsed, and the lab techs will not be able to get blood from you even If they stick you 4 times in four different places. Trust me on this one. Note to lab techs: repeatedly saying I'm sorry doesn't make it feel better, but I appreciate the effort.
8. Hospital food is still terrible. Period. End of discussion.
9. The fancy hospital bed mattress never stops moving and adjusting, and it never shut up. Who can rest with all that movement and noise?
10. If you have I.V. tubes attached to you, and you need to go to the restroom, and your daughter doesn't know how to lower the bed rail (even though the BIG BLACK button said PUSH), I would suggest that you get an early start.
11. I think it is a hospital law that states: "if the patient I.V. port is inserted in the LEFT arm, the I.V. pole must be placed on the RIGHT side of the bed, (or visa versa), so that all four tubes will be draped across the patients body at all times making the patient as uncomfortable as possible. " I think it is in section 48, subsection 162, page 98, paragraph 3.
12. I would like to declare that morphine is my new BFF. I love that stuff.

I told you mama was funnier than me. Now back to my simple, yet never boring life...I kicked off August with a trip to see Dolly Parton! If you remember the Easter bunny brought me tickets. 3 friends and I took a half day off work and went up to see her. We ate dinner at a family style Italian restaurant beforehand. Big, huge, giant mistake. Next time I am going to sit at an outdoor concert and sweat my guts out, please make sure I don't load myself up with heavy foods before hand. We got to the concert and quickly realized that we were the only people in the audience that were not gay men. The band started playing and you could hear her singing and singing and singing...and then all of the sudden this tiny white ball of hair and sequins appeared. I, along with all the gay men, squealed and jumped around. She put on quite the show. I have to wonder how did she do that with her heavy sequined dress, panty hose, high heels and a wig? I was dripping and I had on shorts and a shirt. On a side note...her waist is about the size of my wrist and yes, her boobs are indeed huge! Mom said I should have dressed sparkly for Dolly, I had to tell mama that sparkly doesn't really do it for me in 118 degree Georgia heat! If you ever get bored, please spend that time on Ebay searching "dolly parton" you would be amazed at the hilariously tacky items that you can find for $.99 I found the least tacky tshirt possible and bought it!

First person we saw when we got out of our car. He was ready to party!

Our Italian dinner..stuffing ourselves!

Thankfully one of my friends had a sharpee and notepad in her purse. I wrote a note and took a photo with it for Dolly and mama.

So our friend Meagan got married to our friend Michael. They might be the cutest couple in the world. The wedding was in Bay Minette, AL. It was a beautiful wedding. We headed to the Bay Minette Civic center...problem is, if you plug it in wrong on an IPhone's GPS you end up at the little white shack of the Bay Minette Civic Club.

Our friends sure are cute all dressed up!

But who am I kidding, we are cuter!

Lastly I will conclude with 10 trivia facts about mama that you probably don't know:

10. Her music collection consist of everything from Sandi Patti to country music to coldplay. She is cooler that I am, I don't know a single Coldplay song.

9. She likes oranges. Maderin oranges, orange flavored water, anything orange...but she doesn't drink orange juice?

8. If you look in the glove compartment of her car you will find a mini walmart. You can find reading glasses, sunglasses, 700 packs of eclipse mint flavored gum, hairbrush, makeup bag (ziploc makeup bag at that), cd's, and who knows what else.

7. When she was little her brother threw a rock and it got stuck up her nose. The hospital had to remove it. Also when she was little they stood on the street corner and watched as MLK Jr. marched to Washington D.C.

6. When she gets ready in the morning she flips her head upside down and teases her hair...lots of hairspray flying around during the process. Then she reflips and it looks like a troll doll/afro. At this point she somehow gets a hair pick and makes it look pretty. Once she has it looking pretty the flood of hairspray begins again.

5. When she was little she stood at the window while Big Mama was gone waiting on her to come home. When Big Big ask what she was doing, she responded "Thinking about getting mad."

4. She loves to sing and loudly. (We are so tone deaf in our family) She always tells us "The Bible says to make a joyful noise, not an on key noise." She is right. She also has many other sayings that Parker and I could pop of to you in a second..."Obey exactly and immediately", "Know who you are and whose you are".

3. She takes Polaroids of her shoes and tapes them to the outside of her shoe boxes. That way she does not have to open boxes, she knows what is inside.

2. She thinks watching her kids play sports is the greatest thing in the world and she misses our activities for nothing in the world. With me for a child, there were not many athletic events to attend ;)

1. She is always right. It drives me nuts. It took me 28 yrs to admit this, but she is. I hope one day my 28 yr old will admit that I did know what I was talking about all those years!

Oh death! Where is your sting?

Oh hell! Where is your victory?

Oh Church, Come Stand in the light.

Our God is not dead, he's alive. He's alive!

1 Corinthians 15:55

Note from the Mom (remember me?)

2011-08-09T21:43:00.001-05:00

She'll be mad that I am typing this, but it won't be the first time, nor the last.

Next Monday morning (the 15th) Callie has an MRI. She has appointments every 90 days. We expect a great report, just like we have gotten in the previous ones. But I know Callie will be nervous. So pray that God would take her fear away. "The Lord is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life -- of whom shall I be afraid."

Pray for courage. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you."

And continue to pray for healing: "Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you."

Pray for wisdom of the medical staff: "Oh, the depth of the riches of wisdom and knowledge of God!"

Thank you in advance for your prayers for Monday morning!

Then, get ready, and hold on tight for Callie's next blogpost. She saw Dolly Parton in concert in Atlanta last week and I am sure that she has a lot to say about that. Personally, I can't wait to read it myself.

Judy, the mom

Busy summers and awesome beards

2011-07-19T15:55:00.001-05:00

My mom sent me an email, and this is all it said: Blog update time...People are asking. And within about ten minutes of getting that email I got this one from my friend Kristi: Just wanted to check in on you and see how you are doing? I haven’t seen a blog post lately and got a little concerned.
We can add those 2 emails to a whole bunch of other emails I have gotten the past 2 weeks confirming that I am still breathing! Sorry everyone, summer just got away from me! However, I do appreciate you caring. It makes me feel famous. Maybe I should just refer to you as "My adoring public"... ha, kidding.

OK so let's discuss what all has gone on in my life since we last met. The tornado cleanup and fundraising has been amazing. We got tickets to the Bama Rising concert...I will give you my review. It raised tons of money for people in need which was great and it raised awareness. OK, so here is who all performed: Alabama, Rodney Akins, Dirks Bentley, Blind Boys of AL, Bo Bice, Luke Bryan, Sheryl Crow, Sara Evans, Taylor Hicks, Little Big Town, Montgomery Gentry, David Nail, the Commodores,Martina McBride, Jake Owen, Kelly Pickler, Ashton Shepard, Darius Rucker and Brad Paisley. They were all great. I turned into a 13 year old girl when Randy Owen took the stage. Alabama retired...they don't tour anymore. I was wiggling for all I was worth. Then he goes and brings a childrens' choir on stage for the song Angels Among Us. Childrens' Choirs should be illegal. They are nothing but weep fest! I mean really, Randy Owen Are you trying to kill us, by making us weep ourselves to death? If so, you are succeeding. A pack of Kleenex should have been handed out to every person who purchased a ticket! The rest of the concert was AMAZING....and then Brad Paisley closed out with Alabama on his new song Old Alabama. I have no words...the 2 of them on the same stage was more than my little, puny, radiated brain could handle. The concert closed out with all the artist taking the stage to sing My Home's in Alabama. Goosebumps. If you don't know that song please get on itunes and add it to your play list immediately. It will make your life a bit better.

Next topic: The happiest place on earth...the beach! I got to go down for a weekend with some of the greatest girlfriends in the world to visit our friend Shanna. She is living down there for the summer doing a Physical Therapy rotation. We miss her terribly, but who are we kidding...free place to go visit a great friend ANNND eat crab legs. The first night we went out for crab legs and we were ready to order and the power went out at the restaurant! Are you kidding me??? If you remember my last beach trip I had disastrous experience with crab legs! I really think God is trying to tell me something via crab legs. I texted mom that we were eating crab legs one night and she texted back for me to eat my heart out, because she was not there to get irritate at me turtling through the process. If you remember mom's famous quote of "There are lots of things I will miss about you if anything ever happens to you, but sitting here while you eat crab legs will not be one of them." Oh how I love my mama and crab legs! For the rest of the trip I was a sun winnie. I am scared to death of the sun. I had brain cancer, not skin cancer...I should not be this afraid...but I am. I took SPF 50 sunscreen with me. I had a cover up a hat and on and on. I was prepared for battle!!

Next...there is a dog...a big one...and it lives with me. EEEEK. I have a new roommate, she's awesome. But with her came Jackquelin Kennedy Onassis...better known to her as JackieO and better known to me as...stupid dog! Generally that phrase comes out of my mouth when she is running toward me or leaping in my direction with her huge, powerful wagging tail. I am just kidding, sort of. I am scared to death of her, but she is a very sweet dog. She is an outdoor dog, so it is actually working out really well. Weirdly enough, she likes me a lot. I have been thinking about getting a maltipoo or something, but JackieO would eat a maltipoo for a snack!

Finally, on my tour of recent events...My friend Katy got married in Louisville, KY. Katy and I have known each other since first grade. It was a beautiful wedding. However, it was toasty. For those of you unable to be there, it was a 7 pm outdoor wedding. Dear Ferguson family, I apologize if I look like a sweaty mess in the photos. Our dresses were very pretty, but satin dresses with pit stains is really not my finest look! It was really fun to see old friends and catch up. Somewhere Scott Hall was sitting proud!!

For those of you who mark your calendars, my next scan is August 15th at 8 am.

Let's discuss Current Events for my top ten list this time:

10. The Bachelorette is nearing an end. Please tell me that other people are wasting their Monday nights watching the most boring girl in the world get TV air time. Why can't I turn it off? Why do I hope she gets rid of the great ones so they find a chance at loving someone that is not a bore?? I am a mean human, I know.

9. Casey Anthony. Oh my gosh. She and OJ should marry and move far, far away. We watched the verdict at work and just sat and stared at the TV in disbelief. I am going to need someone to tell me they think she is innocent, is there really one human on this planet that thinks she did not kill her baby??? Anyone?? Anyone...

8. Expedition Impossible. It is the exact same thing as Amazing Race. Just a rip off version, and I might or might not be addicted to it. It gives me something to do at night that does not require much thought. Basically they are doing all these different expeditions in Morocco. One of the teams is three guys from Mississippi. They make me laugh cause there team name is Country Boys, but they whine a lot. The other team that has just captivated me is the 3 friends that have climbed Everest together. One of the guys on the team is blind...and he is awesome. Every week I sit with my jaw on the floor amazed at him rafting rivers and scaling mountains with zero vision. Watching him confirms my wimpiness.

7. We have 549 more days with Obama in office. I hope the thought of that makes you feel a little joy inside. If we have to go 4 more years I don't know what I will do. I barely know anything about politics and I am so ready for him to head out! All I know is that every time I turn on the news, someone new is having an affair. Why do we elect these people???

6. NFL football. Now, please keep in mind that I don't have the first clue what the strike or negotiation or whatever is going on is all about. Everything I know about pro sports comes from Parker...but I do know that if we do not have a pro football season this year then we will have no Tim Tebow in spandex pants!!! SOMEBODY FIX IT AND GIVE ME A NFL SEASON!

5. Jennifer Lopez is getting divorced...again. Shocker! She is 40 and has been married/engaged a total of 5 times in her life. That averages more than once a decade for her entire lifespan. Impressive. Maybe she should take a breather because clearly this is not going well for her!

4. US Women's Soccer lost to Japan. I don't care about soccer...at all. I always want the U.S. to win, I just think soccer is a little boring and don't really get it. My mom would tell you that she had to sit through soccer games of mine in high school. Even when I played mom can tell you that "I did not get it!".

3. Heat wave...good grief it is hot. But when it is not deathly hot here it is pouring rain. Big Mama, stay inside. If you come out you will either sweat to death or drown. There seems to be no in between this summer!!

2. Nick Lachey is going to get married on TV. Nick, have we learned nothing from your last TV marriage?? I do like you and Vanessa together, obviously or you would not have earned the name that labeled my tumor friend...but must we be so money hungry that we let people pay us to televise the wedding?? Just food for thought, cause last time you took this route it did not end well. Just have a wedding for friends and family and then sell the story to People Magazine...that's what I am going to do when I am famous ;)

1. Brian Wilson's beard. Now if you need something to make your day a bit brighter you should hop on the Brian Wilson fan-club wagon. I know nothing about pro baseball. I watch very, very little of it. However, I started hearing about this crazy man and am now a twitter follower and beard lover. He is a little bit crazy and a lot awesome. I told Parker that if Tebow did not work out that Brian was my plan B. He would add a bit more humor to family holidays. So I encourage all you you to do your research and get on the "Fear the Beard" Train. I even added him to my Twitter list, that means he is special. There are not very many famous people I follow on Twitter. Tebow, Dolly, Jessica Simpson and him...So congratulations to you, Brian.

Me, Kaylie, Blythe, and Kacey at the beach a while back visiting with our wonderful friend Shanna

Parker, dad and I went fishing...we attempted to fish out of a canoe. I decided canoes were not made for 3 people to fish out of. Between Parker hitting me in the face with his rod and dad hitting me in the back with his rod, I became much more sympathetic to how the fish were feeling. Being poked by hooks is not my favorite thing in the world.

Sarah, Blythe, Katie, Leslie, me and Kacey at the Bama Rising concert!

2 Mississippians with our Alabama flags!

My friend Bill came to visit. I never, ever, ever get to see him. He was in town for work and lives in Arkansas. So I declare it a holiday when I get to see him or his wife, Malia.

Dear World, I would like to introduce you to baby Holmes, the newest addition to Bill and Malias family. Isn't he a cute little man?? I am going to need them to move closer so I can just sit and rock him!

Malia and Holmes. She looks very put together for just having labored forever and ever and ever and ever and ever.....

Beth, me, Katy and Claire at Katy's Columbus, MS shower.

All the old FairviewYouth Groupers at the Rehearsal dinner.

I think the 3 of us have more photos together than any group of friends on the planet. Lindsay, Katy and me went to church and school together are whole lives. Out of all those memories Katy chose to display the most awkward years of our teased bangs and glasses phase during her wedding slide show...lovely!

And the Columbus group at the wedding, this time we had our friend Mariah in the photo.

My sweet friend Nichole Stokes Burris sent me these photos from the Columbus, MS Relay for Life. Her team raised over $10,000. Incredible!!!

My friend Warren sent me this photo. He swam a 3.4 mile race across Pensacola Bay. He wore his Callie wristband! It took him 2 hours and 3 minutes. For those of you that know me you know, I don't put my head under water when I swim...I doggy paddle. So a 3 mile swim would have taken me a good 24 hours!!!

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

The Dolly Bunny

2011-05-23T21:05:00.007-05:00

Welcome back ladies, gentleman, Tebow fans, Dolly lovers, Mississippians, and Big Mama. A month has passed since we last spoke. So I will catch you up on what has been going on with my brain and my nice, simple, boring life. First of all I should tell you that I was be-bopping through a parking lot the other day and heard my name. It was a guy that has been reading the blog since day one. I had never met him in person; even though we have emailed. He is from the great land of Cullman, Alabama. I promised a shout-out and so here we go: Robbie, it was a pleasure to meet you. My mullet told me when we walked away from you that it sure appreciated your prayers and laughter though this journey.

Last week I had my 6 month cancer scans. All is well. Thank you for your prayers. It was a tough day. I just laid in the MRI machine with tears coming down my face and was really shaky the entire appointment. But I just kept telling myself to run the race with perseverance. You have no idea how much all of your texts meant that morning to keep my mind busy. I will go again in 3 months for more another MRI. Next week I have my 1 year radiation check up. I am hopeful they will be impressed with my mullet.

As everyone knows we have just been ripped to shreds thoughout the South by tornados. It is so heartbreaking to see. I can't say enough about the work that the Church has done. No one has sat around waiting on the government. People rolled up there sleeves and went above and beyond to get this mess cleaned up and move life forward. It will be a long, long time before some people's lives are normal, but we Praise Him in the Storm. On a lighter tornado note, my dad called to check and make sure I was ok. I told him we were fine that it went around us but we stood and watched it go by. Anyhow, the following day he told me to check my roof and make sure I did not lose shingles. So I told him I had no idea how I would even know if a shingle was missing. He told me it would be a different color than the rest of the roof. Then he said "If you have time climb up and look"....um, yes dad, let me hoist my ladder up and climb a while! Ha, after he realized that he was talking to a girl, he said "never mind, just circle your house and if you see discoloration I will come up and look." That is my sweet daddy; sweet enough to worry about my roof and sweet enough to have faith that I might just decide to climb a ladder to the roof.

Next topic: Navy Seals. What a bunch of Bad A's. Somewhere Ronald Reagan is waving his American flag for just a brief moment...before he laid back down and rolled his eyes at the group we have in charge. I can remember sitting in a class called Cultural Perspectives my Freshman year of college and someone sticking their head in and saying to turn on the TV. We did....and we watched as the 2nd tower was hit. We spent all day watching it over and over and over. Watching people run through ashes, watching the Pentagon get hit, watching Americans crash a plane to try save lives. My brother was in first grade. It has been a long time coming, but we got him. God Bless America and God Bless those brave men.

Next on my list we will discuss the fact that 50% of my chance at being the Queen of England was married off this month. Farewell William, now I will hold out for Harry. Seriously, how pretty was Kate Middleton? Can I just wear that exact dress? She was perfect. She looked like nothing short of a Princess. I read somewhere that the Queen told her she could wear any jewelry or any crown the Royal family owned...can you imagine? I would have a field day. I would have looked like a rapper, dripping in royal bling.

I have a surprise for you...the Easter Bunny hippity hopped it over to my Easter Basket and left me some tickets to see Dolly this summer! Hip, Hop, Hippity, Hop! It's Dolllllyyyyy! I could not be more excited. My top ten this week will be a tribute to the one and only Dolly. Get your party pants on folks, it is going to be worth your wait!

Is everyone fully invested in reality TV? Celebrity Apprentice, Dancing w/ the Stars, and American Idol? Yes, I do realize I sound like a waste of space...but I am ok with that. If John Rich would have lost Celebrity Apprentice I might have had a fall apart. He was playing for pediatric cancer and he was nothing but awesomeness. He would swoop in with that cowboy hat and save the day. And God bless him for dealing with Gary Bussey and Meatloaf. On a side note, I was unaware that I was going to enjoy Lil Jon and all his gold teeth. On to Dancing w/ the Stars. I am 100% on Team Hines. Who would have thought that an NFL player from the Univ. of Georgia would be so cute with his dimples and so good with his feet. Mirrorballs, sparkles, and sequins...everything an NFL player dreams of! Lastly, if Scotty McReery does not win American Idol I am moving to Iceland for Iclandic Idol. I really was pulling for Paul Mcdonald and Scotty. But now we are down to 2 so I throw all my support to the 16 year old good old country boy. If you did not see his interaction with Lady Gaga you must youtube it. She was their mentor and she was not wearing pants, and after he meets her in his big thick Georgia accent he says "Lord, this was not my doing" and kisses the cross on his neck. I laughed my guts out. So get out your cell phone because tomorrow night is the finale and me and Scotty would like it if you would vote.

Favorite Quotes by the one and only Dolly:

10. To be determined when I see her live and in person this summer...Kacey prepare yourself to be my official tissue provider!

9. Me jumpin' up and down? I'd blacken both my eyes!

8. Time marches on and sooner or later you realize it is marching across your face.

7. I look just like the girls next door... if you happen to live next door to an amusement park.

6. If you talk bad about country music, it's like saying bad things about my momma. Them's fightin' words.
5.You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap!
4. It's a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I'd be a drag queen.

3. I hated school. Even to this day, when I see a school bus it's just depressing to me. The poor little kids.

2. I wanted to be the first woman to burn her bra, but it would have taken the fire department four days to put it out.
1. I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde.

So I bought a new car. I called home to my mom and cried. Me and my 4 Runner spent 13 good years together. I went to a used car dealership that a family friend had recommended and I promise you my car salesman was "The Situation". Blinged out Jeans, Purple gator boots, hair gel, and spray tan. I camera phoned him cause it was so funny...but I would feel bad posting the poor man's photo.

Here's a picture of me and my sweet car saying goodbye. So many memories. My Big Mama gave me this car, so parting was tough. I was not aware that I had emotional attachment to my car until I had to turn over my keys. Big Mama and Big Big showed up at the house for Christmas when I was 16 dressed as Santa and Mrs. Clause driving my car. Oh mercy. Makes me cry all over again.

Our friend Shanna has moved away. Luckily she moved to Florida....yay for beach trips. We ate dinner with her before she left.

My friend Tony is going through his 2nd round of Cancer. He was so faithful checking on me when I was sick. So I go visit him often, I love him. Anyhow, he has had hair but then last week it came out. So I told him I had something for him. So I took him my wig. I told him he would look good as a blond. Sure enough he does!

Thank you for checking in with me. You have no idea how much I value having all of you in my life. I will update you again next month!

I was going to do a scripture to close out, but I have something else to share with you. A guy named Brad was a year behind me at Samford and was a football player there. Recently he was diagnosed with cancer. When you have about 40 minutes sit down and watch this video. I promise you will need Kleenex.

http://vimeo.com/brelandbooth/bradbooth

How great is our God!

Funnel Cakes and Easter

2011-04-21T15:51:00.002-05:00

I told you I would update you monthly. If I lived an exciting life then I would give you weekly updates, but as one of the most boring humans in the world...I feel like we should probably stick with monthly.

So a few weekends ago I went home for Parker's track meet. If you know anything about Parker then you know he is athletic. If you know anything about me then you should know. . . track means nothing to me. It is people running and leaping. And if running and leaping is not bad enough then throw in that they leap and land in sand. Gross.!!!!! To me there is NOTHING worse than being hot and sweaty with sand stuck to you with no pool to jump in to wash it off. Anyhow, that being said, it was fun to watch. Now if my brother would not have been a participant there would not have been enough money in the world to get me to watch people running and leaping. I also need to note that the track meet was in the Delta. My apologies to Karen Williams for the statement I am about to make, but: Holy cow the delta is boring. It is flat land as far as the eye can see. Seriously, nothing but corn and cotton fields for miles upon miles. Add not living in the hot, flat Delta to my list of things I am thankful for!

So the little turtle that could (aka: me) has finally made it to the 2 mile running mark. Now please keep in mind that this means that I turtle down the running trail, but hey...after starting over a few times, I finally am back to where I wanted to be. Bro. Sammy, you once suggested that we run a marathon together. I would hold off on that dream. At this rate I will be roughly 57 years old by the time I hit the 3 mile running mark.

I got my hair highlighted this month.I love my new hair guy. He lost his mom to cancer and so my weird hair do does not bother him at all. He is also a fabulously dressed gay man. I wish I had a gay guy best friend. Seriously Kurt (my hair guy) makes me giggle like crazy and is always discussing important topics like shoe trends for summer, tanning beds, and what was in People magazine last week. Do you think straight men know what was on the cover of People last week? NO! All they think People magazine is good for is its crossword puzzles!
Another Exciting event that happened this month was a visit from my friend Cody! I get so excited when I get to see him! If he weren't in med school he would live here for the sole purpose of making me laugh. He brought me a present this time when he came...my very own Mule Day shirt! He is from Columbia, TN and apparently Mule Day is a holiday. I don't have the first clue what Mule Day consist of, but I feel as though I should check it out! I am guessing it is like a county fair and bands sort of thing. I imagine there are boiled peanuts and funnel cakes! I wonder if there is a Mule Day queen? If so, then I should nominate myself. I could ride in the back end of a convertible and wear white gloves and do my best pageant wave to all the adoring Columbia, Tennesseans. (I feel like people missing front teeth attend this event, Cody I am so sorry for that comment.)

Next on our monthly topic list is the thing that all mature young professionals participate in. ..Laser Tag!!!!! I will go ahead and answer the question that just went through every one's mind...Yes I am terrible at Laser Tag. The vest and gun are heavy...and I squeal when I get shot at. We had so much fun, I just run around in circles for the first 2 games (each game last 20 minutes) and then for the 3rd game my friend Blythe and I found a perch and just sat and chit chatted. We were on opposing teams, but there was no need to shoot at each other because we were both equally as tired as the other one from running around for 40 minutes!

I feel like the Dunaway Crew should take up laser tag. We had 2 games with mixed gender teams. And our 3rd game was boys vs. girls. I don't have the first clue who won any of the games. The score cards they print out and give you are sort of like reading golf scores...just a bunch of numbers that confuse me. Perez Family: we should have a laser tag match up. I would feel guilty shooting at Ripp though. His cute little tiny smile would cause me to surrender.

I don't know if we won, but we sure were cuter than the boys team ;)

So it is Easter. It is my favorite Holiday. Yes, Christmas is wonderful because that is when Christ came as flesh...but Easter is when he rose from the grave!

Palm Sunday was the triumphal entry. The crowds lined the streets spreading clothing on the road and shouted "Hosannah to son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" Luke 19

Monday is thought to be the day that Jesus overturned the tables in the temple saying that "his house should be a house of prayer, but it had been made a den of robbers". Matthew 21:13

Tuesday Jesus was challenged by the Pharisees and they tried to trap him into making a blasphemous remark.

Wednesday Judus agreed to show the chief priest where they could capture Jesus.

Thursday was the Last Supper with the diciples and washed their feet.

Friday he was crucified. Led up a hill, flesh falling off, carrying a cross, bleeding, knowing at any moment he could cry out and the pain would stop. But the King of Kings kept going dragging a cross, bearing my sins. He felt every splinter, every stone under his foot, every lash mark from the whip, every punch, every blood drop, he took it. He hung on the cross, nails driven through is hands and feet, ligaments ripping, heaving for air and never quit. Tears of pain rolling down his cheeks and he took it. All he had to do was cry out and God would have stopped it, he would have called in the Angels to take his son off the cross. But Jesus cared more about bridging the gap for us. And so he suffered. And in his final breath he cried out "it is finished". The storm came, his mother wept, his side was stabbed, people laughed and mocked. But what they did not know was the meaning of "It is finished". So I will go to an old hymn that perfectly speaks to "It is Finished".

There's a line that is drawn through the ages
On that line stands an old rugged cross
On that cross, a battle is raging
To gain a man's soul or it's loss
On one side, march the forces of evil
All the demons, all the devils of hell
On the other, the angels of glory
And they meet on Golgotha's hill
The earth shakes with the force of the conflict
And the sun refuses to shine
For there hangs God's son, in the balance
And then through the darkness he cries
It is finished, the battle is over
It is finished, there'll be no more war
It is finished, the end of the conflict
It is finished and Jesus is Lord

Saturday he was dead, he was in a grave. People wept, his mama Mary, his brothers, his daddy, they watched as he was buried in a borrowed grave. Oh but Sunday is coming...

Sunday The guards at the tomb fell over, an angel sat on top of the grave and said "Lets do this" he rolled back the stone and Jesus did what only he can do. He walked out scars on his hands, in his side and through his feet. And when he walked out my debt was paid. He has risen, he has risen indeed. So Sunday I hope you will celebrate the power of the cross and the victory of the grave. I hope your celebration will not end there. He assented to heaven shortly after he arose and his parting words were "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

So we better get busy, because very soon we will stand face to face, touch his scars and proclaim

Holy, Holy, Holy...

Spring time!

2011-03-21T13:01:00.003-05:00

So it has been almost a month since I last blogged. I am so boring, I have nothing to blog about. I started getting text about a week ago from a few people asking was I OK since I had not blogged. So for the 3 followers that noticed...here we go! Life is good.
Mondays consist of spinning at the gym and watching pitiful women cry on the Bachelor. I mean do their momma's and daddy's go bury their head in the sand when they watch there daughter crying on national TV and begging a man she has known a week to love her back and then they have to watch her go roll around in the sand and make out with him (or in a hot tub...why does ABC always throw people in hot tubs). I have to cover my eyes cause I am so embarrassed for them. And then the limo ride home. Heaven help me, the mascara streaming down as they snort their snot up their runny noses so it doesn't get on their formal wear in the back of the limo. I cannot take it. If nothing else, the show makes me feel extremely normal. Also, do these girls not have Big Mama's that watch them on TV...eeeek.
Tuesdays After work, I exercise with a trainer and then I go home and think about how much I hate paying money to feel like I got beat up. And then I watch TV and anticipate how I will be unable to move the next day. Then I lay my clothes out...I know I will not be able to raise my arms the next morning due to soreness. So I just get everything out the night before.
Wednesday Thisssssssssssssssssssss is American Idol. Let's be honest. I quit on Idol last year. The whole judges changing, losing Simon, etc. I just thought it could NEVER ever be good again. And then...and then...kaboom. Ryan Seacrest comes back and it is better than ever! I basically spend the evening staring at JLos skin wondering "how does she make her skin so smooth and flawless?" not fair! OK so Paul McDonald and Scotty McCreery are currently my 2 favorites. Scotty, because he is good old fashioned country; and Paul, because he is from Alabama and a total quirky bird. I find myself giggling at his awkward dancing, yet I enjoy every second of it.
Thursday: Back to the gym...but then it is time to put on my batting gloves and helmet and play some softball! Kidding, I own neither batting gloves. nor a helmet. I just hold the fort down in right field and pull weeds. I am like the 4 year old in t-ball that twirls and dances and does everything else except plays. I made contact with the ball at bat last week and I jumped up and down, squealed, and then proceeded to run. I got thrown out, but on the way back to the dugout I high fived the ump! He laughed! I was so proud I hit it, I even called home to tell my dad.
Weekends generally consist of hanging out with girlfriends, naps, and jogging like a turtle down the trail I run on. When old people are passing you left and right on a running trail it is not a good day.

My dad and I had a full conversation via phone the other day regarding what was a weed and what was a plant in my front yard. He was trying to explain that I needed to go buy round up and spray my weeds so they didn't take over...little did he know it would take an hour for me to ask every question under the sun. I am so helpless, thank heavens he has has the gift of patience! What brought the conversation on was that I was out of town this past weekend and came home Saturday night and Sunday morning when I got home from church I realized my bushes, trees and such were blooming. Then I noticed my bushes had a few weeds. So I started pulling weeds. About 10 minutes in I heard my neighbor say "I don't know that I have ever seen anyone pull weeds in a dress." I then realized I did not even bother changing clothes, I just got out of my car and in my dress and heels began gardening.

Top 10 Goals for Spring/Summer:

10. To talk my father into taking me Bay/Deep Sea fishing again. We went last year over spring break, but it was so cold I was more concerned about turning blue and freezing to death than fishing.

9. Take Parker to NYC. He has gotten in his head he wants to go somewhere and I would love to take him to NY. I mentioned it to him and quickly realized that would mean sitting through lots of baseball games and not as many shopping sprees and Broadway plays as this girl would like.

8. To build to running 5 miles. I am currently at 2, but I would like to push past it. I run so so so slow. The other night at our softball game our coach jokingly made fun of how slow we ran and next thing I knew there were tears running down my face. When did I get overly sensitive about my running speed? A normal runner could run 5 miles in under an hour. I would have to block out an entire evening for my jogs. Turtles pass me when I am at a full sprint.

7.Help Nichole Stokes Burris find James Harmon. Our 10 yr reunion is coming up and he is the only one we can't find. "Bueller, Bueller, Anyone..."
6.Got to Braves game and Atlanta aquarium...Tourist, I know...but I totally ok with putting on my fanny pack for the aquarium!
5. Go to Parker's baseball game/track meet. Apparently they are really good at baseball this year. Thus far undefeated...the game I show up at they will probably lose and then I will have a bunch of 16yr old throwing their gloves at me.
4. Figure out how to insert photos on twitter. I am just now getting into twitter follow me @ calliedunaway
3. Blog only the first week of every month. Blogging takes effort and my boring life does not leave much room for me to blog regularly.
2.Find a hobby...any suggestions?
1. Beach + eat lots of crab legs + mom's agenda = Drive mom nuts at how long it takes me to eat the crab legs and that would throw her off her non existent schedule of waking up, laying in sand, showering, eating, and bed.

My sweet friend Nichole is not only planning our class reunion this year, but she is also having a Relay for Life team. If you have a spare $10 please donate it to her team at this link to help her meet her goal! http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY11National?px=19804386&pg=personal&fr_id=28836

Also a special thanks to a dear friend who heard me talking about how bad my head/neck hurt sometimes and sent me a gift card for a massage. I have really precious friends!

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion's never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.

Lamentations 3:22-25

2011-02-18T11:22:00.001-06:00

Well, I survived my 3 month checkup. It was my first time to see the doctors since I came off of my monthly chemo. The MRI and doctors appointment seemed eternal. I was a little nervous/emotional...but I made it. I called mom and cried and she cried too...she was nervous for me. I have not thought about cancer for 90 whole days and then it is like it hit me like a ton of bricks and shook me up.

Other than that, life is great. I went home 2 weeks ago to see Parker play basketball. He is so good and fast and can run up and down the court a bunch without being winded. I wish I had the talent of not being winded!

Also, My dad had a birthday. SOOOO Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to my dddddaaaaaad. Happy Birthday to you!

This is Parker and me after the game.

One of the females on our varsity team is being scouted, so I went down to one of the UF coaches and ask for a picture. I told her she would be the closest I got to Tim Tebow for a while. She is a Florida Alum and played WNBA...I look like a stump next to her!

So at work the other day we found a cardboard giant head in a storage room. We then found it necessary to stick it on our friend Josh's door for when he returned to work. The head is gigantic and hilarious. We named her Felica Claire and now when someone is having a bad day we put Flecia Claire in their office and tape a piece of paper to her with a message on it. While some of our scientist research finding the cure for cancer, we focus on important things like Felicia Claire.

Brad Paisley concert last week with friends. He was awesome.

So, some of you ask what I was doing for Valentines Day? Sitting around my house pouting cause I was single...NO. We are way to cool for that, we got all fancied up and went to a nice restaurant for dinner. I am positive we had way more fun than any of the couples there who just stared at their food and cell phones and never spoke a word to each other.

Top Ten Reasons to love Valentines' Day:

10. Because ESPN Covers things like "Tim Tebow having 2 dates on Valentines" and then when the story opens Tim has ask his 2 tiny nieces to get dressed up and he took them to dinner. PARKER...ASK A SISTER TO DINNER WHEN SHE'S SINGLE! (hint, hint)

9.Because you find yourself riding along in the car and accidentally knowing every word to the corny love songs the radio is playing.

8.Unlimited Chocolate!

7. Because you can do things like sit around a table with your girlfriends and make predictions as to where people will be in life next year on Vday and laugh hysterically.

6. Because it is the only day of the year that you check facebook every 5 minutes to see who's status has changed from "in a relationship" to "engaged".

5. Because you go to dinner with 10 of your favorite single girlfriends and someone suggest, what if there is a table of 10 cute single guys...um, no...Straight single males are home watching ESPN on Valentines day.

4.Because Mama mails you a package with valentines cards. Sweet...until you read your brothers and it says "It's OK, I will be your valentine."

3. Because I got to be Big Mama's valentine. Sorry Big Mama's girls...I sent her a card, you didn't...I WIN!

2.Because when you have an MRI and Neuro appointment and are single all on Vday...you can guarantee that next year can only be Uphill!!!

1. Because I know somewhere my mother is happily listening to Barry, wishing he would send her a Valentine.

Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

Kisses for Callie

2011-02-08T14:10:00.002-06:00

No, it's not what you think. I didn't get a kiss, not even a date! But the LAI Social Club at my old high school is having a fundraiser to benefit the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center in my honor. How Sweet!! Not only did I graduate from Heritage Academy, but my oncologist Dr. Burt Nabors graduated from there also. Small world, right?

The Social Club girls will be selling "kisses" (i.e. Hershey Kisses) for $1 on Friday. The school administration has even agreed to allow students to forgo uniforms for the day and let them dress in red or pink in honor of the "Kisses for Callie" event for anyone who donates. If you are in the Columbus area, please drop by Heritage and donate. The Social Club is hoping that parents and friends will send donations to support this fundraiser in addition to the sale of $1 kisses.
If you are not in the Columbus area and want to make a small contribution, just email me (or comment on the blog) and I will tell you how to make that happen.

By the way, I have my next MRI on Monday, February 14. "HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ME". What a way to celebrate. I will post something as soon as we have results. It will be my first MRI since I got the good news back in October. Please pray that I will be courageous when I have the appointment. Even though things are going well, it is a very scary time.

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or terrified,

for the LORD your God goes with you;

he will never leave you nor forsake you

Deuteronomy 31:6

To my brother, on your birthday

2011-01-23T18:05:00.003-06:00

Parker,
Sixteen years ago today, our lives were changed. Mom drove to school to pick me up and got me out of 6th grade class because it was time for you to come. Dad met us at the house and off we went. Mom laid on a table for a c-section, wearing a walkman and listening to Sandi Patti. A bit later they came to the waiting room and told us you had arrived. They took you to the nursery quickly because you had a potentially dangerous strep B infection.  Then dad came and told mom you were doing well and you were beautiful and you had blond hair. Mom told him to go look again because he must have seen the wrong baby because no one in the family has blond hair. Dad was right, not only did you have white blond hair...but you were beautiful. You were 11 days old before I got to meet you. You were in ICU and because I was only 12 they would not allow me to go back. So I just looked at you through a window. Little did I know that on day 11 I would meet a baby that would become the greatest gift in my life..a gift that for the previous 9 months we had referred to as "Ned" (because it was the name of a little boy in a children's book mom used to read me). And so on January 24th, 1995 Ned became Parker.
       You were tiny and funny and said things that would make us laugh till we cried. You would put on a towel as a cape and ran around screaming "Bom-ba-deeee", a word you had made up because you thought you were a super hero. You did flips out of the back of dads truck and hit your head and had to go to the hospital because you thought you were a Power Ranger. You stood up in your chair on Easter Sunday at the country club, threw your arms up in the air and said at the top of your little lungs "Ladies and Gentleman, may I have your attention please", a phrase that you had learned from a children's video. And you would ride in your car seat and sing along to "What if I said Jesus real loud". (song by Ray Boltz) You would dance to the motions of "Our God is so big so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God Cannot do!" and on and on I could go with stories of funny things I remember from when you were tiny. The funniest one of all was when you were in your car seat at age 3, and you said to mom: Mom, why is your butt so big?
       And then I moved away. You started first grade the same day I became a freshman in college. I have now blinked and am looking at a 16 year old man. A man that at age 15 went to another continent to share the Gospel without anyone in our family present. I look at a man that has the will and desire to win every time he plays a sport. I look at a man that when he laughs, a room lights up.  A man that loves to sing, a man that loves his family and his God, and a man that I am proud to know.
     I laid on a radiation table and would pray that God would allow me to live because I wanted to see you graduate high school. We are so blessed, not only will I see you graduate high school and college; I will be there to dance with you at your wedding. (And that will be a very lucky girl some day, when she meets you at the alter. You are a one-in-a million catch.)   And one day I will be in a waiting room when you come out to tell us that you have a healthy beautiful baby. So my prayer is that as you approach leaving home and going off to college in a few years, that you will continue to know WHO you are and to know WHOSE you are. That way when life throws you a curve ball you will be able to laugh, sing, and battle though a journey that God has spent many years preparing you for. I never knew I could love someone so much.
       Happy Birthday to my precious baby brother. Love, Callie

Dad and Parker fishing at the beach

Parker with his precious white mullet.

Parker's first day of kindergarten and my first day of senior year.

I love this kid.

One of the greatest photos ever taken!

This one is pretty fantastic too.
Dad napping at the beach and Parker drinking his bottle on dad.

Our family at the beach before I moved off to college.

Dad's hunting buddy.

And I also love the man he has become.

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others and let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth and see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous, stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
and may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young.

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

a day in the life...

2011-01-06T15:25:00.004-06:00

7:30am Look at phone to see text message from dad that reads "Call me when you can." So I call him. Am nervous. Two sick grandmothers...what if something is wrong? He is texting me to call him very early...oh no! He answers and says "Hey, I was just wondering how often you cleaned the lint filter on your dryer?" Really dad?...that is what you want me to call you about at 7:30 a.m.??? So I asked if I could call him back about my lint filter when I was actually awake.
8:00am Call dad while driving in to work. He explains something about I need to go to the outside of my house and look at something that is an air filter or something on the outside of my house that hooks up to the dryer and something, something, something, something..........no idea. Does he not know it is cold outside? Do I not know better than to call him back at 8am? I will check my lint filter in July when it is warm out!
8:30am turn on Rick and Bubba...ah, all is well in my world now that my radio show is going
8:32am email, email, more email...I see you little red light blinking to tell me that I have a voice mail, but it is too early to talk on the phone, be patient little red light I will get to you soon
9am Wander to Starbucks with a work friend. She, too is single. Let it be known that UAB Starbucks serves two purposes for some it provides coffee...for us it provide gorgeous men in scrubs and white coats to start our day off right!
9:15am Return voicemail. A doctor much have had my office before me, I get medical phone calls often...and my phone does not have a transfer button on it. I know they think I am being rude saying hang up and Dial the number that I provide for them...but my 1987 model phone does not have modern technology, such as transfer call.
10am Why did I wear these shoes today? Cute yes, but worth amputating my pinkie toe for?? Not sure.
11am People begin roaming hall wanting to know is anyone going to get food for lunch? Why at 11am, I have been awake only 4 hours at this point...lunch still has not crossed my mind. These other early eaters must have kids and have to roll out of bed before 7am.
1pm Revelation of the day: No matter how long we all stand and stare at each other we are not going to make a decision...no new restaurants will appear in our decent yet boring food court and the 4 restaurants outside that we can pick from will still be the same as they have been for the past 20 minutes that we have all be standing indecisively! Someone pick something, anything...just feed me!
2pm Tired. Must Walk around. Wish I was in preschool and could roll out my nap mat!
3pm Hooray I made it! Rick and Bubba has returned to rescue me from my final two hours! Turn them on and keep on working!
5pm Cold...wonder who I have to talk to at UAB to get a parking space near my office or how high up on the ladder I would have to be to get on in an attached deck?
5:30pm arrive at gym. Why do I come to the gym, why am I not one of the naturally annoyingly skinny people that eats chips and chocolate and still can wear size 2 blue jeans?? Oh heavens, please make my time on the treadmill go quickly today. And by quickly I mean "put a cute boy on the treadmill next to me and I wont even mind running my guts out".
6:30 WHEEEEEEEL OF FORTUNNNE I know my love for Wheel of Fortune ensures that I will be single forever, because what boy wants to watch Wheel of Fortune every night! I should totally go on this show, I win the bonus round every night. Just in case you were not aware it comes on 6 nights a week...Sunday nights I have to live w/o it!
7pm Off to Katies. Things I love about Katie, she opens up her house to kick of The Bachelor premier week. And she cooked dinner! I told y'all my friends are awesome! "Dear Women of the Bachelor, What is wrong with you people. I cringe at how desperate you people act and how you cry and drink like there is no tomorrow! And Brad Womak, I applaud you for picking no one last time you were on. Why is it wrong to pick no one if you don't want to marry either? Also ABC, why is it necessary to put all Bachelors shirtless in some sort of water? Pool, shower...something. As if the show is not awkward enough! Also, women when you get kicked off on the first night, why do you cry? You have known him for all of 17 minutes? Lastly, to the woman that wore fangs as her teeth and admitted she thinks shes a vampire...there is a reason you are single!" Now, I know most of you are going to agree with what I said and also point out that I too, am single. You would be correct...at least she is single with fangs....I am just single and pitiful!
9pm Head home, brush teeth, wash face. I wish my teeth could brush themselves. I do it for hygiene...but is there anyone that really loves standing over a sing brushing with toothpaste running down there chin and spitting and gargling!
9:15pm Begin to read, but then realize my brain is a pile of mush from the 2 hours I spent watching girls act a fool on the Bachelor. Shut my book, turn out lights, night night!

My friend Ian sent me this photo of him flying for Christmas!

Someone I know got a new truck...it wasn't mom, dad, Rudy, or me....

But it was.........Parker! Sweetest, cutest boy I know! I ask him if he wanted to trade me his new truck for my 12 year old 4-Runner. He passed! I went home Sunday and we picked Parker up from being out of town and when he got in the car he said "Why are you home?" So I said I came home to see Big Mama, which was true...but what he did not know is that I also came home because when we turned in the driveway there would be a huge surprise for him! He was obviously thrilled...and I was so happy for him! We then loaded up and took his new truck to show to Big Mama, then he and I made some rounds to visit friends, then I headed back to Birmingham!

Hi Big Mama! I am glad you are feeling a little better! Tell your girls hello and to keep taking good care of you!
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

Merry Christmas Jesus and Happy Birthday Mama!

2010-12-26T19:48:00.002-06:00

Well, it is Christmas and what is Christmas without a tacky sweater party? The pictures below will show why I love my friends. I mean what other people in the world run around with a guy that will sport denim leggings for the hilarity of Christmas. Just when I start to wrap my mind around the quirkiness of Jason, he walks into a party with this get up on.

A special thank you to my mother for owning various beaded and jingling Christmas sweaters for me to pick from.

This is my friend Jonathan...and yes he does have a stuffed giant teddy bear sewn right on his shirt!

Some of my girlfriends and a random pony.

I don't have much to blog about. Big Mama was in the hospital last week with pneumonia. Hence, why I did not blog. What is the point of blogging if Big Mama and her girls aren't going to post funny comments? She is home now. Her being home is a great thing, because I can think of nothing worse than Christmas in the hospital! Let's see what all has been going on in my life since we last spoke. I ran 2 miles...I told y'all I had started running again. Well I got to about a mile a day and had to stop. Every time I would build a little further I would have to take my next round of chemo and would be so tired and would have to start over. So now that I am done with my chemo I started my 5k training program again and have hit the 2 mile mark. Part of me wants to see how far I can go....just train until I can go no further. Maybe a half marathon? The thought of running for hours on end bores me to tears. What do people think about when they run that long?? They probably think about how skinny they are...can't say that thought ever crosses my mind.

I told you that I had a project for all of you. I now have 2 projects...and both of them I need you to put your thinking caps on for. Project A: think of a new name for the blog...now that cancer is gone I want to get rid or calliesjourney name. Maybe something like www.stillittosarebetterthanboys.com or www.isurvivedcancerandalligotwasthisblog.com?? Seriously, think on it and give me some suggestions. Alright your 2nd project is to find me a gala date. Our Cancer Center Gala is the last weekend of February...oh heaven help me...PLEEEASE help me find a date. And make it a good one. Maybe Tim Tebow, Mark Ingram (Pat Sullivan will be there so they could have a Heisman pose contest); who can be creative and think up a date for me?

Here is a video my friend Leigh Ann and her son sent me all the way from the other side of the country of him taking off his bracelet! Yay! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRIICDKBU1I

Here are the photos from when mom came and decorated:

My Mantle

Front Door:

Dining table:

Just a random shelf!

End Table:

Another random chest:

Coffee table:

Buffet Topper:

I think mom is part elf and part human. Who else in the world could whip my house into looking that cute so quickly?

Christmas Eve we leave our shoes out for Santa...

and leave him a snack and letters...

Santa brought neither a truck nor a male. =(

Top ten favorite moments from Dunaway Christmas 2010:

10. Mom calling me saying she could find no Bing cherries in Columbus and w/o Bing cherries there would be no purple stuff. (Clint Townsend, you are to blame for my Bing cherry crisis). My reaction to the crisis...go to every grocery store between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa and look for Bing cherries...at the 14th grocery store I found them. Thank you Gordo, AL Piggly Wiggly for saving Christmas!

9. Me being excited that I received a swiffer for Christmas! That is how you know you are getting old.

8. Running on our midget treadmill. I decided we have the tiniest treadmill in the world at our house. When you are wider than your treadmill, you know it is not going to end well.

7. We took mom to dinner for her birthday Thursday night, we drove about 20 min and pulled up to a completely dark building. Nothing quite like the restaurant being closed to throw a kink in your birthday party plans!

6.Dad and I taking Parker and 4 friends to shoot fireworks...and me sitting in the truck due to being cold or at least that is what I told Parker and his friends. My real reason is because I can think of nothing worse that 15 year olds shooting fireworks...I just envision Parker shooting them at me and laughing!

5. Learning that Rudy has discovered toes after being with our family for a decade. I spent about every third sentence squealing "Stttop, stop biting my toes!"

4.Watching the pained look on mamas face when I came in to sing her Happy Birthday...Not only was it off key, it was the first words I had spoken this morning....so add squeaking morning voice to off key singing and you get quite the show.

3. Parker playing in a wheelchair in Belk and me looking at him and saying "Do you know if that belongs to anyone?" And him leaping out of it; never ever crossed his mind when he just sat down in it and began rolling around. Oh to be 15 again!

2. Seeing friends like the Ferguson's, Williams and Jill Davis Whitaker...and asking to hold Jill's baby and it crying after about .02 seconds in my arms. This Christmas my gift to mankind will be not asking to hold other peoples babies, they cry...every single time, without fail!

1. Running into Parker and my parents room on Christmas morning squealing that it was snowing...and Parker and mom leaping to the window to look and dad replying "Are you going to put pants on?" Um...yes dad. I am 28...I fully intend on putting on pants, but thanks for reminding me just in case i forgot that part of my day.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas Jesus and Happy Birthday to my mama.

happy happy happy birthday...to me

2010-12-08T12:21:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday to me.
Happy Birthday to meee.
Happy Birthday to Callie,

Happy Birthday to me!

Well, I hope you all enjoy my birthday gifts as much as I did! I got new shoes, look how cute they are! I also got a visit from David Yurman. Well, he sent it to me via mom and dad, but I am positive he intended to deliver it in person!

It was Thanksgiving, so mom made purple stuff when we got home from Vegas! This only happens 2 days a year...Thanksgiving and Christmas, so needless to say I was thrilled. It's my favorite thing that she makes. Her job is to make it and my job is to stand by and constantly stick my spoon in the bowl, eat it, get in her way and drive her nuts!

Even Rudy loves purple stuff!

So when you survive cancer and have a mullet, people do really nice things for you. When I was really sick and famous people started calling to say "get well soon" my old college roommate Kd told me that I was "totally famous like Paris Hilton, minus the STD's". After my 6 birthday parties, I agree!

Party #1: The family. Mom, Dad, Parker, Mary Claire, David Yurman, Big Mama and Big Boy (Big Mama's dog), and Carol, celebrated with dinner at Big Mama's house. Sadly, Tim Tebow was a no show.

This is me modeling my new watch. The funny thing about my new watch is I have only owned one watch in my life and that was like in 6th grade, and now I own 2. My sweet roomie also got me a really cool/trendy watch...now if I only new how to be cool and trendy to match my watch.

Party #2: Cancer Center Volunteers got me a cake and sang! There were like 30 of them and they could not have been any cuter! Also, they home made the cake from scratch... Who knew that you could make thinks from scratch!! I thought cakes just appeared out of thin air at Winn Dixie and Publix!

Party #3 Karen Williams and Sarah Thorne and Ryan Davis went to dinner for my birthday at 5pm.

Then at 8pm I was off to Party #4. I have some of the most wonderful girl friends ever! For a gift for me, they all donated money to sponsor a Salvation Army Angel Tree child in my name. Seriously, where did I find people as great as them??

The next day I walked into work for Party #5...they decorated my door, sang and made cupcakes, but sadly I have no pictures to share.

Party #6: Friday night I went to meet some of my girlfriends for dinner and a movie, but instead walked into their apartment to about 30 people screaming surprise! They were so cute...I have zero photos from the surprise party except the one of Jason attempting to fit open salad tongs in his mouth??? Again, I repeat...my friends are awesome.

I win sparkliest Bama fan. The Perez family mailed me this super cute shirt! I wonder if Nick Saban needs them to mail him a sparkly shirt to excite him to win a bowl game???

Best belated Birthday gift ever...a hug from Scott Hall. There are very few people I would drive 4 hours to get a hug from...but he is one of them! Scott happened to be passing through Columbus Sunday night and so I drove home, hugged him and drove back. A special thanks to my friend Kacey who rode with me and kept me sane during the boring drive!

(I gave him a birthday hug too, because his is only 2 days after mine)

My friend Ian sent me these photos "Thanksgiving day in front of our "rooms" in Iraq. Can't see the bracelet very good because it blends in with the sand. I love when he sends me photos. It is also great to know that he is safe...

And in this photo Ian said, "The picture attached here was the meal we cooked on the plane on the way into Afghanistan--it actually turned out pretty awesome. It took us 4.5 hours to make all of it." If he only knew that it took me about 4 hours to figure out how to make cereal!! And for those of you who emailed me about him last time...he is married! Ian, that should make you feel awesome that the blog readers wanted to know your status!

On another note, I have decided that Patsy Burks is trying to kill me. For those of you who do not know her, she is a friend of ours from home. She is one of the people from my home church that was in the Olympic Torch photo last year. Anyhow, after I posted my blog about being a survivor she mailed me a card with the sweetest note ever...when I opened the card the "Callie vs.Nick" bracelet fell out. Her note said that she was taking off her bracelet in celebration of cancer survival, but she would continue to be a prayer warrior. I was a mess in my kitchen crying. Once I got myself together I called mom and read it over the phone to her and then we were both a mess crying.

Lastly I wanted to share with you a note that mom sent me for my Birthday:
Dearest Callie,

What a year it has been. One year ago we were going through the most horrible time of our life, and looking for answers. And today we look forward to a bright future filled with promises and hope. We wish you the happiest of birthdays that anyone could ever have. We give you this watch (David Yurman, no less!) to remind you of the preciousness of time.

I pray that you use your time wisely, and not let it slip away. Time is what life is made of. We make the best use of our time when we value it, and know what is most important. And you have learned that the hard way this past year. You are writing the story of your life one day at a time (and one blog at a time – ha ha). Whether these times are good or bad, it’s all we have. So make them as good as possible. God has given you precious time to be about His work. I hope when you see your watch, it will remind you to make time for good, for fun, for laughter, for friends, for service, for praise, for thanks, and for worship.

You said a few blogs ago that “Speechless” by Steven Curtis Chapman is one of your favorite songs. That song embodies you in my mind. I can see you, Lindsay, and Katy now in youth choir with your eyes facing the heavens singing this song at the top of your lungs and praising God with your whole heart. (My, how time flies.) Little did we know then how the words of this song would become so real for us in the past year.

Oh how great is the love the father has lavished upon us.
That we should be called the sons and the daughters of God
We are speechless, so amazed. We stand in awe of your grace.
We stand in awe of your mercy. You have saved us.
We stand in awe of your love. We are Speechless!

Yes, God has left us speechless this past year. And you, dear daughter, have also left so many of us speechless. You have walked this path with grace. You have fought fear with every ounce of your being. You have cried, but left us laughing until we cried. You wore a mullet more beautifully than any redneck I have ever seen! You showed me the true meaning of Hebrews 12:1. “Run with endurance the race that God has set before you.”

So as we celebrate your 28th birthday, you can put your Yurman watch on your wrist, and we will take our “Nick vs. Callie” bracelets off our wrists. We have worn our bracelets faithfully, but now it is time to take them off and move forward. We will continue to pray for you, even as we did since before you were born. But we will set our bracelets aside as a way of celebrating your birthday, and showing our confidence in Christ in your healing.
So dear Callie. . . . . . (Pretend you can hear me singing)
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dearest Callie
Happy Birthday to you.
I love you, Mom

I have a really great mom. I need a tshirt that says "My mom is better than your mom, my friends are cooler than your friends, my mullet is funnier than your mullet." I came home from work last Thursday and my house was all lit up with Christmas decor. She had driven over to Birmingham during the day and decorated my house before I got home from work as a surprise to me. I will put photos up on next weeks blog for you!

A special thanks to our church choir, Shades Mountain, for busting out a Travis Cottrell song the first week of December. He is one of my favorites.

Hear the angels as they´re singing

On the morning of His birth

But how much greater will our song be

When He comes again to Earth

When He comes to rule the Earth!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Viva Las Barry....I mean Vegas!

2010-11-29T14:39:00.004-06:00

Ladies and Gentleman, I have an announcement to make.

It will make you rest easy...Mama has seen Barry. She can die a happy woman now. The Dunaway clan packed up and went to Vegas for the week of Thanksgiving. As you can see from the photo below we had a wild and crazy rocking time.

Mom and I had been to Vegas together when I was in college. Dad and Parker had never been and they did not know what to expect. We arrived Saturday to find Vegas just as we had left it years ago...sparkly! We spent Saturday night just walking around the strip. We got in bed a little after 1am, which is really late for our family. I consider anything past 9pm late. Sunday we walked around and shopped and toured hotels. Every day we would go to different hotels. That's how boring our family is: we tour hotel lobbies for fun. They all are so different, everything from the art on the walls and ceilings to the attractions inside were all worth a walk through. Some hotels had things like great art, some had live lions...even Dad and Parker were fascinated by the difference in all the hotels. Sunday night mom lived her dream...and Dad tagged along for support. They got all dressed up and went to see Barry. She was so excited...Parker and I just kept whispering back and forth "I don't get it???" She got to sit on the 2nd row at the concert and she swears Barry looked right at her and waved. So we just let her think that Barry knew she was in the audience and planned that wave and smile just for her!

This is mom afterwards, she danced around the hotel room like a little kid...with her glow sticks. She was so excited about Barry...so we just sat on the couch and laughed our heads off at her singing Copacabana and dancing around...

While mom was living her dream with Barry Manilow...I was living mine with Garth Brooks. OH. MY. GOSH. I almost had a stroke when mom told me that we had tickets. I about wiggled right out of my chair when we were sitting in our seats waiting on him to come out. He walked out on stage...him and his guitar. That was it, no band. For 2 1/2 hours he just stood and talked and played and sang. People would yell out songs and he would play. IT. WAS. AWESOME!! Not a little bit awesome, but awesome enough that all of you should stop reading my boring blog now, get on an airplane and go see Garth. If you do decide to go see him, please take him an iron. Seriously, you are Garth Brooks...iron your clothes and if nothing else thrown them in the dryer to get the wrinkles out. He walked out on stage in jeans and a button down that had been wadded up in someones closet for a VERY long time. He had on black tennis shoes and a baseball cap. Garth, if you can't afford a stylist...call me. Surely I can help you out in some way. Perhaps just lose the shoes for boots, throw on a cowboy hat and iron your clothes, and you will be good to go.(Trisha Yearwood came out and did a few songs with him.)

After Garth we all went back to the hotel room and I took my final round of chemo. Then we were in bed by 10pm. Celebrating completing my chemo medications in Vegas with Garth Brooks was about as good as it gets...the only thing better would be celebrating in the arms of Tim Tebow at a Garth Brooks Concert wearing Jimmy Choo stilettos. Last dosage of chemo pills:

The following day we were touring one of the hotels and Pete Rose was charging money to buy his book and to meet him. Well, I don't pay money Mr. Rose to meet people...they should want to meet me. So I marched myself right up to Pete Rose and told him I had a brother that played baseball and ask him if we could take a picture. He let us. Clearly he knew not to tell me no.

We passed a framed coat of Barry Manilows...Mama was giddy.

Monday during the day we did more shopping and at night another show ... Blue Man Group! If you have never seen them, you must go. They are so fun. I have seen them in NY, Vegas and Berlin. They are so good! Parker and Dad were amazed at how cool they were. They are the kind of famous that I want to be. Like at night people cheer for them on stage, but during the day they can go out in public and no one knows who they are! I guess Dolly could do the same if she took off her wigs and lashes.

The Blue Man Group show ends with toilet paper...I will say no more until all of you see it! Parker made a head band from his, mom and I made a neck bow, dad made a tie with his. We then walked around after Blue Man and just left our toilet paper on us...sadly no one noticed. Everyone in Vegas is so bizarre that they don't even notice toilet paper on your head as odd!

On Tuesday Dad packed us up and off we went to the Hoover Dam. We rode a pink bus and on the way the bus driver stopped to take pics of the Las Vegas sign!

In the photo of Parker and me below, I would like to clarify that I have NO idea why I am awkwardly bending like that.

If you ever take a tour in Vegas, do not ride in the pink jeep. You can't see out the front. So when the driver says "just ahead you will see. . . ." you have to lean out of your seat and put your head on the floor board to see what he is talking about. The jeep is just poorly designed and we all had back and neck aches when we arrived back in Vegas.

We walked the new bridge that was just built connecting Nevada to Arizona that is by the Hoover Dam. It only opened one month ago. It was way high up and super windy. Please look at Parker blowing away in the below photo.

This is us up on the bridge with the Hoover Dam behind us.

About 5 minutes into our Hoover Dam tour I decided I was bored and cold. Dad was so fascinated when we were underground by the generators that run the dam. So we just let him be fascinated. Except when he wanted us to take pictures with him down in the dam, Parker and I faked poking our eyeballs out.

The next photo is Parker and me back above ground with the dam behind us. I should mention that I have absolutely NO IDEA what a dam does. It has something to do with holding back water or something...to be quite honest I don't really care what a dam does. Hopefully I will never have to go to the Hoover Dam again. We concluded the night by going to Cirque du Soleil "Mystere". It was a great show.

There are lots of bizarre people in Vegas.

We ran into Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Mad Hatter.

And some robot. I am sure he is from a movie... but I don't watch movies.

And Superman protected me with his cape from poor Parker... who Superman picked up by his collar.

We went to the M&M store... there was an M&M out front.

M&M's are like Mickey Mouse... they don't talk.

And of course what is wierdness of Las Vegas without 2 people dressed as Michael Jackson.

Parker and I went to sit on a bench while mom and dad ask the hotel concierge about the Hoover Dam. We were gone for about 10 min and when we returned they had booked us a helicopter flight to the Grand Canyon. I stared at Parker and he stared back. I am sure he was thinking "Am I the only person here that knows that mom does not fly, WHAT IS DAD THINKING PUTTING HER ON A HELICOPTER?" So Wednesday we loaded up in a helicopter. You can imagine how that started out. Mom clawed off dad's left arm by clinging to him like a cat. Once he finally lost blood flow in his arm he preyed mom's fingers off of him.

We landed and were able to poke around the Grand Canyon for a while. Of course all Parker wanted to do was scare Mom and me to death by going right up to the edge of the canyon and throwing rocks over the edge. It really was a gigantic hole in the ground, with a big river at the bottom. Whoever pick the name "Grand Canyon" really knew how to state the obvious.

Family photo...just us, a canyon and our friend Mr. Helicopter.

Colorado River

We found a cactus at the Grand Canyon!

We had to wear fanny pack life vest in case our helicopter crashed into Lake Meade or The Colorado River... if for any reason I am crashing into either location, my thought process will probably not be "unvelcro the fanny pack, inflate the life vest, place around my neck, attempt to land in the water and float to safety."

At the Venetian Hotel we found singing gondoliers!

See...I told you it was sparkly.

No worries, it is photo shopped.

We saw a show every night. On top of the ones I named, we also saw Cirque du Soliel KA and The Lion King. We returned home Friday night ... tired, very tired. I have more photos of birthday gifts and places the Callie vs. Nick bracelet has been...but I will save that for my next post. For now, we will bring in December and the Christmas season with a little help from my friends Polly, Abner and Ripp...click this link and enjoy...it takes a while to load! http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/hRPt1qO8A4unFwKs3iyh
(Thank you Mrs. Jeanne for your sweet card you sent me!) Happy December!!!!!!

Mild he lays his glory by,

Born that man no more may die,

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Risen with healing in his wings,

Light and life to all he brings,

Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!

Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace

Thankful.

2010-11-19T11:54:00.000-06:00

Photos of my hair when it fell out. It is still ugly, I don't talk about it much because it brings out insecurities. So thank you to the few who I let see it and loved me anyway.

Below are my Friends Alison and Ann Wade. We went to Samford together and returned for homecoming this year. Ann Wade is a professional photographer and was kind enough to photograph my head in the above pictures so i would have them forever. http://www.awweddings.com/

I often go to visit community organizations that support the Comprehensive Cancer Center. One of the organizations is based out of the Birmingham Jewish Community Center. They knit beautiful scarves for our patients. Last week I went to visit and this wonderful 89 year old lady began telling me that she was a cancer survivor and so we went further with the conversation and she said she was also a Holocaust Survivor. She was 9 when Hitler came to power and 15 when her family was sent to Concentration Camp. Here is her story if you would like to read more http://www.bhamholocausteducation.org/bio-nathan-siegler.htm

She still bears the Tattoo of 6 numbers from her concentration camp. (Mom says I told you this story last year in a blog, but of course, I don't remember.)

Here is a picture of some Samford friends with our friend Katherine Arnold Wolf. Katherine is an amazing woman whose story you should take some time to read. She was a wonderful friend at Samford and it was a blessing to hear her speak at Samford today. http://www.katherinewolf.info/

Jay and Katherine stood on a stage in a room packed with people and shared their ups and downs. At the end Jay said "We have become less concerned with healing, and more concerned with our relationship to the healer. And we are less concerned about deliverance and more concerend about our relationship to the deliverer."

O Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth; The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. Psalm 95:1-6

I survived and all I got was a mullet!

2010-11-05T15:38:00.006-05:00

      Well, as you learned from the previous blog I will be considered a survivor by the end of this month after I take my last round of chemo. I know I should be really excited about this, but I am still very baffled that I just went through cancer. It has been such a whirlwind that I am left with my head still spinning a little bit and so when they told me the news after my final MRI last week I just sort of sat there. My brain was thinking about everything except cancer. I tend to let my mind run wild in a doctor's office because I would like to pretend that nothing is wrong with me and so I block it out. Many of you ask how I celebrated being cancer free. Well, I wish I had something cool to tell you, but instead I will just tell you that mom and I went and stood in line at the DMV. I am now the proud owner of a Alabama license and tag. Nothing quite like waiting in line for 2 hours with the most random people on the planet to be your victory lap of cancer.
      I also sponsored a child through World Vision. We have been talking a lot about gifts and tithes at church and I tithe, but having a sponsor child is a way I can give back extra. I picked him out in a very simple way. I chose the birthday I wanted,which was August 13 (the day I had my seizure and cancer started as a part of my life) and it pulled up a list of kids that needed sponsoring. They were all so cute and then all the sudden one popped up that was a 7 year old boy with sores covering him. I just gasp and knew if I did not chose him, no one else would. He was not cute and cuddly like the other kids, he was different. He represented exactly how cancer made me feel. So I chose him. Now I will be able to do a small part to help this kid out that I have never met, just like so many of you that I have never met did for me and my family when we needed help over the past year.
     Some of you want me to comment on what being in remission feels like. I don't really know the answer to that question. To be quite honest I am very awe struck at how so many of you stepped up and carried my family through the hardest year we have ever had. So until I figure out how it feels I will just give you my "Academy Award for Best Female Performance in a Cancer Story" acceptance speech: "Thank you so much for this great honor.   Thank you for standing beside and behind me and pushing me forward when I thought I could go no further. Thank you for laughing and crying with my family and me over the past 16 months. A special thank you to Amy Bogue, Bill and Malia, the Perez family, Claire Young, Cody, The Burkhalters, Katie Bentley, Emily Walton, Spires, Kacey Cole, Sarah Thorne and Karen, Kaydee, Nichole Burris, and Shelley Scarbrough for being in my life for laughter, friendship and encouragement. I would also like to take a moment to thank Steve and Lydia Killough and the GAP Class, Fairview Baptist, Alison Wydner, Shanna, Kaylie, Blythe, Meagan, Katie, Lindsay Finnegan, Mrs. Janet, Michael Ferguson, and Scott Hall (seriously who makes a day trip halfway across the country just cause they love me?) for being the kind of friends that I can only dream of being. You came when when I was tired, hungry, naked, and sick. You lived Matthew 24:35-36. And most importantly to my mom, dad, brother and Big Mama I could not be blessed with a better family. You have surrounded me with such a great cloud of witnesses that I threw off everything that hindered me and the sin that so easily entangled and ran with perseverance the race marked out for me (Hebrews 12:1). I love each one of you more than you will ever know. To those of you I may not have named or may not ever meet, I honestly believe that your prayers and love have changed my life. Again, thank you for the honor of "Academy Award for Best Female Performance in a Cancer Story". Just in case anyone ever ask, I would do it all again. It was worth every hard step to be with my friends, family and my God. I will close this part of the blog with my favorite song. I have never used it in my blog before for the simple reason that I believed this day would come and we would celebrate God's Grace and surviving cancer, so with that being said I present to you Steven Curtis Chapman! "Speechless"

Words fall like drops of rain, My lips are like clouds, I say so many things trying to figure you out
But as mercy opens my eyes my words are stolen away with this breathtaking view of your grace
And I am speechless
I'm astonished and amazed
I am silenced by your wondrous grace
You have saved me
You have raised me from the grave
And I am speechless in your presence now
I'm astounded as I consider how
You have shown us
A love that leaves us speechless
So what kind of love could this be
that would trade heaven's throne for a cross
and to think you still celebrate over finding just one who was lost
and to know you rejoice over us
The God of this whole universe
It's a story that's too great for words.
Oh how great is the love the father has lavished upon us
that we should be called the sons and the daughters of God
We are speechless in your presence now
We're astounded as we consider how
You have shown us a love that leaves us speechless
We are speechless
I am speechless

          I really wish I had something fun to blog about. So I was thinking that perhaps next week I would pick a day and do a live blog. Like throughout the day I could just put up all my useless thoughts that run through my head and at 9pm I could hit post. Then you could all experience the rapid fire weirdness of a radiated brain.

Top Ten things that cross your mind when you hear you are cancer free:

10. No more cancer...but lots of mullet.

9. No more cancer...I think that means I have to give up my pursuit of Tim Tebow.

8. No more cancer...who do I call now when I have a sniffle or a head cold??? My oncology team is out of the picture now??

7. No more cancer...that means mama will never get a call from Barry Manilow. So sad.

6.No more cancer...will "Big Mama and her girls" still comment on my blog?

5.No more cancer...that means I have to put photos of my little bald head up on the blog soon. Boooooo...

4.No more cancer...what will I blog about now? I am so boring!!

3.No more cancer...does that means mama will buy me shoes to celebrate??

2.No more cancer...I wonder if anyone has been reading this blog the past 15 months???

1. No more cancer...I did not even get a cute doctor to date out of this ordeal?? Are you kidding me?

I have to get blood work done monthly. So this is my final time to have worlds largest needle stabbed in my arm. I finally ask why the needles were so big and they told me it was because i was in a research study and that meant they had to use bigger needles to get more blood. Would it be possible to be placed in a study where they use tiny needles that are not comparable to swords?

Richard, (on left) world's most fabulous Nurse Practitioner (except for my friend Kaylie of course), and Dr. Nabors after they had given me the good news that I am in remission!

My friends and I with our friend Mark at our softball game. My team has lost every game...but we are really funny to watch!

We were able to attend an event this week for E3 ministries to learn more about opportunities to go on medical missions trips. It was a black tie event. See how snazzy we look!

My friend Katie teaches special needs children and so we were ask if we could come on lunch break and help the kids carve pumpkins. So a group of us went and helped the kids carve. My kid told me he did not want to carve a pumpkin. but he just wanted me to scratch his back. So my lunch hour went to scratching his back for an hour. On a side note, my friend Katie is in a 60's dress and go-go boots. She is the kids' teacher. All the kids wore costumes, as did Katie. I just did not want y'all to think she pranced around in white go-gos all the time.

My friend Jason was Richard Simmons, he never came out of character...I was a troll doll. I looked naked as a little jay bird even though i had on 3 layers of nude clothing. But isn't that what Troll Dolls are supposed to look like?

We had Mr. Clean, Richard Simmons, the old spice guy, a pirate and Waldo attend our party!

The Golden Girls along with the Jamaican bob sled team...and of course Waldo.

The Chilean miner and his mistress attended the party!

This is me at the DMV, once you "take a number" you are told to sit and wait til you are called. So mom and I spent a while on the terrible uncomfy Church pew like seating at the DMV. This photo is me praying that the DMV line moves quickly on my church pew.

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

From Mom...

2010-10-26T18:55:00.001-05:00

I am almost done with treatments. I will end this month's chemo tomorrow and then I will have five more days for the rest of my life....maybe we will have a countdown in November for my final dose. I know I should be really exited about this, but cancer has worn me out so much that I am a robot about it. My final MRI for the year was last Thursday. Below is the note from my mom about where we are in the process. I am just going to copy/paste what she sent our church family and friends:
Today was the final appointment of Callie's twelve months of 60-day rotations of MRIs and doctor's appointments. The quote from Dr. Nabors is: "everything continues to look good". He said we can consider her "in remission". Callie will now start having MRIs every 90 days for the next two years. Dr. Nabors said that Callie has responded beautifully to her treatments during the past year, which included her 28 days of radiation and now her 12 months of chemo medication. She does have two more months (October and November) of the chemo meds to take, but that is just a formality at this point. Dr. Nabors said that the tumor was not as large as it was in August 2009, and it wasn't "solid" anymore. That means that there are areas of dead cells within the tumor. That is great news. There is no evidence that the tumor is "active". Active would mean growing, or showing the contrast fluids during the MRI. So again, that is great news. We know that the nasty thing is still there, but we are thankful that it seems to be stable at this point. If all remains stable, she can expect to have a very healthy life. Hurrah! I will not continue to send "updates" on Callie, unless something changes. But please always feel free to ask about her anytime she crosses your mind. But more importantly, when she crosses your mind, say a prayer. I will ask that she not be removed from the church prayer list. We still need a miracle! We ask that you continue to pray for complete healing. We ask that you also pray for medical technology, new treatments, and new medicines that may be able to help Callie even more. We are so blessed to be surrounded by a church family who believes in the power of prayer, and whose warm fellowship makes us feel so uplifted each week. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for carrying us through the past 15 months. Mike, Judy, and Parker Dunaway

I am working on a post from me as my "farewell to cancer". I am so numb, but have such an open wound all at the same time...so it may take me a few more days to get it posted. -Callie-

Polly had a birthday and I made a list

2010-10-18T20:26:00.009-05:00

You know it is going to be a good week when Polly Perez has a birthday! So happy, happy birthday to Polly! Mississippi State beat Florida at Florida for the first time since the 1960's and I was home alone jumping up and down. I was so excited for State and then later I was equally as excited for Alabama. (I need to also say that I was happy that Auburn won. And I only say that because I love my friend Katie and love that she loves Auburn) I love college football Saturdays, it is an automatic pass to get on the couch at noon and not move until almost midnight!
I went home to Columbus Friday and watched Parker play football. Saturday I fished and then drove back to Birmingham. I will have to hang up my fishing pole until the spring for now. I am sad about that. I am sure my dad is doing flips because he won't have to pull my hook out of moss or trees or other odd objects that I seem to randomly get it stuck in.
For those of you who were deeply concerned with the boo-boo on my pinkie toe after seeing Dolly last week...it looks as though I am going to pull though! I still am missing the skin on my pinkie and limp around. I haven't complained once though, I have seen Dolly! I did not know how difficult growing skin on your toe would be. Every time you put on shoes it rubs the toe raw again. I have resorted to flip flops all week, my little pinkie toe is very cold...but between the Neosporin and other weird things I have put on it to help it heal...hopefully I will be back to my stilettos in no time!

Since I have nothing of significance to discuss this week, I thought perhaps I could make my birthday/Christmas list. My birthday is next month...so I want to give you all plenty of time to shop and buy me all sorts of glamorous things! And if you don't have time to swing it for my birthday...have no fear, Christmas is almost here! (I am shooting at the moon with my list...never hurts to ask right?????)

10.   A swiffer wet jet, I had one...but I dropped it and it broke. Oops
9.   A phone call from Dolly Parton...orrrrr even better to meet her in person. I would die!
8.   Gift cards to Publix, Piggly Wiggly, or Walgreens are always useful.
7.   Pedicures or massages are always lovely, anything to feed my inner princess!
6.   Donations to my cancer center is always a wonderful gift.See below for donation link and in memo line you can write patient and family services or my name, that will ensure it gets to patients who can not afford medication, transportation or housing during treatment.
http://www3.ccc.uab.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=385.
5. To go deep sea fishing with dad. I figure if I keep on asking, it is eventually bound to happen.
4.   Back Porch furniture, used furniture would be fine...my house is so cute...then there is nothing on the back porch! It doesn't have to be new, used is fine with me!

3. Anything David Yurman makes would be just fabulous, I love him and I think he loves me back. (David Yurman is a Jewelry collection. If you aren't familiar with DY, you are missing out.)

2.   A teeny tiny puppy. Teeny is the key word. Think how many funny stories I will have if I have a puppy named Jessicasimpson.
1.   A NEW CAAAAR!!!!!!! Seriously, Big Mama, if you are reading this and feel the need to feel sorry for me for having a mullet and want to buy me a new car to make me feel better, that would be awesome.

         I see the doctors Thursday the 21st at 8 for my final MRI for this year. Prayers would me much appreciated. You have no idea the difference your prayers have made in my life! I will do chemo next week and my final round of chemo will be in November and then I move to quarterly MRI's for a year. And if all goes well then after the year of quarterly MRIs, I will move to every 6 months for a year and then after a year I will go annually for the rest of my life.

This is my high school classmate, Ian Turner in the Callie vs Nick bracelet. He is in the Air Force crossing the Atlantic to the Middle East. What a cool photo! Prayers for his safety!

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

I can see her sparkles from outer space!

2010-10-11T11:56:00.002-05:00

I no longer have skin on my pinkie toes, but it's OK because I lost my skin for something I loved, something I will never forget, something that took my breath away...Dolly! And can I just say to you it is one of my top life moments! I know I should say something nice about Parker coming into the world and being so tiny and new, being one of the best moments of my life...but Parker is just going to have to take a back seat to Dolly.
Here is how it happened, Friday I was driving to dinner with a friend and I heard on the radio that Dolly was playing in Nashville and of course I almost ran off the road. She would be in Nashville on Saturday and I DID NOT HAVE TICKETS! So we spent all of our dinner on our cell phones trying to figure out how to get tickets, only to find out that they were sold out. Duh, it's Dolly. . . . OF COURSE IT IS SOLD OUT! Anyhow, I went to bed trying to pretend I was not devastated...but I was. Sad enough to take Tylenol PM... because I was afraid I would stare at my ceiling all night with visions of Dolly dancing through my head. Saturday morning I got up to go run and all I could think about was how Dolly was 3 hours from me and I was not going to see her. I returned home to shower and had a missed call. My friend Kasey had randomly tried one more time online for tickets...and she got 4. So I showered packed a bag and jumped in Kacey's car with my friends Blythe and Mary Beth and headed to Nashville. I called Big Mama squealing with excitement and she was almost as excited as me! And then I called my dad who was on a tractor working on the dove field and I told him he was going to have to cut that tractor off and act excited for me. He laughed really hard and acted excited, even though I am sure he could care less about Dolly. So off we went to Nashville. We arrived around 3pm and went to see Vanderbilt's Campus, shopped a while, ate dinner and then went to the Opry House. Heavens to Betsy, I was going to be in the same room as Dolly and could barely contain myself. I almost wiggled right out of my seat! We saw Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift, and then and then there she was in all her sparkly glory....GOOD GOLLY IT'S DOLLY! Her wig touched the ceiling, her lashes were as tall as her hair, her boobs were big, her waist was tiny, her heels were high, and she was covered in sequins...and every one was sitting and clapping! NOT ME....I was leaping around standing up and irritating the people on the row behind me. She talked...I almost died. She was just a tiny little country 64-year-old Barbie! Then she sang and I almost stopped breathing. After a few songs I had finally come out of shock that we were just a few feet from her! When she was done and left the stage, my hands were still shaking. Oh Dolly! We went back to our hotel and Sunday we shopped and ate and headed back to Birmingham. The only thing better than being in Tim Tebow's arms might be being in the presence of Dolly!

I am sure there are other things going on in my life that I need to blog about but I can't think of any. So for now you will just have to enjoy my love of Dolly and wait on another post from me. Somewhere Barry Manilow is crying tears because he is jealous that Dolly has better hair and more sequins than him!

Friday afternoon I went to the zoo with my friends Shanna, Mark and Mark...I love the zoo!

Our family friends, the Burks took their grand baby Luke to his first MS State football game last weekend. This is him in his game day gear with his grand mama in her Callie vs Nick bracelet.

People from Samford will enjoy this. Harrison, Hunter and Cody came to dinner last week at my house.

Never pit stop at a Cracker Barrel on a road trip with me if you do not want me to find things to dress up in!

Shopping in Nashville we found fun hats to play with.

At this point we were walking in the Opry and my head was about to pop with excitement!

We found Minnie Pearl!

Praying outside the Opry that our seats were good and that Dolly would be as glamorous as I dreamed she was!

Right before we went in to the theatre!

I found a cowboy!

Inside the Opry!

Headed back to the car after Dolly.

What is a trip to Nashville without a stop to see the General Lee?

Downtown Nashville.

Downtown, please note Dolly on the bottom of the guitar.

My poor, poor pinkie toe on Sunday morning. It was hurting so bad from the night before!

Normally this is where I would insert a verse, but this week we will have a quote from Dolly: I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb... and I also know that I'm not blonde.

Superheros!!!

2010-10-01T13:39:00.003-05:00

I withheld blogging until I got a response from Big Mama! Finally she commented on her birthday blog and so I can now type a new blog. I guess she was just out painting the town and was too busy to respond! However, the fact that her post said she "had ants in her pants" made me laugh so hard I thought I better get a post up today!
I survived chemo last week. I was tired, but not nauseated! I now am down to October and November doses of chemo and then I hope to never ever hear the word chemo again! Speaking of chemo, we are looking to name the UAB Cancer Center, anyone got a spare $50 million sitting around for an endowment and naming rights?? Never hurts to ask right? And if you do have a spare $50 million, do you happen to have a single son in my age range?

Ok, so I have a story for you. Last week I got a massage, I called a new place because the place I normally go was booked. I use to have to go regularly due to my body cramping up so bad from being radiated. But now I only cramp up occasionally. Anyhow, I arrived at the new place and a nice man took me in the little dark room and did the massage. The whole time I kept thinking "His hands are gigantic" but thought nothing of it. Toward the end I realized that he was not using his hands...HE WAS USING HIS FEET!!!!!! Once he was done and I got up, I turned on the lights and there was this contraption built around the bed so he could stand and hold on to things while using his feet, thank goodness I had my camera to take a photo of the contraption over the massage table.

I got 2 hits last night at softball, I squealed both times because I was in pure shock that I made contact with the ball. We lost, but I don't even care because I accidentally made my bat touch the ball!!!!

Ten thoughts that crossed my mind when I heard my bat hit the ball:

10. Wow, that was an accident! Lucky me!

9. I sure hope someone is filming, cause my dad will never believe I hit the ball 2ce!

8. I really hope they throw me out, because if they don't that means I have to keep running bases!

7. I would so much rather be a bench warmer due to how cold holding the bat is.

6. Take that Parker, who is the athletic one now!!!

5. Doesn't really matter where the ball lands because I am the slowest runner ever and they can throw me out even if I hit it to the fence.

4. I hit better than Steve Killough! (totally kidding steve)

3. We are losing by 20, I am freezing, the bat is heavy, I am being forced to run, why did I sign up for this again??

2. See Tim Tebow, I can hit a ball...you can throw a ball...I think that means IT is meant to be!

1. Oh no, now I have to run all the way to first base.

Remember in last weeks post that I said Ben Jameson looked like someone??? Well I figured out who, thanks to an email from Lynn from Gordo! James Spann, he's Birmingham's weather man!!

Two football pictures of Parker #24, in both he is jumping VERY high. Both are very cool pictures, but I still have no idea why everyone else is on the ground and he is leaping through the air?? (Thank you Mrs. Mary Margaret for taking such great pics of Parker so I can see him even when I can't make the games!)

My friend Shanna had a birthday and this is our whole crew at her birthday party.

SPIDERMAN AND BATMAN have now joined forces with the Callie vs Nick bracelet. My friend Karen Williams was in NY and saw them out and about saving NY from evil and so she ask them if they would pause for a moment and use their superhero powers for my blog. They did. Coolness. (Is spiderman wearing a fanny pack???)

Our church Sunday school class is big enough for 2 teams. I am on the light blue team, but I am the one in white. Due to the fact that I made my own shirt for this game with a hanes tshirt and a sharpie. We were playing the other half of our Sunday School class and so I hated to show up without something funny on!

"All men are like grass,and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." 1 Peter 1:24-25

Big Mama's havin a party!

2010-09-21T09:22:00.003-05:00

I think it is fair to say that this world is full of pain and suffering. I also think I should say that I don't understand God because I am human, however I trust his promise that His ways are not our ways because His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55). Parker's friend that I mentioned in the last blog passed away. The Bible tells us in John 16, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world!" To me that does take away the pain that Spencer's family and friends are experiencing. However, it does give a hope that we will be with him again soon. I feel like I would be a failure if I did not give you access to how to have a personal relationship with Jesus. http://www.sbc.net/knowjesus/theplan.asp This website will break it down for you to explain it or if you want to hear it from a Mississippian who will ramble your ear off, call or email me. I will be happy to tell you about my Jesus and make sure that you will be spending eternity Him.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BIG MAMA!!!! Her birthday was Saturday and I called to wish her a happy birthday. I sang to her...I am assuming my off key singing took about 10 years off of her life. I fully expected her to tell me thank you and that she would be spending the day at home watching football. Oh no, that is not what she said...She had her sister come from Tuscaloosa to celebrate, then she rested, then she went that night to the lake house to celebrate another family member's birthday. Who knew Big Mama was the party girl? Next thing we know she will be on the cover of People Magazine.
I never would have thought that Steven Curtis Chapman was funny?? I laughed out loud when I saw the new web site. http://www.vonchap.com/sendcard.php I seriously had tears rolling down my face at them singing Sound of Music. Not going to lie, he has stepped up his game and may soon be bumping Tim Tebow out of the #1 spot in my heart!

For those of you that are bored, please go to my past blog and read the comment that Karen W. posted. The sentence where she says she threw her hands up and said "she's alive" is priceless!

Lastly, we were at a birthday dinner the other night and 3 friends who work in our Women's and Infant's Center as nurses began telling stories of things parents actually named their babies. I had to sit down because I was in such shock. I was laughing so hard I could not breath, I hope you will enjoy what is below as much as I did (no these are not made up, they are actually names of children birthed by my lovely friends):

The mom was named Revlon and she named her babies Maybelline and Loreal
Anesthesia was one poor babies name
Drewzilla
La-a pronounced Ladasha
Justin Nother....this child was one of like ten and so his name was made to sound like Just another
Female pronounced like Tamale as in a Hot Tamale with an F!
Shithead pronounced Shateed. I literally was on the floor for this one, I had to sit down due to my knees wobbling beneath me. (I am so sorry that I just cussed on my blog, but it was too funny not to put)
Rainbow Bubbles (I guarantee that this mom was on drugs when she picked this name)
The last one is so funny, yet so inappropriate I can not type it on here. Feel free to email me if you need the funny name in your life to make your day a bit better.

I must hear the question at least 5 times a week: "Oh why are you still single?" Seriously?? I am fine people, we are all single and have a grand time together...and if you are so concerned about our singleness...then feel free to set us up. See below for instructions:

Requirements for dating me:

10.they must be a lover of mullets, George Strait, and naps
9. must be settled in Birmingham, if for any reason they may get transferred to another state for a job...I am out. I was born for the south, warm weather and fishing.
8. old enough to not think being born in 1982 is elderly.
7. someone who will tell me my shoes are pretty just to make me happy (because my shoes are better than anyone else's shoes in the state)
6.they must be ok with my dog being named jessicasimpson
5.likes to travel, I have started my bucket list...now I need someone to go with me.
4. is ok w/ me adopting 12159 babies from different countries. my family will be red yellow black and white...much like brad pitt and Angelina Jolie...but brad and angie are no where as cool as me!
3. has to be able to acknowledge the glory of Brewster's Cotton Candy Explosion ice cream flavor. Pop rocks + ice cream =brilliant
2. must be ok with that I shut down at 10pm...except on weekends. for no reason do I desire to be awake past 10.
1. They need to be willing to understand that I will walk away from the relationship at any moment if Tim Tebow ever agrees to love me back.

Here is a picture of a friend from home, Kim Sanderson, and Nan Kelley. Nan is the TV host for GAC, for those of you who don't get GAC it is the same as CMT...but better because they actually play music videos.

Ben Jameson is married to my mom's cousin. Ben is a pastor in Northport, AL. He went to train pastors in El Salvador and was able to preach in 9 churches. Ben's daughter is named Callie too. I like to think they named her after me due to my fabulousness...but that's not true. Ben looks like someone...for the life of me I can not figure out who...anyone want to email me their thoughts?

My friend Katie's birthday dinner! Part 2, she is cool enough for 2 parties. I just need you to know that only one in this photo is married and only 2 have boyfriends...see I am just fine single!

George Strait, Reba, and Leanne Womak...here we come!

This is Kaylie and me thanking my friend Cody for our tickets and a wonderful night! He sent them to me for my 1 year of cancer celebration gift!

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

prayers, birthdays and Bobby

2010-09-15T21:31:00.006-05:00

I do realize that it has been almost 2 weeks since I have written. If I am more than a week off of blogging, my Big Mama and her girls let me know that it is time for a new post! This blog post will be short and sweet. My heart has been very heavy this week because one of Parker's friends had a hunting accident this past weekend and is in a coma. So I ask that those of you who take time out of your day to pray over me, would pause for a moment and pray for a young man named Spencer. I know that we serve a great God, I also know he is a healing God. In Matthew 12:20 he tells us "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Last week was a good week. Friday we celebrated my friend Katie's birthday. We had hula skirts, party hats, pin the tail on the donkey, and even a photo booth. You are probably thinking that Katie was turning 3, but nope, she is my age! And it was so fun...see below for photos. I did learn that there is no such thing as cake going bad in our group. We took it when we left Friday night and Saturday night while watching the Tide roll, we devoured more cake! If it ever comes down to cake icing vs. Tim Tebow...I really don't know who I would pick. Saturday afternoon I got to eat lunch with my high school friend Claire and her 1 1/2 year old Addison. Every time Addison would whimper or cough I would freak out because I would think something was wrong. Then when I held her, she was as scared of me as I was her. Who knew something that tiny and cute could freak me out so badly?? I mean, what if she cries, can you imagine my panic? Geez louise, maybe this is why I can't find a husband...because God knows that I would be a hazard to my children. Again, the thought of adopting them when they are 19 sounds better and better!

I also think you should know that we have 3 light bulbs out at our house and we can't figure out for the life of us what to do about it. They are in fixtures and so I don't know how to disassemble the fixtures and change the bulb. Guess we will just walk around in the dark.

Tomorrow (Thursday) I see the doctors...so that means next week is fun-filled chemo week. Put on your party hats and gather round my toilet for the week of fun! No MRI this month. However, I did see the eye doctor today and 6 months ago when he was looking at my eye he said "you need to have a scan, you have something on your optic nerve" and I told him it was a brain tumor and he responded "yea, I knew that, I just didn't want to freak you out if you didn't already know." Anyhow, today I went for a 6th month eye exam and he said that the tumor could not be seen near the optic nerve or in any of his field test. Praise the Lord. My eye doctor tried to tell me today that since going pro Tim Tebow has gotten too big and muscular. I had to hush him, it is inappropriate to speak poorly of Timmy in front of me. Tim loves me with my mullet and I love him with his.

Katie's Birthday extravaganza!

Me and Addison. Claire was shopping, so of course I found dress up items for Addison and me to model!

Saturday night football crew...all Bama fans except for 3. And I must say for Auburn fans they were good sports.

Last but not least, I was walking through the mall Sunday and ran in the bookstore to grab a new book because I am almost done with the one I am reading. There was a familiar looking man at a table that they were cleaning up and I marched myself over and ask if I should know him and he laughed and I said "Well you look like Bobby Bowden" he said "well that's a good thing, because that would be my name" He was very kind and talked for a few minutes. I had my camera and he was kind enough to take a picture before they swooped him out into his ride. Turns out he was there promoting his new book. I think my hidden talent is finding random famous people.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come.

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate

And has shed his own blood for my soul.

Tweeting Tim

2010-09-08T20:22:00.002-05:00

There is very little punctuation in this blog...I am too tired tonight to deal with periods, commas and capitalization. Who knew Mrs. Walden was so nice?? Not me. For those of you who do not know her she was one of our high school teachers. I went all the way through school thinking she was kind of mean...go figure. Now she comments on the blog and I always laugh at how funny she is. Looking back she wasn't mean, we were just a bunch of brats!

Next up: Roll Tide! Let's talk football and how excited I am for this season. I don't remember last season because I was being radiated and slept straight through the season! All I remember about last season was meeting Tim Tebow and going to the SEC championship game and being so sick and cold walking to the game and my dad walking like a turtle with me to the game because I would have to stop every block to regain energy. I also remember after the final game watching Tebow cry and knowing that I should have been really happy for Alabama, but I was blown away for his public tears. Takes a man to cry in public and to be passionate about something. For those of you who are new to the blog from last season my family is Alabama and Mississippi State fans...here is why: dad is from Birmingham, AL and grew up a Bama fan. Mom went to Mississippi State, then to Bama for her Master's degree so we grew up pulling for both teams. When they play each other...Bama wins out on having the Dunaway family as fans! Also, Nick Saban called and Dan Mullin was no where to be found in helping me get a phone call from Tebow! (But who needs Dan, when I did it on my own!)
Alright Ole Miss, I am going to need you to dig your heels in and get tough and fight back against them trying to change your mascot. You can not let them win on taking the name "Rebels" away from you; nor should you stop singing “Dixie”. One person took prayer out of schools and very few fought back and stood up against her. I am going to have to leave the States if you really decide to have a Landshark as your mascot. If you really are looking for a new mascot I would like to nominate Karen Williams. She's fabulous and I can't think of a cuter mascot than her!

Friday night Parker played football. They won. Yay. Saturday we got up and ran some errands and then we headed out the door. We had so much fun at the Alabama game. They did a big build up around the National Championship and then they start blaring the music and the cameras are in the tunnels watching Coach Saban and the team come through the tunnels and they the boys just "appear" on the field. It will give you goosebumps.The rest of the weekend was spent dove hunting and fishing. Have no fear PETA, when Parker is behind the gun not many doves die.

Mom and I were cleaning out a box and I found a "to do" list I made. It must have been when I was in elementary school based on some of the things listed...so for your enjoyment I will type the list.

Graduate college (did it...useless degree though)
Overcome my fear of Elevators (can't work in a hospital and be scared of elevators, so mark this one as complete)
Meet 5 famous people (thanks to cancer we can check this off)
go camping (why did i want to camp?)
learn to cook (does cereal count?)
backpack Europe (done it, loved it, would go again right this second if I had any money)
live in New York (oh how I love Broadway)
Learn to love to run (I do it, but hate every step of it)
be the first one to start conversations
learn to saddle a horse
learn another language (if you only knew how i struggled through Spanish in college this one would make you laugh)
go blond (clearly I went above and beyond on this one)
pierce my belly button (mom would kill me...then and now)
get married/ have kids (swwwing and a miss)
road trip cross country (why do i want to be in a car more than 2 hours??)
be Faith Hill's back up singer (Seriously Faith, I loved you then and still do! CALL ME)
go to an Aerosmith concert (done it)
like to read (eeeek)
scuba dive (this is why God made aquariums)
white water raft
read the Bible all the way through
have a farm (why sweat when I can just go to Kroger and get groceries)
mow a yard (find a highschool kid and pay them...again, sweating is not for me)
deep sea fish (dad, seriously...have you been listening to anything I have been saying the past 27 years)
go to a rodeo (done it loved it and I would make a fabulous rodeo queen)
learn to surf (why learn to surf when I can just lay in the sand?)
Eat sushi (done it, love it)

On a more important note...friends have informed me Tim Tebow is on twitter. Please feel free to tweet him and tell him to get moving with this whole making me Callie Dunaway Tebow thing!

This is Rudy, he's our dog. I find it amusing that he battles socks and washing machines in his spare time...so I got out my camera for a shot of him crouching to attack the vicious sock.

Dad and I fished this weekend. Well, I fished. Dad spends the majority of his time getting my fish off the line or getting my line untangled from whatever I got it hooked to...this time I managed to catch a plastic bottle...poor dad.

Me with my first catch of the day!

Me freaking out when it started flopping around. Yes I am screaming and jumping.

I catch and dad gets the hooks out of them...do you think I am touching a slimy fish??

Mom told me the green shoes on last week's blog were not very cute...so hopefully these are better?

Parker, Bear Bryant and his friend Manga...I have no clue what Manga's real name is??

Parker and me outside the stadium.

Me at our seats giving the big thumbs up that the nice men in the photo below handed us their chair backs!

Thank you nice men who already had chairbacks and shared with us!

My body wears out so quickly from cancer, but my feet wear out from bad shoes! On the way back to the car my feet were rubbed raw from the flats I wore...so I took them off and hiked barefoot the rest of the way. Gross I know, but I would rather have dirty feet than blisters!

Parker and Mary Claire after dove hunting.

Dad, Parker and me ...please note dad's two toned camo...black socks and boots. Parker and I laughed for about 20 minutes at the outfit.

Me in my new jersey at Parker's football game!

After the game:

Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143:10

Things that go bump in the night

2010-08-31T14:43:00.004-05:00

I have on really cute shoes today. They are the fabulous kind you can’t walk in…but that make your legs look great. I even took a picture so you could take a peek. Here’s the problem…cute stilettos should attract cute boys. It seems my stilettos attract no boys. Maybe I should start wearing flats?

Speaking of shoes, I started running again yesterday. I own new running shoes and am going to push through the pain. I tried to start running a while back, but it has not been going well. It hurts: my knees and my back ache from the radiation and I haven't been able to push and build further than a mile, so I joined a running group. In October I will run a 5k. My friend Katie is training with me. Here is the problem with Katie and me: she has a broken tailbone and I have cancer…it’s the blind leading the blind. At least we will laugh a lot. There are people in our running group that range up to their 70’s they will probably out run us…oh well.

I didn’t do very good last week. It was the week after chemo and I had a few puny days. I pushed through and after about 3 days of nausea I bounced back. I never tell anyone other than my parents I don't feel well. I don't really like people to see me sick, so i go into hiding when I feel icky. November can not get here fast enough. November brings the end of chemo, Dunaway family vacation, more length on the mullet , seeing Steven Curtis Chapman in concert, and Tim Tebow being closer to wrapping up his first season of football and traveling to Alabama to marry me…what a great month. On another cancer note, my hair still will not lie down. It is a train wreck. Where it fell out is now, about 4 inches long and it is still just as perky as can be. I resort to headbands, bobby pins and anything else I can find to weight it down…but the second you take the weight off it pops right back up…like a Jack-in-the-box.

This weekend my roommate went out of town and I came home around 11pm to an empty house. I got in bed, read a while and then drifted off to sleep. About 1:30am I woke up to a boom. I freaked out, my mind went to the worst scenarios…I panicked. I dialed 911, but never hit send. I didn’t hear any other noises and so I figured a painting must have fallen or something happened in my house. I was too big of a weenie to go and check it out. I didn’t sleep all night though because I was nervous about that big noise…the next morning I searched the house trying to figure out what the noise that woke me was. I could find nothing. About 3pm I hopped in the shower and my razor and its suction cup holder had fallen…that is what made the noise. In that hollow shower the razor and holder falling sounded like gunfire.

Top ten thoughts that crossed my mind when the razor fell:

10. I have nothing to defend myself with other than high heels and tweezers, I don't really think threatening someone with "I am going to tweeze you to death" is going to make them run for the hills.

9. I really do not want to have to fight a burglar, he will win and I don't want to be buried with a mullet. Not my best look. (a special thank you to my friend katie for being my spellcheck!)

8. If someone just kicked down my front door my mother is going to be very irritated. She worked very hard to make my house look cute.

7. If I call 911 will they laugh at me for saying I heard a noise...and then when they search will the officers roll on the floor when they discover it was a razor? Then will they put me on youtube?

6. If a robber gets me, at least I will no longer have to walk around with "We are the reason that he gave his life...We are the reason that he suffered and died..."stuck in my head. Those are the only lyrics of the entire song I picked up from the night I got to sing in the youth choir and two weeks later I am still walking around humming them over and over.

5. I could call my friend Kaylie, she lives close, she would come defend me...but she is about the size of my pinkie finger and I don't think a robber would be terrified of her little, tiny, 5ft tall body.

4. I just bought a new rug...if it gets mud tracked on it, I am going to be very upset.

3. Oh, a loud noise...add that to my list of things I need dad to fix next time he comes to town.

2. I really value my sleep and I would appreciate it if razors falling, burglars and other loud noises could take place between the hours of 9am-9pm.

1. If I could get a date, I might shave my legs more often and then I would have known the razor suction cups were loose!

Katie and I on our first day of running training!

Lastly, our church congregation is reading a book together and then in October our pastor is going to do a sermon series. It is called The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. Don't walk, RUN to your computer and order it. It is hands down the best book I have ever read. It is about what God expects of us. This came at the perfect time in my life, I was at a "now what" stand still with God, since I am on the tail end of cancer. So for the next few weeks I will close with thoughts and verses from this book.

"When we say that we want to be His disciple, yet attach a list of conditions, Jesus refuses to accept our terms. His terms involve unconditional surrender."

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Mark 8:34-36

"God doesn't promise that all of his followers will be protected from hardship and suffering. Christians get cancer, lose loved ones, and suffer financial setbacks just like everyone else. But God can also use our tragedies to expand our territory in ways that show a skeptical world a different way to live."

Dear friend, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering , as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rest on you. 1 Peter 4:12-14

God never picks the person you or I would choose. He chose a posse of fishermen, tax collectors, and insurgents to be His disciples. He picked Paul, the greatest persecutor of Christians, to be the Apostle to the Gentiles and to write most of the New Testament. He selected David, the runt of Jesse's litter, to be king over Israel, and Moses, a shepherd, to confront the most powerful man on earth, the Pharaoh, and to lead to several hundred thousand Israelites out of slavery. God really seems to have a sense of humor about these things.

One Year...No Surprise

2010-08-24T20:20:00.003-05:00

So we will start this week with a request. My friends Jason and Scott are running the NYC marathon in November (which just happens to be my last dose of chemo). Scott is raising money to donate to the American Cancer Society when he runs it and is just a couple of hundred dollars short. SOOO he has made a deal, donate to his ACS fund and he will wear your name on his shirt when he runs. So what did I do...donate of course! This will make 2 years in a row that someone has run the NYC marathon with my name on them. If you listen to Rick and Bubba, Scott was intern Hobie. Drop him a note of encouragement and if you feel the need send him $10...every penny will go towards cancer research. Checks made payable to American Cancer Society and mail them to:Scott Laney 104 Raleigh Avenue Homewood, AL 35209

I had an MRI last week. Things are still looking good, so thank you for praying. I completed August round of chemo yesterday...so I am puny today. No throwing up though, so another success. Just so you know I only have 3 more doses of chemo left...wow, wow, and wow...so close to being done!

Alright, back to the fun life of Callie...Last weekend was the one year anniversary of Nick Lachey. So I went home and hid. My family always makes me forget life's worries. I just want y'all to know that growing up my mom always did little surprises under our pillow, like you would think you had opened all your Christmas presents and go to bed that night and there would be one more, or one time she stuck plane tickets under my pillow, etc. She always found cute ways to surprise me. So I just assumed she would do something cute for one year of cancer. I got home and the first thing I did was checked the fridge to see if she made Purple Stuff (my favorite dessert that she only makes at Christmas and Thanksgiving. ) She made it for me when I got diagnosed to cheer me up...but there was no Purple Stuff. So I walked down the hall and there was nothing on my bed, so i slid my hand under my pillow....Nothing. I looked in my bathroom and in Rudy's room thinking they might have gotten me a tiny puppy as a surprise, NOTHING. Oh well, maybe next year. Friday night I went to Parker's ballgame. Saturday mom and I went rug shopping and I got a rug for my house. Saturday afternoon dad and I fished and went to visit with Big Mama. Sunday I went to church and then Sunday night I stuck around to sing in Youth Choir. It was our music minister, Slater Murphy's, 25th anniversary with our church and so they ask anyone who had sang in the choir in those 25 years to come back. around 100 people returned. I just need Fairview to know that I would come back every week and sing if they would let me. I also would like to say "Slater Murphy...I think I would like to challenge you to a duel." A youth choir duel that is...you give me a song title and I could still pull out the lyrics and vice versa. I am pretty positive I would win, for some reason I can not remember my last name...but every word to every youth choir song, I can nail it. Not going to lie...I was so hoping for "Be the One" last week. Of all the youth choir songs, that one has stuck with me the most. Kristy Watkins agrees. When I returned to Birmingham I was talking to my friend Tony. When he celebrated 1 year of cancer he went out and bought a Jaguar Convertible....He ask what I did and all I could say was "I bought a rug?????" So much for celebration!

For those of you who don't care about my pathetic longing for youth choir...we can discuss that I am playing on a softball team. I can only imagine what a train wreck it will be. I was telling Parker that I was playing church softball and he started laughing and just said "You?" though his laughter. So for you blog readers...that gives you something to look forward to.

Lastly on my topic list this week is family names. We have established my name is Callie Dunaway soon to be Tebow, my dog is JessicaSimpsontebow and hopefully my husband will be Tim Tebow. I already have my first daughter's name picked out...anyhow somehow this comes up in conversation while we are at Big Mama's house. I am a big fan of family names, so I ask Big Mama to list all of her and Big Big's siblings names. Here is what she said: Daphine, Dessie, Loretta, Virgil, O'Neal, Rab, Laventrice, Winnie, Ralph, Elmer, Hubert, Gladys, Beatrice, Dovie, and Beulah. Parker and I were rolling...we were laughing so hard and then Dad pipes up and says his side of the family included Mildred, Floyd, Lollie, and Louise. So maybe Parker and I won't have children...We don't have much to work with name wise and I don't have much to work with boy wise either!

Lastly, my parents celebrated 30 years of marriage on Monday. What a wonderful celebration of marriage and excitement. I am so proud of them! They stayed at Ross Bridge and Parker stayed with me....I am so blessed to have parents that love each other and our family.

Parker after his first preseason game.

Parker riding bikes in a sporting goods store: Mom would have killed him, but since I am only sister...I let him have at it.

Doing what we do best: playing dress up!

Parker taking the ladies to dinner.

This is the Callie vs. Nick bracelet, Lauren Springer and Lindsay Nicholson at the Alluvian Hotel and Spa for a bachelorette party!

She also sent me photos of Dolly's wardrobe from the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. She might love Dolly as much as me!

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2

Happy Birthday Nick Lachey.

2010-08-13T08:54:00.000-05:00

A year ago today my life changed forever. I was driving home from work and had the seizure that turned our family's life upside down. In a matter of seconds I went from being a normal 26 year old girl to a brain cancer patient. My head hasn't stopped spinning and my heart hasn't stopped hurting since that day. I keep thinking I am going to wake up and it will have all been a bad dream. As terrible as it has been I wouldn't change a thing. I have had experiences I would have never had, I have met people I would have never met, I have loved and been loved by people I know and people that have never even met me, and most importantly I have seen the glory of God revealed. So thank you for your tears, your prayers, your love, your laughter, and going with me though this journey. I could not have made it through this past year without you, my family and my God.

"Out of these ashes beauty will rise

and we will dance among the ruins

We will see it with our own eyes,

Out of these ashes beauty will rise

For we know joy is coming in the morning,

In the morning, beauty will rise"

Steven Curtis Chapman

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:1-3

Back to funny blogging...I know some of you are heart broken when I post something serious...so for those of you who need humor, here we go.

Top Ten Best Things About This Past Year:

10. I found out that mom is the only person reading this blog that is offended by Barry Manilow Jokes
9. Big Mama learned to read a blog, for that matter Big Mama learned what a blog was. Next thing I know she will be facebooking and tweeting.
8.Scott Hall showed up! I would have gotten cancer sooner, if I would have known I would have gotten to hang out with him!
7. I got to wear a baseball cap to work for a while, seriously...that's living the dream, pop on a hat and walk out the door.
6.I had holes drilled in my skull while awake...How many people can say they did that this year?
5.I forgot the majority of the year, what a great feeling to have no idea whats going on and have an excuse!
4.The Perez family came in to my life. One of these days I am going to meet Polly, Ripp and Abner and let them teach me how to be cool.
3.I had my own personal decorator, chauffeur, and chef for 10 weeks. Sort of felt famous being chauffeured to and from work!
2. I have always wondered what I looked like with a mullet. This year I got to find out!
1. Tim Tebow, need I say more?

Dear Tim Tebow,
I am so sorry for what they did to your hair. I know you are a rookie and you knew the head shaving was coming, but I am still very sad for you. No one wants to look like Friar Tuck, trust me I know. However, the bright side is we now have matching mullets! Hooray, for couples with matching haircuts.
Sincerely, Callie

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12: 1

Party Hats

2010-08-04T20:08:00.002-05:00

Did no one ever step up to the plate and say "Elvis, do you know they dressed you in a rhinestoned, bell bottom, onsie and a cape?" I ask this question after seeing my first Elvis concert on TV. I have seen clips of him here and there, but Friday night I got home from dinner and was laying in bed flipping channels and stumbled upon his live concert. I was mesmorized, I watched the entire 2 hours and never took my eyes off the tv. For those of you who are thinking "she has no life, she watched a concert by herself on a Friday night" I would just like you to know...I agree. Anyhow, I cried during "In the Ghetto" and "In the Garden" and totally get people's obsession with him, however...I am just so baffled by his outfits. These are the sort of random thoughts that go through this thing I call a brain.

Well I also must tell you I was one of the millions of Americans who wasted away on my couch Monday night spending 3 hours of my life seeing who Ali chose on the Bachelorette. There were about 12 girls at my house and we stuffed ourselves with pizza and cookies...those are two things that always make being reminded that you are single and old feel better! On another tv note...Happy Shark Week to everyone! I am glued to the Discovery Channel, I love shark week...It is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Christmas and 4th of July better watch out because Shark Week is working hard for a place in my heart.

Mr. Leon Burkhalter is one of my favorite people in the world. He had eye surgery this week in Birmingham and so I went for a visit. When I got diagnosed with cancer he bought me a hat...so I returned the favor. He wore his party hat the entire time we ate dinner. It is very hard to take a 79 year old man with lots of wisdom seriously when he has streamers coming out of his hat. I told him my new goal was to out live him and Big Mama, who knew they would give me such a run for my money!

Top 10 Reasons I hope I live to be 79:

10. Because that gives me 52 more years to understand mamas love for Barry Manilow and 52 more years to drop hints to dad that I want to go deep sea fishing.

9. Think how many shoes I could collect from now til 79...glorious!

8. Surely by age 79 Tim Tebow will have gotten his act together to realize what he is missing out on.

7. Maybe I can get a date before age 79, but so far that is not going well for me.

6. It might take me til 79 to run more than a mile...my running is not going well...Big Mama could probably out run me. My joints are a radiated mess.

5.Cause after 70 I plan on eating and saying whatever I want...I think if you make it past 70 you should have no rules...so my plan is to eat cookie dough for breakfast, lunch and dinner and tell people when their shoes are ugly.

4.Maybe by my 70's I will have made a decision on about if I should get a dog or not. Poor JessicaSimpson is in a cage somewhere loving me and waiting on me to decide to love her back.

3. I could develop a talent by 79 and track down that Sunday School teacher that once told "God must have forgotten about you in the gift department" and show them my new talent (and whap them upside the head for saying that to me.)

2. By age 79 perhaps American Idol will have picked new judges, Brett Farve will have made a final decision, and my memory will have returned.

1. I am hoping by 79 my mullet will have grown out.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

Jockey and Me look good on Tim

2010-07-27T15:13:00.003-05:00

My friend Katie sent me this article and I feel as though you should get to read it: http://www.jockey.com/tebow/ My response to this article is below:

Dear God,

Please let him model boxer shorts...shirtless.

Cordially, Callie

Somewhere the angels just burst into 1) The Hallelujah Chorus 2) Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord Let the People Rejoice or 3) How Great Thou Art. I can't even look at the picture...it makes me feel nervous and sweaty. Now I know why Steven Curtis Chapman wrote the song "I am speechless, I'm astonished and amazed." On the Tim Tebow note, the event below is coming to near my hometown and I would love if those of you from home would go support Life Choices AND give Pam Tebow my number. Seriously...tell her what a great daughter-in-law I would make. If I married him my initials would be CT...very appropriate since CT scans are my new best friend.

An Evening with Pam Tebow

Life Choices Pregnancy Center of Columbus is hosting a fundraising dinner banquet Thursday, September 16, 6:30 pm at First Baptist Church Starkville. Pam Tebow, mother of Tim Tebow, Heisman trophy winner and NFL draft pick for the Denver Broncos, will speak after the tailgate themed dinner. Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased at FBC Starkville or at LifeChoices Pregnancy Care Center, 1204 2nd Ave N Columbus, 662-327-0500. Donations can be made to support the center on the website www.mslifechoices.org. Please contact Amy Sumrall, LifeChoices board member, 662-231-5541, for more information.

OK, next on our agenda is the Dunaway beach trip. We had fun. Parker drove us halfway there...which means Mom and I sat in the back seat, braced ourselves, and prayed. I think I finally breathed out when dad moved to the driver's seat. I ate crab every night and Mom complained about it every night. She told me if I got hit by a car tomorrow that there were lots of things she would miss about me, but waiting on me to eat crab legs would not be one of them. Every time I finished my dinner I would still be hungry because I worked so hard to get the crab legs cracked I was exhausted. There was no oil spill in sight. It was perfect. We had a great time...minus the really big women in tiny bikinis. Our daily routine was pretty much: wake up, watch tv, eat breakfast, go to the beach, eat lunch, nap, go back to the beach, go in, shower, dinner, and follow Parker in and out of every sporting store in Destin til they closed and we could return to the condo for more sleep! One night Mom and Dad took us on a scenic drive down Hwy. 30A. We took a stroll through Seaside and then we got wild and crazy and drove down Miracle Strip in Panama City. I thought I would be sad to leave the beach, but then Tim Tebow appeared in my inbox and I have forgotten all my worries.

Big Mama, where have you and your girls gone? I miss y'all posting comments on my blog. Also, I just wanted to say thank you to Sylacauga, AL...Mrs. Donna you have wonderful, mail sending friends!

Here are some of our vacation photos:

This is my friend Warren. He swam in the Georgia Games Open Water Championships. The swim was a 3K (1.9 miles) open water swim in Lake Acworth, which is just north of Marietta, GA. I would drown if I had to swim 2 miles, I am not sure if y'all know this about me, but I don't put my head under water when I swim. I can swim...I just prefer the doggy paddling route.

We will close with one of the best songs to come out in a LONG time, Love Like Crazy. It's just a country song...but I think the lyrics are perfect life advice

Be a best friend, tell the truth, and overuse I love you

Go to work, do your best, don't outsmart your common sense

Never let your prayin knees get lazy

And love like crazy

Always treat your woman like a lady

Never get too old to call her baby

Never let your prayin knees get lazy

And love like crazy

A Snuggie fixes everything...

2010-07-20T11:35:00.000-05:00

I had a doctor's appointment last week. It went ok. I did not have an MRI this month. They just weighed me and wrote out my chemo prescription. I have been counting down my chemo months and I was under the impression that we were on month 10 of 12. I started last September and thought I would end this September...WRONG. They told me I would take 12 doses, however they did not tell me that the 2 months I took it while being radiated DID NOT count into the 12 doses. So my heart sunk and now I will take my last dose in November. I came back to my office and just put my head down. I don't cry over the cancer...but if I did I would have cried. I am worn out of cancer, I have NO idea how people do this for years. I am coming up on one year and can not fathom it lasting much longer. Growing up we were not allowed to say the word "stupid", we still don't cause mom will say that it is an ugly word. However, I would like to be quoted as saying "stupid cancer".

Also some of you ask what I was referring to in my 4th of July post when I said we played "cornhole". It is a game with 2 wooden boards and you toss beanbags. Its a little like playing horseshoes, but better. We play it at home, last time dad and I beat Mom and Parker. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornhole

I just wanted yall to see what has been in the Birmingham News this week. A man found a 400 lb, 9 foot Alligator in his front yard! OH DEAR LORD, so I am watching this on the news and they were saying this was one of many gators being found on the loose in Birmingham and that we are having an infestation problem in both the Tuscaloosa River and the TomBigBee...do yall know where the TomBigBee is??? Right in the middle of Columbus!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHH, sorry mom and dad but it does not look like I will be coming home to gator land anytime soon. The only Gator I want near me is Tim Tebow.

I survived this months round of chemo, no throwing up. So that was nice. I was extremely tired and still am. The week after is when I just want to put my head down and nap for about 5 days straight. But no napping allowed, I push through and will be fine. I better be fine because the Dunaway crew leaves for the beach in the morning, so this means more funny pictures of mom with towels over her head and sunglasses over the towel, crab legs, putt-putt golf, me attempting to sleep at night while Parker is texting into the wee hours of the morning while we share a bedroom. Also, some of you have ask why I put up song lyrics vs. Bible Verses...simple, because I remember songs. Parker and I have the weird ability to rememebr songs word for word after only hearing them once. I am telling you if Mr. Hazard or Mrs. Wise would have taught high school English via singing...I might have remembered something about Homer's Oddyssey.

Ten Things that Irritate Me:

10. When people email me dates for insignificant things waaay in advace. It is only June, no need to email me plans for September. Somewhere my friend Daniel just fell out of his chair laughing.

9. When I cant fall asleep at night. I hate tossing, turning, staring at the ceiling, counting backwards, etc.

8. When I can not turn The Bachelorette off and waste 2 hours every Monday night watching it! I try to pull myself away, but I cant...do I really care Frank left to go home? NOO, but I watch anyway!

7. Nancy Grace's eye makeup. Cant someone tell her "Easy on the eye make up...you are scaring young children." However, I will admit...I LOVE HER.

6. Boys over 15 that wear too much hair gel. It is unnecessary for your hair to look wet and be spikey at all times. Just go buy some Hair paste, run your fingers through your hair to give it some texture and walk out the door. Get your hair paste and join us in 2010 wont you? (If anyone happens to know the lead singer of Rascal Flatts, feel free to share this info with him. I would also suggest it to Barry Manilow, but that would upset mama if he changed his hair)

5. That Lebron James got paid tons of money for a tv special just to announce what team he was going to. I dont watch NBA, so Lebron...you just go wherever you want and it wont matter a bit to me. Sometimes I think famous people need a reality check.

4. That Brother Sammy has not commented on my blog in a long time.

3. That I no longer notice the sounds of sirens. My office sits above the ER and so I am immune to the noise of sirens. It has gotten bad lately though, I didn't pull over for a fire truck the other day and thats when it hit me the I no longer even "recognize" the sound of sirens. I am going to have to work on that.

2. That another football player died in Birmingham this week because the coach withheld water for punishment. Mr. Heritage Academy Football coach if you EVER withhold water from my brother or any of those boys you will have to deal with mama...and worse that that, you will have to deal with me. You do not want a big sister going crazy on you, because I will and then I will just blame it on the brain tumor.

1. Mosquito bites.

My friend Leigh Ann's son, Calvin went to Hawaii and took my bracelet, I would have rather he took me, I could handle laying on the beach in Hawaii.

I got a package in the mail last week from Amy Gillis Bogue. It was human and doggy snuggies....I borrowed Kaylies dog, Lucy, for a photo since JessicaSimpson does not exist yet. But the best part is...

They were embroidered...mine had a C and...

Jessicasimpsons had her name. Shes already a little princess! I tried to call Amy and say thank you, but I am pretty sure the voicemail was nothing but Kaylie and me laughing hysterically. BEST GIFT EVER.

This is my favorite picture of Parker in Peru. If he would have brought the monkey home I would have let it wear the doggy sized Snuggie until I got Jessicasimpson.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Party in the Back

2010-07-12T20:04:00.001-05:00

Well Parker, Kaylie and everyone else made it home in one piece. We were at the airport (in costumes of course) to greet/embarrass them. Anything I can do to make my brother cringe is clearly my mission in life. They were all dirty and exhausted when they got off the plane and like any 15 year old boy, Parker was starving. We ask him what he wanted and he said "fried chicken" so off we all went for fried chicken. He ate and ate and ate. Poor Kaylie was not feeling very good and she had to be surprised by her circus of friends...she was happy to see us, but I think she would have been happier to see her bed. Enjoy their trip photos below!

For their arrival home we thought we should put everyone in fun costumes. This is Amber and Shanna in some of the Dollar Tree Finds.

Amber and I, I don't think I was aware of my love for boas and feathery hats!

We also discovered they sold undies at the Dollar Tree...Who Knew?? Do you think there are other people in the world who yank out their camera in Dollar Tree because they think the lingerie is funny????

Parker and Kaylie when they got off the plane! We made signs and had hats...I think we were the best greeting committee the Birmingham Airport has ever seen.

The Columbus Crew...we gave them Leis when they got off their plane.

Some precious child that I wish Kaylie would have stuffed in her Backpack and snuck home with her. The baby's Callie vs Nick Bracelet is about 3 times the size of her wrist.

Kaylie and a sloth, not going to lie...I agree with Carrie Westmorelands face in the background. She appears to be questioning Kaylies fear of the slowest moving critter EVER.

Kaylie and the Peruvian Children...please note the random motorcycles in the photo.

Parker and the sloth

Another cute child, she would not have fit in a carry on like the cute baby, but surely she could have been suitcase size.

My hair is currently a really cool mullet and so Kaylie took a picture of this kid for me, because he too has an awesome mullet. She sent it to me in an email that said "Business in the front...

Party in the back"

I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.

Revelation 7:9

Sunshine and Summertime

2010-07-06T21:55:00.003-05:00

Parker made it to Peru safely. He and the rest of the crew are having a wonderful time. We have gotten daily emails from my friend Kaylie, and mom and dad have Skyped with Parker at night. Is anyone else impressed mom and dad know how to skype? Mom and I both hugged Parker about 10 million times at the airport. I am proud he went, but if I could lay on top of him and keep him safe at all times I would. Putting him on a plane with none of us going with him made me nervous. When did I turn into my mother?
                    My 4th of July weekend was great and busy! For the 4th of July I went to church and then that afternoon we had about 40 people over to a friends house for cornhole and grilling out. Then off to see fireworks. Why am I like a 3 yr old when it comes to fireworks? they make me SO excited. Its like Disney World in the sky!
                               Monday we played more cornhole, grilled out again...perfect weekend. Sunday we all had to bring something so I signed up to bring Milos Tea, it's all I know how to "cook". Monday we grilled chicken and made sides. My contribution was stirring the Mac and cheese in the boiling water. I felt like a chef with my stirring skills. They are almost as good as my cereal making skills. I also should take a moment to thank all our troops, that is why we get to celebrate our freedom. If I were a boy I would go and be a marine. I would make a good one, I am tough, patriotic, and can shoot a gun. I already have a sort of Marine looking hair-do.
                                 I also have to tell you that at church Sunday our choir busted out Lee Greenwood's "I am proud to be an American." I don't know why I thought that was funny, but I did. My favorite part is when they sing the Service Branches songs and people stand for the branch they served. It always gives me goosebumps! So, thank you John McDow, Rob Perez, Matt Scales, Leon Burkhalter, Ian Turner, Terry Westmoreland, and especially you Dr. Burt Nabors (I am glad you made it, cause me and my brain tumor sure need you!)
So in honor of our freedom, I am going to Let Zac Brown tell you thank you: I thank God for my life. And for the stars and stripes. May freedom forever fly, let it ring. Salute the ones who died, and the ones that gave their lives so we don`t have to sacrifice all the things we love, like our chicken fried or if you want even better... The best line in a patriotic song ever: As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, While God is marching on.
A special gift for my mom this 4th of July...it's her favorite (Dont worry It IS NOT Barry Manilow, just the Battle Hymn of the Republic...Elvis style): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3lnQivQDr8

This is the group of 10 from my home church in Columbus, MS (Fairview Baptist) arriving at the Birmingham airport, all sporting their Callie bracelets. The trip to Peru is a medical missions trip sponsored by E3 Ministries.

My 15 year old brother went on the mission trip to Peru and

is excited about being away from mom for a week! I went to the Birmingham Airport to see them off.

My friend Kaylie is going on the Peru mission trip for her second year in a row. It is a huge coincidence that the Westmoreland family and Kaylie knew each other from last year's trip, and now she and I are great friends through our church in Birmingham.

One of the girls going on the trip is Shelby Foster. She is also 15 years old (almost) and was Parker's first girlfriend at age 3. As you can tell from this picture, the feeling was NOT mutual.

Here they are on Saturday before they board the plane. I made them reinact the above photo for the blog. Parker finally got "over" Shelby. By age 5 he had moved on.

The church service in Peru.Parker, Shelby Foster and Carrie Westmoreland on a rickshaw.

Parker with an Iguana

4th of July with my church friends.My arm was sore from playing cornhole on the 4th!I see the doctors again Monday July 12th at noon. Booooooo, I am doctored out.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is Eternal life through Jesus Christ our lord

Romans 6:23

happenings

2010-06-28T14:47:00.012-05:00

My brother and friend Kaylie are leaving on a mission trip this Saturday for Peru. They will be gone July 3-10; the Westmorelands, the Vickers, and the Foster families from my home church will also be on this trip....so throughout next week mark your calenders to pray often for their safety and ministry.

I have nothing really new to report, I mean after a week of stomach virus and a week of chemo...this past week seemed very boring. This weekend a group from church went to Smith Lake Friday and Saturday. We had a great time on boats and Jet Skiing, Sunday I discovered that I have an amazing ability to put sunscreen on certain places and not on others...my legs are so funny looking right now, some parts are tan and other parts are hot pink. Same goes with my shoulders...I just have a hand print looking sunburn. Oops. This coming weekend is the 4th of July. For those of you who do not know me...I love the 4th of July. I love the fireworks, patriotic music, celebrating our freedom, etc. I also love Sunday 4th of July church services. I love that we celebrate or freedom, I also love that on Memorial Day at church we recognize the fallen (Steve Killough I feel as though you are laughing right now). So I will report back on what I do for the 4th.

Since I have nothing exciting to tell you, I will tell you my thoughts on world events.

10. World Cup-I could care less about soccer. I couldn't even tell you who is still in it?
9. College World Series-I have a hard time watching baseball on tv, but for some reason I love the college world series. Maybe it is because it makes me feel very American or maybe its because cute college boys wear tight pants!
8. Oil Spill-We can get a man to the moon, but we cant stop oil? Go figure? I cant even watch the coverage cause the pitiful birds make me sad, not to mention it makes me sad that peoples jobs are being effected due to the oil. And just on a side note to Congress, shouldn't you wait until they solve the oil leak until you bring all the BP exec's to Washington for questioning. I know you are all on power trips, but what good are they going to do fixing the oil spill if they are in D.C?
7. The Bachelorette-Why do I watch this show? Why can I not change channels? Why could I care less who wins, yet I sit and waste 2 hours every Monday night hanging on Allie's every last word?
6.Expedition Great White- I have lost myself in this tv show...it comes on National Geographic and I can not change channels to save my life. They catch, tag and release Great White Sharks and I have decided I want to be a part of that show...also, I am loving River Monsters on Animal Planet where they catch massive things in rivers around the world...Being on Expedition Great White is my Plan A, but if that doesn't work out then I will settle for a trip with the River Monsters crew.
5. Release of the new iphone-People go crazy over I phones, I do not understand it...maybe it is because I don't own one or maybe it is because all I need a phone for is talking and texting. I always laugh when they talk about people camping out for the new iphones, however I must tell you that my mom decided to get one and went to the store in the 6am hour to wait in line. I ask her why did she need an iphone and she said "I don't know, Parker talked me into it" and to that I replied "Do you think Parker could talk you into me needing a new car?"
4. Summer Heat-Its in the 90 degree range and it is only June. When it's cold out I whine for summer and when it is summer I whine that it's hot!
3. Jordan van der Sloot-He is now charging $1 million for every interview he gives. Here is my question to him: What are you going to do with your money? You are probably going to be in Peruvian Jail getting beat up having other things done to you for a VERY long time.
2. Wimbledon-Venus Williams and Andy Roddick are both already out. But the biggest story is John Isner with his match that lasted over 11 hours...can you imagine how hot he was or what that felt like when it was over? Can you imagine being the loser and thinking I just played for days...and lost? Even worse...can you imagine being the ball boy and squatting for that long?
1. Michael Jackson-This week has been a year since he died. Why are all these people still crying and acting crazy? Did they not see it coming, did they not realize it at the point he turned white, had plastic surgeries, bought a chimp, spent the night with little boys, I mean really???

My friend Amy Gillis Bogue sent me a hilarious gift this week, but I have to wait til my friend Kaylie gets back to the States to take photos of the gift for the blog. I don't so much need Kaylie for the photos as much as I need to borrow her dog Lucy. Also, thank you for my mail this week! For some reason this week I got more mail that I have gotten in a long time...I was so excited.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20

Father's Day

2010-06-22T16:32:00.001-05:00

Well it is Father's Day. The original plan was for me and some girls to go home Saturday and dad was going to take us fishing...but I got sick, you can read about that below. Anyhow, I have a wonderful dad. He has never missed a church play, ball game, ballet recital, etc in 27 year. He loves us no matter what, even when we are VERY unlovable. So even though I did not get to see him on Father's Day, I don't think it mattered cause he knows I love him every day of the year.

Ten Facts about my Dad:

10. He's colorblind.

9. He loves The Beach Boys, Abba, The Eagles, and Alabama.

8.He eats a bed time snack every single night before bed. Nilla Wafers are his favorite.

7. When he first saw my mom he told someone that was the girl he was going to marry without ever even speaking to her, meeting her or knowning her name. Three months later they were married.

6.In their wedding pictures he has a very funny/creepy mustache.

5. When he was little he and his sister got one fish hook per summer, if they lost it or threw the hook in a tree they would have to climb to get it.

4.He could watch hunting and fishing shows all day long and never get bored.

3. Before they got married he was working in the coal mines in Tuscaloosa.

2. When they were little his house burned down and this is the only baby photo of him anyone has.

1. He is named after his dad James, which is also my brothers name.

This past week has been spent fending off the stomach virus of all stomach viruses. I started feeling bad Saturday, missed Church Sunday, sucked it up Monday and Tuesday to work...and Wednesday and Thursday gave in and laid pathetically on the sofa until mom could get to me. Friday I started coming back to life and so she went home. So that delayed my chemo a week...nothing like ending the month with a week of stomach virus and a week of chemo! So really due to that, I have nothing to tell you about. My friend Kaylie and I did join my family last Friday to see Zac Brown Band. They were awesome live, and I was sort of proud of my parents for being cool and going to 2 concerts in 1 weekend. They saw Carrie Underwood in concert on Saturday night.

My mom and I saw this sign the other day and paused a moment for a photo and to pay our respects to stilettos.

When Karen Williams went to Mexico many moons ago, she got the lifeguards to wear the bracelet...she just found the picture...but where ever they are I want to be there! Just look at the pretty water and palm trees. My friend Jay was at Disney World and met Bristol Palin...no bracelet but still I thought it was blog worthy! Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14