You Take the Good, You Take the Bad

Never has that silly theme song been more appropriate than this last month. While we have had lots of fun since my last blog post (I will fill you in on Spring Break and other fun times in just second), we have also had some difficult things going on around these parts. Family members having health issues, LJ being sick (twice since Spring Break and currently recovering from Strep or some nasty tonsil infection that came with high fever and vomiting), and oh yeah, a stupid root canal. That was not fun. But nothing prepared me for finding out that one of my oldest, dearest friends was just diagnosed with breast cancer. At the age of 35. It was difficult to digest when she said the words to me over the phone, and to be honest, it's not much easier to understand today, almost three weeks later.

I was able to sit with her mother and sisters the day of her double mastectomy two Friday's ago. Her husband is a tender, sweet man and it is clear he adores her. She has amazing support and more importantly, a strong faith in God that is getting her through what has been an incredibly painful time in her life. I just know she is going to beat the cancer, and that God will not waste this experience. But it still makes me sad for her.

In all this pain and sadness, I am blessed to have the two most amazing little boys that always know how to put a smile on my face. One morning last week I was especially concerned about my sweet friend as I was driving JW to school, and feeling kinda blue. We turned on his Bible verse CD (he is learning 20 Bible verses, and they all have songs to go with them). I will try to forever keep etched in my memory what I saw that morning as I came to a stoplight and turned around to look at him. He was smiling a BIG smile, had his little hands lifted up as high as they could go in the car, and was dancing and singing at the top of his lungs with his eyes tightly shut, "THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL!"

:)

We also found time to have a little fun the week of Spring Break. We visited the Innerspace Caverns in our neck of the woods. Impressive for a local, natural wonder, but a little overpriced if I do say so. Looking forward to showing the boys Carlsbad Caverns at the end of May. I think they'll be blown away in comparison.

Touching the one area allowed. This part is already "dead" from precious hands being on it. 

One of the impressive rock formations.

J in one of the "big" rooms. I believe this is the room where the road crew (building I35 above) first drilled and discovered the caverns. 

All tuckered out after walking a few miles around the caverns.

We also found some time for a visit to SeaWorld (that's me and the boys at the bottom).

 

And not to be forgotten, one amazing concert by a blast from our past, Bon Jovi. It was AWESOME. As was dinner with my sister and brother-in-law. And yes, I know this picture is HI-larious. No matter how many pics we took of ourselves at the concert, my hubby always looked like this. HA!