Update

My amazing nurse, Nina, called me this afternoon to give me the results from the PET scan.  She said there are new tumors on my liver, and some of the existing tumors have grown BUT the cancer has not spread to anywhere else in my body.  We, of course, wanted to hear that the cancer was completely gone, but to know it's contained is great news.  Nina said Dr. Beck has a plan, and we'll hear his plan at our doctor's appointment this Monday.  I'll keep you updated on that, too.

I know hardly anything about cancer, but the one thing I do know is that it changes a lot.  Just when you think you have it under control, it decides to take another route.  It is frustrating, but thank goodness for tests that help the doctor stay on top of things. 

Please continue to pray for complete healing.  I also would love for you to pray that I am extremely dedicated to staying on my diet.  I am admitting that I had started to cheat a little and eat sugar here and there which I know contributed to the tumors coming back. I must not stray on my diet.  Food can either heal or kill you, and I want to live by golly.

Thanks again for the sweet notes.  I read all of them, and they put a huge smile on my face.
I am one lucky girl.  Y'all are amazing.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
XO,
Robin

I have a request, please!

I have a favor to ask of my blogger family.  I have a routine PET Scan tomorrow morning at 8:00 to see where the cancer is, or more importantly where it isn't. Would you say a prayer for me tonight or tomorrow if you think of it?  We are a little sick and tired of this disease and would LOVE for it to be gone.....like, forever.  I know I don't usually ask for prayer, but I'm not sure why I don't. He wants to hear from you.  He wants to hear from me.  He never tires of hearing our voices, and He never sleeps.  He is always there.

Thanks for taking the time to read the blog.  I appreciate it so, so much.  You have no idea.

I saw this quote today and have to share:

You cannot get through a single day

without having an impact on the world

around you.  What you do makes a

difference, and you have to decide what

kind of difference you want to make.

 

- Jane Goodall

Have a great Monday!
XO,
Robin

We came. We shopped. We conquered.

Thanks for all the kind comments from yesterday's post.  I hope it didn't come across as me feeling hopeless.  My hope comes from God, and I feel like as long as I do what I can on earth (diet, rest, etc.) He'll do the rest.  Your prayers go a mighty long way, too, and I feel them.  Every time someone asks what they can do to help I tell them to pray.  I am not sure there is a better gift you could give me or my family. 

Ok.  On to the fun stuff.  Emme and I went shopping today to find some things for a friend's house I'm decorating (I'll post before and after pictures once the job is complete).  While exploring, I came across a few decorative items I'd like to have for myself.

This beauty is HUGE!  I saw him at Kirkland's of all places.  The colors are very vivid in person, and I think it would look great in my, I mean someone's, dining room.  Kirkland's is having a pretty good sale right now.  I imagine a lot of stores are because of July 4th so take advantage.

This pillow was at the Target in Rogers.  No offense Fayetteville Target, but your Rogers neighbor has you beat in décor.  This pillow looked like it measured 20"x20", and it was $16.99.  I could see it in a bedroom or even an entry chair/bench. 

Old Navy is having a really good sale right now.  I bought these shorts in olive green this week and have already worn them twice.  They are extremely comfortable and not too short.  They run a little big - just fyi. They are only $10.  What?  They come in olive green, hot pink, black, white, and this bright little number. 

They are selling this tank top for $2 in-store and $4 online.  It comes in a lot of colors and has a criss-cross back. 

This dress is only $8 and comes in plum stripes or black stripes.  This would make a cute cover-up or a going out to dinner dress with a cardigan. 

I am officially part of the bifocal world.  My eyes decided to stop working when I turned 40.  I have to admit that they make a huge difference, and I'm very happy with them.

Gabe was reading the local newspaper today and had me look at this picture. It's a picture of the winning machine pitch team for league play.  We love these kids and coaches.  Two of the coaches are Eli's all-star coaches this summer.  The main reason this picture is so special is because one of the players was killed over Spring Break in a 4-wheeler accident.  His name was David Vanderpool, and his dad (the tallest coach) continued to coach this team to victory.  The jersey being held up by 2 of the boys is David's.  No words in the picture, but a lot is being said.  I am so proud to live in a town that takes time to show respect to local families.  We support the hurting and cheer others on when good things happen.  People joke that I live in Mayberry, but I really wouldn't have it any other way.  Life is good.

I hope you are able to slow down and take time to enjoy your family and friends this Sunday.  Special memories are made when you least expect them. 

XO,
Robin

This is my fight song.

Hey there! I usually post a Friday Favorites every Friday (duh), but I decided to change it up today.  Did y'all see the lady from Texas who made a You Tube video about metastatic breast cancer?  Here is the link so please watch before reading the rest of this post.  Yes, I'm in a bossy mood today. :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDQ0FjP7J-c

The video brought tears to my eyes.  Not because I'm sad about cancer, but because I could relate to every single thought on every single card.  It made me realize just how many of "us" are out there and that we can make a difference in fighting and educating about this terrible disease.  She is a fellow warrior chick.  She is a #lifer.  I'm going to start adding that to all my Instagram photos, because having this disease is not about dying.  It is about living.  Period. 

Please go to the websites listed and find out more about metastatic cancer.  It affects so many families, and heaven forbid, you or a loved one might need to know about it one day.

On a side note, I reached out to this lady on Facebook to thank her for putting herself out there, and she messaged me back.  We've had a few messages back and forth now, and I feel really cool.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!!!!  Our baseball tournament was canceled so we get to catch up on things we've pushed to the side for weeks. 

XO,
Robin

(Photo by Tonya Reeves Photography.  Scars are mine.)

Fixer Upper Superstar!

Hi y'all.  I love blogging as much as I love reading other people's blogs.  How about you?  Well, I have a girl crush on Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper.  She is amazingly talented, and she is also a busy mom of 4 who loves Jesus and her crazy husband, Chip.  She has a blog, and it doesn't disappoint.  Looking in on their lives, you would think they have it all together and are perfect.  Not so.  Isn't that a little encouraging?  As Christians, we tend to want the world to think we're fine and nothing bad is happening in our lives.  If you've been a Christian for any amount of time, you know that isn't true.  God never promised we wouldn't have bad days, but He did say he would be with us during those times.  Ok.  Rabbit trail.  My point in this post is to point you to Joanna's blog.  Click on the link below, and it should take you there.  Tell me what you think.  It makes me admire her even more for putting herself out "there".  Hope you are having a great week.  You are loved!

XO,
Robin




http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9af3a1bda5cda8ba199b84b69&id=a51ec9dfa9

Weekend fun

We had ballgames out the wazoo this weekend.  It was the Cal Ripkin District Tournament, and they played Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday.  Our awesome Huntsville 8's made it to the championship game, but we were beat by Siloam Springs.  It's ok.  They were good, and we hung in there.  I'm so proud of our boys and the coaches.  Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Aren't they adorable???  Huntsville 7's and 8's are hosting a tournament this Saturday at Mitchusson Park.  It's not too late to sign up your teams!  It is machine pitch and each team is promised 3 games. Hope to see you there!

We had a break between games Saturday so we visited with our good friends, David and Ana Echegoyen.  The kids swam while the adults talked.  It was so nice to see them again.  Their sons are gorgeous!  Lucas warmed up to Gabe and Emme so we took his picture.  Don't you just want to kiss that face? 

As you know, it was Father's Day.  Here is a picture of my brother-in-law Jeff, my nephew Josh, and my niece Rachel.  They all live in Texas, but we really wish they lived here.  They are so fun!

Donna Samples texted these pictures to me last night.  Where the heck did the time go?  The first picture is Eli, Carlie, and Quinten.  C and Q are Mollie and Charlie Samples kiddos.  I bet this was about 4 years ago.  The next picture is of Emme at about 2.  They all loved Granny Donna's popsicles! 

Remember this mug from Anthropologie I posted about last week?  Well, a sweet friend was in the Nashville Anthropologie store, thought of me, and bought me the Paris mug.  Lenora Riedel, thank you so much!  You know how to brighten my day!!!!! 

Have a super, duper week, and I'll talk to you soon!
XO,
Robin

Father's Day

I know everyone says this, but my man really is the best dad ever.  He is patient, kind, stern when he needs to be (even to the kids friends - ha!), a constant prankster, loving, crazy smart, continually pointing the kids towards God, handsome, and brave.  He is able to find a silver lining in everything (most days), and he is my biggest cheerleader.  When we got married, I honestly wasn't sure what kind of dad he would be.  I knew he would be fun, but I didn't realize how much love and direction he would pour into Eli and Emme's lives.  We are so blessed.  Did I mention how cute he is? 

 

 

 

 

I also want to take time to brag on a few other men in my life.  My dad, although he's been in his forever home 18 years, had a big impact on who I am today.  He taught me how to forgive easily, keep God first (although I didn't always follow his advice on that), and always, always be nice to people, because you never know what they're going through.  I really do miss him so much.  I wish Gabe would have met him, because they would have instantly hit it off, and I wish my kids would have had the chance to call him Papa.  He would have been in love with them all.  I can't wait to see him again someday.  I know he's on the golf course right now, but when I get there I fully expect him to have his arms open wide to welcome me home.  I'm so thankful for the 22 years I had with him. 

 

I also want to give a shout out to my father-in-law, Dan Wight.  He is a man of very few words, but when he speaks we all listen.  He is beyond wise and has the driest sense of humor around.  I'm so glad he is part of my life, and I appreciate him so much for the raising he gave Gabe.  He honestly puts God before anything/anyone in his life and it shows.  I am grateful.

 

I am also soooo grateful for my big brother, Dan Austin, and my brother-in-laws, Rick Teague and Jeff Williams.  They are all protective of me in their own ways, and we are all lucky to have them in our lives.  All 3 of them take extraordinary care of my mom, which shows what great men they are. I love them so much.

 

And the most important man in my life is my Heavenly Father.  I adore Him, and it blows my mind to think that He adores me even more.  Especially after some of the dumb decisions I've made.  Oh goodness.  I pray I can always point Eli and Emme, and everyone I meet for that matter, to THE perfect lamb who was slain for me.  For you.  For everyone.  What a perfect Father's Day gift.

 

XO,

Robin

Friday Favorites

Well, today is officially Friday.  Let me explain.  I spent most of yesterday thinking it was Friday.  Summer break has me living carefree and date free.  Anyone else have the same problem? 

This week has been pretty normal.  Eli had ball practice two nights, Emme had gymnastics one night, and we had our first district tournament game tonight in Springdale.  The Huntsville boys played hard, but we couldn't defeat the Siloam Springs maroon team.  Man, they had some big boys and big hitters.  It was good practice for us so we'll come out swinging (literally) tomorrow and Sunday.  My niece, nephew, and former sister-in-law (who we still love) came to watch Eli play.  That was such a treat for us all.  Eli and  Emme LOVE their cousins, and I love how much their cousins love them.  Here are a few pics from tonight.

Thanks to all of you for still asking about Zoe.  She does have a broken collarbone so we are trying to keep her from running wild until it heals.....about 5 more weeks.  Goodness.  Wish us luck!  She has been in this position a lot.

Well, my sweet boy's birthday is July 1, and he'll be 9.  Where has the time gone?  I swear he was just a baby.  We were at Wal-Mart today, and he took a picture of the Lego sets he wants.  Just an idea for some of the aunts, uncles, and grandparents. :-)

 

My talented husband whipped this out last night, with the help of Eli.  He made a trough for the cows.  Isn't it cool?  He is going to put tin on the top to shield the mineral cubes and food from the rain.  He doesn't use his woodworking skills enough due to lack of time, but he really is good.  He's going to make me a frame for my world map so we can place push pins on all the places we've been.  I'll post pictures once that's done. 

 





 

 

I know I don't say it, but thank you for reading my blog.  It's just a small thing I started to keep people posted on our family, but with courage to put myself out there it's turned into a hobby that I love.  I hope you have the courage to do something you've always wanted.  It just takes a small step, and you never know where that might lead and how God will use it to bless your life and be a blessing to others. 

 

XO,

Robin







Sunday Stuff

Howdy!  We've been busy this week, and it's been full of good things.  First, we went to Silver Dollar City with our buddies Kendra, Brittany, Jace, and Jagger.  We all had a good time.  The Harlem Globetrotters were performing, and the kids loved it.  I think the adults loved it just as much.  Here are a few pics from the day.



 Eli's All-Star team played in the Cal Ripkin Tournament in Harrison Saturday and won!  We are so proud of them.  It poured buckets for part of the day, but they played through most of it.  We still have 3 weekends of tournaments left, and I will be really sad when they're finished.  Eli plays with a great group of boys, the coaches are wonderful, and we've gotten to be good friends with the parents and grandparents.  I hope they decide to play together again next year!  There are so many life lessons to be learned from playing on sports teams.  Don't ya think?



Friday night our sweet dog, Zoe, went missing.  We think she jumped out of the back of the truck (yes, that's how we do it in Huntsville) when Gabe was on his way to the farm.  After a night filled with tears, and a morning full of worry, we received a call from Tisha Carson saying she had our dog.  Tisha lives almost to our Venus Mountain farm, which is about 20 minutes from our home. Zoe had a bum leg and a few scratches so we took her to the vet.  He didn't think she had a broken leg so he gave her a shot of valum to make sure she didn't go into shock plus an antibiotic and sent us on our way.  We've pampered the heck out of her since, and she's been in this position since yesterday, too! 
I just want to say a BIG thank you to our wonderful community.  I posted that she was missing on Facebook, and so many of you shared my post and said they were praying for us.  This town is so cool.  I'm grateful we live here.



This is a random picture of Emme and I after church this morning.  I can't get her or her brother to take serious pictures EVER! 

How cute is this tank top?  You can buy one from Embellish Boutique.  Their items can be purchased through their Facebook page and also their travel trailer.  They are from Elkins, and I'm all about supporting local businesses.  They have accessories and shoes, too.  Check them out!

 

 



On a more serious note, I want to ask you to continue to pray for me.  My reports are typically good news, but it is frustrating when they aren't.  The ups and downs of cancer are emotionally exhausting.  Please specifically pray for complete  healing in my body, and continued peace that passes all understanding.  Please keep Gabe and the kiddos in your prayers, too.  They continue to be great encouragers, but I know they get tired from all of this.  Cancer affects way more than just the patient.  It is a horrible disease, but it also doesn't know who it is messing with.  We are determined to kick its rear and have a ridiculously amazing testimony of God's faithfulness and greatness through it all.  We actually already do! There is always a blessing when you praise God through the storms of life.

I hope y'all have had a great day and have an even better week.  Do something good for someone every day this week.  I dare you.

XO,
Robin 

Hump Day

Happy hump day!  I thought I'd post what we've been doing the past few days.  It's a busy time of life, and if I've said it once I've said it a million times.....I love every minute of it!

The Thompson's were gracious and had the end of the year league baseball party.  They have a perfect backyard for entertaining.  The kids swam and swam and swam and the adults ate and ate and ate.  The kid in the picture with the his head down is mine.  He hates getting his picture taken, but he better get used to it.  I'm "that" mom.

Eli had football camp this week.  Here is a picture of the camp crew.  They were so worn out every day.  Eli took a nap yesterday and slept in the car today.  That never happens, y'all.  The next picture is Eli and one of his best buddies, Dax.  Dax is great at every sport he tries and earned the best defensive player this week (reference the trophy hat).  Go Dax! 

Emme has been taking gymnastics this year and recently joined a class with kids her age.  She and Bella have hit it off and it is so cute to see them together.  They are hilarious!  Bella's dad is one of Eli's coaches on his all-star team so we get to hang with Bella then, too.  This might be hard to believe, but Emme gets bored at the tournaments.  Crazy. I know.  Ms. Patty Grove is their teacher, and she is wonderful.  The name of Emme's gymnastics studio is Jete Dance Arts & Athletics.  Check out their facebook page if you're interested.

Ok.  Enough about sports and on to the important things: Makeup.  I am trying to take a load off my liver and believe it or not, the kind of make-up we wear can be toxic to our systems if you are already sick (or even if you're not).  One day I'll post all the make-up and beauty products I've found that are safe for me to use, but today I'm posting about my powder foundation, because I just received it in the mail.  I use a brand called Gabriel.  It covers just as well as the Clinique powder foundation I was using.  It is about the same price and has to be purchased online (Gabriel has a website, but I buy mine off amazon.com), but it is worth it.  It covers all my sun spots and stays on most of the day.  It also comes in a handy-dandy case.  It is made of natural minerals and completely void of mineral oil and talc.

I hope your week is going well and you're able to squeeze some fun into your days.  Off to bed....we are going to Silver Dollar City tomorrow, and I need to save up some energy!

XO,
Robin

Jonah, HGTV, and Target....

Now that I have your attention...Happy Sunday!  Our preacher delivered a great sermon on Jonah this morning.  It's so easy to overlook this book, because it seems like a Sunday School lesson for kids.  However, there is a LOT to be learned from Jonah and God in the content.  Alex's main point in the sermon was to never give up on or run from your God given calling.  We all have one, but sometimes it's so easy to put it on the backburner because life happens.  But, we can act on our calling in the middle of life.  Especially in the middle of life.  That's where the real growth happens.  Don't you just love how God still loves us in the middle of our messiness?  Even after Jonah threw a big, fat, hissy-fit, God still provided him with a tree to shade him.  Literally.  If you have time, read through the book of Jonah this week.  This time use your "grown up" eyes.  It's full of good stuff.

I'm sure you all know by now that I love decorating.  It puts a smile on my face and brings me a whole lot of happiness.  That being said, I watch a lot of HGTV.  Too much if you ask my wonderful, adoring, understanding husband (wink).  There are some new shows that I am loving.

First one is Brother vs. Brother.  I've always loved their Property Brothers show, but this show takes it to another level.  They are using their own money to buy and renovate one house each.  Each week features a different room.  Last week was the living room, and I loved them both.  They even had Jen and Brandon Hatmaker as their judges (If you aren't familiar with Jen Hatmaker, you need to be.  She is a woman of God who uses humor to get through the daily grind.  Follow her on Facebook.  You WILL NOT regret it!).  Anyway, check them out Wednesday nights at 8:00. 

 

 

 

Next is Sweet House Alabama.  They help couples find old Antebellum homes and restore them inside and out.  They aren't Chip and Jo Jo, but they are close!  Matt and Shaunna are the hosts names, and they are adorable.  Shaunna loves to find run-down furniture and restore the pieces with chalk paint.  She makes it look like something even I could do!  Also, their southern accents make my heart happy.  I couldn't find a picture of them, but you can watch full episodes right here. http://www.hgtv.com/shows/sweet-house-alabama. 

 

 

 

Beachfront Bargain Hunt is another fun show.  After watching each show, I really feel like we need to buy a house on a beach.  Even though Gabe doesn't like the beach.  It's just so convincing!!!!

Just like all the house hunting shows, it includes a realtor showing a couple 3 options and the couple makes a decision at the end.  My favorite part of every show is seeing what the couples have done to put their stamp on the homes.  Here are a few pictures from the show.



In case you shop at Target all the time like I do, there are 2 money saving ideas I want to share.  First is make sure you receive their weekly ad via text or e-mail.  Lately, they have had a lot of clothing and house décor on sale, as well as summer essentials (snacks, sunscreen, drinks, etc.).  This week their women's shorts are buy 1, get 1 half off.  I bought a pair of pink Merano shorts, and they fit like a glove.  They aren't too short either.  Hallelujah!  Their kids shorts are also buy 1, get 1.  They also have some really cute women's thongs on sale for $10. 
The next thing you are definitely going to want to take advantage of, if you haven't already, is their app called Cartwheel.  It is so cool!  I bring it up every time I enter the store, and it shows you all the "secret" sales in the store that day/week.  Here are a few screen shots of the app.

Hope you have a blessed Sunday!
XO,
Robin