Will you celebrate with me??...

It's beginning to get really beautiful in Central Illinois. I have bulbs blooming, trees are flowering and some are beginning to bud as well. It does wonders for one's soul. But, today I have reason to celebrate. In fact I think it deserves capital letters... CELEBRATE!!! My good friend Heidi is doing really, really well and has received a clean bill of health. They are not using the "R" word for her cancer but they are unable to see any of that nasty disease on her last CAT scan which is FANTASTIC news!! I am thrilled for her, Michael and Sierra. I am thrilled for myself, honestly. She has been on my mind a lot. She deserves good news. Her last few months have been very rough. So, as we approach the day that Jesus rode into town on a carpet of palms I will celebrate the little victories in life. Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I absolutely love the deep meaning behind Easter. I love the re-birth of Easter. And this year I am truly celebrating!!

Let's be honest...

Let's be honest...

Do you really care what I ate for dinner tonight? No.

Do you really care that it's a tradition here in the Shook household. No, probably not.

Do you really care that I am giving up soda for Lent. Definitely not.

So let's be honest...

I am so sad tonight.

I don't want to get up from this computer to go give my children showers. I don't want to do anything. I am just going to be sad. But, I thank God every day that I can do things like showers. Even if I hate it.

My friend Heidi, who I've blogged about before, is putting up the fight of her life. And I live about 400 miles from her and can't do a thing. No, that's not true. I can do something, I can pray.

Heidi just finished her (hopefully!!) last chemotherapy treatment last week. And is now sick as a dog. And I can't even imagine. Since her second to last chemo treatment she spent almost 2 weeks in the hospital with a pulmonary embolism that was very, very painful. And scary. And now she is home, throwing up, tired and just worn out. But she is going to beat this stupid, cruel disease. She's just not going to kick it she's going to squash it to a pulp.

But, I'm still sad. On February 15th Heidi celebrated her 40th birthday. Her Mom told me today that on her birthday she got up, put on her wig, did her make up and put on real clothes. Heidi's daughter, Sierra who is 7, came home and was so happy. She told her teacher the next day at school that her Mommy looked so beautiful on her birthday.

Heidi, you look beautiful every day and it is as much on the inside as it is on the out. I wish I was closer so we could look at Pottery Barn catalogues and talk about your awesome sense of decorating. I wish we could eat hummus and chips and drink a lot of Coke. Screw Lent. :)

Because, after all, this is really what I should be blogging about. This is really what matters to me today.

One phone call...

I don't think that it's intuition that made me call my friend, Heidi, today. I just had an overwhelming feeling to give her a call. We hadn't spoke in several months, probably before school started. She's just one of those friends that I love to keep in contact with. She is another of those friends that even if you don't speak for months you can pick up the conversation in one breath. We do it really, really well, too! Heidi lived 2 doors down from me in Michigan and we met just days before Molly was born. We have been great friends since.

So I called her. And my breath was taken away.

She let me know that since our last conversation she had felt some womanly changes in herself and decided to pursue it with her gynecologist. Little did she know that the outcome would be ovarian cancer. I was floored. I was instantly sad. Life is not fair always. Heidi had surgery in October and recently finished her first round of chemo. Her prognosis is very good but she was still diagnosed with stage 3 cancer.

I wish for my friend God's comforting touch, God's healing power and a lifetime of joys. Please, if you feel inclined, say a prayer today for Heidi, her husband Michael and their 7 year old daughter, Sierra. Heidi rocks it as a Mom and it is truly her calling. Sierra is a wonderful little girl.

I also say to Heidi to kick this disease in it's ass.

You are an inspiration, my friend.