Oct Highlight: My Health Concerns, Part 1, The Facts

When we touched down in China from the USA we had a message that the docs saw something suspicious on my mammogram. I wrote our medical people and they said I needed to get it followed up on within four weeks. 

[The kids were troopers while I was away on so many short trips, and they loved the candy, games, and sticky rice I brought back!]

Knowing our next few weeks of Sept were going to be swamped I decided to get on a plane to Thailand that weekend. While getting an ultrasound, the doc in Thailand found something even more suspicious on the other side. 

The options: watch and wait, or do a needle biopsy. After much discussion with David and Doctors, and because of family history, we went for the core-needle biopsy. This delayed me a few days in Chiang Mai but I was thankful for the good care. 

I returned home and the results were quite inconclusive. The cells were certainly not normal, they couldn't rule out cancer, they needed to do more pathology on it. With what they were seeing the protocol is for a bigger biopsy (excisional). After more discussion we decided to move my care to a Breast Center in Bangkok. 

I planned another trip out, to BKK this time. And the amount of craziness it took to get my 'tissue' from the core needle biopsy from Chiang Mai to BKK was unbelievable. So many people came to my rescue in this, from SM talking sweetly in Thai to the doctors in CM to LT and DC actually getting the slides with my tissue on them (which is why they couldn't be mailed) on her already planned trip from CM to BKK. This other tissue was needed along with the current bigger biopsy in order to make a complete diagnosis. 

Precious friend, KM came to be with me. I stayed with her in CM and she flew to BKK to be with me through it all, all weekend. It was a two hour surgery, there three hours before, in recovery two hours. It was really like a lumpectomy (they showed me a picture of what they removed). 

KM became a bosom friend through this all. She was exactly who I needed. We talked everything: cancer, friends, theology, cancer. We did a ton of research together, and talked through every aspect of breast cancer. 

The doctor put a rush on the pathology, and also said in her pre-surgery ultrasound that she didn't like what the USA saw on the other side either (though ironically the USA didn't catch the more suspicious spot). I wasn't expecting to get the answer there but in the appointment the next day she drew me a picture of what my cells were doing. And it wasn't good. No malignancy, yet, but looked to be moving that way. 

There was a name for the diagnosis, but it doesn't matter at this point. From there the doctor wanted to put me on an estrogen-suppressor. She also said she wanted to remove the spot on the right too (the one that brought me on this road to begin with). I decided to wait on the medicine, but a few weeks later there I was again for another minor surgery. And KM was right there with me. Precious, precious friend, I could not have done this without her at all. 

David also and always has been my hero (managing home and work 5 days each on three different trips) and he started researching. We consulted with other docs as well. Some said watch and wait (biopsy anything suspicious), a few said, sure take the medicine (watch out for some serious side affects). And also, as always,we started looking at the cancer-fighting diet options. 

My right side was completely benign and I was negative for the Breast Cancer Gene--all great news. We are still in a holding pattern in regards to the changing cells on the left and I will return in March for a breast MRI and the decision of whether to take the medicine or not. 

Those are just the tidbits of the facts from my health concerns that rocked us in Sept-Oct. 

Next post: A (long) journal about the experience. Feel free to skip if you want! ;)

Oct Highlight: David's Birthday, Elective Week, Etc.

October brought more medical trips for me, David's birthday, and our much-needed home school elective week, where we break from Core and do fun stuff. 

David's birthday was low-key, but the girls did put on a show for him...

choreographed and emceed by Sophia...

Intro cheer by Gabrielle

And an original song written and played by Isabella (it was quite good!)

 For our elective week I had big plans for Science projects every day, art galore, and reading aloud for hours....
Instead, when I got out the canvases I have had for four years now, the kids went ecstatic with wanting to really get into a project. We turned the home school room into an art studio. We mixed paints on our extra canvas, we used pinterest to hone our project ideas and I assisted as needed.

The final projects:

Sophia and I just finished reading 'Little Women' and this quote was on the book: "They were more than sisters, they were FRIENDS".  'Little Women' was also a high light. We loved it so much (as a reread for me) I convinced David to listen to it. Sophia and I also had an evening together watching the movie and discussing her becoming a 'Little Woman'. It was very special.


I did help Tobin with the tape on this but he painted it almost all himself. 

I love how it turned out. 

And this one....she did fabulous...this was sparked by a pinterest picture as well, but she made it her own with the colors.

When their ballet class switched teachers it became a waste of time every Friday evening. So, I decided to teach them with assistance from a Udemy course (11 USD and worth every penny). We put some mirrors up in their room and use their ballet bar and have really started well with it. Around the holidays we took a break and hope to pick back up after their exams.


Another change...we got a cheapo homeschool computer and set up a desk in the home school room.
The kids do on-line history, and we do on-line ballet, and will probably do more on-line courses as the kids get older. This has been very helpful!!!

Sept Highlight: Gabrielle Turned 5!

We can't believe it either, our youngest is five. Out of babyhood, out of toddlerhood. A full-fledged little girl!

She helped me make her cake. 

We gave family gifts in the morning. She also got a scooter!

She wanted a Dora party, which was so easy and fun!
The older girls really helped plan and execute.

We have watched so much Dora in Chinese the past ten years that it was super easy to do this! (And in our version Dora is teaching English with not great pronunciation)

Neighbors and friends joined us but because her kindergarten hadn't started yet, we did not invite school friends this year.

Pin the boot on Boots!

The crew had to do a few obstacles before finding Gabrielle's party.

 They had to pop balloons on a tree

And when they ran into 'Swiper' they had to say 'Swiper no Swiping'

Tobin was the perfect Swiper and he scooted around the yard in this box just like Swiper does.

They had to cross 'Troll Bridge' and answer a riddle to get across. Sophia explains.

Then they found the party!

One gift that I picked up during my medical trip to Thailand in early September was this disco type strobe light. 

 We lit the candles, and sang, and our baby is officially FIVE.

At five, Gabrielle is feisty and funny, a great (and trying sometimes) combo. She does great making friends with anyone, does not fear much at all, and tries to do most things on her own terms (no interest in bike riding at all, she can do it a little now but we are still working on it). She loves to help me in the kitchen and loves playing school with her siblings.

She is very bright and we just started her official K5 home school year with her in late October. She is doing great! She is a precious joy!

Sept Highlight: Back to Chinese School

Our kids have their Chinese School Exams Jan 16-17, but let's take a look back when the semester started...

We arrived from the states just a few days before day 1. 

Because they tore down half of Gabrielle's Kindergarten, her school started two weeks into September. 

Uniformed and ready!

Excited to see best friends and talk about the summer.

Since this was months ago, it was quite a blur. But this semester of Chinese school afforded us (and the kids) the opportunity to....

.....go deeper in friendships with kids and their parents

.....participate in sports days

.... get up in front of peers and teach a lesson (with others)

.....get up in front of peers and other teachers for observation while teaching a lesson

.....talk with our kids about bullying

.....have siblings stick up for siblings with bullies

.....confront bullies and have it end in friendship

.....get to know new teachers (usually they don't change teachers)

.....listen to our kids grow phenomenally in their ability to communicate orally and written in this language. (Sophia wrote a Chinese essay that made us cry, Isabella wrote one that made us laugh)

.....participate in school club and team soccer

.....earthquake drills

.....'bad guy' drills (the kids said this was like out of a movie, SWAT, pretend bad guys, guards 'shot' and then watching the 'bad guys' with swords and knives get taken down by SWAT.......what? seriously.)

Navigating the Chinese School system and the way it all works with culture clashes, home school, etc is still strenuous for our family but so far we wouldn't trade it. The kids love it. They don't love all of it, and they also love being home, but they certainly enjoy the friendships and activities and the ability to mesh well here with language and culture. And though sometimes we doubt whether it is the best environment for them, we have really felt God's guidance and wisdom in every tough issue we've had to face (and there have been so many!). 

Sept 2018 Highlight: LiuBo Comes to Visit

Our dear friend, Cheryl, that went to be with Jesus last year, arranged with us before her death for her oldest daughter to return to China and revisit friends, their old home, and reconnect with people. 

LiuBo meshed with our fam perfectly for those few weeks and our kids loved having an older sister!

We loved talking through things with her, taking her to all her old stomping grounds, knocking on her old house door and going in, and giving her time to go out with friends at night and stay over with a Dutch family that she was really close to years ago. 

One indispensable thing LiuBo taught our kids were the algorithms for conquering the rubix cube, or parts of it anyway.

She remembered and loved the food!

 She was very surprised at how our town has grown so much, especially the small waterpark.

Our fave local dessert PaoLuDa.

And breakfast in the market.

LiuBo was  a trooper, especially as I had to leave unexpectedly her first weekend here for some medical tests.

We are excited to see what God will do with LiuBo as she graduates and heads to college. We certainly miss her!

Summer Snapshots 2018

 Our July and August in the States was another highlight of our last year. 

I will not do a gazillion posts with details, in fact I will just post these few pics...(don't worry fam, I am starting my shutterfly book soon).

July 4th!
We loved being right next door to Poppy and CC.

Cousin love and beach fun. Our kids had a blast hanging with Ryan and Seth! The only one left in swim floaties is Gabrielle, who did learn to swim by the end of the summer.

 Our beach week with the Coker/Craft Crew was another one for the books.

Tobin likes that in the States the boy to girl ratio for him with cousins evens up!

Sunshine+water+family=abundant blessings

Asa and Gabrielle were hilarious fast friends. I wish I could capture all the cuteness of their conversations.

Edisto Island, SC....This house on the water with the Williams, Granddaddy, Aunt Beth, and Uncle Herschel was an amazing week. It was so memorable that Sophia decided for her year's writing curriculum to use her Edisto vacation as the topic of her magazine.

The sunsets!

Kids getting older.....     :(

This year we did a weekend trip to Black Mountain and surrounding Lynville Falls, etc with Granddaddy Johnson and Uncle Herschel. 

 Mount Mitchell peak!

Lynville Falls. We LOVED this weekend away in quaint Black Mountain and experiencing God's creation so fully with family!

Another special event of our summer: Poppy and CC's 50th wedding anniversary!
They are an amazing example of sacrificial love and friendship in marriage, we loved celebrating with them on a date night out with Laura and Lee too!

 (my mouth is watering over that steak we ate as I look at this pic)


On the Riverfront in Wilmington.
David and I continue to grow as a married couple (going on 16 years) through all of the adventures given us!

Traveling a lot, transition, lots of community, little community, health concerns, highlights, lowlights of life...This time in the States was one of the best for our marriage and family, and it has not always been so smooth! We were able to stay in the Word more consistently, have space while also jam-packed fun. Our time was short and we said 'no' to a lot. This helped make all the 'yes' adventures more enjoyable and focused.
Can't wait till next time!

I'm Here.

Summer in the U.S.A., Fourth of July. 

This has been my longest break from blogging since its inception ten years ago.
I hadn't quite planned on the break, but once I put it down, picking it back up became harder than I thought.

Not because I don't have much to say, I am sure I have too much to say.
But because the process of processing and capturing and writing (things I LOVE), is hard work. And for the past almost 6 months my energies have rightfully gone elsewhere and is assuredly too much to share in detail here.

But if for no one else, I know this outlet and process helps me immensely. I gain perspective, I laugh at myself, I consider circumstances and reactions and I try to tell our story. So bear with me as I keep on in the telling. I have no idea how it will look, sound, etc. but it will be me. I'm Here.