The more you give, the more you get; the more you laugh, the less you fret.  The more you do unselfishly, the more you live abundantly.  The more of everything you share, the more you'll always have to spare.  The more you love, the more you'll find that life is good and friends are kind, for only what we give away enriches us from day to day.--Helen Steiner Rice

Good Friday morning!!  It is April Fool's Day!!  This is one of Mike's favorite holidays.  He pulled the biggest pranks on Jenna and Jeff growing up.  Poor kids....awwww it didn't hurt them.  They still turned out okay.  haha!  I am sure Tyler will get his fair share too.  Can you believe that it is April already?  The year is flying by.

I was not heartbroken about the two that got eliminated on American Idol last night.  Woohoo.....the 6 that I have really liked from the beginning are still in it.  We are down to 9 contestants now.  Oh it is going to be so hard when they get down to the top 5.  I am attached already.  And I just have to say that I think Scotty is a sweetheart. Such talent for being so young.  I think the country western world has some new stars rising with Scotty and Lauren.

I am very excited about this weekend!  I am going to be participating in the Relay For Life cancer walk at Southwest High School.  Looking forward to hanging out with friends and family and of course plenty of walking.  I will take some pictures and post them on Monday.  Try to find me if you are going too.  I would love to see everyone!

Here is a picture of Tyler playing outside with our cat Paisley.  I was teaching him to pet her gently. 

Congratulations to Jocelyn Taylor and Danny Caldwell on getting engaged!!  So happy for you both!!

Happy Birthday to Donna Cartwright and Caryn Rubio today!!  Have a great day girls!

Lorri Cavins would like to thank you for all the prayers, cards and well wishes sent her way. 

Please look at yesterday's comment from Angel Linda.  She wrote the latest update on little Samuel.  What a miracle!!  God is so Good! 

Prayer requests:  For these children who so need our prayers for strength and to be healed fully.  Lorenzo, Jose, Samuel, Anthony, Aydin, Dereck, Electra, Jessica, and Alexandrea.  Pray for their parents as well. 

Psalms 139 verses 13 - 16:  You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body, and knit them together in my mother's womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  It is amazing to think about.  Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it.  You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion!  You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe.  Every day was recorded in your Book!

Read the bible in a year:  Today.....1 Samuel 18 - 20.  Saturday......1 Samuel 21 - 24.

Have a fantabulous day everyone!!  Today is another gift from God and He is so Good!

Question......Did anyone happen to watch the premiere show called 'Mobbed' last night after American Idol?  I was suckered in and watched and all I can say is wow!  What did you think?  It would be fun to participate in something like that.

Good Thursday morning!  Thank you all so very much for the tremendous outpouring of love, support, encouragement and concern yesterday.  I can feel the army of family and friends behind me ready for battle.  I am uplifted and encouraged!  I feel blessed beyond measure.

Today is closing ceremonies to Birth Month.  I had one of the best Birth Month celebrations ever.  Thank you everyone for making it so fun, surprising and memorable for me.  I still have a couple more things happening in the next couple weeks to celebrate and I look forward to all of it.  Just makes the celebration last a little longer.  Love it!

I wanted to tell you about the Cyber knife procedure.  It is very similar to the gamma knife.  I will be fitted in a special vest and have to lay extremely still on a table for 1 1/2 hours. During this time a robot machine will monitor my breathing.  It will start breathing the same pattern as me.  Then it's arm will come out and start shooting the radiation from all different directions at the tumor.  It will know when to shoot because of knowing how my breathing pattern is.  It is all very fasinating and just amazing on what medical science can do.  I don't know all the tiny deatails yet.  Dr. Lean will explain it more in depth with me on the next appointment I have with her.

So we have a plan.  Just waiting on everything to be approved from my insurance company.  I will keep you updated on everything just as soon as I find out.  I know God has a major plan and I feel His hand in all of this.  Please pray that this will all go smoothly.

So who do you think the two will be tonight that will be eliminated on American Idol?  I know what two I would like to see go first.  I think we are going to be on the edge of our seats watching tonights show.  Casey did great last night.  I hope he isn't one that is going.

Here is a picture of me and Tyler hanging out on my birthday.  Can you tell how much this Nani loves this precious boy?

Prayer requests: I have an anonymous request from someone who would like prayer for a very stressful situation that they are in right now.  Pray it will get better soon.  They are trusting God in His timing in this situation.  Also if we could pray for those that have been diligently looking for a job.  Let's pray that they find one soon and that they stay encouraged.  Also a couple of friends are very ill right now and could use our prayers to feel better soon.  Remember little Samuel too.

Psalms 139 verses 6 - 12:  This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe!  I can never be lost to your Spirit!  I can never get away from God!  If I go up to heaven, you are there; If I go down to the place of the dead, you are there.  If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, your strength will support me.  If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me.  For even darkness cannot hide from God; to you the night shines as bright as day.  Darkness and light are both alike to you.

Read the bible in a year:  Today.......1 Samuel 15 - 17.  Friday.......1 Samuel 18 - 20.

Have a super day everyone!  Today is another gift from God and He is so Good!

Question.........What is something that you could not go a week without eating? It would have to be cheese for me.

Good Wednesday morning!!  Wow.....where do I even begin? First....thank you for your faithful prayers and encouragement!  I could not of made it through my day yesterday without it.  I was calm all day.  Dr. McClay my oncologist confirmed yesterday from my latest PET scan that the two spots they were keeping an eye on were indeed tumors and were growing.  He said the rest of my body was clean and looked good.  However we need to get rid of these two tumors now.  Dr. McClay immediately called his friend Dr. Eva Lean who runs the Cyber Knife center, and asked if she would see me.  She agreed to see me right away.  So off we went to Vista and the Cyber Knife center.  (God's timing is amazing)

I LOVED Dr. Lean!  Google her if you want to know more about her and what she looks like.  She was warm, funny, and very informative about what the next few weeks are going to be like for me.  She examined me and is now working on a game plan.  But first and foremost they need to get my insurance approval.  Please pray that it gets approved and quickly.  She wants to get started next week.  Dr. Lean talked about another PET scan and having me get a surgical procedure done where they implant tiny gold seeds to mark where the tumors are.  They will sit for about a week and then I can go through the cyber knife procedure.  I will tell you more about that tomorrow. 

I thank God that they have such a cool thing like this to treat melanoma tumors and the success rate is high.  I thank God for hooking me up with Dr. Lean.  Her office staff was also very kind and helpful.  I thank God for Dr. McClay who always keeps me encouraged and offers HOPE.  In fact, here is a picture of me and Dr. McClay after my appointment.  Yes he makes me smile and feel great when I leave his office.

So here we are with another bump in the road on this journey but I feel like God will do amazing things through this.  I am bummed that I can't seem to shake this cancer but I still have faith that I will be totally healed.  I am ready to fight again.  I just need to take it one day at a time.  I have been given an opportunity to continue to show everyone God's strength through my weakness and show how amazing God is and how much He loves me and all of us.  God has blessed me with the most amazing family and friends and a network of prayer warriors.  I am grateful.

2 Chronicles 15b & 17:  The Lord says don't be afraid!  Don't be paralyzed by this mighty army!  For the battle is not your's, but God's!  You will not need to fight! Take you places; stand quietly and see the incredible rescue operation God will perform for you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem!  Don't be afraid or discouraged!  Go out there tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!

Prayer requests:  Please pray for little Samuel today as he receives his chemo treatment.  Pray for this little guy to get through this treatment without any complications and to be healed once and for all of this ugly disease.  Keep Samuel's parents in your prayers too.  Read the bible in a year:  Today........1 Samuel 13-14  Thursday.......1 Samuel 15-17.

Have a wonderful day everyone!!  Today is another gift from God and He is so Good!

I have a little anxiety this morning. Please know that I will be leaning heavily on you all to help me through this too.  Thank you!

6:00 p.m. UPDATE:  Hey everyone!  I am home now and believe it or not I am in good spirits.  I know it is all the prayers that I am being covered in.  I have a peace about the whole thing.  I will let you know all about it in tomorrows blog.  Right now I want to take a hot shower and kick back the rest of the evening.  It has been a long day.  Thanks for the awesome encouragement you have sent my way.  This is just another bump in the road and God has great things planned.  Love you!

NEW UPDATE:  Leslie just got done with the Radiation Oncologist.  Leslie has already told her that she loves her and the doctor says she loves her too!  They got along great!  There is a whole bunch involved that Leslie will update when her and Mike get home but her main prayer request is that the insurance company will approve everything quickly.  The hope is that the first step is completed next week with the next steps completed 2-3 weeks later.   This all depends on insurance.  I did want to make a correction, the tumors are not in her lungs- they are in her lymph nodes next to her lungs near her esophagus.  Thank you for your prayers, love and encouragement!  We know God is listening to them all!  With love- Monica

UPDATE: Prayer warriors....lets get on it again!   It was confirmed today that the two spots in Leslie's lungs are tumors that are growing.  Leslie has left Dr. McClays office to go to a CyberKnife doctor named Dr. Lean.  They were able to see Leslie right away- big praise!  She will call and let me know the update after that appointment.  Leslie is doing good!  She has a tremendous peace and we know that is only from God!  Thank you for your prayers!  God is GOOD!  From Monica the sister!

Just a quick note to everyone.  My appointment with Dr. McClay has been moved from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. tomorrow morning (Tuesday).  Thanks so much for covering me in prayers!  I do feel them and I cherish them.  ((HUGS))  Leslie  :)