MERRY CHIRSTMAS bloggers and Happy Birthday Jesus!! I hope you all had a great day. Our day was packed with fun. We hit the floor running this morning and didn't stop. We've had a santa visit, breakfast, presents, lunch, games, snacks, games, games, dinner and more games! The sounds of happy kids, play saws and drills, crying and peeing baby dolls and who knows what other noises are all quiet. I am close to retiring for the evening myself. I think we pulled off everything this Christmas season except cards. Oops, sorry to those expecting them. Anyway, as I mentioned, I am pretty much exhausted and the bed is calling. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!

I made it through the crazy week and even spent the entire day on Saturday at Sea World! What a difference it has made to see the doctor for the 6 month follow up and receive a positive report. I am on my way to complete recovery. I am feeling better every day. I have less than 5 minutes to complete this post as we are in the process of making Christmas cookies. The dough is in the fridge getting ready. I have the kids entertained with Charlie Brown's Christmas. We worked on art projects all morning and cookies this afternoon. We are in the Spirit. Aside from the 70+ degree weather and all the doors and windows open, it seems just like Christmas. I am so excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus this season. He is the reason!!

I celebrated a birthday yesterday! Thanks to everyone who called, e-mailed, sent cards, etc. If you forgot, or didn't know, no worries, even my deadbeat dad didn't remember. Oh well, he didn't make it to surgery either. It was such a welcome day! Praise God.

Love you all!! Oven's beeping and kids are screaming!

Well, this should be a crazy week and we will see how much I can handle. A meeting this afternoon at 2pm at Spencer's school and I will fulfill my promise after school to let the kids make the gingerbread house. Then, a little more Christmas shopping and mailing some gifts in the morning while the three are in school. Brogan has a Christmas party at school on Weds. and Sydney and Spencer both have school parties on Thursday. Of course, I am signed up to bring snacks to the parties. Thursday afternoon, during Spencer's party time, Sydney is suppose to be at gymnastics. Then, Thursday night we have spagetthi with santa at Spencer's school, which I am helping plan. On Friday santa is visiting the school for pictures and a big to do. I am cooking dinner for a friend who had a baby on Friday night. Neighborhood party on Sat. afternoon and WinterFest. Winterfest involves trucked in snow (ice/slug) to climb on and throw snowballs as long as it lasts. May I include it isn't very long in 80 degree weather. There's usually a line of 75-100 kids (at least) waiting to get on the mound for their timed 5 minutes. It is insane but many children have never seen snow and this is so exciting for them. Our kids have seen snow but do not remember. We will be visiting Grandpa and Grandma in Nebraska in January. Hopefully our wish for snow will come true. I am having a great day so far and expect it to be busy and fun!

Is there anybody out there?? I am guessing that everyone has given up on me at this point. I did not follow through with my promises to give you more details. Sorry. I have found that getting back into the swing of things and discovering my new "normal" has taken more time than I anticipated. Anyway, can you believe that yesterday was exactly 6 months post-op? You probably can't believe it, as the ole saying goes "time flies." Well, it seems like forever to me because I have been awaiting the 6 month check-up. I visited my doctor in Gainesville today and had my first post-op CTA scan. The results were perfect with no sign of the aneurysm regrowing or developing elsewhere in the brain. There is less than 1% of patients who have the anuerysm to grow back (around the clip or elsewhere). Thankfully, my annie seems to be following the doctors orders. We did get to see pictures of the clip and the "thing" that is holding my skull in place. It looks like a small wagon wheel in my head. It is CRAZY! I think I have a new nickname with Cortney. Also, the doctor confirmed that all the headaches and weird sensations that I get are common after surgery and may last 6-12 months. I don't feel nearly as crazy tonight as I did when I awoke this morning. I am getting better each day and am less fatiqued, less depressed and more like myself. I can positively say that Holly is coming back. I spoke to a lady in the waiting room today with an annie that can't be clipped due to location. She has 32 coils and the annie keeps growing. The doctor is not sure how many more coils it will take to block it off completely. She has undergone 2 surgeries so far and had a stroke during the last one. She has another planned for January. I thank God for the ease of my surgery and recovery, though at times it has been very difficult. I pray for the sweet lady today and her ultimate healing.

I hope everyone is looking forward to a beautiful Christmas season. By the way, Sydney is asking santa for a singing princess wearing an American flag dress. I think I can pull off the singing doll but not sure about the dress. Spencer says "it's ok, the elves can make anything you request!" HELP

Love ya all,

Holly

I did not anticipate taking so long between blogs. However, it seems there is not enough time in a day. We have 3 kids attending three different schools. That is crazy! I run run run. Cortney has been very busy at work. He missed so much work during my illness that the catch up is seemingly impossible. He now has 9 employees and luckily they are all great workers but a handful. By the time he makes it home at night and we have dinner, I am sooo ready for bed. I am still fighting fatique and if I can make it until 8pm and get the kids down I am straight to bed. I still struggle to get up in the mornings. A big change from the night owl I have always been and the 6am 3 mile walker. Hopefully I will be there again someday. Keep our marriage in your prayers as my fatique and Cortney's long days are very stressful on us both.

I visited my dermatologist last week and he removed two more suspicious moles. I haven't heard back from him yet so I am taking that as a great sign. I am sure I will have a positive doctor's report soon :0)

Well, I hate to make this short but it is time to get Spencer from school. I will try and post more often.

Holly

How interesting life is on earth and how very much there is to learn along the journey. What a fantastic sermon our pastor taught on Sunday in his series "Ordinary Life - Extraordinary God." The message titled "Ordinary Faith" was about facing the giants. Giants being anything that defies our faith, what we believe and why we believe it. He stated that giants have a way of showing up in our lives, accept it! These giants are unexpected, relentless and are definite or life defining. The great news is Victory can be ours, we just have to find it.

The giants of my summer of 2008 definitely fit the bill. When facing the giants in my life, I have realized there are going to be many phases. I must take each phase as it comes and in time I will arrive at the victory. I am learning not to be ashamed of the fear in the early stages. The fear that arises when you suddenly realize the fine line of life and death. The post surgery fears I have of flight, the fear of over doing exercise and disrupting the clip, the fear that one cancer cell jumped ship and is invading, etc. Fear is there for a reason- to realize how precious life is and no human will live forever. For every great up- there has been a down for comparison. I am learning to be very appreciative of every day. I am trying to make the most of every day. As Pastor Greg noted, you must find the reason to fight, the name of God. The resource to fight, the strength of God. The resolve to fight, faith in God.

Hello bloggers. I know it has been a long time since we last spoke. I am sorry it has taken so long. I know many of you now have an addiction to checking out our life :^) Anyway, in all honesty I have been having a pretty rough time lately with some feelings of depression. In research I have discovered this is pretty common after brain surgery. I try and tell myself how blessed that God gave me signs before a rupture. I know the incredible journey of an aneurysm survivor after a rupture and my story pales in comparison. I was again blessed to learn of the melanoma in the early stages. However, even with these incredible blessings I find myself struggling to keep my brain and emotions in check. I know that I have not returned some calls and e-mails and I apologize. I am feeling better but I do realize that my journey has not ended. I have been back to church for the last 2 weeks. Thanks to my WONDERFUL, FAITHFUL husband who had to drag me kicking and screaming the first week. The following week was much easier and I have felt so much better being back with my brothers and sisters in Christ and being loved. It is scary how easily the devil can get a foothold and keep you in seclusion. he knows the buttons to push and uses them to his advantage. Thankfully I have a wonderful, supporting God and family who will not let him push my buttons without a fight.

Well enough about the "depressing" stuff. My brother's wife had a baby on Tuesday. Kolby was born by c-section and weighed 6lb. 3oz. He encountered some problems during birth due to swallowing meconium. He has been in NICU since he was born, but is doing very well. He is off the venillator and only has one IV for the antibiotics. My brother got to hold him for the first time today. He will go home sometime over the weekend. Incredibly, I had a free airline ticket. I checked the expiration date yesterday and guess what?!? It expires Sunday, September 7. Another blessing! Cortney insisted that I use my ticket to visit Nashville.I have now taken on a post surgery fear and it was a success. I was so scared that my head would explode with the altitude and I would lose my clip. Well, I did great and my brain is still intact. So, I can fly!!!!

Well, this has been quite a rambling message. I will try and be better about blogging and will tell little things here and there about the journey.