Rascal Flatts

What a blast!  Schylar called Miranda and me this afternoon and asked if we wanted to go to a concert.  Of course we said yes.  She had free tickets through her work.  So we went and saw...
KELLY PICKLER AND RASCAL FLATTS!!!!  It was amazing.  It was the second time we have seen Rascal Flatts.  They are amazing entertainers and musicians.  the night was perfect.  Breezy, cool, and clear.  it was so much fun.
I have a new appreciation for Rascal Flatts and their charity efforts.  They are so involved, especially with cancer.
Again, people are probably asking why I would put this on a cancer blog.  Well, to "fight it, survive it," you have to live!  Living in so much more than enduring.  It's experiencing!  It is finding in yourself the will and desire to live.  it's finding the reasons to have happiness.  it's the enjoyable things in life that are worth living for.  I love music.  I love Miranda.  I love fun.  So this concert was right up my alley of things to enjoy!
Find those things that you enjoy, and don't let them pass you by!

Somber Realizations

Sometimes, when we think about something in the most simple of terms, we can scare ourselves!  I was thinking today of the process I am going through of chemotherapy.  It's weird to think that as I am getting poisoned every other week, my sweet wife is sitting there, watching me slowly die.  I wonder how she feels when she sees me hooked up to this stuff.

It's seems so ironic to me that I have tried to take exceptional care of my body for my whole life, and now it is my physical body that is failing me, and through which I am having my hardest test.  it makes me realize the blessings that come from, and through, the physical nature that we enjoy.  It makes me think of the miracle of the eternal nature of the soul, the physical body combined with "the breath of life."

Granddad Fly

Today was the funeral for Lewis Talmage Fly, Miranda's grandfather.  I never really knew him because he had been sick for a long time, even before Miranda and I started dating.  But we watched some family videos where I actually heard his real voice for the first time.  it was good to see.
The service was nice.  Miranda and i sang together "I Know that My Redeemer Lives."  It was an honor to sing and share testimony of the reality of the resurrection.
Days like this make one reflect on their own mortality.  It's something that nobody can escape.  This theme is something that has taken on new meaning for Miranda and me.  Every week we go into chemo, meeting new people, knowing that my prognosis is much better than most in there.  Some might not be coming back the next week!  It really makes us think how short and sweet life is, and what are the most important things in life - faith, family, friends, love, service, just to name a few.
We all have heard the quotes about making the most out of life.  but how many of us actually understand the quotes and practice what they teach?

Oceanfront Hilton Weekend

We have such great friends.  Bruce Thompson, a former employer and friend, owns a bunch of properties at the Oceanfront.  I went in one day and talked to him about some business, and we started talking about his son, Josh, who has ALS (I worked on Grommet Island for Bruce).  He then asked me what I have been up to, and I told him about the cancer.  He then offered for Miranda and me to stay at one of his hotels for a weekend, and just take time to relax and reflect, and enjoy time together.  It was very nice of him.
So this weekend, that is what we did.  Miranda and I went down to the Oceanfront Hilton and stayed there for the weekend.  It was amazing!  the weather was perfect.  the service, even better.
We ate at one of his restaurants, where we tried a lot of different foods.  It was lots of fun.

This is the view from our room.  AMAZING!  What a beautiful creation!

Family and friends are so important.  I don't know where I would be, or how I would be handling all this without them, especially Miranda.  What a strength.
Another thing that i am learning, is that you can't put life on hold just because of trials.  It's important to get out and have fun.  do things.  Experience life.  If you put everything on hold just so you can endure the trial, you are going to miss out on so many opportunities!

Happy Birthday Toosh! A Miracle Has Occurred...

Yes, we call her "Toosh."  It's a nickname that Ryan and I started for her in high school when we were in the same chorus class, and it just kinda stuck!  But today is her her birthday.  Laura is one of the most fiercely loyal people I know.  We tease her about giving the "in laws" a hard time when they first come into the family, but nobody is more loyal to family than she is.  i love you laura!  hope you had a great day!

My day was great!  In fact, this day was a miracle!  I had chemo today.  But before I did, I met with Dr. Lee, who reviewed the results of my last PET Scan with me.  He walked in the door, and said nothing, but, "Great news.  the cancer is gone!"
What an amazing sentence!  I knew that I would hear that eventually.  I just wasn't prepared for how quick I would hear it.  A true miracle and answer to prayers from countless people.
After Dr. Lee, I got hooked up for another poison injection.  While we did that, Miranda shot the news out on our family blog, facebook, and we began calling everyone.  the congratulatory responses were quick to come.  We have such amazing family and friends!  thank so much to all!
So I sat there in chemo, getting poisoned, feeling horrible, but feeling great and grateful for this new news.  It's nothing short of a miracle that I am cancer free!

I DON'T HAVE CANCER ANYMORE!