TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2006 08:18 PM, CDT

Okay...for all the "old people" who go to bed early. I thought I would journal early tonight.
Today has been an awesome day! Emily started back to school. It was so cute seeing all of her friends. She had a wonderful day. Thank you Diana!
I had a really good day with Abby. I like spending time with just her. Mom and I cleaned the house some. I'm getting so spoiled. :-)
Amy, thank you for your post. LOVED the "bald" comment...too funny!
Thanks for the posts today....AWESOME! Thank you Heather and my sweet Mom Wood.
I'm starting to dread Monday. I know I shouldn't be looking that far ahead, but I do. I have felt so good this week. I hate not having energy, but it's part of it. I pray all those bad cells won't know what hit them.
I go for scans to see how the chemo is working two weeks after this next treatment. I pray all the tumors are shrinking and this is successful. I'm learning to trust Him completely. God has been so good through this though. I'm learning so much. I know I will not be the same person after this. Praise God!
For our light affliction, which is for but a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17
Thanks Mel for the lipstick. Abby throws everything in the trash including lipstick. We can't find a lot of things lately.
Stef, thanks for calling me today. It was just what I needed! Should I call you around 5:00 AM to see what your doing?
Teri, of course I want some beans and cornbread. Yummy!
Jonathan is playing football. We're so excited. For one thing it will give us a chance to see more of Deanna Clemmons! He is really enjoying it.
John is hanging in there. This whole process has taught us both that the little things we used to argue about aren't really all that important. I'm so glad we're going through this together.
See you tomorrow!
Blessings,
Kristina

MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2006 09:26 PM, CDT

Today was another good day. I had a lot of energy again and tried to take advantage of it.
I took the girls to ballet. We had my neice Macy with us as well. It was a lot of fun--until Macy waged war with us at nap time! You're welcome Kim! :-) No, it was really fun. We enjoyed having her. Emily had a blast playing with her cousin.
Teri and Kelly, no making fun of people hugging. I hug everyone:-) Kelly, I know you're laughing right now.
Amy, you are old...4 months older than me. I will never let you forget that! I'm so excited you're coming to visit. Everyone is looking forward to meeting you.
Mel, I'm glad you're back. I can't wait to see you in the morning. Mel, I love your mom. Teri, don't worry...I will definitely stop by and talk your ear off too.
Thanks for all the sweet posts. I love them.
Well, I must go see what John is mixing in the blender. I don't think I can drink an avocado smoothie this late.
Please continue to pray for my mom. What a blessing she is to us. The girls adore her.
Keith, I thought you were taking me out for Chinese this week. I'm still waiting!
Blessings,
Kristina

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2006 01:09 PM, CDT

Hello my fellow saints! I loved seeing my church family today and loved the sermon. It was so uplifting and exactly what I needed to hear. It was great to see you there Claire. Our church family already adores you!
Claire, I'm going to bring you some Ambien if you don't start sleeping. No comments on the side effects to that.
Kae, make sure all pictures are approved through me before being posted. :-) I don't want to worry about the way I looked after giving birth, doing something stupid off of a diving board (Stef what were we thinking!), etc., etc. Teri is not allowed to have a camera at the pool anymore. Teri, I will kill you. Amy, I better not see any pictures you have on this site.
As most of you know by now, I got a new wig yesterday. I had it on today. It is much more comfortable and natural looking than any of my others.
Thank you all for being so encouraging to me about my hair. You have no idea how much it helps. I still like the hats much better.
Pat, thank you for the sweet post. I'm will be praying for you and I'm asking everyone reading this to pray for you too. Pat has lung cancer and has completed one round of chemo. Pat, I loved the hats you bought. You're going to look GREAT!
Thank you Claire for putting up the curtains on my door. They look great. You are so selfless in caring for me.
Mel, thank you for continuing to keep me in the front of your mind even when you're on vacation. I love your post! Be safe coming home. Nancy (Mel's mom), I can't keep Mel straight. :-) Isn't it amazing how much your daughter loves the Lord?
Nancy (John's mom), thank you for your sweet messages to the girls and your posts. We miss you guys. Hopefully we can see you in the fall when you get finished with your trip.
Jennifer, THANK YOU so much for lunch today. It was delicious. When are you going to teach me to cook like that?
Lisa, my mom and I love the cookbook you gave me today. This is the stuff I want to eat!!!!
I loved the poems and scripture you guys post. What an encouragement.
I'm off to put Em down for a nap. I look forward to seeing everyone at church tonight.
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1Peter 5:7
Blessings,
Kristina

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2006 11:03 PM, CDT

I had a lot of energy today. Emily, Stef, Matthew, Samuel and I went to the "jumpy place" in Hermitage. It was a lot of fun. Thank you Stef! The air hockey was great. You are so competitive! Let's do best two out of three! :-)
John and I went to the Chinese Buffet (I guess the raw food diet went out the window tonight) with Kelly and Daniel tonight and then made our way over to Target until they kicked us out. Thank you both for lending an ear and loving us. We are so thankful! It was great to spend time with you.
Thank you Keith and Jenni for watching the girls tonight. What a blessing. It really does mean a lot to us. You allowed us to have a really wonderful time. Keith, are you up for that weekly? Jenni, thank you for the chicken salad and pumpkin roll. YUMMY!
Today was a little up and down for me emotionally. Seems like that's sort of my pattern lately. I know it's just part of the deal. God has been and I know will continue to be faithful to get me past all of my difficult times. I am so glad I am in His hands.
Okay Daniel, I don't want to hear your excuses for not being able to record the song. I'm looking for solutions! Just kidding. I really appreciate your willingness to do the song. You will do a great job. Brian Snow, thank you for working on the recording part of it.
I continue to be humbled by all of your prayers, acts of generosity and encouragement. I love you all so much! I've noticed that there are literally hundreds of you visiting each day. You've all asked me what you can do to help me. Other than pray, really the best thing you can do is just drop a little simple message to me on this board. It is so uplifting!
Finally, I want to give a special thanks to Kae for updating and maintaining kristinascalling.com. It looks awesome! And thanks for picking the apples today and spending time with Stef and me. It was a lot of fun.
Mel, be careful and have a great time! Get ready for some fun in the sun next week! Just ask Teri about the spanking she needs.
Grandma Schlegel, Emily tried to call you! She is missing her grandma. Thanks for the popcorn money!
Tara, thanks for the sweet post and yes all my friends are completely nuts! I don't know what I would do without them. Love you guys.
Blessings,
Kristina

THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2006 08:34 PM, CDT

Wow! Laura Jensen Walker signed my guestbook! Now my heroes are posting! Thank you so much for taking the time to do that Laura. It means so much to me.
I went to Stef's today. It was like old times. Did we even do anything but talk? :-)
My trip to the oncologist today was good. My white blood cell count was great. That's a huge blessing. Also, we found out that it is probably not in my best interest to do the totally raw food diet that we were introduced to by Dr. Rawdon. I just have to find the correct system for me. The oncologist was really concerned that I may lose weight if I don't eat more bulky foods. We'll figure something out. I'll be more conscious of what I eat now for sure. John still has me drinking all that juice:}
Thank you SO MUCH to Becky Montgomery for the food. It was delicious. The whole family loved it. The girls loved the cupcakes!
Thank you Tina Angle for the Panera Bread Company goodie sack! What an awesome surprise! We will be enjoying that for days! It was great to catch up with you. I really enjoyed the company. You looked too cute tonight!
Claire--what can I say? You are an angel to me. First you surprised us with the beautiful song. I knew you were talented but WOW! How do you not have a recording contract? Then you went with me today to keep me company and give me comfort when I needed it. You are such a blessing to my family and me.
Kelli, thanks for all my sweet gifts last night.
Kelly and Daniel, I'm looking forward to our date night. No kids....what will we do?
Teri, I'm going to spank your bootie and you know why. Seriously....thanks for organizing all the food. My church family is AWESOME!
Mel, thanks for noticing my eyes. I learned it from the best....YOU! I miss all my MK sisters.
Kae, just know I would totally tell you if you had spinach in your teeth. I just thought you were doing something crazy with the site. Thanks for all you do.
I loved all the posts today. I love all the scripture you guys post. Keep posting!
I hope everyone has an awesome Friday.
Blessings,
Kristina

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 09, 2006 05:08 PM, CDT

Today was an AWESOME day! I have felt great all day. I'm going to church tonight. I can't wait to take my little Cubbie to her class. Kristie, I loved the picture of your little Cubbie Hannah.
Thank you so much Karen for giving Emily such a wonderful day. You did too much, but thank you. Also, thank you for dinner tonight. I went out to cook a casserole and you made it. I'm cooking it now. I heard from Stephanie that it is delicious.
Thank you Barry and Becky Switzer for making my husband's day with your sweet post. John, did you even work today or did you just call all your friends and tell them Barry posted on this site?
Well, you guys did it.....5000! GREAT JOB!
Mel, have fun this weekend! I will work on Stef and Teri while your gone. They will tell.
I meet with my oncologist tomorrow. Claire is going with me. I'm going to run my new diet by him and see what he thinks. The only thing I think he will be concerned with is keeping my weight up. Michelle, I'm with you on the weight thing. I can't believe I'm actually having people pray for me to gain weight.
Claire, my mom wants us to have Edie over to return the favor. We're thinking lots of chocolate. John and I put them both straight in the tub. The girls had a great time...thanks for having them over.
I'm heading to church!
Blessings,
Kristina

TUESDAY, AUGUST 08, 2006 06:58 PM, CDT

Today was a good day. John and I made the trip to Hohenwald to see Dr. Rawdon. It was easy to see he is a man of God and truly cares about people. He is also very smart and makes a lot of Biblically-founded points about how our bodies were made and why a certain type of nutrition makes sense for us. He also supported me doing chemo.
Long story short we were cautiously optimistic about what we heard. It would be a HUGE commitment to do everything he suggested. We're still debating on some of it but will no doubt make some serious changes to our diet. All in all it was a great trip and a good relaxing day with John.
I came home to a clean house. Thanks again mom! You are such a huge blessing.
Lisa Herd--where do I start? You made so much food for us! We just finished eating. It was delicious! Thank you Alan for coming over as well. That was good for John. You've both been so good to my family since the beginning of this journey. THANK YOU!!
I have to go start juicing. If Dr. Rawdon has it his way I''ll need about 50lbs of fruits and vegetables to get this done. I'm off to eat my fresh pineapple Kim:)
Teri, loved the snorting! Can you make cornbread with flour:)?
Mel, I will be alone with Stephanie and Teri this week. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON! They will tell!!!!
I have to say a HUGE thank you to Kae. She keeps this site going! Kae, we all love you. Thanks for your post today. I love Compassion. John and I need to do a better job of writing and praying too. Thanks for reminding me of that awesome ministry.
I'm going to end this here tonight so you'll all have time to read Nancy Wood's guestbook entries. ;-) Seriously--thank you Nancy for your awesome support. You have no idea how much I needed that today.
Oh....THANK YOU for all the cards and letters. You guys have no idea how much they mean to me. I'm keeping all of them.
Keep posting. I love it!!!!
Blessings,
Kristina

MONDAY, AUGUST 07, 2006 09:19 PM, PDT

Today was good day. I felt pretty good today. Kim and I took the girls to dance. It was so sweet. She did try to poison me with "manager's special" pineapple! ;-)
Teri, a.k.a. Paula Dean, the mexican casserole and pinto beans were awesome! My family loved it. Kim and I had a great time visiting with you today. You are so much fun!
We had a chance to play Catch Phrase as a family after dinner. It was so much fun to just kick back and enjoy family like that. On the days when I feel good I just value those moments so much. Today was really a fun day.
Tomorrow John and I will drive down to Howenwald, TN to see Dr. Rawden--a nutritionist specializing in cancer treatment. I am going to need the best nutrition possible during and after this treatment to keep my body strong. Thank you to all of you who recommended this man. I'll keep you posted as to how it goes.
Thank you to Jeff Hoemann in Tulsa--a good friend of John's. John said he really had a great conversation with you tonight Jeff. He also mentioned how much you and Alicia have been thinking about us and praying for us. It means a lot.
And thank you to all of John's family and friends for continuing to support him with your prayers, e-mails, letters, voice mails and conversations. I need him to be strong right now and you're all helping him so much. Thank you!
I hope everyone is having a good week.
Blessings,
Kristina

SUNDAY, AUGUST 06, 2006 03:40 PM, CDT

Stef and Teri to the rescue! Today started out very promising. I made it to church and was really enjoying it but then became weak and nauseated and ended up in the ladies room. Stef and Teri came to my aid immediately. It was actually very funny. Teri gave me crackers. Then the next thing I know Stef had me in the car and we were off to Kroger for Mylanta and some goodies. Stef, I felt better after eating most of that cake. You two are such a blessing and too funny! Thank you both for your immediate action today and your tireless unselfishness toward me.
I have a huge praise and a huge THANK YOU for Lisa Herd today. Emily was telling us a detailed story of Moses today at lunch. What a way you have of connecting with her Lisa! She loves you so much and I SO appreciate your spending the time and energy to teach her God's Word. It will have an eternal impact on her for sure.
We had a full buffet for lunch today thanks to you guys! Thanks for the yummy casserole Lisa and Ella Mae. Thanks for the pasta Erin. We finished it off today! Thank you for the pot roast Stef. You know I like that roast beef! Thank you so much!
Also, thank you to Dean and Valerie for the Mexican food last night. It was great to see you guys again. We've missed you! Can't wait to get together again soon.
Nancy, Emily is really missing her Grandma. We may have to have you come in on an emergency Target run!
I think I'm going to play it safe tonight and stay here. I'm so tired of this! As much as I know God is in control and I just want to glorify Him through this process, it's just hard at times. I want everything to be normal again physically. I know next week will be better as this chemo gets out of my system. I'm hoping I can have two full weeks of "feel good." Please pray that my energy level will improve quickly and that I'll have as much time as possible to be active before I have to go back for another round of chemo.
Please pray for Abby as well. She is still battling this virus and has been uncomfortable, sniffly and coughing for much of the last two days. We're praying that today is the last day.
Pray for my mom as well. She is not complaining at all about the incredible workload she's taken on but I know it must be wearing her out. She won't have it any other way though. She so understands my needs and concerns and I'm so thankful I get to spend this special time with her. Love you mom!
Okay...Mel, I want to know what is going on. I will get it out of Stef. I think she was starting to break down yesterday. I will work on her this week. Claire, what can I say? I don't deserve a neighbor like you. What a blessing you and Kyle have been to us. Tell your husband John needs a "Kyle fix" again soon. Thank you so much for yesterday. LOVE the cupcakes!
Nancy (Mel's mom), thank you so much for your posts. I love hearing stories about you and Mel's dad. Everyone knows Melissa is a good story teller....meow. Mums the word Mel.
Kelli, I hope to see you and your sweet family at Grace again. We all want some of those hair bows!
Okay...Mary Ann and Tina, when are you guys coming over? I miss our talks. I have no idea what is going on in your family. Thats right...Randy and Tina, Mary Ann kept me posted on you guys.
Keep posting! I love to hear from everyone.
Blessings,
Kristina

SATURDAY, AUGUST 05, 2006 05:46 AM, CDT

Okay...I'm learning you can go on very little sleep the week of chemo. I'm up early and I'm feeling pretty good. I pray today is a good day.
Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27:14
Thank you Keith for coming and hanging out with us last night and loving on Emily and Abby. Emily has at least 20 more books for you to read to her when your up to it. How did you like my new look? Kim says I look more like you now. hee hee
Okay...I can't believe all my old friends that are on this guest book. Thanks for the posts. Michelle, your such the traveler. Thanks for checking in on me. I'm praying I can come see you in October for the OU/TX weekend. Also, my friend Amy from Houston is coming in September. I can't wait for everyone to meet her. Amy, you know I'm going to have you cooking the whole time. Do you still have that cookie recipe?
Stef, Mel and Claire, are having a MK party on my behalf today. You guys are awesome! Claire, I saw that your lights were on late and I know you were getting your house ready for today. THANK YOU! I can't wait to see how it goes. Stef, make sure you tell them if they need more make up:) I look forward to seeing you later.
Kristie, I don't know what your talking about with me taking my children to the doctor all the time. Okay...so the Dr. office knows me and the girls on a first name basis and I don't have to say my last name when I call. Is that not how all your Dr. offices are?
Thanks for praying for Abby. She is feeling a lot better. I think we finally got her to sleep around 12:00AM this morning. Who said that Ibuprofen and Tylenol makes them tired?
I hope everyone has a good weekend. I hope to get out today. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement.
Blessings,
Kristina

FRIDAY, AUGUST 04, 2006 03:19 PM, CDT

Today has been a little tough. I've been really weak and tired. Abby is feeling a little better so that is a blessing.
Keith, I am definitely going to take you up on Chinese next week. I also need to get a picture of that opal. Who said you were the good looking sibling?? I may be bald, but Steph said "bald is beautiful"!!!
Okay girls, what are you up to? I'd better not see any bald heads!! Teri, you know you can't keep a secret from me. I will find out! Kae, I'm waiting patiently for every hair to be replaced. I wonder what color my hair really is?
I'm looking forward to next week and feeling better. I can't wait to have some fun in the sun. Thanks for all your sweet posts.
I hope everyone has a good weekend.
Blessings,
Kristina

THURSDAY, AUGUST 03, 2006 08:29 PM, CDT

Hello to everyone. Today was a good day. I just rested most of the day. This treatment has been so different from the first one. I'm really weak and tired, but at least I'm not in bed all the time. I can do this!
Abby is not feeling well at all. She still has a fever. My mom has been awesome. I don't think Abby has been put down all day. We're trying so hard to keep her away from me, but she wants mommy too. I've been washing my hands like crazy. I just pray I don't get what she has.
Thank you Kim for taking care of Emily today. I really needed the rest.
THANK YOU Michelle for dinner. It was DELICIOUS!
Stef and Mel, I have no idea what you guys are doing with my MK, but thank you! You guys are such a blessing. Stef, where do I start? You have had so much put on your plate and you're handling it without any complaint. Thank you for giving so freely of yourself. I'll never forget it.
I really missed being at church last night. It was especially hard since it was Emily's first night in Cubbies. She is so excited! She talked about it all day and night. Thank you Michelle and Diana for making that so special for her.
That's been one of the hardest parts of this...being away from my church family. I can't wait to get back.
John juiced carrots and apples tonight. Can you believe I'm drinking it?! It is definitely not my favorite but I'm just trying to do everything I can to keep my body strong. I've also gained a couple of pounds over the last few days which is a HUGE praise!
I also want to thank all of you for continuing to pray for opportunities for me to share my faith whether it's verbal or just through action during this process. I don't always feel strong but I know that God will come through for me in those moments. I look forward to more of them.
I hope to post again in the morning.
Blessings,
Kristina

THURSDAY, AUGUST 03, 2006 11:55 AM, CDT

Well, today is a good day! I'm still really weak, but I feel good. I was able to drive Emily to my sister's house this morning. I loved spending some time with her.
Abby woke up with a fever. My mom took her to the doctor and she has a viral infection. I can't hold her and we are trying to keep her away from me as much as possible. This is so hard.
Thank you all so much for the sweet posts. I love hearing from all of you. Thanks for all your prayers. My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor 12:9
I hope everyone has a wonderful day! I will keep you posted.
God bless,
Kristina

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 02, 2006 05:23 AM, CDT

I'm up early. This treatment has been a little tough. I thought I would have a few days before I started to feel this way.
I love having some quiet time before the girls get up. Yesterday was hard too, but God has been good. He gives me comfort when I need it. He knows how much I can endure. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, say the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11.
Thank you all so much for all your sweet guest book posts. I want to e-mail everyone of you in person and thank you. I love to read my guest book. Also, thank you to everyone who sends me cards. It was just what I needed yesterday.
Please pray for my mom. She is taking such good care of my sweet girls. She is such a blessing to all of us.
Thank you Mitzi for our anniversary cake. It was delicious and beautiful. Thank you for having it made in our wedding colors. That was a BIG surprise. Thanks for hanging out with me and playing with Em and Abby. Emily talked about her new friend Mitzi all night.
I will keep everyone up to date on how I'm doing. Thank you for all your encouragement and support.
God bless,
Kristina

TUESDAY, AUGUST 01, 2006 04:29 PM, CDT

Well, I went and had "the shot" this morning. It wasn't bad at all. My favorite nurse was there and she made it as pain free as possible.
I'm really weak and tired today. Melissa, I'm drinking a ton! The ladies I met yesterday really encouraged me to drink a ton of water. I'm doing it. Please continue to pray for all the women I met yesterday.
Thank you John for taking me this morning. I loved spending some time with you. Happy Anniversary! I can't believe we've been married 8 years. I love you so much.
Thank you to everyone who is praying. I pray this week goes by quickly and my side effects are minimal. I wish I had more energy. This part is really hard for me.
Thank you so much mom for all you do for the girls.
Nathalie, thank you so much for taking Emily today. Tell your Emilie thank you for playing with her. Also, I heard Anna played with her as well. Thank you for giving her a good day. She hasn't stopped talking about it. Also, thank you for dinner and tell Darrin...I LOVE THE BISCUITS!
Also, thank you David, Diane, Grandma, Dewitt, Linda, Dusty, Erica, Randy and Debbie for the HUGE basket of goodies. This should put the weight on me.
Keep posting. I love to read my guestbook.
God bless,
Kristina