The word for 2009 is......

drum roll, please.............

FREE

A fellow blogger & very smart lady, I might add, came up with this idea in 2007. You choose one word that you can focus on, meditate on & reflect upon as you go about your daily life. It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is YOUR word, not your spuse's or child's or anyone elses.

So, you may wonder why I came up with the word FREE. It has nothing to do with becoming a coupon clippin' momma & scouring the weekly adds in an effort to come up with a total of FREE on my grocery bill. And I don't plan on entering every type of internet contest on a weekly basis to try to win something FREE. Since we all have dieting as a new year's resolution, I suppose I could try to buy items that are listed as fat FREE, but that's neither realistic nor fun. If you google FREE on the net, you come up with all sorts of things...free games, free videos, free clipart, free dating service...(free, really?), free access to websites that would make your eyes cross...for "free".

I chose the word FREE because it was the word in a phrase that changed my life in 2008. The words came from Dr. Maha Elkordy on July 14th. "Yes, you are cancer FREE". I was no longer a prisoner of cancer. I spent the remainder of 2008 living "FREELY", but true FREEDOM is what you do with what's been done to you. It's time that I take the hardships I've been through & help inspire others who are desperately seeking freedom. I'm more equipped now more than ever to put on my warrior suit and become a soldier in the battles of others. Freedom is the oxygen of the soul. Life is so full of noise...let go & be FREE.

Happy New Year!

I wouldn't be able to add posts to 2009 until I did the honorable thing & thanked 2008 for all of its blessings. I have a LOT to be thankful for, but here’s a brief list of reasons to give thanks…

Top 8 for 2008

1. January 25, 2008 – The day my world stood still & the day my eyes were opened to a new way of life.
2. The year my husband & I rediscovered each other.
3. The year my girls & I truly bonded.
4. The year I experienced so much love & kindness from perfect strangers.
5. The year Dr. Elkordy & Dr. Watters saved my life.
6. The year of MANY vacations!
7. The year I started blogging instead of just reading them.
8. The year the Sooners won the Big 12 Championship!

So, goodbye 2008 & welcome 2009! I pray that we all have a great year!

The Year was 2008

And boy has it been a long one. The everything in between has made me a stronger, more beautiful person. Cancer almost took my life, but it saved my life as well. I didn't go through it alone and would never have survived without support from people who have become much more than friends. They are my warriors and have fought this with me through constant prayers, hugs, emails and calls. As I've watched others fight this battle, some have not been as fortunate. I don't know why I've been spared the pain and suffering or why I'm still here, but I plan on finding the calling and doing whatever it takes to make the rest of my days worthy.

A good friend and fellow fighter sent me this quote...

"If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell." ~Lance Armstrong

I have hope and the strength to continue to fight like hell!

Exchanging Gifts with Auntie Kim & Uncle Jim

Emily, Auntie Kim, Megan & Me

The best gift of all was the new addition to the Metcalf family...
Welcome Oliver Maestro Metcalf Born November 6, 2008 Wilson, NC Came home to the Metcalfs December 23, 2008

Emily practicing the "sit" command

Steven & Eric could probably come up with a gazillion other things to do at this moment!

The girls aDORE this little puppy!

Christmas Eve

Kidscan Holiday Party @ Kim Ludovici's

A few of us from Kidscan decided to get together over the holidays. Kim was our gracious host. By the time we all took a look at the clock it was close to midnight & we hadn't taken any pics! As you can see, the kids were pretty silly at that point!

The Gift

Knowing the secret. (Not the book) Shortly before a friend of mine passed away, he whispered something profound in my ear. The secret to life is knowing what to do with our gift. I immediately pictured the gift that sits under the tree that no one wants to open. It doesn't have shiny paper or a big red bow. It's ugly...worn-like & 'cold'. Some don't want the gift because once you've been given the gift your life will never be the same. Our gift is cancer. It changes our life in a way that only WE know. Enclosed in the box with cancer are many mini gifts...the gift of strength...the gift of courage...the gifts of wisdom, hope, love & laughter. The gift of new friendships. We enjoy the sunrise like no other because it symbolizes another day that we've been 'gifted'. Additional time that we're given with our friends is a gift. I've never been exposed to a love & bond stronger than that from my husband & children...all because of my gift.

It may not have arrived in shiny paper & a big red bow, but it is truly the most beautiful gift that I have ever received. I am the luckiest girl alive because I know the secret.

What's YOUR favorite gift?