Celebrating Life Cancer Free!



I've mentioned that I work with some amazing ladies (and gents). :) Well, to offer proof I thought I would enclose some pics from today. Jackie carries many titles, some of the most important being wife, mother, daughter, friend. However, it's also worth mentioning that she, too, is a hospice nurse & cancer survivor. She oriented me when I came on staff and I saw very quickly how much our patients loved her. They welcomed her into their homes' like family; she'd love, kiss and joke around with them like she was nothing less. Jackie was diagnosed with breast cancer when her boys were very little but in spite the fear, the chemo treatments, and the sickness, she continued...to hope, believe, pray and live one day at a time. With a bald head, and a smile, she'd do her visits. I may be slightly biased but, truly, isn't she amazing?

5 Years ago, to date, Jackie received her diagnosis. To celebrate how far she's come, & the sheer gift and blessing of life, she decided to donate the hair from her first cut in 5 years by giving it to locks of love. We gathered together today at Design Studio to cheer her on.


Jared does the honors and makes the first cut! (sorry it's blurry-I came in just as he was about to do it so I fumbled around to get the shot...and you can tell!)


Locks of Love donation


The full celebrity treatment from Sam


Hot mama flip flops to go with hot mama hair!


Jared gives her a kiss


Sam, the stylist, and Jake and Jared


Love you, Jackie! You're amazing, my friend!
Cheers! ;)

Sissy and I : Celebration of Life

So, I've been out of the loop for a while! My goodness, have things been busy!! I know I'm disconnected when I get phone calls checking to see if we're still breathing...or, just as amusing, threatening our lives if we don't call back. The latter approach has proved to bring about the quickest turn around time. :)

Let's see...updates. Home improvement projects have been kicking our butts. We have found lots of little things to update before tackling the big stuff--like landscaping the side of the house. It never fails that the seemingly simple, undaunting tasks turn into gigantic headaches when all is said and done. Nonetheless, it feels good to walk around and see some progress.

Last night we had our annual Celebration of Life. It's such an amazing night. Not only do we get to see families of patients that we miss but I also always find myself looking at the people I work with, feeling completely grateful for who they are. We are soooo different; seriously, in every possible way we are different. There is not one person in our team who is like the other and our differences amuse and entertain us constantly. We laughed a lot last night--the kind of laughter that stops all other conversation in a room while people turn to see what's so funny. The kind of laughter that makes people lose their fake lashes. Sooo funny. It was good to laugh; to celebrate; and to have genuine peace with the families of those patients who have passed away. Dont get me wrong, we did the ugly cry a time or two also, but as I drove home I was full of this happy sort of peace. Sissy and I were volunteered by our cohorts to get up and talk for a few minutes during the service. As is typical Meg's, I was full of nerves but thankfully, they quickly passed as I looked out into the faces in the room. It really felt like family. I told a couple of stories: one about our youngest patient from this past year and one about one of our oldest. On my left arm, I wore a bracelet made for me by the little girl. Her parents were sitting almost directly in front of the podium and it was so good to be able to look them in the eyes and tell them what a ministry they had in their home. Strongest, most amazing parents I have ever known. And that little girl? She is riding a horse in heaven, I'm certain. That's exactly where she told us she would be.

A few photos attached of my hospice ladies.

giving patty a little love


Marlene and Connie





Kyle has the coolest job ever.

Guess who else might be headed to Africa?
I know I just got back. I know I shouldn't be jealous. But while some of us have to fill out applications, search the internet for possible opportunities, and pay lots of money to go, kyle gets these amazingly incredible opportunities that seem to fall straight from heaven.

He'll know much more at the end of the week but if you have a minute, check out this video that tells a bit about who he'd be working with: horizon video. The website for this agency is www.horizoninternationalinc.com

There's so much going on in our hearts since my trip so I can't even put into words how exciting just the mere possibility of all this is!

We'll let you know what happens!

It's the day before Easter and the weather here is crazy. As I was leaving the house this morning, the driveway was covered with white patches of snow and deep purple patches of flower blossoms from our trees. Our irises that were just about to bloom appear to have bitten the dust. Not my fault this time!! We even kicked back with a fire in the fireplace this afternoon.

Tonight we had dinner at Jim and Karen's. I'm beginning to know my way around their kitchen and they don't mind if we 'make ourselves at home'. At any given moment throughout our evening together there were kids running through the house-shrieking with laughter in pursuit of the new puppy or cat; a fire crackling; music serenading; coffee brewing; a dog barking; & adults conversing around the kitchen table. the makings of family. Tonight as we were getting to know a new couple for the first time, we all asked lots of questions to one another. I could listen to people's story's all night long. Especially these people. We laughed a lot and I learned a great deal about where each person comes from. Sometimes I wish I could not say a word; only listen. Do you ever feel like your story will bore people to tears? :) I feel that way sometimes. (and no, I do not need anyone's encouragement--I know we all have our stories...blah, blah, blah...but you've felt this way, too, at some point-I'm sure!) Tonight? Tonight, when conversation began to grow roots, I had this overwhelming and perplexing feeling that I was going to cry. Right there at the table, seemingly, for no reason! I almost couldn't talk--and I was not about to tear up around new people for fear that I'd acquire some sort of 'unstable' label from this day on. :) It was all I could do to answer a few questions-and distractions, like a barking dog or inquisitive children were a relief. It gave me a few seconds to re-group. Even when we got in the car and were driving home, the lump was still in my throat. Hormones? Fatigue? Or fear? I could probably make a case for all three but I think tonight I felt what happens when walls come down, chip by chip.

"Today is Friday, but Sunday's coming." We've been quoting that a lot in our office this past week. It's a phrase dripping with hope and truth. One Friday, the only one in history that truly matters, Christ hung on a cross and the weight of his death must have hung, so thick and oppressive in the air. But Friday had to be everything that it was, so that Sunday would come as promised.

With new life & fresh hope for those who believe.
happy easter sweet friends and family!


Happy Birthday Grandma!



just a little update.

It feels like summer in this part of the world: All the trees are blossoming (including the mean poison ivy that grabbed me by the ankle and plagued me for a couple weeks) & the birds have resumed their place on our bird feeders. We've been outside tonight pulling weeds with the hope of doing some serious landscaping in a week or two. I always miss our neighbor Rachel this time of year; I wonder if she'd be happy to see us outside in her garden or mortified at what it's become, despite our best efforts.

Kyle is loving his work. He's been consistently busy with all kinds of different projects. I'm thankful. For many things, but mostly for who he is, for where we've been and where we are today. He also does a mean rendition of the song 'unwritten'-which wows me into...hmmm, shall we say, awe? every time. :)

We are, once again, house hunting. Brace yourselves, I think this time, it's for real. :) I was all set to settle in to our little home for a couple more years but after lots of discussion, we are checking out what's on the market. We want to get our house ready with updates and landscaping over the next 2-3 months and then, we'll see what happens. It's exciting! Lots of dreaming and planning...I like to live "in my head" so I LOVE running around and looking at homes. One thing we've realized as we've driven around, is that we are finally completely on the same page!! I know. AMAZING.

Work for me, continues to be my heart. It was a sad week last week-we've lost a lot of patients recently who meant a lot to us. They brought in a counselor one night last week just to have a debriefing session with our team. It was nice to hear my co-workers thoughts. No longer is turn over a big problem; no longer are there any significant conflicts. I feel like we've really grown as a team...and it's satisfying to go through work with a group of people I respect so much.

Church is becoming a more real, significant part of our lives. (I know I talk about my faith and church and God a lot and if I'm redundant, I apologize. But I'm afraid I can't promise to stop because there's bound to be more, it's such a reflection of where we are right now.) I wish I could articulate what I see/feel happening in and around me but I'm still mulling it all over. On Sunday, John mentioned that this summer we will be encouraged to really dig deep into the lives of people in our community. My stomach flutters even as I type. I want so desperately to be challenged in that way. Sure, I could go there on my own; but the truth is, I haven't.
It's time.

And so there you have it.
Our life in a few paragraphs.
We hope all is well on your end!