It's that time of year again and I am heading up the PAINT THE TOWN PINK PROJECT  during the WHOLE MONTH OF OCTOBER, benefitting MILES PERRET CANCER SERVICES! How can you help us raise a bunch of CASH???? https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paint-the-Town-Pink/140243369342955

Happy Times~

Life is finally feeling back to normal....This summer we went back to the beach! I love the beach. It always refreshes me and takes me away from the hum drum of regular life! Not all the kids were able to make it. Jacques Boudreaux made his entry into the world. Our family keeps on growing! LOVING IT!

Hello World, It's been a while!

March seems to always be transition month. And for the most part that is a great thing! My flowers are starting to bloom, I've (we've) cleaned out a few weeds.... but that dang spiritual garden is still full of pesky weeds! That soulful garden is the hardest one to keep blooming! Maybe if I would keep at it daily, instead of "Cram weeding"! That is why I love lent... Jesus hanging on the cross, constantly reminding me of His suffering! That he did ALL of that for me... and I think that giving up my coke fix, and going to a few extra masses could ever come close to being enough! For today I surrender to God all of my anxieties and concerns and thank Him for his love!

Today begins a harsh round of chemotherapy for a very good friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and there is, yet, another close friend awaiting the results from her lumpectomy. I used to think.... those poor people who have cancer, like I was NEVER gonna be one of them, and yet today I pray for my newly diagnosed friends, (that makes 3 out of 10 in my own little intimate supper club!) Now I find myself thinking, "WHO NEXT?" Not so rare, after all! I ask God to give them strength to make it through the difficult days, and pray that they are surrounded by loving friends and family, as they are lifted in prayer!

Today is also Maddie and Haley's 16th birthday. Look at their precious little baby pictures! Wow, that really flew by fast! They are fast becoming, beautiful young women, with poise and maturity (well MOST of the time! lol). I am so proud of their choices and dedication to being true to themselves! I admire their trust in the fact that usually God has a BETTER plan! They teach me a lot!

Bryan and Kristin have found out that the baby on the way is a BOY! He is due on the Fourth of July! His name will be Jacques! Love that good old french name!

AND!!!!!!! It's almost CRUISE time! Next Thursday, I will be ON A BOAT with the love of my life, getting some well deserved CHILL time! No laundry, no dishes, no work, just pleasure! AHHH! Although I will miss my kids, one thing I learned from my mom and dad's travel adventures, is that they always came back, renewed and happier than when they left... and they always brought me a little surprise! And I always survived their absence! Which reminds me of how much I miss my Dad now! As I watch my mom fade away a little everyday, as she too, misses Daddy, I try to hold on to the blessings of having had great parents. I never understood the love of parents until I was one myself! Happy March EVERYONE! Pray harder and WEED your garden!

great holidays

We just wrapped up the Christmas holiday. It was very enjoyable and I now look forward to my Faulk family all gathering here for New Year's Eve. We are planning a bonfire with guitar playing and singing, thanks to our most recently added family members, Matt and Wade. (both equipped with guitar capabilities and singing expertise!) This could really add a whole lot of fun to the Faulk Holiday Equation!

As I think about how blessed I am with family and friends, I have noticed that at times I carry a sense of uneasiness in my heart, like there is something lurking waiting to snatch my joy! (AKA the devil!) I recently had to endure a long awaited test result, that showed some abnormal STUFF... it all turn out okay, but my ability to trust seems to vanish when it comes to concerns of my health. And I have recently learned that the cancer of a new found YOUNG friend has returned, so I would ask that you all join me in prayer for a miracle for her! She has a strong faith and a desire to see her children grow up! She said her friend reminded her that we are all terminal! So we must get on with living now!

Life is certainly shifting, grandbabies bring us so much joy and laughter, while on a lower note, my mom is aging right before my eyes, and alzheimers is stealing her memory away a little more every day. She doesn't get out much, yet she still functions on a daily basis. I am grateful to have her next door which makes checking on her so much easier! She keeps saying she can't believe she lived to be 80, while her doctor reminds her that most 80 year olds have some form of dementia! She has a hard time accepting that. I keep telling her that the things she forgets, we will remember for her. The cycle of life is challenging, to say the least, but it is what it is! And most of it we can't change! What I try to remind myself to do is appreciate all that is good in my life and try not to complain about what is not right. This coming year may bring an assortment of wonderful experiences and then maybe some difficult ones too. Grant me the patience to deal with both! The New year is bringing us the grand opening of THE DESSERT DIVA, Blair's wish come true! (SO PROUD OF HER)... a new grandbaby on the way in July (Bryan and Kristin's news!), Ricky and I will go on a Cruise to Cozumel in March :), Maddie and Haley will be 16 and LICENSED DRIVERS! Lots of great things yet to come! What a glorious year we shall have!

Perspective!

My, its been a while! Life has certainly been full and hectic lately. Just finished a round of great check ups. That is always a relief! Have been feeling about as back to normal as I probably will get! Thank you GOD!

When I finally started feeling normal, I began to reclaim my old energetic spirit! So I brainstormed this local, Acadiana wide community fundrasier for the Miles Perret Cancer Services. It is a nonprofit, service center that caters to the needs of any cancer patient in our area! I, myself, have reaped the benefits of this wonderful place, where everything they offer is FREE, no charge to the patient! So Paint the Town Pink has kinda been my way of saying thank you! Many schools, businesses and individuals participated and it was deemed a great success. The donations are rolling in, so we don't have a tally yet of the actual amount. I had a goal of $10, 000 in my head, but I am certain without a doubt, that we exceeded that! It was quite a fun event and we will be certain to do it again next year! Above you can see my group of gal pals that helped me celebrate "pink style!" And then there is Audrey picking out her PINK DONUT!

I was also invited to participate in the Acadiana Breast Symposium, which included modeling in a style show, so if you know me well, I was all over that!!! I spent the whole day in the divine company of 29 breast cancer survivors and we were treated ever so royally that day. We were driven around in a limo, treated to a phenomenal meal, a hair and makeup appointment and bags and bags of goodies! It was a great day and as we were riding in the limo the women began to share their cancer stories, and up until that day, my own story was the only one I knew personally! I had always thought that losing my breast would be the ultimate horror of breast cancer, so when I was able to KEEP MY BOOBIES, and just have a lumpectomy and chemo and radiation, I felt relieved. As one of the ladies shared her CHEMO story, a young survivor said, "I can't even imagine the trials of chemo, I was so lucky to have JUST a double MASTECTOMY!" So... PERSPECTIVE, people, it is truly how each of us look at something! We create in our own head and our own mind what WE perceive the truth to be ! SO we can choose to view our "lot" how ever we want to see it. A life lesson for me, from way back, but especially since cancer, is to look at the glass HALF FULL...always, yes always! When I looked at each survivor, one of which was a 3o something year old mom, in stage 4 terminal cancer, and saw the LIFE that exuded them, I swore I would live, live, live life to the fullest. It was an amazing day! I was blessed to be a part of it! ...

Things are a little different around the house lately. WE have opted to take Haley and Maddie out of there normal high school setting. That decision being made after much prayer and a need to have them feel comfortable with each average day! They are presently being home schooled in a classroom setting, taught by a qualified teacher, (NOT ME!) They began in the middle of September and I am happy to report that it is going extremely well! It was a very difficult decision, yet we felt sure we were being led in the right direction! Life can be so challenging, especially when it comes to our kids, but I am certain my cancer experience makes these life choices much easier than they used to be! I am learning to trust that God is always leading us right where we need to be. Learning to make peace with the bumps along the way is getting a little easier every day! My God is a God of abundance who will never be outdone with his generosity! And I am learning to trust that! May God's abundant blessings be with all of you!

Sea World

As we exited the ramp after riding the Journey to Atlantis at Sea World, I was thinking how much fun it was and how grateful I am to be healthy enough to enjoy a family vacation! Really, so truly grateful to be able to do such fun things! We are enjoying a few days vacation in San Antonio at Bryan and Kristin's. Blanche and Matt came to meet us, so we are enjoying being with out Texas kids! Life is so good.... for today, at this moment, which is truly the most important time! Loving the MOMENT!

so the wedding has come and gone!

Wow, now that went quick! All that planning and all those details, now memories we must hold on to and treasure! It was all beautiful! Blanche was a beautiful bride! And the food and flowers were all phenomenal, thanks to my friends and family who all pitched in. Things always go well when they are rooted in love. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such a loving group of people God has placed in my life. My only regret was that we were limited in the number we could affordably accommodate. But that is life, always making compromises.

We have caught our breath again and are now planning a July trip to San Antonio to visit Bryan and Kristin, which will include a day at Sea World with the kids and an evening on the River Walk, as well as a Michael Buble concert for SOME of us! We usually always plan a beach trip, but had already planned the SanAntonio trip before the beach catastrophe! Am praying daily for all those affected by the oil spill. SO sad

Matt and Blanche have returned from their honeymoon, but we haven't had a long visit yet. They will be back here late tonight, in time to spend Fathers Day with Ricky tomorrow! Can;t wait to hear about their trip and see their pics!