Don't Forget!!

This is your opportunity to help us pay some medical bills! In all honesty, I really want to honor all of those who have worked so hard to make this yard sale happen and I want it to be a success! Apparently, the church gym is PACKED with stuff for the sale. Thank you all for your donations!!!! We are humbled and blessed by you.

COME SHOP and get a grrrreat deal! Baby stuff, clothes, housewares, furniture...everything!!

TOMORROW!

7am-1pm at Charleston Baptist Church, West of the Ashley.

For you Mt. Pleasant folks, It's that brown church that you can see from the end of 526, very close to Citadel Mall. :o) Here is a link for directions. http://www.scbaptist.net/charlestonbc/directions

Have fun shopping and thanks in advance!!

We're off to Disney in the morning WITH Zofran approved. What an answer to prayer!

Fundraiser, The Break, DISNEY, The Future...

REMINDER: THE YARD SALE/BAKE SALE IS THIS SATURDAY!! PLEASE COME AND SHOP!! And you can still drop off items tonight and tomorrow night.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your participation and thanks again to CBC for doing this for us.

Fundraiser for Forester

Charleston Baptist ChurchYard/Bake Sale

Saturday, May 30th7am-1pm

13 San MiguelCharleston, SC 29407

If you would like to donate items for the yardsale or goodies for the bake sale,

the drop off dates are as follows:

Wed, May 27th 6pm-8pm

Thurs, May 28th 6pm-8pm

Fri, May 29th 6pm-9pm

All items can be dropped off at Charleston Baptist Church during the drop off dates.
If you have donations but have no way of getting them to the church,
please contact Kevin at ram98@bellsouth.net.
He will be more than happy to schedule a pick up for you. He has a trailer!!!!



Well, we truly have enjoyed our month long break from chemo and so thankful that radiation is finished! I do confess that I thought our month would be back to "normal" and that hasn't been the case. It also hasn't been bad. Forester just hasn't felt as good as I had hoped. He's done a lot more sleeping in the last few weeks, still vomiting from time to time, and losing a bit of weight. He's had good bursts of energy and normal moments but then he'll get sick and it's a very real reminder that things are not normal and won't be for a while. I am not complaining - I hope I don't come off that way. Just trying to describe to you what our "break" has been like. On Saturday we embark on our week-long Make A Wish trip to DISNEY! We are all very excited and the boys can hardly wait! Please pray that Forester has lots of energy and feels well the entire week. Pray that he doesn't have any nausea or vomiting. Also pray that our insurance will approve an override that will allow Forester to receive more Zofran. Zofran helps so much with the nausea and vomiting & he needs to take it twice a day - at least. Our insurance only gives us 36 pills a month. Not nearly enough! We're going to try and run the prescription through again today. PRAY that it goes through. I want Forester to feel the best he can, especially in this next week.

What's next....
After we return, Forester will have an MRI on June the 10th, dr. visits on the 11th and 12th and most likely will start his 2nd phase of treatment on June 15th. This next phase will last 6 months. He will be admitted to the hospital for 4 days and recieve 2 new chemo drugs. He will recieve a different chemo drug (Vincristine, which he has been taking) 4 days later in clinic and then have the rest of the month off. This cycle will repeat every 28 days for 6 months. I'm sure I will post more details about all of that as we get closer to our start date.

So, this post is mainly just to ask you to pray. For the meds and for a great and safe trip for all of us. Pray that it truly would be enjoyable for all 5 of us and also Muzzy and Pop who are coming to help! We'll take LOTS of pictures!!

We love you and can't tell you how much your prayers and love for us mean! YOU ROCK!

Nicholas Jeremiah Goodyear-Brown

I have a new nephew! Nicholas was born on May 22nd, weighing 9lbs 6oz. The exact same weight as his older brother! Forrest and Paris, Sam and Madison are thrilled and so are we! I can't to meet him! Isn't he cute???

Life Changing Experiences Are Life Changing

Today is Memorial day and I have been thinking about how for most people, this means a day at the beach, or the lake or pool, and extra day to sleep in or spend time with family. All those things are great. But, it doesn't seem that too many of us really reflect on what this holiday means. Myself included. I'm guilty of not even knowing what holiday it is & might as well call it "3 day weekend". That's disgusting and I'm ashamed.

Having a child with cancer, living in the world of cancer, has changed my perspective on everything. I feel like up until the end of February I was walking through this world with my eyes closed. Oblivious to the real world around me. Ignorant to the things that really matter. It is unbelievable just how many people out there are fighting cancer or have loved ones fighting cancer. When I hear of this now, it's like something pierces my heart and I can't breathe. It stops me short. Cancer is not new. But, I swear it's everywhere and I just didn't notice before. How could I not have noticed?? Then I begin to think of just how fortunate we are to live in a country (that we Americans complain about constantly) that have hospitals that have CLEAN sheets and not only that but doctors who know what they're doing and can treat us. We have medicines available to us...cutting edge technology. I was brutally reminded of this luxury when a dear friend of mine who lives in another country described her trip to the hospital to get her 1year old daughter treated. She had to travel a couple hours to get there( no car seats by the way) , spent 8 hours at the hospital, sent to a exam room with a bloody sheet on the table, chased doctors around the building trying to get seen and in the end left with nothing. And here we are, mad if we have to wait too long to see a doctor or get our medications. Seriously? I daydream and wonder what the men and women who fought for our freedom, who sacrificed their lives so that we could live in this amazing place, what would they think if they were dropped down into 2009? Would they see an ungrateful people obsessed with Paris Hilton and Brangelina and be heartbroken and confused?

Life changing experiences are life changing. 3 months ago our lives were changed. It's hard but at the same time I can be thankful. Because we need to be changed. Our eyes need to be opened. I don't want to be the spoiled American. I don't want to be oblivious. I want to be thankful for this beautiful life and have compassion for those around me. I know I've only caught a glimpse of what I need to grasp but I challenge you to try and grasp it as well.

My complete gratitude and thanks for those who have fought for our freedom and those who continue to fight and the families who sacrifice in the process.