Happy Belated Birthday!!

Miss Megan turned 14 this week. What? How did she become 14 already??


This picture is a little old, but it shows Meg's personality soo much! She is full of life and loves to laugh. She is a little giggle box!

She is a tom-boy, but loves to get all "dolled" up, too. She has a great sense of fashion, and LOVES shoes!

She can be just as easily found out working on the farm as she can reading a book to a younger cousin.

She loves to cook.

She is a great friend.

She is an avid reader.

She also loves to write, and has been working on a story of her own. Her Language Arts teacher sent me an eamil a few months ago and told me that she loves to read Meg's journal entries... each one is like a little story of it's own.

She is athletic. She has played soccer since she was 4, and she can still outrun some guys she knows.

She has a great imagination.

She has a tender heart.

She wants to conquer the world! She has been unsure of what to do with her life because she has so many passions, but her grandpa is trying to convince her to be a vet. She has decided that she might like that idea. But she wants to be a chocolatier, author, wife and mother as well!

She has a real soft spot for animals of all sizes. A few years ago she tried to nurse a tiny kitten back to health, but when it died, my poor girl's heart was broken. She can herd cows like a pro, milk goats and cows, and manage her away around a barn yard with ease.

When she was born, she had firey red hair. With the help of a bottle she got it back! ;) It really does match her personality better than blond hair.

She is working hard to be a straight A student.

I love my Meg! Happy Birthday, baby!!!

We will be having her birthday party this weekend, so more pictures to post soon!

Been working...

On something! Had to change my header to post a sneak peek!

So thankful for Spring and warm weather!! :)

Public Service Announcement...

If you are 35, go get your baseline mammogram.

If you are 40+, get your yearly mammogram.

Also, do your monthly self exams.

Ok... off my soap box now. The rest of this post will get a bit personal and a bit blunt, so read at your own risk!

I must admit that I didn't follow my own advice for a long time. I didn't go get my baseline mammogram. I occassionally did self exams, but not regularly. I hit 40 last year, and I put off getting checked. And truthfully, that was really stupid on my part. My grandmother died of cancer... it started in her breasts and moved to her liver. Of course, this happened long before I was ever born, so I never saw her suffer through any of it. But still, there is a family history there that I should not have ignored.

I finally went and had my first mammogram about a month ago. A day or two later I was called to come back so they could get some more films on one side. I didn't think a whole lot about it since the tech had told me not to worry if I did get called back... around 50% of all first timers do. I asked them if I could put it off a few weeks until I was home for spring break, and they said yes.

I went in on Tuesday to get more films done, but as it turned out, they wanted to do an ultraound instead of another mammogram. That sent off warning bells in my head, but of course they couldn't tell me anything. They have to get the results to my doctor first, which they did the next day. I got a call bright and early on Wednesday morning that I needed to come in to see the doc. I ran by and grabbed Barry to go with me for moral support, and was so thankful I did. It turned out that I had an abnormal spot that showed up, and they couldn't tell what it was. They recommended that I get a biopsy, and thankfully they were able to get me in that day. Can I just say, the techs, nurses and radiologists at the
Breast Center at the Women's Pavillion are awesome!! So comforting and nurturing.

We didn't get the results until today, and thankfully we got the "All Clear". I have a fibroadenoma, which is a very common benign tumor. I have to be checked a little more often now, but I'll take it. I'm so thankful today! It's been a long week. My sweet hubby took the week off work to stay with me and help me keep my mind off of things. He's the best!! We celebrated today with a quick trip to Nashville and dinner at The Cheesecake Factory.

I love my family, and appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers on my behalf this week. I am truly blessed.