When you think a fastball is coming, you gotta be ready to hit a curveball...Wow, how true is this? I think back to just a few months ago and never saw this one coming.  Rick has cancer and it has pervaded every area of our lives...it just seeps in without being invited. Rick's faith is unshakable and knows he will be healed, that this is just a process to walk through. But it is a process...chemotherapy, radiation, blood count checks, nausea meds, and pure exhaustion. He has never had to deal with something like this before and really doesn't know how to act, not feeling good enough to mow the yard or clean the garage. A process. One day at a time, literally, hanging onto the Lord and his promise.

New Journey

We are beginning a new journey today. Rick was just diagnosed with cancer. We are believing that God will heal him 100% and remove every cancer cell from his body. Please join us in this prayer. We know that God brought us here for a reason and apparently, part of that, will be to have access to MD Anderson.

Finally Settling In...

I think we are finally settling into a routine. I finally found a good dry cleaners, which was driving me crazy to pay $5 a garment when I paid $2 in Mansfield. 

Matt will be heading back for Spring Training at the end of the month so our house will be really quiet. We have loved having him here, in spite of him beating us terribly in pool. He is really good...how do you get to be good at pool I wonder?  He is looking forward to playing ball again. He has spent his time giving lessons for boys 9-12 and has really enjoyed that. We are hoping to get to Phoenix to see him during Spring Training. One blogger has ranked him 93 of the top 200 minor league Dodger players...see this link but scroll down to find #93. http://www.truebluela.com/2012/1/25/2728320/dodgers-2012-minor-league-countdown-100-91


I can't believe it has been almost 6 months since we moved here. The time has really gone by fast, especially since our family and friends have visited us! We love having you here and look forward to it, honestly. It is a blessing to us.

Christmas at the Sheltons

As I was putting up all of my trees, I realized, I won't get to spend much time with my friends and family during the holidays. That was a rude awakening! I guess I never really thought about it this summer when I knew we were moving. Christmas is the best time to be with my friends, not about gifts, just spending time and laughing and relaxing. The Lord has blessed me with incredible friends, and I miss them greatly. They are some of my best gifts in life!

I took a few photos of the house for those of you that asked...I bought a 12 foot Christmas tree and had fun decorating it, but found out, we need a new ladder. :-)

Man's Brain vs. Woman's Brain

This video makes me laugh every time I watch it. It is so true and I wish I had understood this the first day we were married. I am so grateful that Rick and I are different--the Lord is amazing with His creation. He is so good for me, calms me down, and is so patient with my brain that is constantly "on." However, I probably was not so good for him at times, because I never understood the "nothing" box! Finally though, I have learned to celebrate the differences!

They kept telling me we were in the land of gators...

but who would have thought we would see one on the way home from brunch today? This guy was huge, in a ditch on the side of the road, not too far from the bay. We were driving Mom and Sonny around in a neighborhood and there he was, right in the middle of million dollar homes. OMG!

Change is hard!

Ok ladies, I think you will understand this. I have tried to be so careful not to complain because of what the Lord has done in this transition. He really worked miracles...However, there is a downside and I think I have experienced most of it. You have to locate new doctors, dentists, hair dressers, nail techs, masseuse, florist, groomer, vet....need I go on? My first week here, I had to go have a dreaded root canal and found the worst dentist ever. After two visits and 6 hours in the chair, she still did not finish it and was telling me that it would just have to hurt when she worked on it, that I was to just take the pain. I finally got to a specialist and gladly paid the extra to get it finished and it was painless. My nails...my first visit to a place locally in my town, I came away with blue nails but I didn't ask for blue nails. I am still not sure what that person did. After a mediocre hair cut, I was able to find a good salon but it is in Beaumont, which is not too bad since I go there twice a week to campus.

Some of you (my friends) have moved a bunch since I have known you and never complained about this...how come? It is hard work to locate all these people and find someone you can trust after using the same provider for many years.  Well for not complaining, you are amazing. Because it isn't easy!