Sick

I have been home sick with a sinus infection for 4 days now. I'm so ready to be over this and yet it brings to mind that what I have been through is SOOOOO small to what my mother and other cancer patients go through. What heroes they all are! I don't know that any of us appreciate our health until it is not there, whether that be with an ordinary sickness or something like cancer. I am reminded again how thankful I am to be healthy. I hope that 2007 will bring new hope to the millions of people fighting cancer. I hope that My Knockout will be able to do well and contribute more money this year than last to the research on this disease.

Jackson's here!

On Thursday morning Jackson came into the world. Our precious little angel sent from heaven. He is perfect! We are so thankful that God gave us such a gift and that he arrived safely. My poor daughter-in-law has been on bed rest for the whole 9 months but she is doing much better now that he's here. He's a little doll. Mama was always right when she told me there was nothing like a grandbaby! I just wish she were here to see him!

Mama would be so excited....

As an update from the last post, my niece had her baby. She is a beautiful little girl that looks just like my niece did when she was born. My daughter-in-law is on her way to the hospital today and hopefully we will have our grandson here with us soon. Mama would be so excited. Of course, she may be looking down right now at us. I feel her presence with us everyday. When you love someone like we loved each other then you seem to always have them here with you. I can just see her precious smile right now. She loved her grandchildren and I know would have loved to be here to see her great-grandchildren. It's hard sometimes to understand why she couldn't be here, but that's not for me to worry about. God had a bigger picture than I did and He knows what's best. All I can hope is that she is able to see the beautiful great-grandkids that she now has.

Another Big Day

Today has been an exciting day for us. Our niece, Courtney and her husband Josh, are at the hospital delivering their first child. Reagan, a little girl that we feel is heaven sent from our mother. My son Trey and daughter-in-law Jennifer are just days away from their first child, Jackson, being born. Our mother never got to see any great-grandchildren. Her first one, Oliver, was born in December after her passing away in August. Just weeks after he was born we learned that two more were on their way! Both of them were due on the same day! We laughed and said that Mama must have leaned over and whispered in Jesus' ear and ask that he send these two families a special gift from her. We are so excited!

Another special thing happened today. Mama's doctor in Georgia posted her story on their website. What a blessing! She would be so happy and proud. Check it out at http://www.gacancer.com/news/2006/knockout-boxing-gloves/index.html. Everyday something new and special happens. We know that she watching out for us. God is so good to us. Even though we miss her so much we see her in every area of our life. She was such a special lady to everyone that knew her.

Sheree

Our mother lost her battle with cancer but she never gave up the fight!

We have just past the one year mark of her passing on to a better life of no more cancer. It has been a difficult year but one of many changes and challenges. My mother died of liposarcoma (soft tissue cancer) on August 7, 2005. She was an amazing woman, wife, mother and friend. When she was first diagnosed with cancer in the spring of 2004 they removed a 5 lb. tumor from her abdomen. The doctors told us that should the cancer return that it would come back with a vengeance. And boy did it. The following January it returned and by February she was very sick. After several test the doctors saw that the very small spot had turned into a clover of tumors that were growing at a rapid speed. Knowing the battle she was up against, I took her a pair of boxing gloves with hand-written messages of encouragement and inspiration from her friends and family. I wanted her to have a daily reminder to "keep fighting" and "never give up". The very day that I gave her the gloves she told me that she wanted to start a company selling boxing gloves to others that were in a fight for their life. She wanted a portion of the proceeds to go to the American Cancer Society for research on sarcomas. The doctors had told her that there was no research being conducted at the time of her diagnosis on sarcomas. SO, my sister and myself started the company My Knockout the following Monday. Please visit our website at www.myknockout.com. The name "My Knockout" is so fitting because no matter what battle you may be facing whether cancer, diabetes, heart disease, depression, alcoholism, or even weight loss, it is a personal battle. My mother NEVER gave up the fight to beat this horrible disease, it was just to big for her. She taught us so much during those final months. I'll write more on her and all the wonderful people we have met who are facing daily battles.

Sheree