Life as a Lewis

The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Isaiah 58:11 I don't have the emotional energy to preserve memories this week so how about a few happy favorites and distractions instead. Sanuk Yoga Sling Sandals - these are adorable, come in so many different prints, and are amazingly comfortable. Like, feel as if you aren't wearing shoes comfy. I might have ordered 2 pairs in a recent buy one/get one sale, and my feet do not regret it one bit. (Ignore my feet; it is definitely time for a pedicure!) Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon perfume - I bought the small rollerball (or maybe it was a freebie?) sometime last fall, and I always receive compliments when I wear it so the full-size bottle is on my wish list. I'm always surprised when I hear friends mention they don't wear perfume because smelling good is one of my favorite th...

I posted this on Facebook Easter Sunday. " Rory is in the kitchen whipping up a coffee cake. Hair in a bun, bare feet. She is wearing an apron that reaches to the floor and singing away. I can see (and hear) Brian and Camden outside the front window playing an intense father/son basketball game. Sunday afternoons aren't often this idyllic. But it's pretty sweet when they are."  I like to think I was pretty good at recognizing these moments when the kids were younger, but I have failed disastrously in recent months at giving thanks for the quiet blessings.  1. One more update regarding last week's scan results and the next 2 months. My CA125 was down again significantly (second time in a row after increasing for over a year). Because the scan is the be-all, end-all, this is only a small victory, but a victory none-the-less. I will proceed with rounds 5 and 6 before scanning again in late May/early June. Brian went with me this week, which means I had a bag...

I rarely pull out the camera these days. It's a combination of the kid's age, busyness of the days, and maybe a pinch of not wanting to remember the details of the days that include chemo, pain, parenting challenges, and my 41-year old hairless self. Several weeks ago (a month ago?) Rory and I were leaving to run a few errands on a dreary Saturday morning and I grabbed the camera and snapped these pictures in the driveway before we jumped in the car. She is such a bright spot in our world. Loving and kind and compassionate with some sassy thrown. She is a willing helper and her eagerness to pitch in around the house is sweet. I'm learning to listen to her random, long-winded stories without an internal eye roll. She struggled earlier in the school year with social situations (for which she was as much to blame as the others) and even questioned her faith. But in typical Rory fashion, she cried many tears then persevered in her search for answers. She loves all thin...

For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me.  So I died to the law - I stopped trying to meet all its requirements - so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless.  For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 2:19-21 1. Our Friday Bible study group decided to watch David Platt's Secret Church on the cross during this week prior to Easter. It has been so good and meaningful. Also time consuming (4+ hours of sermons were a lot to take in over the past 3 days). Brian and Camden watched the final hour with me last night, and Camden's ability to digest and evaluate tough topics never ceases to amaze me. I'm looking forward to the discussion this morning, and Brian and I...

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,      your faithfulness in the evening. Psalm 92:1-2 1. A couple of weeks ago I bought the soundtrack to Hamilton for Camden. Honestly, I thought it would be a shared interest since we were both enthralled with the recent PBS documentary on Lin-Manuel Miranda/Hamilton (Brian and Rory slept through it). What I didn't expect was for Camden and Rory both to latch onto the music and lyrics. They both walk around singing it non-stop. Even better, they sing together, help each other learn lyrics, etc. It's kind of awesome. (What's not awesome is explaining to your 10-year old a few choice words.) 2. I bought (ahem)  grown-up undergarments for Rory this week. A milestone for sure. 3. Wednesday afternoon was my regularly scheduled scan (every 2 cycles). My nurse emailed me with general scan results, which were complet...

As an introvert, staying home is one of my favorite things to do. As a cancer patient, it's one of my least favorite things. It often feels as if everyone else's life is moving forward (as it should) while my own life is on pause indefinitely. Staying home, being sick for the foreseeable future, missing out on serving others - this all makes me feel worthless, like I don't have anything to contribute to the conversation. I fight this mental battle more often than you might think. Like, nearly every day. (I just went back to re-read this and it sounds depressing! I am not depressed or sad or angry! Just pointing out that being sick all the time means staying home . . . which means life outside the walls of your own home comes to a screeching halt.) As a cancer patient, however, staying home is one of the most important things I do. The simple fact is that if I don't stay home, I get sick. If I get sick, I legitimately cannot contribute to my family. If I...

Camden doesn't always have a book in his hand these days; he tends to read in spurts. For instance, he read the 5 books in the photos below in the first 4 days of spring break. A couple of weeks ago, he read the entire Christopher Paolini Eragon series in a week's time. And then he didn't read again until spring break rolled around. If you're interested, his recent favs include the Eragon series and the Reckoner trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. Rory is reading Unstoppable Octobia May and Awkward . My recent reads include: Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham (a fun, fast read) The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill (a lovely book that Camden and I both enjoyed) Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (loved this one) The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner (tough to read, but a captivating memoir that addresses poverty, faith, and cults) The Mothers by Brit...