Trainer Update

All right! Here it is!!! My update!!!

Weigh-in was today. I'd lost 1.5 lbs. (even with a trip to the Creek this weekend). And my body fat percentage had gone done another 2%. AND.... My BMI was down 0.2. Not bad. Especially considering the trip to the Creek, and the fact that the flounder I order Saturday night was FRIED! (Not grilled like I expected!)

So... I had fajitas for lunch. So now, I'm back up 10 lbs. over where I started in January. (At least it feels like I am!)

Ouch.

So sometimes reality just jumps up and grabs you when you least expect it.

Went to Target today with Kaitlyn.

The Mother's Day cards are out.

Man.

3-Day Update

Hi Friends!
I just wanted to take a minute to bring you up to speed on Team Tiara and the Breast Cancer 3-Day! We’ve had so much going on lately that I really don’t know where to start!

First, let me say this team has totally exploded on the scene. When we finished the walk last fall, I was hoping we could build a team of 50 for 2008. With 50 walkers, we would raise a minimum of $110,000. I had no idea our team would grow so quickly!!!

Right now, we have 47 people on our team and have raised $22,700! And it’s only April! Can you believe it?? We still have seven more months to accomplish our fundraising goals. This is going to be so cool!

And you know what’s really fun? For the last month or so, Team Tiara has been the top fundraising team in Dallas. (The competitive spirit in me is all over that!)

So how can you help? As usual, I have quite a list!

We need great recipes! We are putting together our first fundraising cookbook and need your recipes! Please email recipes to me at dlynbiggs@yahoo.com. We need them by May 1.

Please make a donation to the Breast Cancer 3-Day. Donating is so simple. Just go to http://08.the3day.org/goto/dlynbiggs and click on “Donate to D’Lyn.” It’s that easy! Donations to the 3-Day are tax-deductible, and as soon as you donate, a receipt will be sent to you via email.

If donating online isn’t your cup of tea, please send a check my way. You can make it out to “Breast Cancer 3-Day” and send it to me in the mail.

Please consider walking with us. We need more team members in order to meet our goal! I promise you this will be an experience like no other. Just go to http://08.the3day.org/goto/dlynbiggs and click on “Join D’Lyn’s Team.”

Please pray specifically for our team to stay healthy and strong. In addition to the usual aches and pains that go along with training for an endurance event, we have several people on our team who have health issues that make training an even bigger challenge. And we have a couple of survivors on our team as well.

As we continue training you can find updates and additional prayer requests (and pictures of the girls) on my blog at: www.everyonedeservesalifetime.blogspot.com

We appreciate your prayers, recipes and financial support! Thank you for helping Team Tiara raise bucketfuls of money for breast cancer research and education!

We Will find a cure!

For my Mom,
D’Lyn

I Bought a Bikini!

I did!

No way am I wearing it yet, but....

From Carol Lewis -- An Update on Amy

(Some of you may already know some or parts of this, but hopefully I am more coherent today.)

Forgive this impersonal way to tell you, but please know that we are about "talked out" on the phone. (Not that you can't call us!!)

A week ago Friday, April 11, our Amy had surgery in Arlington. About a foot of her ascending colon was removed because of a tumor there. The surgeon said it all went very well, and that he saw no sign of spread to the liver or other organs. On Tues., the pathology report came back. Twenty-six lymph nodes were tested, only one of which was cancerous. So after a month or so of healing time, she will be under an oncologist; chemo is expected. Altho' it may not have been as early stage as we would have liked, it still seems so much better than it could have been.

She had experienced pain in her side for about a week, went to her ob doc on Monday, who did an ultra sound thinking maybe a cyst had burst or something. He told her to let him know if she was not better by Wed. When she wasn't on Tues., she called their family doctor and saw him on Wed. He sent her to the ER for a CT scan. We got the report that it was an infection of the colon about as long as a finger, so we headed that direction, thinking we'd come home Fri. night. (Translation: we only took about 3 sets of clothes.) When we arrived Wed. night, we learned they would do a colonoscopy Thurs. morn. That procedure resulted in hearing " a tumor about as long as your hand." Surgery was scheduled for Fri. afternoon as that doctor had already seen her before the colonoscopy. She began eating solid food again on Tues., came home Wed., had the 31 staples removed on Friday (yesterday...), and these tired grandparents came home. I actually have my normal 6-month checkup in Lubbock this coming Wed. so needed to come home for that. Chad's mother came back last night for the weekend; I'm sure we will be going back down there.

Amy has taken all this so well; her spirits are not just good, but very good. There is much support from their church family, her group of Arlington Mothers of Multiples, relatives, people from the twins' school (parents, teachers, administrators), and neighbors of Chad and Amy. It is a blessing to us to see how loved they are!

If you haven't, SCHEDULE YOUR COLONOSCOPY!!

We covet your prayers on behalf of Amy AND Chad, their three little kiddos, and the rest of us,
Carol and Royale

Amy Martin
4812 Cheyenne Court
Arlington, TX 76013

Trainer Update

Okay.... It's been FOREVER since I've posted a trainer update. Really there wasn't much to say. I've been working out with Charlotte since January 23, and I've definitely been getting stronger. BUT I hadn't been losing any weight. Truth be told, after the trip to Costa Rica, the discovery of Friday night Catfish at this great little joint up on 2920, and the opening of Dave's Hoagie Hut here in Fairfield.... Well, let's just say the number on the scales wasn't exactly going down.

Then.... Last Monday I started a class up at the gym that is based on a book called Bikini Fit. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Bikini-Fit/Jo-Lethaby/e/9780600607564/?itm=4

I am definitely out of my league on this one. The majority of the class started out wearing a bikini to class. Being me, though, and never, ever expecting to ever be in a bikini ever again, I wore my "grandma suit." (I have to say, though, I've progressed to another suit that doesn't resemble a nun's habit.)

It's kind of a complicated diet-and-exercise program. The diet has been all about detox and getting those "Grande Chai Latte Extra Hot with Soy and Caramel" addictions detoxified or whatever. So the first day we juiced. And juiced. And juiced. Day 2 -- Add Fruit. Day 3 -- Add raw Veggies. Day 4 -- Add cooked Veggies & Rice. Day 5 -- Add nuts, seeds, beans & lentils. Day 6 -- Add live yogurt & grains. Day 7 -- Add fish.

Now before you go off thinking that can't be healthy to do that, need I remind you of the fried catfish and philly cheesesteak part???

Anyway, so you combine this major detox stuff with workouts that would put The Biggest Loser to shame. Ouch. Luckily, after walking as many miles as I have and doing the weight training that I have, I have these amazingly strong abs. (I know. They're hidden under all that fat, but they're there!) That helps immensely. The only place I wuss out is on cardio -- something I've always had issues with. (Cue nightmares of Coach May, jumpropes and that blasted Jump! song.)

First, we do work in the gym -- weights, balls, medicine balls, etc. THEN, we do work outside -- that's the part I like because we're all over jumping up on walls and doing push-ups on fences and that kind of thing. THEN, we get in the pool for some water-aerobics kind of stuff. I love it becasue my ADD stuff never has a chance to kick in.

And it's working!!! Since I started in with Charlotte in January, I've lost a little less than 7 lbs. (Three of those in the last week!) My body fat percentage has decreased about 9%. AND I've lost about 3.25 of those all-important "inches." (Most of which have been replaced with muscle!)

So yea!!! I still have about 12 lbs. to go, but I'm working on it! Just wanted you to know!!!

True Confession Time.

Okay. I have this post that's been "brewing" for a week or so. This may be more than some of you want to know, but since the very beginning I've really tried to "keep it real" on my blog. And writing is incredible therapy for me. So here goes...

I "fell down" a couple of years ago. I know that's not a technical term, but it's what I call it. I didn't see any doctors. I never was diagnosed. I never went on medication. But I fell down. Whether or not it was an actual case of depression, I'll never know. But it wasn't good.

Biggs was in the middle of two HUGE deals with work, and I never really knew where he was. He was in Connecticut or NY or at the office or wherever -- his precious secretary, Billie, was my lifeline. She could find him anywhere, anytime. And I needed that. But there was a lot going on. Okay. Even I have limits to what I can share in a blog.

But I fell down.

It was August. The girls had just started preschool for the year. I would get up in the morning, take them to school and come home and get in bed. Sleep all day. Pick them up, come home and get in bed. About 4:00, I'd get up and dressed and get the house clean and cook dinner. If Biggs was home. He never knew.

I thought maybe I had the flu. But in hindsight, I fell down.

And it lasted a couple of weeks. And then Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and all these people needed help. And I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and went to work. AND God blessed me through the entire process with a testimony that I love to share.

But do you have any idea how hard it is for me to admit I fell down???

So here's the deal. It's not happened again. But I live in this constant state of awareness of what CAN happen. Biggs now knows about it all, and when he's travelling a lot or when I am sick (which isn't often!), he's on top of things with his concern.

After what I went through in the last year -- a vital friendship that was struck a blow, and the move to Houston, and losing my mom.... I didn't fall down again. And I know that my walking had a HUGE role in that.

But I got close. Not during all that -- after. After we had done the walk and Suzi and I had flown to LA and had that awesome experience. But being immersed in the realities of breast cancer for two weekends straight was a lot. And when we got home, I struggled with that. AND I walked. AND walked. And managed to keep my head above water.

But in those two incredibly powerful back-to-back weekends we met Steph. She was very upfront with us. Her breast cancer had spread, and last March doctors had given her 10 months to live. Ten months. And she was on month 8.

None of us wanted to believe that. That just didn't seem right. Here we were meeting this new friend, and she was "supposed" to leave us in a couple of months? How is that fair? Here we were making these life-long bonds and her life-long part was going to be that much shorter? We just weren't ready to accept it. Steph had way too much life and vitality and love and the most beautiful smile and those blue-gray eyes. No. That couldn't be the plan.

So we tried to pray her out of it. We all asked God for this miraculous healing -- a healing that would bring Him glory. A healing that would bring Steph many, many years with her family.

But it wasn't the plan.

And I've really struggled with it this last week. I blog about nearly everything, but I couldn't bring myself to blog about that. And I struggled with the "why." How could I feel this attached to someone I hardly knew? I'd only spent a relatively small amount of time with Steph -- how could this affect me so much?

But it did.

I didn't go to her funeral this week. It was Monday at 1:00. Team Talent was there in full force, with a pink ribbon shaped spray. But I wasn't there. Monday was a crazy day here. Kait had piano at 4:30; Abbie a softball game at 6:00. And I needed to be here to make it all happen.

So Suzi and I were going to go up Sunday for the visitation. And then I found out about Amy's colon cancer, and I decided we should tack on a visit to her as well. And we'd "do lunch" with the Team Talent crew while we were up there. We would leave at 8:00 that morning and be back at 10:00 that night. If everything went smoothly.

I started baking. Isn't that the Fluvanna way? Mom's fresh apple cake and Marge Toombs' chocolate chip cake. Food is love. I wasn't totally sure what I was going to do with them, but I figured I'd just find a little old "git er done" church lady to hand them off to -- she'd know where they would be best-used.

But in the way that husbands can, Biggs let me know he really didn't think that was the best plan for our family. We've started visiting a new church, and he wanted me to be there with them. And he had double-header softball games Sunday afternoon.

And I didn't fight him on it.

I know. Me. Miss "I appreciate your opinion, and now I'll do what I'd planned to do."

I stayed home. And if I "keep it real," I have to admit I was relieved.

Because I'm afraid of falling down again. As much as I wanted to be there, it's so soon after my Mom's death, that I don't hurt as much for Steph's family as a I do for me. Does that make sense? That seeing them hurt is like looking into a mirror into my own soul? And I don't like looking there. I was scared to immerse myself in that much sad. Because falling down just isn't something I can do again.

Stephanie's reality is my huge fear -- not being able to watch my girls grow up. As much as I make of our harried lives and the shuffling back and forth from ballet to softball to Spanish to piano... I love it!!! I love being that Mom who can shuffle them all around. And I love to watch them grow.

It's not a paralyzing fear of what could happen -- but it does help drive this goal of trying to eradicate cancer. And my competitive nature just takes all that and runs with it. And I do tell myself, often, that "Fear is not from God." And I do believe that. BUT these last couple of weeks have been very difficult. With the losses of Hank and Steph, and then Amy's cancer being diagnosed.... It's been a lot.

So what am I doing? I'm doing my best not to fall down. Last Monday I began a "bikini bootcamp" kind of thing up at the gym with my trainer. There are six girls in our class. The class started with a detox diet that, believe it or not, has me feeling GREAT. And we've been working our hinies off. And it's working.

And we still need to find a cure!

Softball Kait

Bluebonnet Pix

The girls and I ran out to Brenham for the annual bluebonnet pictures. Unfortunately, our portrait session ran short when Kait sat on a fire ant bed. She had a ton of bites, but luckily there was a Wal-Mart right by the patch!!!

If you think you're too young to get breast cancer....

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351378,00.html

Urgent! Prayers Needed! Updated

Amy (Lewis) Martin is having surgery this morning in Dallas. Aunt Nelva says she had been having pains in her side, went to the doctor and they found a tumor in her colon. Please pray for complete healing for Amy. And pray for safe travel for Carol and R.D.

Thanks!

Update:
I just talked to Shelly (Amy's sister for those of you who don't know her.) Amy was in surgery for about 1 1/2 hrs. which was shorter than they had expected. The surgeon thinks it was contained. He did take part of the abdominal wall because it looked like there was some there. But he said all the rest of the organs looked clean. Now they're waiting for test results on the lymph nodes.

Prayer Warriors... This family need fervent prayer right now. Shelly asked that we especially pray for Chad, Amy's husband. He's taking this pretty hard. And pray for Shelly -- she's on her way to Arlington to be there. And for just about everyone you can think of.

Amy's 36. She and Shelly and I all grew up together back in Old Fluvanna. I have so many memories of them. Shelly's the one who taught me that you could put mascara on while driving. Amy was one tough cookie on the basketball court. I remember one night when we stayed in Levelland for regional UIL and Shelly was doing exercises on the floor of our hotel room, and I just sat there and laughed. And I remember meeting up at the Fluvanna Community Center for 4-H and other stuff and wetting paper towels and throwing them at the ceiling to make them stick. When we were there for Mom's funeral last summer, some of them were still up there! Amy was such a fixture in my growing-up years, and I saw her a couple of weeks ago over Spring Break. She has three precious children -- wrapped around my kids' ages. Just pray for them all. Please.

Breast Cancer 3-Day "SALE" on Registration

Hi.
I haven't written on here about Steph's joining Jesus -- I'm just in weird place right now. But I will tell you that Stephanie's wish was that we could find a cure for breast cancer -- if not in her lifetime, then in Jennifer and David's.

The sad reality is that the researchers can't do that alone. They need the funds we raise.

So today you have a choice to make.

1. If you've already donated to our cause, please know we are HUGELY grateful!!!

2. If you'd like to donate to our cause, you can click on the box to the right to go to my website. All donations are tax-deductible. If you donate online, you'll immediately receive your receipt.

3. If you'd like to join us in the 3-Day, just go to http://08.the3day.org/goto/dlynbiggs. Click on "Join D'Lyn's Team" to start the process. If you register before midnight on Friday, you'll save $35 on the registration fee. Just enter "TEAMS" as your discount code!

4. If you're not going to support our cause, that's okay. I'll still love you! But please support SOMETHING. There are so many ways you can make a difference in this world -- for yourself, for your children. Remember that old devo song, "Love us nothing till you give it away." And it ends with "You end up getting more." That is so right!!

Big Hugs,
d.

Rest of the Costa Rica Pix

And now, the captions!!!

This was the golf course at the resort. Biggs played on Thursday afternoon. I think he had more fun checking out the iguanas than playing golf!!

That's me! The Four-wheeler champion of the universe!

What a hunk!
So here are Biggs and his buddy Chuck. The picture I don't have, but really wish I'd snapped is when Chuck rolled his 4-wheeler right before this was taken. It was a hoot!

Catalina Island
The Red Baron rides again. Seriously, these goggles were so old, I think the Red Baron did wear them!

Dude. You take one more step towards this mango, and I'm going to have to take you down!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these pictures!!! I'm going to have this one enlarged and framed!!

This is a Mama monkey with a baby monkey on her back.

Here we are with Chuck and Debby, after our 4-wheeler ride. Getting ready to do the Zip line.

The girls sent a couple of friends along with us. If anyone out there doesn't think TV commercials work, they just need to talk to Kait & Abbie.

This is the airport. It's just this big, open-air barn thing. With a big, ole ceiling fan. Security wasn't quite what it is in the States. Apparently this is a big upgrade from the grass hut they had until a couple of years ago.

What Cancer Cannot Do...

What Cancer Cannot Do

Cancer is so limited

It cannot cripple love

It cannot shatter hope

It cannot corrode faith

It cannot destroy peace

It cannot kill friendship

It cannot suppress memories

It cannot silence courage

It cannot invade the soul

It cannot steal eternal life

It cannot conquer the spirit.

Hank Murphy Interview

You know, I just found this interview that Hank did at The Branch a couple of years ago. I thought I'd share it with all ya'll. Blessed and Highly Favored.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/testimony-hank-murphy/2862482694

More Costa Rica Pix

Okay. So I took picture after picture after picture of monkeys and birds and lizards and such in trees. And I have picture after picture of leaves. But at least in this picture you can see the monkey!!

This guy was pretty cool, don't you think?

Look! There's Brad Pitt! Oh, wait, it's just another lizard.

These birds were at a wildlife refuge where we had lunch.

This is a red macaw at the wildlife refuge.

On our way to lunch on Friday, we passed the winter nurseries for DeltaPine -- the company Dad works for. So I skipped dessert (yes, me!) and asked the driver to take me back there, so I could get a picture. My pitiful Spanish didn't get me in the gate, but here I am!

This would be the Big Momma crocodile.

Iguana....
Baby Croc.

This is the second-most active volcano in Costa Rica (I think.) I could have gotten closer to get the picture, but there was an electric fence in the way. Experience has taught me to stay on my side of such a fence!!

Okay. Here's the waterfall that was just the coolest thing. It was about 25 minutes down the worst caliche road you ever did see -- way back in a ginormous pasture. You got to the end of the road, hiked a little ways in, and found paradise!

This was in a little grotto beside the waterfall.

My Heart is Heavy

My sweet friend Paige called last night and let me know Hank Murphy had passed away. If you didn't know Hank, you missed out. Hank went to the doctor a couple of years ago because all of a sudden he'd lost a ton of weight. And he found out he had cancer. It had started as melanoma that went to his liver. They gave him 6 months to a year.

Biggs and I met Hank and his family shortly after that. His beautiful daughter, Lauren, was in Abbie's class at church. I thought a lot of Hank.

He was one of those people who, even in the face of cancer, had a wonderful spirit about him. Quick to smile, quick to give a hug, quick to share. There's no way to quantify what Hank accomplished for God's Kingdom during his illness. He shared God's love with everyone -- doctors, nurses, you name it.

Paige and I agreed -- this is one of those times when it's hard to be away. When you think of the people you love who are hurting and you just want to be there for them. I think of precious Ron Anders. Ron loved Hank. They had worked together on the "golf ministry," and when Ron learned of Hanks illness it hurt him deeply. Ron would take Hank to his appointments and keep him company along the way.

So, yes. My heart is heavy today. Especially for Hank's family. Especially for Lauren.

But for Hank, I couldn't be happier. Because there's not a doubt in my mind that he's with Jesus today. And that makes all the difference.

We'll miss you, Hank.

Costa Rica Pix

Sorry! Didn't have time to write captions this morning. I've got tons of pix and will post more as I can.

This is about as rough as our rafting trip got: (Not very.)


The other girls who were with us:

Long-nosed bats:

Some green lizardy thing:

Aren't the helmets cool???


Janet:

Yes!!! It's Molly Shannon!! Superstar!! With our friend Sherry:

And some dork who got in the way of what would have been an awesome picture!!