Did any of you catch Oprah yesterday? We usually record it and watch it later so we watched it late last night. Oprah had Dr. Oz on and they were doing "Medical Interventions". They showed a lady who visits the tanning salon a lot and has been doing so for 23 years. It was very good and educational. Every time I think I know most everything there is to know about melanoma, I learn something new. Did you know most skin cancers occur on the left side of your body? Or how about that light colored people with light colored eyes are more likely to get skin cancer? Cut and paste this link in your browser to view the segment. http://www2.oprah.com/health/oz/slide/20071029/oz_20071029_350_105.jhtml?promocode=HP23
Let's be more educated so our children will not have to have a birthday without their mother like Salina will this week.

Here is a tear-jerker for you. This is a banner that was in Niketown in SF on the day of the Marathon. Everyone who signed up for the marathon had their name on the banner within Niketown. :(

This one is for you Jeff! ;)

Happy Birthday BFF! All over the world today people have been celebrating you! Your Mom baked your fav cake, your sweet husband took the kids to the cemetery, I wore my pink shirt and my Life is Good necklace. :) Katie, Jonathan and Mary ran the NIKE marathon in your honor. Jamie ran it too! Just to name a few. We miss you dearly.

Thank you Lord that we were able to spend part of our lives with Karin. It was not near long enough, but I trust You. So glad that You have given us eternal life and that we get to see her again. Not everyone gets that and I can't imagine what it would be like to not have that assurance.

"Lordy be", as Karin would say. Sure do miss that girl.
Terry just sent me an email saying that Karin's brother, Jonathan, and sister, Katie, are running the Nike Marathon this weekend in her place. I think that is AWESOME. You go! I can't think of a better way to honor her memory on her birthday.

Also, Terry sent me this cool link to a You Tube video. Totally unrelated, but I thought it was cool. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7x3VnrqbA

This week is going to be a rough week and there is no getting around it. Friday will be the 3 month anniversary. In case that was not enough for us, Sunday will be her 41st birthday. Yippee! But wait, there is more! Karin had signed up for the Nike Marathon which takes place on Sunday in SF. I was just brainstorming with Jeff as to some things that he could do with the kids to help the day pass. I wish we could just erase the day off the calendar. It is what it is. Please keep the family in prayer over the weekend. Jeff said he wants to get the point where he can laugh again about her. Think that may be a ways off. So, in light of Karin's birthday, I declare Sunday to be a PINK day! I just told Jeff we need to start new traditions, so PINK is my contribution to new traditions.

Protect, Detect & Love The Skin You Are In.

Yesterday I went to get my hair done. As I was sitting there waiting on the color I came across this article in an old magazine. I had a big lump in my throat reading it. We all know what skin cancer can take. Do what you can to prevent it happening to you and your children. Double click on the second picture if you are blind like me to enlarge it.

Jeff & the kids are doing good. Noah got his Character Trait award at school last week. This is a big deal and I can only think of one time she was not there. The teacher picks the trait that she wants to recognize in that child and invites the child up during chapel to recognize him/her. So, it was hard for Jeff, he said he was "tore up". Noah got the trait of "Determination". Yep, that is Noah. ;)

The kids have part of next week off so Jeff is taking them to Monterey.