"Hail the heaven-born Prince of peace!

Hail the Son of righteousness!

Life and light to all He brings,

Risen with healing in His wings." (Charles Wesley)

What powerful words!

Christmas is come and gone and tomorrow morning, the Holloways are off to the spectacular Cederberg, where we will be camping for 2 weeks. 2010 is nearly done and, this morning, I was reflecting on the kindness of the Lord for all the special times spent together in 2010 and for this Christmas. It was such a precious time with our families, with memories to cherish forever. I am so tuly thankful for these times. This scripture echoes my thoughts and feelings so nicely,

"I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us - yes, the many good things He has done for the house of Israel, according to His compassion and many kindnesses" Isaiah 63:7

So, the next blog update will most likely be in 2011, from a revitalised, refreshed me :-) There is something in that mountain water, I tell you. I think everybody could do with a dose of it! Until then, keep believing in the One who brings life and light and who has risen with healing in His wings!

I love Christmas time! Especially the excitement of the children who are busy decorating their treehouse at Afton with their home and school-made decorations, play acting "Mary and Joseph" stories, looking out everywhere for Christmas trees and lights, singing their version of "Joy to the World"... Mostly, because we are on holiday and we get to spend so much time playing and being together.

It's been 3 weeks since my operation and I am making a slow but steady recovery. Still battling to see properly out of my left eye and my face is still partially paralyzed on the left side but every day is a little closer to "normal". Pete bought me a funky little netbook so I am enjoying updating the blog from the comfort of my bed! Yay - what a man!

Nix (there is not a "normal" word to describe her!) is doing well being her vibrant self. She went for her regular dose of chemo last week where her oncologist told her that the medical aid have stopped the funding for her regular breast chemo (Hercepton) after seeing the results of her last liver CT. She has been taking regular 3 weekly infusions of this chemo since she was diagnosed in August 2009. This is obviously not great news but the Doc is going to try to motivate for Nikki to go on to an alternative chemo to target the cancer at the source in the breast tissue. The alternative will most likely be an oral chemo. She will also continue with the regular infusions of Zometa (for bone strengthening) and the other oral chemo that she has recently started to target the sites in the liver. Initially, the Hercepton worked really well and managed to clear the breast and liver really nicely. But because of the pain in Nikki's joints as a result of her over active immune system, Doctors suggested she try another type of chemotherapy (Mabthera) which is given in 6 monthly doses and shuts down a part of the immune system. This was a trial (there is no other documented case of dual treatment with this drug together with Hercepton - in fact, I am not sure if there is any other documented case of Nikki's condition!) and, although the Mabthera seemed to have worked well to ease the pain in Nikki's joints significantly, the general feeling is that her own over active immune system was actually working really well together with the Hercepton initially to keep the cancer at bay. By shutting down the immune system with the Mabthera, it caused the cancer to spread significantly.

Nikki continues to say that this news doesn't scare her. In fact, the disease doesn't scare her one bit. Her faith is not in the medicine anyway. She refuses to feel sorry for herself (which I think is the most amazing thing as she spends a lot of time alone and in pain and has plenty opportunity). If she feels sore, she o-c-c-a-s-i-o-n-a-l-l-y allows herself a minute or two to cry (because she is human) and then decides to get up and carry on with life. A good cry can sometimes make you feel much better but self pity or worrying about things won't help or change the situation at all. We can choose our attitude in all things and Nikki has chosen to keep a good attitude and to keep her eyes on the Lord- trusting Him in all things. It is just the most amazing lesson to us all.

Thank you once again for your faithful love, friendship, support and prayers over the past year. We once again ask that you would continue to carry us all in your prayers and continue to believe our God for a miracle of complete healing and restoration for our lovely Nix.

Over the festive season remember... Jesus was born to bring "peace on the earth and goodwill to men" and Christmas time is often exactly the opposite - chaos and greed and more... I pray that you may know the incredible blessing of His love and peace at this special time, of the hope that we have in Him, and may you be blessed beyond measure in your families and relationships.

ME again

Hello All! - It's me again
... (if you think this picture is funny, you should see the original - it's even better - it's got Daniels head where the writing is)
I wanted to update the blog to let you know about Eve's op that she was going in for the following day, but she beat me to it, being as on-the-ball as she is. So I'll give you all an update now... (10 days into recovery)
She's doing okay, but trying to do too much in my opinion - shopping, ballet recitals for her girls..etc. and It's only because we all are comfortable in knowing that Eve is a really gorgeous gal, that I will let you in on this next bit... that there's probably a good reason her doctor advised her 'not to be in the public eye' for about 3 weeks (not that I'm one to worry much about looks, or what people think) but she does look VERY different to her normal self - and somewhat (to put it mildly) strange, especially when she laughs and smiles - as she always does. She blinks with the one eye only and her mouth does something really special when she smiles! I've advised her (mostly for the sake of the children at school - who won't understand her situation) to wear her sunglasses and try not to seem happy, as she looks much more normal like this, but when she fetches her little Megs from school, there she goes... smiling from ear to... shoulder!? she can't help being her genuine, gorgeous self, so we'll go easy on her. She has seen her doctor since the op, and he is happy that the nerve is still functioning well. So the paralysis is only temporary - YAY for pretty Evie!!
She is still feeling nauseous, so please pray for her that that will ease-up.

News from my side:
Firstly, Thank you to Eve, for being so faithful and consistent with regular updates to the blog. Quite an undertaking, given the busy life she leads (including looking after my sweet kids very often).
Secondly, Thank you to everyone who has blessed us through the Alabaster Fund - it is REALLY HARD accepting money from people, and Adrian and I still feel very awkward, but want you to know that we appreciate so much all the contributions various people have made, you have given so generously, and we hope you are immensely BLESSED in return.

Now, news on me: I'm doing okay... to try to make it as clear as mud (at the same time not boring you with all the details) I will try my best to fill you in: In short, i am currently on 4 different Chemotherapy drugs. I am still going for chemo every 3 weeks, where I receive 2 different 'ongoing meds' they have me on, one to hold back the cancer (Hercepton) and one for bone strengthening (with anti-cancer properties -zometa). The 3rd Chemo I recently started on is an oral one, to control the recent events in the ol' Liver - but it's making me feel rather yuk and (shudder) nAuSEouS. I have almost completed 3 cycles and have 3 more cycles to go. It's been great to bring down some of that BEAUTIFUL Cortisone weight, but boy, it can really make you feel bad. I'm also really tired most of the time, so that's been rather boring. The 4th Chemo that I'm on is for the Arthritis, and it's only administered every 6 months. Since this is possibly the drug which, because it shuts down part of your immune system, could be the reason the cancer flared since I took it in May - I am hesitating at the thought of taking it again. I went to see my Rheumatologist yesterday, and he agreed that now would not be the best time to take it (although i am due the next dose, and my joints have really benefited from it) he suggested (now that I was eventually was off cortisone after being on it for over 2 and a half years) that I start with the cortisone again, just to help the (now jolly sore) joints again.
SO IN SHORT, I've started on a lowish dose of Cortisone, so now at least I have an appetite again, but when i see the food - Bllaaaahhh (shudder) - yip, the nausea is still there... a rather strange combination - never a dull moment, hey?

This post is getting a bit long - so I'll sign off for now, but will try post another story soon, with exciting news about the sweet kiddies! Cute little things - SO excited it's holidays, and CANT believe my little Hannah is FINISHED grade1! - What an awesome opportunity to witness the whole year of my little special Hannah's first year of big school - it has been such a privilege to watch her grow and develop in so many areas - I always thought i'd be in denial and be an emotional wreck to see my little one trot off to big school, but I now see through different eyes. What an awesome priveledge - every little milestone is an honour to witness, especially when they are so excited about them - no need to be sad that they are growing up.. it's a joy to just be part of them growing up!

Thank you to ALL of you for your support, it really speaks volumes to see how much people love and care for each other

Nikki

10 Wedding Anniversary

Today is Adrian and Nikki's 10th wedding Anniversary! A special day to celebrate and that is what they are doing tonight. Nix has had a fairly good week, although she's feeling a bit sore again in her joints these days. She spent yesterday taking photographs for the SA Riding for the Disabled Christmas Party and felt it today in her joints. She spent most of today resting so that she could enjoy a nice dinner out with her hubby tonight. She has enjoyed having me be the patient for a change this week and made the most of spoiling me with flowers and treats!

Just an update on me: I am back home again. All went very well with the operation and the doctor is very happy with everything. As expected, the left half of my face is temporarily paralysed and expressionless so it looks so strange when I smile. The right side of my face looks normal while the other side looks deadpan and expressionless. This is due to the extensive work they did on the facial nerve and muscle. I will be like this for the next few weeks most likely. There is a significant amount of swelling in my face now a few days after the op. I am not able to close my left eye so it gets quite dry and blurry and I have trouble seeing properly so the 20 novels I had stacked up to read in my "off time" are still lying untouched! SO - the only thing to do is to lie down and sl-e-e-e-p. There is really nothing like this for resting, so I am making the most of it! Here is a photo of my beautiful new look: (taken the day after the op - I have swollen up a lot more since then - in fact my nose and teeth are well right of the centre line right now! eek).

Try this: put your hand over the right side of the pic and everything looks "normal". Then compare that to the other side - freaky!

The doc says that the tumour was bigger than he thought (about 2cm diameter) and it was attached to the muscle and the facial nerve was being pushed aside and growing around it. He said it was very good that we did the op now rather than waiting - the bigger it gets the more difficult the op. The tumour was tested and found to be benign - so that's good news. Now just patiently waiting for it all to heal. Thank you so much for all your prayers and good wishes and to our Father, the Master Physician for faithfully watching over the whole operation.

Nikki has had a good week. (Our cousin Genevieve arrived from Australia this week to visit for 6 weeks - that always does wonders for the spirit!) Nikki had her regular 3-weekly dose of chemo last Thursday. She has been struggling with an irritating infection in her toenail for the last little while. Her oncologist recommended she had the GP cut it out so, on Friday, she went hobbling off to the GP to have a little "op" on her toenail which went well other than the awful experience of having a long needle jabbed directly into the infected nail bed (not dissimilar to torture I imagine).

On Tuesday, my dad's brother, Robin, came to visit from Worcester and we spent the most wonderful afternoon walking on the land where my dad and Uncle Robin grew up as little boys. Most of the old 15 hectare farm is now public open space. They were like 2 little boys walking around and finding the old well, the river, orchards and foundations of the many buildings that stood there in their time. They even managed to find their old tree house. Because the trees have grown a bit in 50 years, the tree house was much higher up than it used to be. Daniel still managed to get to it though but nobody else was quite as brave!

Nix has spent some good time with Gen this week and today, we spent the day with the extended family (on my mom's side) at Afton Grove, where all the 2nd cousins got to play together and the 1st cousins, aunts and uncles got to catch up. Lots of food, lots of chatting and (as always) LOTS of laughing!

Tomorrow is fisherman Dan's 6th birthday and the ONLY thing he wants to do for his birthday is go fishing (no party or fuss), so that is what he is doing. They will be heading out to the trout farm in Du Toit's Kloof for the day. Then coming home for pressies and cake at Afton in the afternoon. Yay!

This Tuesday, I will be going in for an operation myself (YIPPEE!!! ...Not). I have a benign tumour in my parotid (salivary) gland on the side of my face which I need to have removed. I found the tumour more than a year ago (the same week that Nix was diagnosed with cancer) and decided to follow a period of natural detox before going for surgery. I have been through the whole detox process and am now at the point where I feel it would be best to remove it (if God doesn't first! I'm still believing for that - first prize!). The op is a fairly intricate procedure as they will have to "peel" the tumour off the very delicate facial nerve. Soooo - I would really be thankful for your prayers in this regard. I will be in hospital for 1 or 2 nights and home to recover afterwards. Because I am not sick and the cut is on my face, I will be able to be quite mobile and return to "normal" life fairly soon and I should recover fairly quickly. I thank God that He is my peace and that I have Him and therefore have peace in all these things. He promises to be present in my life, to strengthen me, help me, hold and protect me. What more do I need than Him?

Psalm 145: 18 "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."

Hi All

Just a quick update - life has been so busy lately (end of year madness) and I have not had a minute to sit down and update the blog in about 2 weeks!

Nikki has been doing well, although she's been experiencing lots of headaches lately. She feels quite nauseous on the new oral chemotherapy. Being the funny person she is - she remarked the other day..."Oh guess what, I forgot to tell you the great news about this new drug....Hair loss is not a side effect!" Wonderful! - now that radiation has done away with her shiny locks, she happens to find herself on a drug that has no hair loss as one of it's main selling features!

Through the generosity of some of our wonderful friends in the Valley, Nikki has started horseriding again (her dream) at SARDA (the South African Riding for the Disabled Association) after much negotiation with her doctors. She seems to be fine apart from her ankle joints taking a bit of strain. She was walking around on their most "bomb proof" horse last Thursday and almost managed to fall off when something fell over in the corner of the field and the horse spooked. She zoned in on the neck strap and hung on with all her might. All she could think was "You CAN NOT fall". The bones in her neck are so brittle and weakened now after all the chemo into the bone that falling could have very serious consequences. But it just goes to show that it doesn't matter how "bomb proof" a horse is, it is still another animal with a mind, will and emotion all of it's own!

We celebrate both Adrian and our Mom's birthdays in the coming week (both on Thursday) and Daniel's at the end of the month. Then, Nikki and Adrian's 10th wedding anniversary is coming up on the 3rd December. Daniel, Megan and Sydney are doing their annual Nativity Play on Saturday morning which they have been practicing hard for and which they are so excited about. So it's go, go, go.

For anyone who would like to join the weekly prayer meeting at VCC for Nikki, the time has been changed to 5.30 am every Tuesday (so that more people can make it).

Yesterday, in church, Nikki felt she needed to stand up and testify and to encourage the people to trust in God in every situation, no matter what things looked like.

Proverbs 3:5 says:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight"

As she stood up to testify, all the lights and sound in the church went out (due to a general power failure) and blackness surrounded us. There are no windows for natural light in the main auditorium so you can imagine how dark it was. It was such a vivid and graphic picture of what our enemy, Satan, is attempting to do - to drive us into or to keep us in a place of darkness / blackness / depression and fear. He attempts to steal our faith and even our testimony of God's goodness in our lives by keeping us in a place of self pity. Nikki decided that the blackout would not deter her and that she would stand up and testify anyway. She shared frankly about her disease and prognosis and where her faith and trust is. It was powerful. Many people were touched by her testimony and she had the opportunity to pray with them and encourage them after she spoke. What a brave and courageous warrior she is! (Her name means "victory of the people" - apt)

It has been said that God uses times like these to test our faith in Him. How do we respond in times of difficulty - do we run to God or away from Him. Do we blame Him or do we trust Him. Where is our faith? Whom do we trust? What do we really beleive? Nikki and Adrian leave no doubt about what and whom they beleive and this belief has been the key to the grace and peace that has covered them through the last 3 years.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, a few weekends ago, Nix and Adrian were blessed with a weekend of pampering at the beautiful Bon Cap Wine Estate in Robertson. They were blown away by the kindness and generosity of the people who own and manage the place. I thought that I would include a copy of the latest newsletter sent out from Bon Cap to their clients as they write lots about the sweet Boyds in the post. Nix helped them put together a banner for the newsletter - as she does so well. So here it is...

October 2010

A few weekends ago we were blessed to meet the most amazing family with strength of character and a positive attitude towards life.

They (and I am referring to them as it is not an individual battle but one faced by the entire family) have been on a rollercoaster ride over the past 2 and a half years.

What started as a condition diagnosed as Adult onset Still’s disease (an auto-immune disease and a type of Rheumatoid Arthritis) It turned out a year later that not only did she have the Arthritis condition, but that Nikki had a very rare type of ‘inflammatory’ breast cancer which was in the tissue and not contained in a lump, as cancer would usually present itself. After extensive tests, it was discovered that the cancer had already spread into her lymph, bone and liver - and that it could have been there for anything up to 2 years. Whether this was the cause of the Arthritis or not, remains unclear, all they know is they are fighting 2 different diseases; One that needs immune suppressants to control it effectively, while the other, needs the immune system boosted to fight the cancer effectively. So the Clash of drugs and decisions regarding which ones to take and which ones not to take remains their biggest challenge.

A few weeks before we met her, Nikki started having some unusual symptoms like visual disturbances, `severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, forgetting things and dropping things. So the doctors ordered a brain MRI. It was at this point that they received the next shock: the cancer had spread to her brain, where they found several inoperable tumors. The doctors suggested radiation treatment along with a course of steroids to ease the symptoms – she did both and has now completed the course.

She is determined to fight this awful disease, and is determined to come out stronger. What she tells the doctors is that her mother was healed miraculously of colon cancer when she was 39, and she trusts it will be the same for her - so they’ll have that to leave as a legend for their children… That …with God, they can beat this - and the Cancer doesn’t need to win.
They are very blessed in that they have the full support of friends and family rallying around them to help in any which way they can – and for this they are immensely grateful.

In a small effort of support, Bon Cap invited the family to spend two sun filled days on the farm. After recently discovering cancerous spots on the liver (which was clear at the beginning of the year) we believed that an all expenses covered trip for the family to spend some time with each other, celebrating life, and everything that it is meant to be, might be just what the doctor ordered. Clean country air, scrumptious meals, organic wine, decaffeinated coffee could do any individual some good in this fast paced, stressful world of ours and no one is more deserving then Nikki Boyd and her family.

The family got the chance to celebrate Hannah’s seventh birthday while on Bon cap with a cake, happy birthday sing along by staff, balloons and a hearty Farm styled breakfast to start the day with – fit for any princess - before heading home, cake in tail, to supportive friends, family and sister at home.

To read more on the incredible walk Nikki has been going through please have a look at a blog site which was setup and is regularly updated by her (very special) sister, Eve. Here is the address if you are interested: http://nikkiboyd.blogspot.com

Nikki, you are in our thoughts and prayers. Please come and visit us again soon.

Bon Cap team.

Our God is BIG!

This weekend was a little better for Nikki but the majority of last week was difficult for her. In addition to starting on the new oral chemo, she is slowly coming off the Cortisone too. Each time she reduces the dose, she gets withdrawal symptoms and all sorts of nasty side effects.

She once again finds herself in the position where she needs to make a decision about her treatment going forward. Should she continue on the Mabthera (an experimental chemo she takes 6 monthly, mainly to try to alleviate the aggressive arthritis) or not? It seems to have done wonders to help her joints and mobility over the last 6 months, but she is not sure whether this has been the reason for the recent developments of the disease in her liver and brain. Because she is an "experiment", doctors are not able to give her an answer or even to recommend a way forward. The decision is hers entirely. It seems that she is leaning towards going without the medication at this stage.

In the tough times, it is always tempting to focus on the problem / disease and, in our minds, our fear of it can outweigh our fear of God. When I was out running recently, the words of a song playing on my iPod helped to re-align my focus, as I got a whole new revelation of who God is and what He is able to accomplish. I began to shift my focus on to God, on to worhipping Him and thanking Him instead of directing all of my intercession and energy into problem / disease. He is so big and so awesome, beyond description. This Psalm says it so well:

Psa 97:1 - 6:

"The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice! Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

It reminds me of this little saying:

"Don't tell God how big your problem is, tell your problem how big your GOD is!"

Stand

It was such a blessing for Nikki to have her friend Lori come and visit from Australia last week. It's always so wonderful to spend good time with special friends and Lori's visit was rejuvenating for Nix. Among other things, Lori took Nikki to her appointment with her oncologist at UCT private hospital last week who started her on a new (oral) chemotherapy on Friday. She has to take the tablets twice a day. This is in addition to the Hercepton which she will continue receiving intravenously every 3 weeks for now. The new chemo has made her very tired and a bit sick too - perhaps her body needs time to adjust to the new chemicals (and probably to recover from the late night chatting and visiting too!).

We had a guest speaker minister in church on Sunday from Isaiah 43. It was a wonderful message and a lovely scripture. Here are vs 1 - 3:

"But now, this is what the Lord says - He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour".

We thank God for his tangible presence in our lives daily and for His constant reassurance and the hope that He gives us as we walk through these waters. As we prayed tonight at the weekly prayer meeting our church is holding for Nikki, may our God continue to uphold Nikki with His presence and give her the strength to stand, and having done all, to stand.

Results

I have been silent for a little while now. Nix needed a little time before I uploaded the latest news but is happy for me to "go public" now (she usually has to face quite a lot of questions after news like this as you can imagine). The results of her CT scan showed more spots in the liver (her last scan, in January this year, showed the liver to be almost clear / normal after treatment with harsh liver chemo, so this wasnt great news). The doctors are meeting in the coming week to discuss the way forward regarding her treatment. I dont think she will be allowed to continue on the strong liver chemo as her body has had enough of that. So it's up to them to decide where to from here. She remains absolutely unchanged in her outlook and continues to be the positive, faith-filled person we all know her to be.

She has suffered a bit over the last few days with debilitating headaches - so please keep her in your prayers in that regard.

The family have been sponsored 2 nights away at Bon Cap Organic Wine Farm / Guest Farm in Robertson (arranged through Amanda Power - who has bravely fought her own fight with Breast Cancer a few years back). They leave tomorrow, if Nikki is feeling strong enough, and will return on Tuesday, which is Hannah's 7th birthday! It will be so special for the family to spend Hannah's special day together, celebrating.

It's been good to have the children on their school holidays during the last week - we managed to catch up with friends and family and have some great fun together. We're gearing up for the madness of the 4th term now. Hold on to your hats!

CT Scan

Were home again! Our time away at Shelley Point was truly special. It was wonderful to relax, spend time chatting together and with the children, to play games and to see Nikki walking and enjoying her children on the beach again. When we were there in March this year, she was not able to walk on the beach at all or even downstairs because of the immense pain and lack of flexibility in her joints. She walked and fished in the rock pools with Dan and took a zillion photos of the kids and the lighthouse, just like the real Nix.

The children collected so many beautiful shells on the beach and on one or two of the cooler days, I sat with them and we made "shell art" which turned out amazingly well. They plan to sell some of their masterpieces at their school's micro mini fair tomorrow - Industrious little people!

Nikki has a CT scan scheduled for tomorrow and her regular 3 weekly Chemotherapy session on Thursday. Please join us in praying and beleiving for a great report from the scan. May the doctors and medical staff be amazed, we pray.

We will let you know the results as soon as we hear more...

(It took me so long to log on to blogger this evening that I have run out of time to write any more news but hope to upload some Shelley Point pics as soon as Nix has downloaded them - sadly, I left my camera at home so dont have any of my own to add :-(. Thanks to my Pete for uploading the last post for me while we were away - he is gifted in patience!!)

Blog Update

We are all enjoying a wonderful week of sun, braais, family, friends and super-relaxation at Shelley Point. Leen and Mies have so kindly given Nix and the family use of their beach house again and they invited us to join them (yay for us!). The Webber family joined us last weekend and now my mom and dad are with us. The weather has been fantastic as always and the children have been playing non-stop on the beach or in the pool. Daniel’s efforts were rewarded with the discovery of an octopus in the rock pool earlier today. I’m sure that his love affair with the rock pool in front of this house will cement a lifelong love of the ocean in him.

Since my last post, we have been busy celebrating birthdays. First, Nix and Shelley hosted a party for Georgia, Pauline’s little girl. I have uploaded a photo of Pauline, Nix and Shelley with Georgia and Rebecca sitting on Buzz below (Nix sporting her new look! My mom bought the wig for her which is gorgeous. She felt a little awkward about it at first, but agrees that it helps her children feel less awkward and have to answer fewer questions from their peers, so it is worth it).



I also included a pic of the design she did for Georgia’s
party invite below – just because it is so “Nix”. 2 of
Georgia’s favourite things are the Pony and the Chicken at my mom’s house, hence the “Pony and Chicken” party theme. (The picture of the chicken sitting on the pony is a real pic – taken when our cousin Gen came to visit – she and Nikki have the same effect on animals – they are able to make them do the most unbelievable things and they always get so much enjoyment out of it!)

Last week was Sydney’s 4^th birthday. She had her “Hello Kitty” party, which she has been dreaming about for the whole year. My heart melted when she said, “Mommy, thank you so much for making such a lovely party for me”. Makes it all worthwhile, hey?

Nikki has been meeting regularly with 2 lovely ladies, Virginia and Elsha, who have a healing ministry and who are totally committed to seeing her healed and whole. They have been a huge blessing to her. Last Thursday Nix and Queenie went to a life group meeting with them. They prayed for my mom’s arm and it was healed! It is about 90% better. Just some muscle memory issues to work on now then it will be 100% better!!! Just in time to dice with the rocks at Shelley Point again! Don’t worry, wisdom is keeping her well away this time around! On a funny note: My dad said to my mom to tell her humerus this is no longer a joke!

Our church has started a regular day of fasting and prayer every Tuesday on behalf of Nix (with prayer meetings at 7 am and 7 pm at the VCC building – open to anyone who wants to join). It has been such a blessing to her and so wonderful to see how many wonderful friends are committed to seeing her healed. Thank you all.

My soul was so encouraged by the following scripture this week: Psalm 73

“Yet I am always with you, you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Hair today, gone tomorrow (round 2)

I find myself in a place where I am so aware of my need for God every moment of every day and I feel so blessed and rich because I know Him and can feel Him carrying me through my ups and downs as I walk beside my lovely Nix.

I cried buckets today. Not because Nix is sad – never does she seem to camp long enough with self pity to cry over herself or her circumstances. But, this week she began to lose her hair again (Her reply to the assault is, “So what!”). The doctors have warned that this time the hair loss, as a result of the high doses of radiation she received on her brain, will most likely be permanent. So, I feel like I’m mourning the loss of her hair on her behalf. It just seems so cruel that on top of everything else, she be stripped of her hair. To many of us, just this one obstacle would be more than we could handle. To Nikki, it’s just a tiny pebble at the foot of the mountain that she has to face daily.

I suppose it is also a bit of a reality check for me. For some time now, she has seemed her normal self again, with the high doses of cortisone numbing the pain in her body, her hair growing back so thick and strong and her energy levels (boosted by the steroids) urging her to make the most of every opportunity, we have been able to carry on, living for today, probably in a bit of denial – which is actually great for coping on a daily basis.

I share this not because my faith is moved but because I want to be authentic and I want you to know where we are all at as a family. My soul is firmly anchored in God and I still have the peace and assurance that He is in control of everything, as do Nikki and the others. He is not rattled by our emotions. He continues to be the same faithful Father. Again, I am so aware of Philippians 3:8 –

“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

And of this little quote (not sure whose it is):

“Only one life, it will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last”

Living the High Life...

Nikki has certainly been celebrating life since being back on Cortisone. The steroids have helped to relieve her joint pain so much and she has been moving around so much more easily - she is almost back to the point (joint-wise) that she was at a few years ago before she became ill.

As I mentioned before, Friday was the last day of her radiation program. As usual, she has made such good friends with all of the staff in the radiation unit, she will probably miss her daily trek out to Pinelands to catch up on their latest news. She designed and printed personalised labels on to mugs for each of the staff in the unit to thank them for their amazing care during her time there.

This weekend was very special for us. We had Samantha McKay (was Legg) our lifelong friend (who is more like a sister to us) come and visit from Joburg. It was an adventure down memory lane as we relived some of our loveliest (and more embarrasing) memories from the past.

We lived it up on Saturday - starting with cuppucino at a gorgeous little coffee shop in Chelsea, Wynberg, followed by a stroll along the Greenpoint promenade after which our moms joined us for High Tea at the Mount Nelson! All of our senses were indulged - from the plush sofas to the loveliest live piano music and, of course, the f-o-o-d. As hard as we tried, we were simply incapable of sampling one of everything on offer, but we certainly gave it our best shot!! More fun and laughter as we remembered our childhood and our funnier & scarier moments with our ponies and horses. Here are some pics of us at "The Nellie":

We spent the rest of the evening together at the Boyd's home and then Sam and Sandra joined us again for our traditional family lunch this afternoon at Afton before Sam had flew back to her sweet family in Joburg (sniff, sniff...). It is so good to be around people who know you and whom you know and understand you so well - it's so easy, even though we live far apart - we just pick up where we left off before and it's always so good. Thank you Sammy - you will never know how much it meant to Nix to have you here. Thank you, thank you....xxx

Our friend, Werner Stadler (Natural Photography), has uploaded some of the images of our family photo shoot to his Facebook page. If anyone wants to have a look there, the link is: http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=242618&id=597178893

Last Week of Radiation

Nikki has completed the first of 2 weeks of intensive radiation on her brain. This coming week is the last of the radiation after which she will have reached the maximum lifetime dosage for radiation on her brain. SO, please join with us in praying that every ounce and milligram of cancerous tissue is obliterated in her brain with this last week of radiation. Also, please continue to agree that she will keep her hair which is looking so gorgeous and thick - it has grown back completely differently to the hair she had b.c. (before chemotherapy!) which was straight and fine. It is thick and has a slight curl to it and suits her beautifully.

She is struggling a bit with the after-effects of the previous round of radiation on the breast. The skin under her arm is literally black - it is so badly burned and it is very, very painful. The medical staff were a bit alarmed when she showed them what it looked like and have given her some dressings and ointment to apply. Please pray that this will heal and clear up quickly.

She is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING... (as we already know) but anyone who has had the privilege of accompanying her to her daily treatments will testify to this story. She has the most positive outlook of any person I know and carries with her the very strength, joy (the bible says "the joy of the Lord is our strength"!), love and peace of God and is a shining light wherever she goes. Here is just one example (one of many): Our wonderful pastor Mark and I drove her through to hospital for treatment on Thursday and when she entered the waiting area for radiation, she cheerfully greeted all the other patients and staff (as she does) and then sat down next to a gentleman whom she had been chatting to the day before. Within moments his wife (who has cancer and is undergoing radiation treatment) was in tears and clinging to Nix from her wheelchair. When I looked at this lady, I saw fear unlike anything I have ever seen in Nikki or my precious friend Sarah who walked the same road a few years ago (both know/knew peace beyond understanding in spite of their circumstances). It was like she was so desperate to know the peace that Nikki knows and was clinging to her as if her life depended on it. As Nikki began to encourage and pray for this fearful lady, I visibly witnessed the fear leave her and the peace of God flood her body as God ministered is incredible love to her through Nikki. It was amazing, miraculous. And I had the privilege of being part of it and seeing it for myself.

I loved this quote which I read in a book recently:

You do not have to sit outside in the dark.
If, however, you want to look at the stars,
you will find that darkness is required.
The stars neither require it nor demand it.

Anne Dillard

The Next Two Weeks

I finally had a moment this morning to sit down and chat with my sister (My children and I have been a bit sick this week so I stayed away as I didn't want to infect Nix).

She eventually met with her oncologist yesterday. The course of radiation on the breast finished up yesterday and they have measured and made the mask for the next lot of radiation on her brain. They will start this course of radiation treatment on Monday - high dosage for two weeks. Nikki has been told that this radiation will cause her to lose her hair permanently.

Please pray and believe with us that the radiation would target all of the cancer sites in the brain and that, seeing she is such a rare individual, she would prove to be the exception to the rule and keep her hair!

Thank you all so much for your many calls, emails, SMS'es etc. You are an amazing encouragement to Nikki, Adrian and all the family. Nikki absolutely loves her friends and staying in contact is very important to her, but sometimes it can be a bit difficult for her to reply for a number of reasons.

Psalm 121:

I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber,
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you -
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm -
He will watch over your life,
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Days in the Sun

The last few days have been draining but really special too. Nikki's oncologist has been on leave and will only be back tomorrow. She will meet with him to discuss the way forward with her treatment after her regular radiation session in the morning. So we are still no clearer yet on what is to happen from here. Please keep them in your prayers as they meet with the doctors again tomorrow. We pray that God's peace and love would overwhelm them.

Nikki and Adrian took their children with them to her radiation session on Friday and let them watch what was happenning to mommy - they had lots of questions and a nice honest chat time. They then took them up Table Mountain and had a day of fun together. What amazes me is the special grace that God gives the children to handle things like this. It's like they are in a bubble of His protection and, while they are aware of the reality of things, their little hearts are so peaceful, joyful, accepting and trusting.

Today was a beautiful day. Bright and sparkling, windless and warm. Our friends, Werner and Liesl Stadler so kindly offered to take photos of the family. In all of our wanderings together, we have managed to get absolutely NO photographs of the extended "Spengler-clan" all together, all looking in the same direction! So today was the day we set that right. They started early with Nix, Adrian and the kids, and then my parents and our family joined them on the beach. We then moved on to the common to finish up the shoot. We spent the rest of the afternoon braaiing at Afton. Our cousin Greg and his family joined us there for some catch-up time which was lovely.

Nix was amazing - kept going all day through it all (she reckons she might as well make the most of the steroids!). Her headaches and eyesight have been better since the doc gave her more cortisone to reduce the swelling. Added bonus - her joints are so much better too. She is so strong and looks so gorgeous, no-one would think she was battling this enormous battle.

We continue to hope in our God, our strength and our healer. We trust Him and continue to ask him for Nikki's complete healing - that He may be glorified in this.

New Challenges

As I mentioned in the previous post, Nikki went for a brain MRI earlier in the week after her difficult weekend. The results came back today and, after hearing the report and spending a teary afternoon with the family, I asked her what I could post on the blog she just said (typcial)..."Well, the good news is, they've found out what's wrong with my head, but the bad news is, its not very good news :-)"

The short story is that the MRI showed more secondaries (metastasised cancer sites) in the brain. She had so much to say about the neurologist whom she said was fantastic. This is what she wrote in a text this evening - for uploading on the blog:

"What a LOVELY neurologist! Such a special doctor... After reading the radiologist's report on the MRI results from yesterday (which showed more secondaries in the brain) he prayed with us and asked for a miracle. Chatted about how we are ALL facing death every day and none of us know our time, but when we're faced with an eternity with our Father in heaven (in contrast with our very short time here on earth, which seems like "our whole life" but is in fact just a fraction of it)...it makes it so much easier to face death.

All of us have questions, but what I have realised is that one day when we have the chance to ask the questions, the questions will disappear in the light of everything that God is. We will realise that our brains would never have been able to comprehend a fraction of it, but one day we will see clearly, that it was all in HIS PLAN! I loved this saying which I read in a book recently: Everything IS OK in the end. If it's not OK, IT"S NOT THE END!

We're all still holding onto God and now He will be there to walk each day with me. Will just take it one step at a time ...and trust Him."

That's written by one incredible lady! I love my precious sister and honour her for her incredible character, courage and faith in this walk. And her amazing sense of humour which is a gift and never in short-supply.

We thank you for your prayers as we continue to trust God for a miracle of healing in her body.

Long Time No Hear

Apologies for the long silence... It has been a very long while since the last post. Following on from the last news, Nikki decided to go for the 2nd course of Mabthera and (in my opinion) it seems to be working to ease the pain and inflammation in her joints somewhat. She was also on extra steroids and pain killers over the holidays (to be able to enjoy as much time with her children as possible) but she is looking so much better and so healthy these days (she astounded us by walking the entire Fan Walk with Hannah and friends for the semi finals of the World Cup in Cape Town!).


After an MRI to ascertain the progression of the disease in the breast, it was decided to treat the breast with radiation. Nix is now about halfway through a 5 week course of radiation treatment. She travels through to Pinelands for treatment every day (thanks to all the precious friends who have offered lifts, she has a chance to catch up with a different person every day!) She continues on her Chemotherapy treatment and is due for the next dose tomorrow straight after her radiation session. She has also moved to a new Oncologist who specialises in breast cancer & radiation treatment.


Adrian, Nix and the children managed to get away to Wilderness for a break in the first week of the school holidays which was the best therapy for Nix. They spent some time alone at Eagle's Nest and then with the Webbers at Ebb and Flow and had a wonderful time. I have asked her for some photos which I hope to upload soon. They also treated themselves to a new bed after Nikki found that she was so comfortable on the matress in the holiday chalet and decided that their bed definitely wasnt helping her sleep issues. The new bed has helped immensely with this. Thank you so much for all those who have contributed to the Alabaster Fund as it was these contributions that helped them to invest time into their family and their health in this way. We have been so blessed by friends and family who have gone out of their way to support Nikki in so many different ways. A friend living in Ireland, Yvonne D'Arcy, decided to run the Dublin Marathon in order to raise funds for Nikki / The Alabaster Fund. She challenged 2 friends to join her. They had t-shirts printed and did it all in support of Nix - AMAZING! (Yvonne, if you read this, please contact us with your email address / telephone number as our mails are bouncing back from the email address you gave my folks - thank you :-))

Although she has been handling the radiation like a soldier, Nikki came down with the biggest migraine of her life this last weekend. She literally couldnt see or walk and wasnt able to keep any food or drinks down. Eventually, they called the GP in early on Sunday morning. He gave her some injections for pain, nausea and inflammation as well as a sleeping tab. She spent the rest of the day in bed and by the evening started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thankfully, she didnt have to be hospitalised and seemed to make quite a remarkable turn around. A lovely testimony - Nikki saw a neurologist on Monday on the GP's recommendation and, without knowing her, he asked her whether she "was reglious or had faith" and she answered "yes" to which he commented that he could see that by her peaceful outlook and joyful demeanour in spite of her circumstances. Our God is our strength, our peace and our joy and we continue to trust Him and hang on to Him through the trial.

Our children (Megan, Sydney, Hannah and Daniel) were asked to model the 2010 bandanas for The Sunflower Fund. We went through to the studio for the shoot yesterday and were so proud of our little gang! They were real professionals. So you can all look out for their little faces on posters in Pick n Pay stores and around about soon.

Decisions, decisions

Nix has been facing a confusing and difficult time with major decisions to be made again.

She started on the Mabthera (experimental) treatment a few weeks back and is due for her second round this week. She has had to do some tests in the mean time though and found some progression in the disease in her breast - docs are not sure whether this is due to the new treatment or something else but they are currently discussing it amongst each other and making decisions as to the best course of treatment for her. Ultimately, the decision lies in Nikki's hands though. Please can we ask that you pray for wisdom regarding the best route to go re: treament and for peace in the decision she makes.

She continues to be the lovely, lively, upbeat and wonderful person she is in spite of everything that is thrown at her on a daily basis but this walk is not easy and we trust in God for His strength and grace for each new day. We are so grateful for His love.

Nikki's Birthday

We celebrated Nikki's birthday in style last weekend at Shelley Point with 10 of her close friends. Most of it was a surprise for her. All she knew is that my mom and I were taking her away for the weekend. It was truly a special time of friendship and fun. We stayed at the most perfect location in the world - The Villa on the Beach (thanks to Leen and Mies for that!) and we hired the Shelley Point Spa for the Saturday morning and were treated like queens! What more could you ask for - a house right on the beachfront, great weather and food, wonderful friends, treats and time together. Therapy! Here are some photos:


The girls in the Spa (minus Queenie). No value can be placed on times like these.

Nix and I looking fairly normal (unusual for us!) :-) Beleive me - we have proof!!

The weekend was followed by Chemotherapy first thing on Monday morning and Nix has been feeling the effects of the late nights on the weekend together with the Chemo this week so has had a rough week. She is such a trooper though, feeling stronger every day.

Hannah has her first violin recital this Friday - everyone is really excited about that. No one more than her though! So sweet...

Mother's Day

It was a cold, rainy and wet Mother's Day in Cape Town but we had a very special time with our beautiful Moms today. We had Nikki's family, Adrian's folks and our folks over to our house for a "healthy buffet" prepared by Pete and I (putting into practice some of my newly learned skills and recipes - yum!).

Nix has still not been well enough to start with the Mabthera treatment and has had to postpone a few times now. She is booked for tomorrow but thinks that they will most likely not go ahead as she still has not recovered from the flu. The Mabthera apparently shuts down the body's immune response to things like colds and flu so wouldnt be wise to start when you have flu). We'll wait to see what the doctors say in the morning...

Only a week to go to Nikki's 35th birthday on 16th May. I pray she feels better by then. We have some lovely surprises "up our sleeves" for her special day. Should be such fun. If you remember, please send her a message to let her know what she means to you.

In the mean time, keep warm! I am going to tuck up in bed now - only place to be on a wintry evening like this. Bye!

Nix has had a rough couple of weeks. She was supposed to start on a new Chemotherapy drug (Mabthera) last week Wednesday but suddenly came down with every bug that was flying around, including conjunctivitis. She still has not recovered completely so I am sure she will not be allowed to go ahead with the Mabthera tomorrow as planned. We appreciate all of your prayers in this area. I feel so for her - she has not had a decent night's sleep in who knows how long as she struggles with so much pain, particularly at night. We are praying that when she eventually starts on the Mabthera, it brings some relief to her inflamed joints.

There are so many benefits to serving the Lord, but Psalm 103 lists some goodies...

Psalm 103:2, 3

"Praise the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases..." (check out the rest of the Psalm too - love it!)

Them Bones and Teeth

More wonderful news! After meeting with her oncologist and maxillo facial surgeon last week regarding possible necrosis in her jaw, they decided Nikki needed another bone scan. She has not had another bone scan since the initial scan done when she was diagnosed in August last year. Nikki's oncologist has been very hesitant to scan the bone again as she said that if her condition had worsened, medical aid would cut their funding immediately. So, Nikki set off tentatively for her bone scan earlier this week. The results came back showing an improvement in all areas of bone affected by the cancer. To top it all off, the area of concern (possible necrosis) in her mouth turned out to be a chip of the tooth that was extracted last year, she managed to wiggle it out yesterday - on the very same day that Hannah lost her first tooth (which she is so excited about!) How good is that?!?!? Praise God!!

We are getting there....I like this quote...

"How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?" William Shakespeare.

I know our God can do it in an instant, but that's not always the plan, so we are continuing to practice patience. There is a lot of wisdom in that.

I love this too, it sums up my sister in a nutshell...

Proverbs 31:25 - "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come".

The horse on a soapbox

From the heading you have probably realised it's me again!

Firstly... WELL DONE! to EVE- and anyone else who ran on Saturday - you guys deserve serious respect!

As you would have read on her last update, there was far more meaning behind all the training and running she has been doing lately and I wanted to say to my sweet sister, that I appreciate YOU so much, and all the support you have shown me...Thank you! I love you so much!

Secondly.... A little update on me:
Tuesday (2 weeks ago ) I went for a heart scan to check that the "Hercepton" I am on at the moment is not causing any problems with my heart - quite strange test - they inject you with a radio-active substance and do a scan in a strange machine to test your heart function. very interesting - All in all my heart is Great - YAY!
Wednesday (2 weeks ago) I went to see my Reumatologist: he's sent in the application forms for me to start on a new drug called "Mabthera" he also says I have cysts behind my knees from all the inflammation, which might explain some of the 'new' pain. In short, once the application has been processed, I might start on that drug - yuk, more drugs! was hoping to avoid that route, but it will be a little bit of an experiment, as the 2 drugs are not used together normally, and we'll have to see how that goes (who knows, they may make some medical breakthrough with me being the Guinea-pig - who knows?)
Tuesday (last week) went for a CT scan to monitor general state of organs, etc. was such a relief that they got a vein first time, as most of the previous times my arm has ended up looking like a pin-cushion, and once they even had to send me to the ultra-sound room for guidance to find a vein - so you can imagine my relief that they got one first time. (small pleasures :)
Wednesday (last week) Eve and I made a day of going
Firstly; to the Maxillo-Facial Surgeon. There is a small 'thing' on my jawbone which he wants to remove, but has to chat to my oncologist as (things are never simple, are they?) i am on a drug to strengthen my bones, which prevents me from having any dental procedures. so I'll go back to see him in a few weeks to see what can be done.
Secondly; we were off to Rondebosch for Chemo (after a yummy healthy lunch at the common-ground cafe) - My oncologist said that the scans were okay, and apart from one or 2 things which he was going to follow up on, everything seemed pretty much like they were last time they did the scans (Dec) he also said he would need to chat to the Maxillo-Facial Surgeon to discuss how to best sort out my mouth. He said i should not have the Zometa (bone strengthening drug) this cycle, and we'll take it from there.

So, that's a wrap on me.. my joints have been sore, but I've been sleeping better which has helped.
Been Fun to be on holiday with the sweet kids, and all in all, been having lots of fun!

Thirdly... The (main) reason I decided to write on the blog again, is because -over this weekend, being Easter and all, I have been doing a lot of thinking...

As I am writing this, my wrists are 'freezing up' and getting more and more sore while i type - which is why i don't do much typing.. but really feel I'd like to get this message across to you, so please hear me out!

For So much of my life I have carried around this massive frustration ... that I care for So many, so deeply - there are SO many people in my life, so many friends and family that I love SO much and am desperate to Share MY GOD with them - but it is because I love them so much that, ironically, it is often difficult to talk about the most important things with them, as I don't want them to think that I'm judging them (or think they need to change - because they are so lovely just as they are - and i am not judging them) I am just desperate to share THE most AMAZING part of my life with them.

...In a way it's kind of like trying to convince someone how awesome it would be for them to have children, or someone to love in their life. Until they are open to it, or it becomes real to them, they don't really understand what you mean. Then - maybe one day, they experience it for themself, and realise the richness of that new love! - well.. it's almost like that, only in the biggest form of love possible :)

One good thing that has come of all I have gone through lately, is that I find people are keen to Listen if I have something to say, so i'm taking this opportunity, if you will... to talk... unlike all those years where time has gone by and i've not explained what's really been on my heart... on this the day marking the end of easter, I'm going to share something that's (always) burning in my heart...

I'm not sure where you stand, what you may have been through, or what your experience is of Christ - or what your understanding is of what He did for us that day on the cross.

Some of you might have been hurt by people, maybe by church.. or difficult curcumstances, but I know that it would not have been God who hurt you.

The one thing I know, is that I Love and Adore and I TRUST HIM COMPLETELY! I am confident in that whatever I have to go through, I have Him to go through it with, and that is a huge comfort to me! God promises that nothing can separate us from His Love - not Life, nor Death, nor anything else. So whatever we face, we don't have to worry, if He is with us, we are safe! My Dream is that All of you will get to know Him the same way (or more) than I do..

I was recently given a beautiful book, which some of you might have been involved in putting together (for those who Ash knew and managed to contact). Included in this book is the following clip which was taken from a book (which I read recently, too) by Barbara Johnson, who has gone through the trauma of a brain tumour, the loss of 2 children and other difficult obstacles she has faced in her life - I loved this quote (from Margaret Clarkson) in her book:

"God didn't promise us days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but HE DID PROMISE us strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way." ... another quote I remembered from her book was... "As we cling to God to get us through he dark times, our faith is strengthened until it becomes unshakable." ... "Remember that grapes must be crushed to make the fine wine, and wheat must be crushed to make bread. Brokenness brings wholeness to us all in a variety of ways. Broken hearts, broken bodies, broken dreams... and then, in the midst of our brokenness, we feel ourselves pressed against the unshakable presence of God, and there we find peace; there we find strength and courage for the next step."

Yesterday morning, just before the Easter Service at our Church, I was getting ready to go, and thinking (as I so often do at that late moment) about who I would have liked to invite to the Easter service with us.. then I thought.. I wonder if my friends realise that (while it is a privilege to have them join us and I absolutely Love it if any of them come to our church) ... that it's not the most important thing (to me) if they come to church or not - but what is important (to me) is that they know and understand God in a new way. So my prayer and HOPE for Easter this year, is: for those who don't know Jesus, and have never had him as part of your life, that you would come to find Him and recognise the Power He has in your life through what He accomplished on the cross for you - that your life will become so rich once you find Him. For those who knew Him once, but have moved away from Him - that you would come back to Him, and know Him in a new, very real way. And for those who know Him already, that you will learn so much more about Him, that you will be changed forever.. and so ultimately, we would all know Him, and walk in the plans He has for each and every one of our lives - then my life would be as FULL as it could be, Indeed!
With Love,
Nikki

Mission Accomplished

I woke up at 4.30 this morning and set off tentatively into the drizzly dark morning to take my place with the thousands of others at the start of the Two Oceans Marathon this morning.

The race was a wonderful experience. The vibe and atmosphere of the start continued throughout the race with the horbes of spectators lining the roads as we ran. (I think some of them will be more whacked than the runners tonight judging by the effort they put into their screaming and encouragement!) Their infectious spirit literally carried us all the way to the end.

It was a picture of life really - and it just reminded me how important those special people who walk alongside you in this life are. The encouragers who stand on the sidelines supporting you and holding you up in prayer literally give you the strength to continue along the course that lies ahead. They are essential, they are gifts and I so appreciate each and every one!

I finished the race in 1 hour 54 minutes (my goal was under 2 hours so that was good).

Thank you so much for all of your encouragement. As promised, I dedicated every step to my sweet Nix and asked our Father that with every step I took, the enemy's plans would be defeated and that her hands and limbs would be strengthened. Because of this goal, I saw much of the race as quite a simple parallel to life. So as I ran, there was another little incident / life lesson which God really spoke to me through (don't laugh OK :-) It's a typical "Eve move")...

As the roads were immensely congested for the first half of the run, I decided to try to get ahead by doing some of the off road trail running I am more used to and took to running along the road shoulder to up my pace a little. It was still dark (around 6.30 am) when I found myself at the foot of Southern Cross Drive, I didnt see a cable sticking out of the ground and I managed to trip and take a spectacular tumble along the road, causing a bit of commotion amongst the runners and spectators and grazing my arms a bit (lovely!). But this little incident really spoke to me and I beleive it was a wonderful illustration of how the enemy comes along in life with the intention of tripping you up and taking you out of the race. He places obstacles in our path and there are hiccups and questions along the road of life. The amazing thing is that this little incident gave me such an adrenaline boost, I literally shot up Southern Cross Drive (3km uphill) after that (no Powerade needed!), so what the enemy intended for harm, God used for good. I accomplished my goal and I beleive there was a heavenly victory for my sister today too. Dont look at the obstacles but keep your eyes firmly set on the goal that lies ahead.

Phillipians 3:13:

"...But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

The Alabaster Jar Fund & The Blistered Sister

As you can see from her post uploaded on the blog while I was away, Nikki has not lost her sense of humour and continues to have us all in fits of laughter with her incredibly entertaining perspective on life. As she mentioned, she has really been battling to sleep, and had a migraine headache for most of last week, poor thing. She also had an appointment with the Cardiologist and met with her Rheumatologist again last week. Nothing new to report there other than the fact that her heart is fine. This week she has a CT scan scheduled, an appointment with a Maxillo Facial surgeon and more Chemo on Wednesday! Busy week!!

They are so blessed to have medical aid in place to cover many of these costs (although getting all the expenses and papers in order is like a full time job, as I am sure you can imagine!) Apart from allopathic medicine, Nikki is using a number of excellent supplements, vitamins and natural remedies to help her cope with the onslaught of chemicals in her body. None of these natural supplements and therapies are covered by medical aid.

It is with all of this in mind that I would like to introduce you to….

… THE ALABASTER JAR FUND…

A number of Nikki's friends have been approached over the last few months by people asking whether they could contribute financially in any way. So, we have collaborated and have now set up a fund to help towards all the added extra costs. This is completely OUR initiative and does not come from Nikki or Adrian’s side at all. In fact, it has taken us quite some time and coaxing to get them to finally agree to this.

For some time now, I have had it in my heart to open a fund in order to just bless Nikki and her family as they walk this very challenging time. To lavish our love upon them, to give them something that is simply a gift – to use in whatever way they see fit or wherever there may be a need in their lives. I was challenged by the scripture in Matt 26:7 where the woman came to Jesus in His darkest hour (he was facing his betrayal and crucifixion) and poured out the alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume over his head. She washed His feet with her tears and her hair. This was the most lavish gift she could bestow on Him. I felt there were many who were possibly moved in a similar way, just to bless this family financially in a time of incredible need – if only to demonstrate our love and the love of God to them. It is important that you know that this fund is not set up because the Boyd’s are struggling to get by in life – we also realise that they live a very comfortable lifestyle and there are others in the world who are suffering through incredible poverty and financial difficulties in their lives. But that is not really the point, as I have explained…

Adrian and Nikki have been so incredibly moved by generosity shown to them through meals, shopping, lifts, babysitting etc. over last while. They have been blessed by the way that people have been obedient to God’s leading and many times a meal or an offer has come in just at the right time. So thank you for showing your love and support to them in that way. They were very much against us starting this fund as they felt that people had done / already were doing so much.

...THE BLISTERED SISTER...

In October last year, I was challenged to start running and interceding for Nikki as I ran. The process of running and training has been very important to me personally in this process. The time taken to train has given me time to think, worship God, pray and intercede on Nikki’s behalf. I have felt that my training has paralleled the process that Nikki is going through in her healing. With every step I take, I pray that the enemy’s plans in Nikki’s life be defeated. I pray healing over her body and speak the scripture in Isaiah 35:3 over her – “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees”. I believe God that she will be running with me one day and continue to thank God that she will see her dream of horse riding together with her precious Hannah one day fulfilled. This focus has helped me through the toughest of times out on the road and on the road to healing in Nikki’s body.

SO - I will be running the Two Oceans Half Marathon (21 km) on 3 April (this Saturday) so please pray and believe with me for Nikki’s healing as I run. I had hoped to run the race for sponsorship for the fund but Nikki and Adrian are have said that they would rather I don’t raise money through sponsorship (they feel people may then feel pushed into giving something) but rather leave it so that if God leads someone to give financially, they have an avenue to do so. They would also very much like for donations to be anonymous if possible - to keep things simple and uncomplicated.

The bank account details are:








Please don’t feel pressurised in any way to give towards the fund. It is simply a tool for those who feel they would like to contribute in this way to do so. I would like to re-iterate that NONE of this has been suggested or brought about by Nikki or Adrian. In the same way that a gift is given simply to bless a friend, without any strings attached, this fund is intended to bless our precious friends and show them our love and support.

Thank you all so much!
Eve

From the Horse's mouth!

Well, It's kind of weird to be writing on my own blog, but here i go...
Hello, firstly to all of you! (and thanks for being interested enough in me to be reading this blog, by the way)
I thought I'd update the blog for Eve this time, since she's been running around a bit lately, doing what she does best - Everything for everyone else!

We returned last week from a GORGEOUS week away with our family at Shelley Point - I must mention that it has to be one of the most beautiful spots on the planet! I have made a little comp of pictures of our holiday, so hopefully I can get the pictures uploaded okay. Anyway, when we came home Eve hit the ground RUNNING... more on that in a minute. She and Pete went camping for the weekend, so I mentioned to her that I might update the blog for her while she's away.

So, it's now 3 in the morning and i couldn't sleep. We started off getting to bed a bit late after having my folks around for a yummy dinner, so I thought it would be easy to fall asleep (trying to not rely on sleeping tablets) I tried getting all comfy, and that didn't work, we even killed mossies to ensure a good night, so the mossies were dead... and i was wide awake. I thought maybe 3 pages of my book might do the trick, so Adrian kindly agreed to me keeping my light on for a wee bit... but the 3 pages didn't do a thing ... now the light was out... but no.. still wide awake... so i had a brainwave - i used my ipod for a light for reading a couple more chapters under the duvet... which worked for about 20 minutes, but I have this thing about breathing stale air... so that got a bit claustrophobic. In hindsight, i should have thought of getting a snorkel out of the garage, to breathe fresh air from under the duvet, but that would have meant getting out of bed, and waking up even more. I'm glad I didn't do that, because, knowing me i would have probably stumped my toe on something lying around on the garage floor, and causing trouble than it was worth, and then, if i had got one, i would have probably been suspicious of spiders or something... Then... (and this is where you come in)... I had the idea of updating the BLOG.. so here I am.. (OOPS Dan's awake... see you in 10) - I'm back he was having 'silly dreams' poor little chap!

I'm sorry, I know I get really silly when I'm tired, so I'll try to be a bit more helpful with information.
Our time away... WOW what a lovely time we had! It is always such a treat to go to Shelley Point... we absolutely LOVE it there, and it has all the comforts one could hope for, which made my stay this time, particularly comfortable. (A big thanks to the van 't Hof's - who generously let us stay at their beautiful holiday home) The house is right on the beach, so we could watch Daniel fishing (95% of the time we were there) from the balcony (notice him telling a 'fishing story' with his hands to a new friend on the beach in one of the pics). Anyway, all was going well up until the day before we were due to leave. Adrian was diving for something interesting to put in a nearby rock pool (smallish shark or something) for the kids to look at. He had just found a really big star fish, and 'Queenie' (my mom) came leaping accross the rocks to show Megan what Adrian had found. From where I was standing, I could just see that my mom was not going to make it accross to the other rock from where she was - and then I saw her jump - oops! She fell really badly, and broke her arm. She couldn't feel her arm at all and when my dad got to her, he had to bend it back to face the right direction (gulp!). So ... Queenie ended up staying 2 nights in a nearby (very nice) hospital to have a long pin and 2 screws put into her badly fractured arm.
The up side of this little ordeal was that we got to extend our stay by an extra 2 days. (thanks again to Leen and Mies) on the last day (Sunday) as we were about to start packing up, the kids walked down to the beach with their buckets and nets, and we noticed that there were dolphins jumping out of the water just in front of the house, close to where the kiddies were - Adrian took the opportunity to gear up and go for a swim with them - pretty awesome! (managed to snap a pic with the kids and the dolphins - so that's why i put that pic in, too.. it just tells such a story, and summed up our time away beautifully).

Since we've been back, my folks have had their work cut out for them with big groups coming back to back for dinner, bed and breakfast. Since my dad's (right) shoulder was operated on a few weeks back - and is still very painful, and now my mom has her (left) shoulder in a sling and is in loads of pain - Eve has picked up the ball at Afton Grove. She should run for President. She's just too cute!

Okay, now seriously, I am still not in the slightest bit sleepy, but I am rather sore, and we're due to get up in a few hours, to visit friends up the line, so I should really TRY to sleep again.

Catch up again Soon...

Nikki

ps. in the pictures: Bianca dropped in for a day to visit us with her gorgeous 3 children, (our kids 2nd cousins) - that's them all in the pool

On the Go!

We have had the most wonderful, whirlwind week! Our precious friend, Robyn arrived to visit from the UK last Sunday and we have made the most of every moment with her. She has been such a blessing to Nix - helping her fetch and carry children, driving her to the physio, baking bread, massaging her feet, making her tea and making her laugh. It has been so wonderful to be able to "insert Robs" into our lives for a week. It feels like she belongs here and as we reluctantly return her to the airport tomorrow, we will wonder how we will ever manage without her. Friends and family are just the most valuable treasures in life.

The week has been challenging as always with Nikki's joints and a new issue which seems to have arisen in her jaw. She is scheduled to meet with a Maxillo Facial surgeon on Tuesday to discuss the issue with her jaw and I will fill you all in on that when we know more.

Nix is going in for another round of Chemo tomorrow morning and Robs, Chan and I will be there to support her and surround her with girlish silliness. Because her regular Oncologist is on maternity leave, Nikki will meet with a new Doctor tomorrow morning before she starts with Chemo.

For now, please can I ask you to keep Nix in prayer before her Chemo tomorrow and especially around the meeting with the new doctor. Since he is only picking up now on her complex case, please pray that God would give him wisdom and insight from heaven regarding her body and her unique situation. Please continue to pray for the strengthening of the bones and joints and that God would continue His healing work in her body for His glory.

My dad is doing well after his surgery on his "frozen shoulder" last week. He is battling along with only one arm while the other one is in a sling but he is in good spirits - a bit sore as to be expected but soldiering on!

"Suffering increases your capacity for joy. Those who have suffered appreciate their joy so much more, because they know what it feels like to pass through this life without joy."

So, on that note, after a week of getting to bed after midnight, I think I will sign off and call 11.00 pm an early one! Sleep tight!!

Hair

I forgot to say that Nikki's hair is starting to grow back - not blonde and curly as some thought may be the case - so far it seems to be straight and dark and is about 1 cm long now...yay!!

Fiery Trials and Victories

Nikki has really been struggling with pain in her joints this week as well as muscle cramps and she battles to sleep as a result. The doctor has given her a different (stronger) sleeping tablet in order to help her but not even that is helping.

We continue to thank God for the awesome work He has done and is doing in her body and we understand that the enemy will come to try and attack from every angle and devour our faith when we are standing strong and celebrating a victory.

1 Peter 5:8:

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

We ask that you would continue to pray for a victory in the area of Nikki's joints / arthritis.

Our precious dad is facing surgery for his "frozen shoulder" in the coming week - also as a result of arthritis in the shoulder joint. Please could you keep him in your prayers - the op is scheduled for Tuesday.

This scripture has again been very real to me this week, since I have had one or two obstacles to face myself in the week gone by. I am glad the week is over now - I'm so ready for the weekend (especially since our special friend Robyn arrives from the UK on Sunday to visit for a week - yay)!!

1Peter 4:12

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

We serve a God of Miracles!

I have been so excitedly sharing the wonderful news around town, when I checked the blog I could hardly believe I hadn’t published it yet – I was sure that I had.

At my last posting, I said that Nikki was due to meet with her rheumatologist later that day. When she met with him last week, they were discussing the recent tests she had undergone to determine the extent of the damage in her joints. With the level of inflammation that Nikki has had in her joints over a period of nearly 2 years (her doctor has said that he has never before seen such an aggressive case), there should be massive permanent damage to her joints. The fact is that there is NONE! While explaining all of this to her, he asked her to look at him and said, “I know it’s something you have been wanting to hear for a long time, Nikki, but this is a MIRACLE!” He then repeated himself twice and said, “this is miraculous, it is a miracle!” He said, “You should be jumping up and down right now!” Nikki replied saying, “I would if I could!”

In addition to this, Nikki’s oncologist used the following words when studying Nikki’s test results after the first 6 sessions of Chemo. She said, “It's AMAZING, I don’t know when last I saw a liver respond so well to treatment!” These are the very words that we have been praying into the situation daily, “Lord, may the doctors be AMAZED at your works!”

I don’t know if many know that our mother, Louise, was miraculously healed of colon cancer 20 years ago and has not had a trace of it since. The words that we prayed in that time were, “Lord, may the doctors be AMAZED.” The words that the surgeon used when calling my dad during the operation were, “Chris, I don’t know what to say to you other than that I am absolutely AMAZED!” They had taken a biopsy a week or so beforehand and confirmed malignancy in the colon. They had planned to remove the entire colon but when they opened her up, they found not a trace of cancer there! They closed her up without removing the colon as planned. We are beleiving the same for Nikki.

I mentioned previously that medical aid was being sticky about approving further chemotherapy treatments for Nikki. Nikki’s oncologist has gone on maternity leave now but on her last day of work last Friday, the medical aid finally came through to authorise another 6 treatments of the breast cancer chemo, Hercepton, so she went straight through to Oncology on Friday afternoon to receive the first of this next batch of Chemo. Nikki may not continue with the liver chemo as she has reached the maximum dosage of this already. The good news about this is that her hair should start to grow back now as it was that drug that caused the hair loss. We will wait to see what happens there – she has heard of previously straight dark hair returning thick, blonde and curly, so you never know (what an image!)

In the meantime, Nikki has started taking Glyco-nutrients which are said to be fantastic for patients on chemotherapy. As with everything in Nikki’s story though, it’s not that straight cut. The Glyco-nutrients might be immune-stimulants, which would explain why her joints have been so incredibly sore. The rheumatologist has suggested that Nikki go back on to the meds she was on in the past, but these will shut down the immune response to tumors, and in theory stop the immune response to the joints. The other option is called a B-Cell Therapy, but it’s not clear at this stage how safe that option is. The doctor is going to speak to the manufacturers to explain Nikki’s unique situation and get their feedback. He is also attending a conference with some of the world’s top specialists in March and is documenting Nikki’s case to discuss there. Please pray for wisdom and God’s guidance in all of this – that we would know the right path to follow with this. Let’s continue to thank God and to pray and believe that the immune system will respond best to prayer (as the cancer has done!)

Psalm 145:16

"The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made."

Zechariah 4:6

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 40:29

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

Slowly easing into 2010

We're back in action and FINALLY settling into 2010. It's been a slow start and a bit of denial, I must admit! I am waiting for Nikki to send me the latest medical facts regarding her physical condition (so that I dont miss out any important info there) so I will update you on those as soon as I know more. In the mean time, here are some pics taken over the festive season.

There were so many wonderful friends and family visiting Cape Town over Christmas time and it is always so good to catch up with old friends. We got to see the Palmer family again which was wonderful. They were in SA for a Palmer family reunion and took some time out to spend with us on 16th December (I dont have a photo as they are on Pete's PC). Nikki got to see them again before they went home but we left for holiday.

Our cousin Genevieve was also visiting from Australia and we had a number of family reunions during that time too which was great. She is such a special part of Nikki's life and they got to spend some good time together which was so good. Here are Gen and Nikki together at Imhoff's where we had a family lunch:

One of our closest and longest-standing friends, Samantha, was also visiting with her family from Joburg and we spent time together with the Legg family which we havent done in far too long and it was just lovely. Here is a pic of Eve, Sam and Nix (aka the Gumboot Gang) taken at Afton:Christmas Eve was spent together at Afton and the children did a nativity play for us before they went to find presents in their stockings in the treehouse. My dad's brother Robin did the honours and dressed up as Father Christmas and took them all by surpise. Daniel wasn't as interested in opening presents as he was to go back to the front gate with Father Christmas to "check out his sleigh". It was a precious time of fun (and food!) together with family.

Pete and I then spent 2 weeks camping in the Cederberg which was just amazing! We had Pete's family with us for the first part which was lovely. It was the first time that all the Holloway cousins have been together and our girls relished the attention from their older cousins. It was precious to see all of them lying together stargazing on their inflatable matrasses at night. We spent our last weekend of holiday at the Totalsports Challenge in Kleinmond where we managed to take 4th place in the mixed pairs and 29th place overall. Not bad for my first race ever and a good way to start the year.

It was our Megan's 5th birthday on 8th January and we had a Psalty party for her last Saturday. She is all about the details and plays an enormous role in the planning of things like parties - she absolutely loves it! She had it in her mind for some time now that her sister should dress up as the blue singing songbook which she loves so much and I thought this was so cute, I would show you all a pic! So here is Sydney dressed up as Psalty the Songbook!

Nikki is seeing her Rheumatologist again today at 4.30 pm so we will probably know more after that. She has been battling a lot with spasms in her neck and struggles to sleep at night because of this so please keep her in your prayers in line with this. We were chatting earlier and also felt to ask friends to pray more specifically that Nikki's immune system would stop attacking her joints.

Thanks again for your support and prayers which carry us daily. We wish you everything of God's best in your lives for 2010! May it be a very very good year.

Psalm 46:10-11

"Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge."

(This scripture has been a challenge and encouragement to me for this year - may it bless you too).