Happy Halloween!

Hello all,

It's definitely October in Washington. Lots of rain, some beautiful colors in the leaves, and some more rain, but we love it all! This has to be my favorite time of year - the smells, the food, the warm clothes, warm drinks, the possibility of snow, Thanksgiving, Christmas, this list is endless.

This past weekend we traveled down to Helvetia, Oregon to the Roloff Farms, you know, from the show on TLC "Little People, Big World"?! I was a fan of the show and always thought the family was fun and funny. So...I had CR and our good friends Lindsey and Chris Wagner join us for the last weekend of the season at the Roloff Farms. It was a good time, even if the other three laughed at how much Roloff knowledge I had :)

If you have NO idea what I'm talking about here is the website - http://therolofffamily.com/farm/pumpkin-season

Here are some pictures from our time there:

It was Pirate Day @ the Roloff Farms

I was VERY impressed with the different pumpkin carvings

R for Roloff OR Rohrbough :)

Lindsey and CR decided to check out the birds, which if you know me, I was no where near them. Chris decided he had no interest either - thanks Chris!

Teepee's and Apple Cider

The Pumpkin Patch!

I had no idea we weren't taking a serious picture...

We did see Matt Roloff
And Amy Roloff

Later that day we went to a Halloween Party in Olympia thrown by an attending in the Family Medicine Department.

Rae-Ann (Hans from SNL), Jenny (Alice in Wonderland), and Erin (a 1920s flapper)

The Porter Pirates - adorable!

Steve Jobs and Death (is it too soon?)

Popeye & Olive Oyl

Hans, Alice, and Franz :)
Tomorrow is Trick-or-Treating! Enjoy all of the candy!

Summer 2011

Hello friends and family!

Suffice it to say it has been WAY too long since we last updated our blog. Where do I even begin??

Since we last wrote (which was June 3) I quit my job at the Youth Center on McChord Air Force Base. It truly was a great job with lots of fun kiddos but I just felt like I needed to be "home" with family during a rough time. If you remember our earlier posts, CR's older sister, Angie, was diagnosed at the end of March-early April with Stage 4 Breast Cancer for the second time, mind you she's only 34 years old. As soon as she called to tell us this news, I knew I had to go home. I wasn't happy being 3000 miles away with so much going on with someone we love so much. It took me three months to decide what that would look like, but after lots of talking and praying CR and I decided I would go from July 9th (my last day at McChord was July 8th) and stay through Labor Day weekend, possibly longer. Going into it I was open to do whatever was needed of me from Angie, the kids, and CR's parents.

I had no idea the journey this summer would take me on and I can honestly say...it changed my life. When I got to WV it felt like home, even though CR wasn't there. The East Coast Rohrboughs and Fowlers welcomed me with open arms into an already crowded and mid-renovation house. In the 5 weeks I was there, a wide range of emotions encompassed me as I saw a person I loved dearly battle something out of her control. In the midst of that I also experienced an extreme a feeling of humility as I heard her cry out to her Savior knowing He was the only one who could help, heal, and be right there beside her 100% of the way. I experienced overwhelming joy as I played with and spent each day with my niece and nephew who are in every way a reflection of what God calls us to be in innocent children. I think what touches me most is the peace that came with seeing how God reigned in that place, in the hearts of my family. They know who is in control and have NEVER wavered from that promise and Truth.

While in WV I was able to see Jonah compete in his first Triathlon - he did great! Kora showed off some of her newly learned dance moves - super cute! We went to Sandcastle, a waterpark in Pittsburgh. I got to see and have fun working on the Fowler's new house which is going to be such a sanctuary for them! I had the amazing opportunity to be crafty with my oh so talented mother-in-law. I got to spend time with my family in KY which is always a blast! Got to shoot some hoops with my brother Preston, who is truly a cool cool kid. This list is endless. I was blessed beyond measure in the five weeks I spent back "home". Why is it we always go into situations excited for what we can bring to the table and come out learning so much more than we bargained for? Oh the ways of God :) Here are some pics of my trip back to the East Coast:

The Fowlers in their new home!

Jonah getting ready to jump in the pool @ the triathlon

Angie and Ty on the boat

Jonah and Kora before setting off to Sandcastle Water Park

Even just looking back at these pictures I miss them. I could type all night and still not be able to express what my summer was like. It truly mended, rebuilt, and solidified relationships in so many ways and I give all of the credit to Christ. I learned so much!

Lastly, the most recent development since I posted last is that I have a new job! I did a phone interview while I was in KY visiting my family and was offered a part-time position at Centralia Middle School in Centralia, WA. It's about 30 minutes south on the Interstate and after 3 weeks I must say I LOVE it! The staff is amazing and everyone has been so welcoming. I am truly blessed, folks.

I know it seems short and I think I'm making it that way because I know I could go on forever... It was definitely a summer that I will never forget! That's all we have new in our lives. Off to the Family Medicine Retreat this weekend - will post again soon :)

Thanks for reading!
Tara

Graduation Day

Happy Graduation from R1 (or intern) to R2, CR!! I am incredibly proud of you and excited for you. Your hard work each and every day is paying off. I love hearing how much you are learning and how many lives you are touching each day. I am honored to be your wife and hope you always know how much I love you :)

Congrats also to Hunter, Tyler, Mike, and Brian - We could not have asked for a better group of friends to spend these three years with!

At home getting ready. It was super hard keeping Ty off this spiffy suit (a.k.a. ASU's).

The boys with the babes - CR, Brian, Hunter (with Cormac), Tyler (with Joshua), and Mike (with Madeline)

CR and Tyler

Us

The wives - Me, Morgan, Soobin (can you believe these two just had babies 7 weeks ago??)

Mount Rainier was visible today and gorgeous!!

Instant Grassification

Hello all! We hope you've had a great Memorial Day weekend.

Our very first post was about our new home...well, the inside at least. When we first moved into our house we were not crazy about the yard. It was a great size, but over fifty percent of it was gravel and dirt and we are more partial to grass. Although, when it comes to grass we might be in the minority in this state. We've noticed that grass and yards are not a priority here. Actually, at the exact same time we were removing rock to put down grass, our neighbor was removing grass to outline her yard with rocks.

We could not have gotten anything accomplished without the help from a couple of our friends who gave up many of their afternoons helping us complete this huge task. Thank you over and over again Dagan, Nicki, Tyler, Miles, and Rich - we seriously cannot say thank you enough!

Here are some before shots of the yard:



After the gravel was removed and the dirt was down:



View from our bedroom...

The beautiful sod!


The finished product!!

Side Yard - we decided to leave the gravel and "flower beds" here and just re-planted some stuff that was in the yard previously.

Corner with garden - our favorite part

Close up of the garden. We're attempting to grow watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, banana peppers, chili peppers, jalapenos, bell peppers, pumpkin, and broccoli.
The entire yard

You can definitely tell what is sod based on the shade of green, but we don't care - we just love staring at grass!

View from the other side. No need to mention that Ty absolutely LOVES it!

Angie Update & Half Marathon

Hello all,

Sorry it's been a while since our last update, things have been super busy for us. Last week, Tara's Dad, Eddie was in town visiting for a couple of days. It was amazing having him here to share our lives with. I guess no matter how old you get, your parents are always going to worry about you and want to know you're okay. It was exciting for us to show him our home, our town, our workplaces, and the amazing amenities that are within a days drive. While he was in town we visited Pike Place Market (twice), Mount Rainier, Tacoma, and Olympia. We dined at the cheese fest, took him to our favorite sushi place, took a duck ride around the city, enjoyed the beach, and 20 feet of snow all within 4 days - crazy Northwest weather :)


Jumping shift, I am so so excited to share with you all my running experience and how God has grown me over the last couple of months. He works in all things and I am daily reminded of His plan, His unconditional love, His constant presence, and His sacrifice...Please note that none of my running was on my own accord. I could not have run one mile without the strength of God and the encouragement of others pushing me to push myself.

One of the main reasons my Dad came to visit was to be present for the Half Marathon myself and three co-workers were running in on Sunday, May 15th. I don't think my Dad knew how big of a deal it was for me to have him here for this event - He never will.

I have been training to run a half marathon since I lived in Knoxville back in 2007. When I mentioned my desire to run one at work, two of my co-workers said they were also interested, so we found one in Olympia and started training for it. Initially, we were going to run because one of the ladies was turning 40 the week of the race and we wanted to support her. Then my sister-in-law Angie was diagnosed with cancer and our whole drive changed. As soon as I found out about Angie's cancer returning she became my motivation, my drive. I used images, conversations, and memories of my time with her to run every single day whether I felt like it or not. Some days I focused of Jonah, some days I thought more about Kora, other days I thought about Scott, and other days my in-laws. Each and every second of my run was focused on them, what they were going through, and how being pushed beyond my comfort zone physically was nothing compared to what they were experiencing back home.

Several weeks before our race I was filling my two co-workers in on Angie's progress. They both told me that day that they wanted to run the half marathon in honor of Angie. I was floored and absolutely humbled. We took off from there with t-shirts and outfits that would let everyone at the race that day know what we were running for, and this is what we came up with...

If you can't read the small print, on the left it says, "Diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2004 at age 27" and on the right it says, "Diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in 2011 at age 34."

I am getting emotional typing this next part...I cannot even begin to describe how emotional this entire experience was and I am elated to share with you how God worked. At the start line we were all lined up and some ladies behind us commented on our shirts and said if Angie could go through all that she has, everyone there that day could finish this race. As soon as the buzzer sounded we were off and we were pumped! Let me preface that there were an insane number of people spread out the entire 13 miles cheering the runners on, which I had not expected. Over the first two miles we all got separated as we all run at various paces. There were several times in this first couple of miles when someone would tap me and give me a thumbs up or a "I like your shirt" as they passed by.

Around mile 3 my ipod started sounding funny - blurred, muffled, and quiet - "CRAP!" I thought. Seriously? I can't run this without music. Right at the 4 mile marker, it was completely gone, not working, nothing. Great! I fumed for about half a mile...furious, frustrated, and so disheartened. 9 more miles without music?? Grrr! Just about that time, I noticed some ladies standing in a driveway, thanking us and encouraging us. Right past the driveway there were miniature American flags staked in the ground about a foot apart with a piece of paper attached to each. The paper had a military member's name on it with a date of death. I had heard about these women a couple of weeks before. They run in memory of the fallen soldiers and husbands every Saturday. Here is a link about them - http://www.nwguardian.com/2011/03/03/9662/runners-honor-the-fallen.html

I don't think I can put into words how inspirational that was for me. About a half a mile later I was running upon this lady who had a shirt on that read something to the effect of "If you were the only one, would you still run" and below this statement there was a Bible verse. I can't explain it, but I knew I was supposed to talk to her, so I tapped her on the shoulder and told her I liked her shirt. She returned the compliment and we started talking. Over the course of 6 miles we talked about our lives, our families, running, and I was able to share with her about Angie. Her name is Susie, she is from the Rainier, WA, area and she is a brand new grandma. She was running to raise money for children she supports in Africa. I cannot begin to tell you what an encouragement and blessing she was to me.

Throughout my time running with Susie people on the sidelines would scream, "Do it for Angie" "Remember what you're running for" "This is for Angie." Can we just let that sink in? People in Olympia, WA were yelling my sister-in-law from WV's name at me. Encouraging me and reminding me why I was there in the first place. I welled up with tears several times, that is until I realized that running and crying left me no ability to breath, so I chose to run. And I ran harder every time someone said her name. That name pushed me. Her name made me smile. Her name made all of the pain in my cold and soaking wet body (it rained the entire race) fade.

I crossed the finish line after 2 hours and 26 minutes of running without stopping. I balled my eyes out! Finally, I could cry and breath at the same time :) Once everyone had crossed the finish line I asked the other two ladies who wore the "For Angie..." shirts if people had made comments to them? They said if anyone said anything they did not hear it because they had their ipods on the whole time...deep breath again. Really? I wanted to kick myself for even being upset at all that my ipod had died. Of course it did! I was supposed to talk to Susie. I was supposed to hear all of chants of Angie's name along the way. Duh!

I am still amazed at how God planned that day.

Now, for the most important part of the blog, an update from Angie :) But first a photo update, and can we just say how BEAUTIFUL she looks with her new do?

"Three weeks ago, I had my first chemotherapy and did great. Rested on day after, and slept the entire second day after (Friday). Just had some flu like symptoms and had to sleep them off.

I have been feeling okay since then. I have had no sickness or vomiting and my strength is sllooooowwwllyy coming back. I still just want to sleep all day. But they said my numbers (white blood cell counts indicating a susceptibility to infections) are down quite a bit...nothing in a danger zone. They just said they are down enough for me to wear a mask when I'm in a closed room...or Walmart. :)

I was able to go to the Pittsburgh Zoo with Kora's Pre-k class and had a great time. I rented a scooter for the day from a company in Pittsburgh that would both deliver and pick up the scooter when I needed...and I rode my rental scooter around like a champ!

Chemo #2 (every 3 weeks) was the 18th and I think I was a little more nervous over this one than I was the first time. I am just not sure how the body will react to having this poison accumulate into my body.

Additionally, I had an appointment with the leg doctor today to hopefully get cleared from using the walker and be able to go to just the crutch. There is still quite a bit of pain with that leg but it's manageable.

Most importantly, I am emotionally keeping my head up and keeping myself from sleeping 24/7, which is hard. It is easier to sleep all of the time, day and night, rather than face what is really going on...but friends and family help with that. You gotta keep your head up!"

Obviously, we need to update with the results of both of this week's appointments and treatments, so expect an additional update soon!

Love to all!

Update on Angie

Hello family and friends!

We just wanted to update you all on Angie and her progress.

When treatment began the first priority was her left femur due to the size of the tumor, and the fact that it was pressing against the bone, causing extreme pain. The first step was to place a rod the length of the bone to stabilize it and prevent fracture (it was super close to breaking). After that, the orthopedist was going to do 10 rounds of radiation, one per week. Instead, they decided to do a cumulative dose, all in one, which has significantly reduced the size of the tumor in her leg. Praise God!

An additional reason for doing the radiation in one huge dosage, instead of over a 10 week period, was so that Angie could begin chemotherapy sooner. Last Wednesday she began chemotherapy, and this will be a once a week dose until Dr. Abraham, her oncologist, feels that she has been treated adequately. This could mean up to one full year of chemo.

How is Angie handling all of this you ask? Well, we'll let her most recent Facebook post speak for her:

"What do you do when they tell you that you have breast cancer?
You cut your hair off and dye it pink!!"

As for our niece and nephew? They are doing really well. Kids are so resilient but these kiddos are surrounded by an amazing group of people who are doing and will do anything to make sure things stay as normal as possible for them - not to mention the fact that their parents are honest, open, and simply amazing! We miss being there and seeing them grow up because they truly are wonderful kids who have huge hearts!

Recently some folks in West Virginia started a fundraising effort to help Angie and Scott during this time. They have created bracelets that simply read, "We believe in miracles" and are selling them for $2 a piece with 100% of the proceeds going to medical bills. Jonah refers to these as "Momma Bracelets" and is amazed to see them around town, even on strangers :)

If you are interested in purchasing bracelets, just let us know!

Thanks for reading and keep praying with confidence (1 John 5:14-15) to our Holy and Heavenly Creator who loves us more than we can ever fathom.

Our Sister

A couple of months after my nephew Jonah was born, my sister Angie was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer, at the age of 27. She had a major surgery to remove the cancer, went through months of chemotherapy and radiation, and was started on a long term medication called Tomoxifen to reduce the risk of her breast cancer coming back. In the process of taking this highly toxic medication she became pregnant with our niece, Kora (who weighed 3 lbs at birth).

Needless to say, Angie has been getting at least yearly check ups with her oncologist, Dr. Abraham, at WVU Ruby, including images to check for any spread of cancer. However, all of these up to recently have been negative and showed no new signs of cancer.

All this to say that my sister has been through a lot when it comes to her health over the last 7 years...

Now, 7 years after her initial diagnosis, she went to the doctor for knee pain. An x-ray taken at this appointment showed a "moth- eaten appearance of the distal femur" (or the thigh bone). This led the doctors to believe that this was not just a bone problem, but an aggressive process that was/is destroying the bone. From here several other scans were performed to look for cancer elsewhere in the body, and one scan showed some small areas of metastasis (cancer spread) in the lungs as well.

This is a typical pattern for breast cancer, which likes to start in the breast, move to lymph nodes (which she had at initial diagnosis ), then to the leg, then lungs...so on and so forth.

Deep breath...

With all of that said Angie is an obvious fighter who has claimed victory in the name of Jesus and knows that she is in His hands. As of now, the plan appears to be moving forward and all parties seem optimistic about the promise of treatment and cure for her Stage IV cancer. The initial issue is to take care of the thigh bone, which has become very very thin by the process of the tumor eating and pushing against it from the inside out. She is scheduled to have a surgery this Friday (April 8, 2011) to place a rod in her thigh and help stabilize the bone. If not treated promptly, this bone will definitely fracture her leg and lead to a much more difficult path of treatment and recovery.

After the surgery on her femur, Angie will then start radiation therapy which will be aimed at directly shrinking the tumor in her leg so that the chemotherapy (which will be done after radiation) can have more opportunity for success. Depending on the type of surgery that is done for her leg, the radiation therapy will start within the next couple weeks.

Though this is essentially all that is known up to this point, there is a very long road ahead, not just for Angie, but for her family, including her husband, Scott, and their two beautiful children, Jonah (age 7) and Kora (age 5).

The Fowler Family
Jonah & Kora

We write to anyone who reads to ask you to pray for peace, confidence, comfort, and an overall feeling of His presence for all involved. Angie is no doubt a fighter and will continue to give her medical treatment, healing, and recovery all that she has.

We love you Angie, more than you could ever know and are praying and thinking about you constantly and with confidence that God is in control and you are in the best of Hands.