Nick Finally Posts...

I haven't posted in a GRIP (in Nick language, that means a long time). Things are going well in East Lansing, and classes have had a pretty good start. Like Kaitlyn, my desire to study has been extremely low. I like my German classes: I am in one class that is strictly a German language class (GRM 302) and one that is a German Culture/Lit class after 1918 (GRM 342). I am also taking a class called Applications of Biomedical Science, which is actually very interesting. My fourth class is called Music and Society in the Modern World. We are learning about jazz. This class is very boring. I am trying to change my attitude though. I think..no I KNOW..that we have the choice in life whether to enjoy something or not. I can make studying a pain, or I can enjoy it and make it fun, not a chore. We can't change our circumstances in life, but we CAN change how we respond to them. I choose to respond positively.

Yesterday I worked something called the Assessment Center. It is for people applying to be Resident Mentors (RA's) and they are placed into groups and have to do activities. I was a judge, determining who would continue in the Mentor Selection process and who would be cut. I wasn't looking forward to it, but it ended up being fun. I felt bad when I checked the box that said "DO NOT HIRE" for one girl, but you got to do what you got to do!!!

I am officially going to Germany this summer for a study abroad. I will be gone May 15th to June 30th. I am very excited!

Church was good today...great worship. A lady fell asleep in church and I BUSTED OUT LAUGHING. tough crowd!

dr. appointment

I had another check up at the doctor today. I will have another MRI on my remaining breast next Wednesday, otherwise no changes. I will see him every 3 months until July, then go to every six months after that. The MRI is because six months ago they saw some "lesions" that were not "defined" and they think it is just because I went to a new place and the technique is different, but they want to compare this MRI to my last one.

Usually, I dread these doctor appointments mainly because it is a reminder of the whole cancer ordeal. Today wasn't so bad. I'm feeling so strong and healthier than I've been in a long time. I'm praising God for my joy and health!

I've also been in contact with the Cleveland Clinic regarding breast reconstruction. This is something I've prayed about and really want to proceed with this procedure. The CC is four hours away from Cincinnati so it will take some "juggling" to accomplish this. The surgery is pretty major, but I feel the outcome is well worth it. The procedure I want to have is called DIEP Flap Reconstruction. No muscle is cut and you basically end up with a tummy tuck when it is complete. Unfortunately, the Cleveland Clinic is the closest facility that does this reconstruction. Tim's observation (that I commented about under Mike's post about Tim) really spurred me on to make the call this week. Every time I look in the mirror it is a reminder.

Tim, Julia and I are having a good weekend, so far. They had the day off from school and wanted to open a savings account. Julia was so excited about this. When we left, she was practically squealing. She had saved up quite a lot of money. They gave her a "Jeannie" card to use and she had a lot of fun using it for the first time.

Mike, I hope you enjoyed The Breakers tonight with your family!

~Karen~

a lot on my mind

by Karen

This day has me thinking about a lot of things. I am encouraged and filled with hope, but am feeling anxious. I don't understand why.

In December, I met an adoptive mom from our church. Kim adopted a now 12 year old girl from the Ukraine. (why do you say "the Ukraine?). She and her husband are organizing a summer hosting program here bringing over 15 orphans ages 11-15. These kids may or may not be "adoptable" but they want to give them an experience of what a "real home" looks like and feels like. These kids have no idea as they are living in an orphanage. I know what that looked like for Julia and Mike and I know first-hand that they don't come with an attitude of gratitude. They come missing their "home" and missing their friends, not understanding the language, not liking our food, and have emotional issues that vary from child to child. Mike and I are praying about hosting one of these children. They would be with us for two months, so almost the whole summer. I am nervous about his and excited at the same time. I get excited thinking how we could have a positive impact on the life of an orphan who doesn't have a family. Then, I wonder, are we up to the challenge? I don't want to live my life in fear. I want to trust God and live my life for Him. I have a heart for orphans! Whether in Haiti, Russia or the Ukraine. God calls us to "......look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27b I just have a lot on my mind.

Mike is off to Florida tonight to celebrate Gramma Mary's 80th birthday. I am hoping he has a wonderful, restful, time with his family. It's just me, Tim and Julia for the weekend. Have fun Mike!

I've been doing pretty well with my new way of life! Every day is a challenge on some level. Today, I just wanted chocolate. I didn't have any....but the desire is there. I pray for strength. It is a mind game and I commit this to God when the desire comes. There have been some victories...I've lost 8 lbs and am down to two diet cokes a day. Yay God! I visualize my cells getting healthier when I eat my cod liver oil and flax meal. ;-)

Tim wants some attention. He is telling me I like blogging more than playing with him. Quite a guilt trip. Julia has a friend over, so he's feeling left out.

update from ann arbor

By Kaitlyn

It's been awhile since I posted, so I thought I'd update everyone a little on my life! I've been back in Ann Arbor for a few weeks now - those annoying things they call classes started again so I've been doing that. It's weird, I feel really "checked out" when it comes to school. I think it's called senioritis - and I have it, majorly. I have a bad attitude about school and I recognize that I probably need to change it, but it's a struggle. In my head, I know I'm very fortunate to be getting an education here, but when I'm living it out - going to class, doing my homework - I don't feel very thankful. Anyone have words of wisdom on how to change a bad attitude about something you should appreciate? I could use it. OH - the big deal around here lately is that the University emailed all the seniors and told us that we cannot have our graduation at Michigan Stadium - which is where it's traditionally held - because it will be under construction. Instead it's going to be held at Eastern's football stadium. A lot of seniors got really mad and protested so I guess it might get changed, we'll see. I think it would be a little weird to graduate from U of M on Eastern Michigan's campus. But for me, as long as my family can all be there and I can graduate and get my diploma, I'm happy:)

This semester, I'm continuing as a student mentor in a 5th grade classroom at an Ann Arbor elementary school. I'm in the classroom 3 days a week for 2 hours at a time. I've been helping in this class since September, and I love it. I've gotten to know all of the kids, and have a close relationship with many of them. They're great. It's so good for my heart to be around kids.. I feel like I'm in my element when I'm spending time with them. My role is to be a positive role model, help them with school work, help them set goals, and encourage them. I've formed a really special bond with one girl in particular, and I think she is the reason God has me in this particular classroom.

Hmm what else.. this past weekend I went on a retreat with my church! It was a good time. There were four sessions with worship and teachings throughout the weekend, and there was also time to hang out with friends and seek God on my own. I came back excited and encouraged - the sermons were thought-provoking and challenging and got me excited. In the few days that I've been back, though, I really feel like Satan is attacking and throwing lies at me.. mostly that I won't really be able to do anything for God's kingdom, that it will be "too hard". It's a battle.. but I know that my God is loving and gracious and that if my heart is to follow him then he will use me to do wonderful things for Him. I want him to continue to work in me so that the fruit of the Spirit is evident in my life - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. In one of Brian Tome's sermons, he said something like, "God's fruit in your life is not the cool things you do on the outside, it's the beautiful things that spring up on the inside." I like that. I want to stay engaged in the moment, to really be present in each moment. Live life and take it in and be here now.

I miss you, family - D, M, N, T, J - I love you all like crazy.

-Kaitlyn-

Funny Tim......I Think?

This is Mike. As many of you know, Tim is the resident comedian in our house. If you read our Christmas card, you know what I mean. He keeps us laughing with his jokes and his wit and wisdom.

This weekend we were having a talk and he said that he wants to be someone that is memorable - sombody that people would remember 20 years after he was gone. I asked him if he thought he would remember me years after I was dead. Tim replied, "Of course Dad. You cannot escape scarring like that."

Have a blessed week and I'll try not to further scar my children this week.

Mike

We Won the Wicked Lottery

This is Mike/Dad posting. The second time is a charm!! Tim and I went downtown today for the second time to get in the Wicked lottery. There were more people this time then last week (well over 100 people for just 20 tickets). But we won!! Tim's name was drawn. Karen and Tim are now at the show. Karen has been wanting to go to Wicked ever since it came out, which I think was about five years ago. She was so excited to be going.

Julia and I went to one of our favorite restaurants, ABG (Anderson Bar and Grill). It's the perfect place for us. It has games for Julia and big screen TV's for me. I give Julia a fist full of quarters and she goes and plays games while I catch up on the latest games. Great parenting at it's best!! If the game goes into overtime, just issue another fist full of quarters and you are all set.

We came home and sat in my big blue chair together and watched TV until Julia's bed time. This time in the chair with Julia is one of my favorite things to do. As many of you know, Julia has been slow to warm to men. She has never shown me much affection. This is tough for a Daddy that loves his little girl so much. But lately, she has been wanting to sit next to me in the chair and snuggle. Tonight we came home and she said, "Dad, can we sit together in the chair and watch Spongebob together?" Of course my reply was, "Yes".

Well I can hardly wait for Karen and Tim to come home and give me a review of Wicked. Julia is fast asleep.

I hope all of you have a GREAT weekend.

Blessings,

Mike/Dad

blind squirrels

You are probably wondering what in the world the "Blind Squirrels" are! Well, it is the name of my team of women who work out together in order to lose weight. Remember: even a blind squirrel can find a nut....and even we can lose weight. ;-) We have been eating healthy and exercising 5-6 days a week. In two weeks, my team has lost 32 lbs. We are competing against other "teams" to win. Most importantly, we are having fun while we get healthy.

It feels good to feel good!

Karen

Combes Weekend

Hello all, this is Mike writing. Here is our weekend. Chris Johnson came to town this weekend. For those who don't know Chris, he is a friend of mine that I worked with at the Michigan Athletic Club for 15 years. He is a great guy and was our Director of Fitness and Wellness. About 8 years ago, Chris wrote a nutrition book called Meal Patterning and started giving seminars. He is now speaking nationally and working with several forture 500 companies including Merrill Lynch and Auto Owners Insurance. He has formed his own company called On Target Living and has just come out with two new books, On Target Living - Nutrition and On Target Living - Cookbook. Chris came to our clubs to give his dynamic presentation entitled "The Power of Feeling Your Best." It was hugely suggessful as we had over 200 people attend his seminars at the three clubs and we sold well over 100 books. It was great to see Chris and spend some time with him.

Karen and the kids went to a dance at their elementary school on Friday night while I was spending time with Chris. They had a fun time. On Saturday, Julia had her first gymnastics class and she really enjoyed it. Karen and I went to Chris' seminar on Saturday afternoon. After the seminar, Tim and I went downtown to get in the Wicked lottery at the Aronoff Theater. Karen has wanted to see this play for so long and Tim and are dedicated to her getting to see it during it's month stay in Cincinnati, even though it's been sold out for months. We didn't win the lottery for the 20 tickets issued Saturday night, but we will keep going downtown on a regular basis to try to win it for our beloved Wife/Mom.

Saturday night I crashed and went to bed at 9pm while Karen and the kids went out to eat and to the mall. Sunday, we went to Church then went out to lunch at First Watch. For the most part we've had a quiet day at home. We built a fire, I napped.

Well it's time for dinner so I had better go.

Blessings to all for a great week,

Mike

keeping it real....wellness invitation

I kinda cheated. I started this "wellness invitation" last Wednesday. Today is my day #7.

This is NOT a New Year's Resolution. I really want this to be a life-style resolution. My doctors have talked to me about how being overweight is not good when you are a breast cancer survivor. The studies are out there. There is a lot of information about eating right and exercise, too. Since my diagnosis....well, probably when we began the "crazies" of our adoption of Julia (Sept. 2005), I have not paid much attention to eating right and also exercising. It's a shame. My husband operates fitness clubs, for goodness sakes. What is wrong with me???!! So much of what I face is a "head" game. I want to be thin. I want to be in good shape. I'm just not getting it. Something in me "clicked" over the break. Maybe it was seeing how good my Dad looks. He has lost over 40 lbs and has kept it off. I am built like him and his sisters. Dad told me to "unbuild myself." Good advise and I need to follow it. Like I said, it's in my "head."

It also started when my husband's administrative assistant asked me join her team at the Healthplex. I am part of a team of four women who will exercise and eat right for eight weeks. We are competing against other teams in the club. Kinda like "Big Fat Loser" on TV, but not as rigorous. When I told Kaitlyn about this her response was "Mom, you know what to do. You have all the knowledge. Why are you doing this?" Hmmm...a good question. It made me examine my motives. #1, to get myself working out again. #2, to be accountable to someone for weigh-ins. #3, to be accountable to my teammates - we want to win the competition! #4, to feel good again!

Most important, I have been disobedient to God.

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

Diet Coke. I am addicted to Diet Coke. I have heard that still, small voice telling me to give it up and hand the temptation over to God. I am down (and I do say down) to 4 cans a day. Next week I will go to 2. I'm trying to drink more water.

Then came Mike's Wellness Invitation. Hmmm....what he's saying is right on target for where I want to be. I'm glad that my Mom, Kelly, Karla and Rod are participating. My journey will be longer than 12 weeks, but that's okay. I want to be healthy and live to see my grandchildren!

Karen

Wellness Invitation

While I was weighing myself a couple of weeks ago, I was dismayed to see that I was 3 pounds away from my heaviest weight ever. This sparked me to think about my eating and exercise habits. Even though I am in the health and fitness industry, I have been a poor example of what to do. In Rochelle, I voiced my thoughts and it brought up a spirited discussion with Karen, Karla, Kelly, Kaitlyn and Papa Jim (who has recently lost 40 pounds). Based on this discussion, I have come up with the following three month plan. I am asking you to join me in this endeavor to become more healthy and well. People who join this plan can expect the following:

1. Minimum of 25 pound weight loss.
2. More energy.
3. Improvement of key health metrics (cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides, etc).

Mike's Wellness Plan

Exercise Portion - Move, Lift, Stretch and Pamper:

1. Move: Cardiovascular exercise 5 days per week. Thirty minutes 3 days per week (non-strength training days) and twenty minutes 2 days per week (on strength training days). Cardio can be jogging, walking or aerobic dance and heart rate needs to be in the 120 and 140 beats per minute.

2 Lift: Strength training two days per week. One day upper body for 15-20 minutes and one day lower body for 15-20 minutes. We can use bands or weights. Aim to do two sets of 8-12 reps for four different strenth training exercises.

3. Stretch: Stretching/Core Training for two days per week (15-20 minutes).

4. Pamper: Reward ourselves each day for completing the days exercise. Take a long shower, a relaxing bath, read, go get a coffee or tea or whatever you like to do to relax. The key is to do something to reward yourself. (If the plan is all work and no enjoyment, you will not do it for the long run).

Nutrition:

1. Eat five meals per day. Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, dinner.

2. Our breakfast, lunch and dinner cannot be more than one plate with three servings.

3. No snacks. Don't waffle on this. We don't need them as much as we think. Forget desserts, cake, ice cream, candy, chocolate for the next three months. We will live through it.

4. No supplemental bread. We can have bread for a sandwich, but no other bread allowed.

5. No snacks outside the five meals. (Exception: We can eat all the fruits and veges we want at any time.)

6. Strive to eat good food. Grilled chicken, tuna, fish, pure beef, vegetables, fruits. Stay away from baked and fried items, limit sugar and stay away from high fructose corn surup.

7. Limit soda pop/ice tea/coffee intake to maximium of 48 ounces per day. Before drinking any beverage, we must drink the same amount of ounces of water. For example, if we are going to have a 12 ounce can of coke, we must drink 12 ounces of water prior to having the can.

Parting Comments:

1. We'll start Monday, January 7 and go through Sunday, March 30.

2. Don't deviate from the plan. It will only be successful if we follow it. However, we are given three "grace" days throughout the program. We won't try to deviate, but if we do, we'll give ourselves "grace" and move on.

3. If you are wondering whether you can do this for three months, think about missionaires or our soldiers in Iraq. If they can be over there for more than a year away from family, friends and familiarity, we can certianly perform this plan for three months.

4. I'm betting we all feel so good after three months, we'll want to keep going.

Good luck and call (517)420-0477 or e-mail (mikecombes@aol.com) if you have any questions.

Let's have fun, lose weight, feel better and get healthier!!

Happy New Year.

Mike

Your Partner in Wellness

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our friends and family. We hope this year brings you all many blessings!

Kaitlyn and Michael ice skating on Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati.

Nick and Julia! They had such a good time. The weather was near 50.

Tim and Kait having fun!

Julia fell down a lot! She had a blast. This was only her second time ice skating.



Julia and Aunt Linda having cuddle time this morning. They have a very special relationship!

Tom and Linda in their new Michigan sweatshirts watching the Wolverines on TV.





Mike reading the Bible sitting in his favorite chair.

Go Blue! (sorry Mike)