Getting in the Spirit

The tree is up and decorated, there are presents wrapped and waiting underneath, and Christmas cards went out this week. So we're definitely getting in the spirit around here. Including making a little holiday music:

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

I'm also mildly obsessed with the music Target is using in their holiday commercials this year, and if you are too you can go to Target's website and download them for free. I'm pretty sure "Toy Jackpot" by Blackalicious is destined to become a holiday classic ("Is it time yet? Is it time yet?")

And on the agenda for this weekend are photos with Santa, so I've been checking out Creepy Santa to know what to watch out for. Yikes!

I've had the chance to photograph some really beautiful families this year, which is why it gives me particular pleasure to look at really bad family photos. I would definitely steer a family away from this tropical disaster, unless they were intentionally trying to be tacky. If that was the case, I'd say "Bring it ON!"I may have just found inspiration for next year's card:

Wow. The seventies truly were a cruel decade. Anyway, go ahead and pour a tall glass of eggnog, fire up "Toy Jackpot" on the iPod, and laugh at other's Christmas misery. It's the most wonderful time of the year, right? Unless your mom forced you to wear a Hawaiian shirt for your Olan Mills Christmas photo. 

Just a Couple of Ho-Hos

Things are slowing down just a bit around here, and most of my work for fall clients has been completed. I'm so thankful for all the work, but I'm also thankful to be able to shift my focus just a bit to Christmas. The kids are "ate-up" with Christmas fever, and I know this year is going to be a blast. They are all old enough to be aware of the true meaning of Christmas, and still young enough to get completely caught up in the magic of Santa, presents, glittering trees, and all the rest. Riley refers to Santa as "The Ho-Ho Man", and as we were putting the tree up she plopped a Santa hat on my head to match the one she was already wearing and announced, "Look Mom! We're a couple of Ho-Ho's!". I thought Rob was going to wet himself from laughter. 

Temperatures have been frigid here, and we even got our first snowfall over the weekend. Just a few inches, but enough for the kids to get out and play in, and even take a few reps down the neighborhood sledding hill. I love the stand at the back door and watch them in the backyard while I stay dry and warm inside, and I'm reminded again of the mysteries of childhood when I have the beg them to come inside before they get frostbitten. "Aren't you freezing?" I'll ask the boys, and they typically respond that they're having too much fun to notice the cold. I've decided to adopt that attitude towards the holidays - I'm going to be too busy having fun to notice the stress.

On a unrelated note, it's hard to believe, but today is the one year anniversary of my big surgery. When I thought of it this morning, I was reminded of how much can happen and change in a year, and how quickly our minds and souls allow us to move beyond pain and sadness to a new place. A place of happiness and joy, where the pain and sadness is a distant, foggy memory. A place where you're too busy having fun to notice the still fresh scars, the random ache, the painful memory. A place I'm very happy to occupy right now.

Life is Good

I've received several threatening messages from my Dad about my lapse in updating the blog lately, so out of obligation (and a little fear), here I am. I've been busy. Not a little busy, but alot busy. Rob's schedule has been nuts, the kids have all had different events going on, and my photography business has been amazingly jam-packed this fall. This is my view on most afternoons when I can steal a moment of silence:

Two computers, one cup of coffee, pen tablet, and hundreds of images to edit. Add to all this Halloween,

and another small reconstruction surgery, and my October calendar looked like a pen exploded on it. But aside from being busy, we've also been very good. The kids have all settled into a routine with school, and we even managed to sneak in a quick weekend trip with friends to Lake Michigan where we were treated to beautiful weather and lots of spontaneous fun.

Life seems to be moving rapidly forward again, at such a pace that the one year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis came and went and we barely acknowledged it (which is a good thing, I think. I mean, it's not exactly the kind of anniversary you celebrate, although I wouldn't have been opposed to having a cake. But that's just because I am fundamentally never opposed to having cake.). Life is busy. Life is hectic and a little messy (if you come to my house PLEASE don't examine my kitchen floors too closely). But mainly, most importantly, life is good.

Enlightened

Bottles Of Hope By Peter Sid from peter sid on Vimeo.

As most of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. You probably know this because you are attacked by pink ribbon items every time you walk into a store. Sometimes I crack up at the creativity of the manufacturers to capitalize on the popularity of breast cancer month to try and market their products. For instance, what the hell does a Port-a-Potty have to do with breast cancer?

But there are some really cool, creative, genuine charities out there with the sincere intent on helping breast cancer patients, and the video above is a great example. Bottles of Hope is a neat group that takes used chemo bottles and turns them into gifts for cancer patients, and I love the chandelier that the guy in the video made. I really find it amazing when someone takes an item that can have such a negative connotation and turn it into a beautiful piece of artwork. It is something I'd like to pursue with my photography, and I'm beginning to research ways to do so. Certainly I could come up with something more inspirational than the "Porta-Jane".

Alright With 35

Last year on my birthday, I set my camera up on the tripod and took a self portrait, and so I decided to make it a yearly tradition. So much has happened in the past year, it's hard for me to believe that it has only been a year since I took that photo with Riley. I keep referring to the past year as my "dog year", meaning that I feel like I have lived 7 years in the past one. There were terrible, awful moments in the past year, but there were also amazing, triumphant, inspirational moments. I learned so many things. I learned you never know what's around the corner. I learned how to wear a wig and which hats cover a bald head best. I learned to not leave Riley unattended near my makeup drawer. I learned that there was a life apart from cancer before it happened, and there will be a life apart from cancer now that it is gone. I learned there are no guarantees. There are women I met a year ago who are no longer here, and there are some still kicking it who according to their medical charts should not be. I learned how to really fight. I learned there is more love in this world than cynicism and hate. I learned to feel lucky simply because I'm here, and I'm a mother, and a daughter - because I'm a wife and a sister, and a good friend. I learned that instead of cursing because I'm only 35 and I've had cancer, to feel blessed to have been given these lessons at so young an age. I learned that there's alot of life out there, and I intend to live it all.

So I'm mildly panicked that I am now in my "mid-thirties", but that will pass. I look at that picture above of me, and I see someone I really like. She knows some stuff she didn't a year ago, but still has some learning to do. She makes mistakes and says "sorry" and keeps going. She loves and is loved. She needs to take better care of her skin and lay off the chocolate a bit, but she can still wear a mini skirt and high heels. She kinda' likes her hair short (and if she changes her mind she now knows how to rock a long wig). She's alright with 35.

Four

Things have been so busy here I haven't had a chance to post about #2 turning #4. We rented a giant bounce castle for the back yard, were blessed with beautiful weather, and much fun was had by all. And this boy turned 4. All my efforts to keep them from growing seem to be thwarted, as the years continue to pass. I find myself soaking up the moments in the morning when he crawls into bed and snuggles, when he says, "You are my most favorite Momma", when he tells me I look "bootiful". I tell myself, "He's already four!".

I also try to breathe through the moments when he tells me, "You are the worst Mommy in the world!", when he hits his little sister, when he flings himself on the ground after being told "no". I tell myself, "He's only four!".

Back Again

Connor & Riley started preschool last week. Connor is a big man on campus this year in the pre-k class, and Riley continues the family tradition of attending the 2's class with Ms. Sylvia. Even though these two are the closest in age out of the three kids, they aren't terribly close (perhaps Riley still remembers how he welcomed her home from the hospital) so this photo just kills me. And when I dropped them off, Riley practically jumped out of the van without a single tear (also an Alderman child tradition) and Connor cried out, "Wait, I'm supposed to hold her hand!" They had a terrific first day, even though Riley insisted on calling Ms. Sylvia "Grandma" and even though Connor gave me a minor heart attack when he grabbed my keys and went out to the garage and started the van while I was getting Riley ready to go. I loved his enthusiasm, but I'm now storing my keys in a higher location.

Last Gasp

I feel like Labor Day weekend is the last gasp of summer around here. The neighborhood pool closes, preschoolers head back to school, and days get noticeably shorter. There will be fewer ice cream faces on the back patio.

We gathered with neighbors in the back yard for maybe the last fire pit of the summer, and the kids ate s'mores and danced around the fire. Even the mosquitoes seem to know summer is ending, as even with a heavy armor of bug spray we were all devoured by the devils. They fed on us like it was their last meal . Casey said, "I'm ready for winter because there are no moquitoes!"

On one hand, I look forward to fall. I love fall. I love the colors, the crisp weather, new boots, chili on Sunday afternoons -all of it. But on the other hand, I know that winter is right on our heels, and that means the inevitable 4 month hibernation that occurs up here. Maybe this year, in the absence of surgeries and low white cell counts, maybe we'll venture out a little more during the cold. Perhaps replace the fire pit with a fireplace? I'll have to work on that. In the meantime, I am also reminded that the change of seasons isn't all bad. At least football is back.

For the Fellas

Lest you think I'm completely biased, here's a little shout out for the dads.

Amen Sisters

I laughed out loud at this special version of Bohemian Rhapsody just for us moms.


My favorite line "Lucy get your butt in the Durango!"

Girlfriends

I just returned from a weekend in Chicago with 7 of my closest girlfriends, and it was simply wonderful.

It was three nights and almost three full days of laughing, eating, teasing, and drinking. It was three nights and almost three full days of no temper tantrums, no poopy diapers, no cooking, and no cleaning. For a group of women with 21 young children between them, this is as close to heaven on earth as we can get right now.

Thursday night kicked off with a champagne toast, and we toasted to the small miracle it took to coordinate 8 different schedules in order to get us in the same city on the same weekend. More drinks followed, as well as conversations about gardening and composting and finding snakes in your dining room.

Friday found us in the most amazing seats at Wrigley for a Cubs game courtesy of Kathy's sweet brother (single ladies of Chicago - hello! He's gorgeous, smart, employed, and really tall.). Third row behind home plate. There were husbands and fathers all over the country green with envy. Then more talking, laughing, eating, and drinking.

Saturday was spent meandering around the Miracle Mile and enjoying the opportunity to shop and try on clothes without a stroller full of kids screaming in the background. Giordano's pizza for dinner, and then back to Wrigleyville to watch an old friend perform in a hilarious improv group. Then more talking, laughing, eating, and drinking.

The cups they're holding? Oh, yes. That was lunch. That's right people, some of us had chocolate milkshakes for lunch. Just because we could.

I felt lucky the whole weekend. Lucky to have friends like this, who love me exactly as I am, good and bad. Friends who were there to listen if I wanted to talk about cancer, but didn't expect me to. Lucky just to be here, and be healthy enough to have fun with my friends. And I felt especially lucky to have a supportive family to take care of my kids so I could go have this experience.

Sunday we slowly extracted ourselves from the Heavenly Beds at the Weston and tearfully went our separate ways. The only thing we had left to talk about at the end of the weekend was, "When can we do this again?"

First of First

Hard to believe this guy started his first day of first grade yesterday. He said everything was fine, but that "There are no toys in first grade," "They don't give you as long to eat lunch in first grade," and "The day is longer in first grade". You could try to convince him otherwise, and you could also convince a rock to get on the bus and go to school in his place.

So Ferb, What Should We Do Today?

Maybe we should throw a birthday party for a special 6 year old boy? Last Thursday Casey turned 6, and his requested party theme was "Phineas and Ferb", which is his favorite show. The only problem with that request is that the P&F party supplies have not been released yet, so I had to create my own (although a friend told me that she thought she saw some last week at Wal-Mart, so maybe I was just a week too early in shopping).  I found another use for the ubiquitous chalk board in the kitchen by drawing a banner, and it is still up because Casey will not let us erase it. Thankfully, the characters are easy to draw. If he ever requests a Monet themed party, I'm SOL. 

Perry! There you are boy! What, doesn't everyone request strawberry flavored cupcakes with miniature platypuses on top (is that right, or is it platyputi?) for their birthday?

The birthday boy got a new bike, so no more fighting between he & Connor over the old one. So really, it was a gift to me too!

His only other major request was a pinata, but the party store was out of the number 6. So we turned a 9 upside down, which is why it looks like it was tied to the tree by rednecks. In keeping with the Phineas & Ferb theme, the goody bags contained secret agent sunglasses in honor of Agent P (Perry's secret identity).

The glasses also made them look like rejects from a Blues Brothers convention, which only made them more adorable.

Phineas and Ferb like to invent and build things, so we had a few activities of that nature. We made our own ice cream in ziploc bags (word of advice: don't use the cheap generic bags for this project, or you might end up with salty ice cream. Small children do not enjoy salty ice cream). And we made diet soda bottle rockets. If you want to see how fast I can move, watch this:



So, all in all, much fun was had by all. I really love putting together parties for the kids, even though I bitch every year about how much work it takes. Casey declared this the "Best birthday EVER!", which is the best compliment a mom can get.

Spontaneous

Routine definitely rules around here. As a means of survival, I have always kept to some sort of schedule - lunch at 12, naps at 2, dinner by 6, bed by 8:30. During the summer, we certainly loosen up a bit, but I know if I get too far out of the routine, there will be consequences. As a result, I'm not nearly as spontaneous as I'd like to be. For all my talk of having some big adventures with the kids this summer, we've mostly played it safe. Rob was home this week helping me recover from surgery, and on Wednesday morning I opened my eyes to find him standing over me. "Want to go to the beach today?" he asked. Without hesitation, I said yes and we loaded up the kids and headed to Lake Michigan.

We had a late start, but were in the sand at our special spot by 2. The kids built a sand castle, and the boys swam in the lake like fish. Connor even figured out how to bodysurf on the little waves and ride them to shore. Riley, on the other hand, refused to get near the water and made one of several versions of this face when asked if she'd like to get in the lake:

I managed to read a few chapters in a chic-lit beach book, and we just relaxed while the kids played in the sand, ate grapes, and enjoyed the day. After a few hours of heat & sun, we packed back up. After a quick stop at the Round Barn tasting room so I could stock up on wine and dinner at Redamaks, we were back on the road to Carmel.

Later that night, after we put sunscreen scented kids to bed and were sitting on the couch, enjoying a glass of wine, I asked Rob if we were crazy for spending 5 hours in the car just to spend 3 hours on the beach. Because nobody got a nap, and every meal was an hour later than usual, and I don't think any of us consumed a single vegetable (unless you count french fries at lunch AND dinner a vegetable). "Of course not!" he instantly replied, and I had to agree. The kids will never remember the schedule, but they might just remember the day we threw it out the window and went to the beach.

P.S. As the photo above proves, I do not look like Pam Anderson after surgery. I just look like me. Which was the exact outcome I was hoping for. I'm recovering very well, and happy to have another step in this cancer journey in my rearview window.

Alderman Rehabilitation Program

Current stats: Three theft suspects apprehended in program. Suspects given meal of raisins, and then released due to good behavior into the wilds of Carmel courtesy of Dan Casey. Criminal activity in the rectangle of tranquility has subsided.

Guess What I'm Getting Tomorrow?

Hee, hee. Of course, mine will not be so... voluptuous, but they will be brand new and all mine. Tomorrow is "Ta-Ta Thursday", where the expanders that were placed in my first surgery will be removed and replaced with the permanent implants. I am very excited. I have been assured that compared to the first surgery this will be a cakewalk, and I will even be sent home tomorrow afternoon.

Hef, I'll be waiting for your call for that "Miss October" gig. Hee, hee...

I'm Mad as Hell and I'm Not Gonna' Take it Anymore!

Garden Party Crasher

This is what I call my "Rectangle of Tranquility":

It is my little garden, containing a few tomato plants, some pole beans, squash, zucchini, green peppers, and assorted herbs. It's not much, but it keeps me happy and busy weeding and watching. I really think gardening is as effective as therapy, with the added bonus of having something to eat for all your efforts. So you can imagine my frustration when I found that my rectangle of tranquility had been invaded:

Even with the chicken wire fence, a generous dose of red pepper flakes applied to the base of plants, and mint plants scattered throughout (which are supposed to deter rodents and rabbits) something still managed to get in and attack the first almost ripe grape tomato. And didn't even have the decency to finish it! I am researching no-kill traps and seriously considering my grandfather's method of pest control - catch them and them drive them out to the middle of nowhere and let them go. Either that our I'm buying an air rifle and going Bill Murray in "Caddyshack" on them ("License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote."). Casey thinks we should set up a video camera out there to catch the culprit, but he hasn't quite thought through who would man the camera and what exactly we would do once we caught said culprit on video. 


See, I have finally conquered my fear of water-bath canning, and I have big plans to put up as much of my garden's fruits as I can, so this thief is really stealing food from children. It should be ashamed of itself. I've made strawberry preserves and pickles, and am anxiously waiting for tomatoes to come in so I can make sauces and salsa.

So if anyone has any new suggestions on how to keep my garden party crasher out, I'm open. I'm not taking this lightly. I will not stand by and let my rectangle of tranquility be violated! 




P.S. Thanks for all the kind words about Ani. I think we're healing a little everyday, and hearing from others who have been through this helps so much. Thank you.

Our Sweet Girl

We said a very sad goodbye to our sweet girl on Tuesday morning. Ani was 13 years old, and as I explained to the kids, that is almost 100 in dog years, which is very old. I tried to explain to them that she worked so hard all those years to take care of us and love us that her little body just wore out, and she had to go on to a place where she could keep doing her job. I told them that we were so lucky to have her for as long as we did, and that we would always love her and keep her in a special place in our hearts. I told them all these things, and really, I was telling myself as well. Saying goodbye to her was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and my heart is so heavy with grief it hurts. I keep expecting to hear the clicking of her nails on the floors (which used to drive me crazy at 6 am!). I keep going to the back door to let her out, I keep looking for her in her special shady place in the yard. But she is gone, and we miss her terribly.

I had to answer so many hard questions from the kids. How was she getting to heaven? Was she going to be an angel? Why did Jesus come back after 3 days but she doesn't get to (from Casey, which left me gape-jawed and unable to speak for several minutes)? Rob & I have done our best to answer their questions in reassuring and calming ways, but inside we are both asking the same questions. Why couldn't she just live forever with us, resting her head on our laps and blessing us with her sweet grace? I don't know.

She was there for everything - everything. The night we got engaged. The morning we found out we were going to have a baby. Every birthday, every graduation, every Christmas. I can count on one hand the number of times she was aggressive in her whole 13 years, but by and large she was patient, and kind, and generous. She was love. 

                             

When one of his band members died last year, Dave Matthews said, "It is always easier to leave than be left," and we, all of us in our extended family and friends who loved Ani, are certainly feeling the truth in that this week. I know that in time we will heal, but I will always miss my sweet, sweet girl. 

Eleven

Wanna pack your bags, Something small
Take what you need and we disappear
Without a trace we'll be gone, gone
The moon and the stars can follow the car
and then when we get to the ocean
We gonna take a boat to the end of the world
All the way to the end of the world

Oh, and when the kids are old enough
We're gonna teach them to fly

You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yes, yes

You & Me, Dave Matthews Band

Last Call

Finally, finally, finally I received my last chemo treatment today. My last cocktail hour at the Springmill Oncology Clinic, and I couldn't be happier. It is a bit of a mix of emotions right now, but mostly relief. I feel like an 800 pound gorilla is off my back. 

I have always told Rob that if I ever own a bar I will play "Closing Time" by Semisonic every night at last call, and my own personal "last call" today got me thinking about that song.

Closing time - time for you to go out, go out into the world.
Closing time - turn the lights up over every boy and every girl.
Closing time - one last call for alcohol, so finish your whiskey or beer.
Closing time - you don't have to go home but you can't stay here.

I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
Take me home...

Closing time - time for you to go back to the places you will be from.
Closing time - this room won't be open 'til your brothers or you sisters
come.
So gather up your jackets, and move it to the exits - I hope you have found
a
friend.
Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning'send.

Yeah, I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
Take me home...

Closing time - time for you to go back to the places you will be from...

I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
I know who I want to take me home.
Take me home...

Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end... 

How appropriate. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. I'm ready.

Me, Meself, and Me

"I do it meself!" I hear that phrase about 100 times a day. Riley has become Miss Independent, entering that precarious toddler stage of wanted to do everything on her own. It's a tough one, because you walk a fine line between letting her do things by herself so she can learn and trying to be patient and encouraging and losing your ever-loving mind because it is taking you 45 minutes to let her buckle her own car seat in the parking lot of Target. But just when you think you've reached the point of zero-tolerance, she'll thrust her little fist up at you and simply say, "Hand!" and want you to help her across the street. It just melts my heart.

And just as I suspected, the trend is catching on.

My counts were too low on Tuesday to get chemo, but I returned this morning and luckily was able to receive treatment, so everyone keep your fingers crossed that everything goes well and I receive my last round next week.

Great Expectations

I had great expectations for this summer. Done with chemo. Done with surgeries. No school, no schedules. Just time to have fun with the kids and try to enjoy our time together. Maybe get out of town and find some adventures beyond our house. And then I had a little setback last week when I went in for chemo. The neuropathy had spread to my toes, and that combined with some other side effects was enough for my oncologist to hold off on treatment indefinitely, until the symptoms were resolved. Which shouldn't have been a big deal, but it was. My surgery for the next stage of reconstruction was scheduled for July 9, and my surgeon requires at least a month break between chemo and surgery. I only had a week cushion built in to the schedule, so if I had to push chemo out 2 weeks, I'd lose my surgery date. So just like that, all my great expectations blew up in my face. And I had a small breakdown. All the pent up frustration over this whole situation came pouring out, and once I opened the floodgates I couldn't shut them down. You would think by now I would have learned not to make plans, or at least not to become emotionally attached to plans, but I did. My heart was set on that June 1 finish line for chemo, and that July 9 surgery date, and some days just looking at those dates circled in my calendar gave me the motivation to keep my head up.

So we came home and Rob did something completely ridiculous. He put a tv in our bathroom. The bathroom was wired for cable on the wall when we moved in, and Rob has always talked about mounting a small flat screen in there. He seemed to think that it was just what I needed - to soak in the tub after a long day, drink a glass of wine, and watch one of my trashy reality shows. I thought it was the most ludicrous idea in the world. Who needs a tv in the bathroom? But when credit card points needed to be used and he informed me the tv would be free, I couldn't argue anymore. So last tuesday when I felt the weight of so many important things pushing me down, I gave in to the ridiculous. And you know what? He was right. God love him. First off, we will never have a problem getting the kids in the bathtub, ever. And as for me? I soaked in the tub, he brought me a cold beer, and I escaped in someone else's reality for a little while, and it was awesome.

And after some research, Rob found some amino acids that other patients had good results in using to treat their neuropathy, and so I got some and was better enough this week to get treatment yesterday. And then I got home and found a message that my surgeon needed to move my surgery up a week, and there went my great expectations again. But it didn't make my world collapse like last week. I'm learning to have small expectations, to not set my heart so solidly on a date on a page, to trust that sometimes someone else's expectations (like putting a tv in the bathroom) are just as valid. And as for those big summer plans, if all else fails I'll just throw them all in the tub and we'll find some adventures in there. 

Trendsetter

Here our model is showing the latest trends for Spring 2010. Monkey pajamas add a sense of whimsy to the ensemble, while the snowboots provide the practical edge to this preschool haute couture.

I really think he's ahead of the curve here, and that by summer's end everyone will be wearing their PJs and snowboots to play outside.

Day at the Races

Things around here have been busy, busy, busy in the two weeks since Oaks, and I haven't really had a minute until now to post a little something about our experience. It was amazing. Rob & I were joined by several close friends, and everyone was so sweet to get into the day by getting dressed up in pink and hats. The weather was beautiful (unlike the very wet Derby that followed the day after) and perfect for sipping the signature drink of the day, the Lilly.



Poor Rob. I sent him on a quest to bring me back a Lilly in the official stemless glass, and it took him over an hour to hunt one down at the only stand at the track serving them. He's a good man.



The survivor parade was both heartbreaking and exhilarating. I met several other young survivors - one who was diagnosed while she was pregnant and went through chemo while pregnant, one who found her tumor while doing a self-exam because her best friend had been diagnosed three months earlier (who was also in the parade), one who has 2 yr old twins and a 1 yr old at home while she's going through the same chemo treatment as I am. It was comforting to be surrounded by women with a shared experience, and yet so terribly disappointing to be faced with the realization again of how many of us are out there. But then we began the walk, and it was so much more emotional than I had anticipated. Everyone in the stands cheered for us, and being in front of that many people smiling and applauding and yelling words of support, it was overwhelming. We walked from the backside to the finish line, and stood at the edge of the track to watch the Oaks race, which was amazing. I felt like royalty for a minute, and for a minute forgot the reason that I was there and simply enjoyed the race.



Thank you so much for everyone who went online and voted for me. It was an experience I will never forget. Now we are back to reality and wrapping up the school year for the kids with songfests and field days, and getting closer every day to completing chemo (only 3 treatments left!). I'm excited to be done, and to get on with life, and looking forward to spending the summer with my kids, just being.