Pride

Hellooooo all!  Happy Friday to ya!  My day is going pretty smooth, albeit kinda lazy…that’s what you get with the kids being out of school today.  Hope yours is going well, too.

I was so excited yesterday when I picked up the mail to see my ebay order arrived!  I’ve never been so excited over a $2.99 item in my life!  But seriously, I think it makes my car beam with pride…check it out!

 

Oh yes!  My 26.2 magnet to represent that a MARATHON MAMA drives this baby, complete with A PINK RIBBON!  I slapped it on proudly.  It was a good addition to this,

 

I made the comment the other day about not wanting my ride to get too gaudy-ied up.  To which my hubby replied, “Too late.”  Heehee  But he really doesn’t care…he’s a pretty good guy.

Like I said, the kids were out of school today and so after going go my parents’ to use their TM, I spent the rest of the day at my desk catching up on bookwork.  I hate catch-up days…boo.  And I’m such a procrastinator about it, too.  I just let it all pile up until what I REALLY want to do is just close the door and forget about it. 

But, yeah, that probably wouldn’t be a good idea since the things I’m avoiding are things like bills, taxes, employees’ paychecks…yeah, wouldn’t be good.  So I tackled it head on.  And now I’m exhausted, mentally.

Tonight is fairly low-key, as I have been working on finishing my signs for Trunk or Treat for tomorrow night.  We are promoting our Upward Sports that is starting soon, so I incorporated the cheerleading part into my trunk!  I honestly can’t think of anything better than serving God through Cheerleading!  It’s like my dream fulfilled!

One more thing I wanted to share with you.  A friend shared this with me on Facebook recently and I have watched it over and over.  It is called “Stepping Into The Ring” and it is SO POWERFUL.  It is a performance that hits so close to home, and by the time it is over I’m ready to stand up and kick box the heck out of something, preferably cancer.  Watch it.  You’ll be glad you did. 

I’m not responsible if you march straight out to buy a pair of boxing gloves.

And can I just repeat,

CANCER. DOES. NOT. HAVE. ME!!!

Now, go hit something.

Love y’all

xoxo

Getting’ It Done

Hello guys, and Happy Wednesday! 

Today there are a few things on my mind and things I need to do:

1. Maggie’s 2nd chemo treatment in STL…wish I could be there.  But I know my prayers travel much farther than I could ever go, so I’m sending lots of those!
2. My mother-in-law is having her colonoscopy, after much nagging and insisting by my hubby.  Praying for an easy test and a perfect, er, colon?!
3. Only one more day of school left this week for the kids, because they have Friday off.  (This is always helpful when they are dragging around in the mornings, “Remember, you have Friday to sleep in!”)
4. I need to finish getting my stuff together for Trunk or Treat, which is this Saturday.  Upward Cheerleading trunk here we come!
5. We have AWESOME shirts designed for our next Lending A Hand Fund’s fundraiser!  Black Out Night at a high school ballgame in January??  Yes, and YES!!  Ready to start taking orders for the big night!
6. Laundry…ugh.  I had all the laundry done until my boys were told to pick up their rooms.  I don’t even know how they had clean clothes to wear at ALL…because by the looks of the ‘dirty pile’ everything they own is in there!  So now I have a few loads to keep me busy…thanks boys.  Mama loves you <3
7. I’m thinking of trying a new crockpot lasagna recipe for dinner tonight.  Shhh, don’t let my family hear the words “new recipe,” it doesn’t always work out the way I hope and I think they tire of being the guinea pigs.
8. I really need to mop the kitchen floor today…

My to-do list is growing the more I think about it, so maybe I should stop!

On another note, when I was visiting Jacki’s blog the other day, I followed her lead and decided to write a letter to cancer.  You can view my letter, and thousands of others, here.  You can also write your own, if you’d like.  I thought it was interesting, and kinda cool.

Alright guys, I’m off to tackle the LIST above…wish me luck!

xoxo

Happy Married-To-A-Runner Day!

What??  You’ve never heard of it?!?! 

It’s ok…me either.  Until today, when I hit up Runner’s World.com.  I was so moved by Author Mark Remy’s article, declaring today [un]Official National Married-to-a-Runner Appreciation Day!

In his article, he writes a love note to his wife about his appreciation for her tolerance (for lack of a better word) of his running, and running…and running.  For putting up with the time that is taken away from the family, the lack of an extra set of hands taking care of household duties, and the preoccupation with everything running certainly deserves as much glory as the precious medals and race bibs for which we runners strive.

So maybe we need a medal for the supporting spouses?

I say yes.

To my amazing and ever supportive hubby, Jack,

Thank you, my love for always supporting my running.  Thank you for continuing to buy me treadmills when I wear them out, and for putting up with the dozens of pairs of identical running shoes in our closet which are also worn out.  Thank you for allowing me to set our alarm for 530 on a Sunday morning so I can go and run for 2-3 hours before you and the kids even get up.  I appreciate more than you know, your willingness to make family getaways coincide with race days, and the way you cheer for me at those races.  Thank you for understanding that running for me is not a want, but a need.  And thank you most of all for your unending support and encouragement not only in running, but in life.  I love you more than words can say.  I’ll always run to you <3

Love,

Your Runner Wife, Erica

  

And on that love note, I’ll just say that our Tyler got 24th in his Conference Cross Country meet yesterday and got a medal!  Have I mentioned that every time I have went to meet he has done terrible less-than-good, but the 3 times I haven’t gone he has done great AND medaled?!  Hmmmm…  Do I make him nervous??  I don’t know.  But I just may have to sneak into the District meet this Saturday…shhhhh, don’t tell

I’ve got lots to do today, and Zachary starts a basketball tournament tonight an hour away so I’m going to get started! 

Love you guys!

xoxo

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
       his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34

Fall?

Hmmm, isn’t it supposed to be Fall?  I mean, my calendar says “October” but it feels like anything other than October in southeast Missouri right now!

The highs today are again in the 80s!  And it cools off in the evenings some, but not enough to squash my mammoth hot flashes.  I am back to turning on the air conditioner before we go to bed…we were using the heat a couple weeks ago!  Crazy. 

Even though it doesn’t feel much like Fall outside, the trees must be going by the calendar not the temps because they are B-E-A-UTIFUL!

Thankfully this morning’s run was so much better than yesterday’s!  It was a great 8.25 miler, and I left yesterday’s bad run in the dust with every step I took.  Yay! 

Here’s the splits

MILE 1	9:04
MILE 2	8:53
MILE 3	8:46
MILE 4	9:12
MILE 5	8:57
MILE 6	9:01
MILE 7	9:07
MILE 8	10:14
MILE .25	2:28

TOTAL: 8.25 MILES

TIME: 1:15:46

PACE: 9:11/MILE

So now that the week is started off with a good run, I’m going to go start getting things ready for

TRUNK OR TREAT

which is this Saturday night at our church!  We are doing an Upwards Cheerleading theme this year, since we at First Baptist are organizing our first year of Upward Sports!!  I’m so excited about this outreach ministry in our community!  So I’m off to make a giant megaphone!

Have a fabulous day!

xoxo

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,” Colossians 3:23

Catch-Up Sunday

Ok, ok, so I know that it’s been a few days since I’ve posted…and dang!  I was doing so well, too!  I was on a posting roll there for awhile.  Hmm.  Well, here goes again

To recap the past few days:

• Thursday – I was invited to speak at a Women of Worship event at First Baptist Church, Poplar Bluff.  It was an evening full of hope, chocolate, and most of all THE LORD.  I felt His presence in the room from the very start as my nerves were calmed and many new friends came to welcome me.  It was a fabulous night, and I am so honored to have been a part of it.  Thank you, Jesus, for joining us 150+ women as we fellowshipped and lifted Your Name in praise!  I was certainly blessed by the evening. 
• Friday – I had a great run outside, surprising myself as I hit 31 miles for the week, in the week following my first marathon!  Whoa.  I didn’t expect to get back into it that fast, but at the same time, it’s really hard for me to take it easy…as I’m sure you’ve noticed. The kids only had a half day of school Friday, and it was so nice to have them all at home.  Even though Katie declared more than once, “I wish I was still at SCHOOL!  Then I wouldn’t be so BORED!”  Well, at least I know she likes it.
• Saturday – We spent the day playing catch up on things.  We went to one of Jack’s jobsites first so that he could meet with the homeowner and go over some things.  Then we headed on to PB and had lunch, made a quick grocery run, and then started the search for new bedroom stuff for Katie.  Headboard/footboard, mattress/box springs, and a new dresser will all be hers later this week.  Maybe THEN she will sleep in her own bed. *please, please*  And I know what you’re thinking…don’t judge  We caught up on our family time on Saturday night, with all of us here, under one roof, with nothing on the calendar, and had some downtime.  We missed a great ministry opportunity through our church, which I feel very bad about missing, but home family time has to fit in there too.
• AND, today…Sunday – We went to church this morning, and had a great lesson in living LIFE passionately.  LOVE passionately, live with INTEGRITY, FORGIVE others, and have ENTHUSIASM.  Period.  Sometimes as Christians we think we’re not supposed to have any fun…WRONG!  God doesn’t want to take away any of our fun, He just wants to be a part of it! 

I followed up church with a run/walk outside.  It was hot (yes, in October!), and I had just eaten lunch ---> sick stomach, and the gnats were really bothering me today.  It just wasn’t good.  But, some of them are like that…you win some, you lose some.  But the highlight of the afternoon was Jack bringing Katie to me to run the last mile.  I didn’t think I could go anymore, but she kept me going, for sure!  All she wanted to do was to run with Mommy so I gutted out one more mile just for us girls.

After some sister time with Jessa, and some precious nephew time with Brayden (who is doing GREAT by the way, thanks for the prayers!), all time spent at mom and dad's, we are now back home and ready to settle in for the night.  Another busy week starts tomorrow!  On the schedule are Conference AND District Cross Country meets, BRL Jr. High Basketball Tourney, parent/teacher conferences, and Trunk or Treat at church.  Whew! 

Have a great week, friends!

xoxo

Back At It

Hey there:-)

How’s the week treatin’ ya?  Good I hope;-)  We are having beautiful fall weather here in the Ozarks…cool nights and sunny and warming up in the daytime.  Very nice!  It makes it kinda hard to know how to dress in the morning, but it’s ok…it’s so beautiful. 

I started the week taking it pretty easy running-wise.  There were one day there that I was pretty sure I would need a lift to get me on and off the toilet.  No joke.  And stairs??  Forget about it…if it was on another floor and I needed it, oh well!  But the soreness is pretty much all gone now, thankfully and this morning I enjoyed my first post-marathon mid-distance run. 

7 glorious (and chilly!) miles done in 1:02:23.

Just call me speedy today!  I’m actually attributing it to a new running style I’m trying out – more up on the balls of my feet rather than the usual heel-toe foot strike that most of us do.  It was pointed out to me by a good friend after watching something on tv about barefoot running and how our natural stride is actually better for the joints (ie – knees, hips, spine) than the heel-toe method. 

It was so interesting, and made sense to me that I thought I’d give it a whirl.  You never know when you could learn something, right?  [Note: certainly NO barefoot running for me…just a change in the way I stride.  I’m a tender-footed girl;-)] 

So far I’ve found it to hold true.  My calves are more sore, but I’m gonna play with it a little and see what happens.  The increased speed at less effort is the first thing I’m noticing for sure! 

On a complete other note, I’m speaking at a Women’s Event tomorrow night at First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff and I would appreciate your thoughts and prayers as I get my thoughts in order.  I pray that God would give me the words to say and that His blessings would be poured out on us all.  AND that He would take away my nerves completely!  Amen and Amen!

Talk to ya later!

xoxo   

Kansas City Marathon - Part II

I hope you enjoyed the first part of my marathon recap!  I told you it would take another post to get it all in, and here we are!

Truthfully, I could probably write for days on my first marathon experience but I’ll spare you;-)

So, as promised, here are my mile splits:

MILE 1	9:49	<---TRYING to keep my speed down.
MILE 2	9:26
MILE 3	9:31
MILE 4	9:18
MILE 5	8:55	<---Hmm, not really working. Felt so good!
MILE 6	8:59
MILE 7	9:01
MILE 8	8:59
MILE 9	9:15
MILE 10	9:13
MILE 11	9:22
MILE 12	9:25
MILE 13	9:31	<---Sent 1st text.
MILE 14	9:55
MILE 15	9:25
MILE16	10:30	<---Legs just starting to feel it.
MILE 17	10:00
MILE 18	9:40	<---Inhaler wearing off, start to wheeze a little.
MILE 19	10:04
MILE 20	11:37	<---Ok, slowing down now!
MILE 21	10:24
MILE 22	11:46	<---Becoming a mental battle.
MILE 23	12:37
MILE 24	11:16	<---Run, walk, run walk…
MILE 25	11:37	<---Wanted to save just  enough to finish strong!
MILE 26	11:28
MILE .5	5:58	<---Course was long!

TOTAL DISTANCE: 26.5 MILES

TIME: 4:26:53

PACE: 10:02/MILE

Wow, that was a long list!  As I was sitting here typing up each mile I was thinking, oh my gosh, I can’t believe I RAN that far!!  I’m am still in awe of what our bodies can do when they are pushed to their limit.  God sure knew what He was doing when He designed us so perfectly;-)

I was kept entertained over the 4+ hours by the many, many spectators along the marathon course.  I was so impressed with the bands that lined the course and the fans that clapped and cheered as we ran by.  I got a little boost every time. 

One of my favorite things quickly became reading the signs that many people had made and we holding!  Some of my favorites:

• “Can you please hurry? I’m getting bored.”
• “If 26.2 miles were easy, I’d be doing it.”
• “Don’t stop right now, people are watching!”
• “26.2 or bust…because 26.3 is just plain crazy.”
• “Run faster, my arms are tired of holding this sign!”
• “Stranger with candy.” <---Lady holding a big basket of Halloween candy for the runners.
• “Go! You’re only 2 miles from free beer!”

There were many more, but these are the ones that are standing out in my memory.  I appreciate everyone who took the time to cheer us on and put their hard work making signs:-)

As far as FUEL goes, this became very important.  Not only because I was running for over 4 hours but because while the temps were a perfect 52* at the start, they quickly crept up close to 80 by the time I finished.  That’s not horrible, but it is easy to underestimate and you can dehydrate rather quickly.

I realized about 930pm on Friday night, when we were getting back from our fabulous carb-loading pasta dinner, that I had forgotten to bring a bagel or sandwich thin for breakfast.  I had the peanut butter and a banana, but no bread!  So I made a quick dash to the restaurant at the hotel, where the wait staff looked at me very strangely when I told them I needed a bagel to go!  They were trying to close up for the night, but a very kind bartender went in the back and found me a big ol’ bagel and wrapped it up ever so perfectly for me.  Thank you!!!  It was the perfect start the next morning! 

During the race there were aid stations every two miles, which was awesome.  I skipped the first couple of aid stations but starting at Mile 6 I got at least water at each one.  At the 2 hr. mark, I started getting a half cup of water and a half cup of Gatorade at each aid station.  I was terrified of “hitting the wall” and I saw many, what looked like, seasoned marathoners having to stop on the curbs and massage out legs cramps.  So I made sure to hydrate well!

Throughout the race, I took in:

2 Raspberry Hammer Gels  (source)

1 Tri-Berry Gu – which I’ve never had before but enjoyed (source)

Several of the aid stations in the second half of the marathon also had fruit, which I was SO glad to see something natural!  I ended up having

• 1/2 banana
• 1 orange slice
• 1 apple slice

It was a totally amazing experience.  I loved every single second of it!  I remember back when I ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon in March, I was kinda sad towards the end because I wasn’t ready for it to be over!  I remembered that feeling in the second half of this marathon and had to smile…26.2 miles is perfect.  It was not to short, not too long, and just the right amount to challenge my mind and my body.

The final stats from the website look like this:

bib number:
1817

age:
32

gender:
F

location:
Van Buren, MO

overall place:
778 out of 1425

division place:
47 out of 119

gender place:
226 out of 525

time:
4:27:06

I’m still in awe that I actually did it:-)

Katie took my medal to school today so she could show it off.  She walked in the school saying, “I ran 26.2 miles!” to everyone she saw. Bless her little heart, she is so sweet.

After dropping the kids off, I headed for a nice little 5 mile walk/run to test the legs and see how they’re feeling.  The result: it was a great workout, but my legs are still a little sore.  I don’t want to push it.  I’ve been doing Sun Salutations like crazy, holding the poses extra long because the stretch feels soooooo good. 

I’m going to catch up on weekend laundry today, and enjoy the beautiful weather that we are having.  I hope y’all are having a great start to your week<3

Blessings, friends!

xoxo

Marathons Are A Family Affair

I can hardly believe this as I type it, but

I am a Marathoner!!!!!

Yes, a full-blown, 26.2 mile (or actually 26.5 by my watch), all out MARATHONER!!!  When I registered for the Kansas City Half Marathon, I had no intention of running the full.  I was going to run the half with my sister Layne, and try to break the 2-hr mark that had always slipped away by only a couple of minutes in the past.  I have always wanted to do a full marathon, but figured with the time that is necessary to train for one that it would be a goal better left until the kids were much older…after all, right now their schedules are cah-razzzyyyy!

But on our way to Kansas City on Friday, I was thinking about my eighteen mile run that I had just done a week or so before, thinking,

“that’s really  not that far off from the peak distance that full marathon training plans do…hmmmm….”

So I asked my hubby what HE thought about me maybe running the full instead, and he said, “Oh, yeah, I know you can do it.  You come in bouncing around after eighteen.”

Then I made a phone call to a friend who has several marathons to her credit, and Christy asked these two questions,

“What has been your longest run?”    18 miles

“What is your total weekly mileage?”     40-50 for two or three months

And she said she thought I could do it, no problem.  Her longest training run in her marathon trainings has been 21 miles and that I wasn’t that far off of that.  I mean, when you’re talking about running 26.2 miles, what’s another EIGHT.  Whoa.  Hard to believe that even makes sense to me, but somehow it does.

Interestingly, when I first had called Christy I had to leave her a voicemail because she was in a meeting.  It was probably an hour before she called me back, and we were already on our way to the expo to pick up our packets…which is where the switch would need to be made if I decided to run the full marathon.  As we were walking to the expo, I was still so unsure of what to do, so I prayed that God would give me a clear sign and tell me what I should do.  It wasn’t two minutes after my silent “Amen” that Christy called.  Thank you, Jesus, I sighed.

After our phone call, I also had another thought laid on my heart.  Remember when I told you about our One Month To Live Bible Study we were doing at church?  Well, I thought,

“Erica, if you only had one month to live what would you do tomorrow?” 

The answer: “I’d run a full marathon.” 

Again, Thank you, Jesus. <3

This of course wasn’t the end of the fabulous-ness, though…oh no!  Tyler decided that HE WANTED TO RUN THE HALF MARATHON!!!!!  After talking about it with him, it was a no brainer to me that he could do it even though his longest run in cross country this year has been a little over 6 miles.  I am so proud of this child’s heart and his dedication for the things he loves…but remember girls, his Mama is at the top of that list *wink, wink*!

So let me first brag on my kid… (sorry poor iPhone quality pic in early morning light)… HE RAN A 1:50 HALF MARATHON AND FINISHED STRONG!!!!

He did SO GREAT and I am so proud of him.  He said that he never quit running.  Wow.  How awesome is that?!

I next have to brag on my sister, Layne.  She ran her first big race and truly did it like a ROCK STAR!!!  She ran her first half marathon and BROKE TWO HOURS!!!!!  She finished the 13.1 miles in 1:59!!!  Gosh I am so proud of her. 

Before I go any further in this epic-ly long post, I have to say that while my legs were in Kansas City, my heart was in STL where my sweet nephew, Brayden, was in Children’s Hospital. 

They took him up on Thursday night because he had developed an abscess on his lower back that went from nonexistent to horribly infected in a matter of hours.  After being treated with iv antibiotics for 2 days, he was much better and they came home last night (Saturday).  I’m tellin’ you, I prayed for this sweet baby nonstop and I Praise God for healing our Brayden. 

My sister, Jessica, deserves the mom of the year award, for sure!  Can you imagine teaching 20+ Kindergarteners all day, coming home to notice this horrible looking spot on your 10-month old son’s back, driving 3 hours to STL at 6pm, sitting in Children’s ER until the wee hours of the morning, then being admitted to the hospital for treatment?  Um, yeah, she is pretty much a ROCK STAR and the best Mama any child could ask for.  No marathon can even compare.  Brayden is so lucky.  I can’t wait until he is bigger when I can tell him just how amazing his Mama is.

So on to the pre race pictures (Dang, this post may take DAYS to upload)…

Racers 11,000+ STRONG!The 2:00 pacer that Layne was going to try to run with…SHE BEAT IT!!My high-school cutie!   Me and one of my amazing sisters,

So the marathon went so great!  I tried to keep my pace slow at first, and was looking at the 4:20 pace band I had picked up at the expo.  But just the adrenaline and the fast moving crowd just swept me right along.  Layne and I ran together for a little over 6 miles (the course split at the 7.8 mile mark).  She was keeping a little faster pace, and I wanted to try and slow mine a little so after a little wave and a “Go, go.  I love you” we parted ways.  I felt like the mama bird watching her little chick fly for the first time;-)

I kept strong and steady up and over hills (yes, hills, but nothing like good ol’ SE Missouri Ozark hills), winding through shopping districts, industrial areas, and many beautiful neighborhoods.  I remember thinking how lucky these people were to have such a great running course right outside their front door, literally!  I saw many people sitting in their front lawns cheering on the runners while they were having their morning coffee.  How cool.

At mile 13.1 I sent a text to my hubby letting him know where I was.  This was our series of texts over the next two hours that’s probably the best description of my race:

Erica: “13.1 2:02:00 feel good love u”

Jack: “Ty ran in in 1:50 layne 2:00.  Love u dig hard I’m proud of u”

E: “Wheeeeee!!!!!” [clearly proud of Ty and Layne!]

J: “Love u. Run baby run!!!!!!!!!!!!!dig deep”

E: “16.6. 2:37:23. Tired.”

J: “U can do it u kicked cancers butt [I’m editing, hehe!] u can run this. let’s go we’re waiting on u at the finish line”

E: “I can’t cry n run at the same time!”

J: “Just run:-D”

E: “19 mi. 3:00:30 don’t wanna die in KC!”

J: “7 more just keep pushing you’re about here love ya”

E: “Wish I’d brought my inhaler. Wheezing.”

J: “Uve got a good pace finish strong. 6 more let’s go.”

E: “21 mi. 3:22”

J: “Good keep pushing you’ve ran further than u have ever ran. Go”

E: “23 mi. 3:47”

J:“You’re about here doing great. It’s time to dig deep let’s go finish this thing.”

E: “24.89”  <------Last text I sent as I made me way to the finish line strong!  I even sprinted at 11.3 mph at the end of 26.5 miles!!!  I had no idea I had that left in me!

I felt so inspired and strong every time I got a text back from him.  I knew that he believed in me and he was right:

IF I COULD KICK CANCER’S BOOTY THEN I COULD RUN THIS MARATHON!

Proud Runners! 

It was an amazing day!  We headed out to lunch with Layne, Brett, Ethan, and Caleb, then Layne and I went to Target for Katie’s Halloween costume (she’s a cheerleader unless she changes her mind while the men went the Cabelas to get some things for their upcoming elk hunting trip.  Then we started our 6 hour drive home. 

I thought I would completely pass out once we hit the road but I was still too pumped.  Truth is, I’ve still got a huge runner’s high goin’ on right now;-) 

We are heading to church this morning then going to spend the afternoon relaxing and hanging out with friends.  I will post my mile splits tomorrow, this post has already become epic-ly long!!

Love y’all muchly!

xoxo

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”  Hebrews 12:1

Our Goings On

I SOOOOOOO wanted to write a post last night, but after getting in from STL around 730 then going to pick up the kids at Jack’s parents’ house, there was only time to shuttle kids off to bath and bed.  Well…shuttle KATIE off to bath and bed, the boys can pretty much do all that themselves;-)

Tuesday night was PINK NIGHT at the Jr. High Basketball Game.  The fans, coaches, and players all showed show much spirit and came out in their PINK to support BREAST CANCER AWARENESS!  There were cheerleaders with pink bows in their hair and pink shoelaces, boy ballplayers with pink armbands with the pink ribbon on them, girl ballplayers with hot pink knee socks, coaches with pink shirts, and many many fans proudly donning their pink.  It was great.  I told a friend that it looked like someone had spilled a bottle of Pepto Bismol all over the gym!

Yes, it was THAT cool.

 

 

Wednesday, was our day in STL.  I had an appointment with a dermatologist, which went great, and then we headed to spend the day with friends…at the dr’s office and the treatment center.  I will tell you that there are no stronger bonds formed than at your oncologist’s office. 

It was my honor to finally meet Maggie and be with her as she  starts this part of her journey.  And after yesterday I am fully convinced that she is going march right on through breast cancer.  She did great, and is doing great today.  AND she will be great tomorrow.  She is a total rockstar and I am so proud of her.  GO MAGS!!!  LOVE YOU SISTER!!

     

On the wall at Siteman St. Peters, 

And the excitement never ends around our house as Tyler got his Driver’s Permit this afternoon!!!!

He was all smiles after the test!  I can’t believe my baby’s driving…wahhhhhhh…..;-)

This is enough to make any mother’s heart jump.  Notice I am in the backseat.  No worries, Jack was upfront…he’s braver than me;-) 

We are off to another ballgame tonight!  It’s the last regular season game for the Jr. High Bulldogs before their tournaments start in a week or so.  Maybe we’ll go out with a win!

Have a restful evening y’all!

xoxo

My Breast Cancer Journey

Show A Little PINK Love!

Do not be afraid of tomorrow; for God is already there. I am sending out this message to a very special young lady who recently became a breast cancer survivor on the day of her diagnosis. Yes, the DAY of diagnosis. Because until you’ve been there, you have no idea just how much SURVIVING actually takes place leading up to the point of treatment and surgery. I remember actually feeling very relieved once treatment started; it meant the waiting was over and the cancer-killing had begun.

There’s something special about starting treatment during breast cancer awareness month. My first chemo was also in October, in 2008, and it was so uplifting to see all the pink everywhere. It made me feel so supported and not alone in my battle. I hope Maggie feels stronger every single time she sees that little pink ribbon!

So if you wouldn’t mind to send prayers, good thoughts and wishes to Maggie, as tomorrow is her first chemo treatment. She is a fighter, and she is going to come out on the other side of this stronger than she ever imagined! It’s a scary thing, for sure…but it’s totally do-able…and I have no doubt that Maggie will be kicking cancer to the curb (with all of our support!) starting tomorrow. Hi-Yah!!

You can visit Maggie’s blog here and leave her some love <3

We are going to STL tomorrow for my first appointment with my dermatologist. I’ve never been, so I figured while everything else is getting checked out I may as well start checking my skin, too. Geez. Is there any OTHER parts of my body that we need to look at?! Don’t answer that. …sigh… And we are also going to crash Maggie's chemo party; we also share the same fabulous doctor (2 of them, actually!).

BUT TONIGHT is a very fun night! At tonight’s VB Jr. High basketball games it is PINK NIGHT!!! Coaches, players, and fans will all be decked out in PINK in support of BREAST CANCER AWARENESS! How cool is this gonna be?! I am so excited!! We got the boys’ team some pink and white ribbon wristbands to wear tonight and all the kids are in pink today, too. I’ll share the pics with you, promise;-)

Alrighty, I’m off to find something quick for dinner…gotta love these game night “meals”!

Love y’all!

xoxo