L is for who is in charge?

I keep wanting to return to my thankful list but daily distractions or my procrastination stops me. I have not added to my list since April and I am shocked at myself that it has taken me this long. So today I am taking charge for 5 minutes to list the things I am thankful for numbers 56 - 61.

56. Stormy - had to show this picture - we are having so much fun with her.
57. Sunrises - I see more since I get up with the dog every morning.
58. Sunsets - I see more since I take her out at night.
59. Waking up William - letting Stormy into William's bed to wake him up - it is what he has always been wanting a dog for and it brings joy to my day first thing in the morning.
60. Meeting Luke at the bus - some days he will let me and I bring Stormy - he is more excited to see her than me - I love how he has taken her into his heart.
61. Walks - Jake, my neighbor Susan, her dog Cricket, Stormy and I took a walk today even in the rain - I would not have been able to get Jake out for a walk in the rain if it were not for Stormy.

L is for love the beach

I really love the beach when the weather is this perfect. The boys and I took quick trip to the beach late on Monday. We had a blast - I only felt a little guilty having so much fun on a school night.

I saw my radiation doctor in Salem and he thinks my skin looks good and will just follow up with me again in January - he told me to have a good holiday season - I was confused - it does not seem that it would be that time of year already, but by the time I see him in January all those crazy busy days will have come and gone. My ankle is feeling almost normal - no swelling or itching. Next check is OHSU in November.

PS: Happy Birthday Mom - Thanks for your constant love and support!

L is for Learning

This summer I took an online class on how to write children's book. I enjoyed the class, but I had forgotten how much time and effort goes into learning. I have now written two stories and had fun with the process. I am now trying to decide if I want to continue the process or have fun with other dreams - cooking contests, scrapbooking, raising three wonderful boys, etc. I did not have much time for fun reading while taking the class because it was online you spend a lot of time reading other classmates posts. So I just finished reading a great book The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan - she writes about her fight with cancer for herself and her father. It reminded me so much of my time during my treatments and all of the support I got from my friends and family - thank you again. I am once again thinking of my thankful list and will work on adding to it soon.

Stormy update - she has barked 3 times in the two and a half weeks we have had her. She is very playful and loving - the boys are really loving having a dog.

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer!

L is for living longer

Today is my 41st birthday! I got a card from a dear friend that said "Birthdays are a gift from God". I totally agree. This morning I got to help William take Stormy, our new dog, out for the first morning - we got caught in the automatic sprinklers in our pajamas - it was very funny. Stormy is the best dog - she has not barked once. William and Luke are at soccer camp and Jake and I are playing board games. William says he taught Stormy a trick called "hug". See picture! I love it when you came make their dreams come true - Happy Birthday to Me!

L is for lighter than air!

My Mom and I just went on a hot air balloon ride. We had a fantastic time and if you get the chance you should go. We had to be in Newberg, OR at 5:15am so we left my house at 4:15am.

It was beautiful weather and a nice breakfast after. Here are some pictures.

L is for Long day, but worth it!

I will start out with the end results of the day - all of my scans at OHSU are clear of cancer! I will go back again in 4 months for the same scans. My first appointment this am was at 9:45 for CAT scan of lungs (usually 10 minutes), then 10:30 am for MRI of ankle and foot ( usually 2 hours) and then 3:30pm to get results from my doctor. I got delayed in traffic for an hour and a half and thought I would not be able to make any of my scans. Luckily everyone was having a late day so when I showed up at 11am I waited for 45 minutes for my CAT scan - it still only took 10 minutes, then I waited another 1/2 hour for my MRI - it still took close to 2 hours. I had about 1/2 hour to have some lunch before I got to see my doctor for results - he was on time. Now I am home getting ready to go out for a celebration dinner. I plan to make the most of the next 120 days before my next scans.

Disney Pictures