Seniors

This year, even with all the chaos of our lives, I couldn't keep my girls from growing up.  This was their senior year.

Let me just say that again: THIS WAS THEIR SENIOR YEAR!!!  When did that happen?!

We had their pictures done in the fall.  Here is a sampling.  My family will be happy to finally see them!

One Year Ago

On April 29, 2011, I found a lump in my right breast.  Our lives have been changed since that day.

I went that day, Friday, to see my doctor.  I was scheduled for a mammogram the following week.  We seemed to be on a roller coaster we couldn't get to stop.  Less than a week later, the following Thursday, I had my official breast cancer diagnosis.

Today it's been almost six months since my last chemotherapy treatment.  I still get Herceptin by IV every three weeks and will through August.  I'll be on Tamoxifen for a few years and then they'll switch me over to another drug.  I've been thrown into permanent menopause, and I mean thrown.  I have rather violent hot flashes!  But I'm alive, and we praise God for that.

Girls, don't minimize the importance of breast self-exams.  Early detection can make a difference.

I really have plans to post again soon (especially because my mom keeps asking me about it!), but in the meantime, this was too funny not to share.

Changing Fall To Christmas

During the week of Thanksgiving we got our Christmas tree and Christmas decorations out and started trading out our fall decor. I usually leave everything decorated for fall and Thanksgiving on the first floor until the day after Thanksgiving, but I'll start on the tree or get it up, and it's on the second floor in the front window. So each floor is decorated for different seasons/holidays!

Everything took a little longer this year with me still in recovery mode and having doctor appointments to start radiation. I also didn't do much of the physical work and just supervised (i.e. bossed people around). I had Buddy put the tree together, Hubby and a couple of the kids fluffed out the limbs (which I can usually be so anal about), and then Hubby put on the lights as I followed him around holding them (920 lights!). These are all things I usually do because I'm such a control freak, but I just let it go and it was okay.

I also let the kids decorate the tree. Not that they don't usually, but I stayed away and let them put the ornaments where they wanted to. They weren't as happy about it as I thought they would be. They were impressed that I didn't move things around after they were done. Giving up control I tell you.

Honestly, the tree looks almost identical to last year's tree, except that it's a different one (because we have two and I had Buddy put up the one that is not pre-lit because it's such a bear and needs more than one person).

I switched out the fall artwork I found on Pinterest with Christmas artwork.


I put a few things on the mantle and coffee table, and I put the little evergreens in front of the fireplace. I also got my Christmas wreaths and the stockings (which we call socks) out. I still need to put the nativity together, but other than that, I'm done. Going simple this year.

And it's totally okay.

Printer Tray = Lego Men Storage

Of course I picked up this idea on Pinterest.

I already had the printer tray in the garage waiting to be used. I bought two in Frankenmuth over a year ago when I only planned to buy one, but they were half price, therefore the reason for buying two.

I'm glad I did now.

I used a couple of hooks and picture hanging wire on the back to hang it on the wall. To help keep it stationary, I used a command picture hanging hook on each of the two bottom corners.

It's hanging on the half wall outside Caboose's room by the stairs. That way if the little men (or whatever they are) fall off, they won't get lost behind a piece of furniture.

A Koala Is More Sloth-like Than A Sloth

Today Caboose was reading an older copy of a kids' Guinness record book we have.

According to it, Koalas sleep about 22 hours a day and sloths sleep about 20 hours a day (although wikipedia differs on both of these numbers, it does have Koalas sleeping more).

So all these years I've been telling my kids not to be lazy and sloth-like, I should have been telling them not to be lazy and koala-like.

Although Koalas are so much cuter than sloths!

Pincushions and Pink Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Today was my last chemotherapy treatment! Can I hear a big Woot, Woot, please?!

And although I still have a few shots to be given at home, our little container was overflowing. I filled up a quart-sized Ziploc, barely got it zipped up, and took it with me today. (I always have my blood drawn to make sure my numbers are high enough for the treatment. It's downstairs in the lab and I just pop upstairs where my doctor's office and chemotherapy administration takes place.) I asked my lab nurse if I could put these in their very large biomedical container. Of course she let me.

That seemingly little bag contains an awful lot of shots. No wonder I call myself a pincushion sometimes.

I also made some Pink Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies to put out on the snack counter for everyone to share. I thought it was appropriate in light of pink being the color for breast cancer awareness. I got this idea off of Pinterest too. Addicted I tell you.

photo from quick dish, since I forgot to take pictures of mine.