a precious gift

I could not begin to document all the kindness that has been extended toward me and my family during the past month for fear that I will forget someone or something. But I have to document the family photos that were taken by my dear Brittany - who doesn't do family photos for just anyone but who agreed to do one last family photo for our family before I lost my hair.

When she dropped off the disc I cried.  I can't think of a greater gift than the gift of capturing my family in photos.

I have to save the "reveal" of the final family picture for our family Christmas card but here are a few of the candid shots that make me smile.

Thank you Brittany!

T's baptism

 In preparation for T's birthday, he and I spent a Sunday afternoon at the Portland temple grounds getting handsome pictures of a handsome young man.

 

 

With T's 8th birthday this past week, he was baptized this morning and it was a delightful morning with dear friends and family there to support T and our family on T's special day. 

T turned EIGHT!

 So this munchkin turned EIGHT years old this week!

 

I don't know what it is about this sweet boy but his birthday kept going and going...I think we just wanted to keep having a reason to celebrate him!

His birthday was such a busy day that I didn't plan to actually celebrate on the actual day...but T had different ideas and opened all of this gifts during the quick dinner that we had so I don't have a single picture except this one of him before it was opened.

His cake request was to actually have cake pops and a good family friend happily obliged.

The celebration T requested was to have a giant kickball game so we had it planned with six other families only to have the day of the kickball game be a total rain out!
Game postponed :(

And in birthday tradition (for T anyway) we attended the Tualatin Hot Air Balloon Festival and watched the balloons launch as we ate donuts and chocolate milk.

  

So this is T at EIGHT...

favorite food...pancakes

favorite sport to play...basketball

coolest person on earth...dad

the thing I do most awesomely...love

if I could go anywhere in the world I would go to...Hawaii

favorite color...green

when I grow up I'm going to become an...inventor

the book I'm loving right now...One and only Ivan

what I'm afraid of...spiders

three words that describe me...artist, creative, funny

favorite thing to do with my family...family fun night

if I had $1,000 I would buy...10 drones

the snack I like best...crackers and hummus

one food that I really dislike...lettuce

my best friend is...Jack

if I had one wish it would be...to be rich

Father's Day 2016

Father's Day 2016

K pulled out another winner with her dad's t-shirt

"I'm not anti-social I'm selectively social...there's a difference"

  The day's celebration was pretty low key (understandably) but Rich completely understood.

Luckily we have our "family" that gathered for dessert and minute-to-win-it games which meant an evening of laughter and good times.  

(remember this amazing group from Memorial Day...and Easter....and New Year's Eve...this is our local family that we celebrated our dads with)

{TRUTH} Chemo #1: I'm alive

Turns out that it takes more than just positive attitude to get through this chemo stuff!  

Someone should really educate people to know how much chemo stinks!

Five days later and, along with my (somewhat waning) attitude, it's taken....

• nearly 24/7 from the husband who is being dad and mom, while still attempting to be breadwinner
• four days of playdates for J & T
• three visits to the hospital for mom
• far too many prescription medications
• accupuncture
• essential oils
• pressure points 
• a toilet bowl :(
• friends and neighbors on call to give rides to kids, make grocery store runs, take me to the doctor and check on me each day

In short....five days later and I'm in debt to so many amazing, wonderful people!!! 

Only 107 more days to go until that last dose, but whose counting?
(actually, I am!)

This is what the first dose looked like...

Dose #1 (6/14/2016) Adriomycin and Cytoxan given via my IV.

Unfortunately my poor little veins didn't weather the chemo too well so prior to dose #2, I will be going in to have a port surgically placed so that all future doses can be completed without the headache of veins not cooperating.

The past few days have been a bit of a blur - mostly spent in bed fighting nausea and a throbbing headache.  Gratefully today was a turning point and I've been able to eat today and even play/win a couple of games of UNO with the little boys. 

Here's to the next week being my "up" week!

Trek 2016...I Will Go and Do

K spent the past week in the high desert of Washington on a stake trek.

No surprise, she had a fantastic time.  

I was glad to get a glimpse into her week through these pictures that were captured by the trek photographer.

Isn't K just about the cutest pioneer girl you've ever seen?

 

{TRUTH} 12 hours and counting

I started singing this song over the weekend every time one of the kids would ask me what we were going to do on a date past tomorrow.

I don't think the kids are amused by my charm.