derm

my dermatologist appointment went great today, no areas of concern - i so love to hear those words. i go back to see him in six months unless i see something that concerns me in the meantime. six months, i will take it. let's hope the good news keeps rolling through the scan results in january.

today was a great day, more to come on all of the reasons why tomorrow.

goodnight peeps. xo.

5k

today was the big day - the 5k! i did it!!!

when i first set the goal for the 5k, i did not run. at all. period. i set the goal because it was a big one. something i had never done before which is what made it a good goal. but here is the thing. i like running. yep, really like it. so there will be more of it in my future. next year the goal is to do a couple more 5k's, and then a 10k later in the year. after that, we will talk about a half-marathon. i never would have thought that this year would end with me running a 5k when 2012 kicked off. an unexpected box on the bucket list checked off. feels so good.

today was a good day.

our weekend was really good as well:
+++ reisling (you knew that would be on the list) + sleeping in on saturday (which helped with getting up at the crack o' dawn for the run today) + lunch at pcc + holiday party with good friends + funny white elephant gifts + peanut m&m's + christmas cards in the mailbox + pancakes with fresh fruit (so good after an early morning run) + berry mimosas + sunday afternoon nap + fajitas + seeing christmas lights on our drive home + watching malena fall asleep immediately after her head hit the pillow + catching up with modern family which equals a lot of laughing + ordering the photo memory game for malena (i am not sure which of us is going to be more excited to play once she opens it, but i think that i might be).

hello monday, as always, you have come faster than i wanted you to.

sidenotes:
+++ thanks to all of the peeps who signed up over the weekend for the "send happy mail to jen campaign" - you all rock, i will send out the week assignments later this week. for those who haven't yet let me know that you want to participate, let me know anytime - the more the merrier;)
+++ are these cupcake stands awesome or is just me? i am having a hard time - and i mean mean really hard time - not ordering them for a little merry christmas to myself.
+++ also saw these and thought that they might save a lot of time that i spend unwinding my headphones when i pull them out of my purse
+++ if malena needed office supplies, she would so dig these animal paperclips
+++ i think that this george bailey award is a great idea, and i totally plan to do it with malena when she is a little bit older

hello, weekend

friday, you were brutal. work was miserable for me today. i also get the pleasure of being miserable over the weekend by having to work on an assignment i got at 5pm and is due on monday, leaving me no option but to work on it this weekend. ok, enough whining, moving on.

i hope that you all have a great weekend, one week closer to the holidays. my weekend will include work (let's get the bad news over first) + finding some white elephant gifts + dinner with friends + addressing christmas cards + getting some shopping to-do's checked off of the list + fajitas + oh yeah, a little thing called the 5k! yep, the 5k is here - oh man, i hope that i can pull it off. more to come on that by monday, if i am not still running.

enjoy it peeps. make it fun. make it merry.

sidenotes:
+++ thanks to everyone who has already signed up for the send fun mail to jen campaign - you all rock. can't wait to have more peeps sign up, and i will get weeks assigned asap. (nerd - heads-up, you will have next week)
+++ i did not get picked for the design team that i submitted for. a bummer for sure. but atleast i tried. thanks for all of the good vibes on that.
+++ i really liked this post, a good reminder that those things that seem out of reach can quickly become ours with a little time and effort
+++ this might be the most personal mother child conversation you''ll ever be lucky enough to overhear
+++ gift ideas for your favorite workhorse
+++ homemade cranberry bliss bars
+++ i love the idea of wrapping and opening a christmas book each day in december
+++ whipped eggnog loaf cake
+++ chocolate caramel saltines

launch of the "happy mail for jen campaign"

remember earlier this week when i asked for good biopsy vibes for a friend? i know that all of your good vibes are working their magic in ways we don't yet know, but unfortunately, the good vibes didn't translate in to good biospy results. the results showed a recurrence of cancer. recurrence and cancer are two words that should never be allowed to be in the same sentence. don't you agree?

jen was diagnosed with cancer just after i was about two years ago. she is a daughter. she is a wife (she married my friend mike, who i am pretty sure is thankful every single day that she did - as he should be;)). she is a friend. she is a daughter-in-law. she is a teacher. she is a survivor. the list goes on and on. with the results this week, she is headed towards a likely combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. for the second time. which is so not fair for so many reasons.

when i was going through treatment, i especially loved happy mail showing up in my mailbox (you know that i always love happy mail showing up). it was so nice to have something to open that wasn't a medical bill, and that i knew was sent just to let me know others were thinking about me. happy mail brought me comfort.

so i am launching the "happy mail for jen campaign" and here are the details:
+++ every week while jen is fighting (and more importantly beating) cancer, we are going to send her some fun mail. either fun snail mail or fun email, your choice - or both!
+++ let me know if you would like to sign up for a week (or weeks) and i will assign a week to one person. that week you send jen one piece of fun snail mail or one funny email (marcie-roo, i know you have some funny videos that you make you laugh, those could be perfect!). you can always send more than piece in one week if you like;) 
+++ before each week, i will send a reminder out to the person that is in charge of the happy mail for that week.
+++ the goal is to let her know that people are rooting for her, make her laugh (funny cards are awesome), have her crack a smile....in general, letting her know good vibes are coming her way.

if you are going to sign up for a week (and i know you are) or more, leave me a comment on the blog, email me, text me, facebook me, instagram me, make smoke signals, trip me while i am walking by you....however you know how to communicate with me, let me know that you want to join the campaign (and make sure that i know how to follow up with you, especially if i don't already have your email address). i will then assign you a week and give you jen's address/email address so that you can hook her up with fun mail.

as someone who knows, i can tell you that taking the time to send some fun mail to someone who is going through cancer treatments is one of the best ways that you can spend your time. i know that most of you don't know jen or mike. but, you know me, and you know that i am lucky enough to be surrounded by the best of the best. you have been affected by cancer somehow, and you know that a little bit of kindness can make a big difference. you know that jen has cancer, and i know that is the only reason you really need to join me in doing this for her.

i thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining the happy mail campaign. my mom was the first to sign up and her card is on its way, i know that you want to be the one who gets dibs on next week.

let's end this year by knowing that we will be giving jen something fun to look forward to as the new year and all it will bring for her begins.

thanks all. you rock. xoxo

very important sidenote:
++++ jen - i know you are reading this right now, so just pretend to be surprised when the happy mail starts rolling in;) i know that you and mike can do this. without a doubt. i am backing you all the way. i have also put cancer on notice that it is about to get its a*& kicked by you for a second time.

the email

i got the email on monday from my oncologist.

scans on 1/14. results on 1/15.

6 month derm appt on 12/10.

the cycle begins again. the countdown is on.

tick....tock.

good thoughts needed please

i had a totally different post in mind that i was going to write tonight. but by the day's end, i learned it was no longer relevant. what is relevant is that some of my friends are waiting on biopsy results. waiting on biopsy results is never a position you want to be in as a cancer patient. so tonight i am asking you to send out some good vibes/wishes/prayers/blessings - however you send your good karma out into the universe - for some positive biopsy results.

thank you.

trust me, they appreciate it.

i know.

weekender

sunday night. seriously? seems like i was just writing my post on friday night and here i am again.

my weekend included...
sleeping in + a great dentist appointment for malena (great = malena actually allowing her teeth to be cleaned this time, which is a little december miracle peeps) + jamba juice + picking out a christmas tree + my expert ornament hanger excitedly helping with the tree decorating + putting snowflakes on our windows + listening to my "mixed cds" from my sister while driving (and yes, i will admit it - some outloud singing in the car) + time catching up with some of my favorite ladies with good food and drinks + my first taste of chocolate peppermint bark of the year (can't wait for my homemade batch i will get in two weeks from my friend chris) + christmas lights + christmas art projects + finding a new stamp that i couldn't live without + house chores (wouldn't be a weekend without those right?) + training run + the elf that will be with us until christmas filling santa in on malena on a daily basis + the start of advent calendars + spring rolls with peanut sauce + work (which is of course the least fun thing on this entire list).

hope your weekend was a good one too, good luck with the start of the new week. xo.