the great adventure

i came across this video a couple days ago and have watched it now a few times. and there have been tears. there are so many things within the 5 and a half minutes of this that i can identify with. i think that it is a great one for any parent to watch, but i think that anyone whose life includes kids will take something from it.

i would also ask that you send your love and prayers to my friend mike as he will have scan and bone marrow tests this week to see what the next steps are for him in his fight against the devil (aka cancer). thank you, every prayer helps to bring good results.

happy wednesday peeps, make the most of it. xo

weekender

the weekend.

it was a good one.

barrett and i spent friday night at alderbrook celebrating our 7th anniversary. our favorite spot. some much needed down time. if i wasn't carrying this cold with me, it would have been perfect (yes cold, i am talking to you -- i am over you so you can move on anytime you are ready.) everytime i go there i feel like i leave a little bit lighter with a deep breath and ready to dive back into life.

as is our tradition, we took a skipping stone down to the water and made our wish. there are a lot of stones with our wishes on them in that water off the dock, and knowing that always brings me some comfort. you know i can't tell you what the wish was, but i am sure that you could probably make some educated guesses;)

we got to celebrate my dad's birthday and watch him make his own wishes for the upcoming year.

 
the weekend also included some major inspiration from my friend jenny. i met jenny at the your story retreat last year and have been so honored to call her a friend since. she wrote two posts about the grateful tree that her daughter emily has created. you must take the time to read these two posts, it will inspire you and remind you to remember all that you have to be grateful for. trust me. so what are you waiting for? start reading good life and the grateful tree. go emily, go.

and last, but certainly not least, please send your love to the ruth family tomorrow as they gather to honor patty, to beth as she starts her second week of treatment, and to a friend (you know who you are) that is waiting on some scan results tomorrow morning.

i hope on this monday, you take emily's advice, and remember all that you have to be grateful for. xo

one year

february 20th.

it has been one year since my stage iv diagnosis.

365 days.

this day has been looming large for me.

the anniversary of a day that i remember like it was yesterday, i can vividly remember every detail.

i feel like there are a million words that i could write to mark this day.

but, i will keep it pretty simple.

i am so, so thankful to be here. i honestly didn't know when i heard those words a year ago if i would be.

i am still just as scared as i was then.

but i will continue to take deep breaths and carry on.

it is also very important to note that february 20th is the day my dear friend ann was born and so on this day i celebrate her and all of the good things that she has brought to my life.

she is hands down the best part of february 20th.

i hope your february 20th is a good one. xo

around here

++ around here i am fighting a killer cold that makes me want to curl up in a little ball and stay in bed all day. which is exactly what i did today.

++ around here we celebrated valentine's day with chocolate donuts for breakfast, a valentine's party in malena's classroom, a starbucks date in the afternoon, and lots of smiles and hugs.

++ around here we had a baby shower to welcome baby harper who is coming in march and will be our newest family member, can't wait to meet him.

++ around here we had tons of cousin play time, which included these two owning a restaurant and the rest of us being their customers who were very busy eating and paying on a regular basis.

++ around here we are rooting for beth as she starts her radiation/chemo treatments.

++ around here we are sending mary good vibes in wisconsin as she continues to recover from her surgery. mary also sent some thoughts that i wanted to share with all of you, "Thank you to all of Alli 's followers. I appreciate all the good mojo, positive vibes, prayers, and happy mail. I know I gain strength knowing I am not fighting alone. God bless you all."

++ around here we are keeping prayers and love going to the ruth family as they move through these first days without patty.

++ around here we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary by watching our wedding video. i am so thankful for that video. not just so that barrett and i can watch it back, but so that i know that malena will always have it to be able to watch. i also love it because i get to see some of our loved ones that are no longer physically with us but who we carry in our hearts, and it reminds me of how thankful i was and continue to be for those that were there to share that day with us. it is emotional to think of those vows of in sickness and in health and how we could never have imagined how fully we would have lived those words in these first seven years.

++ around here we loved watching the video of chase's warriors doing the polar plunge for special olympics -- so awesome!
  

Chasers Warriors polar Plunge Video! Here is a YouTube link to the teams jump. Thanks Brad Soderberg for sending this- and thank you everyone again for your support. -Especially those of you that came out to cheer us on!!!The team raised over $14k for Special Olympics. Only bad part of the entire jump is - it's done. we are taking recruits for next year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWbUhsIBFr4&feature=youtube_gdata_playerChaser's Warriors Polar Plunge Prior Lake '14

www.youtube.com

++ around here i have been loving this etsy site and trying to decide how to limit myself on not buying every card;)

++ around here i thought elise's list on ideas for the brand new mama was right on

++ around here i think that all three of us hansons could wear this t-shirt on any given day

++ around here this recipe for salted caramel molten chocolate cakes might have made me drool just a little bit (ok, a lot)

++ around here i am hoping that this family gets the help they need to buy a continuous glucose monitor for their 4 year old son who was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. i have followed her blog for a quite a while, and my heart could relate when she said "it's uncomfortablet to ask for help. but, we need help. we need peace of mind." i think that all parents should get the peace of mind they need to take the best care of their kids as possible.

++ around here i am thinking that i might download ann-marie's desktop wallpaper to help me get through the wind, rain, wind, rain...

++ around here i am also a sucker for to-do lists and ann marie's printable would make me pretty excited about creating some lists;)

++ around here i think that every kid's room might be just that much better with this kelly rae roberts print in it

++ around here i am looking forward to heading to alderbook later this week to celebrate our 7th anniversary and catch our breath at our favorite place

++ around here i am working hard on lowering my stress level and focusing hard on taking the best care possible of myself. one of the ways that i am going to do that is to take liz's hand to heart series.

++ around here i am hoping that you all have a great wednesday.

for beth

 

tomorrow beth starts her chemo and radiation for the next five and a half weeks. so please send all of your love, prayers, and mojo to her as she starts this first round of treatment. the overall goal is to shrink the tumor as much as possible. i am pretty sure that the tumor is going to evaporate and make her surgery as good as it can possibly be. but just for extra insurance, send your love her way so that we ensure that we have all of the bases covered.

thanks peeps, both beth and i really appreciate it.

beth --- i know without a doubt that you can do this, and you are going to kick cancer's you-know-what. you have got this my friend, and you will come out on the other side stronger and braver than you even know. xo

for patty

early this morning patty hung up her boxing gloves and finished her fight.

she was an amazing fighter.

she did anything and everything she could to get in the ring and tackle the brain tumor.

she never, never, never, never gave up.

she will be missed terribly.

she will be remembered always.

please keep the entire ruth family in your prayers and thoughts.

i hope that you all have a good weekend, hold your loved ones close.

in your hands and in your heart. xo

prayers for patty

today i got the update that patty is giving her family the signs that she is getting ready to finish her fight with her brain tumor. back in december when patty was admitted to the hospital the doctors thought that time was short (and it is always too short when you are talking about someone fighting cancer), but patty continued to be a hell of a fighter through january and now into february. she picked up her boxing gloves again and was ready to go a few more rounds, and she has been swinging the entire time.

so please send as much love, prayers, and mojo as you can to patty and her entire family, and my dear friend kerry as they spend these hours together.

i love this picture of kerry, bentley, and patty -- such a special shot to capture a precious moment in the fight.

thanks for sending them your love, i know that they all feel it and appreciate it.

as chuck, patty's husband, wrote to me in an email earlier this week...never, never, never, never give up.

patty and the ruth clan never have.

a lesson for us all to remember. xo