goodbye weekend, hello work week

oh weekend, you were a good one and i miss you already.

as expected, highlights included:

+++ friday morning starbucks date with my favorite girl. yes, that breakfast included a rice krispie treat and chocolate milk. yes, she gets to make her own choice for breakfast. yes, i know it isn't the breakfast of champions. yes, i know that she will have these pictures and memories to remember that every friday we had a special date - just the two of us. yes, she will remember that those were the mornings when rice krispie treats and chocolate milk and time with her mom made her happy. yes, just yes.

+++ got to catch up with my good friends mike and joel, and their lovely wives jenn and laura. i also got to teach them some lessons in how to play shuffleboard (aka i was the champion, but i don't want to rub it in since i know that they are reading this and i don't want to see them in tears. again). i didn't even charge them for the lesson. how nice of me is that? these guys are two of my most favorite people that i have ever worked with. hands down. if i could have worked next to them every day in my career, i would have been a happy girl.

 

this is an action shot of how to play shuffleboard. yes, sticking my tongue out when i push the puck definitely helps my game. big time. you are welcome for the tip (josh -- you would have gone down in flames as well my friend...just sayin').

+++ we celebrated beth's birthday and got to meet some of the people that are important in her life. a very nice night to celebrate a great girl.

+++ we ate chocolate.



+++ we opened up our kiwi crate and spent a couple of hours playing a very cool game that taught malena about the continents and important places in the world. we got to travel the world without every leaving our kitchen. very fun. i love it when that green box shows up in our mailbox.
+++ we had malena's first play date at our house, and had fun watching her three friends play, paint, and decorate cupcakes. i wish that i could tap into the energy level of those four 5 year olds, i think that i would have energy to make it through the year.
+++ i am working hard on taking the time needed to really take good care of myself. that includes taking time to cut up fruits and veggies to eat in every meal of the day. trying to get more sleep. reclaiming my fridays off from work (this last one hopefully being an exception since i was in the office). taking deep breaths and remembering to slow down. today i got about an hour and a half of some solo down time. i thought briefly about reaching for my work bag and knocking out one of the big deadlines i have coming up this week. but instead, i took some deep breaths and focused on what i needed to do to take care of myself. so i made some green tea. i hung out in my craft room. i lit a candle. i printed off our pictures from the last two weeks. i spent my time putting our pictures into our album, documenting our lives, and spending that time in the best way i could have. that was definitely the right decision. one decision at a time.

+++ i came across ann-marie's podcast list and am thinking that i need to check out some of these. have never listened to a podcast before, pretty sure that needs to be on my to do list.
+++ i loved the idea in nicole reaves post of using a hanger to display a print...might just need to try that one out.
+++ i spent some time drooling over the new spring collection at mulberry press co. i am such a sucker for cool prints.
+++ we were super glad to hear the update on chaser:

Our Warriors Kindred Spirit! 

               

Chasers Little body may be overshadowed by this Auguste Rondin's 7 foot sculpture at Mayo, but his spirit soars well above it! He has been nothing short of amazing this entire week for the tests, the 5am wake-up calls, the 2hrs drive each way, sitting in his wheel chair for hours, the two nights without feedings ect...ect.. No crying, no moaning, hardly even a hic-up came from his chapped lips while we were down there. We have just had our final review recap with one of the nurses on the Aero team and are headed back home. Chaser is in back with his with Captain America headphones on, jammin to some tunes, Lisa has her hands at 10 and 2, white knuckled -glowing from ear to ear I might add- as I am filling in the blanks for you guys- and wishing I was driving! :)


Yesterday morning Chaser had a bowel emptying study (to see how fast he is digesting his food, and to make sure his digestive tract is working good) and we met with the Dietician (to discuss his current formula intake, and come up with a better plan for feeding) This morning he had an EEG-- (to look for any signs of Seizure activity), then met with Cathy from OT (followup on his swallowing and muscle spasticity) - and then we had a recap with results of all the tests. And here is what we found:

In regards to the vomiting and stomach pain- His samples came back normal. The sample taken from his stomach showed a slight elevation in bacteria in his stomach. Nothing to be concerned with, but could potentially be causing the vomiting- we are going to try an antibiotic for a week to see if that helps. We have also added Miralax to his daily cocktail- to try and relieve these pains.

The Hormonal-Prepuberty tests- His hand x-ray came back completely in the norm of that of a 5 year old. His blood work was normal as well! He is NOT experiencing early puberty!

The EEG test- His EEG test came back good! There were NO signs of any seizures or seizure-like activity! The neurologist was also pleased that he showed a definite sleep pattern- (Chaser took a little rester while being in the room hooked up to all those wires.....must have been the classical music that zonked him!) He also said that if he were to compare this EEG test with that of the one taken back in July at Gillette's, he would certainly find a BIG improvement!

The Bowel Emptying Study. These results really got us pumped- they showed that Chaser is digesting almost 25% faster than he did when we did this study back in Sept! This is good info, so now we can plan his feedings better and know when he is full. Lisa says she will leave the math up to me :)

-His muscle spasticity- the neurologist has decided to put him back on a low dosage of valium- not for pain control, but to help with muscle tone. Lisa and Chaser are back on Monday to meet with a doctor to discuss Botox and Phenol in his arms and legs to help loosen him up.

All in all- this was an AWESOME visit! Once again, two steps forward, no steps back! We are leaving here with more in site and more tools to keep Chaser on track for a full recovery-Lord willing! Thank you all for you prayers and support. Have a great weekend!

God is Good!"

 

+++ we loved watching the oscars and ate some popcorn to celebrate. my favorite part being some of the amazing speeches. i don't think that i will ever forget matthew's words, "we all need someone to look up to, something to look forward to, and someone to chase."

+++ was super excited that my mason jar tumbler came, i will be using it to drink my smoothies every morning while i am driving to work.

+++ the weekend is ending with one extra campout night, because why not? sometimes sunday nights need a little fun, a little early mojo to start the week off right.

 

here we go again peeps, make it a good one. xo

 

 

oh hello friday

oh friday, it is good to see you. i would love seeing you even more if i wasn't going in to the office, but i will greet you with a smile nonetheless.

i am looking forward to the weekend. shuffleboard playing (mike, you are so going down). my parental team being in town. crafting up baby shower invitations. making cupcakes. celebrating beth's birthday. sleeping in. play date with some of malena's classmates. the oscars (jen, can't wait to see you on the red carpet one of these days - xo). all good things.

ok, and maybe i will watch this lip sync and a little of this one too. just maybe;)

i also wanted to give an update on chaser, here is the latest:

"Keep on Tickin Captain Lykken!  

 

Chaser rocked another one! Everything went great. We are hanging with him now in recovery- sounds like we get our walking papers in T-Minus 30 mins.... His breathing is good, all vitals back to his norm! We met with the doctors just prior to coming in here. The scope of his stomach look great. The Nissen is holding well, and the doctor was pleased. The view into his lungs looked good as well!- A big improvement from 4 months ago- This is GREAT news! If he is aspirating, it does not appear to be hurting his lungs....we just need to get that little flap moving normally now! (the epiglatis) As the doctor was explaining this, I think I saw him actually crack a smile :)
We are back tomorrow morning at 7am for a Stomach emptying test. This is a 4hr test we measure how much of his food he digests every hour- Hopefully he does better on that test as well. Then Friday we are back at 7am to an EEG - and get a meeting of minds with the doctors - to get an explination of their conclusions, and hopefully some solutions.
Chase thanks you all for your thoughts and Prayers.

God is Good!

Shields up! I'm Goin in!

          

               

Chaser is going into the OR this morning down at Mayo. As part of the follow-up AERO study we did in Sept, this week they are doing more tests and evaluating his condition again. He is going under General anesthesia- at 9ish.... While under, the team is going to inject Botox into salivary glands- (to slow down secretions) a scope of his stomach (to check the Nissen), take some samples of his stomach to check for bacteria (possible solution to the throwing up and stomach pains?), clean his ears, replace his Mick-ey, check his lungs- Basically give him a surgical "tune-up" . He should be under less than 1 1/2. Its a simple procedure, so nothing to worry about!
This is our 2nd day down here. Yesterday, Chaser met with 7 different doctors. This place is awesome! It was an assembly line of the worlds best coming in that tiny office and evaluating him, asking us if we had any questions. We expressed our concerns, and they either answered them, or set up a test later this week to try and find the answer. We are definitely blessed to have this opportunity to this much brain power paying attention to our little dude!
Chaser did a swallow-study, scope as well yesterday. They stuck a camera down his nose while mom fed him. We watched as the secretions bounced around his epiglottis, and he struggled to keep them out of his lungs. The good news, is he is getting better from the last time we did this test, but he is not ready start taking food through his mouth.....Yet....
Chaser has been showing some potential signs of "pre-puberty"- which can related his TBI. He had an X-Ray taken of his hand to check growth patterns with that of other 5 year olds on file. (This comes from a study that was done in England in 1940 at an orphanage- crazy!)We will get these results, along with the other tests on Friday at our consultation. We are very optimistic we will get some answers- some of them may not be very pleasant to hear, but hopefully there won't be any more guessing.... Lets face it, we know our warrior has a mountain to climb here on his road to recovery, and the only way to get to the top is to keep movin up- Which he is definitely doing! Have a Great day, we will keep you posted. Thank you all for your thoughts and Prayers.

God is Good!"

beth is about to finish her second week of chemo/radiation and is hanging in there like a warrior, super proud of her. mary has been having follow ups with her surgeon (healing is going good - yay!) and her oncologist to determine next steps as one of the margins was not clear from the tests done to confirm that they got all of the melanoma. so it looks like she will also be having a pet scan in may to determine next steps. i am pretty sure that we are both going to have great pet scans that will indicate that we don't have much to worry about.
i have not yet heard the results from mike's tests and will keep you posted when i do. keep sending all of them your love, prayers, and good mojo -- and to the ruth family in these days as they keep patty close in their hearts.

beth also asked me to pass along the following, "I also want to send a big thanks to all your peeps. (I have been getting mail from people I don't know :) ) I have really enjoyed the happy mail and appreciate all the good thoughts, prayers, mojo, etc. There is one thing you realize through this is that this is not somehting you can or should do alone. So everyone's support is so touching and encouraging." so a big thank you from beth and from me as well for those sending her happy mail and for all of you sending her your love, prayers, and mojo.

have a good weekend peeps, may yours include some time to relax and catch your breath -- and maybe a little lip syncing too;) xoxo

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