Making Stides for Breast Cancer 2009

What a gorgeous day to walk away cancer. A time to meet up with family and great friends. Unfortunately, it is also a time to cry, hug and remember. I am thankful for the bear hugs from my husband as I wrap a ribbon with my mom's name on it and tie it to the Cancer Dream Catcher as I cry. I am thankful for my girls who are still not too old to hold my hand and walk with me as I tell them that their Grandma Rose would have loved them to pieces. I am thankful for all the friends I met up with along the way giving me warm hugs and smiles. And, I am thankful for the few members of my family who still walk with me every year. We are soul mates in this terrible disease. Love you all...

The start of five miles of walking shoulder to shoulder with others fighting the same cause.

You always start and end under the pink arch.

Matt and Reina are always fun to meet up with.

Orville, Judy and Frank... dear friends who never hesitate to welcome us as family.

Some of my wonderful family.

Suzanne, Liz and I. Our mom's are sisters and both lost their battle with cancer. We are not just cousins, we are soul sisters in this cause. Love you guys.

Sorry it's sideways Liz. You have beautiful family.

Me and Liz.

This is Rosie... She is a family friend and was honored as Cancer Survivor of the year. I envy her passion and tenacity for life.

Come join us next year. XOXO

Thought for the day

Your soul is often times a battlefield, upon which your reason and your judgment wage war against passion and your appetite…

Your reason and your passion are on the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul.

If either your sails or your rudder be broken, you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas.

For reason, ruling alone is a force confining, and passion, unattended is a flame that burns to its own destruction.

Rest in reason and move in passion.

Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

A Birthday, A Wedding & A Funeral

Yes, all three of these events happened in the course of one week. Suzie’s funeral on the 18th, Bailey’s birthday on the 20th and Matt & Reina’s wedding on the 21st. So did I go insane? Just a bit.

Bailey’s Birthday
My Boo Bear turned 11 this year. She is very mature for her age and drives Frank and me crazy with all her questions. She is very passionate about everything she does and will rarely take no for an answer. For example: I thought we could move her birthday party out a couple of weeks since we had company staying with us and spring break was about to start. She would have none of it. She felt that if we moved it no one would come to her party and she would just be “forgotten”. So on the 19th, I piled 11 kids in the Expedition and took them swimming for a couple of hours. We came back home for pizza, cake, presents and a movie. Where was Frank in all of this? He was having fun at Matt’s bachelor party.
We made popcorn cupcakes out of the cupcake book grandma gave her. They came out very cute. On the 20th, our company left and Frank made Bailey her favorite breakfast… chocolate chip pancakes. Since Bailey is now fascinated with fish we gave her a gift card to the pet store so she could buy “whatever” she wanted. We went to the karting track for a couple of races and stopped by the pet store to spend money. We ended up with a 10 gallon tank and lots of ornaments for it. Dinner was at her favorite Chinese restaurant with one of her grandpa’s and her aunt.
Happy 11th Birthday Bailey. I Love You.

The famous popcorn cupcakes.

A Wedding
Frank’s cousin Matt married the gorgeous Reina on the 21st. We were very excited to be one of the exclusive to be invited. The venue was a B&B in Corrales. The highlight for me was when Matt sang to Reina as she was walking in on her brother’s arm. (Matt has a beautiful voice). Since they are our Tuaca drinking buddies, we gave them a bottle they don’t have to share with us!

This only a fraction of the family. I am sporting my new farmer tan, and Frank is sporting his very attractive old man reading classes.

A Funeral
Mike, Chris & kids stayed with us for a week. While we thoroughly enjoyed having them with us, we wish it could have been on better circumstances. Mike and Frank are like brothers and Mike's mom was a very endearing person. I ended up taking the majority of the week off so I could help with their kids. Having three additional kids was fun but challenging. Ryan is 13, Kylie is 10 and Brayden is 7. I always thought I wanted boys… I found Brayden climbing on our shed roof, house roof and jumping off walls. I used more band aids in 3 days then I have in 3 months. Frank took them out on a 4-wheeling adventure with the metal detector. They came back with several “treasures” I made sure to send home with them. Rocks, nails, glass and lots of dirt. When I did a load of laundry, I was disturbed to find bullets in the wash. More treasures they found on the mesa?
Having kids does not make you monetary rich (unless you are octo-mom). I was at the grocery store everyday buying something. We were able to get the kids to watch a movie one night, and I think I popped 6 bags of popcorn. I also think the dogs helped eat some of it.
On the night of funeral we came back to our house and Frank made a fire in his new “fire pit”. One of Mike’s friends, Phil, followed us home to hang out. We celebrated Mike’s mom, Suzie, that evening. Told stories, drank margaritas, cried, drank margaritas, laughed, drank margaritas, laughed some more… finished the margaritas, moved on to Bailey’s and Tuaca. I made Phil spend the night with us. He had the pleasure of sleeping in Bailey’s room with pink sheets and all her “friends”… frogs, dogs, dolls. I’m surprised he could even find the bed.
When I took the kids swimming for Bailey’s birthday, I told the boys not to worry about towels because I had plenty. They were not pleased when I gave them Disney princess towels to use. They preferred to drip dry and be cold.
We said teary goodbyes and hugged extra tight when they left. The house was eerily quiet when we walked in and it took us awhile to adjust. I think I was doing laundry for a week to catch up.
Miss you, love you, can’t wait to see you guys again.

It was so warm one day that MacKenzie decided to get everyone wet including the dogs. They put the hose on the slide to make a water slide. No one was allowed in the house until they were dry. Do you see my Mexican green house in the background?

Trying to take a nice picture. Ryan decided he needed to be in it.

Our bonfire.

Brayden the monkey.

Mike wanted a kiss and Chris wanted nothing to do with it.

Feeling happy after a few too many.

Just the girls.

Mike, Phil and Frank.

Movie night. 5 kids, 1 husband, 3 dogs, 1 tarantula, and 3 fish.

PRICELESS!

4-wheeling adventure. I was hoping the landcrusier would not break down.

I bought these silly wigs at a yard sale, and we have had more fun with them. Can you tell who these silly kids are?

Mack and Brayden.

So did I go insane? Or, was I dreaming?