California

We had a fantabulous time on Reece's first trip to California~ Reece got to meet lots of people, yet I only have a few pictures to show for it. We did a lot of eating and just hanging out...the 3 of us are headed back out next weekend for my cousin Phil's wedding. It's a good thing that Reece is already a terrific flyer because we will be making many trips to PK and Granny's (really couldn't she have picked a better name!?!) house!

The Marco's with Reece~ We can't wait for our kids to play together!!!

The 4 generations on my Parsons' side: Reece, his beautiful mom :), PK (Papa Ken) and Great Grandma Arlene.

A smal portion of the Randol family(my mom's side + my grandma Arlene) gathering at a famous LA eatery - Phillipe's - for French dipped sandwiches. My Papa used to eat there when he was a teenager. So he drove up from his beach house to meet us for brunch. It's the kind of place with sawdust on the floor and the food is served on cardboard plates. BUT, b/c it's LA they serve Silver Oak wines - $18 a glass! :) not bad when a bottle is about 100!

Reece meeting Great Papa(?!?- i guess that's what we will call him) and Great Grandma Margaret. Reece is dressed in his argyle sweater outfit for his first trip to the Country Club. So cute. ;)

My best friend Ashley and sweet Emma. She kept pointing at Reece saying "be-bee." If you ask her, she will perform a mean chicken dance; all at the age of 13 months!

Uncle Brian trying his very best to look awake after our cousin's bachelor party weekend in Laughlin, NV- a trashier version of Vegas... yes I know.. but they went for the water sports. (it's on the Colorado River.) wink wink...

Reece and Jack just hanging out. Jack is almost 1! His mom, Alex, went to high school with my friend Mandy, from Tulsa. ALex and her hubby, Brian, moved to LA and they became my parents' clients and my friends! Small world...

They have the same forehead! My 2 favorite boys.

Overall it was a great trip and we can't wait to go back. I am sure Reece and I will be spending a lot of time there this summer!! I will post pictures of this past weekend when my two friends from home, Kristin and Cheryl, came out to visit with their hubbies. They live in San Diego and Santa Monica now. My camera was dead, so I have no pictures... hopefully Granny J sent the charger from her house!

If I had the time, money, AND talent

I would

1. travel the world from my home base of Maui. I absolutely love the beach and Maui is near the top of my list. But more importantly, is the travel. I really enjoy new places and learning the cultures of the world.

My private jet of course

2. Be a dancer. I am in awe of those who are coordinated enough to do this! I would really like to do ballroom and hip-hop. I know the latter is just sooo me. Don't laugh. :)

3. Decorate my house - you know the one on Maui. Even if not Maui, then any house. You see decorating is just not my fort`e. I am jealous of those who are just naturally gifted in this area. Right now, I would love to just pay someone to make my house look fantastic... but hence the $$ part of this activity!



Thanks Leigh for tagging me.... I would love to hear from Mary Katherine, Kristen H. and Jessica J.

Leaving

On a Jet Plane!!!

Yes, that's right we are taking Reece to California! We leave tomorrow morning for 5 days at "home." Monty will be back Sunday night and Reece and I are flying back by ourselves on Wednesday. He will have a lot of firsts in the next few days plane ride, beach experience, meeting his great grandparents on my side, etc. It won't be long before we go back again though - we have 2 other trips planned before the middle of June. We slacked off on our trips while I was pregnant, so now it seems as though we are back in travel mode. Wish us luck and say prayers for all those on the plane tomorrow - I am hoping that he will be as good as he was on Tuesday... read below. If you live in SM come by my parent's this weekend!

On another note...

Great news from my oncologist appointment on Tuesday~ All my tests were clear! Everytime I go to the Collins building at Baylor Dallas - I have to mentally prepareto take a a journey back to a worrisome time in our life. This time was no exception. For a few nights before, I had aches. Normal aches from a new found activity - you may have heard about it... working out! My body hasn't done this in many many months so as expected I am sore. But before a checkup, my thoughts turn to the worst - the cancer is back but since it can't come in my boobs, it's in my ______. So,... as expected I am fine!

The day was better than I had anticipated as Reece went with his momma to her appointments. We were on the campus for 4 hours and the little guy only fussed 1 time - I was 30 minutes late getting him lunch. This was a huge relief and blessing for me. Everyone remarked at what a thinker he was - he seriously investigated every person with his "look." It was great to show him off to all of the staff who saw me when I was sick. Dr. O'shaughnessy said he was my miracle baby! yes he his.

This is the look... you can't see the wrinkles on his brow.. but they are there!

Full Circle

I debated to title this Full Circle or Long Road.

I chose full circle because I have ended up where I had originally started/planned. Let me explain.

I wasn't going to post anything today. No new pictures of Reece and nothing really to report.

Until I went on a walk. We live in the neighborhood where I teach and as Reece and I walked, someone yelled "Jennifer!" It was one of my mom's. She came over to see him and we did the normal "Hi how are you's." And then she said, "I have been meaning to call or email you." I assumed it was because of the drama happening at school in my absence - a post not even worth writing about. :)

She then said in a shaky voice "I have breast cancer." To most, this statement would be followed with "Oh I am sorry." or "You are too young." Not me. I nodded and said "Okay, what do you know?" Not much-which is normal for the newly diagnosised. She was having her surgery on Tuesday. She said that another one of my mom's told her that I was a survivor.

I told her a bit about my history and when the topic came to implants, the passerby would have been slightly weirded out when they saw her feeling my boobs; the right one for silicone and the left for life after radiation. That's just me... I offered her the name of my plastic surgeon! oh and my oncologist too.

She cried a little when she said those awful words and then "sucked it up." (for lack of a better term.) I know how she felt. She doesn't want the pity from others. She is fine and will be great as long as it just gets going. These are feelings that I have felt for 3 years. Pity is the worst feeling. You never want someone to feel sorry for you - especially not with something SO incredibly out of your control.

I asked her the medical questions - forgetting that she has just begun on a long road that I have traveled for 3 1/2 years now. I know my current diagnosis and can spout off the drugs that I took and the dates of almost all of my surgeries, chemo's, and most importantly the time and date I received "the" call.

She hasn't told her children and has her mastectomy on Tuesday. I will be there for her as well as her daughter, my student. This is the 2nd parent in a year that has come to me.

I don't think I can do much for these women and then I am reminded...The gift the Lord gave me with my diagnosis was to be the light. That survival is the only option. We will go through hell - and only those who have done it truly understand - and we come out alive! There are days that you think you can't go on- but somehow you wake up and it's a new day. Life must continue.

I have been given an opportunity few experience. A deadly diagnosis at 25. And survived.

I questioned why at the time. It wasn't fair - 3 months we had been married - why not someone else in their 60's?!!? I know why. God uses me to help these women who are so scared that their only way of survival is to think"I can do it." The other is too grim to even allow your mind to go there. The mind is so powerful that I would chant "I am healthy, I am healed, I am a survivor."

As I thought about what I was going to write during my shower tonight, I thought about today's date - somewhere in the middle of April (the days run together at this point!).

Today is April 9th. 3 years ago yesterday I had my last chemo treatment. Tuesday, the 15th, will be my check up with my oncologist. A year ago exactly, she told me that she thought it was safe for me to try to get pregnant. It was questionable. Chemo sent my body into early menopause. They had no idea how my eggs handled the excessive amounts of drugs I received.

And now, 1 year later, I will go back with another yet completely different gift... a son.

I have come full circle.

July 18th, 2004

September 18th, 2004 - a few weeks before our life changed.

The beginning of a life changing experience - the head shave.

November 2004. pre chemo and surgery

My last chemo - a party! The confetti is a nice touch don't you think?!

The auburn hair was the escape from me.

The real celebration of my last chemo - In Austin with Kate and a Margarita.

I look different because of the massive amounts of steriods to help combat side-effects.

I had just bleached my hair and wondered when I could get it cut. :)

I thought it was long. Not kidding. To me hair=normalcy

The night before we were baptized as a couple; March 2007

And now - the only lingering effects I still endure:

great perky boobs that don't require a bra and chemo- induced curly hair; and a son.

Be aware. It saved my life.

The circle is complete. But the road to complete was long and hard. However, I am so eternally grateful for the bumps like mountains and valleys and the turns as sharp as a zig zag. I would never want to go back and have the life that I had planned. I would not be who I am today. Monty and I would not be the couple we are today.

To the survivors and future survivors remember....

"I will survive!!!"

Squealing... well almost

Reece turns 6 weeks old today!! It's been an incredible few weeks. What once seemed like forever (you know, a grading period...many nights not grading to all of a sudden have to have grades ready, when??.. tomorrow??! what) to now have the time fly by! And like his shirt says, he was SOO "worth the wait!" (thank you to Cheryl for sending it to us during the long 10 day waiting period B4 he arrived!)

Monty and I are so completely in love with this little man. Reece and I have been having some great days -- sometimes I catch him starring at me while I am, typing on the blog or watching t.v. and I am brought to tears~ He's amazing.

Our development book says that he should start smiling now in response to his environment... and today I finally got it on camera!!

So enjoy what is almost a squeal of excitement or what I call...

PURE JOY

and then what happens after an exciting day of play... and yes he knows that there is NOTHING inside my shirt for him... it was just so cute..I think he was trying to snuggle.

To be informed..

I found this article to be very interesting, especially the links embedded in it. Most intriguing is the statistic that in children of the 80's received 10 vaccines by the age of 5; today's children receive 36 primarily by age 2. It makes for an interesting arguement to those who say, "well, we had our shots and we are fine." Or "You had your shots and so did your brother and you turned out okay." Giving your child their vaccinations is a very personal decision. I believe, that you as a parent, have the right to investigate and research all paths to making an educated choice.

This comes from http://www.cnn.com/

http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=2033910633

If you have more questions, I have some great literature on the topic. :) Jen