Why I Need a Sick Day to Study for Organic Chemistry

Excerpt from tonight's review class:
"Well, those aromatic spices were worth more than gold. That is if you talk about price per pound. So you could fill a boat with spices or gold, but you need a big boat for spices, because they are more bulky. You could probably fit the gold in a rowboat. But then how do you get a rowboat back from Borneo? The pirates would kill you. So, you need a bigger boat."

I think self-study may be the way to go this quarter.

Last Day

I just wanted to share that today was my last day taking Tamoxifen. So, I may have moved up the quitting a little, but I have good reasoning. I assume that I will get the "all-clear" to resume family planning in early September. Being a planner, I have an appointment to have my IUD removed on August 1st. Now, we certainly do not intend to get pregnant in August, I'm fully supportive of doing one final round of exams before that, but without pretty much guaranteed birth control, we decided that I would stop taking the tamoxifen when I got the IUD out. That way, if there is an accident, the worst that happens is that I don't get to have another mammogram, MRI, and Chest X-ray before we start. I won't have to worry about birth defects or worse because of my medication. So, that was the plan, but today I ran out of pills and just decided I didn't want to get my Rx filled again for these last 2 1/2 weeks.

Before anyone says I should have taken it longer, remember my doctors were on the fence about if I needed it anyway. I have faith that we've been very proactive in fighting off my cancer. I know it could come back, but if it does, I won't beat myself up about quitting the tamoxifen 6 weeks early than my doctor said I could. I'm ready for cancer to be a closed chapter in my life. I'm ready to get back to the fun stuff!

Speaking of fun stuff, I have some really adorable pictures of Grace, including one of her holding a kitten, riding on a kiddie 4-wheeler with her cousin Logan, and wearing silk pajamas that Grandpa sent her from China. However, my camera program just locked up and will require me to reboot the computer, so those will have to wait for another night.

Oh one more note. Our house is still on the market. No offers yet, but we have had 5 showings in the past 3 1/2 weeks. We have faith that when the time is right it will sell and while we sacrifice some space, we'll be able to focus on our debt-free goal and help secure our family's future.

For Sale

Things have been very busy around our household. Eric and I had been discussing for a while and have decided to put our house on the market. It's a scary step but we believe it is a commitment to what we are working for in our future.

We've decided that we will go back to apartment living for the foreseable future (think until I've completed my residency after med school). For the next 2-3 years, the advantage will be that we can hopefully save between $300-$400 more a month by renting. We'll use that extra money to work on our debt. Right now we expect to be completely debt free by May 2010 and I expect to start med school in August 2010. However, hopefully we can move the debt free date up a bit if we free up some money in the budget. However, there are a couple other factors that may effect that. First of all, I may have mentioned that I got a promotion at work, however, last week I finally discussed the details and was told that even though they moved me up a level in title, my company doesn't do salary increases mid-term. I don't agree, but what can I do? And no, I can't turn down the promotion. It's already been processed. As a result, I no longer receive overtime and my first check on straight pay only was $120 less than what I usually budget. Meaning I have to find an extra $240 per month in my budget. Add to this that hopefully in about a year, I'll have 2 kids in daycare. Not sure what that does to the budget, so basically we're looking for any opportunity now to work on paying off the bills. So far since, February we've decreased the debt by just over $10,000 so we are on the right track!

Anyway, we put the house up for sale 2 weeks ago. We met with the realtor on a Thursday night, had a sign in the yard on Friday and on Saturdy got a call for a showing on Sunday. I spent all evening Saturday and morning Sunday until the showing cleaning! Since then, we've had 3 more showings, so 4 in 2 weeks seems pretty good. No offers yet, but I'm hoping traffic will eventually mean an offer. My house is cleaner than it's ever been as I've been obsessively cleaning. We've also been spending alot of time the last two weeks looking for apartments and I've started making lists of stuff to sell. I'm organizing a multi-family/community yard sale to help us downsize.

We're not sure where we're going to live yet. Right now we're between 2 townhomes. One has an attached garage, pool, and fitness center. The other has a partially finished basement with large utility room. We are having trouble deciding if the extra room is more important than the community amenities and an apartment that we just like better.

I also started school again last week. I'd like to say I've been studying, but not so much. I promise next week, I'll buckle down!

Can't think of much else going on. GWO was great as always and I'll see them again in later July. The family is good. Grace is still adorable and growing up so quickly. Eric is doing good too. In just 2 months we get to go to Hawaii and I can't wait.

Ok, stuff to do. More later!

Catching Up

I know it's been awhile and alot has happened in the last 2 months. I'm going to try to update as much as possible. Also, if you didn't scroll down, I posted some pictures in Flickr (links below).

First of all, work is going really well. I finally got my promotion and am officially an Assistant Vice President. I think I may soon be getting a functional promotion too. My office head has sat down with me and talked about restructuring our department and I will be one of the senior people in our department and will have some management responsibility. I haven't got the nerve up to ask what kind of raise comes with this promotion, but I plan on it.

In my last post, I mentioned that I was having a follow-up ultrasound of my cyst. The ultrasound was on Friday, March 30th and I didn't think anything of it. However, on Tuesday afternoon I got a call from Dr. B's office telling me that the cyst hadn't really changed in size, but now had "septations" and they wanted me to come in the following morning to do some blood work for "tumor markers" and to talk to Dr. B about removal. So, the next morning Eric and I went to visit Dr. B and she told me that basically they would expect a cyst to change over the course of a month if it were cyclical. She said that mine hadn't really gotten larger or smaller, but now was building walls inside itself and compartmentalizing. That gave them cause for concern, so they took some blood to look for elevated tumor markers and then Dr. B said they wanted to remove the cyst. If my levels were ok, Dr. B would do the surgery and try to remove the cyst, but if necessary she might have to remove my ovary also. She told me that they would schedule the surgery for after my vacation. However, if my levels were elevated, we would have to consult with a Gynecological Oncologist and they would do the surgery. A few days later, my blood test results came in and thankfully, my levels were normal, so we had a good feeling that this cyst wasn't cancer.

Friday April 13th we left for our vacation in the Dominican Republic. The whole family drove over to Bloomington, IN to drop Grace off. Eric's mom stayed at Kyle's with Ashton, Logan, and Grace for the whole week. After Donna arrived and Kyle and Leslie finished their packing, we rode with them up to Chicago to Leslie's mom's house (Sue and Rick). We ordered the biggest pizza I'd ever seen and tried to head to bed early. Saturday morning a limo picked us up at the house at 4 a.m. We had a 6 a.m. flight to Punta Cana. The travel agency had booked direct charter flights from O'Hare. We arrived in Punta Cana just before noon and then had to take an hour bus-ride to our resort. We checked in and the place was awesome. However, when we first arrived at the hotel and started unpacking we could hear the family next door. They had a 20 month old little girl with them and she was crying. The walls were thin and we decided we didn't travel that far to listen to a crying 2 year old, so we asked for a room change. Since I didn't write out all the details a month ago, I'll just sum it up to say that it was the most awesome vacation. I got a free pool-side massage, we took a free scuba lesson in the pool, participated in water arobics, and generally just hung out in the pool. We had a spa credit, so I used it to get a real massage one day and I also got my hair braided (which believe it or not, I really liked). We played in the waves in the ocean and did an excursion where we took a catamaran out in the ocean and snorkeled both in the open ocean and then in a corral with nurse sharks and sting rays. I missed Grace, but by the end of the week, I was truely relaxed and hadn't been that relaxed in a really long time.

Once we got back from the Dominican, I had a flurry of doctor's appointments. Dr. B ordered another repeat ultrasound to be sure my cyst was still there, I had to do pre-admission testing, and then finally my surgery was on Friday, April 27. While I was under, they biopsied my cysts and thankfully, we found out that they were benign. However, it wasn't clear before the biopsy if they were benign, so Dr. B removed my right ovary. She thought it was too big a risk to try to remove the cysts without spilling any fluid. My fallopian tube was in great shape, so they left it (apparently even with one ovary, you can get pregnant in either tube!). I was told that my fertility shouldn't be effected by only having one ovary, so I basically just lost my spare.

I've also got to see my parents a couple of times. My Mom came and stayed for a long weekend after my surgery. Then the weekend of May 18th, I took Grace and went to Grandma's house to deliver on her Christmas present. My parents, brother, and I did an "Extreme Makeover" to Grandma's sewing room. Dad and Jeremy tore out the carpet and put down a wood floor, replaced the ceiling fan with a huge light, build a counter extension to the sewing machine table, assembled 2 shelving units, and a bookcase. Mom and I with Grandma's assistance went through everything in the room and organized it. Grandma did part with some items, but everything that she kept is labled and organized, so she can now use her space and hopefully find everything. Unless you'd seen the room before and after, you can't begin to comprehend what a huge project this was. I think she was really happy with the finished project.

After that weekend, Mom and Dad drove on over to Columbus to stay with us for the week. Grace got to stay home all week and Grandpa gave her lots of presents from his recent trip to China. Grace loves presents! Grace also got one of her Christmas presents of a swingset and sandbox. She loves swinging especially.

Last weekend we just chilled at home, with the only excitement being Ava's 2nd Birthday party. I just love that our little girls are friends. Grace loves going to see Ava and they are so cute together.

I promise to try to do better at updating (as always!). It takes too long to do these super long updates! My next big event is GWO in Chicago next weekend. Also, I have my quarterly appointment with Dr. Y on 6/11, so I should have an update about that. Hopefully, this is my last Dr.'s appointment before the September appointments where I should get the go ahead to continue our family!

And Because I know You want Pictures of Grace

A True Chef
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma

My Mom bought this cute get-up for Grace. I also added some pics of her first fishing trip with Daddy.

Dominican Pictures

Pool Time
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma

Check out Pics from our Domincan Vacation! Details to Follow.

The Loves of My Life

100_0033_2
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma.

Just a quick post to let you know I have finally uploaded some pictures. They include Easter and some cute pics I had of Grace from the last month or two. Enjoy! (Click picture to get into my Flickr slideshow).

March Recap

So maybe, I decided to post once a month...

So, I thought I'd give you an update on most of the events I mentioned last time.

First of all, health updates.
When I saw Dr. Y my last appointment, all went well. He did have me restart the tamoxifen as expected, but we did discuss the timeline and he has now agreed that I will only be taking it until September, so only a few more months until treatment is over and I can move on with my life. He also discussed my CT and while all looked clear he did spot a fluid-density mass measuring 8 cm near my right ovary. He referred me to my GYN for follow-up. She scheduled me for a pelvic ultrasound, and while I was very worried, the results were a cyst measuring about 3 cm, so I think the CT caught me at just the right time in my cycle for a large cyst. 3cm is still on the larger size, so I am having a follow-up ultrasound next week, but I don't have any pain or other side effects, so probably not going to do anything about it.

My port removal went well. No problems at all and I was back at work the next day.

Other events:
1. Samara had her baby! It was another beautiful girl named Clara. Samara came down with a nasty cold/sinus infection, so she post-poned her induction until she felt a little better. The birthdate was 2/28. Samara handles pain like a pro. I got to the hospital about an hour after they started her pitocin and she made it until about noon before she requested her epidural. Clara was born just after 2 p.m. Could have been sooner, but her Dr. was in surgery and had her wait a while on pushing. This birth was so amazing. It was different to experience during the day when everyone is well rested and alert. Also, Samara seemed so different and calm and peaceful compared to Ava's birth. It was like she was made to have beautiful babies. Clara looks just like Ava and seemed to come out so laid back and quiet. Nothing seemed to get her too upset. I've only seen her once since then, but hopefully, Samara will get back into a routine soon and we can try to get together with all the girls. I don't want to stress her out this early.

2. On March 9th, I met my Mom in Minneapolis for a weekend of shopping at the Mall of America. We spent 2 full days at the mall, but planned our shopping to be sure we got the best deals. Friday we hit all the stores except the anchors and Saturday hit the anchors and actually purchased items. We had decided not to buy anything the first day, we just wrote down the stores and the cost of the item if we saw something before then. I got a lot of good deals. I came home with 3 pair of shoes (Black Peep Toe Heels, Red Strappy Heels, and Black Strappy Heels), 1 vacation purse, a bathing suit, black capris, t-shirt, 2 pair denim shorts, and khaki shorts. I came home with $20 in cash, so I stayed completely within my budget. Although Mom bought my dinner on Saturday, so that helped a bit.

3. I finished my Winter Quarter Organic Chemistry course. I'm not sure how close it was, but I managed an A. Now I'm taking off until June to get a little break in the classes. I still have 8 classes to take plus the M-CAT (O-Chem 2 & 3, plus 2 labs, 2 more Bio classes and 2 Physics classes.)

Budgeting is still going well. It takes alot of my free time as I review everything each week to be sure we are doing what we said we would, but I just keep thinking that we'll be out of debt in less than 3 years just in time for us to move to one income.

In 3 weeks, Eric and I are leaving for the Dominican Republic. I can't wait as I need a vacation. Work is going well, but I've been putting in alot of time. I've got alot to get done in the next 3 weeks, but I should be in good shape to catch up this summer.

Ok, I'm supposed to be working tonight, so I better get to it!

6 Weeks

So, I'd like to apologize for my lack of posting, but it seems that's how I start every post. I don't even think I'll promise to try to do better this time. My excuse will be that I'm living life and frankly sitting at the computer in my basement isn't as appealing to me as curling up on the couch to watch some TV with my hubby, but one day I may look back and wonder what was going on in my life in January 2007. So, here's a brief overview.

Family
Family is good. Grace is really getting into her 2's and acting terrible lots of the time. She follows it up with moments of cuteness though. We're trying really hard to be tough and consistent, but sometimes I wonder if we're screwing it all up. I guess that's how parenting goes, right? It looked so easy when you saw the toddler screaming at the top of his/her lungs at the grocery store before you had your own kids. This weekend she was sick and that was no fun, but tonight she was back to her old self, so I don't think we have to miss any work. Eric is good too. Especially since the Colts won the superbowl!

Trips/Visitors
January 12-16 - We took a trip to Iowa to visit my parents. Well, my Mom at least. The week before Dad found out he had to take a work trip to China, so he wasn't there. This was our first trip with Grace in her own plane seat and it was so much better than riding on my lap. Not sure it was $250 better, but since we didn't have a choice, we appreciated it. Iowa was very cold. We didn't go out except one excursion to the mall and to church, but it was a nice visit with the family.

We did host a superbowl party, since we are ultimate Colt's fans. It was really fun although I didn't spend much time watching the game, since we hosted and there were also several little ones in attendence. In total including our family, we had 18 in attendence. Plus, COLTS WIN!

Last weekend was GWO in Columbus. Samara hosted, so I still got some free time. Thursday night Danialle came in late, so I picked her up at the airport and we stayed at my house. Friday we drove over to Samara and brought Grace to play with Ava. Friday night Danialle took some awesome pregnancy pictures of Samara. Saturday we went to breakfast (I took Grace home) and then went to the mall for some shopping. I was very good and only bought one item. Afterwards we went home to get ready and then had dinner at the Melting Pot. Yum! We came back home and took some more pictures and then Sunday took Danialle back to the airport. Erica came back to my house and I hosted a jewelry party, now that Erica is an Independent Consultant for Premier Designs. I didn't have a huge turn-out, but I did end up with enough sales and bonuses to earn $280 in free jewelry. Awesome!

Work
Work has been better. Still extremely busy, but I'm keeping a positive outlook and trying to stay as organized as possible and communicate with everyone. In January we moved to a new office building which was challenging because our new layout gives everyone less space, but is also kind of fun because everything is new and the new layout is much more open.

On January 26th, I took and passed my final CPCU exam. I've since then got the letter giving me permission to use the designation. So now that that's official, I can begin planning our trip to Hawaii in September. I think we're leaving on a Friday, the conference lasts until Tuesday night and then Eric and I will pay for an extra 2 days and go to Maui. It's so exciting!

Same day as my CPCU exam, my boss told me that she had nominated me to become an AVP (Assistant Vice President). I've wanted this for at least the last 3 years. My nomination was approved by our office head and my department head on a regional level. Next the Zone/Region head has to approve and then it's official. Announcements aren't usually made until April, but it looks positive!

School
Organic Chemistry is going well. I have a good teacher and it's so much easier just doing one class at a time, plus I don't even have a lab this quarter. I've only had 1 test (#2 is on Tuesday), but I got an 87 percent plus he curved it to give me a 93%. I also think he might drop another test or curve the final scores. I think I should do fine.

Health
Dr. L left the surgery practice I had been going to to start her own practice. I followed and got to see her at the end of January. My mammograms looked good and she didn't have any concerns for me. We did decide it's time to get my port out and I have that scheduled for Wednesday, February 21st (yes, this week!). We also discussed my hopeful timeline to start trying to get pregnant this fall (did I mention a trip to Hawaii in September with my husband?). In short, she recommends waiting 2 to 5 years. And while she wasn't super enthusiastic about me pushing the 2 year mark, she said she doesn't have any reason to tell me no. So, the plan will be that the week before I go to Hawaii, she's running a full battery of tests including a breast MRI, Mammogram, and Chest X-Ray along with the normal blood work. I have my 2 year follow-up appointment with her the week after I get back. Assuming all test are clear, I will get the all clear. Yahoo!

I did have another small scare. My periods have been pretty normal over the last year, but this month, I continued spotting after the normal time (12 days total of bleeding). I called my GYN because I remember Dr. Y telling me that Tamoxifen can increase your risk of Endometrial cancer. Short story is that both Dr. Y and Dr. B agreed that "just in case" they should do a biopsy of my endometrium. It was not a comfortable procedure, but I have received results and all was fine. Dr. B assumes the irregular bleeding was a side-effect from my IUD.

Last week, I had my quarterly/semi-annual CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis and MUGA scan. Tomorrow, I see Dr. Y to review and have our quarterly review. I think I may bring up the Tamoxifen. I stopped it when we were doing the biopsy and I haven't restarted it. At most I will only take it for another 6 months, so I wonder if I really have to take it. I'm tired of being on medication. I'm guessing, he'll say yes, take it as long as I can.

Finances
This one I'm kind of excited about. Heather and Nick had read this book by John Ramsey and last year managed to get out of debt. She had talked about it and I kind of ignored it, but then Danialle and Erica started talking about it too and our church also started giving these classes called "Financial Peace." The church classes sounded great, but always conflicted with my class schedule. They just started a 2nd round of classes and this time I really felt like it was something I needed. So, I bought the book, read it in one day and Eric and are going full force in an effort to be debt free (except for the mortgages) by the time I quit my job and go to school. I wasn't sure how we were going to make it if I quit my job, but now the answer is becoming more clear. We are in the early stages (week 2), but so far, we have made up an unbendable budget. Meaning if something changes mid-month, we have to take the funds out of somewhere else. Also, we pay cash for things like groceries, lunches, eating out, gas for the cars, etc. At the beginning of the period (weekly/biweekly,etc) I get out the cash and put it in envelopes and that's how much we have to spend. When it's gone, it's gone. Next month, I'm paying off my car and then I will be applying my car payment every month to another debt. We've also decided to put every extra dollar into our debt. Meaning overtime, etc. Because it won't affect my plan on when I will start med school, we are also discussing that I take next quarter off of school and work tons of overtime to see if we can't get a few things paid off. Finally, we cut up every single credit card we have. They just aren't there to fall back on now. We have a small "emergency fund" if we have an emergency, but everything else must be budgeted. This year, we shouldn't treat Christmas as an emergency. We're only paying cash! I'll give you updates as we go, but I'm so excited to think we could be debt-free minus the house in less than 3 years. (This includes both of our cars, student loans, and credit cards!)

Upcoming Events
I've got a lot coming up:
1. In the next week or less, Samara is going to have her baby. I've been waiting on the call this weekend, but so far nothing. If she doesn't go on her own, she's being induced on the 26th. I've luckily been offered a spot in the delivery room again, and I can't wait to witness my second birth (not counting when I was doing the pushing!). I'm so lucky my best friend wants me there!
2. Tomorrow, I'm going to see Justin Timberlake in concert with some friends from work. (I already had bought my ticket - pre-budget)
3. March 9th, I'm heading to Minneapolis to meet my Mom for a weekend of shopping at the Mall of America! I'm so excited. I'm pre-planning what I want to buy. Mostly shopping for my upcoming vacation to the Dominican Republic. Again, I've made up my March budget and will be taking cash only to the mall, but enough that I can enjoy the shopping!
4. In mid-April, Eric and I will be going to the Dominican Republic for a full 7 nights with Eric's brother and wife and her Mother and Brother and spouses. It's an all inclusive, so should be very fun with very little to worry about. We're even budgeting for a spa package for me! Can't wait!

I hope I update again before all those upcoming events pass! Ok, I need to go study and see my hubby. Later!

Smarts

I am such a proud mama. Tonight Grace counted to 10.

Well, sort of. She was looking at the books on her book shelf and I heard her counting. She got to 6 and then skipped 7 and 8 and said 9, 10. I then counted with her and said 7, she followed with 8. So she knows them all and mostly in the right order.

Wow. My baby's not really a baby anymore.

Fear

This morning when I came to work, I found out that Norma passed away on Saturday. She was one of our Insurance Assistants that was here before I started. I’m not sure when she was first diagnosed with kidney cancer, but I do know she had one kidney removed and seemed to be doing well for a while, before it came back. I watched her go to lots and lots of doctors appointments, we watched as she told us they found tumors in her bones, breasts, brain, spine, and eventually her lungs. She’s been off work since early summer. She always told us she’d come back. In July the doctors told her to contact hospice, but still she held on. She even drove herself downtown to come to our tailgate lunch for the OSU/Michigan game (11/17). She had such an inner beauty and strength. She had faith up until the very end that somehow God would heal her. And today she is gone.

Times like these remind me that cancer is real. It does kill people. People I know, people I like, people I care about. I feel selfish when I think, I just don’t want it to kill me.

Times like these make me sad and afraid. I’ll never be “over” my cancer. It’s not in my body now, but for the rest of my life I must be diligent to be sure it never comes back. The Young Survival Coilition sent me a letter. I don’t remember what it was about. I only remember this line. “The ten year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40, is 50%.” That number scares me. I need to live longer than 10 years. I have plans. I want another baby. I want to finish school. I want to be a doctor. I want to watch my daughter graduate high school, college, and get married. I want to be a grandma. I want to live.

Only 7 days until my next mammogram. I take comfort in the fact that I have doctors checking on me constantly. No more cancer for me.

And A Happy New Year!

Just returned from our New Year's travels. We drove to Danialle's on Saturday after Eric finished at work and then drove up on New Year's Eve to Erica's for a loy-key evening at home. Saturday Danialle made us meat-eaters some steaks along with mashed potatos and a big salad. After we put Grace to bed, we watched a movie and then hit the sack. Sunday morning we got up, Danialle made breakfast then I showered and dressed while one of Grace's moview was watched. Then we headed to Wal-Mart for a few items. By then it was about lunch time so we picked up lunch before heading home, packing up and heading up to E & E's. When we got there, the guys decided to go to BW3's for a bit and watch the first 1/2 of the Colt's game. Then they picked up some pizza for dinner on the way home. After dinner and putting Grace to bed, we played "Scene It", 3 games with Danialle and Chadd winning each time, followed by about 1/2 of a Trivial Pursuit game. By the time the clock struck midnight, we were all ready to head to bed.

This morning Grace slept until about 8:45 (heaven!), and then we got up packed the car and headed to IHOP for a group breakfast. Then we came home and have been hanging out ever since.

Now the real reason for the post. My 2007 Resolutions! I've included the resolutions from last year and how I did, and the new resolutions for 2007.

Health
1.) 2006: Lose 20 pounds
2007: Done! I actually lost closer to 30 if you count from my highest cancer weight. I'd like to lose another 10 this year.

2.) 2006: Plan meals weekly.
2007: Not so good at this last year. I'd like to give it a try again. It helps me eat better and save money!

3.) 2006: Exercise (by March 1, I'd like to be back up to the old BFL exercise plan)
2007: Not even close. Too busy with school. This year I'd like to try to do the Pilates DVD's 2 days per week.

4.) 2006: Drink 4 to 5 bottle of water daily - At first I'll still allow myself Coke as long as I get all my water in. Then we'll be phasing out those drinks.
2007: Not very good at this. Did switch from Coke to Diet Coke. New goal, only 1 Diet Coke per day until after I drink at least 4 bottles of water.

5.) 2006: Update Diet Blog weekly.
2007: Nope. Not going to continue this one. Too busy with school.

6.) 2006: Don't get any additional diseases or life-threatening illnesses.
2007: Done! More of the same.

7.) 2007: Cook a healthy meal at home on non-school week-nights (3 days per week).

8.) 2007: Get clearance from doctor to begin trying to get pregnant by end of the year.

Finances
1.) 2006: Stay within monthly budget
2007: Didn't even track it. I'd like to redo a 2007 budget and try again.

2.) 2006: Only eat lunch out once per week
2007: Nope. Have an agreement with the girls at work for 2 lunches out per week (client engagements don't count).

3.) 2006: Stop using credit cards
2007: No comment.

4. 2007: Reduce total debt (credit cards, student loans, etc.) by $10,000.

Intellectual
1.) 2006: Take 4 prerequisite courses for med school
2007: Done. Same for this year. Add, get A's in all!

2. 2006: Take 2 CPCU courses
2007: Done. This year, Take 1 CPCU course to complete requirement.

3. 2006: Read 4 books for fun.
2007: I can't remember, but probably not. Going to skip this one, school keeps me too busy.

4. 2007: Research various medical schools and requirements for admission.

5. 2007: Purchase study materials or sign up for a class to prepare to take the MCAT in April 2008.

Spirituality
1.) 2006: Do bible study daily
2007: Fell off after a couple of months. New goal, 3 days per week.

2.) 2006: Update and pray over prayer list daily
2007: Same as above, new goal 3 days per week.

3.) 2006: Memorize a verse each week
2007: Didn't do. Not going to keep as a 2007 goal.

4.) 2006: Tithe according to commitment made to church
2007: Done. Increased commitment for 2007.

5.) 2006: Get involved in some type of group study
2007: Not done. I'll keep my eyes open for a good time, but with school I have lots of conflicts.

Personal Development
1.) 2006: Get a new hair style (just joking!)
2007: Done! No need to renew.

2.) 2006: E-mail a friend each week that I don't already communicate with on a weekly basis
2007: Not done. Too hard to keep up at home with school commitments.

3.) 2006: Send birthday, anniversary and other cards
2007: Not as good as I hoped, so we'll try again.

4.) 2006: Join Young Survivor Coalition or other breast cancer group
2007: Officially yes, but I haven't attended any meetings.

5.) 2006: Review progress at 6 months
2007: Done, do it again.

6.) 2007: Be/feel more Sexy. Starting with shaving the legs twice a week and no cotton underwear except for 1 week per month.

7.) 2007: Update blog at least 1 time per week. I feel like I've been missing out lately, so I want to try harder to keep this updated.

I hope you all have a wonderful 2007 and try to make this year better than the last.

Merry Christmas!

Santa's Helpers
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma.

So, I'm a little tardy, but I wanted to do our Christmas post. More pictures in Flickr.

We had a very nice Christmas and we aren't quite done. We still have Christmas with my parents when we go to Iowa for a 5 day visit in just 2 weeks.

Last Friday, my office closed early (1 pm) and Eric called to say he could get off work by 3 p.m. I hurried home, finished the laundry, packed our bags, loaded the car so when Eric and Grace came home, we could hit the road. We drove to Terre Haute and stayed with Eric's Mom. We got in early enough to visit for a bit, and also hung out Saturday morning. Grace even helped with some holiday baking (picture in Flickr). Donna left with Larry (her boyfriend) around noon to head to his families and we put Grace down for a nap. After naptime we drove over to Eric's Dad's to visit and have Christmas. Visiting was very good. Kyle, Leslie, Ashton, Logan and David came too.

Just a side note, I don't want to get into all the details because it isn't our story, but David is my nephew. He's Kyle's son from a previous relationship, although Kyle just learned about him recently. He's 14 years old and seems to be a great kid, so we're embracing him as a new part of the family.

Lots of presents were exchange. Grace got some clothes, a Little People Preschool, and 2 new movies. Eric got some work clothes and a leather Colt's jacket. I got a jewelry box, picture frame clock, and a Bath & Body Works gift card. After eating and exchanging presents, we left to drive to Kyle and Leslies to spend the night.

Donna met us there and after putting the littlest girls to bed, we visited some more and watched some TV. Sunday morning (Christmas Eve), we got up relatively early and opened more presents mostly from Donna. Grace got an American Girl Itty Bitty Twin from Kyle, Leslie, and the girls. Donna got her the matching outfit. It's adorable, so I think next week I'm going to get her 2 year pictures taken with the doll and in the outfit. Grace got some other toys, some clothes, and more candy than we knew what to do with. I got some golf accessories, balls, a ball retreiver, and a practice putting green. Eric got a Colts rug/floor mat and cash. After gifts, we headed to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was extremely busy, so we were there for a long time. We came home visited a bit more, Eric watched the Colt's game and then we had a light dinner before hitting the road. We ended up getting home around 8:30 p.m.

Monday morning, Christmas Day we got up when Grace woke up around 7:30 a.m. I think Grace had enough presents because after opening 2 presents, she started asking for cereal and Nemo. We tried to get her to eat her cereal on the coffee table by the tree, but no luck. So, we let her watch Nemo in the front room and Eric and I opened our gifts. I got a couple of sweaters, a pair of dress pants, a new bra and some underwear from Victoria's Secret, a beautiful jewelry box, and a hybrid back-3 club, and sand wedge (golf clubs). Eric got an I-Pod Nano including the "survival kit" that had various chargers and car accessories, dress pants, 2 dress shirts and 2 ties. After we finished opening we took Grace's presents in the front room and opened them while she watched TV. Grace got a small kitchen, a tea party kit, dress up shoes and a purse, the Little People circus, and Elmo Goes Potty DVD. Also some PJs and a sweater. Her big gift from Daddy was a fish tank (pictures in Flickr). We just set up the tank before Christmas and got the fishies the day after. She loves them.

This last week was extremely productive at work. So many people (including my clients) were on vacation, my phone hardly rang and I got lots of work done. It was awesome. Next week back to reality, including school. Organic Chemistry starts on Tuesday.

This is Going to be a long one

Family Photo
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma.

Yes, I still exist. I've had a whirlwind of the last 6 weeks. I've got lot's to catch up on, so I even brought my calendar down to help me remember what's going on. Feel free to take a break and read when you get a chance. So where to start?

School
I spent most of November studying. Taking two classes at once was the hardest thing I've done (stress wise) in a long time. It was extremely difficult to stay focused an study every evening. It worked out ok, though. I completed the quarter December 4th and got A's in both classes. I think I worry about it, because I really want to make it through all these classes with a 4.0 GPA. I'm sort of afraid that I won't get in to med school with a B, especially if I'm only taking one class at a time. Next quarter, starting January 2nd, I'm going to be taking the first in the Organic Chemistry series.

Work
Work has been very crazy. Forty percent of my clients have January 1st renewals, so I've been scrambling trying to get the programs together and meetings, etc. They also laid off one of my good friends, so that leaves more work for the rest of us. I actually sent resumes out over Thanksgiving, but now I'm not so sure I'm in a huge hurry to leave. If all goes well, I'll be done in about 3 years. Also, I'm still hoping for a promotion this Spring. I also heard that the bonus pool for my department is decent this year (bonuses are given March 1). I also will be finishing my CPCU in Feb or March and will get a $3,000 bonus once I complete. Then there's the trip to Hawaii for Eric and I to get the CPCU designation this September. Suddenly the hours of work and being unappreciated seem tolerable. It's easier to look at it that way when I know long-term I'll be doing something I love and am meant for.

Thanksgiving
This year for Thanksgiving we continued our new tradition (3 years and running). We all headed to Will and Samara's in the morning and Samara and I cooked, the kids played, and the guys watched TV. Grace and Ava adore each other and it was so fun to see them play and picture the next years watching them grow up together. Eric went home in the evening, but Grace and I spent the night. Samara and I got up early and went shopping on Friday and Will watched the girls. Eric had to work. After a full day of shopping I picked up Grace and we came home and crashed. Unfortunately I didn't get all my shopping done, so I had to go out again (I didn't have many weekends available for that!)

Grace - Cleft Palate Clinic Annual Evaluation
December 5th was Grace's 2 year evaluation at the Cleft Palate Clinic. Again she saw the Plastic Surgeon, Dentist, ENT, and Speech Pathologist. The surgeon said everything looked good in her mouth and no problems. The Dentist also said no problems and that she had "beautiful dentiture." The ENT said her tubes were still in place, but were working themselves out.

I was most interested in talking to the Speech Pathologist. I told her I wasn't sure if Grace's speech issues are just her age and the stage she's in or cleft related. Grace has trouble with the "hard" consonants "d", "b", "p" sounds. She pronounces her d's like n's and her b's like m's. For example Daddy is Na-ee, her friend Danny is NeeNee, Bye-Bye is my-my, book is mook, etc. They asked about her vocabulary if she had 50 or 100 words and I was pleased to say she easily has over 100 words. She'll repeat almost anything you say. Even complicated words like "Alligator." She also puts words together. Go Bye-bye, more milk, no night-night. She even has some simple sentences. "I want to do it." "Can you help me." "Mommy, come here." Anyway, they want us to do a Speech and Language Evaluation to see if we need to help her out. That is scheduled for January.

Final Herceptin Appointment
That's right. On December 6th I had my final dose of Herceptin. I took a great nap in the chair and joked with the nurses that I'd miss my excuse to get out of the office and take a nap every couple of weeks. It's refreshing to know I'm done with the cancer treatment (ignoring the Tamoxifen pill for now). Dr. Y is going to have me do an "end of treatment" CT and Muga scan in February and at that time, I'm going to discuss when I can get my port out. The nurse said they usually recommend that they leave it in for a while. I asked what a while meant and she said a year. I asked why and while she was waffling had to fill in the blank, "just in case." I don't want to leave it in just in case. I have faith that I'm done with treatment. No more cancer. And, if I'm wrong, if it does come back...I've already decided I'll have a double mastectomy, so they can just put it back while they are in there. We'll see if Dr. Y agrees.

Grace Stitches
After my last Herceptin appointment, I picked Grace up from daycare and while at home she wanted to watch a movie. She went into the front room and tried to get into the entertainment center and pulled on the stockings I have hanging. The ceramic snowman stocking holder fell off the entertainment center and onto her head. Obviously she cried. When I looked at it, I could tell there was a bump and it broke the skin, but it hardly bled at all. When Eric got home he wanted to rush her to the hospital. I'm not quite as nervous as he is. I agreed to call my Mom for her opinion. She asked about Tetnus shots and I had no idea if Grace had ever had one. (FYI...Tetnus is the "T" in the DTAP shot, so yes, she was up to date.) So, after stopping at the McDonald's drive through we headed to Children's Hospital ER. Long story short, Grace got 2 stitches in her head. They were disolvable, so no need to get them removed. She didn't lose consciousness and was perfectly normal all evening, so no head scans needed. We were there from 7:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Not fun at all.

Grace's 2nd Birthday Party
The weekend of 12/8 we had Grace's birthday party. I was a little nervous because we had tons of family coming in, but it went really well. Thursday night, my parents flew in. They were supposed to get in at 5:30 p.m, but their flight from Cinci to Columbus got cancelled. The airline put them in a cab, but there was a fatal accident on the interstate, so they didn't get in until 10:30 p.m. Friday, Eric and I both went to work (I had one of those meeting I mentioned), Grace stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa. Saturday morning we went to see Santa at the mall. Grace said she wanted to see Santa, but not sit on his lap. That's what happened. We did get a picture, but Grace is sitting on my lap and pouting next to Santa. My Grandparents (Grace's Great-Grandparents) came over for the first time. Eric's Mom and boyfriend came and Eric's brother and family came too. Saturday night we ordered in and visited. Sunday morning my Mom and Grandparents went to church with us. Grace came home and napped and then we had the party at Chuck E Cheese. It was so nice not to have to decorate or worry about entertaining. I think we had 5 kids and about 15 adults there. (Pictures in Flickr). After the party, Eric's family went home and my parents and Grandparents visited for a while before leaving Monday.

Colonoscopy
Last time I met with Dr. Y I mentioned to him that I'd had some bleeding and with my history and my friend Kim's recent Colon Cancer diagnosis, I wanted to be sure I mentioned it to a doctor. He recommended I get a colonoscopy. So I did. I left work Monday 12/11 at noon to come home and start the prep. I got the stuff to drink. It was so gross. I only got about 1/2 of it down and drank much slower than I was supposed to, but it still worked. Tuesday, 12/12 my appointment was at 9:30 a.m. We got in early and didn't have to wait long. They gave me the anesthesia, but I wasn't completely out of it. I remember watching the TV screen with the scope. Results were good. No problems found, not even a hemorrhoid. I was just advised to eat more fiber. Check that one off the list of things to worry about.

Grace's 2 Year Check Up
Wednesday, 12/13 we had Grace's 2 year check-up with her pediatrician. Her height was 33 3/4 inches and her weight was 34 pounds. She's about 50% for height and 95% for weight. We discussed that we're completely switching to 2% from whole milk. I also need to have her drink less milk (she drinks 4 to 5 sippy cups of milk a day). We should pay attention to what and how much she eats, but not necessarily put her on a diet. She's only 2 after all. I told Dr. H about the Speech appointment and she was fine with us going, but said if Grace didn't have any other health issues she wouldn't have referred us to a speech therapist at this point. Grace had a finger prick and we were done. She got a bandaid on her finger and the whole way to the car, she kept saying "moo-moo inger." Translation Boo-Boo on her Finger. It was so cute.

Holiday Program
Thursday night 12/14, Grace had her daycare Christmas program. Pictures aren't great, but they are in Flickr. Grace's class did Jingle Bells. They walked up on stage and Grace saw Eric and started pointing at him and saying Daddy. Then they handled out bells and started the music. Grace was fine for a minute and then realized all the people in the crowd were watching her. Her little lip started quivering, she kept saying "No" over and over and shaking her head. She even handed the bells back to her teacher. She then started crying and when the song was over, she got to come back and sit with us. I felt bad for her, but it was so cute. I even had several parents say later that she stole the show. Seriously, I think everyone thinks she's adorable. Although I may be slightly biased.

Sick Baby
Thursday night after the program, Grace woke up around 11:00 p.m. I checked on her and she felt really hot, so I took her temperature. It was 103 degrees. I gave her some Tylenol, but she was restless the rest of the night. I even let her sleep in bed with me from 4:30 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. I checked her temp again at 6:30 a.m. and it was still 103 degrees. Eric had an appointment, so I went into the office and got some work to bring home and then spent the day at home with Grace. I checked e-mails all day, participated in a conference call, spoke to a client on my cell phone, and revised a proposal, so it was a fairly productive sick/vacation day. After alternating Motrin and Tylenol all day, her fever finally broke around bedtime Friday night. I did call the doctor and they said it was probably viral. Saturday she was fine.


So that brings us up to the present. Here's what I have coming up
Upcoming Events
Christmas - We're traveling back to Indiana on Friday to do Christmas with Eric's family. We'll be back on Christmas Eve night to wake up at home on Christmas morning. We may go visit Will, Samara and Ava that afternoon to exchange gifts and have a nice Christmas dinner.

New Years - We'll again be traveling to Indiana. Saturday we'll stay with Danialle and Chadd and then Sunday (New Year's Eve) we'll all go up to Lafayette to celebrate with Eric and Erica.

January 2 - Classes begin again.

Iowa - January 12th through 16th we'll be flying to Iowa to see my parents and do a late Christmas with them.

I will do a Christmas update post. I also plan to do a New Year's recap of my goals from last year and then new one's for this year. I may have to make a resolution to update my blog more often!

Ok, I think I'm ready for bed. I'll try not to let this long pass again. I really feel like I missed a lot of my feelings in the post. I need to capture that as it happens.

Halloween Pictures

Grace and Mommy on Halloween
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma.

Grace was a ladybug for Halloween. After some initial confrontation over the costume (I admit the red and black tights may have been a bit much), the evening went well.

We trick or treated for about 30 minutes. Grace got lots of candy and even said "Thank you" at the last 3 or 4 houses. Only one house was "scary" and she started to throw a fit when we got back home and she had to go inside. Grace did enjoy watching us hand out candy to Trick-Or-Treater's though and she ate plenty of her own goodies before passing out in a sugar coma and going to bed.

Check out the rest of the pictures in Flickr, they should be in order if you go to the "Grace" set.

Why I Wore Red Lipstick...

A week or so ago, there was a Lifetime movie on called "Why I Wore Red Lipstick to My Mastectomy." I recorded it on the DVR and just got around to watching it tonight. I must say I was surprised at my response. To give you a brief overview of the story, a 27 year old woman on the brink of starting to try to have children, finds a lump in her breast. She's married to a doctor and after a flurry of testing they find out she has cancer. She spends some time researching and decides to have a masectomy rather than a lumpectomy and radiation. She then goes through chemo. The story has a nice wrap up including a tattoo to remind her of her fight, a photo shoot for Self magazine showing her scar, and finally a baby being born.

I'm over a year out from my diagnosis, my scars have healed, my chemo was finished 8 months ago, and I'm almost done with the Herceptin treatment. I've never found it difficult to discuss my cancer situation and have in general felt that I've been very positive and optimistic.

Tonight I started watching the movie while Grace was coloring before starting her bedtime routine. As the movie started and she started having all the tests done, I felt the tears coming and realized I couldn't watch it casually while playing with Grace. I turned it off until after bedtime where I could feel free to feel any emotion that came to me.

Watching this woman go through what I've just been through brought back so many memories. I forgot how scared I was those first couple of weeks when everything is so uncertain. I even briefly wondered if I should have considered a masectomy. I realized I never want to do it again. I watched her go through chemo and she looked so pale and frail and never cut her hair as it thinned. I was proud of the fact that I didn't ever get that sick and people always said I looked great (heck I even gained 20 pounds). I'm glad I shaved my hair off and wore my baldness like a badge of honor. I related to the discussions in the chemo room with other patients. I felt thankful that my relationship with my husband only got stronger while at first she struggled with hers. I loved that she got a tattoo to symbolize her journey. So did I, but she did it alone, and I did it with my girlfriends.

And I relized that maybe my scars haven't healed yet. This journey isn't over, it's something that will always be with me. A time in my life that I can reach back to and draw strength from. And I loved the ending where she had a baby (the after credits told about her second one). Cancer didn't steal my life or my future. It made me appreciate what I have and vow to make my life and my future something I can look back and be proud of. So many people don't make it through cancer. If I'm one of the lucky ones that do make it (which I fully intend to be), I want to make sure my life was worth being here for.

Speaking of...I've got a Chemistry book upstairs calling my name. If I ever want to get into medical school....

Some more Results

Just a quick update. Things have been crazy busy around here. I even broke out in hives last week!

Yesterday I had a Herceptin/Doctor's appointment. Good news is that my MUGA result was back up to 69%, so since it went up and not down, I can finish my Herceptin treatment, which only actually is resulting in 2 more appointments! I'll be finished the first week of December. I also mentioned in this appointment that over the last couple of months, when I have a very "solid" BM, I tend to get a little blood. I assume it's just a small hemmroid or something, but with the recent news of my friend's colon cancer, I wanted to at least mention it to a doctor. Now Dr. Y wants me to have a colonoscopy. He made me an appt. with a GI Dr. in December. I really just thought he'd tell me it was nothing and I could file that away in the "nothing to worry about" category, but I think once you have a history of cancer they check everything out. I asked him if he thought this was going overboard, and he assured me that even though it's highly unlikely that I have a polyp (although he followed that up with a comment about the small chance of my breast cancer too), that at this point for me to have a high quality of life, he doesn't want me to worry. So if he can give me an answer and a reason not to worry, he would rather go ahead and do that rather than ignore it. I guess that's ok, but I'm not really looking forward to this procedure and it seems a little silly to me when I'm sure I just have a hemmroid or something. On the other hand I've also been getting consitpated more often than I used to and for the last couple of weeks I've had a little lower back pain, so maybe I should get checked out.

I also yesterday had my annual GYN appointment. No surprises or major events, but I did discuss a little with the Dr. regarding what happens when we finally get to start trying for #2. She suggested that after I stop the Tamoxifen that I use OPK's for a couple of months, just to be sure that I am actually ovulating. If not, she can try to help me out with that, if I am, then she'll have us try for 6 months or so before we start suspecting any problems and move to the next step, whatever that may be. The time will be here before we know it.

In other news, I had my first test in both my Biology and Chemistry classes last week. The Bio test had a curve and after the curve, I got a 97%. The Chem class didn't curve and I got an 80%. Not super happy about the 80, but it's still possible to finish strong and get an A in the class. I just have to keep trying!

Grace is growing like a weed and is such a joy. I absolutely adore this age. However, we're having a minor daycare delima. They sent home a note and starting in November rates go up. In our class room it's an increase of $20 per week. Now we'll be paying $5 more than when she was in the infant room. I'm guessing it's still reasonable for the area and we love her teachers and the facility, it just sucks that we're going to have to pay more.

Ok, my family is home and I'm going to dinner with Grace and some women that I used to work with, so I better get going. Just thought I'd pass along some information

The Cancer Blog

I have a post about me on The Cancer Blog. October is breast cancer awarness month and one of my in-the-computer friends has posted a "Survivor Spotlight" about me. Go here to read it.

Best Friends

101_0106
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma.

No time to write now. I'll try to update on Sunday. Click to see more cute pics in Flickr.

So Much...

I have so much to write about, but only about 15 minutes, so I'm going to give you a list of topics, I'd like to talk about and then the one that I feel is most important right now.

Topics I Don't Have Time to Discuss Right Now- Last Tuesday (10/3) was my 3 year anniversary of my D&C
- I was asked to join a Task Force at work for the whole zone that could get me some valuable exposure and will look great on a resume
- I was given 2 new accounts at work
- Tuesday (10/3) Grace went to her first dentist appointment
- Friday (10/6) Eric had a Colonoscopy. (He's fine, just some hemmroids)
- The weekend. Visit to the pumpkin farm, pumpking painting, and playing with Ava including pictures.
- I was asked to do an interview/bio for The Cancer Blog by a fellow blogger. (Still want to do it, haven't had time to answer the questions)

Here's what I do want to talk about. One of my friends and coworkers, Kim, also had a colonoscopy on Friday. We joked because she and Eric had the same doctor and were only a couple hours apart. Monday, I found out that she is not fine. They found a large tumor and she has colong cancer. This breaks my heart as she is a 43 year old single mother. Her youngest is 2 1/2 and was due only a week from when my first baby was due. She babysits for Grace on occasion and is a wonderful person. She's trying to be strong, but she worries. They did more tests, and what we know so far, is that the tumor was large and probably had been there for a couple of years. She is getting a port this week and will start chemo next week. She'll do 5 weeks (possibly continuously), then wait 8 weeks and have surgery to remove it. During her CT, they also saw 4 small spots on her liver, but the doctor isn't convinced that those spots are cancer. For her sake, I certainly hope they aren't. I'm just so sad for her, but I keep trying to give her encouragement and offering to be support for her in whatever way she needs it. I hate that I know so many people around me dealing with this, but if my experience can be a source of strength or hope for one of them, it was worth it. Kim is going to have a hard fight, but when she gets through it, she will be stronger, more compassionate, and really appreciate the best parts of life. I look forward to her transformation. I hope it is filled with as little pain and fear as possible. Please keep Kim in your prayers.

One Year

One year ago yesterday, at about 9 am, I got the phone call that changed my life. I was still asleep in bed, enjoying the last day off work after my surgery and a quiet house as Eric had gone to work and Grace to daycare. Then as I started to wake up I realized it can never be good news when the surgeon calls you herself.

Sometimes it seems like an eternity since that day, sometimes just moments. Now I look back from the other side (mostly) and think "wow" what a year. To recap...Treatment wise, I have had 2 surgeries (technically only 1 since the phone call), 6 rounds of chemo, 6 1/2 weeks of radiation, 10 months of Herceptin, a core needle biopsy, blood draws, CT scans, Muga Scans, MRI's, Mammagrams, all resulting in approximately 37 needle sticks (either by arm or port) give or take a few.

I have decided that I want a career change and have been working towards the goal of someday going to medical school, although I'm accepting getting there is still going to take several years. I finished 2 courses of Chemistry, and just started #3 in Chemistry and Biology. I also completed 2 courses for my CPCU and only have 1 more to take before I will be rewarded with a trip to Hawaii next September. I've been working really hard and feel very confident in my abilities at my job and am starting to think that my boss is starting to get it too.

I've watched my daughter go through so much. She learned to crawl, to walk, to run, to jump. She had her 1st birthday, 2nd Christmas, and a major surgery spending almost a week in the hospital. Her cleft palate is completely repaired now, she can drink from a straw (thanks Grandpa) and she eats all table food. She is talking more and more every day and melts my heart with her hugs and kisses.

I've learned what a support system I have. I have an amazing husband, parents that volunteered to fly in just to sit with me when I heard the news. Friends that have become more like family than I could have expected. Church friends that gathered around me and kept me covered with prayer and were always willing to bring us a meal or babysit for Grace. My work collegues allowed me to take time off as needed without a second thought, and let me come right back and pick up where I left off. Old friends that I hadn't spoken to in years came out of the woodwork and offered their thoughts, prayers, and support. Strangers to me that are friends of other family and friends also kept me lifted up. I am so thankful.

Physically, I have changed so much. I lost all my hair, gained 20 pounds on steroids, and was physically the most exhausted I've ever been. Chemo stopped, I grew hair back, went on a diet, lost the 20 cancer pounds, plus the 10 post-baby pounds I gained. I've learned that I look cute with short hair, that shoes can make an outfit, and you can never have too many pairs of dangly earrings. I feel good, I feel strong and I won't take for granted being able to play with my child, play softball, or pick up a new hobby like golf. (All things I've done this year)

I knew this day was coming up and I planned on writing yesterday, but guess what... I was too busy enjoying my life. Finally after several months of traveling, and studying and working, I had time to spend the day with Samara. We picked up right where we left off and didn't stop talking for the whole 7 hours or so we spent together. We had lunch with our daughters, we made a quick stop at Babies R Us mainly for me to look for fall/winter clothes for Grace. We dropped Grace off at home for her nap and then went to the mall. After all the shopping, we came back to my house, grilled out with the family and talked some more. She again made me thankful that I've been blessed with such wonderful friends. She also gave me a little more perspective about continuing my family. I'm still going to play it by ear, but I think I'm officially moving my planned Med school start date back a year. It was going to be very difficult to meet the goal anyway, and highly unlikely that I would have been able to have another child before school. If I take another year (now looking at pre-req, MCAT, and application completion in 2009, with a 2010 start date), I'll have a longer time frame to have another child. This way if we have difficulties (which we won't know until we try), I'll have at least a full year to figure out what we are going to do about it. Plus right now I have great insurance that would pay for most fertility treatments if needed. Not sure what the insurance will look like after I quit my job and we switch to Eric's company plan. Still have another year to wait, but really what's a year?

So, this isn't a sad post. I wouldn't have chosen breast cancer and the treatments weren't fun, but really, I survived. I am a survivor. Now, I just need to keep living my life and never forget the lessons that this year has taught me.

Lost & Found

Lost & Found
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma.

These items were left behind last weekend. If they are yours, please contact me to claim them.

Also, I uploaded more pics from the weekend and some random ones of Grace in Flickr.

GWO Girls

GWO Girls
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma.

I haven't uploaded any other pictures, but this is the girls right before going out dancing.

Last weekend I hosted another Girl's Weekend. Thursday night Erica and Danialle drove over. We watched a little TV caught up and went to bed.

Friday, we got up and sent Grace off to daycare and then went to a local 9-hole golf course and played a round. Erica and Danialle had never golfed, but they both did really well. I think Erica may even take up the sport now and we've discussed golfing on other Girls Weekends (when the weather is nice). After golfing we went to Target for a little shopping and then browed DSW before heading home to visit with Grace before her bedtime. Heather drove over and arrived around the time we put Grace to bed. Then we went and picked up BW3's and took it back home to watch a little TV and catch up some more.

Saturday we got up early and hit the stores as soon as they opened. First stop was Kohl's. There was a lot of group cooperation and trying on of clothes. (See my outfit in the picture). Three hours later we checked out. (Good thing I've been working all that overtime!). Next we went to DSW and Filene's where I bought 2 pair of boots for only $30 each! After that stop we headed to the mall. Most of the damage for me was jewelry and accessories. FUN! We came home and took a nap for about an hour to get ready for the night. We then took our time getting all sexy for the night. Finally around 8:30 we went to El Vaquero for some Mexican. We took out time eating and then went downtown to hit the clubs. Just about when we were giving up on the "hip-hop" club, it started picking up. The dance floor filled, the songs got better, and we started dancing. We danced and danced and danced. It was so much fun. We stayed until about 2 am and then came home and crashed.

The girls got up fairly early on Sunday morning and headed back to Indiana round 8 a.m. I spent the rest of the day being pretty lazy. I let Eric go to Martin's to watch football, since he watched Grace while he let me go out. Overall a good weekend and much needed break from all the stress I've had lately.

Guess Who...

Guess who forgot to pay her tuition by Friday? Yep, that's right. I forgot to go online and pay and Saturday when I went to do it, they had already dropped all my classes for Autumn quarter (which starts on Wednesday). Today I got online and attemped to re-register. No problem with the last Chemistry class with the Saturday lab, but they wouldn't let me register for the Biology class. When I registered the first time I had to get the department head to sign me in since I don't have the pre-reqs for that class. I'm hoping the signature will still hold and I can get back in without getting all the signatures again. I've gotta find time to do that tomorrow, maybe over lunch?

Uggh. What a difference 24 hours makes. One day earlier and I would have saved myself lots of trouble.

In other news, just found out I passed my 7th CPCU exam on Thursday. One more to go before qualifying for the trip to Hawaii next September!

Results

Thought I'd share some recent results.

First of all, just today I checked and they have posted the final grades from the Summer Quarter at school. I GOT AN A! This is such a relief. I really worked hard this quarter, so it's nice to know that it paid off. Now just 10 days until the Autumn quarter starts where I'll be taking my final quarter of General Chemistry and my first quarter of Biology. We'll see if I can handle two classes at the same time.

Secondly, on August 29th I had my results appointment with the Cancer Genetics counselor. I tested negative for both the BRCA 1 & BRCA 2 genes. After taking some time to process, this really is a good thing. For me personally, it means that I do not have any greater risk than the general population for Ovarian Cancer (2% lifetime risk). This means that there will be no reason that I should need to have my ovaries removed for prevention sake. For Grace, it means that I don't have a genetic mutation to pass on. If I did pass on a genetic mutation, her risk would have been 35-85% to get breast cancer. Now, it's probably still higher than the general population (just because I got it at such a young age), but it's not a near certainty. For the rest of my family, there will be no further testing or other family members to warn. The downside to the negative result is that they still have no idea why I got cancer. I've decided I don't care so much. I'm still doing the treatment thing, but I'm moving on. Doesn't matter why I got it, we treated it, and now it's over. If it comes back I'll deal with it then, but in the meantime, I've got a life to live.

GWO Girls and Husbands

GWO Girls and Husbands
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma.

Click to see pictures I added. Some from the blueberry farm, some from the wedding.

I'd like to write more, but can't seem to find the time. Grace is being awesome today, so I need to play with her some more. Also, I have to study tonight. I have another Chemistry exam tomorrow. I am happy to report I got an 88 on the last one, so if tomorrow and the final are good, I could still pull off an A for the quarter.

This week will be crazy at work too. Our audit starts Tuesday and I have a big project to get done by Wednesday. I'm not sure how it'll happen, but I see more early mornings and nights with the laptop in my future this week. Uggh. Anybody know where I could get a job that pays well, but doesn't require bringing work home nightly?

Ok, I think Grace and I are going to go start dinner.

Playing Catch Up

I've been a bad blogger, so this is a catch up post. If you don't want to read all of it, I've made headings below. I've also managed to get the last month's worth of pictures off of my camera, but I need to work tonight and don't have time to upload with titles and captions into Flickr, so that'll have to come later.

School
I'm currently about 2/3 of the way through my 2nd quarter of Chemistry. I have to say that this class is harder than my last one. To summarize, our teacher quit, which we found out on the day of our first exam. I only got a 61% on the first exam (my lowest test score ever!), and now I think my lab partner has dropped out. On a brighter note, test #2 was Monday and I studied extra hard. I won't get my score until next week, but I feel pretty good about it. Also, my lab instructor told me yesterday that he can tell I'm trying to do a good job and I should easily get 95 or so points on the 100 lab points.

Work
I'm still working too much and feeling like I can't ever dig myself out. New stress is that our professional standards audit for the office is in just 10 days and since I'm the professional standards officer, if we do bad, I'll feel like it's all on my head. Good news, I get overtime pay, so I've been bringing home a couple hundred extra dollars each month and we haven't had to dip into savings lately.

Bachelorette Party
Three weekends ago, I went to my old friend Heather's bachelorette party. Now, what happens at the bachelorette party, stays at the bachelorette party, but we all had a good time. I also took Grace for the weekend to give Eric some alone time, and the night of the party, Danialle's hubby got to babysit. The good news? He may still want to have children eventually.

Wedding
The next weekend (two weekends ago) Heather got married. It was a beautiful outdoor wedding, but it was HOT!. I'm talking full sun, 4:30 p.m., no breeze hot. Luckily the reception was inside. The cake was gorgeous, the company was nice, and Heather looked like she'd never been happier. I got a new sexy red dress for the occasion. After the reception, Danialle and Chadd came back to Donna's with Eric and I to spend the night. We were still hot and looking for something to do, so we crashed the neighbor's pool for a late-night swim (with permission of course).

Visit with the In-Laws
Last weekend we again went back to Indiana, this time to see Eric's brother. Friday started off wonderfully. Eric and I took the day off work, dropped Grace at daycare and headed to the golf course. We got there the same time as our Pastor, so we hooked up for a foursome with him and his wife. We cheated alot less than normal, but I still improved my score. After 9 holes, we headed home and quickly showered and packed. Next Eric and I had lunch at Applebee's and then picked up Grace and hit the road. Since we left early, we got into town with all evening to spare. Eric's Mom drove down when she got off of work, so we left all the kids with her and we went to BW3's with Eric's brother and wife. We found a new favorite sauce (Mango Habenero) and appetizer (Southwest Dippers). Then we went to the movies and saw Talladega Nights. I must say I was slightly disappointed. It was definately funny, but it was no Anchorman or even Old School. Saturday we hung out all day in Kyle's pool, grilled out, and then took the kids for ice cream and did a little shoe shopping. Sunday came home.

Sports
I love golf. I've played 4 times in the last 4 weeks. I had an outing scheduled Friday afternoon when I take summer hours with a girl from work, but her babysitter needs her to pick her son up early, so it's a bust. Eric and I, however, have agreed to let the other play at least every other weekend, so this weekend he's playing on Saturday morning, and next weekend I'm going to try to get Nicole from work to play. I'm also still playing in the church softball league. I'm mostly outfield, but last week played 1st base. This weekend is our tournament, so I could have 3 games! Better take my water.

Babies/Cancer Stuff
I don't really want to go into all the details, but the main question I had for my last appointment with Dr. L (aside from having her assure me I could trust the last biopsy results), was getting her opinion on my plan to stop Tamoxiphin early, so I can get pregnant. She was very non-commital and told me Dr. Y is the medical expert (she's a surgeon), so to trust him, but she's never heard that taking the pill for less than 5 years is any better than not taking it at all. However, she did mention that if I told her I wasn't taking it at all, she wouldn't bat an eye (I really am borderline if I need it or not). Then she basically told me that I'm putting to much pressure on myself and that it's not good to stress myself out. I think it's because I told her about taking classes and the window I have to get pregnant if I want to have another before med school, etc. What it boils down to is this: 1. I needed one more reminder that I'm not in control of my life (This is the lesson God has to continuously remind me of 2. I don't have to be finished with my classes and MCAT in time to apply in Fall 2008. I set that deadline and I can extend it. 3. We'll wait and see how we feel in another year or so about stopping Tamoxiphin. 4. If I don't have a baby after my 2 year all-clear and before med school, there's nothing to say I can't have one after. True they'll be almost 10 years apart, but so what? I'll be 34 or 35 and people have babies at that age all the time. 5. I just need to focus on the short term and quit making all these super-long term plans

Diet
Last topic because I really need to go work. I've been doing really well on the Weight Watchers diet the last 3 months. I'm proud to say that as of today, I hit the 20 pound mark. I'm now officially 3 pounds less than my pre-pregnancy weight. I still would like to get rid of another 5 to 7, but then I'll be set. Next I'll have to figure out a weigh to fit in some sit-ups or pilates to tone everything a little more.

Ok, that's it for tonight. I'll try to put pictures up this week.

All Clear

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I got the call from Dr. L's office today and the results were "benign." That is a relief and I hope to get a little more info at my appointment on Thursday. Thank you all for your prayers.

Worries

I wasn’t going to write this until the whole story was complete, but I changed my mind for two reasons. One, this is supposed to be my journal, and I think I should record my feelings right now which are bound to be different than they will be in two days, regardless of the end of the story. Number two, I’m never one to turn down prayers, so getting this out there early, may get me some more prayer time.

Last Tuesday (7/25), I took the whole day off work for tons of Dr.’s appointments. It started off with a 9:30 a.m. appointment with the Cancer Genetics counselor. We had a good chat for probably an hour and a half about the BRCA 1 & 2 testing and what a positive or negative response would mean for me and the rest of the family. It ended with me going to the lab and getting my blood drawn to send away for the DNA analysis. I’ll get my results at my next appointment on August 29th. Also at the blood draw, they took a couple more vials of blood for my blood work ordered for my 8/3 appointment with Dr. L.

Next, I decided to meet some friends for lunch before heading back for my 1:00 p.m. tests. I started with a chest x-ray, followed by a mammogram, then a breast ultrasound. All ordered for my 8/3 appointment. The radiologist checked my mammogram and said it looked clear. Then when I went in for the ultrasound I asked the Tech a question. I’ve noticed lately that my lumpectomy scar is very thick and solid underneath. I asked how I should know the difference between scar tissue or something else coming back. To try to describe my concern, my lumpectomy scar feels completely different from my lymph node scar and even my port scar. When I saw Dr. L in February, she mentioned that my scar felt thick, but at that time, I had her feel my lymph node scar and they were both thick. Now, it’s just the lumpectomy. Plus, it’s not the same across the whole length of the scar. There is one spot under the scar that is more solid and firm than the rest of it. So, I asked the question. The Tech said she would look at that area more closely and then have the breast health nurse talk to me. When she finished she called in the radiologist and the nurse. The radiologist said she really couldn’t tell if there was something there. There was a “shadowy” area under my scar, but she said all scars look bad on ultrasound, and since she hadn’t seen it before, she couldn’t tell if it was a change or just my baseline. She suggested that I discuss it with Dr. L next week, she’d write it up in her report, and maybe if Dr. L seemed concerned, she would do a FNA (Fine Needle Aspiration). I mentioned that I wasn’t interested in a FNA, considering the first one I ever had gave me a false-negative.

Now to Wednesday. Wednesday afternoon, I had an appointment with Dr. Y for my Herceptin and it was also Dr. visit day, so I got to talk to him in an exam room. He came in with my MUGA results (from 6/19) and my blood work from Tuesday. I can’t remember if I mentioned it before, but my previous MUGA scans were 71% (baseline), and 72% (February). My June scan was 61%. Over 50% is considered normal, but this is a pretty big drop for me. He said if it goes into the 50’s we’ll stop Herceptin, so I’m going to get checked again in October and we’ll hope it goes back up. Then he looked at my blood work which was fine. Then when he asked if I had any questions, I relayed the information from Tuesday’s ultrasound. He said since I had an appointment scheduled with Dr. L, he would just let her examine me and deal with it. Then I went to the infusion room to get started. A couple minutes later, Dr. Y came to get me again. After our talk her printed off my results from the ultrasound and after reading it, decided he would check me. He felt the scar area and said the same thing. It’s probably just scar tissue, but he really can’t tell. There’s definitely something under there, but it’s hard to say what it is. He would recommend another ultrasound in a couple of months to see if anything changes.

So by Thursday morning, I’m starting to freak out a little. I have another whole week until my appointment, which seems like an eternity, so I call the office on the off chance they can get me in earlier. Worst case scenario is I see the doctor in a week. I explain everything to the nurse/admin, who tells me they can’t really say what it is without examining me (duh!), and she’ll relay the info to Dr. L. I get a call back later and a new appointment for 10:15 a.m. on Friday.

Eric decided to come with me on Friday. We got in to the room and Dr. L came to see us. I apologized for freaking out and asking to come in early, but she reassured me that she was the one that agreed to move up the appointment. She did an exam and told me that she also could feel something under there, but it really could just be scar tissue. She looked at the ultrasound and this time I got to look too. I could definitely see the shadowy area, but it wasn’t as defined as the tumor, so I don’t know. She thinks it really unlikely that something’s back, especially since we’ve hit it with chemo, radiation, Herceptin, tamoxophin, etc. However, to make us more comfortable, she said she’d do a FNA. Eric quickly spoke up and told her we weren’t really comfortable with the results of a FNA. She made a comment that it is true that they are less reliable after radiation and with scar tissue (yikes). I spoke up and reminded her that my first FNA said my tumor was benign. Then she remembered “You’re the fibroadenoma girl!” Then she thought for a minute to see what else she could do. She decided to get out her ultrasound machine and see if the spot was large enough for a core-needle (ultrasound-guided) biopsy. After looking, she decided maybe she could get a sample. They numbed me up and then I just watched the ultrasound rather than what she was doing. All I can say is that the core-needle device looked a little like a cookie press and Eric said the needle was the size of a pencil. They had to make a small incision with a scalpel to stick it in and then I felt lots of pressure and pulling and tugging. When they got to the spot, they pulled a trigger and it sliced a piece of tissue and sucked it up into the needle. Then they pulled it out and deposited the tissue into a dish. They did this 3 times. Afterwards, I got very lightheaded and nauseous and thought I might pass out, but it passed. Dr. L said she felt even better about everything after seeing the tissue. She thinks it’s just scar tissue. It will be sent to pathology and I should have results on Tuesday or Wednesday. We’re also keeping my Thursday appointment to discuss everything else we didn’t discuss.

So now I wait. It’s hard. Everyone is acting very positive, but I don’t trust the gut feelings anymore. How many times did they tell me “I’m sure it’s nothing,” before? Hopefully it is nothing, just some scar tissue on a breast that’s already been through a lot, but I don’t know yet. I just pray for the next two days to pass quickly and good results at the end of day. I’ve done this before and I don’t want to do it again.

My Baby

I don't know why it hit me today, but I am amazed by the work the doctor's did to repair Grace's cleft palate. She will never remember the first year of her life when she had a "disability." While I remember the special requirements of feeding time, it never slowed her down. I am so blessed to have a perfectly normal healthy toddler. One day I'll have to convince her to let me try to get a picture of the repaired palate. Except for the fact that the back (closest to her throat) isn't quite symetrical, it looks like she has always had skin covering the roof of her mouth.

While we still may have some speech therapy in the future, Grace's vocabulary has exploded. Strangers may not catch all the words, but here are the ones I know she tries to say:
Mommy
Daddy
Zeus
Eat
Banana
Milk
More
Bubbles
Thank you
Please
Hi
Hello
Bye
See ya
Grandma
Grandpa
Hot Dog
Fishies (goldfish)
Table
Outside
Shoes
No
Yes
Uh-ooh
Out
Up
Baby
Yellow
Blue
Green

Animal Sounds:
Woof Woof
Meow
Baa
Neigh
Oink
Ooh, Ohh (monkey)
Elephant (sounds a lot like a horse, but she does her arm like a trunk)
Quack
Tweet-Tweet

There's probably more, but that's all I can think of right now. She's such a big girl and she amazes me daily. She's becoming a mimic and is trying to do so much more every day. She loves to try on people's shoes. She loves to color. I still think she's left handed. She helps pick up and will put her trash in the trashcan without prompting. She also gives the best hugs and kisses. I love that little girl more than I ever could have imagined.

This brings me to another thought. I try not to think about it too much, but it seems like the people that were pregnant during some of the same time that I was pregnant are starting to get pregnant again. Actually I only have two examples, one of which is my best friend. It makes me a little sad, because my maternal urges are stirring. I would love to be pregnant again, but I know that for my health it's best to continue to wait (which isn't that hard considering I have an IUD and would have to have a doctor remove it to get started). It's so bittersweet. I'm happy for those that are moving on with their families, but at the same time, I wish it could be me. I just have to continue to have faith that eventually my time will come and the way time flies, it will be sooner than I think. I shouldn't complain, because at least I have Grace and she's more than I could have asked for.

Ok, I need to do some work tonight, so I'm going to go for now.

Don't Assume

Just in case you ever want to look something up online from Dick's Sporting Goods, the website is NOT www.dicks.com. Sometimes it's better to Google than to type in the address you assume is right on your work laptop.

Just a piece of advice.

Vacation

Riding the Elephant
Originally uploaded by Jenmomma.

We had a lovely vacation and I've uploaded some pics. This one is from the zoo today.

To start with some background, last Thursday I came down with a horrible cold. I was super congested and stuffy on Thursday and Friday. Friday we closed early and after leaving around 3:00 p.m., I came home and started packing for our trip.

Saturday morning we got up early and left for the airport around 7:00 a.m. My head was starting to feel better, but I now had a cough and was losing my voice. The flights were fairly uneventful. The first leg was from Columbus to Minneapolis and Grace napped about an hour. We had about a 3 hour layover, so we took our time walking to the gates and had a leisurely lunch at TGI Friday's. The second leg got us into Des Moines at around 2:30 p.m. (central time). Mom, Dad and Jeremy met us at the airport. From there we split up. Eric went with Jeremy and they stopped by an army surplus store to get camo's for a paintball game. Grace and I went with Mom and Dad and we made a stop at a Super Wal-Mart on the way back to Pella. At Wal-Mart we stocked up with groceries for the week plus some essentials we decided not to pack (diapers, baby soap, baby shampoo, swim diapers, etc.) Grandpa also got a little carried away and got Grace lots of toys to play with at their house. We got home, had dinner and relaxed for the evening.

Sunday morning we all went to church. After church, Eric and Jeremy headed to a paintball game/match that Jeremy had organized with some friends of his. The rest of us, went home and took a bit of a nap. Grace and Grandpa also played in the pool and played with bubbles outside. The boys got back in the late afternoon (Eric complete with bruises) and we headed over to the church 4th of July picnic. There had to be at least 200 people there, and it was a good time. There was lots of good food and some fun things for the kids. There was a bouncey castle, temporary tattoos, necklace making, not to mention a playground and a horse! Unfortunately around 8 pm it started to rain and the fireworks got cancelled. We headed home and put Grace to bed.

Monday, Eric got his fishing license and spent a good portion of the day fishing. I ended up going to the doctor about my cold/sinus infection and got an antibiotic that helped clear me up tremendously. I can't remember what else we did all day, but it probably involved another trip to Wal-Mart. Also, in the evening, Eric and I took a drive on the 4-wheelers. It was lots of fun.

Tuesday was the 4th of July. We had Grace take an early nap, so she'd be ready for the festivities. After lunch we headed downtown in Pella. They had lots of activities in the town square inlcuding mini-golf, a frog-jumping contest, and more. The main event was the parade. It lasted about 2 hours, but we had a really good time. Grace figured out that they were throwing candy. She had so much sugar! She drank almost all of Grandpa's strawberry smoothy. She had parts of at least 3 suckers, 2 tootsie rolls, plus some of Grandma's cotten candy. Wow! Once the parade was over, we went home and let Grace take an afternoon nap, so we could go watch fireworks. We went to a friend of my parents house and watched them. Grace was up late that night!

Wednesday we stopped by my Mom's office to see her coworkers and a Christian book store. In the evening, Eric went fishing again, and Mom and I went to her weekly bible study. Grandpa stayed home to give Grace her bath and put her to bed. I think he was a little nervous, but it all turned out all right. She was clean and asleep when we got home!

Thursday morning, Eric and I drove to a neighboring town rented some clubs and played a round of golf. I haven't golfed with Eric since college and it was really nice to get to play 18 holes with my hubby. My Mom watched Grace and we just enjoyed ourselves. It was a little expensive by the time we paid for the cart, clubs, and green fees, plus balls and tees, but totally worth it. I love golfing. Seriously, I could play a couple times a week if I had the time. We got home around 1 p.m and took quick showers. Grace was napping. Around 2 we left on a double date with my Mom and Dad. We took Grace to one of the teens from Mom and Dad's church to babysit and we went to Des Moines. We watched Superman Returns and had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. We got home around 9 pm and found that Grace had been an angel. Awww.

Friday, I slept until almost 8:30 am and then had to start packing. It took me almost until 11 to figure out how to get all of our stuff back in the bags and I ended up having to borrow a bag from my brother, to get it all in. Funny how you always come home with more than you take. We left around 11 for the airport and Grace took a little nap on the way. Our flight was supposed to leave at 1:30, but was delayed until 2:25. After fighting sleep on the plane, Grace slept for the final 45 minutes of the flight to Detroit. Our delay, shortened our lay-over to only 2 1/2 hours, but that was still plenty of time to get a nice dinner at Chili's and walk to our gate. Grace ran around for a while, I think she had to keep moving, so she wouldn't fall asleep. She was very good on our short flight back to Columbus. We got in around 8:30 p.m. and by the time we collected our baggage and Eric got the car, it was after nine. Grace didn't get to bed until almost 10 p.m. She was such a tired girl.

Today, Grace slept until after 9 (thank you!). After she was up and dressed for a while, we decided to go ahead and head to the zoo. We were planning on meeting Will, Samara and Ava, after lunch, but Grace was dying to get out of the house, so we left early. We visited Asia Quest, took a carosel ride, and grabbed some lunch before meeting up with friends. Once we met up with them, we did another carosel ride, and visited some more animals until Grace finally fell asleep in the stroller around 3 pm (hmmm, maybe because I didn't give her a nap!) That was our cue to head home and she napped until 5 pm. After that, Grace and went to the grocery store then came home and had dinner. By 7:30 p.m. she was acting very sleepy, so we headed up to bed.

Tomorrow we have church and a softball game and then it's back to the real world. I really needed this time off and had a great time. Next week will be totally crazy. Monday I have a 9:00 internal meeting, a team lunch, a 2:45 p.m. Dr. appt, and class. Tuesday I have class again, and then Wednesday and Thursday I have a business trip to Milwaukee. Back to the grind!