Moving Right Along

Today was Georgia's monthly clinic appointment - "just" a count check, IV chemotherapy, and the start of this round of steroids. Everything's looking great, and she continues to stay right on track. In fact, next month, she'll start the fifth three-month cycle of maintenance - moving right along! Being busy helps pass the time, but it's still seems like she's come so far so quickly. When we were in Colorado, I reminded her that last summer, we were dreaming about this trip and the snow, and now we were actually here. Georgia responded with a laugh, "Mommy, last summer I was dreaming about everything - my friends, school, dancing, Colorado - all the things I couldn't wait to do again!" And now she is.

Please note that GG (93!) is flashing the peace sign in the back!

Happy Summer!

Wow - it's 50+ degrees warmer in Austin than it was in Colorado last week! We even did some sledding and threw a few snowballs, plus a rafting trip down the ice cold Taylor River - what a difference a few thousand feet in elevation makes! Pictures to follow ...

So, summertime is officially upon us! With kids being out of school, and families having vacation time to spend, this is a very busy season for those organizations that grant wishes or provide fun, "normal" experiences to children with cancer and other medically eligible conditions. We wanted to again acknowledge some of the incredible folks out there who have treated Georgia and our whole family to things like movies, sporting events, and, of course, our trip to Florida! Having those moments to spend as a family, outside of "treatment world," is a gift that keeps on giving, and we are still so grateful for the generosity of so many. Should you feel moved to help make the wishes of other kids like Georgia come true, or provide some special attention or fun opportunities for siblings like Ivy, this is a great time to do it! For the next three months, we'll be posting about some of these great organizations and encourage you to learn more about - and maybe support! - their efforts to bring hope and smiles to some amazing little warriors.

First up, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which granted Georgia's wish to go to Disneyworld and Hogwarts. From the initial wish-making interview, to the send-off party, to the trip itself, we were so impressed with the care and attention to detail - and to Georgia - that everyone with MAW displayed. For over 30 years, MAW has been enriching the lives of medically-eligible children and now grants a wish every 40 minutes. We've got several posts that are dedicated to our experience with MAW and Georgia's wish trip, so you can revisit those, check out the national website here, or our local chapter's site here - and who might that be on the carousel horse? : )

Next, celebrating 25 years of absolute magic-making, is Give Kids the World. I could go on and on about this place, and we look forward to going back sometime and volunteering as a family. Having hosted over 100,000 children and their families, from all over the world, they're spreading the love every day, and I have a feeling they're just getting started. Be sure to visit the GKTW site here and learn more about their mission and their visionary founder, Henri Landwirth.

Wishing you warm hearts and cold ice cream this summer - and THANK YOU for Keepin' Georgia on Your Mind!

Out of The Office

Where in the world is Georgia? Enjoying a wonderful vacation in Colorado! We have many tales to tell as soon as we get back to Peachy Keen HQ!

Blue Lily*

We recently had the distinct pleasure of having some pictures made at a beautiful horse farm tucked away on the northwest side of town. We wanted to mark the one-year-countdown-to-the-end-of-Georgia's-treatment, so we did it up right and called in the magic makers at Blue Lily. You'd never know this fairyland was there, and we loved seeing the horses and exploring the pastures and creek. Oh, and working with the ever so talented Tyler, half of the coolest parenting team on the planet and an excellent photog to boot. He and his wife, the lovely Wendy, travel the world with their children, taking pictures of everything and everyone they see. What an education! You can learn more about them and their adventures here. Speaking of learning, our lesson for the day we shot these? Horses hate balloons. Who knew?

Thank you, Tyler and Wendy, for a wonderful day!

* To see when they'll be in your neck of the woods, check out their site here.

Change is Good

It seems that there are lots of changes going on around Peachy Keen HQ. Georgia graduated from Parkside on Friday and started Ann Richards Boot Camp on Monday. She had her 21st LP-ITC on Thursday and is due for 3-4 more over the next year as she moves ever further into maintenance and away from those first eight months of intense treatment. We also celebrated National Cancer Survivors Day with friends from the clinic and the LIVESTRONG Survivorship Center on Saturday, and I was struck by the completely different place we find ourselves in now as compared to this time last year. Wow.

Even so, a couple of things will never change: Georgia's determination to get healthy and our family's commitment to raising awareness, funds, and hope for childhood cancers. That said, in fundraising news, the Texas 4000 kicked off this past weekend, and you can follow the world's longest charity bike ride - and support these amazing young people - here. Also, this weekend is National Lemonade Days, and folks all over the country are setting up stands to benefit Alex's Lemonade Stand. You can find a stand near you here, and stop by for a cup for a CURE! Finally, we'll be firing up the Peachy Keen CureSearch Walk page soon - we'd love to have you walk with us on Saturday, September 24th!

Have a great first week of summer, y'all!

The Three Keys to Happiness

Humility, perseverance, and adaptability evoke a response from the universe

and fill one with divine light. - Lao Tzu

What a glorious, bittersweet day. Georgia marched through The Gates of Life to the cheers of her friends and thus closed a very precious chapter in her life. I'm not sure I can express the love and pride I felt in that moment, but maybe these pictures and the sweet words of her teacher, Melvin, can:

Georgia and Melvin

Ivy and Camille

Our darling Claire, always taking "sweet care"

Parkside graduate and card-carrying Life Member



Shine on, sweet girl.