Able to Leap Tall Buildings

In the wake of planning the 2013 Shave for the Brave, I was asked to write about my experience with the St. Baldrick's Foundation and the 46 Mommas. It's impossible to truly capture the impact that this organization and these people have had on my life and on my family's journey through childhood cancer, but I did my best. I'm just so glad we found each other. Thanks, y'all.

 

Click here for The Superhuman Power of a Mother's Love

 

And did you see what day it is? June 29TH! 14 months off treatment TODAY!

Weekend Mantra

We're headed to San Antonio soon - yeeha!

And there's still time to donate ...

One Week!

Next Sunday, I will be going bald for the third time in honor of Georgia's fight against - and resounding victory over - leukemia. Fifty-plus Mommas and Honorary Mommas (including siblings, dads, and friends) are ready to raise awareness, hope, and funds for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, and we'd love for you to join us! If you can't make it to San Antonio, your generous donations for childhood cancer research are always greatly appreciated - just click HERE or on the 46 Mommas icon in the sidebar. And to once again give you a look at the spirit and joy of a shave event, here's another video from the 2012 Shave for the Brave in Los Angeles, featuring many of our Honored Kids - including mine! Thanks, y'all!

46 Mommas SuperKid Heroes from 46 Mommas on Vimeo.

Rocky Mountain High

Greetings from 10,000 feet up! We are wrapping up another wonderful week in Crested Butte, Colorado - the sixth trip Georgia has made to this glorious part of the country. We've been enjoying the cool weather, the beautiful scenery, and the fun of being together. Our week has been equal parts action-packed and laid-back, and we always leave with great tales to tell and plans for next time!

 Hike and picnic at a favorite spot

 Snow!

Best trail ride ever

Day trip to Aspen

Ski lift up Mt. Crested Butte

Hiking down through the aspens, we came upon this tree. I wish someone hadn't carved in it, 

but what are the chances they would carve a G? I think we were meant to find it.

Georgia is feeling great and looking forward to assisting at a vacation bible school next week. Tuesday, she has a clinic appointment, and hopefully, we'll get to check her calcium and Vitamin D levels and see if they've made any upward motion. She is so good about taking all of her supplements, but if she ever forgets, Nurse Ivy is sure to remind her! We are so blessed.

Our girl has truly moved mountains.

Someday is TODAY!

Great news in the fight against childhood cancer today - and this story hits very close to home. Quite literally, in fact. Kethan is a local warrior who has been fighting ALL for over seven years, and he has been treated at the same clinic as Georgia by the good, and funny, Dr. Wells. Kethan has relapsed twice, and his options for treatment have become very limited. But thanks to the CART 19 immunotherapy trial, which was partially funded by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Kethan will soon be fighting the cancer cells with his own T-cells! This immunotherapy has shown incredible promise and is the future of treating and CURING cancer. We hope that Kethan has the same success as Emma, and we look forward to seeing more of his beautiful art and his sweet smile for a long time to come.

Good Old Golden Rule Days

Say hello to our new 4th and 8th graders!

The last week has been full of end-of-the-year banquets and celebrations, including Ivy's Gates of Life ceremony as she is transitioning from Lower Elementary to Upper Elementary at Parkside. That means she and I will be going to school together next year because I have been assisting in the Upper El classroom this semester and have decided to stay on permanently! It is such a joyous and positive place to be every day, and I am thrilled to be able to "give back" in some way for all of the love and support our family has received from the Parkside community for the last seven years - most especially, the last three.

In fact, I was reminded again of that support while cleaning out the classroom this week when I found this:

 

Livestrong Quarterly, Fall 2010

One of the children brought it in for "show and share" when Georgia came back to school after going on maintenance. They treated her like a rock star that day - many days, really. We're so thankful for that and for the special care Ivy received during those days as well. We love you, Joe and Claire, faculty, staff, and families, and we are blessed to be a part of this community!

Also very worthy of thanks and accolades today is Super Will! He earned his Team in Training Triple Crown by completing the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon today! The start of the race was delayed due to rain, and later, parts of the course were flooded with ankle-deep water, but Will soldiered on and crossed the finish line, wearing his Georgia bracelet and a Beads of Courage pin. What a great accomplishment! Thank you, Will and Dianna, for your tireless enthusiasm and efforts to raise awareness, hope, and funds to defeat blood cancers. We love, y'all!