TWO YEARS!

Today's the day - one of our favorite days - APRIL 29TH! Georgia has been off treatment and cancer-free for two whole years! It doesn't seem like it's been that long, but when I think of how much she has grown, in so many ways, since her last dose of chemo, it feels like a lifetime ago.

We started off the day as we do for all major celebrations - with cake, of course! For breakfast, even! It was a wee bit early for pictures (ahem), but there were definitely smiles and good wishes all around. We'll really do it up right tomorrow after Georgia's last appointment with Dr. Neff, but the highlight of the day, other than the obvious, was this note from Ivy. She thought long and hard about what she wanted to say, and in Usual Ivy Fashion (remember that?), she said it all perfectly.

 

"You are my sister. You have been strong. I love you, sissy."

And here was the scene after that:

We are all cancer-free today.

Celebrate Good Times - Come On!

Another busy, busy week - with another one coming right up! Lots of great moments, including celebrating my grandmother's 102nd birthday.

 Three beauties.

Easter with Lolly and Poppa.

This week was also Election Week at Ann Richards, and Georgia threw her hat into the ring for 9th grade Vice President.

And she won! The Class of 2018 is definitely in great hands.

It's good to be VEEP!

Speaking of victories, this Tuesday is APRIL 29TH! Two years off treatment! On Wednesday, Georgia will have her final appointment with Dr. Neff, SuperNurse Dina, and the rest of the gang at the clinic. After that, she'll be seen at the LIVESTRONG Survivorship Clinic next door, but I have a feeling we'll be finding our way to the clinic kitchen for some ice cream every now and again. We've said it many times, but not nearly enough - Georgia's treatment team is the best in the world, and we think of them as family (if our family was made up of superheroes). We will never forget what they've done for her, and we will continue to pay forward our good fortune to families with children in the fight, now and in the future.

 

So ... how about joining us?! At the top of the list - blood donation! Our annual blood drive is fast-approaching on Saturday, May 3rd, so if you'd like to donate, please make an appointment by following these instructions. Or perhaps you're an art lover? Our annual children's art show benefiting the St. Baldrick's Foundation is coming up on Sunday, May 4th, and you can take home some beautiful work for a great cause! More details to come.

We're heading out this weekend for yet another birthday party - my other grandmother is turning 96! No wonder Georgia is so tough. We have lots to be grateful for, and we're looking forward to many more celebrations and victories in the future. Thanks to all of you who have been with us from the beginning of this journey and for sticking with us into this next phase - survivorship! Have a great weekend, y'all!

A Good Friday

With the day off of school, we spent the majority of it outside, enjoying the wee glimpse of spring that we get around these parts. Georgia and Ivy ran around, splashed in muddy water, got filthy - and had a ball. It's so wonderful to see both of them, happy and healthy, doing normal kid things together! Amidst the fun, we actually took a moment to stop and smell our roses and be grateful for today.

We're looking forward to the holiday weekend, part of which we'll spend celebrating my grandmother's 102nd birthday! We hope y'all have a great weekend and find some beautiful roses on your own path. Much love!

Momma Strong

Today is the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon tragedy, and I found this on the Boston Strong Facebook page:  

 "The road to recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. A year is just a mile marker, not the finish line."

I think that really speaks to survivors of all kinds, everywhere. And it makes me even more excited to be going to Boston myself this summer for the 5th national 46 Mommas Shave for the Brave. That city is full of history, and we're hoping to make some of our own as we continue our quest to conquer childhood cancer! The recent world record set by a St. Baldrick's barber on The Today Show last week certainly established a "Momma presence" in the Northeast as the first and last shavees of the day were fellow 46 Mommas. Now we're set to take over the city on July 27th, just days after my 46th birthday. I can't think of a better way to celebrate, and I would love the best gift of all - your support in funding life-saving research. Click HERE or on the Momma button in the sidebar to donate. Thanks, y'all - and stay MOMMA Strong!

B is for Books - and Blood

Believe me when I say, we have had a very bookish week! It started with Trevor meeting President Jimmy Carter(!) at a book-signing on Tuesday. Then Thursday, Georgia and I spent the day at the state library convention and the Texas Teens for Libraries event. There couldn't be a more perfect experience for our stone-cold bibliophile! When we walked into the exhibit hall, filled with publishers passing out FREE! BOOKS!, she literally gasped. She was very comfortable speaking with the writers and editors we met and asked lots of insightful questions about the writing process, favorite books, and publishing schedules. It was so cool to see her in that environment - her natural habitat, as it were. : )

 The book is about the Miss Moore who created children's libraries. Perfect.

A snapshot of her haul.

Meanwhile, back in Austin, Ivy was chatting up authors Tom Angleberger (who signed all six of her books!) and Jon Auxier (who Georgia met in SA that morning).

Getting her Origami Yoda signed.

Now: Calling all FROGs! As you know, we are firm believers in blood donation and are grateful that Georgia received many units of generously-donated blood during treatment. As a thank you to those donors and to help support our local blood supply, we are hosting our 5th Annual Blood Drive on Saturday, May 3rd from 1-5. The blood bus will park right in front of our house, and we'll have treats and fun for everyone - after all, we'll also be celebrating Georgia's TWO YEARS off treatment! Cake is definitely in order ...

If you'd like to donate, please sign up for an appointment:

• Go to www.inyourhands.org
• Click on "Donate Blood Log-in" on the bottom left of the page
• ** The donor log-in website has been recently upgraded, so read and follow the revised log-in instructions **
• After completing the donor log-in step, you will be directed to your Donor Home Page
• Select "Donate Now" at the top of the page
• Under the Quick Links Column, select Search by Group Code, and enter B766 
• Select an open appointment slot and follow the sign-up instructions 

If you have any questions, please let us know! And spread the word! Invite your friends, family, co-workers - anyone with blood to donate! If you can't join us, please consider donating to your local blood center. Thanks, y'all!

The Green Machine

Spring has (sort of) sprung around here, and we're moving full-steam ahead into what has become my favorite month of the year - April! Over the next four weeks, we'll be celebrating Georgia's TWO YEARS off treatment, hosting our 5th annual blood drive, and maybe throwing in another children's art show for good measure. We're about to kick our 2014 fundraising into high gear, but we're off to an incredible start thanks to our Peachy Keen teammates! And St. Baldrick's is off to a record-setting start this year, having already raised over $25 million for childhood cancer research!

Today also marks the one year anniversary of the announcement of the Pediatric Dream Team with Stand Up To Cancer. You can find out just what the team has been up to in articles here and here, but I can tell you that the overall report shows progress and HOPE. It's a wonderful feeling to be just a tiny part of it!

Now if you'd rather make a giant splash in the fight against cancer, how about shaving your head on a national morning show?! On Wednesday, St. Baldrick's is attempting to break the Guiness World Record for the most heads shaved in one hour, by one barber, and they still need about 20 shavees! If you happen to be reading this in the NYC area, and you'd like to brave the shave, you can sign up HERE! I know several Mommas and their kiddos will be there shaving, cheering, and raising awareness - it's going to be a great event!

Also great is the fact that more than 100,000 people have "liked" the St. Baldrick's Facebook page - have you? If so, this is for you - and see if you recognize those goofy grinners under the letter "a" ...