2.5

It's the 29th of the month, and Month 30 in Georgia's off treatment count. Two and a half years. That means she's exactly halfway to that big Five Years off treatment milestone. On April 29, 2017, we can officially say that she is cancer-FREE, and what a day that will be! Methinks there will be a party of some sort ... : )

For today, we're looking back at April 29, 2012, and the days surrounding it, when Georgia took her last dose of 6-MP and claimed her victory over leukemia. A lot has changed since then, as is evident by pictures and posts from that time. Gone are the puffy cheeks from steroids and the joint pains from vincristine. In their place are a determined jaw and ever-stronger legs set on kicking harder and faster every day. The timid sixth grader is now a confident ninth grader looking forward to college and beyond. And the concerns and considerations that used to rule every decision, every plan we made are almost a distant memory. Almost. 

I'm once again reminded of a speech I gave a few years ago: 

There will never come a moment where we say, "Remember that time you had leukemia?" But at the same time, Georgia will not be defined by this experience. She is, was, and always will be a special, special girl, and I'm confident that this is all leading up to the greatness she was already destined for.

She is great, and despite the "official" count, she is already FREE and living her wonderful life, shining her beautiful light. Thank you all for keeping Georgia on your mind, in your prayers, and in your hearts for the past five years. We love you and are eternally grateful.

April 29, 2012

Getting Along Swimmingly

Yesterday's survivorship appointment went very well - the best news is that Georgia's Vitamin D level was in the NORMAL range! So the supplements are having an effect in that regard, and we'll see what that looks like in her bone density scan when we go to the endocrinologist in March.  Blood counts were "super," and everything else checked out as well, so she won't be back there until the new year! Yes!

And after three days of practice this week, she spent the whole day today at her second swim meet. She swam the 50 and 100 freestyle again, and from last Monday's meet, she took a second off of her 50 time and 5 seconds off of her 100 time! Again I say, YES! She told me that swimming is hard, but in a good way, and she LOVES it - the early, early morning practices and all. So we love it, too.

Round Rock pool - 2004 and 2014. Still smiling.

Student/Athlete/Superstar

Another fun-filled, so-busy-but-we'll-take-it kind of week! First, Georgia's swim meet on Monday was a huge success! At first, the weather looked like it might not cooperate, but after delaying the start for a hour, the sun came out, and it was a gorgeous day. Georgia may not be the fastest one in the pool, but nobody swims with as much heart and determination. To see her out there was a true thing of beauty, and we could not be more proud - or grateful!

Just keep swimming, baby girl. You've already won your race.

It was Homecoming at Ann Richards, too, so our favorite swimmer got to wear her team shirt on Spirit Day! And speaking of school, she also brought home *another* straight-A report card for her first six weeks of high school and was selected once again as an ARS student ambassador for the year. She is unstoppable!

We capped off the week with the annual Badgerdog book release at the Texas Teen Book Festival. Neither Georgia nor Ivy read this year, but they were excited to see their latest works in print and get autographs from their fellow published writers. Cousin Claire participated this summer as well, so it appears we now have the Moore Family Writing Dynasty firmly established. Look out, Brontes!

Wednesday is Georgia's second survivorship appointment, and Thursday is her second swim meet. Throw in play practice all week and a lock-in with the NJHS on Friday, and I have a feeling someone will be ready for the weekend and some rest on Saturday! But she is happy, healthy, and having fun, so we are grateful to witness the whirlwind and soak up every minute. Life is good!

Magic

Last Sunday, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a magical fundraising event in Las Vegas. Circus Couture is part-circus, part-fashion show, ALL-heart and hope, and it benefits the Children's Specialty Center of Nevada and the St. Baldrick's Foundation. I met up with my dear Momma friend from California, Alyson, and we had a fabulous time watching the Cirque du Soleil performers and the lively auction happening throughout the night. One of the top bidders was Criss Angel, who, besides donating over $20,000 in the auction, also spontaneously donated a custom motorcycle, which fetched nearly $38,000 on the spot! It was very exciting and inspiring, and he couldn't have been more gracious. Support like that is critical to raising awareness and much-needed funds, and for him to be so engaged in the event and the mission was icing on the cake. It was a very successful and entertaining show, and I'm making it an annual adventure from now on!

Alyson and I with Erica Linz, co-founder, performer, and head rabble rouser for the event.

She shaved her head onstage as part of her act, and it was beautiful!

 Criss Angel, a real softie trying to look tough

We also ran into Kathleen Ruddy, CEO of St. Baldrick's, and got a quick pic for the 

#YouAreMyHero campaign.

Our own hero has her very first swim meet in the morning, and she is beyond excited! She'll be swimming the 50 and 100 meter freestyle, and we'll all be there to cheer her on. We'll report back with all the details, but any extra good vibrations you can send her in the morning would be much-appreciated! Thanks, y'all!

Sweets for The Sweet

Hear ye! Hear ye!  On October 1, 2014, Ivy Francis Moore turned 11 years old!

We celebrated our super sister in grand rainbows-and-unicorns style, from dawn to dusk, and we ended the evening with the traditional birthday scavenger hunt. The "surprise" waiting at the end was the trunk she wanted for when she follows Georgia to Camp Mystic this summer. But the real surprise was what was inside - an owl carrying her official Hogwarts acceptance letter!

 And just like when Georgia received her letter, it also served to announce that we are going back to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Disney World over Christmas! Georgia seemed pretty excited about that as well ...

The fun continued the next night with a Wonka-themed party with Ivy's good friends. We had candy, chocolate, and Fizzy Lifting Drinks for all and then caught a screening of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," with special guests, Veruca Salt and Mike TeeVee in attendance.

It was a very special night for a very special girl. Ivy has seen and done more than most people three times her age, and she continues to amaze and inspire us. She is as brave and brilliant as Georgia, and we are equally proud of the young lady she is becoming. Happy Birthday, Happy Everything, my Ivy Francis!