Keepin' Georgia on Your Mind

Love and War

2012-02-14T22:54:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! We had such a great day around here - early morning kolaches, handmade Valentine cards and treats, and delicious cupcakes after dinner. Love was in the air even more than it usually is, and that is really saying something!

But even with all we have to be happy about and grateful for, and as much as we are determined to always "accentuate the positive," we've been reminded quite loudly over the past week or so of the harsh realities of childhood cancer. In a nutshell, there is currently a crisis-level shortage of one of the most important medicines required for every Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia protocol: Methotrexate (MTX). Throughout her treatment, Georgia has received MTX orally, by IV, and by injection into her spinal fluid in 24 day surgeries - and it is specifically the supply of this injectable form that is so low, some hospitals may run out within the next two weeks. The shortage has been coming on for a while now, but the decision by one of the four US manufacturers to suspend production of MTX for alleged "quality issues" really compounded the problem by creating a demand that the other smaller manufacturers can't keep up with. And while we of course want our drugs to be safe, remedying these quality issues (or finding other supply sources) doesn't seem to be a priority for all parties involved. Also, it's impossible to ignore the fact that MTX is a generic drug, for a supposed "rare" disease, which adds up to low profitability for manufacturers - a consideration that could quite possibly cost children diagnosed with a largely curable cancer their lives.

So, dear Friends of Georgia, we're asking for your help. The childhood cancer community has sounded a Call to Action and made it very easy for all of us to lend our voices. Below are links to pages for CureSearch and St. Baldrick's where - in FIVE MINUTES - you can let your Senators and Congressional Representatives know that Georgia needs preservative-free Methotrexate in order to stay in remission and complete her protocol for ALL. She's got one more day surgery to go - but think of the kids getting diagnosed today who will need at least three day surgeries in the next month. What will happen if the supply runs out?

PLEASE click on these links, enter your information, and emails will be automatically sent to your reps. I did it and got an auto-reply from John Cornyn's office within minutes. It's so easy and can truly SAVE LIVES!

CureSearch (When you open this page, skip the links up top and scroll down to the bottom to put in your address, etc.. Once you hit "submit," it will automatically match you with your reps.)

St. Baldrick's (Again, your rep information will be matched to your address for you, so there's no need to search for it.)

And as for news on the drug shortage, here are some links to stories and articles, including the latest word that the pressure being put on these manufacturers is maybe making a difference already. But don't let that stop you! PLEASE share this post with anyone and everyone, and Keep Georgia - and all of these kids - On Your Mind!

US News and World Report

I know that's a lot of information, and I'll be happy to answer any questions or help in any way. We are truly waging a war against leukemia and all childhood cancers, and we so appreciate your continued support.

Love wins.

Cinco de Mayo!

2012-02-09T17:52:00.000-06:00

That's the day of Georgia's VICTORY Party - put it on your calendars! Also, Ivy's making her First Communion that morning, so it's going to be an extra special day! We're planning a Saturday afternoon cake-and-ice cream social, and we'd love for all Friends of Georgia to be there - even virtually. We'll have more details soon, so keep an eye out for your official invitation!

Georgia has an appointment tomorrow for IV meds and a quick visit with Dr. Neff. He's almost fully recovered from his back surgery, and we're glad that he's back in the office, telling corny jokes and talking in crazy accents. But no monkey walking - yet. : )

Our girl is feeling great and really looking forward to her end-of-treatment party at the clinic. Such a long journey, but she has persevered, and we are just so proud of her. And grateful beyond measure.

Have a great weekend, y'all!

The State of Affairs

2012-02-02T20:52:00.000-06:00

Saturday is World Cancer Day, and we want to share an email we recently received from St. Baldrick's about the current state of affairs in childhood cancer research:

Hi friends,

It’s a little-known fact that only 4% of federal cancer research funding is directed to childhood cancers. And recent reports from the National Institute of Health show that research grant funding has reached its lowest point in history with the percentage of reviewed applications that receive funding at a meager 18% (read more).

Childhood cancers, already underfunded compared to other cancers, are included in the current cuts, so parents, who are in a race against the clock to save their children, are told that the resources are now scarcer than ever.

Officials at the National Cancer Institute report curing childhood cancers would be comparable to curing breast cancer in terms of patient years of life saved. Yet no reasonable person would argue breast cancer has “enough” resources, and certainly the widespread support for this important cause indicates the public, as well as the government and nonprofit sectors agree.

With the proliferation of retirement funds, college savings plans and insurance options on the market, I don’t believe people are unconcerned about the future – particularly their children’s. Why then should we accept that childhood cancers are less deserving of support, and why do children receive so little?

Is the quality of science employed to treat children inferior? Unquestionably, the answer is no. In fact, many of the greatest breakthroughs in cancer came from pediatrics: Chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation were first developed for children; the first gene therapies were undertaken in children; and the success of clinical trial and cooperative research in pediatric cancers have historically outpaced the progress in adult cancer groups. Today, success in adult cancers is measured in months, while success in childhood cancers is measured in years. I could go on. The bottom line is, with far fewer resources than their adult counterparts, childhood cancer researchers have achieved much for cancer patients of all ages.

And yet, more children still die of cancers than any other disease. When will be the right time to conquer the #1 disease killer of our children?

Success is achieved by rewarding hard work and progress with expanded opportunities. To help the St. Baldrick’s Foundation remain on the cutting edge of funding research that will make a real difference for kids fighting cancer, 19 of the country’s leading pediatric oncology researchers gathered for the second Research Priorities Summit in January. All cancer patients would be well-served if pediatric researchers were armed with the resources to make more breakthroughs.

Thankfully, you and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation are doing that.

The time to act is now. Share this report. Involve a friend.

Together, let’s CONQUER,

Kathleen Ruddy

Executive Director

St. Baldrick’s Foundation

Pretty powerful stuff. Y'all have always been so supportive of our fundraising efforts, and we hope you'll continue to make childhood cancer research a priority. "Together, let's CONQUER."

Inspiration is Everywhere

2012-01-31T21:15:00.000-06:00

As we enter the final three months of Georgia's treatment, you might think she would be satisfied to just coast to the finish, not "try" so hard all the time. But you'd be wrong! Every day, she pushes herself to do more and go farther than the day before, and the places her quiet-but-fierce drive is most evident are in her PE, dance, and swim classes. In fact, she's got extra inspiration in PE, courtesy of her teacher, good bud, and fellow survivor, Meg Brown.

Coach Brown was recently featured in our local paper as she is preparing to run the LIVESTRONG Austin Half Marathon to celebrate her 10th diagnosis anniversary. Reading it, I am so thankful Georgia has such a great example of survivorship to follow, and I can't wait to see how she marks her own 10th anniversary.

Come and Run It

2012-01-27T18:06:00.000-06:00

Hello all! Just a quick note to say that Georgia's counts were a bit low at Tuesday's appointment, but just high enough to keep on trucking with her meds at 75%. So we're still on track for late April and will have more information about the end of her treatment and some exciting announcements coming soon!

Also, I wanted to put a bug in the ears of all our runner friends - The Alamo 13.1 is happening in San Antonio on March 18th. This inaugural race highlights the beauty of the city in the springtime, and the best part is it benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Team In Training! So put on your favorite sneaks or cowboy boots, and get on down to San Antonio!

And speaking of TNT, don't forget our sweet Dianna and Will, who are taking on the Capital of Texas Olympic Triathlon in May. Go here to support their fundraising efforts and GO TEAM!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Star of the Showcase

2012-01-21T22:21:00.000-06:00

Today, Georgia volunteered as a tour guide for the Open House (or "Showcase," as they call it), at her school, The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. I can't believe that it's been a year since we visited the school ourselves, hoping that Georgia would get in, and now, she's a very happy student and a perfect ambassador!

Go Stars!!!

And in case the last post showed up as a big blank spot on your computer, here's a link to the 2011 slide show. You need Adobe Flash to view it. Hope you like it!

Year Two in Review

2012-01-17T07:08:00.000-06:00

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Happy Feet

2012-01-12T21:18:00.000-06:00

Today, Georgia had her first dance class in two years. She's been twirling around the house more and more lately, so we decided maybe it was time to get back to the real thing! We got her outfitted with new everything, from head to tippy toe, and she skipped off to Studio 4. An hour later, she came out beaming. Mommy was, too! So wonderful to see her, little by little, coming back to her whole health. It was a great day.

Also great? The report following day surgery on Tuesday - all clear. And because her counts are holding steady, we've decided to keep her meds at 75% and see how things look in two weeks. Don't mess with success, I say.

So, that's the haps around here. Now I've got to run - I'm being summoned for a pas de deux with my best partner.

Tiny Dancer, 2007.

The Party Never Ends

2012-01-09T21:21:00.000-06:00

More celebrations! Today is the 15th anniversary of the founding of LIVESTRONG - an organization and a cultural movement that changed the fight against cancer forever. Those little yellow wristbands have created a global shorthand we can all understand and appreciate, and we are so happy and honored to do our part in sharing the message of HOPE.

Also marking a major milestone recently is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which has been a beacon for pediatric cancer patients and their families for 50 years. At the anniversary gala last night, the US Postal Service unveiled a commemorative stamp featuring the founder of St. Jude, Danny Thomas. What a legacy.

With inspiration and support like that, Georgia is fired up for the last leg of her treatment journey, which begins bright and early tomorrow morning with day surgery. Cycle 7, y'all - full steam ahead!!!

And We're Back

2012-01-06T22:47:00.000-06:00

Back to school and back to work this week - but what a wonderful holiday we had! It was so nice to spend time with our family and friends and to reflect on the second year of Georgia's journey. We were just a few months into maintenance at this time last year - still learning the intricate medicine schedule and getting used to life beyond the clinic and our friends there. And now the routine is pretty much second nature. I suspect, though, that once Georgia finishes treatment, there will be a period of adjustment at that point, too, but one that we will happily - and gratefully - manage.

Now here are a couple of things we talk about A LOT around these parts, even just last month, but their importance really can't be overstated, so humor me. Today, I received an email from the National Marrow Donor Program, marking my third year on the Be The Match registry. In 2009, I donated blood (for the first time ever) and joined the registry following a dear family friend's lymphoma diagnosis. I never could have imagined that a year later, I would be encouraging all of you to donate blood in honor of Georgia. It really is such an easy thing to do, and so, as always, we hope you'll consider becoming regular blood donors and joining the bone marrow registry. You could save a life in 2012 - how's that for a New Year's goal?!

And because we know RESEARCH is the key to finding a CURE, and research costs money, we have two fundraising events to promote. First, a reminder that our sweet Emily, a cancer warrior herself, is training for The Ultimate Hike in support of CureSearch and childhood cancer research. Go HERE to donate and tell her to walk on with her bad self. We love you, Em!

Also, the Bacons are back! Our TNT dynamic duo, Will and Dianna, are really putting the pedal to the metal in preparation for the Capital of Texas Triathalon! Team In Training events raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, so visit Dianna's page HERE to help find cures for all blood cancers. Go TEAM!

We're looking forward to a beautiful weekend here at home, and we hope y'all have a great one, too!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T22:39:00.000-06:00

Right on the heels of a fabulous Christmas and a fun-filled birthday, Georgia had a fantastic New Year's Eve/Diagnosis Anniversary party last night, and we rang in the new year right. We have so much to be thankful for and even more to look forward to this year - and at the top of the list is finishing treatment! Thursday's appointment went well, so Georgia's on track to start her seventh cycle of maintenance in two weeks, and she's got her eye on the finish line in late April/early May. More details to come, but you have to know we'll be having a PARTY!!!

We hope you enjoyed our Twelve Years of Christmas pictures and that you'll be Keepin' Georgia on Your Mind in 2012. Thanks and love to all of you!

Happy Birthday, Georgia Lee!

2011-12-30T10:35:00.000-06:00

Twelve years old today and ready to celebrate her two-years-since-diagnosis day tomorrow!

We hope you're enjoying very happy holidays with your families, and we'll "see" you next year!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T14:27:00.000-06:00

It's a Wonderful Life, indeed.

Christmas 2010

2011-12-23T23:24:00.000-06:00

Last year, we chose a LIVESTRONG card that said, "Happy Healthy Holiday" on the front. The message I wrote inside holds true for this year as well:

What a year we have had and what amazing love and incredible support we have been given.

Georgia continues to inspire us every day, and we couldn't be more pleased with her progress and the care she has received. Ivy stands ever-steadfast by Georgia's side - comforting her, cheering her on, and entertaining us all. We are so proud of both of them.

We want to thank you for Keepin' Georgia on Your Mind and for taking this journey with our family. You donated more than $10,000 to cancer research and over 150 units of blood in honor of our girl. And while Georgia continues with treatment, the Peachy Keens will be raising awareness, funds, and hope every step of the way. We have learned many things this year, but the biggest is this: we are blessed.

We wish you Happy Happy Holidays and a Healthy Hopeful New Year!

Much love and gratitude,
Trevor, Courtney, Georgia Lee, and Ivy Francis

SURPRISE!

2011-12-21T20:19:00.000-06:00

We interrupt this Twelve Years of Christmas series to bring you Georgia's Surprise Early Birthday Party!

Surprise!

Six of her best Parkside pals conspired with me to make this "the BEST birthday" Georgia ever had, and I daresay, we pulled it off! The girls were eager to practice hiding and surprising the Birthday Girl:

Once the guest of honor arrived, and was completely surprised (see above), we moved on to the pizza party portion of the night:

Next up, ice skating! At the beautiful Barton Creek Resort - where a portion of ticket sales is being donated to Make-A-Wish! Go, Austin friends! It's beautiful!

Then it was time for candles and cupcakes - and Mr. Spriggy pins for everyone, also to benefit Make-A-Wish!

Everyone had a great time, even though Mommy had to gulp when she saw that big number on top of the cupcakes!

Thank you, sweet friends!

Happy Early Birthday, my brave and beautiful girl!

Christmas 2009

2011-12-19T23:44:00.000-06:00

The sweetest Candy Cane in The Nutcracker.

The sweetest sisters in the world.

Two weeks later, Georgia was diagnosed with leukemia.

How far she has come!

READ All About It

2011-12-17T23:34:00.000-06:00

... And on the ninth year of our Twelve Years of Christmas, my true loves looked like this:

Christmas 2008

And Georgia was a Waltzing Flower in The Nutcracker

I neglected to mention in the last post that Georgia's appointment on Thursday was pretty uneventful - except that Dr. Neff has injured his back and had to leave early for his own appointment. Too much monkey walk, methinks. Anyway, we hope he feels better soon! As for our own patient, her meds were upped to 75% of her usual dose, which is up from the 50% dose she was on since restarting her meds two weeks ago. It seems that if you ever have to hold medicine during maintenance, like we did for the past month or so, you don't restart at the full dosage, but this doesn't effect the protocol timeline like it would (and did) in the first four phases of treatment. She does have an appointment in two weeks (we were hoping for four) to check counts, but it's not scheduled on her birthday or her diagnosis anniversary, which is good because we'll be too busy partying! All this to say, Georgia is quickly wrapping up her sixth cycle of maintenance and has approximately one and a half cycles to go! Say it with me folks, FOUR MONTHS!

As always, we are beyond thrilled and thankful for Georgia's success in treatment and the incredible loving care she has received from everyone at Dell Children's Medical Center and the Children's Blood and Cancer Center. It is our mission and our pleasure to acknowledge and support the amazing folks working in those halls and the warrior children they treat, so as a small gesture, we'd love for our local Friends of Georgia to consider donating a book to the Half Pint Library this Christmas:

I can't think of a better way to honor the biggest book lover we know and to share the joy of reading with some very special kids. Out-of-towners can send books to us, and we'll be happy to deliver them to the hospital. Thanks, y'all!

Of Mice and Angels

2011-12-15T21:32:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2007

Since 2002, one of our Christmas traditions has been going to see The Nutcracker. In 2007, Georgia was in a production for the first time, playing two parts: an angel and a mouse.

As it happens, Ivy also played an angel that year in her Christmas dance class demonstration:

And this year, we've got a new angel on The Peachy Keens! Our dear friend, Emily, is celebrating her recent (second!) victory over breast cancer by participating in The Ultimate Hike - a 28.3 mile, 1-day hike that raises funds for CureSearch. Click on the link above to learn more about the hike or click HERE to support Emily's brave quest and make a difference in the lives of children fighting cancer. Thanks, y'all and thank you, thank you, Emily!

Christmas 2006

2011-12-13T22:21:00.004-06:00

Christmas 2005

2011-12-11T21:01:00.001-06:00

This Christmas, Georgia's name was picked out of a hat to play

the part of Mary in the Good Shepherd Nativity Tableau.

Both kindergarten classes participated, and it was a very sweet way to start the holiday break.

Note to Georgia: I think it's okay to tell you now that, actually, the "pick" was rigged. Yours was the only name in the hat. The teachers had decided that you would be the perfect Mary.

And, indeed, you were.

We're (Post) #201!

2011-12-09T20:01:00.001-06:00

Meaning, we've talked at you people more than 200 times - wow! Okay, moving on ...

Georgia once again donned her Awesome Spokeskid for Childhood Cancer Research cap last night and helped out on a documentary project to raise awareness about corporate giving. She had a great time with the crew - all crammed into her room with their super cool equipment - and did an excellent job of telling her story. She especially liked the part where we were eating pizza and trying to pretend that there wasn't a camera capturing our every bite!

We really appreciate being asked to participate, so thanks, guys, and good luck with the piece!

We're looking forward to a nice family weekend, full of holiday fun: Christmas movies, a dance recital, baking cookies, finalizing Christmas lists and getting them in the mail to Santa, and maybe some more decorating, because one can never have too much of that. Even though we've already spent 20 hours on the tree alone. 'Tis the season - have a great weekend, y'all!

Christmas 2004 - our first family Christmas picture.

New Life

2011-12-07T21:09:00.000-06:00

Last December, we posted several holiday gift ideas that, in one way or another, benefited childhood cancer research, patient services, or survivorship. The most important post, Give Life, is one that we are reminded of nearly every day as we continue to learn of someone else in need of blood, bone marrow, or an organ. We have seen the miracles these gifts provide, so we again encourage everyone to please, please donate blood and register to be a bone marrow and organ donor. These truly are the gifts of life!

And now back to Christmas 2003: The Year We Had Our Elvis Baby.

On October 1st, Ivy Francis Moore came barreling into this world with a jet black mohawk, smooth olive skin, and dark chocolate eyes. Upon meeting her moments after birth (as I was nursing her for the first time), three-year-old Georgia Lee turned to her daddy and said, "Is she a mammal?" And so was born the greatest Sister Power team of all time.

Christmas 2002

2011-12-05T22:00:00.000-06:00

The inspiration for the Twelve Years of Christmas series. Please observe the ringlets.

Christmas 2001

2011-12-03T20:25:00.000-06:00

I wish I could say that this is one of those awkward poses that "trained" photographers always try to get you in - turn your head this way, turn your neck that way, hold your breath, count to a thousand, now SMILE! But actually, this was an Original Georgia pose, after she'd had enough of those awkward ones. The photographer wasn't even paying attention until I yelled, "Take it! Now!" And we ended up with one of my favorite pictures of all time - I think it's just hysterical. And you can see those little curls starting to sprout ...

Hairstory

2011-12-01T23:11:00.001-06:00

Nearly every day, someone asks Georgia - or me - about her hair, now that it's all grown back. Was it this curly before? Did the chemo make it curly? Was it always this color? Even people that know her well seem to have forgotten that once our girl finally got some hair the first time around (at about 2), she was a regular Shirley Temple. Ringlets, y'all. Then, in the two or three years before she was diagnosed, her hair was longer and thicker, and the curl had relaxed some, but it still had a lot of body. When it started to come out at the beginning of treatment, we wondered aloud what it would look like when it came back, and the answer is - Shirley Temple 2.0. In fact, when I picked her up today for her clinic appointment (Counts are up - back on meds, back on track - yay!), she was fresh out of PE, still sweating from a good hour of basketball drills (Yes!), with springy curls bursting all over her head. It reminded me of a Christmas card picture from when she was about three, and thus, a blog post series idea was born: The Twelve Years of Christmas.

Throughout this month, along with the regular news and holiday specials, I'm going to post our Christmas card pictures from Georgia's first Christmas to now. You can then observe the evolution of her hair, her smile, and the undeniable light that shines from within her. Sounds fun, right? I mean, kind of random, but fun, too, right? Yes. So we begin at the beginning.

Christmas 2000

Tick Tock

2011-11-30T20:48:00.000-06:00

How is it December already?! Next thing you know, it'll be a very special girl's 12th birthday! Time does fly, indeed.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving in San Antonio with both of Georgia's great-grandmothers and cousins and aunts and uncles to spare. We've almost got all of the Christmas decorations up, and tomorrow, it's back to the clinic to check counts. It looks like Georgia will have two more appointments this month, but hopefully NOT on her birthday! Been there, done that.

In fact, we're nearing the two year anniversary of Georgia's diagnosis, which also happens to be the day after her birthday and New Year's Eve AND our wedding anniversary. We like to double- and triple-up on our special occasions around here - we're very organized like that. But it sure makes card-buying difficult. : )

So we're looking forward to the next few weeks of fun and festivities and will probably kick things off by watching one of our favorite holiday movies: Elf! And starting today, you can help Georgia's pal, Will, raise money for Cancer for College by entering to win an autographed copy of the movie!

See you next month!

Today and Every Day, We are Giving Thanks.

2011-11-23T19:07:00.000-06:00

Because of all of our many blessings, especially Georgia's continued recovery and the love and support we've received from you, we are so very thankful this year. The St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign is a wonderful reminder of just how blessed we are, so we encourage you to support one of the many retail partners that are raising funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. And you might see this sweet trailer during your holiday movie excursions as well.

Another way to help is by making a donation to our friend, Claire, who is running the St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis next weekend. Claire and her sister, Gail, have been devoted Friends of Georgia throughout her treatment, and we're so impressed by, and grateful for, their continued dedication to the fight against cancer. These girls live by the motto "Life is Good," and despite the ups and downs of this journey, the Peachy Keens wholeheartedly agree.

Good luck, girls!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Auction: Part Moo

2011-11-18T23:20:00.001-06:00

Here are just a few of our favorite cows - really, they were all wonderful. Just prepare for pun overload! And the clip at the end is a video of the video Georgia made at the clinic. It's kind of hard to hear her over the auction crowd (we were all still processing the fact that ""Cowch" had just sold for $150,000!), so I'm hoping to get a copy of the original clip and will post it if I do.

In other news, yesterday's clinic visit went well, but Georgia's ANC is still pretty low (520), so we're holding her oral chemotherapy meds for two more weeks. She's had the croopy-coughy-crud (actual diagnosis, right?), so that's probably not helping anything, but hopefully, the time off - plus steroids and her antibiotic - will get that white count back up to normal. She's feeling good and brought home another straight-A report card. That girl!

Cowcycle

Hill Country BeauxVine and Cheese

Bat Cow!

Flamencow

Texas Moosicians

Gilded Lily

Insert Cow Pun Title Here

2011-11-15T21:45:00.007-06:00

To say that the CowParade Austin Auction was a ginormous success (and a whole bunch of fun to boot) is a ginormous understatement. Two days later, we are still trying to come down from the rafters! After the herd of 40 live auction cows and 20+ silent auction cows were spoken for, nearly $1.5 million was raised for Superhero Kids and the Children's Blood and Cancer Center - amazing! The house was a-rockin' for sure, and we celebrated with friends old and new each time the gavel went down. There was just so much happening, I have to split my on-the-scene report into two posts - my fingers probably couldn't handle it all at once. So, we start at the top:

Samia and John Joseph, the founders of Superhero Kids, are two of the nicest, most gracious people you'll ever met. They were genuinely shocked by the wild success of the event, but I know they are thrilled with the amount of help they can offer families at the clinic well into the future. Congratulations and THANK YOU, Samia and John!

Georgia and Ivy test out "Cowch" - which turned out to be the world record-breaking cow,
fetching $150,000. I'm sure their little booty prints in the cushion are what did it.

True royalty. And Miss Austin was there, too.

Another $150K-er, the Vince Young Champion Longhorn - the only one ever created in over 70 cow auctions around the world. Which, I guess, explains why Georgia is making antlers on Ivy's head, and Ivy is flashing the "Hang Loose" sign. Where have I gone wrong?

We were very pleasantly surprised to run into Dick and Tweety Eastland,

the directors of Camp Mystic - so great to catch up with them!

Georgia and the rest of the Superhero Kids (including our good friend, Caitlyn),

presented a "Micro Moo" to one of the main event sponsors.

And this guy wanted a picture with Georgia.

More to come, including Georgia's video clip and some cow pictures. The artistry was very impressive - click here and scroll through the gallery to see some creative work!

The Boss

2011-11-11T11:51:00.005-06:00

What a night! We were invited by our friends at the Make-A-Wish Foundation to see the "Bakin' with the Boss Tour" - aka Buddy Valastro from The Cake Boss. It turns out that Buddy is a huge supporter of Make-A-Wish, and baking with him has been a wish granted for many children over the last few years. Big thanks go to Kathryn, Lauren, and the whole Central & South Texas chapter for including us!

The show was great - he told stories about his family, how he got started, and some of his baking secrets. He also had a lot of volunteers from the audience come up on stage for some decorating competitions. It was hilarious to see what some people came up with! I just wish I could have gotten my hands on one of those piping bags full of icing - yum!

After the show, we were able to have a few minutes with Buddy, get some autographs and a quick picture, and thank him for his support of Make-A-Wish. He was so sweet, gave both of the girls big hugs, and is sporting a Georgia bracelet as we speak. What a guy!

Fuggedaboutit!

Highs and Lows

2011-11-09T19:57:00.002-06:00

All is well - just a quick update. Monday's clinic appointment brought with it low counts, as in "your-ANC-is-370" low. Luckily, we've all had our flu shots (have you?!), but we've stepped up (even more than usual) our Moore Family Infection Prevention Protocol (TM), which mostly involves a lot of hand washing, dish washing, and clothes washing. And we're holding chemo meds until Georgia's next appointment on the 17th, so it's all antibiotics, all the time, for now.

So them's the lows. As for the highs - Georgia is feeling pretty great and is on target to bring home another stellar report card next week. And we've got big plans for this holiday weekend, starting with tickets to see "The Cake Boss on Tour" at the Paramount Theatre tomorrow night. Then it's off to herd those painted cows at the auction on Sunday, where we hope to see a lot of money raised for the clinic and Superhero Kids! Gonna be a fun one!

When Cows Fly

2011-11-05T19:03:00.006-05:00

Thanks to our friends at the Starlight Children's Foundation, we enjoyed a beautiful boat ride and "tailgate" party on Lady Bird Lake today. The weather was perfect for the trip and didn't turn cloudy until we pulled up to the dock to disembark. We were joined by several families from the clinic and one of the families who was at Give Kids the World with us, so it was nice to catch up and see how well all of the kids are doing. There was great Mexican food and goody bags that included bubbles - just right for the windy day. We always have fun at Starlight events and appreciate all the donors and volunteers that help make them happen!

Wait - what's that hanging from the Congress Ave bridge in the background?

Why it's ... Bat Cow!

Yep, as part of the fast-approaching CowParade Austin Auction this weekend, this awesome piece will be sold to the highest bidder in support of Superhero Kids, which provides funding directly to the Children's Blood and Cancer Center (ye olde clinic) to enhance the quality of life for patients and their families during treatment. Sam and John and all of their volunteers have provided lots of fun activities and such positive energy to the infusion room - it's always great to see their smiling faces! We're thrilled that their organization (which was founded the same month that Georgia was diagnosed) is getting this recognition and support, so if you're looking for the perfect thing to finish your house, go bid on a cow! Oh, and Jay Leno will be there.

Off to the clinic on Monday to check counts - have a great week, y'all!

Trick But No Treat

2011-11-01T18:16:00.007-05:00

Boo. Georgia was sick yesterday, so she missed out on all of the Halloween festivities. I picked her up early from school, and when we got home, she crashed for four hours. She felt a bit better when she woke up, but an hour later, she was ready for bed. She never had fever, thankfully, and whatever it was seemed to be gone by this morning. I told her about the school Halloween carnival I missed when I had chicken pox in 4th grade and how for trick-or-treating the next week, Lolly made me wear a sweater over my costume - which was a hula outfit. Kinda took away from the authenticity, I think.

So no official Halloween pictures to share, but luckily, our favorite "bookworm" and can-can dancer made an appearance at the Parkside Fall Festival last weekend:

SO happy to see old friends!

Sack race with under-the-sea facepaint

Ivy and Gracelyn, set to trick-or-treat

And today, Happy Birthday to the best Daddy ever!

Itinerary

2011-10-24T21:30:00.001-05:00

I guess we call it many things (day surgery, LP-ITC, spinal tap), but anyway, here's what we did on Friday:

6:45 AM - Wake Sleeping Beauty with a kiss. Dress in warm, comfy clothes, and apply numbing cream to port site for pain-free access. Cover cream with Glad Press 'n Seal (really!) to keep it off of warm, comfy clothes.

7:45 AM - Arrive at clinic, take vitals, and wait.

8:03 AM - Access port, draw blood for counts, and wait. Thankful for a fully-charged Kindle and a very patient patient.

8:47 AM - Get counts back (ANC 940), get Vincristine push, and visit with Dr. Harrod (Dr. Neff was covering the hospital this week, so no goofy note to write on Georgia's back. And no monkey walk.) (Ask him about it.)

9:30 AM - Check out of clinic and take super cool, super secret underground tunnel to hospital. Daddy is a reckless wheelchair "driver" and nearly runs Mommy over. Twice.

9:37 AM - Arrive at PANDA (surgery) unit, greeted by cheers of "Georgia! Georgia!" from our friends, the most awesome PANDA nurses.

Fellow South Austin girl, Ms. Laura

Some of the usual suspects, including Ms. Anne and Ms. Carla (in front).
We love that every time Ms. Carla checks Georgia's pulse ox levels,
she says, "100 percent. Can't get no better than that!"

9:42 AM - Get to pre-op room, take vitals, and wait.

10:17 AM - Put on hospital-issued get-up, plus Miss Matched socks (Georgia's trademark), and wait.

10:30 AM - Visit with various nurses and doctors who will play a part in the procedure. Find out we are #6 in a line of 6 patients, and #1 has just gone in. Oh, and wait.

12:00 PM - Have I mentioned that Georgia has been fasting since 8 pm the night before? And if Georgia fasts, Mommy and Daddy fast, too. Lots of stomach growling. And waiting.

12:50 PM - Time to go! Walk Georgia back to Procedure Room 1 and stay with her until she goes to sleep. Having done this a few (or 22) times, she can tell us right when she's about to drift off. It usually goes something like this, "OK. I'm going to sleeeeep nooooowww..." Another quick kiss, and we're off to the waiting room.

1:20 PM - Dr. Harrod comes to tell us everything went very well. Prayers of gratitude.

1:50 PM - Georgia's awake, out of recovery, and having her second popsicle.

2:30 PM - Check out of hospital and go visit the coolest kinetic sculpture you'd ever want to see.

2:41 PM - Celebrate another successful day surgery with the traditional yogurt of champions - pumpkin with cookie dough bites.

Tonight: Tell all Friends of Georgia how much their prayers and well-wishes mean on days like Friday, and how much we SO appreciate them continuing to keep our special girl on their minds.

Six

2011-10-20T21:09:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow, Georgia starts her 6th cycle of maintenance with her 23rd spinal tap. She's also staring down the last six months of her treatment protocol! Depending on how day surgery goes, we're going to try and mark the occasion by participating in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk on Saturday. We're so thankful for Georgia's success in treatment and for the wonderful care she's received, we couldn't think of a better, more beautiful way to spend the evening than with a sky full of lighted balloons and a determined army of survivors and caregivers, walking for a cure for all blood cancers. The event fundraising goal is $650,000, and our friends on Team Pink would love your support! And we'd love your prayers and well wishes for Georgia tomorrow. Thanks, y'all, and have a great weekend!

Pedal Power

2011-10-16T08:43:00.008-05:00

Who's that with the white bow peeking out of the third pedicab down? Right under the FIGHT banner? Your hero, and mine - Georgia! Thanks to Garrett's KidStrong, we were again lucky enough to ride with other patients at the head of the LIVESTRONG Challenge 5K yesterday, and it was a blast! The weather was perfect, and the atmosphere so inspiring, as always. One change from last year is that we had our very own Peachy Keen running for Georgia - go Daddy!

Pre-run love notes

Our fearless driver, Don - thank you!

Georgia and Ivy chose a pink pedicab - go figure

Finally, a downhill!

Post-run celebration - way to go Daddy!

Thanks to everyone for such a fun morning, and thanks to LIVESTRONG for leading the global fight against cancer. See you next year!

LiveSTRONG!

2011-10-14T18:45:00.003-05:00

We believe in life. Your life.
We believe in living every minute of it
with every ounce of your being.
And that you must not let cancer take control of it.
Unity is strength.
Knowledge is power.
Attitude is everything.
This is LIVESTRONG.

Good luck to Daddy T in the LIVESTRONG Challenge 5K tomorrow - Georgia and Ivy will be waiting with hugs and kisses at the finish line!

By Land and By Sea

2011-10-10T22:05:00.003-05:00

Georgia's story is being told far and wide - on the ground, in the air, and on the open waters! First, our sweet Dianna took Georgia with her to Chicago to run the Chicago Marathon this weekend! A HUGE congrats for finishing the race and a big thank you to her for honoring Georgia and for sharing this sweet note:

So my iPod died at mile 19 ... I panicked ... 7 miles and no tunes to keep me going and help me zone out. I looked at my bracelet ... and it came to me, "just keep swimming." I repeated it for 7 miles out loud and never stopped running. I owe that to your girl!

Dianna and Will - Go TEAM!

Next, my awesome co-worker, Edie, took Georgia with her on a cruise to Alaska! She even accessorized one of the King Crabs they catch up there with a Georgia bracelet - I think the orange really goes with his pinchers, don't you?

Edie and the catch of the day

It's so wonderful to know that even after nearly two years, y'all are still thinking of Georgia and following her journey. As we've said many times, the prayers, good thoughts, and healing vibrations have made a huge impact in her recovery and in our hearts. We have so much love and gratitude for all of you!

Making The Grade

2011-10-07T19:42:00.003-05:00

Georgia had a quick appointment this morning, just to check counts and see if being off of her antibiotic for two weeks improved her ankle problems. In a word: No. But her counts were perfect, and she's feeling great, albeit still with the swelling and the limping. So now, we'll slowly dial back the pain medicine over the next two weeks and see how that goes (feels). If she can make it that long, we'll be back in for her next day surgery and IV meds on the 21st and can re-evaluate yet again. Dr. Neff also ordered a couple of extra tests on her blood from this morning, so we'll see if those tell us anything. Just keep swimming ...

In other news, Georgia got her first ever report card today, and it was covered in one letter: A!!! Eight of them!!! It just goes to show that even in a new school, in a new system, and with a bunch of hard medicines swimming around in her body, our girl is going to learn and excel and love every minute of it - no matter what! I believe this calls for a - you know it - celebration!

If you could actually read the report card,
you'd see 96-99 in every class - woohoo!

The Name of This Post Is Secret

2011-10-03T17:52:00.005-05:00

We've told you before about Georgia's favorite book series, The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch. Well, yesterday, she got to meet the very mysterious and very secretive author himself and had all five of her books signed! A very BIG day for our book-loving girl and aspiring creative writer. We gave him a card for her blog, so maybe he'll leave her a secret comment? You never know ...

His true identity must never be revealed!

Now quick - close this up! This blog will self-destruct in 10 seconds!!!

So Much to Celebrate!

2011-10-02T10:50:00.005-05:00

Today is LIVESTRONG Day! Wear yellow for the 28 million cancer survivors worldwide, and help share the global message that we will WIN this battle! Happy Anniversary to Lance and thank you to the Lance Armstrong Foundation and LIVESTRONG for everything you do.

We look forward to celebrating Georgia's 15th diagnosis anniversary - and her 25th, 35th, 45th...

Also, yesterday was Ivy's 8th birthday! Happy Birthday to the best little sister and the best little horsewoman we know!

Turning a Corner

2011-09-29T17:58:00.003-05:00

Over the last week or so, Georgia has been moving better and better every day - hooray! Her ankles are still swollen, and she needs the braces for more than just walking around the house, but I think (knock wood) that she's turning a corner on this whatever-it-is. We go back to the clinic to check counts next week, so it'll be interesting to see if they look any different after this marked improvement in her mobility. Always so much to learn!

And even though Childhood Cancer Awareness month is winding down, we've got plenty more awareness events and fun activities to come. Stay tuned, and thanks for Keepin' Georgia on Your Mind!

From the Make-A-Wish Radiothon
(still trying to get the audio!)

Above and Beyond

2011-09-25T19:33:00.004-05:00

Thanks to all of our donors, and those of the 20+ other teams we had walking yesterday, the Austin CureSearch Walk raised over $90,000!!! That's twice as much as last year and way above and beyond our goal of $60,000, so I'd say that folks are getting the message that we need, and can achieve, a cure for childhood cancers. It was such an awesome day, and The Peachy Keens were out in full force - including dear Katy and Millie, who drove in from The Woodlands to walk with us. Thanks, girls! And being able to have the event right down the street from Dell Children's Hospital was a unique privilege and made it that much more special. We look forward to walking every year until we Reach The Day when every child with cancer can be guaranteed a cure, and we'd really appreciate your continued support! Georgia love to all of you!!!

Georgia receiving her Survivor Medal

Ready to lead the pack!

Millie, Ivy, and Cousins Claire and Vivian

The Mighty, Mighty Peachy Keens - who raised over $6,000!

A surprise cupcake facial, courtesy of Georgia

The Bright Side

2011-09-22T18:37:00.005-05:00

Georgia had her regular monthly appointment today, and while she's feeling much better than she was two weeks ago, we're still without a definitive answer on what's causing her joint problems. Boo. BUT, in true Peachy Keen fashion, we're focusing on the bright side of things, because there's always a bright side, right? Yes. Here's the rundown of Current Unsolved Mysteries and Maladies, Plus The Official Peachy Keen Response Thereto:

Her ankles are swollen and she's limping when she walks BUT the pain medicine she started last week and the braces she's wearing are working, and she's getting around so much better.
Her hair has been falling out again BUT it's unlikely that it will all come out, and even if it does? Been there, done that. No sweat.
Her counts were so low two weeks ago, we had to hold her chemo meds BUT today, she's back up in the normal range, feeling great, and ready to get back on her treatment schedule!

So, on we go. We are holding her antibiotic for the next two weeks, on the off-chance it has something to do with any or all of the above, and then we'll re-evaluate at her next appointment. And for the record, this snapshot of some of the side effects Georgia has been dealing with is actually very typical (and somewhat mild, comparatively) of what many of these kids face during and after treatment. It illustrates the importance of, and critical need for, targeted medicines and therapies specifically for childhood cancers - an issue eloquently discussed in this article (which I really hope you'll read!) by the chair of Children's Oncology Group. Research is the key, and research costs money, and that's why we're walking with CureSearch on Saturday. THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to Georgia or joined up with The Peachy Keens, and we hope the rest of you will consider supporting us and our quest for a CURE!

Stand Up

2011-09-19T16:16:00.002-05:00

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is an initiative created in 2008 to accelerate groundbreaking cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives. SU2C's goal is to bring together the best and the brightest in the cancer community, encouraging collaboration instead of competition. In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, here's a video from one of their researchers about his work in the fight against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia:

Thanks to all of you for standing up with Georgia and The Peachy Keens!

Where The Money Goes

2011-09-15T22:09:00.002-05:00

More from our friends at CureSearch and their pledge to distribute funds raised this year to a variety of studies throughout their member hospital network:

CureSearch for Children's Cancer Commits $5.5 Million
to Children's Cancer Research This Year

$1.5 Million in Clinical Trials Research for Local Hospitals

Using money raised at CureSearch events across the nation, including the CureSearch Walk, a minimum of $1.5 Million will be given directly to Children's Oncology Group (COG) member hospitals to help support the cost of enrolling children in therapeutic clinical trials. These trials are critical to advancing research and treatment. At a time when federal government funding has been reduced, supplementing the high cost of clinical trials is essential to ensuring all eligible children, in markets large and small, can be enrolled in trials.

Support for Specific Diseases and Disciplines

Each year, CureSearch funds research priorities in specific cancer types and discipline areas, such as Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, adolescents and young adults, and long-term follow up care. This year, CureSearch is funding $3.5 Million in research projects focusing on:

Ewing sarcoma	Acute Mylogeneous Leukemia
Osteosarcoma	Hepatoblastoma
Wilms Tumor	Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Rhabdomyosarcoma	Neuroblastoma
Brain Tumors	Survivorship

CureSearch will also provide an additional $500,000 for projects such as a new Family Handbook that was prepared in partnership with the COG Nursing Committee, and the annual COG medical meeting. This meeting is an opportunity for physicians, nurses, and researchers to come together to review findings and set their future medical/research agenda.

So, basically, good news all around, although the BEST news would be if we didn't need to raise one more penny because we found a CURE! Or a way to PREVENT these cancers in the first place! I know that we will Reach The Day when every child can be guaranteed a cure, and your generous donation to The Peachy Keens will help us get there. The Austin CureSearch Walk is one week away, so please consider supporting Georgia in her quest to raise $5,000 on her own! Thanks, y'all!

Sister Power

2011-09-11T11:42:00.006-05:00

Part of the mission behind Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is to recognize that childhood cancer affects the whole family - immediate, extended, friends, schoolmates. The journey can be especially tough for siblings, and we've been amazed at how well Ivy has handled herself. Barely six when Georgia was diagnosed, she got a pretty good grasp of what was happening early on, and she continues to ask thoughtful questions and participate in Georgia's care. "Cancer" and "leukemia" are words she can easily say and concepts(?) she can incorporate into her daily life while still understanding it's not "the norm" for everyone. She's so smart and so helpful and just loves Georgia beyond measure - as her sister and her friend. They even have a Sister Power handshake, and I can see and feel it working every day.

Recently, totally unprompted, Ivy turned a cookie wrapper into an oyster shell and wrote the most beautiful story to go with it. I helped her assemble and frame it as a surprise for Georgia when she got home from camp, and now it's hanging in her room, a constant reminder of how special both of my girls are.

The middle is Georgia like the pearl. She is special. The blue is Lukemia like seaweed. The black is bad things and other sicknesses, like rocks. The white shell is all of the people that have helped Georgia. The stuff inside Georgia are some sicknesses but the reason there are not many is because Georgia is fighting them. Love, Ivy

It's the "Little" Things

2011-09-07T21:27:00.001-05:00

In all honesty, Georgia's had a tough time of it the past month or so - the first rough patch she's had in a long time, certainly since she started maintenance a year ago. Between regular growing pains, the joint pains caused by her medicines, and the rigors of a long day at school, her legs and feet have been sore almost constantly, and it's hard for her to walk at times. Yesterday, she woke up feeling exhausted (after sleeping a good part of the three-day weekend), and we decided that we needed to get her counts checked. It turns out that her ANC was 270 - but with good indications of it being on the way up - so yes, I bet she does feel terrible! After going over all of the trouble spots since her last appointment, Dr. Neff said she needed a break, so we're holding her chemotherapy meds until her next appointment in two weeks. That should give her time for her counts to recover and for her legs to shake off some of these effects. She's starting swim class twice a week next week, so that should really help - she IS a fish, you know.

All that said, we are so grateful for how well she's adjusting to school, participating in her care, and just forging ahead, through it all. Especially after watching her struggle these last few weeks, it was cause for celebration (Who? Us?) when we actually had something to point to for making her feel so puny (extremely low white count) and even better, a way to fix it (hold the chemo, please)! Very often on this journey, when we encounter bumps in the road, there aren't any real answers to the "What" and "Why" questions. We have to be satisfied with "We're not sure." and "It depends." and just ride out whatever it is until it passes. So to have such a productive appointment - and the opportunity to let Georgia's body and mind recharge for a couple of weeks - is such a gift. One that we do not take lightly, no matter how "little" it may seem.

Little things mean a lot, right? And when you put a bunch of little things together, you end up with one big thing, right? Well, consider this message from our friends at CureSearch:

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we can double your gift! For every dollar donated through September 30, several of our most generous supporters have pledged to match the same amount, up to a total of $100,000! That means, with your participation, we can provide $200,000 to children’s cancer researchers – those working tirelessly to make treatment possible and a cure probable.

The Austin CureSearch Walk is September 24th, so now your generous donation to The Peachy Keens can do double duty! We're just about $600 away from our goal - if everybody gives just a little, we can make it!

September

2011-09-03T09:15:00.003-05:00

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the Austin CureSearch Walk is three weeks away. In just the third year for this walk, we're on target to raise $60,000 for the Children's Oncology Group and Central Texas children being treated at Dell Children's Hospital. The Peachy Keens are drawing ever nearer to our team goal, and we would really appreciate your support!

For Georgia, Adah, Alex, Allie, Andrew, Bailey, Belen, Berkley, Drake, Garrett, Harper, Ishani, James, Jennifer, Kaitlyn, Kate, Kelly, Lenox, Libbie, Maddie, Makenna, Matthew, Mia, Margaret, MiKyla, Mitch, Morgan, Morgan, Nikman, Sara, Tanner, Tatum, Teo, Thomas, Walker, Westin and the 36 children who will be diagnosed with cancer today: These are the reasons The Peachy Keens walk.

Twenty

2011-08-31T18:58:00.007-05:00

That's how many months we've been at this. And that's (almost) how many thousands of looky-loos we've had on this lil' blog. Wow! And thanks! We hope you've learned something and that you'll keep coming back for more because this girl? She's amazing.

Help Us Reach The Day!

2011-08-27T20:18:00.003-05:00

Such a busy fundraising, message-sharing day for the Peachy Keens! First, we had Libbie's Birthday Bash and Macaroni Fun Run, which benefited the Children's Blood and Cancer Center, aka "the clinic." The Loving Libbie Foundation stocks the clinic's kitchen with THE BEST macaroni and cheese and chicken and dumplings and makes delicious, one-of-a-kind cakes for each child celebrating the end of their treatment. Becky and her family and employees are incredibly generous and support the local childhood cancer community in many ways, so Austinites, please visit A Trip to Bountiful (in Westlake and Bee Cave) the next time you need some yummy comfort food or a beautiful - and tasty! - dessert.

One of my missions at the Birthday Bash was to spread the word about ... the Austin CureSearch Walk! Which is only FOUR weeks away! We registered some new teams and drummed up a few donations, but the Peachy Keens still need your help! Georgia is holding steady at the #2 spot for individual fundraising, but our team is about $1,000 short of our goal. PLEASE consider donating in support of the Children's Oncology Group and the lifesaving research they do for all childhood cancers. The overall cure rate for these kids has improved over the last 40 years, but we have a long way to go to the ultimate goal: 100% cure rate. Every kid. Every time.

So what can you do? You can make a donation to Georgia's walk page or The Peachy Keen team page OR you can sign up to walk with us on September 24th at Mueller Lake Park. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and what better way to commemorate it than helping us to Reach The Day when every child with cancer can be guaranteed a CURE. Thanks, y'all!

We finished up the day with Georgia's Make-A-Wish radio interview, which, due to technical difficulties, we may or may not be able to post here. : ( I've got my best IT people (Daddy) working on it, so I'll hopefully have the clip and some pictures for the next post. In a word, Georgia was AWESOME. Surprised?

Let's Do This, Middle School!

2011-08-24T21:19:00.003-05:00

That's what Georgia said today on her third day at her new school - she was set to go! The first couple of mornings were a little rocky, mostly due to nerves and the newness of it all, but she came home both days full of energy and talking non-stop about her teachers and classes. And today? No tears, all smiles - piece of cake! She is such an eager student and is really looking forward to all that Ann Richards has to offer. So, Middle School? Get ready!!!

Georgia's also getting ready for another opportunity to support one of our favorite charities. This weekend, she'll be participating in the KASE 101 Make-A-Wish Radiothon, where funds raised through pledges and auction items help grant wishes for Central Texas kids. Having been on the receiving end of a wish ourselves, we know what an incredible gift it is for these children and their families, and we're happy to spread the word and support this great organization however we can. That said, our Queen of All Media, Georgia, will be doing a LIVE radio interview on Saturday from 2-3 pm, so tune in or if you're in the area, stop by Lakeline Mall and say hi!

The Camp Wrap-Up

2011-08-21T17:48:00.009-05:00

Well, she made it! We all did! Georgia had such a great time at camp, and she wants to go back next summer, so I'd say that's a ringing endorsement. She also said it was "great preparation" for going back to school, and I have to agree - an early wake-up call (though I don't plan on taking bugle lessons), a day full of activities and lessons, and a happy, weary body falling in to bed each night. Plus, lots of news friends! Thank you so much to everyone who sent her letters and emails - she kept them all in her pillowcase to stem any feelings of homesickness that might sneak up. We're so thrilled that she finally got to go to camp and take full advantage of all that Mystic has to offer. Thank you, Eastland family, for taking such great care of our girl!

Hangin' with friends

Emoting in the drama production

Gearing up for some Bombardment

Flying high in the Dance Performance
(my favorite picture)

Singing at Camp Closing

JoJo is SO glad Georgia's home!

Now that she's all unpacked (mostly), we're moving on to that little business of MIDDLE SCHOOL starting tomorrow! Georgia can't wait to begin her journey as an Ann Richards girl, and we're looking forward to watching her take her new school - and the world - by (quiet) storm. : )

The Camp Report - Part II

2011-08-16T19:00:00.008-05:00

Judging from the three letters we got today, and many of the pictures posted on the camp website, Georgia is having a ball! She's made a lot of new friends (many of whom I see wearing Georgia bracelets in the pictures - yay!), and I can't wait to hear all of her tales. She's journaling when she can - she's very busy, you know - and taking some pictures of her own, all of which I'll post when she comes HOME! SATURDAY!!! : ) For now, here are some shots of her cabin mates, the catch of the day, and some total hambone with a mustache on skit night.

I have no idea where she gets it. Ahem.

Mystic Murmurs

2011-08-13T15:59:00.004-05:00

Camp Mystic's newspaper is called The Mystic Murmur, and here's the latest news from our cracker jack reporter on the scene: Camp is FUN!

On Monday, we took Georgia to Hunt, Texas and got her all settled in Look Out - the last cabin I stayed in at Mystic 22 years ago! She said she was excited but also felt a little "tingly," like when you're about to go on a roller coaster. The first girl we saw was actually her classmate, Lily, and then she was immediately recognized by some of the girls she met last summer at a pre-camp swim party. After seeing all of those friendly faces, she did very well when it was time for us to leave. Better than any of the rest of us!

The main first order of business is for all new campers to be sorted, a la Harry Potter, into one of two tribes. Georgia drew a blue slip, so she is now and always an Ever Loyal Kiowa! Everyone cheers, and the older girls carry the new girls off to their waiting tribes.

The rest of the week has consisted of daily activities (Dance, Drama, Journalism, Arts and Crafts, and Fishing), tribe meetings and games, and nightly events like a camp-wide scavenger hunt and lots of skits. We've gotten FOUR letters, and I closely inspect every picture posted on the website for even the slightest glimpse of our girl (there are about 600 posted per day!)! We know she's having a great time and are so proud of her independence and strength.

But next Saturday can't get here fast enough. : )

From the Mail Bag

2011-08-05T20:21:00.007-05:00

Thank you, Juenke Family!!!

Georgia recently received the coolest gift from a high school friend of mine - a photo book of his family's trip to Europe, where they proudly displayed their Georgia bracelets all along the way. At every famous site and statue, they took a picture, so Georgia has now "seen" Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower, and the Cinque-Terre - not to mention the Mona Lisa and the Trevi Fountain, among many others. They put so much time and effort into the project, and Georgia just loves it. Ivy, too! Here are a couple of their favorites:

St. Peter's Basilica
(I'll excuse the Gig 'em sign : ))

High Fivin' the Venus de Milo

What a great idea! Speaking of great ideas, Georgia is heading to camp on Sunday and would LOVE to hear from you while she's there! Campers are limited to two care packages for the term, which we've got covered, but a letter, quick note, or an email would be wonderful! Here is the mailing address, and if you'd like to email her, email us for instructions. She'll be there August 8-20. Thanks, y'all!!!

Georgia Lee Moore
Look Out
Camp Mystic
2689 Hwy 39
Hunt, Texas 78024-3412

Happy Campers

2011-08-02T18:48:00.003-05:00

While we're in major camp preparation mode, we wanted to tell you about some camps, in this area and beyond, especially for cancer patients and their siblings. Giving these kids the opportunity to have a true camp experience, just like "normal" kids, is a mission that is near and dear to me, and I think it's well worth our attention and support! So thank you to these amazing organizations, and Happy Camping everyone!

First up is Camp Discovery, sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Texas kids ages 7-16 come together at the Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville for a week of fun, and we know from several friends and staff members at the clinic that it is indeed that - FUN! Because Georgia was already signed up to go to camp (and maybe because Mommy couldn't even think about her being away for another week!), she didn't sign up for this go-round, but maybe next year!

Next, Camp Grey Dove, sponsored by Any Baby Can and Candlelighters, is open to siblings of childhood cancer survivors. For four days, these kids enjoy all that Lake LBJ has to offer and build friendships with kids on similar journeys. I've said it before, but I SO appreciate organizations that recognize the special needs of siblings.

A camp that is probably familiar to many of you, and might be considered the gold standard, is The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a nonprofit, year-round center serving children and their families coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia, and other serious illnesses. They have a great volunteer program for counselors and medical professionals, and they hold periodic family weekends throughout the fall and spring. I'm thinking Connecticut sounds pretty good right about now!

Finally, coming soon to The Forty Acres (that's the UT campus for you Aggies out there) is Camp Kesem, for the children of cancer survivors. This unique program is college student-run, and thanks to LIVESTRONG Community Impact Project funding, will be expanding to 12 more campuses in the near future. Camp Kesem provides a week of fun for the children and excellent leadership opportunities for the students - such a great idea! - and I'm excited to see how it comes together here.

In case you can't tell, I LOVE CAMP, and I truly believe that every kid should have the opportunity to go to camp at least once. So if I ever win the lottery, you'll know where to find me: on the banks of the Guadalupe, manning the canoes at Hole in the Wall South. : )

The Fifth Dimension

2011-07-28T20:17:00.003-05:00

The bravest girl in the coolest t-shirt

So today begins the fifth cycle of maintenance! And for the rest of these three-month cycles (maybe two or three more?), Georgia only has day surgery once per cycle - progress! The Finish Line really is coming into focus more and more, especially since we learned today that we actually set a date to stop meds, somewhere around the two-year anniversary of the start of Interim Maintenance (again, that was April 29, 2010 - for those of you keeping score at home), so technically, we could be having a big ol' party nine months from tomorrow! Wow. And as fast as the past 19 months have flown by (mostly), it will be here before we know it.

Today's 22nd day surgery went very well, as per usual. This time, the note we wrote on Georgia's back said, "Expelliarmus!" with a "No Pokes" sign below it. Dr. Neff loves Harry Potter, too, and when he came out to give us an update after the procedure, he had his papers rolled up like a wand, casting spells left and right. These two get along very well, have I mentioned? : )

Georgia's counts look great, and besides a sore knee that we're keeping an eye on, she got the official go-ahead for the BIG adventure she's been waiting a long time for - CAMP! In about 10 days! We've got five days of steroids and a whole bunch of packing to get through before then, but she is bursting with excitement. More on that later!

Thank you, as always, for the prayers and good thoughts today - they really make a difference and mean a lot to all of us. Please keep it up, and have a great weekend, y'all!

Well, Boo. And Yay!

2011-07-25T22:38:00.004-05:00

It seems that the excitement of Camp Hermione, plus a weekend with favorite cousins, left Georgia too pooped for film camp this week. She tried to rally this morning, but I could tell she just wasn't up to it. And because she never complains, when she says she doesn't feel well, she doesn't. Luckily, one of her favorite nurses/playmates happened to be in town, so she and Lolly will be having a few days of resting and relaxing before we head in for day surgery on Thursday.

As for the YAY part of this post, the Peachy Keens are in second place for fundraising for the Austin CureSearch Walk! All of our art show donations have now been recorded, so we moved up the team total board a couple of places, and guess who's at the top of the individual total board? Why only the hardest working 11 year old warrior in the world! And the cutest, I have to say:

But we're not resting on our laurels - we have $1500 to go to reach our goal, and we'd love your help in getting there! Click on the walk icon in the sidebar and help close the critical gap in research funding for childhood cancers. Thank you!

Super Groups Need Super Support!

2011-07-21T21:13:00.003-05:00

This month, we're highlighting two very SUPER groups we've been involved with: SuperSibs! and Superhero Kids. Both provide support and just plain old FUN for childhood cancer patients and their siblings, and we're so grateful for all they do. We'd love it if you would learn more about them and maybe donate to their worthy causes!

First up is SuperSibs!, which recognizes and celebrates the siblings of kids in treatment. Ivy loves the cards and gifts she's gotten in the mail, and it's nice for her to have some special recognition for the way she's handled herself throughout Georgia's journey. SuperSibs! understands that when a child has cancer, their siblings need healing, too, and we can see the difference that extra pat on the back has made to Ivy. An easy way to support SuperSibs! is to vote in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge this month as they try to organize exhibits of sibling art in libraries around the country. The Top 10 projects win $50,000 - so please vote!

Another amazing group that is near and dear to our hearts is Superhero Kids, which specifically addresses quality of life issues for the patients and families of the Children's Blood and Cancer Center (aka "the clinic"). They provide financial assistance as well as fun activities for the kids (and their siblings) who often have to spend many hours at the clinic each week. We've participated in some of their events and are really looking forward to the Austin CowParade, which will benefit the Superhero Kids Fund and Dell Children's Medical Center. Maybe you can bid on a cow of your own or just make a donation here - we appreciate it!

On the home front, two siblings around here have both had banner weeks this hot, hot third week of July. Georgia had a truly magical week at Girlstart's Camp Hermione, where she used her STEM skills (science, technology, engineering, and math) to design a Hogwarts dorm room, build a Quidditch tower, and compete in a Defense Against the Dark Arts Catapult Challenge. She had a ball, and that enthusiasm will come in handy in her STEM class at Ann Richards this year!

Ivy was in hog - er, horse - heaven this week at the beautiful Switch Willo Stables. She has been looking forward to "horse camp" since last summer, and she jumped right in to her first ever English riding lessons. Our true blue cowgirl even learned how to post! She had such a great time, she's doing it all again next week, while Georgia heads back to film camp. It'll be a busy two weeks, but both girls are doing things they truly love, and we're so thankful that everyone is healthy and happy and enjoying themselves!

Finally, we're just a little over two months away from the Austin CureSearch Walk, and the Peachy Keens are hard at work raising funds and awareness for childhood cancer research. We'd love your support, so please click on the walk link in the sidebar to get to our team page. And thank you to my thoughtful co-workers for the early birthday present - a generous donation to the cause!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Wild About Harry!

2011-07-16T21:51:00.007-05:00

So this is the end of the Harry Potter movie series, and we've been gearing up for the big event for the past two weeks! We had a movie marathon over the Fourth of July weekend, but we saved the first part of The Deathly Hallows for last night. We had pizza and read the last 30 or so pages of the book then watched the movie and were well-prepared for the second part today. Georgia and Ivy even dressed up - themselves and the car!

The movie was excellent and so worth the wait! But we hated to say "goodbye" to such dear friends. Thankfully, we can read the books again and again and pay Harry and company another visit sometime at Hogwarts - Platform 9 3/4, here we come!

My favorite quote from the entire series comes from Professor Dumbledore in The Chamber of Secrets:

It's our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

I know this to be true because I have seen it in the choices Georgia has made since her diagnosis. She has chosen to be positive, to fight, and to help others by sharing her story, and Trevor and I couldn't be more proud of her. She is unstoppable!

At The Old Ball Game

2011-07-12T00:01:00.001-05:00

Thanks to our good friends at the local chapter office of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, we were invited to the Round Rock Express game Sunday night - and we had a BALL! Taco Bell is a major contributor to the Austin LLS Light the Night Walk each year, and they opened up their corporate box to our family and a few other lucky guests. Georgia and Ivy enjoyed the food - especially dessert, of course - and we had a perfect view of the game. We even got to see a marriage proposal (thankfully, she said yes!). Unfortunately, the Express lost in the end, but Georgia did get to say "hi" to her old friend, Rojo Johnson - still wearing his Georgia bracelet.

The best part of the night was that Georgia was feeling so great. Friday night is Methotrexate night, and every now and again, it leaves her feeling pretty puny on Saturday - which was the case this week and caused the girls' getaway with Trevor's parents to be cut short. Georgia just rested up and bounced back, ready for action on Sunday, and she hasn't slowed down since. That girl, such a trooper!

Hey! We're Walking Here! Again!*

2011-07-05T20:06:00.002-05:00

Georgia and the Good Dr. Neff at the 2010 walk

The Peachy Keens are at it again! We're dusting off our walking shoes and hitting the road on Saturday, September 24th for the Austin CureSearch Walk! CureSearch funds the lifesaving research of the Children's Oncology Group (COG), a collaborative of hospitals that treat more than 90% of children with cancer in the United States, including our warrior girl, Georgia Lee.

The CureSearch Walk celebrates and honors all those whose lives have been affected by children's cancer, while raising funds for research. We know that there are (unfortunately) many cancer organizations out there that can benefit from our fundraising efforts, but we've chosen to focus on those that have directly impacted Georgia's care - COG (through this walk and St. Baldrick's) and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (through TNT events, Pennies for Patients, and the Light the Night Walk). We so appreciate these groups and the strides they have made in treatment and cure rates, and we want to do our part to further their work to the ultimate goal - a CURE!

So, to you, our dear, generous Friends of Georgia (FROGs?), we invite you to join us on our walk! Click the link in the sidebar to learn more about COG, the walk itself, or to donate to our team! Or better yet, sign up to walk with us! Registration is $10 for adults, and free for kids under 16. You can set up a page to fundraise and help us reach our goal of $5000, or just come walk with us. We're off to a great start, thanks to the huge successes of Georgia's Lemonade Stand and the Parkside Art Show, and we want to keep the momentum going! Let us know if you have any questions, and THANK YOU again for supporting our amazing girl!

*Reposted (with a few edits - but the same enthusiasm!) - from August 2010.

Moving Right Along

2011-06-30T19:24:00.000-05:00

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!

2011-06-21T22:26:00.002-05:00

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

2011-06-16T13:14:00.002-05:00

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*

2011-06-09T18:01:00.017-05:00

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

2011-06-06T21:08:00.006-05:00

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

2011-06-03T20:15:00.004-05:00

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.

May, We Thank You

2011-05-31T20:14:00.004-05:00

What a month it has been - something special and wonderful every week. Today, Georgia spent the day at Schlitterbahn with the Upper Elementary class, and she has the pink shoulders to prove it! She and her daddy had a great time, and I'm sure they'll both sleep very well tonight. Tomorrow is her last full day of school, as we're set for day surgery on Thursday, and Friday is the much-loved Gates of Life ceremony for all the students and staff members moving on to new classes, new schools, new paths. I've already got the jumbo tissue pack stuffed in my purse.

Looking back at this school year, we are so amazed and so grateful that Georgia had such an exceptional time. We anticipated her missing quite a few days as her immune system is still compromised, but thanks to her iron will, and the tremendous care and attention of our Parkside family, she was rarely absent outside of appointment days. She learned much, laughed often, and grew in every sense of the word. In fact, that really applies to the entire five years we were so lucky to have her in this magical place. Thank you, Joe, Claire, and the whole Parkside community - we love you all!

Our memory page in the yearbook -
shh, it's a surprise!

Music Mavens

2011-05-29T23:32:00.000-05:00

This week was Cultural Challenge at school, and both Georgia and Ivy decided to sing. Georgia chose a classic Steve Martin "bit" called "Grandmother's Song," and Ivy chose Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." They both did so well and are 100 times braver than I could ever hope to be!

2011-05-24T09:09:00.003-05:00

Fair Sailing, Sweet Andrew.

Read about his incredible journey here.

Children Helping Children

2011-05-22T18:35:00.009-05:00

Well, the final total isn't in quite yet, but so far, we made over $2000 for CureSearch at the art show today! There were more than 100 pieces, mostly acrylic paint on canvas, from artists aged 2-12. There were pieces by schoolmates, friends, and family members from Austin to as far away as Canada! Patty and her parents, Naydi and Jorge, did such an AMAZING job putting the show together, even getting up before sunrise this morning to do some live television promos! A huge thank you goes out to them, and to our ever-generous Parkside family, for making this event so special and so successful. And thank you to Russell Collection Fine Art Gallery for the use of your beautiful space. Naydi is already planning what she wants to do next year, so we've got to get to work on some more art! Love, love, love to everyone who came today and thank you, thank you, thank you for supporting Georgia and childhood cancer research.

Ivy and our fabulous curator, Patty

Georgia and her piece, "At the Barre"

Ivy and her piece, "Paint"

Cousin Owen and his purchase, "Midgard," by Aidan from Houston

Classmate Kelly and her purchase, "Peach on a Table," a Georgia original!

The Artists in Repose (with Daddy)

This just in! A quick story about the show, with Patty and Ivy's teacher, the lovely Ms. Camille!

You're Invited!

2011-05-18T20:39:00.002-05:00

Banner Year

2011-05-15T16:17:00.007-05:00

The Man and Woman of the Year Finale was incredible! The Driskill Hotel is so beautiful on its own, but the event decor made it even more so. The food was delicious, and the company delightful.

Georgia cheering as the candidates were introduced

After the live and silent auctions, the votes were tallied, and the top fundraisers were Brian McClure and Elaine Candelas. The grand total for the entire campaign was over $156,000 - amazing!

Georgia so enjoyed meeting all of the candidates, the LLS staff, and everyone involved with the campaign, so a big thank you goes out to Sarah and her team for treating our girl like a queen. We're always happy to spread the word about the mission to fund research, improve treatments, and increase patient services, and we're so proud of, and thankful for, the success Georgia has had in her recovery and the advocate for others that she has become.

Part of Speech

2011-05-11T21:37:00.000-05:00

Literally. This is part of my speech for the event tomorrow night:

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. For now, we will continue to take it day by day and keep on fighting, raising money, and celebrating Georgia's victories because, thankfully, there are many.

Last Call for Art!

2011-05-09T17:57:00.002-05:00

Our art show for CureSearch is fast approaching, so if you have any children's art you'd like to donate, we need it by May 18th. Ivy's classmate, Patty, and her parents have worked so hard to get this together, it's going to be a very special event. We'd love to have you and/or your art there, so email us for details.

Also on the horizon, the Man & Woman of the Year Finale! This Thursday, we'll see who the top fundraisers are and find out how much they raised to further the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It should be quite a night!

Finally, this is National Nurses Week! This special week, which runs from May 6th through Florence Nightingale's birthday on May 12th, honors the amazing women and men on the front lines of patient care. We've told you before how wonderful all of Georgia's nurses are, and as you can see from the video below, she really thinks of them as her great friends. Again, we cannot thank you enough for taking such special care of our girl!

El Numero Quatro

2011-05-06T21:30:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, Georgia kicked off her fourth 3-month cycle of maintenance with her 20th day surgery. Got all that? She did so well that by the time I got back to recovery, she was already wide awake and halfway through her first popsicle! This time, the note on her back said, "Celebrating 20 LPs!" (lumbar punctures) - she just loves to joke with Dr. Neff. Those two!

We're anticipating at least two more cycles of maintenance after this one, and then whatever we do to get us the rest of the way to April 29, 2012 - or thereabouts. With that in mind, Georgia would have just 3-4 more day surgeries over the next year! That's something to celebrate! So we did, with a picnic on the Capitol grounds today. The weather was lovely, and the company was, too.

Next week, we'll wrap up the Man & Woman of the Year campaign with a grand finale at The Driskill Hotel. Georgia will be in full Girl of the Year mode, and yours truly is giving a speech. Speaking of, here's a very sweet video one of the candidates put together for his campaign - tissues at the ready ...

Have a great weekend and a wonderful Mother's Day!

Dollars and Cents

2011-05-02T19:57:00.006-05:00

I love that Georgia wrote, "Survivor" on her coin box!

Hello Friends of Georgia! We are coming off of a banner week of fundraising around Peachy Keen headquarters, especially considering most of the funds raised were in coins. For the past three weeks, Parkside has been running its Pennies for Patients campaign, and the results are in!

The grand total is .......... $4,132.86!!!!!!!!!! See, every little bit really does add up! Incredible numbers for a small but mighty (and mighty loving!) community. And so, to reward the children for all their hard work, EIGHT staffers each took a pie in the face, including Ivy's teacher (and huge Georgia supporter), Ms. Camille:

She still looks beautiful!

I hated to get the whole school all riled up first thing in the morning and then LEAVE, but I had to get prepared for our next event of the weekend - the Second Annual Blood Drive and Party in honor of Georgia, now featuring a Lemonade Stand for CureSearch!

Once again, Aunt Kate and Uncle Trent were such amazing hosts, opening up their home for this wonderful event. Georgia and Ivy were inspired by Lemonade Day and Alex's Lemonade Stand to set up a stand benefiting childhood cancer research, so they juiced 80(!) lemons with Trevor and whipped up Paula Deen's lemonade recipe (which, surprisingly, does not call for butter). They added in a few sweets and were open for business. By the end of the party, they earned $114 for CureSearch - woohoo!

As for the main reason we were there, we added 21 units of blood to Georgia's donation tally, with a few potential donors planning to try again later this month, after loading up on some iron-rich foods. Low iron is a very common reason for otherwise-qualified donors to get turned away on a particular day, but thankfully, it's something that can be easily remedied, so don't give up!

We got to use the new big rig - pretty!

Also pretty? The guest of honor!

All in all, it was a great day, a great week, a great month. We so appreciate all of you making our cause your cause - you're helping us help so many other families on their own cancer journeys, and it means the world to us. Thank you, thank you!

365

2011-04-29T00:01:00.002-05:00

Hear ye, hear ye! Today we start the ONE YEAR countdown until
Georgia Lee Moore is OFF TREATMENT!!!!!

When Life Gives You Lemons

2011-04-27T22:11:00.008-05:00

You set up a lemonade stand to help raise funds for childhood cancer research! At least, that's what Georgia does. This Sunday - in conjunction with the Second Annual Blood Drive and Party in honor of our girl, and Lemonade Day Austin - Georgia will be serving up cold and tasty lemonade in support of CureSearch. Ivy will be working another stand with her buddy, Lira at Wheatsville Co-Op (from 3-5pm, BTW), where you can donate cash or canned goods to the Capital Area Food Bank, another outstanding organization that Parkside regularly supports. Both girls are beyond excited, and thanks to our Texas "springtime" temps (mid 90s, anyone?), I think they'll have lots of customers!

Also, we have seven more blood donation slots available - let's fill them up! Click here to make an appointment.

Now stay tuned for a big, giant exciting announcement on Friday! To make sure you don't miss it, sign up to follow the blog and/or join Georgia's Facebook group page - Keepin' Georgia on Your Mind. Thanks, y'all!

The Georgia Peach turns San Antone Rose

2011-04-23T14:13:00.010-05:00

Here is Georgia's play-by-play trip report:

Our vacation began at La Mansion del Rio hotel, where we stayed for the most of our trip. After we got there and unpacked, we went down to the river for a little sightseeing and ice cream. Ivy and I were the talk of the town with our fiesta getups, and we had many a cascarone fight! We went to see the Battle of Flowers parade and watched the Flambeau night parade on T.V.. On day 3 of our vacation de San Antonio, we went to celebrate Evie's (my great grandmother's) 99th birthday with our cousins Owen and little Evelyn. After cake and lots of fun, we headed home. Next day, we packed our bags and made our way back to Austin. That concludes the Moore family trip to San Antonio. Bye y'all!

Viva Fiesta!

Thank you, Lolly, for organizing this trip!

Cascarones!

Happy Birthday, Evie!

The Tower Life Building - Fiesta- and Spurs-style

Quick Reminder!

2011-04-20T21:24:00.003-05:00

We are just about 10 days from our Second Annual Blood Drive and Party in honor of Georgia! If you'd like to donate, click on the blood drop guy in the sidebar to make an appointment. If the slots fill up, we can always add more. And, as always, if you can't donate at our drive, please consider donating at your local blood center. Thanks, y'all!

San Antonio was a blast - Georgia's trip report is coming soon!

All is Well

2011-04-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

Very well, in fact! Georgia was a little slow bouncing back from her appointment on Thursday - she missed one day of school and had to come home early another day - but her stamina is improving every day. It's hard to balance what your mind thinks you can do and what your body can actually do, so sometimes, in her excitement, Georgia does a little too much, a little too soon. But as we go, we're all learning how to manage her med schedule vs. her activity schedule, and she's missed very little school or other fun - we're very blessed!

Speaking of fun, last Saturday was full of it! In the morning, we went to orientation at the Ann Richards School, and Georgia was thrilled to see so many of her new "sisters." It is quite an amazing place, especially for little girls who really love school - like somebody we know! Later that night, we went to the Texas Stars hockey game, and Georgia and Nikman did the ceremonial puck drop. We've never been to a hockey game before, and it was a blast! The girls danced so much during the first two periods, they were plum tuckered by the third (again - balance!). It was a great night, organized by one of the Man of the Year candidates, and we look forward to going again sometime. Thanks, Don!

I can also report that Liam is doing incredibly well and has now moved from the PICU to the cardiac unit - Go Liam!

Finally, here's a clip of the interview Georgia was supposed to give about the MWOY campaign. Susan and Gary did a great job in a pinch and even gave our girl a shout-out. : ) Have a great weekend, y'all - we're off to Fiesta in San Antonio!

For Liam - UPDATED - AGAIN!

2011-04-08T13:39:00.006-05:00

Our sweet Liam is getting a new heart today. Please send every prayer and good thought you have to this amazing little warrior, his precious family, and the incredible donor family who has given him this gift of life. Love to all of them - and to all of you.

UPDATE: Liam has a new heart, and it's beating on its own! Simply amazing. Please continue the prayers and good thoughts for the coming days.

UPDATE 4/10: I am thrilled to say that Liam has warm toes! He is doing very well and may be breathing on his own soon. Thank you for all the support - please keep it up!

Twenty Million!

2011-04-07T19:07:00.006-05:00

That's how much St. Baldrick's events have already raised for childhood cancer research this year - in just over three months! These pictures of the Dell Children's event were sent to us by our awesome volunteer event photographer. Thank you, Candi!

Sprung

2011-04-04T20:56:00.005-05:00

Spring is here, and so are quite a few exciting events! Georgia’s Girl of the Year “gig” is in full swing, and on the horizon, we’ve got several things planned for the coming weeks.

This weekend, we’ll be attending the Texas Stars hockey game, where Georgia and Nikman will be the special guests for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society benefit night. Next week, we have a possible television interview about the Man and Woman of the Year campaign, and we’ll be wrapping up our last week of Pennies for Patients at Parkside – the kids can’t wait to see who’s going to get a pie in the face!

And now, for one of our big events, how about joining us for Uncle Trent and Aunt Kate’s Second Annual Blood Drive and Party in honor of Georgia! Sunday, May 1st, the blood bus will be parked at their house, and anyone willing and able is invited to come donate, come visit, or both. To donate, you need to make an appointment, so click on the blood drop guy in the sidebar for more details and to sign up. We’d love to see ALL of you there, but if you can’t make it, please consider donating at your local blood center. Thanks!

Finally, calling all young artist Friends of Georgia! Ivy’s classmate, Patty, and her parents have organized a children’s art show benefiting childhood cancer research, and we would love your artwork to be a part of the show! Patty is only seven, but she has a true passion for helping children with cancer, so she created this event in honor of Georgia – isn’t that amazing? The show is Sunday, May 22nd, so if any little artistes would like to send us a piece or two, email us for details. You could have your art in a real gallery for a real good cause!

Have a great week, y'all!

Coin Stars*

2011-03-31T15:30:00.003-05:00

This week, we started our Leukemia & Lymphoma Pennies for Patients campaign at Parkside. You may recall that the poster girl is someone near and dear to us. : ) Our goal is to collect $500 over the next three weeks, and each week, the class that brings in the most change gets a special treat. This week, Georgia's class had the high total, so they'll enjoy a free game period one afternoon. Next week, the prize is popcorn and a movie in class, and the final week, it's a pizza party. Plus, I promised that if we could meet our $500 goal, one (un)lucky staffer would get a pie in the face!

Well, I don't know if it was the pie or the pizza or just the pleasure of helping others, but those rascals brought in over $970! In one week! So now, we've upped the ante to TWO pies for $1,000 - I know we can do it!

If you'd like to bring Pennies for Patients to your school, contact your local LLS chapter here, or email us! Have a great weekend, y'all!

* This post brought to you by CoinStar, the machine that took 45 minutes to count our many, many coins! It even broke down for a minute, it was so overworked!

Blessed to Be Busy

2011-03-29T20:02:00.004-05:00

Hello! It was a busy week, but a great week! For starters, check out Georgia's guitar solo from Thursday's recital, and make sure to look for the high-five from her pal, Jenna, at the end - so cute:

Everyone played so well - it was very impressive. Next up was the Parkside campout over the weekend. We drove out for the evening's festivities of s'mores, a fairy hunt, and the campfire sing-along, but apparently missed the big excitement - rain and HAIL! Nobody seemed to mind too much, though, as the running, hiking, and swimming started right back up again after the storm. Fun! But we had some tired girls with us on the way home:

Ivy, Georgia, and our friend, Gracelyn snoozing
(pardon the terrible phone picture!)

This is the time of year that things really ramp up at school, and the weeks fly by. We're just so thankful that Georgia is healthy and able to enjoy all of the fun with her friends. As you know, getting back to school was a huge motivator for her throughout the first eight months of treatment, so she is taking full advantage of every day. And Ivy couldn't be happier for her. It's really wonderful to see.

As we've said many times before, a big part of Georgia's success has been due to your support and prayers, and now we really want to share all of that love and energy with another family - the Smalls. Andrew is the nephew of one of my best friends from high school, and he is in a valiant battle with a brain tumor after nearly five years off treatment for ALL. His mother and grandmother were two of the first people to reach out to us when Georgia was diagnosed, about five months before his tumor was discovered. They offered us so much encouragement and hope, and now, I want to return those gifts and offer them all of you as well. Please, please pray for Andrew, his parents, his two sisters, and the family and friends that love him so. He is a special boy.

St. Baldrick's Wrap Up

2011-03-22T21:58:00.004-05:00

Another year, another GREAT St. Baldrick's event at Dell Children's! At press time, the total amount raised was nearly $115,000 - and counting! Georgia had a great time volunteering at the t-shirt table with me and the nurses and running around to all the activities (and getting her hair sprayed BLUE!) with Ivy. Our dear friend and neighbor, Mr. Weldon, was brave enough to get bald in honor of our girl and raised over $1,000 for the cause - so awesome! Donations will continue to be accepted throughout 2011, so feel free to support St. Baldrick's and childhood cancer research anytime!

This week, Georgia has a guitar recital, a video project, and the much-loved Parkside campout! Luckily, we're slowly but surely putting the finishing touches on her new room (she and Ivy have always shared a room to this point), so she has a brand-new bed to fall into at the end of her busy days. And being the LLS Girl of the Year has its perks, too - warm cookies and cold milk delivered to our door tonight in honor of Georgia's acceptance to the Ann Richards School! Thank you, Sarah, and all of the MWOY candidates!

The STARS at Night ... Part Two

2011-03-18T19:28:00.007-05:00

It's Spring Break! In between St. Baldrick's events, we decided to take a "quick" trip to Ft. Davis in West Texas. We stayed at the Stone Village Tourist Camp, which is an old motel that has been completely renovated and updated - so cute! The first thing Georgia and Ivy wanted to do was hit the pool for the first swim of the season!

The next day, we toured the actual Fort Davis, and Georgia and Ivy got their Junior Park Ranger patches after correctly answering many questions about the Fort and taking an official pledge. They had volunteers in period costume giving tours, and the whole place was overrun with Boy Scouts! Interesting ...

We drove over to Marfa just to look around a bit, but it was lunchtime, so we didn't get a chance to see the Lights. We had big plans for the night at the McDonald Observatory anyway. What an amazing place! One of the darkest places in North America, too, which is perfect for stargazing. We took part in several of the programs offered, including an up-close tour of the Harlan J. Smith Telescope, high on a hill in the Davis Mountains:

At the end of the tour, Georgia was invited to help "move" the giant telescope back into place - which she did with the flick of a switch. Amazing!

The highlight of the day was the "Star Party" after sundown. We saw many stars, learned how to identify different constellations, and even got a quick look at Mercury, which, we were told, only 1% of the world's population has ever actually seen. How cool is that? It was pretty crowded because of Spring Break, so we decided to skip the lines for the little telescopes and call it a night. But we'll be back for sure!

And in other star-related news, Georgia, as the LLS Girl of the Year, will be a special guest at the Texas Stars hockey game on Saturday, April 9th. A portion of ticket sales will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, so come on out for some good fun for a great cause!

The STARS at Night ... Part One

2011-03-12T17:38:00.009-06:00

Hello all! SO much to tell you! Wonderful, exciting things! First off, the Fado St. Baldrick's event on Saturday was a great success, raising over $50,000! In fact, here's Georgia's eyewitness report:

Hi guys! Well, we had a ball at the St. Baldrick's Fado event. It all started with a ride in a totally decked-out, balloon-covered float, simply dripping with streamers! We rode on down to Fado, humming to the tune of Espada, a pipe and drum band made up of emergency services workers (firefighters, police officers, EMTs). When our little parade arrived at Fado, we were pumped, and very thirsty! Everyone hustled inside and got some drinks. We hung around for a bit then went to have lunch (The Spaghetti Warehouse is highly recommended!). When we got back to Fado, it was almost time for us to speak (I don't know if you know this, but my mom was asked to say a few words about St. Baldrick's). We still had a few minutes though, and we saw a woman there face-painting. Now you see our brilliant plan! After Ivy and I got our faces painted, Mommy said her speech. It was really and truly great. Well, those are the highlights, folks - I'll write y'all soon! : )-)

Lolly joined us on the float

Espada

View of the Capitol from our float

Face paint!

It was a really fun day. And it got even better! We had been anxiously waiting to hear if Georgia had been accepted to the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders for 6th grade, and a big fat envelope was sitting in our mailbox when we got home Saturday afternoon. And the answer is ... YES! She's officially a Star!

The letter says, "Georgia Moore - Congratulations. You are now an Ann Richards Girl. Class of 2018!" She is so excited, but it's a little bittersweet, since she'll be leaving her beloved Parkside a year early. The good news is, Ivy will be there, so Georgia will still be a part of the community, and I know her teachers and friends are very excited for her to have this wonderful opportunity. Goodness knows, she deserves it!

Monday morning, we headed out to Ft. Davis, Texas and the McDonald Observatory - to see, of course, more stars! A trip report and pictures to follow in Part Two!

And don't forget - St. Patrick's Day tomorrow and St. Baldrick's on Saturday! Please donate! : )

Have You Hugged Your Nurse Today?

2011-03-11T20:24:00.004-06:00

Day Surgery 18 is history, y'all! And Georgia did very well, as usual! We were met at the hospital with chants of "Rock Star! Rock Star!" because many of the nurses had listened to Georgia's radio interview the day before, so she had fun telling them all about it. And as much as she doesn't really want to go the clinic or the hospital for meds or procedures (who would?), the sweet faces and wonderful hugs that greet her every time are a great incentive to get there. So thank you, thank you, thank you Clinic, PANDA, and 4N Nurses - YOU are the real Rock Stars!!!

We'll be joining some of these amazing folks at the St. Baldrick's promotional event tomorrow at Fado Irish Pub. Georgia and I were invited to be in the First Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, which happens to end at Fado, and we'll be speaking about our own St. Baldrick's experience as well. There will be food, music, and, of course, head shaving! All to support childhood cancer research - so come on out for some great fun for a great cause! And if you can't make it, you can click on the Hope banner in the sidebar and make a donation towards life-saving research! Thanks!

Have a great weekend, y'all!!!

There She Goes Again

2011-03-09T21:45:00.007-06:00

Well, Georgia's quest for World Media Domination continues as she did another radio interview today! She was a special guest on The Dr. Carol Show, along with Dr. Lockhart from the clinic, and the topic of the day was childhood cancer research and ... St. Baldrick's! To hear a recording of the live show, click on the Dr. Carol link above, then "Archives," and then "March 9th, 3-4 pm." We are always more than happy to help get the word out about the importance of research, so thank you, Dr. Carol and Al, and thank you, Matilda from Dell Children's for setting this up and including all four of us!

Georgia and Dr. Carol

Speaking of St. Baldrick's, we are almost to 75% of our goal! We've got 10 days to go, and we really want to hit that 100%, so please click on the Hope banner in the sidebar if you'd like to donate. The event's overall goal last year was $70K, and we brought in over $96K - so this year, we're shooting for $100K, and with your help, we can do it! Thank you!

Finally, I'll ask for your help on one more thing: Day Surgery tomorrow. We are so lucky and very blessed to have such wonderful support, which has helped to carry Georgia through to this point. I just hope you know how much your prayers and good thoughts mean to her - and all of us. We love you!

The Reign Begins

2011-03-04T19:41:00.006-06:00

Last night, we attended the official kick-off of the LLS Man and Woman of the Year campaign, so Georgia’s “reign” as Girl of the Year is now underway! All of the candidates are very excited to get the fundraising competition going, so it looks like it’s going to be a great year. The campaign runs for 10 weeks, and if you click on the icon in the sidebar, you can learn more about it – and the candidates – and see pictures of our girl as well. And if you’d like to make a donation to a particular candidate in support of LLS, I know they would appreciate it! The winners will be announced at the grand finale event in May, so we’ll let you know how it turns out!

In other news, St. Baldrick’s is two weeks away, and we’d LOVE your help in raising funds for childhood cancer research! We’ll be volunteering at the Dell Children’s event on March 19 as well as a promotional event on March 12 – encouraging folks to Be Brave and Get Bald! We are passionate about this organization because of its support of Children’s Oncology Group, one of the world-wide leaders in clinical trials and studies specifically for childhood cancers. The COG trial that Georgia is participating in recently produced some significant finds regarding a certain phase of her treatment protocol, and although we are past the point of her enjoying the benefit of those finds, we are happy to be a part of any discovery that means a better treatment experience and outcome for these kids. We want to do whatever we can to make sure this critical, life-saving research continues, so PLEASE consider joining us! Click on the Hope banner in the sidebar to make a donation and make a difference. Thank you!

Have a great weekend, y’all! : )

Bits and Pieces

2011-02-28T19:28:00.006-06:00

Georgia was quite busy this week, and her "schedule" for March shows no sign of letting up! She started off last Sunday at the Austin/LIVESTRONG Marathon, where we cheered on our friend, Tucker, in his first marathon! He was running with Georgia on his mind every step of the way, and we were so happy to be there when he crossed the finish line. Great job!

As her Make-a-Wish radio interview ran throughout the week, we heard from friends who actually caught it on the air - pretty cool! I went to a committee meeting for the CureSearch Walk (Coming back to Austin this fall! Stay tuned!), and we found out that our awesome neighbor, Weldon, will be shaving his head for St. Baldrick's in honor of Georgia. Yay! Anyone else want to Be Brave and Get Bald? Let us know!

Saturday night was the much-loved Father Daughter Dance, and this year, it had a Totally 80s theme! Trevor, Georgia, and Ivy looked fabulous in their costumes and had so much fun dancing to the hits - they were worn out when they got home!

This week is the official Kick-Off of the LLS Man and Woman of the Year campaign, go Georgia's "reign" as Girl of the Year begins. Also, we're less than three weeks away from St. Baldrick's, so PLEASE consider donating by clicking on the Hope banner in the sidebar. Thanks, y'all!

On Air

2011-02-21T19:21:00.003-06:00

Georgia's interview is now playing on KASE 101! Here's a "video" of it - she did such a great job!

What's That Buzzing Sound?

2011-02-18T19:49:00.004-06:00

Here we go again! After an amazing event last year - with a team full of bald Peachy Keens! - we're back at St. Baldrick's to volunteer our time and talents ... and raise money to CONQUER kids' cancer! I was instructed by my boss (G.L. Moore) not to shave my head but to pitch in at the event instead - with her by my side. I do what my boss tells me, so we invite everyone to join us at Dell Children's on March 19th for a big ol' head-shaving party! And, by all means, if any of you want to Be Brave and Get Bald for a great cause, let us know!

Through our own journey this year, we've learned that research for childhood cancers - including for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia - is woefully underfunded, so supporting the efforts of the Children's Oncology Group and other research organizations is critical to improving treatment protocols and cure rates for our littlest warriors.

The St. Baldrick's Foundation funds more childhood cancer research grants than any other organization except the U.S. government, so your generous donation will not only benefit our girl, but all kids in the fight against childhood cancers, now and in the future. If you'd like to give, click on the yellow Hope button in the sidebar, and it will take you to our fundraising page. Thanks, y'all, and LET'S CONQUER!

LOVE - Updated!

2011-02-14T18:20:00.007-06:00

Last year, about this time, this beautiful banner came home with Ivy from "Georgia Day" at Parkside. It took up residence high on the wall in our living room and is full of signatures and well-wishes from the children, their families, and the staff in our most precious community. It has served as a constant reminder of the love and support that surrounds Georgia (and all of us) and is a perfect expression of the Parkside spirit. We really wanted to preserve it, so now, the banner looks like this:

Georgia carefully cut out each message and drawing and put them in a scrapbook. We have read and re-read each one of them many times and will treasure them always. I have no doubt that the love sent to Georgia while she was out of school, and the hugs that enveloped her when she returned, have had a huge impact on her recovery. So thank you, thank you, dear Parkside friends, and congratulations on an amazing 2oth anniversary party this weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

UPDATED! This is the anniversary video for our loving community! Watch and be inspired by Joe and Claire's beautiful vision!

Round Three

2011-02-09T18:16:00.003-06:00

Actually, Cycle Three. Tomorrow is the kick-off of Georgia's third 85-day cycle of maintenance. She'll get her 17th LP-ITC, plus IV chemo, and she'll start another short round of steroids. While she's not exactly looking forward to day surgery (who does?!), she can't wait to see her friends (her beloved nurses!) at the clinic and the hospital. Any prayers, good thoughts, or well-wishes would be greatly appreciated about 10 am tomorrow! Thanks, y'all!