Tuesday's Tribute

I am so happy to share this tribute with you! I have a close friend that has battled cancer, not once, but twice within a year of her initial diagnosis. As hard as that in itself is, she was only 23 when she was diagnosed. In fact, during her second round of treatments, in Ann Arbor , she spent over a month in the pediatrics ward. She and I went through the same program at Western, which is very structured, with classes scheduled for you each semester, making it very hard to miss any thing without falling behind. We had classes with the same people for 3 years, and we became close with several other girls in our cohort, making it even more emotional when they all graduated last spring and she wasn't able too. With the support of wonderful family, and friends, she managed to make it through the program -through two rounds of intensive chemo, radiation, and a stem cell transplant- taking (and passing!) classes through it all.

She has been ridiculously strong and fought so hard through it all. All the while remaining her wonderful, funny, self, and taking care of the Booger for us when I went back to work last year. I wrote about her and the fun they had together a bit here.

In the past month, she has received the wonderful news that her scans are clean, and this weekend, she officially graduated with her bachelor's degree in special education. Congratulations girl, you amaze me.

Today it is all about Piper.

And I think it's not much of a coincidence that she and Tuesday's sweet twin share a name.

Thanks to Angie for reminding us that it's not all about us. Go see who else it's about over at Seven Clown Circus.

Smiley Joe

This is the best thing to come home to every night. And I am very much looking forward to having both of my boys to myself for 6 whole days in sunny, beautiful Florida! Picture these huge smiles on my face right now too. (These are so much cuter though, I thought you'd enjoy them more.)

Check out those chompers!

He hasn't let me get a picture of his teeth- and I got two in one night!

And the famous nose scrunch- also hard to capture

He's gonna be fighting them off with a stick!

Ahh, *contented sigh* that's all I am thinking right now. All is right with my world. (I'll return to conquering all things wrong in the rest of the world later...) My bachelor's degree is officially completed as of 3:00 tomorrow, I have a signed teaching contract, and great people to work with after Christmas break, and the best boys in the whole world here with me. Can it get any better? The great thing is, I know it can, and I am so looking forward to it.

Thanks so much to my wonderful husband who has helped and supported and put up with me over the last thousand years while I've been in school and juggling school, work and being a wife. He's been patient and sweet, and somehow did not strangle me in my sleep. Not that he didn't have plenty of opportunities- I often fall asleep first!

Of course, thanks rightly go to the rest of my family too. I am lucky to have supportive, loving parents who often reminded me that I was doing well, and there was an end in sight, especially when it really didn't seem like it. My sister offered lots of advice and help from her own experience along the way. And my big brothers- one of whom started school after I did, and somehow managed to finish first. Mom and Dad raised us well and we all look out for and cheer for one another.

I hope all is just as terrific for the rest of you, especially going into the holidays. If not- just remember you get to look at the sweet smiles of your little loved ones (even the furry ones), and bask in that wonderfulness for a few minutes.

Stay tuned for some warm sunshiney pictures. We'll wish you were there!

Celebrate good times!

A few non-Booger updates from the rest of our daily lives. I am finished with my undergrad work!!! It has kept me busy, getting things finished up and turned in, but what a relief! The semester is over next Thursday, graduation is Saturday. I will officially have my Bachelor’s degree. Woohoo!

And to celebrate… we’re going on vacation. Okay, not really for graduation, but the timing is perfect! Let me fill you in. My husband is a wonderful, hardworking, great- at –his- job type of employee and it paid off. He managed to get employee of the year, and we are lucky enough that this is the first year they are paying for a trip to Florida.

Let me remind you- We are not ‘lucky’ like win the lotto lucky, we do not go on vacation. We work hard, but are usually just rewarded with the regular old paycheck and inner satisfaction. So how excited are we!! We got to choose our hotel, and settled on the Sugar Sands Hotel. It is right on the gulf, and there are many things close by that will be fun for all of us. And best of all- neither one of us has to worry about work or school for 6 nights, 7 days. Zippedee doo. In nearly 8 years the only times we have been on vacation together were our honeymoon, and a trip to Traverse City with my sister and BIL.
Lots of pictures will be taken and lots of rays will be soaked up. For now… the count down is on! 7 days and the clock is ticking!