These girls...

I was released from my church calling in Young Womens over a year and a half ago (I taught the 16-18 year old girls), but I have stayed close with a few of "my girls". These two in particular have had some pretty big challenges over the past year and a half (as so have I) and because of it, we have grown even closer. They always tell me how much I have helped them, but I feel like they have helped me more! I am so incredibly proud of them for graduating high school and now moving on to college in the fall. They are some of the strongest young women that I have met and have stayed optimistic and courageous throughout all their hardships. I know without a doubt that the Lord has big plans for each of them and that they will do great things with their lives!

Bowling party

For Austin's party, we decided to go bowling. The original plan was a pool party, but Mother Nature had other plans...We had a blast though, the kids did really well, and Austin was happy in the end!

Austin turns 6!

I cannot believe that our Austin turns 6 today! Our lives changed forever the day that he was placed in our arms and we became parents for the first time! We are so blessed to have this kid in our family, he is so vibrant, smart, fun-loving, and sweet! We love you Buddy!

Here's what he got for his birthday this year...

He is beyond excited about going golfing with Dad now.

Ever since Hawaii, he has wanted snorkel gear.

From the C-man, he got a super soaker. Perfect for summer.

Grandma and Grandpa got him a Star Wars lego set.

Go Phillies!

Austin started his first season of baseball this week and so far, it's been so much fun! He has a few friends on the team too which make it even better! Here are a few pics from his first game...

Spring cleaning/Yard sale

Since we hadn't moved in 3 1/2 years (the longest we've stayed in one place so far!), we decided it was time to do some serious de-junking and spring cleaning of our house and garage. I spent a week going through every room, drawer, closet, and shelf looking for stuff to throw out, give away, or sell at our neighborhood garage sale. It was A LOT of work! The garage was the toughest since I decided we needed to sweep out the garage thoroughly which required moving every box and bin onto the driveway/front yard! It was worth it though. We had a rockin' yard sale and sold a lot! We mostly sold baby gear and clothes since we are done having kids (so bittersweet). There was a lot of traffic on our street though and it helped that 3 neighbors next to us were also participating in the neighborhood yard sale.

The best part of the day was watching the kids sell cookies and strawberry lemonade. I figured they needed something to do during the garage sale, and it was the perfect task for them. Austin had a friend help and the two of them raked in $30! Austin, I will have to say, is an expert salesman! He was milking everyone that walked or drove by. It helped that he has a super loud voice too! He would shout out, "Chocolate chip cookies for sale, right out of the oven!" He hit up EVERYONE. He didn't care who it was and he wouldn't take no for an answer. It was hysterical. Carson, on the other hand, helped by eating the cookies of course!

Mr. Hugh Jackman (in the flesh!)

While I was in SF for my second round of treatment, I had the pleasure of seeing The Hugh Jackman Show with my parents. If anyone doesn't know, Hugh Jackman is an incredibly talented, well-rounded man (not to mention an incredibly beautiful specimen!). He sings (has done numerous Broadway productions), dances, and acts (he's funny too!). He's also been in many blockbuster movies like The X-Men series, Wolverine, Kate & Leopald, and Australia (my favorite of his flicks). This particular one-man show is the first that he has done, and SF was the city he chose to do it in!

While we were waiting for the show to start, I turned to my mom and said, "Wouldn't it be cool to meet Hugh Jackman and get a picture of him?"

My mom then replied, "Well, you know that you might be able to catch him coming out of the stage door when the show is done."

So, we googled the location of the stage door of the theatre and decided to give it a shot. Little did I think that I would not only get an autograph and pictures of him, but actually have a conversation with him! To say I was twitter-pated was an understatement. I felt like a 14 yr old school girl again (minus the hysteric cries and screams which I TRIED to contain)!

The show ends. I'm standing outside the stage door, waiting for Mr. Holy Hotness! himself to appear. The screams from the female fans give it away. At first glance, Hugh comes out of the stage door looking all dapper and cool in his black leather jacket to greet fans (followed by his bodyguard). Did I mention how smokin' hot he is?!

At this point, I'm about 20 feet away from him, down a line of people snapping pictures of him and getting their Playbills autographed. I wait patiently with camera, phone, and Playbill/pen ready and in hand, all the while hurriedly reapplying lip gloss and fluffing my hair to ensure I look decent enough to meet this fine gentleman (pathetic, right?). Hugh gets closer and closer to me. 10 feet away, 5...I am snapping pictures of him signing autographs and my heart is racing. He is almost here! What should I say to him?

As Hugh is scribbling down his autograph on my Playbill (all the while I am careful not to drool all over the place), I say to him, "That was a really great performance!"

Hugh's reply, "Thanks!"

This is where it gets kind of embarrassing. I could've just left it at that, but my big mouth got the best of me. "You know, I came a long way to see you." (Where on earth did this come from?)

Not exactly expecting a reply back (because by now he was signing more autographs), he says in his famous, uber-sexy Australian accent, "Oh yeah? Where did you come from?"

Me: "Boise."

Hugh, I can tell, is slightly puzzled as to where in the world Boise is. That's ok, because he's not from here and his sexiness and charming demeanor make up for his lack of geographical knowledge. He then says, "So, you came all this way to see the show?"

This is where I had to kinda back-step because I realized that that wasn't EXACTLY the truth. So, I went on to say, "Actually I'm here in the city doing cancer treatment, but I wanted to see your show while I was in town."

Hugh so dashing, replies, "Wow, you're going through cancer? I wish you all the best with your journey!" He then flashes me that smile. THAT smile.

My knees gave out at this point and I about fainted. Not only did he carry on the conversation, he seemed genuinely concerned for my well-being (or so I would like to think). I was gushing from ear to ear. Oh wait though, I'm married! Happily married. But c'mon, who doesn't want to meet their celebrity crush and swoon a little. The only thing I regret (except sounding like an idiot) though is not taking a picture WITH him. But then who knows, I might not have been able to control myself and my urge to just plant a big, fat, wet one on those delicious lips of his! :)

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was wonderful this year. Last year the kids and I weren't with Eric on Mother's Day, so it was so great to be as a family this year. They made me breakfast in bed, gave me homeade cards (which were hilarious!) and a beautiful necklace with pendants of the kids initials on it. I am so proud to have these 2 munchkins call me MOM. They make every little sacrifice, every tired and impatient moment that I-want-to-pull-my-hair-out-and-scream, worth it. I can't imagine my life without them and having cancer makes me fight even harder to be here for them. Being a mother gives my life such a greater purpose, and I know that my role as their mother is the most important role I will have in my lifetime. I LOVE BEING A MOM!

I also have to mention the other moms in my life. Especially my own mother. She is probably the most selfless and compassionate person that I know. She has dedicated her life to serving others including and most importantly, her family. I look back on my life and see all the many sacrifices that my mom has made for me and my sisters. She has ALWAYS been there for me and is always the FIRST person to make sure that I'm ok. Her example has always been a great influence on my life as I have always sought her advice and guidance. She is full of wisdom and always knows the right thing to say and do...My mom has an incredible amount of faith and her testimony and beliefs have gotten me through some difficult times in my life.

I also love that my mom is one of my best friends. She and I can talk about anything and everything and she enjoys life to the fullest. I like to think that I learned that from her. I love that my mom is fun too-she loves to get pedicures, go out to lunch, go to movies, and most importantly watch ridiculous shows with me like The Bachelor and Project Runway! The past year has been incredibly difficult and my mom has been by my side (literally) through all of it. Every treatment, every doctor's visit, every scan. That has meant more to me than she probably realizes. I wish Eric could've been there too, but he was doing the most important thing which was taking care of the kids and "holding down the fort". Having my mom (and dad) there made my treatments so much easier and less lonely. I couldn't have made it through those times without her, that I know. I love you Mom, you are the greatest and I am so glad you are still here. I don't take that for granted!

I also have to mention my other two "moms", Elaine and Donna. Elaine is Eric's mom who passed away 11 years ago, right before we got married. I was blessed to know her for a few short years, but I wish I would've had her around much longer. Especially for our kids. She was also a woman of great faith and had so much love for everyone she came into contact with. Her service and sacrifice to her family was truly astounding. I am amazed at how she raised 10 wonderful children who have so much of her in them. She has made a huge impact on me and I can't wait to see her again someday in heaven. What a joyous occasion that will be!

Last, but not least, is my mother-in-law, Donna who married Eric's dad after Elaine passed away. She has raised 8 amazing children and is an incredible example to me of someone with great faith, obedience, service, and humility. I have grown to love Donna very much and am happy she is part of family. It hasn't always been easy and I know that not everyone in the family appreciates her, but Eric and I love her and are grateful she is our kids' other grandma.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!

Wicked!

One of my good girlfriends got 4 tickets to see "Wicked" this week, so we made it a girls night out and went to dinner and then the show! This was the second time I have seen it (first with Eric in SF about a year ago), but I loved it just as much!!! The music is fabulous and I love the story line. Glinda is my favorite with her antics and personality and Elphoba's voice is something else! It was certainly fun to see it with girlfriends too since the story is about a friendship between 2 girls (witches). The only thing that sucked was that Lauren sat behind a lady that had porcupine hair and so she had to lean over to see! It didn't ruin the show though and we had some good laughs about it. Thanks girls for a great time!