Mid-month Mention: My Mom's Celebration of Life Service

While none of us relished the reason for this reunion, my family enjoyed catching up on each other's lives during the weekend of my mother's celebration of life service. We had not had such a gathering since the December 2018 post-Christmas gathering in our home. Despite glitches that interrupted the whole family gathering, I think everyone who came was blessed in greeting and spending time with one another. It is quite an undertaking to bring 32 people together. (We were missing 3 from my family and 2 from my sister's. My husband was still battling pain from his hernia site and felt he needed to be near the home-front for our younger boys and dog. My sister's sons couldn't get off work because they had just missed some for their other grandmother's celebration of life service.)

Without much planning time, flight prices were high. To halve our expenses, my younger brother Tim and I shared a rental car and a hotel room. The reason I have billed this post as a mid-month mention is because the hotel we stayed in deserves a resounding mention. The only hotel we found in Largo that could accommodate 5 people was the Home 2 Suites. It was an outstanding room with 2 queen beds and a pull-out couch bed (my billet space for the duration). We kept remarking that it felt as if they had anticipated our every need. The room boasted a full size refrigerator, a microwave, glass dishware, and a dishwasher. It was chock full of space for placing items (with shelves on the walls and drawers beneath counter-top space), plus it had a rolling table/desk and chair. 

It was the breakfast buffet that launched this hotel into top rating in my book. I have never seen such an extensive display of options in a moderately-priced hotel. With choices of fruits, cereals, bread and muffins, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, about 12 choices of hot sandwiches and omelets, a Belgian waffle machine, and a whole host of toppings available (like chocolate chips, strawberry sauce, syrup, peanut butter, etc.), it was hard to narrow in on what you wanted to eat. I had an Applewood bacon/egg/swiss on a ciabatta one morning, and a turkey sausage and swiss on an English muffin another morning. Last time I stayed there (with my sister in January 2023), they had my specific kind of creamer preference (Coffee Mate hazelnut), but this time I settled for the French Vanilla.

On Saturday morning, Tim's kids went to the outdoor pool. On Sunday morning, I used the hotel rec room to walk on a treadmill. We were given a goodie bag of waters and treats upon our arrival and my brother's name was pegged into a welcome screen on the television. Every detail made our stay more enjoyable. I highly recommend Home 2 Suites.

The family was set to meet up for a family lunch my dad had catered at The St. Petersburg Citadel Corps, where the celebration of life service would be held at 3. Sadly, we were all late except for him. He arrived and texted to find out where everyone else was. Tim, his kids, and I arrived first, then my oldest brother and his extensive family (his 3 children have given my dad 5 great-grandchildren):

(Tim's daughter, Amelia, holding Kari's adopted son, Shepherd)

Next, my brother Mark's family (5 of their kids, apart from their oldest son who drove on his motorcycle from KY for the event). Then, we saw Bryce and Elizabeth arrive. We enjoyed the time at various tables. Sadly, my sister and her family only caught the tail-end because she was still finalizing many difficulties with the cardstock programs for the service.

We had hoped to have a video of the service posted on FB, but when we went to view it later, it said, "This video has no sound." Very disappointing, as several who couldn't make it had expressed a desire to watch it later. At the front of the sanctuary, sat a large photo of my mother:

My younger brother went first for the family tributes. Fearing my older brother, Mark, had backed out (his expressed intent on Friday night), I went up next. My niece captured a video:

Then, Mark gave a quite lengthy talk (perhaps more sermon than tribute - ha! I worried he might be taking thoughts Dawn intended to present in her eulogy). I was glad they opened it up for 1-2 sentence tributes by people in the church. Dawn's thoughts were helpful and well-done. Before we knew it, the service was over. Everyone was invited to the fellowship hall for snacks of my mother's favorite foods: burgers, onion rings, and Coke. We were able to snag multiple photos of various family groups (if others had not taken them, I would have nothing to show for this event, as I'm no photographer).

Flights were more expensive on Sunday, so many of us stuck around until Monday. Tim, his youngest daughter Amelia, and I all spent the day with my dad. We took him to church, then out for lunch and then sat in his apartment together. 

I'm glad we were able to share time with him before we departed on Monday. I'm glad I spent most of my time with my youngest brother and his kids (they are a hoot and provided some much-needed levity for my weekend away). Although the circumstances bringing us together were sad, I think everyone really felt blessed by the time we were able to spend with one another.

T-Shirt Quilts Rock!

I should say my sister-in-law rocks! She does! She offered to make this t-shirt quilt for me and shipped it to me in the mail last week. It is awesome! I'm so in love with how it turned out.

The upper left hand shirt is a staff shirt from when I worked at Littlejohn Elementary back in DeKalb, Illinois (so many happy memories but no real place to wear the shirt anymore). The middle top shirt is from the camp where we attend CBLI every summer. The shirt to the right of that was from a year when the CBLI kids' track focused on a construction theme and so the front of the shirt said "God at Work" and the back said "Person in Progress" (seen in the second half of the quilt). The grey shirt from the middle left is another CBLI kids' track t-shirt, followed by two more from Littlejohn (they used to have each class make a shirt and the kids would draw their self-portraits - I always loved those shirts). Finally, on the bottom right, is a shirt from my husbands's days as 1st chair cornet in Illinois Summer Youth Music. Then, another CBLI t-shirt followed by John's HS pep band shirt.

The second half of the quilt has the survivor shirt we received when we went to the celebration for my niece Amelia's completion of treatment for and defeat of cancer. This shirt belonged to the little boys but they have since outgrown it. The second half of the shirt, bearing the message "Our Family Soared on His Wings" is on the other side of a Littlejohn Harambe group shirt. Plus, you can just make out another Camp Wonderland logo underneath that message. In the second row, Bryce's fourth grade t-shirt is followed by another CBLI shirt (framing a Northern Illinois Music Camp t-shirt from way back in 1982), and the back side of hubby's ISYM t-shirt. On the bottom row, we have the back of the CBLI Basic Training shirt, the CBLI construction shirt, and Bryce's first grade Littlejohn shirt, with another self-portrait.

Moreover, I loved the background fabric she chose for the back side of the quilt. The middle has a section of musical notes flanked by two sides of a blue plaid pattern.

I am in love with this quilt. Now I need to think of some way to repay her kindness, since she will not let me pay her even for the time and materials required (no doubt this took a hefty amount of time to pull together and skills I couldn't even dream of possessing).

On the Cancer Road Again

Although the battle is not my individual one, I have watched many loved ones in the fight against the beast that is cancer. My paternal grandfather's family line was riddled with FAP (familial adenoidal polyposis), which claimed the lives of many of them far too soon. This was passed down to my aunt and her daughter (both of them already deceased).

When I was ten, my close friend was battling cancer. She had lost her hair. We had loads of fun together. I remember a wonderful evening with a trip to McDonalds and then an overnight stay. I also remember learning that she had passed away. It was the first time the disease meant much to me.

It hit closest to home, though, seven years ago, when my brother called to say his two year old daughter, Amelia, had just been diagnosed with leukemia. She bravely fought through it and secured a long chain of beads and tokens for each of the various treatments she endured. I am so grateful to be able to say that she is approaching her five year mark for remission (in April).

Sadly, though, as she approaches a sort of "all clear" (can anyone who has had cancer ever really feel a sense of "all clear"?), her father, my youngest brother, has just been diagnosed with Stage 1 testicular cancer. He has had surgery to remove the tumor and doctors believe they got it all, but still, as a family, they find themselves walking down this road again, with the treatment decisions and the questions looming about the future (will it have spread?). They are on the cancer road again and my heart grieves for them.

I feel especially bad for my sister-in-law, Mary, who is not only dealing with the cancer road of her daughter and husband, but was also saddened to learn of her own mother's uterine cancer not long ago. It seems as if they have been pummeled above and beyond what they should be expected to face. But life isn't guaranteed to be fair and God walks each road with us when we let Him.

I had to keep my middle son home from school yesterday for a sore throat. He was sitting at the computer in our family room, while I was exercising on our mini-trampoline and watching a video I had received for Christmas, starring David Payne and called "An Evening with C.S. Lewis." I was towards the end of the video, where C.S. Lewis described the end of his wife's battle with cancer. He likened it to running away from a giant's castle.  She had cleared the gates and they thought she was in the clear, when the disease struck again and consumed her.  He expressed his anger upon her death. He detailed railing against God for leading them down a path and then pulling the rug out from under them. I could sense Trevor's ears perking up (he knows about my brother's cancer diagnosis). He said, "He shouldn't say that to God." I asked him how he would feel if his mother or father died of cancer. I asked if he would feel angry with God. He admitted that he would. I was pleased that Lewis, in his lines, admitted that it was merely a way of trying to fight back, to say what might be hurtful to God. Then, he went on to explain that he had to remind himself of the gift he had been given in his wife. She was his, on loan, from God. He went into his marriage expecting to have a few months with his wife. In the end, they enjoyed a little over three years together. My young son's heart was taking all this in and pondering it.

Life is a gift. Our loved ones are gifts of the Father. We cannot take them for granted. We have no idea how long they are on loan for. For now, I am thinking of and praying for my brother's family intensely these days. He is in my thoughts constantly. I am grateful for his life. I am grateful for his testimony. I am grateful for God's provision, even though we are on the road again.
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Update: 1/31/2013  Through his efforts to raise Childhood Cancer Awareness in Washington last year, Tim met Eric Shanteau, an Olympic medalist who battled the same kind of testicular cancer as Tim is facing.  Shanteau has put Tim in touch with Lance Armstrong's oncologist, the leading doctor in the field of testicular cancer.  We are grateful he will be getting some expert advice on the best course of treatment.

I Want a Job Just to Support Charitable Giving

I've previously explained my connections to the cancer world. My grandfather's entire family was basically decimated by cancer (I will probably get the specific facts wrong, but I think of ten siblings eight of them died of cancer, my grandfather dying of colon cancer). My father grew up knowing that he would have to be checked quite regularly for colon cancer because his father was a carrier of the Familial Adenoidal Polyposis gene (the cancer which killed Katie Couric's husband). Luckily, for myself and my siblings, several years back when I was experiencing some questionable symptoms, we met with a geneticist and were told that my father did not carry the gene. Sadly, his sister did (and has faced this demon) and one of my cousins has already passed away after battling cancer.

When I was ten, my classmate and friend, Janet, was battling cancer. Her parents were very nice to me and often allowed me to visit and sleep over. I went away for camp, the following summer, and returned to the news that she had passed away.

Both my father and my father-in-law have battled cancer. My father had a cancerous kidney removed. My father-in-law received too many radioactive pellets during his treatment for prostate cancer. These basically ate out his insides and left him in a state of constant pain.

Then, my youngest brother's daughter, Amelia, was diagnosed with leukemia (ALL) two days after her second birthday. Through Amelia, I was introduced to Caringbridge and Care Pages and have since been following many cancer patients in their battles against this pervasive disease.

One of my all-time favorite pages belongs to the Larsen family of Iowa. Scott and Peggy Larson and their twin sons, Coleman and Caden, coined the term "Team Larson." I think there were several reasons why I was drawn to this family so strongly. For one, their boys are close in age to one of my sons. For another, Peggy does such a fantastic job of inviting her readers into their lives and leaving them with some encouragement. Despite the fact that Coleman earned his wings in January of 2009, Peggy continues to struggle on in this battle and reminds us all of the value of life.

In fact, I just learned that Peggy has bravely joined a group called "46 Mommas Shave for the Brave." These 46 mothers are going to be shaving their heads, with the St. Baldricks organization, on September 7th in honor of their children and the battle against cancer. Why 46 moms? Because each school day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer.

As I was looking over Peggy's St. Baldrick's participant page, my husband grew alarmed. He said, "Oh no! You're not thinking of doing that, are you?"

Ha! He thought perhaps I might be so moved to agree to shave along with these brave women. Alas, I'm not that brave. However, I am really wishing I could find a job to support the charitable giving I wish to donate to these heart-tugging causes.

Last week, I read in our local paper about a mother who, after beating breast cancer, was diagnosed with a terminal case of lymphoma. The Indianapolis Star stated that "the expense of fighting the disease cost the family their home, and both Sean and Jill lost their jobs. They now live in Avon with a family member."

On August 14th, a 5K run was held to raise monies for her husband and three children (ages 11, 8 and 7). As soon as I read the article, I wanted to run the 5K (ha, like I'd even be able to do that with the constant fatigue I am still battling) and make a donation to the family.

Thankfully, John is gracious and never begrudges my investment in these causes. Indeed, I found myself plugging another hole (which is what my donations feel like - like the Dutch boy in "Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates," who places his finger in a hole in the dike in order to stem the tide of the avalanche of water) when Cardiogirl mentioned a friend who is raising money for a leukemia run in honor of her 5 year old daughter who has been in remission from leukemia for two years. I felt compelled to offer up a little something for her efforts.

Now, I am passing along the information as "46 Mommas Shave for the Brave." Who knows, maybe you feel a pull to stem the tide alongside me? Maybe you just want to watch their efforts. On Sept. 10th, they will be spotlighted on a show produced by "Stand Up 2 Cancer."

Encyclopedia Mythica explains the story of The Little Dutch Boy:

"This story is told to children to teach them that if they act quickly and in time, even they with their limited strength and resources can avert disasters. The fact that the Little Dutch Boy used his finger to stop the flow of water, is used as an illustration of self-sacrifice. The physical lesson is also taught: a small trickle of water soon becomes a stream and the stream a torrent and the torrent a flood sweeping all before it, Dyke material, roadways and cars, and even railway tracks and bridges and whole trains."

Maybe you'd like to lend your finger, too? Here, here or here?

Quick Way to Help Families with Cancer

Two days after my niece Amelia's second birthday, on December 21st, 2005, my sister-in-law and brother noticed some bruising on her body. They showed the bruises to a nurse friend and she advised them to head to the emergency room. That night changed their lives forever. Amelia was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and immediately began chemo treatments.

One of the real blessings in their life, in the time since Amelia's diagnosis, has been their involvement in, and benefit from, an organization called "Families of Children with Cancer" - FOCWC. On their web-site, they explain their vision:

"We are a non-profit support organization open to families of Northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula who have or who have had children with cancer, adult survivors of childhood cancer, and individuals who wish to assist such families with their professional and/or personal assistance. No salaries are paid, and all money raised directly benefits area families of children with cancer. Childhood Cancer is difficult both for the child and the family. We offer a wide range of support and activities for families dealing with this difficult situation."

Indeed, Amelia and her siblings have had great fun at the FOCWC events they have attended. They get a chance to meet sports celebrities, ride in helicopters and motorcycles and have fun as a family despite the circumstances that bring them all together.

This organization is offering a quick way to help them raise money in their efforts to meet the needs of families of children with cancer. All you have to do is click on this link and watch a brief video. For every click, Allen Hunt and the Nicolet National Bank will provide a donation. You can help just by watching a video!









Amelia has completed her treatments and is in remission. She is a beautiful little girl, full of life. Sadly, though, she knows that cancer often wins the battle (as evidenced in the photo of Amelia beside the grave of her little friend Mariah).

I don't know if a family that has been touched by cancer ever gets over the fear that accompanies the diagnosis. I know this has been true for my brother's family. I also know it has been true for another cancer family I have followed, that of little Coleman Larson's family.

Coleman was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and passed away in January of 2009. They have recently felt the further fears of cancer, when Coleman's mother, Peggy, was diagnosed with a tumor. Praise be to God the tumor was removed and the threat defused.

How important it is for us to lift and carry friends whose lives have been affected by cancer. We can give encouragement and help to share smiles. Won't you take a moment and watch a video??

Book Review: Who Switched Off My Brain?

When I noticed this title on my friend, Sandy's, bookshelf, I had to beg to borrow this book. This has been the theme of my existence over the last few months. Indeed, this is one of the reasons I recently switched my antidepressant medication and had a routine physical, including blood tests and an EKG. I feel like I am literally losing my mind. We have even questioned whether I could be experiencing early on-set Alzheimer's.

Although I doubt that is what is truly going on, I have been deeply distressed by the mental fog I have been living in. I forget to turn off burners, forget to take medicine, cannot remember a request unless it is written down and often cannot think clearly.

Yesterday, was another case in point. We had a wonderful visit with my mother-in-law. She was immensely helpful (even though I wanted her to get some rest and relax with the boys). She shampooed our carpeting, washed our windows inside and out, and sorted through more of their belongings to take back to her home. The little boys loved having her here and she spoiled them with kisses and hugs and corn mush and stories (plus the attention that they clamor for the minute she arrives).

I was hoping to get some exercise in yesterday morning and decided the best plan would be to take Grandma along with us to the park. Grandma was busily clearing out stuff, so I promised the boys that we would leave as soon as she was ready. Then, I realized that I had forgotten to give YS his morning inhaler treatment. As I administered his puffs, I thought to myself frantically, "puffs, pulmonologist, appointment, April 17th, 10:30, downtown Indy - aarrgghh!" I scooped up YS, grabbed my purse and yelled an explanation to my husband. We left the house at a few minutes after 10 and, remarkably, pulled into the parking garage just at 10:30 (thank you, Lord, for synchronized green lights and cop-coffee breaks). YS was livid when he realized where we were. Just another episode of mommy-denseness.

Frankly, most of the episodes are like that and not terribly serious. However, a few weeks ago, when I had a chance to get away I had an episode that really shattered me. I spent the night with my brother and sister-in-law and attended their Salvation Army corps the next morning. As I was getting ready that morning, I began conversing with Kari. Only problem was, it wasn't my niece, Kari, after all. It was her older sister, Kirsten. If there weren't so many other episodes of mental haze, I probably would have brushed it off. However, that afternoon, I found myself crying as I relayed the experience to my husband.

I still don't think that I have Alzheimer's, but I can more fully appreciate the terror it strikes in someone when you begin to lose your mental faculties. I don't know if I can say that I am "too young for Alzheimer's, since I recently learned of twins battling childhood Alzheimer's.

So, what book should I notice on my friend, Sandy's, bookshelf? A book by Dr. Caroline Leaf, entitled Who Switched Off My Brain? Controlling Toxic Thoughts and Emotions. I didn't really notice the sub-title until I began reading, but it was a significantly worthwhile read, even though it basically says that I turned it off myself. Gee, I don't remember doing that ...

I must say that, since Dr. Leaf is identified as a learning specialist, and not necessarily a medical doctor, I did wonder whether or not she had merely taken a valid idea and run with it. For example, she states that "Research shows that around 87% of illnesses can be attributed to our thought life, and approximately 13% to diet, genetics and environment." Immediately, I thought of my niece, Amelia, and her battle with cancer. Surely a two year old can't have enough toxic thoughts and emotions accumulated to render the body vulnerable to cancer. While Dr. Leaf did provide a bibliography at the end of the book, she didn't footnote these statistics, so I couldn't verify the supposed "research."

However, I still was very impressed with the book and hope to implement many of her suggestions. Her basic premise is that you must cleanse your thought life of these toxic thoughts and emotions (unforgiveness, anger, rage, resentment, depression, worry, anxiety, frustration, fear and excessive guilt) because they release harmful chemicals into your brain, opening the way for depression and illness.

She divides emotions into two categories: faith-based, which are positive, and fear-based, which are negative. Emotions result in attitudes and attitudes produce responses. I can appreciate her emphasis on the importance to fill our minds with positive emotions which will in turn create positive attitudes and nurture positive responses within the body. It reinforces the wisdom of Scripture in Philippians 4:8-9 ("Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.... and the God of peace shall be with you.")

On page 59 of her book, she states, "The cortisol increase the body uses to respond to stress causes triglycerides and cholesterol to increase and may cause weight gain."

Whoa, there. I've observed weight gain and an increase in cholesterol. Certainly, it couldn't hurt to attempt to control my thought life more carefully. It must be beneficial to weed out toxic thoughts and emotions. This same thought was presented to me twice in the past two weeks. First by my friend, John, who explained that it is helpful to begin the conscious work of making a list of things I have held resentments towards others over, thus setting myself free from the chains of those emotions. Then, today, I read Cardiogirl's response to my last post. She suggested the very same concept. There has to be at least something to gain by rewiring our thinking when we know for a fact that it is sending harmful currents through our body.

Dr. Leaf provided 13 steps to detox your brain. These were things like: "consciously reject or accept thoughts, frame your world with your words, express your emotions, forgive, love, play and laugh, exercise, diet, and focus on your spiritual life."

She also suggests journalling your dreams. She wrote, "The more turbulent and disturbing your dreams, the more work you have to do on your thought life." This was interesting to contemplate, given the fact that, just last night, I had a horribly vivid dream where two children were sledding and slid right under the wheels of my car. Wake up! I've got some detoxing to do - this time in my thought life.

Of course, her last step was one word: RELAX! So, for now, I'll merely write my review and visit other blogs tonight while waiting for my ES to return from a trip with friends to opening day at King's Island. Besides, now that my mother-in-law has returned home (despite painful tears from the little boys), I can relax. Now, if I could just teach my husband to detox his thoughts and relax more! Ah, well, I'd better start with myself.

A Beauty With or Without Hair!

It was wonderful to read the news on my niece Amelia's Caringbridge page about Saturday's St. Baldrick's event. Last year, there were 48 individuals who participated in the shaving ceremony. This year, over one hundred people participated. Amelia (while not prepared to go completely bald again, as she was during her leukemia treatments), cut off her long locks to donate to Locks of Love.

Here is the photo they posted on Amelia's page:

I say she's a beauty whether she's bald, in a bob or long curls. If you would like to, you may view a video of the proceedings there in Green Bay. My baby brother, Tim, is the one holding the microphone for the kick-off cry of "Start your razors!" He'll always be my baby brother, even though his oldest child is in the double digits and his youngest is a cancer survivor. I'm sure ES will always feel that way about YS, since they have the same 10 year age gap.

They surpassed their goal ($20,000) and managed to raise over $40,000 for Childhood Cancer. What a great day it was for raising money and awareness for the battle of childhood cancer. However, my sister-in-law, Mary, did mention another family reeling from the aftermath of cancer. Sarah Aberle is no longer battling cancer, but she left behind a husband (a cancer survivor) and five young children. Please say a prayer for this family as they enter this journey of grief.

If you would like to get involved in weekly efforts to support families in the midst of crisis, feel free to visit the Cole's Foundation website. Tim and Mary were privileged, this past weekend, to meet with Aaron Ruotsala, the father of Cole (a three year old who passed away eight weeks after his cancer diagnosis) and they have been touched by this ministry of support.

New Life Makes Me Smile

My last post was about death. We never know when that will come and when confronted with its possibility, we tend to focus more on living well. I've thought a lot about Amy Welborn the last few days (I even looked up a bit more about her and learned that she lived in DeKalb, Illinois at one time!). The transition she is facing. The life and testimony her husband had. The children he left behind.

The image I get in my head is of a mountain climber. Our lives tend to ebb and flow. Sometimes we are in the valleys. Sometimes we feel lost. Sometimes we are on the summit of the mountain top and lose our footing and plummet to a lower spot with bruises and pain. Unexpected loss probably feels a lot like that.

I remember talking with a good friend shortly before my first son was born. Her life was going very well and the enthusiasm in her voice was infectious. However, shortly after my son's birth, I received another call from her and she explained that she had to work up the energy to make the call and get through it. I think, perhaps, she was worried I might call her to share the joyous news of my son's birth, because new life makes people burst with the news. He was born the day before her 10 year old son, unexpectedly died of an undetected birth defect. It certainly seemed like she had plummeted from a high elevation.

She struggled for many years. Thankfully, I recently reconnected with her on Facebook and have learned that she is remarried and steadily climbing out of the valley. She still misses her son more than she can express, but the fall off that mountain isn't quite so fresh and life has brought her to a different stretch of land on her journey.

Tonight, I received an e-mail from my pen-pal, Katja. I found myself grinning from ear to ear as I read about her doctor visit and the health of the baby at this point. New life has a way of doing that to me. I'm so thrilled over the little life growing within her (partly because I know how much she has longed for this blessing). Life is, indeed, a journey, and the beginning is so sweet and tender.

I am praying that everything goes well with Katja's pregnancy. I am praying for a new life (in more ways than one) for Katja.

Today, I logged on to my niece Amelia's St. Baldrick's participation page and made a donation on her head (she is already half way to her goal, but every little dollar helps her get closer). Oftentimes, survivors have to deal with survivor's guilt (although probably Amelia's mother feels this more than Amelia does). That open question of why their child thrived while another child's life ended. Amelia is doing what she can to honor those who are still fighting cancer, to aid those whose fight has yet begun and in memory of those whose journey is over.

Amy Welborn's husband wrote a post on his blog in January (definitely worth a look), reflecting on the new year. He wrote:

"So at the top of my list of goals for this New Year is the resolution to surrender everything to Christ, to be a steward of what God has given me (my life) and continues to give to me (my children). I also want to commit others to Christ through my prayer—to lift them up in prayer, so that they too will accept the gifts that God gives to them." He went on to say, "This is a special time of the year to recall the gift of life—our own (and hence the need to once again eat well and exercise) and all of God’s creation—from the moment of conception to natural death. Do we want a holy, peaceful, and sinless day? Then we must commit ourselves entirely to Christ our God."

I want to give my best to my own life's journey. I want to climb well and really enjoy the view during the moments God gives for resting on the journey. I want to make each day count, because life is such a blessing, no matter how long it is lived. And new life, well that really makes me smile.

There's a price on her sweet head

My niece, Amelia, has the most beautiful dark brown locks of hair. She is a spunky little cancer survivor. She lost those curly brown locks twice due to chemotherapy. Yet, she continues to fight in the cancer battle. She has agreed to have her hair cut for "Locks of Love" during the St. Baldrick's Foundation event in Green Bay on March 14th.

Last year, my brother Tim, Amelia's dad, and Caleb, Amelia's brother, both shaved their heads in honor of Amelia and her cancer fight. This year Amelia is letting go of some of her hair once again, in an effort to raise awareness and funding to fight children's cancer. What a sweetie she is. She is participating in honor of several cancer buddies (including one girl, Janae, who is from DeKalb, IL, where we used to live) and in memory of her friends Mariah and Aaron.

At this point, she is at her 20% mark towards meeting her goal. I hope to donate on her head sometime this week (just donated to Wheaton College last night, so will have to discuss this with hubby). If you would be interested in donating on her head, you can visit her St. Baldrick's profile page. Even a five dollar donation will help her reach her goal. I'm sure there will also be further information (and probably photos), at her Caringbridge site.

Hmmm ... ES needs to get a haircut before his first wrestling tournament on Thursday. Wonder if he has enough to donate to Locks of Love? Ha! I'm betting he's not as brave as Amelia!

Help Urge More Childhood Cancer Funding!

Tonight, I was visiting a Caringbridge site for Mariah Klein. She was my niece Amelia's friend and she recently went to be with the Lord, after battling DIPG. Mariah's mother brought attention to another inexpensive way you can influence the pull for more childhood cancer funding.

She wrote:

"You may remember that Stand Up To Cancer aired on all three networks about a month ago. Well, there is a group of 20 people who are now deciding what areas of cancer research to spend the $100 MILLION that was raised. Here's what you can do. Go to http://www.standup2cancer.org/ scroll down to the bottom, at the left side is the contact us link. (Very small wording) Click there, fill out the form selecting "Request SU2C funding" in the drop down menu. In the comments ask for funding for childhood cancers such as DIPG because of their lack of funding and extremely low survival rate. It only takes a minute and you will be helping show support of all these children with the same tumor."

It only takes a moment. I sent a comment. In my comment, I mentioned that greater awareness and numerous advances were brought about by the intense campaigning for breast cancer awareness, yet childhood cancer awareness month went by last month, almost unnoticed. Too many children are dying. Too many of these cancers strike aggressively and leave empty hands and hearts.

The other day, I realized that this isn't merely a new interest for me since my niece was diagnosed with a childhood cancer. It is true that I have become more active about supporting and encouraging those in the childhood cancer battle since it hit my own family personally. But, it dawned on me that my passion for this battle goes back further.

When I was around 10 years old, I met a girl in my class named Janet. She was bald because she was battling cancer. She became a good friend to me and had me over for sleep-overs a few times. I watched her bravely fight. I returned home from summer camp to learn that she had passed away. I think of her to this day. Several years ago, I visited her home and had a chance to speak with her father. I told him that I still remembered Janet and that I had written a short story in college prompted by her life.

I know I don't have many readers, but it would please me immensely if you would go to the StandUp2Cancer site and request a larger portion of those funds for childhood cancer research. It would thrill me even more if you let me know you did so in my comments. Let's flood their in-box with requests that more than 3 cents of every dollar raised be spent on finding a cure for the various forms of childhood cancer!

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Tomorrow night there will be a StandUp2Cancer special airing on ABC, NBC and CBS. On Coleman Larson's site (http://www.carepages.org/colemanscott) Peggy mentioned that "this year 12,500 children will be diagnosed with cancer. 1 in 5 will not grow up." On Julian Avery's site (Julian is one of those 1 in 5 statistics), Mimi requested urgent prayers for another victim of childhood cancer: www.caringbridge.org/visit/coleruotsala. Cole, like my niece Amelia, is from Wisconsin.

Tonight, in checking in on my niece, Amelia, who is a leukemia survivor, I discovered a news clip which aired in her area last night. The clip spotlights Amelia's Make-A-Wish Trip to Walt Disney World. You can view it by going here and selecting "Sick Kids Wish for a Trip to Disney World," from the Top Stories list. She is absolutely adorable. It was fun to see my bald baby brother (shaved in solidarity and to raise money) and his family featured on the news. For more information on Amelia's participation in the walk to raise funds, visit her page at www.caringbridge.org/visit/ameliagorton.

To give a glimpse of what the cancer world is like: Last night, Amelia was featured on the news. Today, she attended her friend's funeral and stared at the little white casket. I'm so glad Amelia survived, but I'm also proud that her family continues to stand in the gap with other families who are in the battle against cancer.

God Has it Under Control

Tonight, as I tucked my MS into bed, he asked me about his cousin, Amelia. He said, "Does she still have the cancer in her body?" I told him that the cancer is gone now. Next, he asked how the cancer got into her body. I didn't really know what to tell him. I reminded him that sometimes we breathe in germs and they make our bodies sick (although, he wouldn't be able to understand that Amelia didn't breathe in cancer and she didn't get it because she forgot to wash her hands before eating). Then, I told him that Amelia has a little friend, Mariah, who is still fighting to get the cancer out of her body. I explained that she is so weak right now that when Amelia visited her last week, Mariah could only raise her thumb as a way of saying "yes." We said a special prayer for both Amelia and Mariah and then I left the room.

I was deeply saddened when I logged on tonight and discovered that Mariah lost her fight against cancer. Of course, my little guy was up again before I knew it and wanting to be rocked. As I held him close and rocked him, I sat thinking about Mariah and Amelia ... about their friendship. I thought about my sister-in-law, Mary, and how many times she went on to Mariah's website to speak words of encouragement to their family.

In one of Mary's recent posts, she had expressed her frustrations because both Mariah's mother and father would be able to be by Mariah's side 24/7. Many of us assumed that she meant that Mariah's father lost his job. I don't really know all of the details (although Mariah's family expressed that he didn't entirely lose his job), but I know that my father wrote to encourage them that the Lord had a purpose, even in the change in the job situation.

This made me think about how I experienced this very lesson in my own life. When my ES was in kindergarten, I taught an evening GED class two nights a week. I enjoyed this job and really wanted to keep it. However, I also wanted to have another child and knew that in order to do so, we would need the insurance that a full-time job would provide. Thus, I signed on as an individual assistant at my son's elementary school. I worked that full-time job and still kept my GED position (hoping that after another child came along, I could leave the full-time position and maintain the part-time one).

My second son was due in 2004 at the end of September. At the end of my summer GED session, I headed off to CBLI with my ES, embracing the rest and relaxation it would provide before a stressful fall. I had not really asked for much time off. I think the doctor advised me to inform my employer that I would require at least three weeks to recuperate from the cesarean section surgery.

When I returned from CBLI, I received a message to call the GED office. Over the phone, I was informed that another teacher had requested my class (it was close to where she lives and she was hoping to increase her hours). I was told that they felt that my absence from the class would be detrimental to the continuity of the class and therefore, they were giving my class to this other teacher (side note: this was a drop-in class with very little continuity amongst the students and several nights I sat alone, reading, wondering if any of my students would show up).

I remember feeling so helpless. There was nothing I could do to dissuade them. The decision had already been made. The other teacher had already been told she would have my class. It was entirely out of my hands and I felt so disappointed. This was the job I wanted to keep. I wanted to stay home with my baby and merely leave him two nights a week. But suddenly, that was no longer an option.

Now, as I sat rocking MS and looking in on YS as he slept in his crib, I realized what a blessing that detour was. I was planning on travelling the map I had laid out. God sent me on a detour. If He hadn't, I don't know if we would have had my youngest son. I didn't welcome the loss of that job. I mourned its loss. But, now I am grateful for the chance to entirely focus on my MS's birth. I had three short months at home with him and returned to the full time job for the spring semester.

Although, it was hard to leave my MS to go back to full-time work, my husband was able to care for him most of the time. When we were both at work, my MS had a fabulous care-giver, Lisa, who lived half a block away from the elementary school. Since her own children attended the school, she often showed up at school with my MS in tow. It was such a treat to get to see him.

Now, I am not working outside of the home at all. I spend almost all of my time with my boys. At times, it feels like the wrong job. However, I am confident that this is exactly where God wants me to be for now. I'm glad He has given me this job, even on the days when I'm pulling out my hair and screaming bloody murder. (For example, take the day last week when ES caught several bees and trapped them in the ant-farm, then set the ant-farm on the counter in the garage. MS took the ant-farm down to look at the bees buzzing around in there. He walked off and a few minutes later, I looked over to see YS holding the tiny cap and several angry bees buzzing around him. It was a miracle that neither one of us were stung. Let me tell you, there was a fair amount of screaming that day!) I'm so glad God has it all under control! Good thing He's not counting on me to keep it under control!

Lift Up Another Devastated Family

Just wanted to quickly ask readers to be remembering another family dealing with a devastating cancer blow. My sister-in-law, Mary, mentioned it on Amelia's site. The parents of Aaron Quevedo, a little 11 month old boy, have been told to take their son home because there is nothing more which can be done for him. This must be devastating news. If you wish to drop them a line of encouragement or support, visit Aaron's site.

And the Winner Is ...

We have a winner for my first giveaway! My MS drew out the name of Mandy Greene. As soon as I receive her mailing address, I will be sending her the gold Childhood Cancer Awareness Ribbon. Congratulations Mandy and thanks for participating!

A few readers expressed a desire to know where they could purchase a similar button. This particular one was distributed in exchange for a donation to the Families of Children with Cancer, Inc. in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where my niece, Amelia, lives. The donations for the buttons benefit children diagnosed with cancer in Northeast Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

I feel very grateful to this organization. I have witnessed the many ways they have reached out to my brother and his family as they battled my niece's leukemia. I think any family personally familiar with childhood cancer recognizes the great role these supporting organizations play in rallying strength and encouragement for the journey they must travel.

If you wish to contact the Families of Children with Cancer, Inc. in Green Bay, WI, you can view their information at www.ourkidswithcancer.org or contact kathy@ourkidswithcancer.org. I'm sure they would welcome any further donations.

I'm glad I was able to play even a small role in increasing the awareness of Childhood Cancer. Wearing the pin will bring more opportunities to share my family's personal story.

When I was working at Littlejohn Elementary in DeKalb, IL, they held a fundraiser to aid kids with cancer. It was called "Caps for Kids with Cancer" and for a small donation, students were permitted to wear a cap in school for the day. On the day the caps were worn, I was blown away by how many students had participated. I attempted to get a photo of the event (some of you know what a lousy photographer I am). I had to pan the group three times to include everyone and I was standing on a very tall ladder. It literally moved me to tears that day, because I knew that just a year before it would have been just another fundraiser to me. But, watching my niece fight her battle with leukemia made it a very personal thing and I appreciated every child who contributed that week. The following year, shortly after our move to Indiana, Mrs. Brown, the teacher I had most recently worked with at Littlejohn learned that her own son, Michael, had a brain tumor.

Perhaps, you don't have a personal connection to the fight against cancer, but every donation and every ribbon displayed represents your support of these children. And if you can't afford to give or obtain a button, please remember to say a prayer for children battling cancer. I know I'm saying many prayers of thanksgiving these days on behalf of my niece, Amelia, along with prayers that God would continue to protect her and use her life and testimony.

Adventure Calls

I used to really enjoy going on trips. I think I took my ES on trips at least three or four times a year. When we moved from DeKalb, IL to Indiana, I continued to visit DeKalb two or three times a year for a while. I haven't been back for more than a brief visit since August of 2007 (we popped in to visit our dear friends, Andy & Renee, back in December, on our way home from my family's Christmas gathering). Somehow travelling with three boys doesn't give me as much of a charge as I used to experience. I'm hoping that those sentiments will change and I will go back to loving a good trip, but we shall see.

That is not to say that I am not looking forward to this weekend. I am very excited about our trip, just a tiny bit worried about the logistics. We plan to attend my niece's end-of-treatment celebration up in Janesville, Wisconsin, on Saturday. Since Janesville is so close to DeKalb, I knew my ES would be anxious to include a visit with his best-friend, Michael.

In order to break the drive into chunks, we plan to leave tomorrow night and spend the evening at my in-law's house. We will continue on to DeKalb Friday morning, arriving as early as possible. We are all hoping to be able to spend a good part of the day at the Hopkins Park Pool. We have so many fond memories of our times at that pool. From the time ES was 1 to the day we officially moved, we spent every summer practically living at the pool. It was only two blocks away from our house and we often went twice a day (in early morning and late afternoon to avoid too much sun exposure). My ES was such a "pool rat" that all the lifeguards knew him and gave him special privileges and treats.

This is where my worries come in. When I had my first two sons, I was always careful to slather them up with sun-screen whenever we headed out in the summer. Then, I discovered that their complexion is much more like my husband's than mine. Those boys tan nicely. We still do the sun-screen, but I don't worry about them burning as much. My YS is also very blond, but we really haven't had many opportunities to determine what skin type he has.

Recently, I have begun to notice that whenever we are in extreme temperatures, my YS grows very pink in the face and limbs. I have always struggled with heat exhaustion and with severe burns or reactions to too much sun. I am wondering whether my YS will have a similar experience. So, a long time at the pool might not actually work out for us.

Then, there is the little question of the weather. If it rains, I will be in DeKalb, with very little to occupy two small toddlers. We have made arrangements to stay with friends on Friday evening and ES is sleeping over with Michael. I don't really want to put them out with our presence the whole day. I'm going to just see how the cards fall. Hopefully, all will be well. Best-case scenario: the weather will cooperate, we will spend several hours at the pool, see lots of old friends there, pop in on a few others and have an enjoyable evening visit with our friends.

Saturday morning we will retrieve ES and head up to Janesville. I am hoping to arrive early because I have always enjoyed visiting at the house of my sister-in-law's parents. The celebration is in the afternoon and should be a very joyous occasion. I can't wait to see Amelia's face when we give her this:


This is the namesake which Michelle Kemper Brownlow created for me as a gift for Amelia. Half of the proceeds of her namesakes go towards pediatric cancer. She is getting ready to open up another 24 hour window for placing orders, so be sure to visit Michelle's blog or her 4theKids site.

We will spend Father's Day back with my in-laws and my hubby will join us there. I headed out this morning to purchase supplies to make a special cake to honor hubby and grandpa, but when my husband came home for lunch he noticed the supplies and told me not to bother because his brother always buys an ice-cream cake. So, I guess I will have to postpone another cake adventure until we reach YS's half birthday at the end of this month. It is just as well, because I'm sure we'll have more than enough adventure this weekend.

Fun Little Site

Just wanted to mention a fun little site to visit. My niece Amelia, has a friend named Amber Dugan, who is fighting cancer. I don't know her personally, but from everything I have read, I can tell she is a creative, determined, up-beat kind of girl. She has her own website at www.livingeachday.piczo.com. I love the music she has chosen to go with the different pages (especially the Colbie Calliett song on the Children's Inn page). She used to have a picture of Amelia on her friends page, but nothing came up this time. I know she is working on updating the whole thing right now. I'm sure Amber would love more visitors (and I think she is trying to earn a rainbow on her site by gaining more visitors), so take a moment and check out her site. Plus say a little prayer for her as she battles this monster!

How Cool is This?!

When my niece, Amelia, completed her treatments for leukemia, her family decided to hold not one celebration, but two big celebrations in her honor. One was held in May in their hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and one will be held in June in Janesville, Wisconsin, the town where my brother and sister-in-law met and married. From the sounds of things on Amelia's caringbridge site, they had a blast at the first one.

I had been thinking that I would like to find some thing or some way to honor Amelia as we attend this celebration in Janesville. Michelle Kemper Brownlow saved the day! She offered a 24 hour window of time when you could order one of her hand-crafted namesakes. I just happened to visit her blog at the right moment and got my order in. The really neat thing about her offer is that 1/2 of the proceeds go to pediatric cancer. So, not only does this gift for Amelia honor her, but it also gives back to others who are fighting the pediatric cancer battle.

A while back, I received the namesake in the mail. It is perfect. The colors and princess theme fit Amelia to a T! Plus, Michelle added the scripture reference which their family has claimed throughout Amelia's leukemia battle. It might be the most special gift I've ever given. I took a few photos on my digital, but kept putting off posting it on my blog (I'm not that great of a photographer). We have been unable to access AOL for a while (I wish I could blame Comcast like Cardiogirl, but I can't!), so I haven't been logging on as often.

Imagine my surprise, when I logged on last night to find a picture of Amelia's namesake (Michelle decided to tackle it first, since it was needed by a June date as a gift) on Michelle's blog. Plus, she did a video explaining her passion behind this project and talked briefly about Amelia's namesake. Once she completes the first 14 orders, she will do another brief window of ordering.

Michelle also mentions her new site, called 4-the-kids, which is really worth checking out. If you visit this site, you can also see Amelia's namesake in the section about meeting the artists. Be sure to check out the stories of some of the cancer warriors (like Coleman - who is home and doing well after his stem cell transplant, despite some concerns over the spot in the scan still showing). And, if you want to do something to help fight pediatric cancer, without having to purchase a gift or spend a dime, please sign the petition at www.thepetitionsite.com/1/CureChildhoodCancer. If my link doesn't work, there is a link on the 4-the-kids site, too. They are hoping for a million signatures. Last I had heard, they had only secured 4,000. Please take a moment and sign the petition.

God Bless our Bling

A short time ago, Catherine wrote a post titled, "Full Quivers as Bling." She mentioned an article she had read in the Washington Post about affluent families having more children as a status symbol. She observed that someone interviewed in the article considered having 3 or more children to be "ostentatious."

This article notes that the average expense for raising an American child from birth to 18 is thought to be $204,060. Let's see, I have three - that would mean my bling comes to $612,180. I can assure you, we don't have that kind of money. We knew going into the third pregnancy that we really couldn't afford to have a third child. Some would fault us as irresponsible for going ahead and bringing my YS into the world with the full knowledge that we couldn't afford him. But, we were willing to do what it takes to make it affordable. We moved to family property to diminish our outgoing expenses for housing. We curtailed some of our spending habits (like eating out more frequently). If it ever became necessary, both my husband and I have graduate degrees, so I'm sure we could find a way to increase our income.

My children might be considered an investment worth over $600,000, but I view them as a precious gift from God. My father, with his five children, was forever quoting the passage in Psalms 127:3-5, which reads, "Children are a gift from God; they are his reward. Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows to defend him. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them." My children are the only "bling" I will ever be able to show off.

Another blogger, Lisa, who has her quiver full and also counts her children as more blessing than bling, wrote a wonderful post about this subject as well. She profiles each of her 8 luxury children next to photos of what they could have purchased instead. Then, she profiles her two "standard issues" as well. It was a truly lovely post. She also comments on what a sad plight it must be for children who are actually conceived in an effort to show status (and the plight of children who might be well provided for financially, yet famished throughout their lives emotionally and spiritually). However, I loved her take on this problem. She wrote, "God loves His babies, no matter who their parents are, and He's pouring down the graces, if only people will pick them up and use them."

So, here are some recent photos of my bling/blessings.

Don't let that hole in the pant-leg fool you - it's all bling, even the money-saving-mom-provided-trim (aka, butch job) on YS. ES won't let me near his hair - go figure?

ES - musician and monkey. MS - wishing his Superman outfit (minus the cape - on the ground, no doubt) allowed him to scale trees of this size.

And, even though this bling isn't mine - I have to share a photo (sorry it is old - couldn't find a newer one of Amelia by herself) and a word of congratulations, since my niece Amelia is now DONE-WITH-TREATMENT, CANCER-FREE, AND PORT-FREE! Truly PRICELESS!

Good News!

As I typed this title, my mind was filled with an old Ray Hildebrand song (I think only my family will appreciate this, since I've never seen his album anywhere else and would love to get my hands on it, since we grew up listening to it countless times), so I have to share the snippet that is running through my mind:

"GOOD NEWS! Children of God never die!
Good News - we are going to our home on high!"

And that leads to another song:

"What's that light in the eastern sky?
Looks like a ball of fire.
It's getting closer. The closer it comes,
Now it's as big as the sun.
It's JESUS, coming for me.
It's Jesus, coming for me.
No more pain, no more ... (here my memory goes fuzzy, sorry)."

This is what I was raised on! That, and listening to stories on records. I remember we had a whole series (I wish I could remember the name - something with a locomotion sound in the intro - and stories we never seemed to tire of) along with other records like "Suki and the Invisible Peacock" and "Hans Christian Andersen and the Silver Skates" and "Little Marcy Talks with the Animals." Perhaps this is why I tend to listen to books on tape with my children in the car and before nap-time. What cherished memories those are! To my siblings, do you remember coloring in our coloring books and listening to all those records?

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4/3/20 Update - During this pandemic isolation, I googled You Tube to see if I could listen to a Hildebrand song and discovered someone had uploaded the entire album - after I listened, I was shocked at how morbid some of the verses are for the "Good News" song - thankfully, my child-mind retained only the chorus and not the verses - ha! Here's the link for anyone interested in hearing nostalgic music from the 60's.

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Now, for the good news, besides the good news that children of God never die! My niece, Amelia, has been enduring treatments for ALL - a form of leukemia, for over two years. They just received word that her final spinal tap came back clear. She has only 5 more medications to receive and then an appointment to remove her port. What wonderful news to be able to share. She is a spunky, strong, resilient little girl (in fact, her name means "resilient!") and I am so thrilled that they have received this fantastic news.

I also wanted to share the results of the Colgate challenge that several of you helped with. While Amelia's hospital (St. Vincent's) didn't win the contest for Wisconsin, they did receive one fun center for participating. It was also interesting to learn, through comments on Amelia's blog, that the winning hospital is a location where most stem-cell transplant operations occur for patients in that state. So, everyone wins. Thanks to all of you who took time to vote.

Further, good news. I have been following Boothe Farley's blog ever since I learned of it. Boothe gave birth to a second daughter, Copeland, last year, but knew that Copeland would be heading to heaven early because she was diagnosed with Trisomy-18 while in the womb. Her words are always an inspiration and encouragement to my soul.

The blog has been silent for a while, so I don't check it as regularly. But, thankfully, when I checked last night, they had a new video to share (one their church produced to tell Copeland's touching story) and some really great news to share.

The only good news I have to share personally, is that today is the last day of spring break (not too sad to see Bryce head back to school and Trevor's PDO resume). Also, after very limited sleep last night, I was able to snag, not one, but TWO NAPS today! What a blessing! Anybody else GOT GOOD NEWS???

A Little Help from My Friends

Just wanted to put a sound-out requesting some help for my friends and family. When we lived in DeKalb, we developed a very close friendship with a wonderful family of girls down the street. There were three girls in the family and their mom was going to school. I had an only child who craved someone to play with, so I often invited the three girls down to our house after school for a few hours. We had tons of fun. This was my girl fix. I don't remember ever braiding their hair, but I do remember wonderful times baking, making crafts, running through sprinklers and lots and lots of playing.

We still miss their company and think of them often. In fact, the other day my MS asked my husband to play one of our Halloween CD's (a cheap one that came in a box of cereal, but one my kids have always loved because the music is fun). As soon as he put it on, my husband waxed nostalgic and pined for the days when those three girls would jump on our bed with my ES, while singing with that CD!

Anyway, the girls' mother, Jennifer, recently e-mailed to ask if I would send a postcard for her youngest daughter's school project. Her middle daughter (who was my ES's best friend for several years) had done the same project in school last year and I sent this sound out via e-mail. Last year, her daughter had a windfall response. So, I'm hoping that you can help her younger sister feel just as loved!

If you are from a state other than IL (or a different country), have a moment, and can afford to send a postcard from your area (I'll send one of the INDY 500) telling a little about where you are from, please send it to:

Macie Berg
c/o Prairie Hill School
14714 Willowbrook Road
S. Beloit, IL 61080

Thanks for helping out!

And, remember, there is only one week left to go to www.colgate.com/starlight and vote for my niece's hospital (St. Vincent's Hospital in Green Bay, WI) to win a mobile fun center for their pediatric unit. Amelia was there today for her LAST spinal tap in her course of treatment. If you want to see photos of my bald brother and nephew, visit Amelia's site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/ameliagorton . Thanks for casting as many votes as possible between now and March 31st.