It's a Halloween PAR - TY !!

On October Thirty One

 when the sun goes to rest~

It's the night of Halloween

 when FUN is at it's best

YEP!  It's that awesome time of year again.  Witches, pumpkins, ghosts and candy!  I'm not really sure WHY I like Halloween so much.  I don't like zombies and I don't like evil-looking hatchet-cropping goons.  But I like the fun of dressing as something you're not and wearing crazy makeup.  I like wigs and flashy accessories.

This year I had my 3rd annual Grandma's Halloween party.  I was actually pretty excited when my 15 year old grandson asked if I was going to have my party and then came!!  The other kids were excited as well and dressed in their finery.  My guests included: Mike, from Monsters, Inc. (aka Sam), Little Red Riding Hood (aka Lennon), a Teenager (aka Dyson), the Mystery Man (aka Colby), a Ninja Zombie (aka Max) and a Zombie Football Player (aka Hank).  Annie, Randy, Jenni and Scott were lurking around as well.  

The games were awesome as always.  The kids have LOTS of enthusiasm when in heated competition.

On game was to guess the number of Candy Corns in the pumpkin jar.  Hank - my cute little DIABETIC grandson - won!!  He knows his candy!!

Hank, Randy, Sam and candy corn jar

The big hit in the prize area was a toy called the "giggle tube".....  let your imagination run with that one!

Lennon playing with her "giggle tube"

The kids couldn't get enough of "Monster Twister".  Even when the party was done they kept playing.  They even challenged Randy to a game.

Max twisting away

Colby playing it safe

Hank calling out the moves 

Randy gave up and went back to walking the World Series while the kids kept playing.  Is he getting old??

Who is winning? The Twister game or the World Series?

 Mike (aka Sam) is enjoying watching the boys play....

Next year Sam... maybe

The following night Jenni dressed up as ........ something scary.... to take Dyson and two of his friends on a Halloween adventure .... visiting haunted sites in American Fork. The boys didn't know who was driving them around at first.

BOO!  

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! 

Making Strides 2013

Let's make BIGGER strides and END Cancer - All kinds

Let's research treatments that work against Stage IV cancers

SATURDAY OCTOBER 12, 2013 - American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Once again I had amazing support with so many family and friends that showed up at Liberty Park.  I also had support from numerous family and friends that could not be there.  Believe me, every single person's support means SO much!!  THANK YOU, truly, from the bottom of my heart.  I love you all so much!!

But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.  For several weeks I have experienced a bad pain in the back of my leg, behind my knee.  Once you've had cancer these things make you a little nervous.  I felt around (many times) for anything that resembled a lump.  FINALLY on Monday I called the doctor's office. The nurse was concerned that it might be a blood clot so I went in for an x-ray and ultimately an ultra sound.  It turned out to be a "bakers cyst" which is fluid collecting.  I was given 800 mg Ibuprofen and told that sometimes exercise will help.  Ok - hard to exercise when you can't walk but.....  Anyway, Friday night it was very very painful and I could hardly walk by the time I went to bed.  MY walk (that I had been planning on for months) was the next morning!!!  I was awake most of the night elevating my leg and doing the ice pack thing.  

Saturday morning - Wahoooo - it felt better!  I could walk without too much of a limp.  Scott and I donned our Walkers For Knockers shirts and headed up to Salt Lake City to meet our team!! 

Walkers For Knockers 2013

I had some great supports again this year!!  I can always count on Scott.  He was the official photographer for me.  Plus my "crutch" after the walk.

Scott and I leaving for the walk

I appreciate and am grateful that Jenni, Lynn and kids and Randy, Annie and kids live close and that they have been so supportive of me this past year.  They are all so busy with their own lives.  

Jenni, Dyson, Colby, Lennon and I

Randy, Annie, Hank, Max, Sam and I

From Scott's family - Nick, Cameron, Tiffany and McKennah came to walk with us.  Nick has actually worn a 'pink' bracelet in support of finding a cure for Breast Cancer for over one year.

Cameron, Tiffany and McKennah

Nick, me, Hank, Janell

I was fortunate to have some good friends show up as well.  Helen and I reconnected via Facebook.  Helen is actually my former (step) daughter in-law. She and her brother, Andrew,  came. They actually ran the walk but it was great to see them.

Andrew, Helen, me, Colby, Hank

My amazing friends Janell and Angie both came.  Angie's husband Chad and their daughter came with her.  Jenni's friends (and mine!) Meisha (she came last year) and Kelly came as well as their daughters.

me, Angie, Chad, Mattie, Janell

Meisha, Jenni, Kelly

AND there was MORE support from those who couldn't make the walk.  Rusty, Collette and Owen back in Wisconsin.  Rick and Anna in Portland.  My sister Sheryl in Arizona and my brother Alan, his wife Pam and daughter Nicki in Las Vegas.  My nephew Daniel attending dental school, Scott's brother Bruce in St George and his ENTIRE family.  My amazing and special friends Jill and Charlotte (aka Charly).  

My sweet Wisconsin family
Rusty, Collette and Owen

My cute Portland couple
Rick and Anna

My sister Sheryl in Arizona
She even wore her shirt to the  doctor's office

My brother Alan, his wife Pam and daughter Nicki
Las Vegas

Nephew Daniel - dental school
Las Vegas

Bruce and Margie Boyle and their family
St George

Amazing friend Jill
(she's waiting for knee surgery so couldn't walk)

SUPER HERO friend Charly (aka Charlotte)
My cancer/chemo buddy! 

So many other family and friends supported me in my walk with well wishes and thoughts AS WELL AS supported me throughout this past year!  I am so grateful and love you all!

More random pictures from the walk~

Max and Hank had pink hair 

Starting out

And we're off!!

Jenni, Kelly, Meisha and kids

Coming in at the end

Annie and Sam

We made it!!

 That evening Scott and I went up to Sugar House Park for Charly's 'LIGHT the Night Walk' for Leukemia to support her and her family.  That was another great event!  We received a lantern (light for the walk).  Yellow was In Remembrance,  White was Survivor and Red was Supporter.  They gave me a White as I'm a cancer-y person too.  It really was an amazing site to watch all those colors walk around Sugar House park in the dark.  

Team Charly's Angels

Grateful that I could 'Light the Night' for Charly!

It was an amazing day!

Begrudge Me Not

I have read comments on Facebook and on several blogs from women (mostly stage IV breast cancer) who HATE all the pink in October. They are upset with the way that supporting "pink" has become a way for a person or an organization to "make a buck".  I am in total agreement that there are a lot of people abusing the fight and/or cause of Pink and breast cancer. I can appreciate and somewhat support their opinion.  I don't like people using Breast Cancer as a way to get others to support their trips to a run or bike in a race.  I don't like the little pink packages and all the pink items in the stores that will donate very little, if anything, to finding treatments for advance cancer.  People are making money off of others sympathy and concern.  It's not right.

I do not know what it feels like to be at Stage IV with breast cancer.  I hope I will never find out.  However, I do know what it is like to be scared about what being diagnosed with cancer means, worried about how much things will change and praying that the chemo works.  I know what it's like to "look" alright on the outside but feel lousy on the inside.  I know what it's like to wake up in the morning and have a meltdown because you don't want to receive another treatment of chemo.  I know what it's like to see the hurt and tears in your loved ones eyes.

I support the "pink" American Cancer Society walk. I support their quest to finish the fight and get a cure for cancer. I have a team name.  The name would totally offend those that "hate" pink and think the world as a whole is making "light" of breast cancer.  Believe me, nothing about Breast Cancer is "light". This cancer has changed my life forever. It's taken things from me - physical things - that I will never get back.  My daughter suggested the name of my team while I was in the mist of chemo treatments and recovering from surgery. We knew cancer was terrible. The surgery was horrible - the chemo treatments were becoming more brutal with their side effects.  We didn't want to dwell on terrible.  We wanted to be able to wear pink, do a walk and smile.

I found at the ACS walk last year, a lot of support.  Yes, there was some rah rah rah-ing going on (we didn't get into that).  Yes, there was a lot of pink and booths with free items.  BUT there were also a lot of women there that had gone through a similar experience as I was experiencing.  There was SUPPORT.  

So while my Stage IV cancer sisters might not like the support I give in wearing a T-shirt and doing a walk with ACS - I want them to realize I do this for the support I receive.  I would ask that their criticism be directed to those that do not use the money raised, appropriately. I would ask that they do not begrudge me for where I go or what I do for support.  I wish for a cure for cancer - especially late stage.  I pray for that and for them, daily.  

BTW... I'm really not a fan of pink!  

Cure Cancer
Beat Cancer
End Cancer