Harper Goes to MDO!

So so behind.  Harper and I started back to MDO the same week as the kids.  I was a few days late joining the team, but Mimi took Harper for her 1st day.  Harper just loves school.  She loves being in the 2 year old room, having juice for snack, and doing worksheets in class.  She is such a big girl and makes me laugh every single day!!!
  She is wearing panties a lot, but still doesn't like to poop in the potty.  We are getting there.  She took gifts to her teachers the first day, compliments of Kelly.  I just couldn't do life without her.  So thankful for this friend.
 

Granny Dee Dee.

Last week was a hard week.  I have said this before, but Kevin has been so blessed to still have all 4 of his grandparents living.  My kids have known 4 great grandparents that love them very much.  Granny Dee Dee met Jesus last Wednesday, the day she was supposed to be heading back home to Savannah from Vanderbilt.  She spent 24 days in the hospital.  Big Da and Marcy spent 24 days taking care of her, driving back and forth from Savannah. 
  I came home from taking the big kids to school that morning and Kev told me.  Harper had the stomach virus the day before and I had stayed home with her.  Kev took off Wednesday to be with her.  God took care of our family and met all our needs that week.  (As he does every week)  Kev was at home when he got the call instead of at work which was a blessing.  He was so upset.  We were also protected from the stomach virus and no one else got it.  Praise the Lord!!
  We headed to Savannah and stayed till Sunday.  I have never seen anyone look more beautiful in death.  Let me tell you how precious this lady was to me.  After I got diagnosed, she began sending me cards in the mail...all the time.  She would send stickers for the kids and and for years had been giving Kev and I a little money here and there.  She did it for all her grandchildren and was generous without fault.  Well, Marcy gave me 3 cards she found at the house that Dee Dee never got around to mailing.  One was from the week before she got sick.  One had a check in it to buy a wig because she heard I was going to lose my hair.  I will treasure those cards forever.
  She had a whole room in her house dedicated to Christmas.  It is filled with trees and ornaments.  Everytime we go to their house the kids spend time in that room.  She loved us all and we all loved her.  I am so thankful for my Savannah family.  She is missed and was loved by many.  But praise the Lord we will see her again!!
  Turner thought it would be a good idea to write cards to Dee Dee and tape them to balloons to send it to heaven.  We thought that was a great idea!!  They wrote the sweetest cards, which ended up pulling the balloons down.  But we were able to send up balloons and give Landis the cards to keep.  This was my kids first funeral and Turner had a hard time.  I think Harper brought comfort to Landis by giving him lots of loving and the kids were well behaved.  The one plus to this trip was we were able to meet sweet cousin Wilkes.  We are all in love and can't wait to see him again!

1st, 3rd, and 4th!

Last Monday was a big day at our house.  First day of school and we have now have a 1st and 3rd grader!  Where has the time gone?  They were pretty excited, even though they say they don't like school;)  We took our 1st day of school pics and were out the door.
  I had my 4th and final (of this type) round of chemo.  My friend Kelly took me, and my parents had Harper.  Kev took off from football so he could pick up the kids and hear about their day.  I don't really remember much about that afternoon.  I just slept....
  The kids did have a good first day and week.  Kev had a good first week as well.  Thankful he is at Bartlett and close by.  Harper starter back at MDO on Wednesday.  That post will be next.

Registration Day!

  A little behind, but last Tuesday we went to Oak to find out Maddie and Turner's teachers.  Mimi went with us and we are thrilled with their teachers.  Turner has Mrs. Piland, who was also Maddie's 1st grade teacher and Maddie has Mrs. Wilson, whom we have heard great things.  It was a little weird to walk through the school with a hat and no hair....a lot has changed since school let out for summer.  The principal asked me how I was feeling and everyone was super nice.  Sometimes I feel like I need a sign taped to my shirt that says "Hair gone from cancer, not by choice". 
  After we visited the classrooms, Boo Boo picked us up for an outing to Midtown.  We were going to eat at Belly Acres, but the ac was out so we ate at Babalous.  It was delicious!  We never go to Midtown and I plan on changing that.  So many neat little places.  Afterwards we stopped at Sweet Noshings, an ice cream and candy store.  My kids were in Heaven!!  We ate ice cream, picked out candy, and even spun the wheel for the bean boozle challenge.  It was a great way to celebrate Registration Day!

Build A Bear, Yes I Lost my Mind!

I like to think that I try and save money.  I coupon pretty regularly, try to buy on sale, etc.  I also know that my love language is gifts....I like to give as much as I like to receive:)  I really like surprising the kids with happies and it always makes me happy as well.  I realize this probably contributes to their bratty level, and they probably don't appreciate things as they should.  So I am going to work on this....after this post obviously.
  Last Monday I decided to take the kids to Build a Bear.  It was the last week of summer, I had a coupon, they had money, and they all love stuffed animals.  Would you believe on the way to the mall I got a call with the results from my genetic testing.  I probably should have have just gone home, but we didnt.  I actually got good news- don't carry the brca gene which is great news for my kiddos and means I am not a higher risk for ovarian cancer.  So I won't have to have a hysterectomy.  Great news!!!
  She just didn't seem that excited on the other end of the line.....turns out they did find a mutation that puts me at a higher risk for colon cancer.  Fun times right?  Let me say it really just increases my risk about 10% and after thinking about it, it isn't that big of a deal.  God has the final say anyway right?  But as we were pulling into the mall, I was feeling defeated.  I mean I already have breast cancer, why are we even going to talk about colon cancer today.
  So I did what most mom's would do I am sure.  I marched into Build a Bear and watched my kids pick out their animals, then their clothes, then $142 later with the coupon......not my wisest shopping trip.  But the kids had a lot of fun, it got my mind off colon cancer, and I probably won't do that again;)
  This hasn't been the summer of our dreams, and although the kids have still done PLENTY, I have felt a bit sorry for them.  Or maybe for myself.  But either way, they have new stuffed animals and we enjoyed our outing.  Hate summer is coming to an end, but I think the routine will be good for us all!

Quick Savannah Trip

We decided to squeeze one more quick trip to Savannah in before school started back.  We left at 8:30 Thursday night and stayed till Saturday after lunch.  We were able to go to Sophia's birthday party, visit with Big Da for a minute, and see all the grandparents except Dee Dee.  She is in the hospital in Nashville and we are hoping she gets to come home on Wednesday.  This has been a rough year for the grandparents I tell you....but we are so thankful to have all 4 of them still with us.  Amazing really!
  Nonna was able to spend a lot of time at home and the kids got lots of playing time in with the cousins.  Harper has been wearing panties a lot lately.  She is kind of potty training herself and does great about pee peeing in the potty.  Pooping....that's a different story.  So Nonna let her pick out a toy and we put it in the bathroom as a reward for pooping in the potty.  Well, we brought the toy home with us and it is hanging out in our bathroom.  After pooping in her panties yesterday, we are back to wearing diapers.  Chemo isn't meant to be taken while trying to potty train.  So.......we will let her try again another day;)
   It was a quick trip, but a good one.  The ride home was a different story.  I got all kinds of sick and remained that way the rest of the night.  I do believe a healthy diet is key in how I feel during all of this.  I didn't eat that great and drank 3 cokes which is more than I have had in a month.  The days I load up on fruits, veggies, and water are definitely my better days. 
  Thankful for our Savannah family, even though Maddie stoops into a depression every time we leave;)  Ha!