Cinco de Relay

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I'm asking all my followers (or readers!) to donate $5 to my Relay For Life page...you know Cinco de Relay!!!

If you dont mind, would you follow this link to my Relay page and make a donation?

Anything helps.  We are working towards $5 Million this year in the state of Arkansas and today could be a huge step in that direction!

Are you a Relayer looking for some other ideas?  See if any of these help!

• Donate $5 yourself—can you imagine how much we could raise if every participant gave $5 in honor of Cinco de Mayo?
• Why not donate $5 for every year you have participated in Relay For Life?
• Survivors—why not donate $5 for every year you have been a survivor (or every decade!)
• You could give someone a ‘ole High-Five by praising a job well done with a $5 donation to Relay For Life.
• Post a message on Facebook and twitter and ask your followers to  donate to Relay—Make sure and include a link to your personal donation page.

Together we can make a difference to finish the fight!

AWBU13

Well, its official, I've registered for the Arkansas Women's Bloggers Conference.  I made the comment to my co-worker that it means I have to start blogging more!  I promise I want to and I will TRY to do better.  I dont really do anything extra super fun so I dont have much extra super fun to post.

I have been spending tons of time with my awesome volunteers in Northwest Arkansas getting ready to Relay all over.  We have already had several Relays including a fabulous night in Berryville this past Friday.  I officially worked 24 hours on Friday (and Saturday morning).  But, it was so worth it.  the passion of these volunteers drives me to want to be better!

Love what I get to do!

If you are in Arkansas and are a blogger, you should make plans to join us September 6-7 at Ferndale Conference Center for what promises to be a fun, refreshing weekend of making lots of new buddies!

Life List

In May, the American Cancer Society will celebrate its 100th birthday. In my role with ACS, I learn more everyday about the amazing things they have accomplished in that time and more about the people's lives they have saved. 

As part of our celebration we are creating Life Lists.  What have you accomplished to date?

It was interesting as I was working on mine to really thing about what is an "accomplishment".  Is it something I think is notable or I think other people would think is notable?  I have a feeling as I go through my day that some different things will hit my list (I should have put competitive donkey basketball on there!).  But for today this is where I see myself. 

What I'm more excited about are the days in front of us.  The days where we see Relay For Life and other events as a celebration of life and the cure for cancer.  The day where we work ourselves out of a job.  The day where 3 out of 3 people survive cancer. That's the boxes I'm waiting to check off!

What about you?  What are some notable things you've accomplished?  What are some things you still have on your life list?

www.cancer.org/lifelist

birthday sponsor

Its official...my birthday has a sponsor this year! 

Make that the American Cancer Society....the official sponsor of birthdays. 

In honor of my 5 year cancer free anniversary and my birthday on the 21st, I'm asking you to consider a donation to my Relay For Life team.  If you would like to join me in the fight against cancer and would like to make an investment in my team, please make a donation of any amount to my team. 

I'm turning 31, so if you need a suggestion, you can start there or $5 per year for 5 years.  Either way, I'd be grateful for you joining me in the fight.  This year the American Cancer Society is celebrating its 100th birthday and we are committed to finishing the fight and making this cancers last century!!!

I remember being diagnosed 1 month before my 25th birthday and thinking that 31 may never come.  Then last year, I ushered in my 30th birthday at my local Relay for Life event and celebrated and amazing weekend with my amazing friends.

Birthdays should always be special.  They are a celebration of life, a moment to thank the Lord for the blessings He has brought and a chance to reflect on where we have come.

Thanks for supporting our work!

amazing friends, part deaux

So my post yesterday about "amazing friends" really had me thinking last night about what really makes an amazing friend.  I'm sure we could all define these different ways, but for me, it boils down to having a few specific people in mind who have been consistently amazing friends.

I'm fortunate in my life to have lots of people that I call friends...but amazing friends, those are a little different;

Amazing friends-

• think of you when they eat at your favorite restaurant - and may or may not rub it in your face when they are there without you!
• make your priorities their priorities
• pick up right where you left off even if its been months since you've seen them
• support you in the things that are important for you, even if its hard or no where they personally want to be
• send you messages of encouragement right when you need them
• read a quote, hear a verse, watch a video and think of you and take the extra moment to share the words you need to hear, even if they are hard to hear
• don't apologize for saying what needs to be said
• think its beautiful when you do the ugly cry
• get as giddy as you do about the special moments of your life
• dream bigger dreams for you
• read between the lines and help you put the puzzle pieces together
• push you to be your best...even when complacency is easier
• can read through the "I'm ok" even if you are just talking by email, text or over the phone
• celebrate all your successes - big and small

So blessed and grateful to have people in my life that I call friends.  What about you...what makes a friendship special?

When I transitioned to NWA, I ran across a quote on Pinterest that said "Family is not always the people you are born to, it can be the people who you share in life's journey".  I love this quote and reflect back to it weekly when I think about the amazing people that I get to share life's journey with.

amazing friends

I tell you what, I signed in to facebook this afternoon and found the sweetest surprise.  I was reminded this afternoon what a difference amazing friends can make in your life.  Near or far amazing friends make life worth living.  And, when they make the things that are a priority in your life a prioroty in theres, it means so much.

Thank you Jon Merryman for this post this afternoon.  It totally made my day!!! 

We never know how the small little gestures that take us a few extra mintues of work and whole lot of thoughtfulness will turn around someone's day....my case of the "monday's" is gone....

Love my sweet friends

Jon Merryman


6 hours ago .

In honor of Keisha Pittman's birthday and Clark County Relay for Life both this weekend, KP is featured in Cone Bottoms this week! You can also make a donation to the American Cancer Society in honor of Keisha's birthday here! http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=30017052&pg=personal&fr_id=51202

5 years clear

Its so hard to believe that its been 5 years since I started this journey here. 

5 years ago this weekend, I was experiencing my first chemo treatment.  Crazy to think how far I've come in that time.  How far my heart has been stretched, how much I've grown, the new friends I've made and the new journey I've embarked upon.

Last Friday I had my 5 year appointment.  I must admit it was very uneventful.  Not really the moment and fanfare I guess I expected.  I'm not sure if I thought trumpets and birthday horns were going to arrive for a party, but it was just one of those...well everything looks great and I don't have to see you for another year kind of appointments.  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that's the case, I just had waited...well, 5 years.  When you end chemo, you get to ring a bell and the nurses are awesome about celebrating with you.  It really reminded me what this experience must be like for Dr. M.  He sees a person and tells them the worst news ever and goes next door and tells another person the news they've been waiting 5 years for.   I think we forget what this process is like for our medical team too.

Thankfully, my family came in and we played a couple days.  We hit the First Friday Food Truck festival in downtown Little Rock and of course an afternoon of retail therapy.  What would an oncology trip to Little Rock be without that?

 

 

I think more that the amazing spring trees that were blooming served as a better reminder of where we are.  Each spring these trees come back in full bloom and show what they are made of.  No matter how harsh the winter is or how much they bear when their leaves are all pulled off, they come out on the other side in full bloom.  Tulip trees and Bradford Pears are my favorite this time of year.

 

 

It was a fresh reminder that I have nothing but opportunities in front of me.  Nothing but the possibility to use the experiences I have had to make the days in front of me even better than the ones behind.  I love the fresh reminder of these blooms and commit to claiming Genesis 50:20 for the
coming days.