Kicking cancer's ass - day 1556

30 Days of Gratitude - day 30

What talent or skill do I have that I am most grateful for?

I'm grateful that I can remember the words to just about every song I listen to.  Music means a lot to me, and most of the time the lyrics touch my heart. 

I can't carry a tune in a bucket, but that won't stop me from belting out the hits when I'm alone in my car.  Ha!

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1555

30 Days of Gratitude - day 29

What friend/family member am I grateful for today?

Today and every day, I am grateful for my mother. 
She was here for Thanksgiving and J's birthday, but had to leave this morning.  I'm always sad taking her to the airport, but especially this time after only a five day visit.

I'm thankful we had this time with her, and that she made it home safely.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1554

30 Days of Gratitude - day 28

What small thing that happened today am I grateful for?

This is no small thing, but my son, my baby boy.....
GOT HIS DRIVERS LICENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He was nervous, I was nervous, his Grammie was nervous.  He lost points for a few things, but he passed his driving test the first try. 

AND he drove himself back to school.  BY HIMSELF.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1553

30 Days of Gratitude - day 27

What small thing that I use daily am I most grateful for?

This is probably the easiest one.... my cell phone!

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1552

30 Days of Gratitude - day 26

What form of expression am I most grateful for?

I don't know if this counts, but I'm grateful for being able to share my life's story on Facebook.  I'm especially grateful for the "On this day" feature, which lets me relive special moments that I felt needed to be shared with my world.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1551

30 Days of Gratitude - day 25

What moment this week am I most grateful for?

I am grateful for the moment we saw my mom at the airport.  I'm grateful for safe travel, and that we get to spend the next few days with her.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1550

30 Days of Gratitude - day 24

What challenge am I grateful for?

I am grateful for this Gratitude challenge.
I'm grateful for so many things and I often forget to express that.  This 30 day challenge forces me to concentrate on all of the good in my life.

Blessings are abundant.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1549

30 Days of Gratitude - day 23

What tradition am I grateful for?

I'm grateful for the tradition of Thanksgiving at my brother- and sister-in-law's house.

This year we had 33 people!  There were grandparents, parents, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles, boyfriends and girlfriends.  Big kids, little kids and even a little baby. 

Lots of laughs, delicious food and treasured times.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1548

30 Days of Gratitude - day 22

What story am I grateful for?

I'm grateful for my friend Allyson Hendrickson's story, and the fact that it is being kept alive by Ally's Wish.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1547

30 Days of Gratitude - day 21

What song am I most grateful for?

I am grateful for Oh Come, All Ye Faithful.

It is my all-time favorite Christmas song and I have several different versions on my playlist.

This is the one I love best:

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1546

30 Days of Gratitude - day 20

Who in my life am I grateful for?

I am grateful for everyone who makes me and my little family a priority.

I am grateful for a mother who is one of my closest friends.
I am grateful for the man she married two years ago who makes her happy.

I am grateful for a husband who loves me in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, until death do us part (hopefully I long time from now!).
I am grateful for the two beautiful children he gave me, and the bonus son I got when I married Hubby.

I am grateful for my dad who sounds more and more like himself every time I talk to him.
I am grateful for the lady who loves him so much and dedicates every single minute of her life to taking care of him.

I am grateful for a brother who I commiserate over the Cowboys with, a friend that bitches and moans her way through a 5K with me (and indulges me without question when I suggest going to an oxygen bar), a softball family that makes me laugh and has given my daughter some wonderful friends, and an incredible team of doctors who help me kick cancer's ass. 

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1545

30 Days of Gratitude - day 19

What touch am I grateful for today?

Not the "touch" that this is probably meant to be, but I'm grateful that music touches my daughter's heart as much as it does mine.

She's my country music-singing, concert-loving musical girl and we had a GREAT time front row at Billy Bob's tonight!

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1544

30 Days of Gratitude - day 18

What piece of art am I grateful for?

I'm grateful for a lighthouse painting that my sister-in-law's sister painted for me a few years ago.  It was an unexpected and beautiful gift and it hasn't moved from my wall since I put it up.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1543

30 Days of Gratitude - day 17

What knowledge am I grateful for?

I'm grateful for knowing how to use a computer.  I'm not a techie, but I'm fairly computer-savvy, and I spend more time on my computer than I do sleeping!

I keep up with everyone on Facebook, I run a softball league web site, I shop, pay bills, order prescriptions and borrow books online.  I keep spreadsheets for fundraising, bills, Christmas lists and more.  I write this blog.

Hubby thinks I'm addicted to my computer.
Maybe I am, but there are worse things to be hooked on!

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1542

30 Days of Gratitude - day 16

What about my body am I grateful for?

That's a tough one.  I've always had a healthy dislike of my body.  I have always been too chunky, my hair too frizzy, my skin not clear.  Self-esteem is not my strong point.

In many ways I feel like my body has let me down. 
I've had two miscarriages.  I've had Lyme Disease.  I've had cancer.  Now I have lymphedema.  I'm not strong or fit or thin or athletic.  I am scarred.  I have a ton of gray hair.  My skin still isn't clear.

What I am most grateful for is that despite all of that, my body is healthy!  I may not be a size 2 or have long silky hair, but I am alive.  I am able to do everything I want to (except play golf..... need to get back out there!).  I was able to walk dozens of miles in Vegas.  I have no blood pressure problems, no cholesterol problems, no digestive problems.  I DO NOT HAVE CANCER!

So while my hate-hate relationship with how I look continues, even at age 44, I love the fact that my body is able to endure what life has thrown at me.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1541

30 Days of Gratitude - day 15

Oops.... I just realized that I read the picture wrong and I used today's on day 12.  So today I will do day 12. 

What texture am I grateful for?

I'm grateful for fleece.  When it's chilly outside and I'm just lounging around the house, my micro fleece pants and/or my fleece blanket are SO cozy!

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1540

30 Days of Gratitude - day 14

What sight am I grateful for today?

I'm grateful for the sight of my husband and children waiting for me at the airport.  When you are a wife and mom 24/7, and then you are away for 5+ days, it's relaxing to be away but a relief to come back home.

I'm so thankful to have this time away with my friend.  Eating what I want, going where I want, sleeping as much as I want, with some fabulous food and some gambling thrown in..... absolutely divine.  S and I have had the BEST time.  Even though we haven't seen each other since last year's trip, it doesn't matter.  It's like no time has passed.  We are great travel companions and fun roommates. 

There's only so much time "off" I can take, though.  Literally and figuratively.  I couldn't wait to see my children's smiling faces and get a hug from my Hubby.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1539

30 Days of Gratitude - day 13

What abilities am I grateful for?

I am grateful for the ability to walk.  I'm in Las Vegas for my annual trip with my girl S, and part of that annual trip is walking the Rock n Roll 5K.  (We tried walking/jogging last year and that didn't go over so well!)  Despite the fact that we are both NOT conditioned at all and have done zero "exercise" walking in months, we did the 5k AND we got faster each mile.  Rock on!

We did not rent a car for our trip, so aside from a cab ride to the hotel and a few trips on the monorail, our feet are taking us everywhere we want to go.  It's a good thing, because I need to walk about 10 miles a day to burn off the food and drinks we're consuming! 

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1538

30 Days of Gratitude - day 12

What season am I grateful for?

Autumn is my favorite season, by far.  I love crisp fall weather.  I love football season.  I love wearing boots and jeans and sweaters.  I love baking.  I love the holidays that fall leads up to.

I live in Texas.  Spring starts early, is WINDY and rainy, and doesn't last long.  Then summer blasts in, and it's just HOT and WINDY.  For a long time.  Winter is a crap shoot.  Sometimes it's mild and dry, sometimes we get five inches of snow. 

Fall is the best, hands down.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1537

30 Days of Gratitude - day 11

What holiday am I grateful for?

Since today is Veteran's Day, I am grateful for that.  My dad is a Viet Nam veteran.  My stepson is a veteran.  A lot of my friends are married to active duty military or veterans. 

There's a lot of hate in the world right now, and there's a lot of craziness that makes me worried for the future... but one thing that remains the same is that I'm forever grateful to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  Those are not just words from a song to me.  Even on a bad day, compared to other parts of the world, we have it so good here.  I'm thankful for everyone who serves our country so we can continue to live free.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1536

30 Days of Gratitude - day 10

What taste am I grateful for today?

I'm grateful for mint.  I love everything mint.... gum, chocolate-mint, life savers, candy canes.... but most especially MENTOS!

Mints saved my bacon during chemo.  Did you know when you get your port flushed, you can TASTE  the saline flush?  It's horrible.  I learned about halfway through if I popped a mint in my mouth before, I could make that better.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1535

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 9

What place am I most grateful for?

This one is easy today. 

VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!

I love Vegas.  I love sightseeing and people watching and eating good food and gambling. 

Hubby loves Vegas, too, but he won't fly.  And we have kids at home.  And he has a full time job.  So know what that means? 

GIRLS TRIP!   😍😍😍

I'm meeting my good friend S there and rooming with her for a long weekend.  I haven't seen her since our Vegas trip last year, which is way.too.damn.long! 

I'm hopefully seeing some of my KCA girls while I'm there.

I'm hopefully seeing my brother.

And I'll be running the Rock n Roll 5k (ok, let's be honest, I'll be walking it and complaining the whole time) in honor of my friend, my fellow warrior, my KCA sister Nichole.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1534

30 Days of Gratitude - day 8

What book am I most grateful for?

Can I just say that I am grateful for books.... period?
I can't narrow it down to just one.  I'm a reader.  I've always been a reader.  I used to be able to read hundreds of books each year.  Then cancer happened and chemo brain turned me into a tween with ADHD and Alzheimer's.  It's incredibly hard to focus for any length of time, so my progress on my to-be-read piles is very slow.

I don't care.  I still love to read, and unless it's football, Dancing with the Stars or the CMA Awards, you will always find me reading instead of watching tv.   It just takes me a little longer (ok, a lot longer) these days to get through a book.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1533

30 Days of Gratitude - day 7

What memory am I grateful for?

Memories are made much easier to reminisce about thanks to "On this day" in Facebook!  ha ha   For someone with chemo brain who can't usually remember why she walked into a room, looking back each morning on what happened that day in previous years is a neat little time travel trip.

Today my "On This Day" was filled with the high school state marching band competition from last year.  It was an incredible experience.  For my son to participate and compete at such a high level with his band in his freshman year was amazing. 

They didn't make it to the finals, but just to make it there, experience the trip with his bandmates, have his family there watching...... incredible.

Unfortunately there is a dumb UIL rule that bands can only compete every other year.  So no state competition this year.  Something to look forward to.... and more memories to be made!

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1532

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 6

What in nature am I grateful for?

I am grateful for sunshine.  On that note, I make a lot of jokes about "godforsakenwesttexas", but I'm grateful to live in Texas where sunshine is abundant.

I have a lot of friends who live in the pacific northwest, and I honestly don't know how they do it.  I know it's gorgeous up there (they've told me).... but when the majority of your days are cloudy at best and it rains all of the time....I would be so depressed.

The only time I'm not thankful for the Texas sun is in the summertime.  One hundred degrees in the sun feels like two thousand degrees.  No thank you!

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1531

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 5

What sound am I grateful for?

Although I'm not hearing it right now because she spent the night at a friend's house, I'm grateful to hear the sound of my daughter playing the clarinet.

She's a beginner, and sounds very much like a beginner (ha ha), so the sound isn't always pleasant, but she is enjoying it so much.  I loved band when I was in school.  Her big brother loves band and is in his fifth year of playing.

I'm very sentimental, and it touches my heart that my girl is learning to play the same clarinet that I played in school.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1530

  

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 4

What food am I most grateful for?

I'm grateful for salad.  Not only because I love salad (especially if someone else prepares it!), but because it contains some of the few vegetables my children will eat.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1529

30 Days of Gratitude - day 3

What color am I grateful for?

I'm grateful for the color brown.

Three of the most important people in my world have brown hair and brown eyes.  They are so beautiful to me.

Monday I have a hair appointment, and I will be so grateful for the brown hair color that will cover my chemo-given gray hair.  I had quite a bit of gray hair before cancer, but if I didn't color my hair now, I would be 75% gray.  Uh, no.

Brown is the color of wood, footballs and chocolate. 

Brown is the color of my favorite boots and my favorite sweater. 

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1528

30 days of Gratitude - day 2

What technology am I grateful for?

I am grateful for every single bit of medical technology that helped my physicians find my cancer.

As I said the other day, mammograms have been used for decades, but in my case the mammogram wasn't enough.  Since I was diagnosed, I've had ultrasounds, biopsies, x-rays, CT scans, bone scans, PET scans, MRI.... you name it, I've had it.

And I'm so thankful that I live in an age when those kinds of tests are available.  Thirty years ago, doctors may have kept looking at my "sort of" clear mammograms and not done anything else until it was too late.

Kicking cancer's ass - day 1527

Happy November!

Unfortunately this month is not starting out on a stellar note for our family.  Hubby is still down and out with pneumonia.  I have something.... not sure what, but I'm achy and have a sinus headache that won't quit.  And K texted me at lunch saying she was sick to her stomach, so Hubby had to go pick her up.  She came home and slept for SIX HOURS!  😲

So....on this first day of "30 days of gratitude".... what smell am I thankful for? 

This might sound silly, (but if you are in love with someone you'll get it) I'm thankful for the smell of my hubby's neck.  💕

He's been practically bedridden for a week with pneumonia, and with me having a compromised immune system, I've been keeping my distance.  Now that he's been on antibiotics for a week AND I have my own set of germs, I finally gave up being careful and hugged my husband.

That clean, masculine scent that is all him when I press my face into his neck?  That's the smell I'm grateful for today.