Summer's Over

As I sit here, early on a Saturday morning, enjoying my coffee(no more tea for me) it hits me that summer is over. The weather has been gorgeous so I haven' t really paid attention to the calendar. It is still dark and chilly-I'm debating about whether to turn the heat on! I'm thinking back to what a great summer we had. I joked a lot in June about our summer plans being soccer, soccer and more soccer! It was so much more.

We experienced Yosemite National Park for the first time and hopefully not the last. Wow! It is so incredibly beautiful. The weekend was spent enjoying nature and family. My cousin's wedding was the perfect opportunity to spend time with my extended family. We don't get much chance to do that as we are spread all over. Meeting new family members and reconnecting with old ones made the trip memorable. Getting to see Yosemite was a huge bonus. Most importantly it was about spending time with my Grandma and watching the kids with her. It was our last weekend with her. She passed away in August. We were lucky to have that time with her and all of my family.

Next came the Rock n Roll half marathon-was I crazy? Looking back I'm not sure what I was thinking other than I had decided to do it & I was too stubborn to quit! I think I mananged to train on determination alone cause I sure as hell didn't have the energy. Terry was there every step of the way, usually a few feet in front of me, encouraging & pushing me to the finish. We did it, running slowly the whole way. Thanks to great friends for being there to share the moment. Can't wait till next year-shouldn't be too hard to beat my time!

Of course there were lots of BBQs with friends and kids fun. While I won't get into detail, I will say we have the best group of friends.

Nicholas went to Cascades Camp again year but this time it was for a week! We were a little nervous but really excited to have him go. The house was much quieter with only Alyssa & she missed her brother. He came home so filled with stories that he didn't stop talking about it for more that an hour. The only thing I wish for next year is that he changes his shirt! Supposedly he showered & changed the rest of his clothes. We bought him a camp shirt & he lived in it all week! Yuck!

Alyssa had gymnastics and soccer camps this summer. She loves anything where she can be social! Her birthday was one of her highlights. They are allowed one Chuck E Cheese party & this was her year. What a blast! She also talked us into a sleepover with her 2 best friends. We all survived.

Chicago was what we looked forward too all summer. In August the kids flew by themselves to see my parents & sister's family. Nicholas has flown several times by himself but this was Alyssa's first time. I think we all were excited and nervous. I wondered whether they would fight or spill on some poor adult that had to sit by them, figured they'd both have to go to the bathroom as soon as the fasten seatbelt sign was on. They were great, no fighting, nothing left on the plane. They did spill but fortunately it was in the airport.

The week was packed with activities. The kids and grandparents were exhausted when it was over. There was a night at a waterpark, boating, tubing, jetskiing, fishing and lots of time with their cousins. A trip they will remember for a long time. Terry & I spent the week enjoying our vacation at home. A whole week without the kids, what will we do? It went by so fast, like all vacations. We spent the time eating, drinking and spending money, just like if we'd actually gone somewhere!

At the start of summer, I was almost dreading soccer. Nicholas started playing select this year for the first time. I thought it would take over all of our time. I can't believe how much fun it is. We are lucky to be on a team with some good friends but also some fun new friends. The tournaments were so exciting. The boys finished 2nd in their brackett in one and narrowly missed the championship game in the other. Wow! It was great watching them come together as a team. I can't wait to see how the season unfolds.

Our summer ended as it started, a BBQ with good friends. I know fall will be just as great as summer. I may still whine about how much time soccer takes but other than getting up early on a Saturday mornings, I love it. There is nothing better than watching the kids doing activities they love! Now I know why my parents sat through all those basketball games & track meets.

Hopefully this was worth the wait. I'll try not to take 4 months to write again. If you have time check out the Loverich Family blog, Johnene's post about the Miley Cyrus concert is incredible. She is a gifted writer. My thoughts on the concert were similar but there is no way I could write them as well! Enjoy!

Norwegian Dancing

Here are a couple of Alyssa's perfomances. The videos are each about a minute & a half. Most of you will be bored so skip it. It seemed to be the easiest way to share with family!

Viking Fest

Last weekend was Poulsbo's annual Viking Fest. It's the usual small town festival with rides, food and a very long parade. The adults have discovered that the parade is much better with beverages! This year it was mojitos! Perfect on a warm sunny day! My parents & nephew, Jake, came out to enjoy the fun with us.

The weekend started & ended with Nick's baseball games. His team is having a great year, only losing one game. The first was a blowout on a chilly evening. Grandma & Grandpa loved it. Sunday afternoon we played the only team that beat us. It was a great game which we won. Nicholas had his first triple of the year! Too bad Grandma & Grandpa had gone home that morning!

Alyssa was so excited about Viking Fest this year because she was in the parade. She has been doing Norwegian dancing all year. They performed on the waterfront Friday evening to kick off Viking Fest. She was great! She couldn't wait for the parade. I don't think she realized how far they'd be walking! The little kids are so cute in their bunads!

Of course the rides & carnival games are the best part for the kids! Jake was determined to hang with his older cousin Nick! They went on every spinning ride and begged to waste money on the games! Why do they think winning some dinky stuffed animal is so cool? I just don't get it!

The best part of Viking Fest for me, aside from watching the kids have fun, was running & finishing the 5 mile road race. I managed to run the whole thing and finish in 55 minutes. It felt great! Terry left me in the dust and finished in 43 minutes. He asures me that won't happen when we do the half marathon next month! Nicholas ran the mile race and is ready to beat his time next year. Alyssa finished 1st in the kids dash.

I always look forward to Viking Fest weekend but I'm happy it only happens once a year!

All Done

I've been done for a week. It feels so good. Sorry it's taken so long to post. I thought we were busy while I was going to radiation but the last week has been crazy. I'm not sure how I had time to have cancer!

Last Thursday was Girls Night Out in Poulsbo. Thanks to Johnene, Kristin, Tarra, Kristen, Angela, Julie & Sherry for taking me out to celebrate. We had a great dinner at Burrata Bistro. It's a great new Italian restaurant in Poulsbo.

Overall I feel pretty good. I managed to get through radiation with only mild side effects. The burns aren't too bad. Everyone keeps telling me I have a good tan. It was a very expensive tanning bed! I have some irritation to my throat & esophagus. It feels like a sore throat until I forget and eat something spicy. I've been told it will take a few weeks to heal, maybe longer if I don't pay attention to what I eat. I'm still tired. Some days I feel great and forget to rest. The next day is really tough. I'm trying to remember to take it easy. I have 10 days until I go back to work. Hopefully I'll be ready!

I'd like to thank all of you for helping us get through the last 5 months. I knew that we had some good friends but I guess I didn't realize how good & how many until I got sick. There is no way I would have been able to do this without help. I've ben complemented on how well I dealt with all of this. I would have been a mess without all of the support from family & friends. Terry & I are extremely fortunate to have all of you. Thank you seems so inadequate but that's all I can do.

Here are a few pictures from baseball and our trip. The video at the bottom is us telling the kids about the trip.

April Fool's

Things have been a little hectic at our house in the past few weeks. Last Wednesday, April Fools Day, we surprised the kids with a trip to Phoenix. They were really excited when we woke them to break the news. Then they remembered what day it was. Terry & I had to convince them that we really were going. I don't think they were sure until we actually got on the plane.

The trip was a blast. We went to the last M's spring training game. It was pretty cool. The kids managed to get a few autographs. Alyssa got Griffey's, not sure she really understands how cool that is though. We spent the rest of the trip sitting by the pool. It was sunny and hot every day, absolutely perfect! We stayed at Squaw Peaks Resort. I strongly recommend it if you have kids. Floating down the lazy river with a maragrita was my favorite part. The kids loved all of the fun activities they had at the pool. Nicholas won the water slide races twice and Alyssa won the cannon ball contest for the smallest splash!

It was the break that we needed. It was nice to reconnect as a family. A great way to relax before starting radiation.

I was supposed to start this week but now I'm not sure. I have my next planning appointment on Monday. Apparently the first plan was going to cause too much lung damage so it is taking longer to figure it out. I'm all for having the least amount of lung damage possible!!!! Terry & I signed up for the Seattle Rock n Roll half marathon at the end of June. Now I might have an excuse for walking!

We also started baseball games this week. With both kids playing and Terry coaching T ball, things are pretty busy. Nicholas' first game was Monday. He's playing triple A, which is kid pitch. It was a good game with our team winning. Nicholas had 2 doubles and then was called out looking by his own Dad! Terry had to fill in as umpire. Nicholas didn't seem to mind but I thought he should have walked him.

Alyssa's had her first T ball game last night. What a riot! It is so much fun to watch. Terry is coaching 14 little kids! He has so much more patience than I ever will. I'm pretty sure Alyssa is only playing because we bought her pink glove and bat! She had fun and thinks she hit a home run. The last batter in each inning runs all the way around the bases!

I hope to add a few pictures when I get my camera downloaded. As much as I wanted to get going with radiation, it's nice to have a few more days of feeling good. I still have some fatigue but otherwise feel great.

NO MORE CHEMO!!!!!

This will be short & sweet as we are on our way out to celebrate! My scan was clear. I'm done with chemo!!! My PICC line is out! Today has been awesome! Thank you all for your thoughts & prayers. It means a lot to have so much support.

More to follow...