Weekend for Survivors

1. How do you like the new do? haha! I loved the bald pic, and will forever love it...I better huh since it was my drivers license the whole time? Did yall know that?
2. I do love this blog site a lot better...Thanks Holly!
3. I had a great weekend:

• Friday night was the Relay for Life in Franklin. I got to be with family and friends. They played "Wind Beneath my Wings" which was played at our wedding for Mana, and I watched religiously while a teen, and also watched while I was sick one night when I couldn't sleep I was flipping channels and cried the whole time. I cried Friday a little as the girls, Robert and April came out to do the survivor lap with me. Ele, of course, noticed and I told her I was just happy. She was the one who spotted my luminaries.
• Saturday was beautiful, and I was productive, but not as much as I would have liked, but I really didn't care.
• Sunday (today) was amazing. The Church service was about "miracles". Then we picked up Mana and went to the "Survivorship Celebration" at Vanderbilt. (April and the girls went to Ele's best-friends birthday party) Momma and Daddy drove separately and we met Lala and Wes there. I was amazed...around 300 people were there. All survivors, consisting of patients and caregivers, whether it be family, friends, or medical personnel. There were kids (the hardest to see), to elderly.
  
  They had a recognition portion scheduled, which I had no idea what it was going to be until it happened. They had microphones passed around the room randomly. We were supposed to stand up and tell our name, how many years, and our story. Some had over 20 surgeries, breast cancer over 4 times, various types, and some were still fighting, one man was facing terminal this time, and said he was ready for whatever happened. Everyone was happy though, they smiled, and told their story.
  
  I finally got up the nerve at the last, and I really don't remember all I said (I said it fast and short, but was too nervous to really remember all of it). I said that I was a year and a half survivor and praised God. I said that I had my first Chemo the day before I turned 30, and that my girls cut my hair, I said that I was proud of them for being so brave, and that the children in the room amazed me. That the girls were my support, along with my family like my Mom and Dad, my husband, my best friend (who brought me chocolate, and just threw it in the door because she taught small kids and didn't want to get me sick), and my doctors (I remember pointing at Lala) who cured me thru God's hand. I also said that I was thankful to those at the Stem Cell Clinic for putting up with me when I know I was not too nice. I even remember saying that they didn't even call me names when they had every right to but smiled when I said it was ok, that they could just call me determined. I also said that all of us in that room were Miracles, and I thanked everyone who had supported me (that means all of yall). Mana said I did good, and that I was the only one who talked about the impact of my family, and made my speach more about others, she said that brought it home, and made it real. We all went to eat after and had a great time.

Well, my buzz from all the carbs and coffee (Mana peer-pressured me into Starbucks) is starting to wear off and I feel the crash coming on, that's why I quit the Caffeine! Hey this blog can be spell checked won't yall be happy! haha! It just spell checked carbs as crabs! hahaha! Oh that hurts my head! I thought I would leave this quote with yall. They had it at the program, and I loved it because it was one of those "Hey that's me!" moments, then Mana leaned over and said "That sounds like you". God Bless!

"Whoever survives a test, whatever it may be, must tell the story. That is his duty." -Elie Wiesel