Breast Cancer Awareness - Remember and Celebrate!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This month has flown by without me even being able to sit down and address this serious topic. I think almost everyone in this day and time has had the unfortunate opportunity to know someone affected by this terrible disease.

I have had numerous women I have looked up to through the years who have been diagnosed with this vicious disease. I am grateful to have these women in my life and am blessed to say that all of them are survivors! Pam, was my mentor through high school. She loved, and still loves, me unconditionally despite my faults and insecurities. Edie and her husband were great leaders in our church and took over as our family ministers shortly before we moved. It wasn't until after we moved that she was diagnosed, but prayer does not know state lines. Thank God for that! The other woman was my head pastor's wife, Elnora, who saw me grow up - literally! I watched these women of faith walk through these days with such grace, strength and faith. They are all in remission which is amazing!

In my life I have had two incredible family members who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. One is a survivor and the other unfortunately lost her battle. My grandma, Marie Kilcrease, unfortunately was diagnosed too late. My grandmother lived a long and adventurous life, which in my opinion was still cut too short, but she still lived well into her 80's. Watching a once vibrant woman slowly be eaten away with disease was heart breaking. No one should have to go through that and no family should have to watch disease consume the family member they love.

The survivor in our family is my Aunt Marcia. She is married to my wonderful Uncle Lou and mother to my cousin April. The diagnosis was a shock to our family and especially to her immediate family. She was extremely health conscious and lead a very active life. To my knowledge, there was no family history of the disease either. She used both traditional and non-traditional remedies in her fight against this terrible disease. We can now say she is in remission and doing extremely well.

My cousin, April, who is a freelance writer (who is probably seeing numerous grammatical errors on this blog) documented parts of her mother's journey. One of her articles appeared in the New York Times. I have placed the link to the article below.

New York Times

Another link in case the one above doesn't work:
April Kilcrease - Mills College Profile

The whole reason I am writing this is to (1) - Honor the women in my life who have been affected by this disease. Putting a face to this disease makes it real!
(2) Encourage you to see your doctor if you haven't done so recently. (3) Self examinations can save your life. You know your body better than anyone. If you notice something that isn't right, go to the doctor. Early detection is life changing!

Breast cancer awareness does not just stop on November 1st. This is a 365 day awareness campaign.

New car

Well after much consideration, Mr. A and I decided that he needed a vehicle that was a little better on gas mileage as he is driving about 1 hour each way. It's not that our 2003 Saturn VUE was hard on gas mileage but ever little bit helps.

After much consideration, we traded in Mr. A's Vue for a Honda Fit Sport. It is a pretty cool little car. It averages 33 miles per gallon which will help us quite a bit with gas prices. The seats fold up so you can put all sorts of stuff inside. They also lay down so you can put larger items in the back.

We put this new little car to the ultimate test today. We have been unloading the boxes we have had in storage for the last year and trying to make sure that they go back in our house nicer than they were before. We decided to put up shelving in the closets to hold more items. We headed to the Habitat for Humanity Restore - which by the way is awesome store if you haven't been - and found a bunch of Closet Maid items to re-do the closets. We also found a great deal on Crepe Myrtle trees - $1 each! Yep you read that right - $1 for a tree! We bought 4 of these trees - about 2-4 ft high plus numerous items for the closets. That car was packed but we were able to get it all in with nothing hanging out. You should have seen everyone's faces as we packed this car - especially when we added the trees in the car.

If you are looking at a new car, definitely check out the Honda Fit Sport. It is a fun little commuter car with some great benefits, especially on storage.

Fried foods, tons of calories - bring on the NC State Fair

Today we went to the NC State Fair. This was my first time going to the fair. Mr. A and the girls have been before with friends while I was at work. I love the fair! I have been going to fairs since I was little. My family always went to the Del Mar Fair, which is now called the San Diego County Fair. The best thing for me was experience the fair with my kids. Seeing everything through their eyes was like seeing it for the first time.

The whole reason to go to the fair this year was to see Toby Mac. We found out he was going to be in concert today and knew we wanted to go. We had kept it a surprise from them until today at the fair. The best part is this was AJ's first concert experience. What an awesome concert to go to for your first concert!! Going to the fair was just going to be an added bonus to the concert in our eyes.

The fair was fun! A lot of walking, but they had some really cute things to do, especially for kids. Seeing as NC is a huge agriculture state, they had a cute area where they gave kids a basket and they walked through the exhibit collecting fruits and vegetables. At the end, the produce was weighed and the kids were "paid" for their labors. They then turned in their cash for a prize at the end of it all which included an apple, NC peanuts, frisbee and pen. It was pretty cute even for our almost teenagers.

Lots of animals, games and rides were available as in most state or county fairs. We don't normally let the kids ride the rides - a huge safety thing for me - but we were able to get a deal on some ride tickets so Mr. A and the girls did do one ride. We ate food that probably had enough calories to kill us. We also indulged with the fair favorite - funnel cake for a treat before the concert.

The only downer for the day was the weather. It was overcast, but it was cold! Even layered up, it was still cold! We about froze when we stopped to look at anything. We could have gone back in the exhibit halls but they were so hot you were begging to go back outside.

The best part by far was the concert. We went in a little early and found out that the seats I bought back in August online were awesome seats! Just above the floor but close enough that you could see everything! Toby Mac did not disappoint! If you haven't seen his show, it is high energy all the way through. We loved every minute of it. AJ was screaming and waving her hands around like a wild child - she gets it from me! Mr A, KA and I were laughing as she busted out with the lyrics at the top of her lungs. She may not have a voice tomorrow, but it was worth it!

It was a great day for our family to just hang out and have fun. We laughed a lot and had a great time hanging out. I love that our kids, for now, let us hang out with them at concerts and sing with them. I had to stop myself a couple of times and just savor the moment sitting between both girls singing at the top of their lungs with huge smiles on their faces. Today was a great day!

TSMS - Give me your eyes

This song is my heart! I want to help those around me especially now in these times of confusion and uncertainty. I don't want to miss an opportunity that God has put in my path. Whether it is a smile, hug or something else, God show me those who are hurting. Let some one see YOU in me.

I wasn't able to embed the video but you can watch this video on You Tube here: Brandon Heath "Give Me Your Eyes"

Friends

"A friend loves at all times" Proverbs 17:17

A true friend loves you for you. Not what you could be or should be, but for you.
A true friend laughs with you for no reason at all.
A true friend knows your thoughts just by the look on your face.
A true friend tells you how it is but also knows when to keep their mouths shut.
A true friend listens to you rant and vent without trying to fix the problem.
A true friend understands that your family is crazy but loves them just the same because they are family.
A true friend knows your secret wants, dreams and wishes and is your biggest cheerleader as you strive to achieve them.

I have been blessed that I was able to spend my whole childhood, teenage years and early adulthood in the same house, city and church. My parents moved into my childhood home when I was 2 1/2 and still live there today. I never had to move and make new friends until my husband and I moved cross country. I grew up with a great bunch of friends that I spent most of my crazy teenage years with and survived. We had our fair share of fights, boys, and life thrown at us, but we weathered the storms together.

Most of you would say I have a lot of "friends" that I keep in touch with even today, but in reality, I have really two strong friendships that I treasure besides my husband. A lot of the people I hung out with are friends and don't get me wrong, I love them all dearly, but when push comes to shove I know I have two people I can count on. They are SJ and Rae.

SJ has been my best bud forever. She is practically a sister to me. We think we met in the 1st grade or so, but we can't really pin point the exact time we became friends. We just have always been by each others sides. When I look through photo albums of my life she is there at almost every important event. Proms, dances, boyfriends, graduations, illness, deaths, marriages...she was there. She was the wild-n-crazy gal while I tended to be quiet and reserved. She brought out the wild side in me when we were together. If she did it then I would try it. She was fashion forward while I was fashion challenged. She was constantly helping me try and update my looks, become more girly, wear makeup and relax. She is confident, loving and is sassy!

She moved away shortly after graduation to AZ. She was pursuing a degree at a university there, but when she came home, we always got together. Whether at Denny's for a BLT with french fries and lots of ketchup or her mom's house to watch movies. She met and married a great guy and now lives in WA. They have a daughter who is almost 3 and reminds me so much of SJ when I see her in pictures. We may go months without talking to each other, but we get on the phone it is like time has never passed. We just talk and talk.

My other true friend is Rae. I met Rae in high school. She hung with a different group of friends but we all did things together. She and I become really close after high school when we worked with Jr. Highers on Sunday mornings at church. She and I took some in coming 6th graders and helped them make the transition into middle school/Jr. High a little easier. Rae is quieter than me, but can be a pit bull if needed. She doesn't have a temper but when I person needs help she will fight for them. Rae is loyal, true to her word and has a heart that is bigger than Texas.

She moved away to go to school in IN. Why she thinks she was getting/running away from everything that was chasing her in San Diego, God had other plans. God shook her up in IN and she has never been the same since. Rae married a great guy and they have 3 children and are expecting another. Where do they live...still in IN! She thought she would get away from IN but God is doing some miraculous things in here life there.

Rae and I talk to each other about every three months and when we talk it makes me thankful for her in my life. She was my sounding board about everything recently. She was my biggest cheerleader when we moved out here and has continually supported me with prayer and encouragement when we have faced challenges. I know that when something goes down, I can call her and she will stop what she is doing and talk.

As I was on the phone with Rae last night just to wish her Happy Birthday and to catch up, I began the thank God for my friends. I know a lot of people who care about me, who laugh with me and will cry with me, but there is something special about a true friend who just gets you! The real you - battered and broken, goofy and embarrassing, mom of the year and the mom who drops the balls she is trying to keep up in the air. They are the ones who will love you when you are at your best and when you are your worst, who loves you despite the extra weight you have put on since high school and the one who knows the true beauty is your heart not your thighs and butt.

I know God has put every friend in my life for a reason. As I struggle to really make friends now as an adult, I know that God has blessed me with friends "who knew me when". They are only a phone call or email away, but I do miss the face to face. I know that if I need them they will be here. I am thankful for what they have made me to be and what they continually challenge me to be.

Thank you God for my friends both near and far.

TSMS - I know who I am

Today's song I have been singing all week. We sang it for worship both on Sunday and Wednesday night. I love the truth in the song...I am His and HE is Mine.