Relay for Life - Survivor Lap!

I decided about a month ago that I wanted to participate in the Relay for Life.  I wasn't quite ready to get a whole team together to do the 12 hour relay, but I felt the need to do the Survivor Lap.  I wanted to see if I was ready...and if I could handle it emotionally.  If you have never been to a Relay for Life, it's worth it to stop by sometime, even if you're not a "relayer".  The atmosphere is like a carnival.  Such hope!  And all kinds of fundraising happening all over the place!  The Relay on Friday night was held at Resurrection High School in Waterloo...and I was anxious and excited and definitely nervous.  Not sure why I was nervous...but for some reason I was.

My band of supporters (plus Kelly who took this photo).  They arrived in time for the Opening Ceremonies and cheered me on the whole way around the track.  They've been cheering for me for the past 10 months, so it felt so right to have them there with me on Friday!  That's Brock, me, Matt, Judy & Jodi. 

The first lap of the Relay is for Survivors. They call it the Victory Lap.  All the survivors were wearing yellow shirts.  They ask the survivors to sign the banner that is at the very start of the relay.  It was a little intimidating to write my name down, next to names that said 14 years or 6 years or 10 years cancer free.  I just wrote "3 months done treatment!"

And we're off.  Me and my caretaker, Matt!  A big cheer from my cheering squad to get me going!!  Fists in the air...I truly felt victorious!

Truly a celebratory walk!  They read out the names of the survivors as you make your way around the track.  In a big booming voice, Dave (the friendly neighbourhood Schneiderman) said "Susan Langdon".  And for some crazy reason, tears came to my eyes.  I did it!

<>A special shout out to Pam and Lisa! For many years, I have counted money at the Relay for Life and this is the first year I participated. Pam and Lisa, my money counting friends, cheered me on with a big loud shout out and cheers from the money counting room as I rounded the track near where they were. They gave me a big wave and a loud hoot to let me know they were cheering me on this year! Thanks girls!!

Coming up to the finish line.  Matt raised our hands up in victory...it's fitting...we did the lap and for some strange reason, one lap around the track really makes you feel victorious!

The VERY best supporter a girl could ever ask for.  I love you buddy! You make me feel like I can do anything!

I am now on a gradual return to work schedule...and started back to work on Tuesday morning. I am working tomorrow morning too (I'd better get to bed soon!!). So far so good...of course, I seemed to spend a lot of time on Tuesday morning just getting my bearings again and cleaning up my desk! Hopefully tomorrow I can try to do some "real" work!!

And a special shout out to my Mom. She had cataract surgery on Friday and it's taking her a few days to get her feet under her. Darn surgery triggered a migraine and I know she is feeling rough. Rest lots, Mom. Sending tons of love to you and some healing vibes too!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It was a MAGICAL experience!!

I know...I've been a bad blogger! But I have a really really good excuse!

Matt and I went to Florida for ten days. We had a conference for Matt's work in Naples from June 1st to 5th. We stayed at the Ritz and the service was amazing! It's beautiful in Naples and even though it was damn hot out, there was a lovely breeze by the pool...

And even better then that, the surprise musical guests/entertainment was one of my all time favourite bands - Blue Rodeo!!

My friends Oliver, Lisa, Mark, Heather, Vanessa, Brian & Brad (who know I am a big fan) pulled me up to the front to stand with them...right beside the stage...Jim was right there in front of me. And even better then that, I got to go backstage and meet him in person.

I don't know how many times I've seen Blue Rodeo in concert...10, 15, maybe 20...but this is the first time I got to meet them, get a hug, an autograph and a picture and it made my whole day! Jim Cuddy you rock!

And I loved meeting Greg Keelor too!!

We also went to Ngala - a private wildlife reserve - for dinner one night and I got to meet a camel (and a giraffe) and we had a lovely chat...

So, the conference was good and the Ritz was wonderful and it was really great to spend some time with people I haven't seen in a long time and who's company I truly enjoy! On the 5th, we rented a convertible and drove from Naples to Kissimmee...do you know what's in Kissimmee? That's right!

We went to Disney!!

Back in the fall, in the thick of my chemo treatments, I told Matt when I was all done I wanted to go on a holiday. And not some "learn the history" kind of holiday.  I wanted to go on a holiday to celebrate getting through all my treatments and one where I would be totally entertained. I'm not sure there is a better place in the world we could have gone! It was AMAZING!! I LOVED every minute of it. I totally bought into the whole experience...stood in line to meet Mickey, Pooh Bear and Tigger. Matt pre-ordered us some "Ears" and we wore them the whole time (I even wore mine home on the plane!!). It truly is magical and if you have not been...you should go! Whether you have children or not, you will love it! I've attached a few of my pics below. I think you can tell that there is nothing about Disney that I didn't LOVE!  I still have a huge smile on my face and we've been home a week tomorrow!

I loved Animal Kingdom.  We went on a Safari...jumped in a jeep and drove right on by the animals.  We even saw a lion roar!!

We sported some 3-D glasses to watch "It's Tough to be a Bug".  All the shows (3-D or musical) we saw were awesome!

The gates to the most magical place on earth - the Magic Kingdom!  We got there in time to watch the parade and Matt took pictures of me waving away, as excited as the small children standing and sitting near by.  I felt like I was a kid!!  Hey Mickey!  Hey Goofy!  Hey Cinderella!  I'm over here!!

Matt surprised me with a package he had pre-ordered and that was waiting for us when we checked in!  In the package were our ears, complete with our names stitched on!  We also got an autographed photo of Mickey and some yummy Mickey snacks!  I had a ball for five days watching our shadows and laughing out loud at my "ears"!!

I was worried we wouldn't get everything done at Epcot that we wanted to. And while we didn't do it all, we definitely caught the highlights!  I loved Soarin' (a ride that makes you feel like your hang-gliding) and we even did Mission to Mars (although the tame version).  How do you possibly pick a favourite park??!!!

Yep!  I stood in line to meet Tigger & Pooh.  My sister Sandy loves Tigger. He's her favourite. So I had to go and get a hug for her!  And I had to get a hug from Pooh for my friend Sherri...yep, I'm a selfless person sometimes!  As an aside, Tigger decided to make fun of my ears...really...he thought he was hilarious!  I guess he IS an expert on big ears!!

How can you not love having a set of ears!  People called us by name, or else called us Mickey & Minnie.  And look at those curls!  Isn't it crazy?  Never had curly hair in my life (at least not without the help of a perm).  Just look how long my hair is getting!!

It was magical.  I loved meeting the Mouse!  And Minnie was awesome too!  So many highlights, I don't know how I would ever choose my favourite!  I am so glad we took lots of photos!!

I am truly blessed to have the BEST partner ever.  The thought of the trip ahead definitely made getting through all the yucky treatments easier...and I had no idea how much fun I was going to have!  I'm so happy I could keep up (yes, there were a couple of breaks in the afternoon...and some earlyish nights)!!  Thank you, Matt, for the best holiday!  For spoiling me rotten!  And for loving me the way you do!

Tomorrow I am going to do the Survivor Lap in the Relay for Life at Resurrection High School in Waterloo.  It's at 7:00 if anyone wants to come out and cheer!  Next year I might think about putting a whole team together...but this year, I'm just doing the victory lap!! 

And next week I'm heading back to work.  We're working on a gradual return to work schedule...and I'm nervous as all hell...but it's time.  Time to find that new normal and get my brain rolling on all gears again!  This could be painful!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Wow...Twenty Five Thousand!!!

So, I have this counter on the bottom of my blog that tracks how many times my blog has been viewed...and over the last 24 hours or so, it rolled past 25,000!! That's crazy!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who so diligently follow my blog and have been such a great support through my journey!! As I mentioned before, I am going to keep blogging so stick around...I'm sure I have lots to tell you still!!

For those of you who check daily to see if I've done an update, I now have a solution!! I noticed today when I was fiddling around with my blog that there is a new gadget that lets you subscribe by email to my blog. If you choose to do this, you will get an email telling you whenever I've done an update...cool eh?

If this interests you, just type your email address in the box to the right that says "FOLLOW BY EMAIL". This way, you don't have to check every day to see if I have anything to say...you'll get notified via email!! Yep...don't want you to miss any of my business!!

I spent a couple of days this past weekend helping out at Mixed Minded at the Holiday Inn in Kitchener. What a totally cool event!! There are some pretty awesome workshops and I have really enjoyed checking out what projects the particpants have been working on as they leave their classes!! If you have a creative bone in your body (or want to develop one) you should check this out!!

I'm getting excited!! The countdown is on...off to meet THE mouse very soon!!! Back in the fall when I was in the thick of chemo treatments, I told Matt that when it was all over, I wanted to go on a holiday...a fun holiday where I would be entertained and we could celebrate getting through all my treatments! Matt thought this was a GREAT idea and we have been thinking about it ever since. This week, our celebratory trip is happening...and I can't wait! I did it!! And I'm going to tell Mickey all about it!!

xoxoxoxoxox

Home Again...Home Again...Jiggity Jig

Yep, it's true...this past weekend I moved back into my apartment. After (almost) ten months of bunking in with Matt, Alex and Lauren, I've moved home. It seems weird and oh so quiet...and yet it feels good to get back among all my things!

I know some of you are probably wondering why I moved home. The reality is when I left it was in a time of crisis. I was starting chemo in less than 24 hours and couldn't be home by myself. There was no question about where I would go, of course. And it was beyond fantastic to live with Matt and the kids while I went through all my treatments. Now that I'm feeling more like myself, it's time to find a new normal...and see what exactly that means.

I decided with moving home I would sort through things that have been hanging around for ages. This means, as I've been putting things away, I've been sorting through everything and making sure it should stay. So, I've been taking everything out of cupboards and drawers, sorting through, refolding, putting away (or donating to charity or in some cases, throwing away). I kind of feel like my apartment is a snow globe that someone picked up, shook the hell out of it, and then set it back down. My bedroom and the hall closet are GREAT! The fridge is pretty. The rest of the place is a work in a progress. And while I'm still working through fatigue and how much I can do in a day, the reality is I've become gifted at procrastination as well!!

Obviously I have some feelings of conflict. While I love my independence, I love being with my family on Foxhill. While it feels great to be among my things, I miss seeing my boys when I wake up in the morning. I guess I knew finding a new normal would not be easy peasy...

Big big thanks to Matt, Alex and Lauren for their continuing love and support. For helping me move my stuff back to my apartment and then asking me to come for dinner a few hours later. It sure makes this transition a lot easier. I love you guys so much!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Twenty Five Years...

Last night I had dinner and a visit with three of my closest girlfriends. We met at Wilfrid Laurier University in the fall of 1986 when we were on the same floor in residence in first year. That means we have been friends for (almost) twenty five years. It's like we're Oprah...

I'm not sure what kind of scrapbooker I am, since we didn't even take a picture. I'm still bummed thinking about that this morning.

Anyway, it was wonderful to sit at a table with girls I have known for more than half my life, and feel completely at ease. The four of us don't get together very often as a group, although we do keep in touch regularly...and a couple of us get together here or there throughout the year...just as a group of four we don't seem to connect that often. I guess it's hard as we get older and life gets busy.

What's awesome is that the friendship is always there and when we get together once a year (or however frequently we can manage it), it's as easy as if we just saw each other the week before.

I can't help but reflect on the 18/19 year olds we were in the fall of 1986...and the road we have experienced together in the past 25 years...graduating, bowling, drinking beer, travelling, weddings, children, family, cancer, partners and oh so much more. I'm so grateful for you girls. I'm so grateful for our friendship. And I'm so looking forward to the next 25 years...

Happy trails, Hoop! Keep in touch and know we love you!!

xoxoxoxxoxoxoxo

So Much Fun!!

I have been trying to find a few minutes all week to sit down and tell you all about my weekend away...I really want to tell you about how much fun we had, and how proud I am of myself!

I probably should start by telling you how worried I was before we left. I was worried that the fatigue would be too much and I would be a total drag for the other girls. I was also pretty worried about being away from my body guard for three whole nights. I prepared myself, we took laptops and movies in case I needed to chill...pillows and blankets in case I needed to sleep in the car...and I had three fabulous girls who were ready to deal with whatever came up! The good news is, I held my own! I admit to napping a few times in the car while we were driving from one location to the next (probably important to tell you here that I was not the driver)...but other then that, I was good to go! I did not need any extra naps, or breaks away...I even stayed up late every night! We had the best time. Memories Manor is a great place that truly caters to scrapbookers. I made some cards and completed a bunch of layouts. True, there were bits of time where I was sitting at the table visiting more than scrapping...but that happens even when I'm 100%!!

These are lime fluffs. Mix up a little lime sherbet and add some cool whip. They were heavenly. They were served to us as our late night snack on Friday night. Yummy!!! In fact, we talked about the various flavours we planned to make when we got home!

Even the sugar flower on top tasted divine!!


These wee carrots with hummus were served to us on Friday afternoon. They had poked wee holes in the ends of the mini carrots and put a piece of parsley in.

They were so cute! I will definitely be stealing this idea too!


The service and attention to detail were amazing. The food all weekend long was totally yummy (I think I had the best french toast of my life on Saturday morning). Thanks to Jan and Deanna (owners of Memories Manor) for being such wonderful hosts...you sure do provide a great weekend!

I can't wait to go back!! I am truly grateful to Kelly, Amber and Meg for inviting me to join along with them and for being patient and considerate all weekend long. They cheered me on when I was doing so well, provided door service as needed and sure made the weekend a ton of fun! Thank you girls! You are the best!!

I am feeling pretty good this week too. I wondered if I might be a little bit tired this week after such a big weekend, and I guess truth be told I am a little bit tired. The good news is, I haven't felt the need to nap during the day. Wow...could this be a turning point??!! Am I really starting to get back to my old self? I am loving that the fatigue doesn't seem to have such a hold on me anymore (unless I get a crappy night's sleep). And I've seen marked improvement with my concentration levels and attention span...

I am so proud of myself for keeping up this past weekend and loving every minute of it. It gave me a boost to my confidence and made me feel like I was my old self again! What a gift!!

xoxoxoxxoxoxo

Countdown is on!!

In three more sleeps I'm heading to Michigan to experience Memories Manor with my friends Kelly and Amber. I'm so excited and really looking forward to it. What is Memories Manor? It's a scrapbooking oasis disguised as a bed and breakfast (check out the link)!! I have some friends who have been and LOVED it and I'm so happy that I now get to experience it too! I'm a little bit nervous...I know my attention span and struggles with fatigue are not going to allow me to go hard the whole weekend (like I normally would). But I have a wee stash of kits that I have matched up some pictures with, and so this is what I'll work away at. Depending how I do, I'll try to remember to post a couple of my favourite layouts next week!!

This is a big deal. My first full weekend away...and without my trusty sidekick, Matt! Yikes! Thank goodness for cell phones and texting!! Seems a little silly to be nervous, I'm thinking the past nine months have made me a little apprehensive. I'll definitely have to work on that!


Check out this picture of my wee friend, Paige. Isn't she the absolute best??!!

Big shout out to our friend Matt who ran his first half marathon on Sunday and did a great job! Way to go, Matt!! Maybe next time you'll be able to convince my Matt to join you...

Hope everyone did their duty and voted today...the polls are about to close...tomorrow is a new day!!

xoxoxoxoxoxo