I Can Breathe, Again

A few weeks ago I stopped breathing. Two days ago, I started breathing again.

My mom went to the doctor because she'd been having some pains in her side. As it turns out, they found out what was causing the pain- but found a few other things that they wanted to take a closer look at. Upon taking the closer look, they found something that needed a biopsy. When words like malignant and cancerous started being thrown around by the doctor- my hands started sweating, my ears began ringing and I could no longer focus.

My mom is my best friend. Without her, I'm not sure if I would ever, ever get anything accomplished. I call her at least four times per day. We share everything with each other and sometimes, yes...we want to strangle each other, but most of the time- we're best friends who laugh, cry and make fun of ourselves and others. 

I thought about my good friend Donna, who just recently passed away with cancer. I thought about her family and this first holiday season without her. I felt like it was unfair of me to voice my worry to my very good friend, Casey, Donna's daughter. As life would have it, she was one of the only people who made my worry subside.

The doctor's told us before we left their office that the biopsy results could be back by Friday...by Wednesday of the following week, we still had nothing. I was a nervous wreck...I couldn't sleep...I would cry in the bathroom...the thought of Christmas made me nauseous because of the what ifs that were flying through my head.

Wednesday morning I was sitting in my parent's living room when the phone rang- the doctor's office. Mom picked up the phone and walked to the bedroom- I followed right behind her. By the time I realized I was getting no information through pushing my ear up against the closed door, I barged into the room with her. She held up her hand with an okay symbol...and I could finally breathe again.

I couldn't contain my excitement. I wanted to scream from the rooftops that my mom was okay! The best I could manage was posting it on my facebook status. 

Almost immediately, my phone rang. With tears streaming down my face, I answered. It was Casey.

"I heard the good news!" she said.

I cried even harder...but I tried so hard to hide it. Of all of my friends, Casey was the first to call. She just lost her mom to the same ugly disease that I was so thrilled my mom didn't have. She was as excited as I was to hear the news...and wanted to call me to share the moment with me. Not text, not comment on facebook- but call. That phone call meant more than anyone will ever know to me. Thank you, Case...I love you.

Mom will go in the have some minor surgery on the 30th- the first of two. I will be right by her side, whether she thinks she needs me there or not...but this time- neither one of us will have any reason to hold our breath. ;-)

In it for the Cookies

Several weeks ago, Little Miss came home from preschool singing some lovely new holiday tunes. How did I know she learned these at preschool without even so much as asking her? Simple. She sang each word to each song with the exact accent of her teacher. So it was no surprise that she was delighted to head over to her preschool a few days ago for her big Christmas program.

Sidenote: I purchased an adorable Christmas outfit for her to wear to her program- complete with an embroidered Christmas tree on the top. Although it wasn't a dress, which is basically the only thing Little Miss will wear, I hoped that since it was pink...maybe, just maybe, she'd be thrilled with it. No dice, amigo. She plainly looked at the adorable outfit and said "Mom, that is not a dress. I'm not wearing it. I have to wear a dress." Thankfully, her Bub saw all this playing out long before I purchased the adorable Christmas outfit and purchased a zebra dress for her to wear...just in case.

Thanks, Bub. You saved the day.

It started snowing just as we left the house. Could you ask for better weather when you're heading to a Christmas program? I think not! Big, fluffy flakes filled the sky (and stuck to absolutely nothing) as we made our way over to the preschool building. Little Miss was so excited to perform...right up until we walked into her classroom. She agreed to go sit by her teacher, so long as she could face the opposite direction.

New friends and old filed into the classroom. Little Miss decided she'd be a bit social and join the crowd of little people.

But that only lasted a few moments. When the other parents began filing in for the big show, Little Miss high-tailed it into her Gran'Daddy's lap.

After the big show, Little Miss was off to visit with her friends. Her shyness wore right off- just in time for the singing and bell-ringing to be over. I was able to snap a few photos of a couple of my favorite gals, Sydnee and Amie, by the Christmas tree! I've known Amie forever...and now our girls can say the same. ;-)

Who needs singing and bell-ringing, anyway? Little Miss was just in it for the Christmas tree cookies. ;-) And...there is always next year!!

Simply Magical

The holidays are here! It's official- the town Christmas tree has been lit!

One thing I love about living in our small, island town is the small, island festivities. This past Friday, we joined hundreds of local folks to lite the town Christmas tree, sing carols, drink hot chocolate, freeze our tails off, and of course, to meet a jolly ole elf...the jolly ole elf. It was a wonderful time.

It's always a joy to see how Little Miss changes from year to year in regards to Santa Claus. One year she's absolutely terrified, the next year she thinks he's okay as long as I'm in his lap too, but this year? Oh this year she was all

about it. (Particularly because, jolly ole Saint Nick? He looks a heckuva lot like my uncle, Little Miss's great-uncle, Big Gully.)

She insisted on showing Santa the bow on the front of her sparkly dress...in true flasher style. (A dress she fought tooth and nail to wear...) She then told him she would like two fashion Barbies, one for her and one for her Bub...and the Santa movie. ("You know, the one they made about you, Santa.") She could hardly fall asleep that night- talking about how amazing it was to meet Santa. Simply magical.