summer time, summer time, sum sum summer time

out with the old in with the new

the world's biggest "suite life on deck" fan it's 6pm and ella's fast asleep

school is finally finished for the year. afton cried when she came home because she will miss her teacher so much.

we've been to the pool two days in a row.

we've stocked up on summer gear, except for the silver flip-flops ella was dying to have. i could not convince her that 5 pairs of flip-flops were enough. but be proud of me, i did not give in! (this is a first)

that's probably why she fell asleep at 6pm...the 30 minute tantrum in the gap, wiped her out.

hooray for good news

i've been wanting to write about this for a while, but i haven't been sure how to approach it. after some good news today, i thought i'd go ahead and share.
a few weeks ago, i had my first mammogram. it wasn't a big deal and the nurse told me that they might call me to come in for more x-rays because it was my first and they like to get a good baseline to compare upcoming x-rays with. when i returned home, i had a call to please come back in for more x-rays and then the doctor would talk to me. i felt a little nervous about that, but scheduled an appointment for the following week.
the next week, i went in and the x-ray tech/nurse lady told me that they wanted to get more pictures of a spot they saw. i asked if i should be concerned and she told me she wasn't really sure but that's why they needed more pictures.
shortly after, i saw the radiologist and she showed me some films. she showed me some tiny white dots and told me they were calcifications. they could be nothing or they could be breast cancer. she called my doctor and we agreed to schedule a core biopsy for that afternoon.
i left there feeling like my head would explode at any minute!
ryan and i returned later that afternoon for a core biopsy. they actually removed all the calcifications and took more x-rays and inserted a "clip". they put in a microscopic "clip" that will allow the area they've biopsied to be marked for future reference, if needed. we were told they'd try to have the results before the weekend.
my doctor called and left a voice mail saying that we needed to schedule another biopsy where they remove the surrounding tissue to be sure the cancer hasn't spread. we were able to have this done last wednesday. today we received word that the cancer was contained in the calcifications and has not spread!
the next step will be to have a month's worth of radiation therapy. once i complete that, i will be checked in 6 months and then hopefully just yearly.
so, besides this post being a rundown of my past few weeks, i also wanted to emphasize how important it is to have a mammogram and any other regular tests done on a regular basis.
luckily, my doctor recommends mammograms begin at age 35. generally, 40 is the recommended age to begin mammograms. had i waited 5 more years, we don't know if the cancer would have stayed contained. it is possible that the cancer would still be contained, but it is also possible that it would have spread.
i feel very blessed to have had such an early detection and to be in western new york with a great doctor and a radiologist that has done amazing work. my radiologist actually created the core biopsy method that was used for my first biopsy.
i also would like to say thank you from the very bottom of my heart for the most amazing, wonderful, loving people in my life. i've had lots of love and prayers and good will sent my way and i am truly appreciative.
so, please get those breasts checked out...by a doctor of course. you see, i still have my sometimes inappropriate humor in tact!

kindergarten, here we come!

our pre-k graduate

hooray for ella-belle! she is officially ready for kindergarten! today was her pre-k graduation from pixie village preschool. above is a photo of ella in cap and gown. also a self-portrait.
ella receives her diploma

ella and the beloved mrs. sue

congratulations ella girl!

freedom

afton has finally decided to learn to ride her bike without training wheels. she is a girl who needs to decide on her own, and not be told or cajoled or talked into anything. so, last night was the right time for her. this afternoon she's been riding and riding and riding with a gigantic smile on her face. it makes me remember that freedom i felt as a young girl riding off to somewhere. maybe to meet my friend neisha at the railroad tracks. maybe to the store for candy. maybe to the library. maybe down to the dirt road that ran alongside the field. maybe just down to the stop sign at the end of the road.

i think afton felt that same freedom this afternoon as she asked me if she could ride down to sarah's house. when i finally consented, she rode off with a smile and assured me she'd be fine. as soon as she was down a few houses, i snuck to the end of the driveway to make sure she was alright. when she turned around i hurried back up to my chair at the top of the driveway. when she rode up, she asked me who was jogging up our driveway. caught! i explained that a mother's job is to worry and make sure their children are safe. she told me a child's job is to make sure their mom knows they are just fine. she is very good at her job, but i'm an expert at mine.

first activity day

i can't believe afton has attended her first activity day! let's just say, she thoroughly enjoyed herself!

you may remember a post i put on a while ago about my friend rachel who has a goal to make 100 baby blankets for parents who lose their newborn babies. well, the activity girls helped contribute to that goal. it was a great project and helped them to learn to do things for others. sweet rachel came and told a little bit of her story beforehand, and that made the evening a little more special for the girls.

mya, molly, syd, aftie, and tabitha holding up their blankets

i took off a bit early and ryan (the super-dad of the world) came to help the girls sew!

project!

sweet aftie has been working on a project showcasing her talents and interests. she will be presenting the finished product tomorrow at school.

as you can see, she has been working hard... cutting, pasting, taping, gathering, writing, glittering, etc.

carefully placing each item on the board

and the finished product! the left side shows photos of friends. the right side shows photos of her interest in butterflies, including one she made from a coffee filter. the middle shows pictures of family members from each parents side of the family as well as a picture of Jesus Christ and a picture of her baptism day.

she also will be showing her love for her favorite webkinz, a horse named ginger, some artwork she has created, a wooden home she and ryan built for her webkinz, a high school musical 3 dvd, a wii game, a book, and her very treasured blue bear.

way to go aftie girl!

fun run and fun mud

on saturday we did a fun run downtown and got into the zoo for free afterward. it was fun to walk/run with friends!

all the kids got medals!


afton liked walking and talking with jane.
ella like running really fast, then walking, then running really fast, then walking!later, ryan and the girls planted our gardens. wait a minute, we don't plant flip flops!ella did not think falling in the mud was funny or fun.

don't call him dr. hulse

ryan (aka dr. hulse) and some colleagues were able to do a crime scene investigation science lab for aftie's class on friday. the kids had a great time! they were able to conduct 4 different experiments to help solve a mystery. they tested ink, two different powders, and paper types.

will this little girl become a scientist like her dad?testing powders for a reaction

goggles, check. sterile spatulas, check. latex gloves, check.

thanks dr hulse!

i suggested to ryan that the kids might think it was extra fun if they called him dr hulse, instead of mr hulse or afton's dad. he didn't think much of that idea. he's a simple, humble man. that's why i like him so much.