My Mom

Here is a letter that I sent my friends to let them know about my Mom.

You have all been such a big part of the journey with my Mom and her brave and strong battle with cancer.  I want each of you to know what an amazing support you have been and how appreciative I am of your friendship. I never would have been able to get thru this without each of you. I am blessed.

My Mom was diagnosed 5 years ago and for the past 2 years been undergoing chemo and radiation to try and get the cancer out of her brain and spinal fluid. Our family started to notice some neurological and physical changes 2 weeks ago. I felt so strongly about the change that I put in my notice at work and to focus more time on her. We went to see her oncologist and got the news that her latest MRI showed the cancer had taken over a large part of her brain in just a few weeks. Her doctor felt that the chemo should immediately stop since it wasn't helping and would likely just make things worse. As we know, only God knows the time that she will be with us, but the doctor felt the time is very limited.

I was filled with shock and sadness beyond words, but am also comforted in knowing that my Mom no longer needs to suffer. My Dad and Mom have been thru so much these past few years and have given it their all. My Dad has gone beyond the imaginable to care for my Mom with compassion, patience and love. He has amazed me and I think everyone that has witnessed his care. In moments of sadness, I try to remind myself that the deeper the love equals the harder the pain, so I will take the pain as deep as it feels right now.

My Mom has been placed in the loving hands of hospice, which will allow her to be at home and out of  hospitals. My mom looks forward to being surrounded by the love of her family and close friends.

As most of you know, my Mom has always been my best friend. A day hasn't gone by that I haven't spoken with her, so the thought of not having her here is very scary and very sad. I am comforted by my faith and knowing that her body will be healed and she will be surrounded by her parents and so many other family that love her so much when she returns home to heaven.

I love you all so much. I have a feeling I'm going to need a lot of love and support when she is gone and I know I can turn to you to fill it. Thank you again for everything. I'm one lucky girl to have such wonderful friends.

Tucson Getaway

Jason and I were in desperate need to get away for the weekend and it came at the perfect time.

Jason's college roommate, Justin got married in Tucson and we were so excited to head back to the desert. I always feel very nostalgic when traveling to Arizona with Jason since that is where we met and have so many memories there. We decided to leave early Friday morning and head back late Sunday night, so we were able to take full advantage of being away and relaxing in the sun. THANK YOU Betty and Bob for taking such wonderful care of the kids.

The wedding theme was Dia De Los Muertos and fit perfect with the tucson desert. Delicious mexican food and an adobe venue was so festive and fun.

The men had such style. I loved seeing Justin so happy. 

Loved Katie's dress. She radiated pure joy. 

The backdrop for the weekend were these gorgeous canyons. Love the natural beauty of the desert. 

Our hotel was undergoing a MAJOR remodel, which we were totally unaware of when booking. By major I mean I was woken up to jackhammers outside my window at 6am on Saturday morning. Since the purpose of our weekend was relaxation, we decided to move hotels. 

We left jackhammers for this view. 

Our hotel was perfect. All we wanted to do on Saturday was workout, eat, hang by the pool, read, drink fruity cocktails and eat again. It was the perfect day. 

Don't ask Jason about the number of Mojitos he indulged in at the pool.

Sunday included massages, hanging by the pool and more food and drink.
Cheers to Tucson. We had such a nice time.