Frogs and Bees

We went for a ride the other night, Kyle has a sheep hunt soon so we go see if we can find them!
The twins didn't have shoes on, they never do, but that didnt stop them from getting out and running around!
We found some little frogs and played with them for awhile. It kinda scares me that my 3 girls will pick up anything and aren't scared at all!

It was nice to get out and go for a ride!

This is a huge bee hive in the side of the hill.
Anyone ever see  My Girl? Anytime I see a bee hive my mind goes there!

update

Every year when school starts and summer is over, I think life will slow down, get back to normal, but it doesn't
This year more than ever it feels like we are always running somewhere or doing something. With all the girls in school I thought I would get more done, but I haven't felt very good and have been going to the doctor every Monday.

Last Monday I went and seen Dr. Wu and had my blood test done.
I was SO nervous all week, but just tried to not think about it.
On Thursday morning, 9:00 AM, on the dot I called to get me results, and left a message.
They are really good to call back quickly, but not this day. As the day went on, I worked myself up more and more, cried all morning, and pretty sure made myself sicker.
In July my number was 44, "normal" is 38 and under.

My number on Monday was 22,
half of what it was and way below "normal"!!
My potassium and calcium was low, and my white count was a little elevated.
I am suppose to drink orange juice every morning and make sure to take all my supplements. 
I dont have to go back and see Dr. Wu till January. I am happy about that, but at the same time it scares me. That's 4 months of not being reassured that I am ok.
But that just means that I should be moving forward.

I went to Dr. Annes office the same day and got the go ahead to start expanding again. She is going to go slow at first and make sure my skin can take it.
Radiation ruins your skin. It can take 3 to 4 months before your skin is back in good shape, (I hope it doesnt take that long for mine to bounce back, but it is what it is.)
I have one spot that she is kinda worried about, but she has lots of options for me.
I just need to be patient she says....

I have also have had a kidney infection that really got me down. I got into alot of trouble by Dr. Wu for waiting so long, but I really dont enjoy going to doctors more that I have to.
I got on a really strong antibiotic and after 3 days I finally feel better. I think I learned my lesson this time and will go in earlier next time.

The one thing that I still am having a hard time with is how tired I get.
It seems like I feel good one day and so I think I should do everything I can, and I make jelly, clean the house, rake leaves, and other things that dont really need to be done. Then it takes me 3 days to recuperate, and it starts over.

My hair is getting long, it is coming in curly and grey.
It is thinner than it was,
but I guess at least I have hair.

Some days, like today, I wish this last year would have never happened and life was like it was, including my hair.

some thoughts

We have not stopped going for the last little while, between the wedding, a reunion, school, canning, the reception, the flood,(mostly just cause Kyle was out all night fixing the power problems, so I was up waiting for him.) I feel like I have not stopped.
Also I deleted Facebook off my phone and I hardly ever get on my computer, I felt like it was taking over my life and I watched enough tv and sat on the computer for the first 6 months of this year that I just thought I needed to slow down with the screen time! 

All this going is finally catching up with me, I cant seem to get any energy and am just so tired, but I keep saying "aren't all grown ups too tired?!" It is very frustrating to want to do things but just not have your body cooperate. I thought my energy levels would come up a lot more than they have, it could be the tamoxifen or it could be that I only have been done with chemo for 3 and a half months. 

The girls are loving school! It is nice cause we wake up and I get them off to school and then have a few hours to try and get something done. Most of the days I have been canning peaches and jelly, its a new hobby of mine! 

I was suppose to go to the doctor this week, but since the flood took out the freeway and all the crazy people are going the back way I decided to reschedule for next week. I will be happy to have my blood done and see what my numbers look like. If I could, I would go in for blood or a scan or something every other week just so I know that nothing is coming back.

Radiation has been over for almost 3 weeks.
My skin is still pretty burnt, but it is looking and feeling better.
My hair is coming in great, I went and got a "haircut" on Monday, mostly she just shaved my neck and cleaned it up a little. She also buzzed my face for me, I have little fuzz hair growing everywhere!

I have been out and about more and see more people, I love that they all say they like my short hair, but really you cant tell a cancer patient that they look like shit with short hair, it just isn't allowed!
I dont know why but when strangers say "how brave" I am for having my hair cut so short, it takes all I have to not say, "listen here, I am not brave, this was not a choice, cancer took it away from me", but I dont I just smile and say thanks cause they are complementing me!

I have been asked a lot about what my prognosis is. I really don't know what to say when they ask, cause only time will tell.
Everything looks great for now, but honestly you or I could walk out and get ran over by a bus, or my cancer could come back, or you could get cancer,
so my prognosis is life, i guess.

There are those people who get breast cancer, (or any cancer) who go pink crazy. I am not one of those.
Will I rock my cancer shirts and pink in October, yes for sure. But I have looked into all those "pink" things that you buy and hardly, if any, money actually goes to breast cancer fighters or research.
So I have decided every year I will just do something to raise a little money for someone going through cancer.

I have also found that I dont really like to be called a survivor.
What have I "survived"?
Have I really "survived"?
Aren't we all just surviving life?
Instead of a survivor I like the word fighter. Cause lets be honest I am still fighting, we all are.

Cancer is only a small part of me, in fact it was only less than 4 cm of me, yet it has seemed to take over my life.
But I am slowly pushing it out and letting all the good, happy, normal stuff come back!

Duck Creek

Labor day weekend we always try and make it up to Cedar Mountain for the Beatty/Alger/Lowder family reunion.
This year we went up on Saturday and hung out.
We mostly sat around talking, not very many people were there this year.
Vance and Teisha got some kites out to entertain us! There wasnt enough wind and there were to many trees to really fly the kites, but we had fun watching them run around with the girls trying to get them to fly!
After some yummy tacos and the best apple/snickers salad we went down to Marysvale for a few days.

Sunday we had dutch oven dinner up the mountain with my dad and my friend Malisa, it was so nice to talk with her (shes my cancer friend!)! We also had some yummy peach cobbler with the peaches that I had canned. Its one of Kyles specialties, and it doesn't disappoint!!

Monday we cleaned up and visited with grandparents! Grandma Joe made us lunch, delicious ribs, potato salad, and coleslaw.
Then we made our way to Cedar and met all of Kyles brothers and their wife's for dinner! We left all the kids with Grandma and Grandpa and then had fun eating hibachi and sushi! Luke and Sierra had never tried sushi before, we will make them love it like the rest of us!!!

It was fun to go one more time before school gets going, but I am ready to stay home and take it easy for awhile!

School Starts!

Say what......
All my kids are in school this year!

I was ready for school to start, I was ready to get back into a schedule and maybe find "normal" again, but man alive do I miss lazy mornings!
The girls were very ready for it to start this year! 

The girls were bouncing off the walls excited for the big first day!
When Grace started school I was so sad, and she cried, and I hated sending her. But the twins were all about starting, They weren't scared at all and so it has made it easy to send them!

They all get to ride the same bus to school,  I like that Grace is there to take care of the little girls for me!
The twins get home at noon, that is just enough time to get the house cleaned up and showered. But I like that I get a few hours of guilt free me time!
They all 3 come home with great stories of things they learned and people they met, they bounce off the walls and are excited to go the next day!


Alaynna Merri Leavitt
Age ---- 5 
Teacher---- Mrs. Hammons

Favorite Movie ---- Frozen
Favorite Book ---- Ariel
Favorite Food ---- Macaroni and cheese noodles
Favorite Color ----Red and Pink
Favorite Holiday ---- Christmas
Favorite Animal ----Zebra
Favorite thing to do ---- Play with Dad
What do you want to be when you grow up? ---- A pizza maker! 
Where do you want to live when you grow up? ----By you and Dad!

Alaynna loved her first day of school, She loves her teacher and all of her new friends.

Addsion Nancy Leavitt
Age ---- 5 
Teacher---- Mrs. Hammons

Favorite Movie ---- Tangled
Favorite Book ---- Fluffy's silly summer
Favorite Food ---- Spaghetti
Favorite Color ---- Purple, Pink, Red, Blue
Favorite Holiday ---- Halloween
Favorite Animal ----Elephants and Hippos
Favorite thing to do ---- Play outside
What do you want to be when you grow up? ---- A cake maker! 
Where do you want to live when you grow up? ---- Overton, but if I run out of money, I am going to live with you and dad!

Addison really likes her teacher, she thinks her name is "just beautiful"! She really has liked making new friends and loves fun Fridays!

Grace-Lynn Leavitt
Age ---- 8
Teacher---- Mrs. Mortensen

Favorite Movie ---- Brave and the Prince and the Frog
Favorite Book ---- Any Dr. Seuss
Favorite Food ---- Italian sausages and spaghetti and meatballs
Favorite Color ---- Gold (sparkly) and Silver
Favorite Holiday ---- Christmas and Thanksgiving 
Favorite Animal ----Cheetah and Ginny Pig 
Favorite thing to do ---- Cook with mom and Playing outside
What do you want to be when you grow up? ---- A Mom! 
Where do you want to live when you grow up? ----Mesquite

Grace got on the wrong bus coming home on the first day. I thought for sure she would be freaking out and crying.
When Kyle and I were waiting for her, we were both having a panic attack, I was about in tears.
So when she came bee-boppin off the bus like it didn't even matter, I wondered where my shy little girl had went and who was this brave, smart, beautiful young women!

Grace loves her new teacher, she was so nervous cause she didn't think she could ever like anyone but Mrs. Solis! She has been learning all about volcanoes and tell us all kinds of facts about them!

I went down to the school and took pictures of Grace when she went to kindergarten so I thought I better do the same for the twins. They didnt even talk to me and Kyle, they were to busy running around and playing on the playground!

Sidenote.... I think they should ban parents from coming down on the first day, its total chaos for no good reason, I am sure the office ladies agree 100%!!!

Lukes Wedding

When Kyle and I got married, Luke was like 13, he had huge glasses and was a little boy.
As time has went on, he grew out of the glass, grew a foot taller, and turned into a great young man!

He found himself a great wife and we are so happy that she is in the family now. The girls just love her and we love that she makes Luke happy!
They got married on Friday August 22nd, we had pizza factory for dinner, and the girls all ran around like crazy ladies!
They had a reception the next night so we went to Cedar and spent the night!
We had alot of fun and in true Leavitt fashion we all hide in the back corner!
The girls ran and danced all night, and even got Grandpa Penn to dance with them! 

We had alot of fun watching them smash cake in each others faces, dancing, watching the girls and them ride around in a horse drawn carriage, and making a mess out of Lukes truck!