Finished with the "Red Devil!"

This week was my fourth chemo treatment and after my two weeks of recovery, I'll be half way through!  The best news is that I'm done with the hardest of the chemo drugs, adriamycin, aka - the Red Devil.  Yea!!!  The treatment went well and my recovery is a bit milder than the three previous times.  I was worried that my side effects haven't been as bad as I'd anticipated and asked the doctor if I should be doing more and/or harder treatments... not because I want to feel sick, it really has been yucky, but because I want to make sure all the cancer in my body is obliterated.  After teasing me a little bit (because, honestly, who would ask for harder treatment?!) my doctor assured me that I am getting the most aggressive chemo treatment that is available.  It made me feel better, but I know that this cancer crap is going to be in the back of my mind every day until I've been in remission for the requisite 5-10 years.

But now on to more exciting news... After being down in the dumps a bit during my last go around, I decided to take the bull by the horns and start creating more fun in my life!  On Wednesday, almost a week after my chemo (the day after the amazing snow storm) I was feeling fabulous.  Usually on those days I try to get caught up on all my responsibilities, but on this day I decided to bag it all, leave the house a mess, and have some fun.  I threw on my snow clothes and noticed that the new ski socks I'd bought myself in September had a breast cancer label on them that I hadn't noticed previously - talk about the skiing being meant to be!!  I sweet talked Lauren into skipping school and coming with me and we ran up to SnowBasin for a few runs.  When Matt found out I was headed up there, he snuck away to meet us as well.  It was so wonderful to be in the fresh air and sunshine!!!  In fact, it was so wonderful, I went two more times that week!!  (**Full disclosure - I only went down the hill a few times each day and the rest of the time everyone else skied while I rested on the sidelines - but oh, that sunshine was lovely!!!)

 My favorite day on the slope was when Matt and I snuck Will out of school to ski.  He has been struggling with skiing for a long time (he's gone a dozen times over the past few years and there was no improvement - mostly a mental/fear block).  This day, with just Matt and I giving him our full attention, was the day that he overcame his fears.  He commented going down the hill once that, "I am so happy I feel like I rule the world - I can do anything!!"  It's times like these that make all the struggles of parenting worthwhile.  His sense of accomplishment at overcoming something that was really difficult for him was the biggest boost of joy that I've had in a long time. :)

 And on that note of seizing the happiness around us, I booked our family a trip to California over Spring Break!  I can't wait to eat some Disney desserts, see my kids smile, and sink my toes into the sand!!!!!!!