Buckroe Beach!

Today we went to Buckroe Beach! It was so nice having Zev home (he was supposed to have a day off on Friday but had to work that day, so he took today off). Zachary was fearless and wanted to go into the water, even though mummy and daddy felt it was cold! Must be those swimming lessons :-) He doesn't like wearing a hat or helmet at the moment but we are working on that one. We started off the day with a family run around the neighborhood and ended the day with another cook out and family time at home. I love my two Z men!

Memorial Day long weekend

It is so lovely having Zev back after his TDY in San Antonio this past week. This was also my week 3 of chemo and a hard week to be honest. We always love the last Sunday before my little one week "break" in between each cycle. 

So, this weekend is Memorial Day long weekend in the USA (like ANZAC day in Australia). We have been relaxing and enjoying the weather outside. It's been unusually cold here but is meant to warm up in the coming days which will be nice. I've taken Zachary out on bike rides around our neighborhood and on Saturday afternoon our ride took us to the local library, where Zachary checked out some books and tried to impress the little girl who was also reading some books. After church on Sunday our sweet friend Ginny (the Hop) took some outstanding photos for Zachary's first birthday. We loved them! We then dropped Zachary off with our other sweet  friend Ginny (Virginia is a common name in the state of Virginia funnily enough :-)) and she watched him while we went on a date to watch Iron man 3 in 3D! It was really good!

Monday I met the girls for breakfast and picked up some great Memorial Day sales including a pair of shorts, while daddy watched Zachary and took him out for a run. I took Zachary for a bike ride round the beighborhood then we came home and took naps and in the evening we grilled outside. I love having a grill now, especially one that hooks up to the gas line! Zev cooked up some yummy fajitas with a cilantro and Greek yogurt sauce last night and some yummy chicken marinated with lemon and garlic with a side of couscous with shiitake mushrooms tonight! He is a gourmet cook. I just cook the staples during the week :-)

Freedom is not free. In honor of servicemen and women in the USA and Australia, thank you for your service!

Ps: I will try to post more pic from Ginny's photo shoot tomorrow!

Happy Birthday DADDA!

Little swimmer

Little man and his buddy Brady had their swim lesson at the Y this afternoon. Today, the instructor wanted to teach the kids how to swim to the edge and if they could, get out of the pool. She said that some kids would naturally know how to get out. Although no one has ever shown Zachary how to get in or out of the pool (I always carry him in), when I faced him towards the edge, he placed his hands and grabbed the edge of the pool and then LIFTED HIS LEFT LEG AND HOISTED HIMSELF UP!!! I had to push his little bottom up but I was amazed that he figured it out by himself! Still doesn't like getting dunked though, unlike Brady :-))  The picture below is of the boys when Megan and I when walking yesterday.

Matching camo

Mr. Multi-tasker

Imagine my surprise when I popped into the playroom (it was getting quiet) after washing some dishes up and saw this sight! First time he has popped himself up on the car. Made my mama heart happy :-) I think his tumbling classes are paying off! Have a great week :-)

Mother's Day 2013

Ryan and Shelly visit!

Today we had a lovely visit with friends that we were stationed in Germany with, Ryan and Shelly! They brought their beautiful little girl, Reagan with them and we had fun catching up, reminiscing on old times and watching Zachary chase Reagan around the house.

Thanks for visiting and good luck with your next adventure guys!

Bye Bye at Walmart

Little Mr. Casanova knows how to charm the socks off everyone, especially older ladies. He can turn an smile upside down! Here he is waving to everyone in the parking lot at Walmart. This is AFTER he waved and smiled at all the ladies in the store. Flirt!!

Little GENTLEman

PRECIOUS MOMENT OF THE DAY: Little man Zachary "walked" his mummy from the car to the kitchen! He's getting SO BIG!

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19


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Squirrels and being Mr. Casanova at the oncology clinic

So today was a fun day. We started the day off with waffles and eggs and milk for breakfast (well Zachary did.) Apparently little man does not care for the whole grain waffles but prefers the homemade white flour waffles. I have tasted both and the homemade ones just taste better. Maybe I will make some homemade whole wheat waffles and freeze them?! Zachary enjoyed watching Mr. Squirrel attempt a Spider Man and throw himself (literally) into our window. He thought it was hilarious. Of course Mr. Squirrel was attempting to reach the new bird feeder which daddy had attached to the window for Zachary to watch. He got a pretty good kick out of watching Mr. Squirrel/ Spider Man kamikaze himself onto the window though!

Zachary then went to his second tumbling lesson at the Y; Kristine dropped off some goodies for Zachary and had lunch with me and then Zachary charmed the socks off every single women (regardless of age, race, color) in the waiting room at the oncologist clinic. Most of the people there had grand kids and there was Zachary walking around with me holding his hands and doing the royal wave to everyone that was there and everyone that walked in. So cute! Something about babies and puppies; they make everyone smile and feel special and forget their worries even for a little bit. That's why I say that God gave me Zachary when He did. He knew I would have some hard days but Zachary just makes me smile and Zev cheers me on like the wonderful husband he is.

Going to the oncology clinic is honestly kind of depressing. Because it's also the infusion clinic waiting room, there are people with no hair, people with sad looks on their faces and the look of hopelessness in their eyes. I try to maintain a cheery outlook when I go in. The nurses who do my blood work always love seeing Zachary (they flirt with him and each one calls him her "boyfriend".) He loves it. I love the fact that Zev comes to all the meetings with my oncologist Kim with me. She is really nice and has a special relationship with us. She also said that my blood work was looking pretty good, considering that I've completed 7 rounds of chemo and am about I start round 8 tonight! Crazy stuff.

Speaking of crazy stuff, I received a phone call from my neuro-surgeon's administrative assistant Colleen today. Our sons were born on the exact same day last year! Turns out that Dr. Q wants to use my case as a case study for his Pathoanatomy class at Johns Hopkins Medical school and invited me to come along. It was very nice of them to extend an invitation and perhaps I will come along. I am interested in all this stuff and it would be kind of cool to hear my neuro-surgeon talk specifically about my case. Or weird.

When we got back from the oncology clinic, I took Zachary for a run around our neighborhood. I have resolved to run the Baltimore half marathon as part of Dr. Q's Team Quest, in order to raise money for brain cancer research. I believe that we will find a cure for this disease; I pray that this cure is found within my lifetime!

Have a great week!
Love and hugs xo

Art of marriage conference and special gifts from Deutschland!!

Zev and I attended a marriage conference, our first ever, at our church this weekend. It was really good and we even got some laughs out of it! Ginny was very kind to watch Zachary so we could go to it. Thanks Ginny!

Our sweet friends Laura and Philipp from Germany also sent Zachary a Haba colorful tower and a "faith hope love" pandora charm for mama for our birthdays in April! You guys didn't have to do that but we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Have a lovely weekend y'all!

Squealing toddlers

Megan and Brady and Ginny came over for lunch after our Body Pump workout today. Zachary was chasing Brady around the kitchen and they were both squealing! So precious :-)

 

So grateful to be alive on this beautiful day!

Almost walking!

So I had to record little man crawling before he walks (and runs!)

 

Have a blessed Friday!

Summer swim

Zachary and his buddy Brady began their summer swim lessons today. Since it is warm out, it wasn't nearly as cold in the pool as it was during the winter when they began their lessons (it's an indoor pool too!) Zachary cried a little at first and clung to me the entire session which was fine. I want him to love being in the water and not afraid of it. Brady was smiling and kicking away! What a beautiful day it is outside. Maybe Zachary and I will take a walk! Have a good evening :-)

First steps and a refreshing walk in the sun!

Guess who took his first steps today?! Zachary did! Without even realizing it too. We were waiting for daddy to come home this afternoon and I had just finished watering the plants when Zachary wanted to do what mummy was doing and started playing with the watering can and then when I asked him to hand it to me, he took exactly four steps!! Yay Zachary! Of course when daddy came home he didn't walk anymore. What a lovely day though!

We did go for a walk when we got home from the Y. Turns out our neighborhood has a lot of green walkways so Zachary and I had fun exploring. It was so lovely and sunny out and I got to catch up with sweet Gena, who is going to run the Baltimore Half Marathon with me in October. Zachary and I even blew some bubbles as we waited for daddy to come home. I love motherhood :-)

Little Lord Flaunteroy and a lucky day at MOPS!

Today is such a beautiful day (notice that I say this whenever I'm not on chemo?!!) It is seriously pretty and SUNNY outside. I do believe that sun is GOOD for the SOUL!!

So in celebration of the gorgeous day and the last day of MOPS (Mothers of preschoolers) at our church, I dressed Zachary in a special "southern" outfit complete with his little white socks and sandals while they still fit and while he didn't complain. Didn't he look ADORABLE?!!! My mother in law sent back a text with "Little Lord Flaunteroy"! I love it.

So at MOPS today, we had our annual big prize giveaway and I was so excited to win the beautiful bag that my sweet friend Kathryn MADE BY HERSELF! It has a yellow zipper in it. Gorgeous. We also each got given a bag with "favorite things" from the MOPS steering committee members, including a personalized trivet! Love!

Zachary is sound asleep (thank you, God!) and this afternoon he will begin his summer swim lessons at the Y with Brady.

As much as I hate cancer (and I don't hate many things and certainly not people but I do hate cancer), the past crummy week has made me appreciate good days. Like today! So have a nice day and appreciate the little things in life. Seriously :-)