Living with Whimsy

Miles at Age 17

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 01:46:00 +0000

I made him crouch down for this quick pic after he got home from band.
He'd like it known that he's actually 5'11.5"

To read about Miles at age 16, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "Funny. I can't think of anything else."

2. What are you thankful for? "Family. Cats. House. Friends."

3. What makes you happy? "Video games, my friends, food, family."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "When people are being jerks. And schoolwork."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "I feel like by now I should have it figured out, right? Probably something to do with computer science, or some forensic science thing."

6. What's important to you? "Band. And family and those basic things."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "I like that I'm funny and I try to help people."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "She's strong and nice and a good baker."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "He's funny, he cooks good, and I mean, the road trip was really fun."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "Obviously I'd like to go to Europe again, that would be really fun."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "Probably my parents because my mom is strong and my dad is funny and he's good at taking care of us."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "Forensic science."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Help them out if they don't understand something."

14. What are you afraid of? "Not ever seeing my family again."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "Family."

16. What's your favorite memory? "It's in between going to Europe as a family and going on the roadtrip to Kansas City."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "Improving at band, like, a lot."

18. What are you looking forward to? "When I'm not in dual English anymore."

19. What do you dream about? "I don't remember my dreams."

20. What else do you want to say? "I've gotta go work on dual English homework."

Miles, you are amazing. You are such a blessing to me, and such an incredible human being. I can't wait to see what you do with the time ahead of you!

Miles at Age 16

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 20:20:00 +0000

(I made him crouch down for the natural light; he'd like everyone to know he's actually 5'10.5")

To read about Miles at age 15, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "Percussionist, I like watching stuff..."

2. What are you thankful for? "That my parents are good at cooking and that we have a house."

3. What makes you happy? "I like watching new TV shows that you {Mom} have watched before. And also hanging out with my friends,"

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Does frustrated count as angry? When I'm doing jobs or something and somebody adds something to what I'm doing. Like they give me more to do. It feels like it never ends."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "I'm not sure what profession, but something to do with computer science."

6. What's important to you? "Having my own time, not doing only band or... basically just having time for myself."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "I like that I can move on. Like when I sold my 3DS, I guess."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "She's really strong and she cares a lot."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "He takes care of us no matter if it makes him happy or he's frustrated or something. And he's really funny."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "I wanna go back to Europe."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "My parents 'cause they take care of us and they have good relationships with God."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "Computer science, because I feel like I'm behind just because I started a year late."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Maybe if they have a problem with something, like they don't understand something, I could explain it in a way they could understand or relate to."

14. What are you afraid of? "Drowning."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "I would say my family, but I don't know if that's what the question is asking. And that's three people, not one."

16. What's your favorite memory? "Europe. All of it."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "There's a lot of opportunities at school where somebody might say, "Oh, I'm in so much pain," and I know that I'm in more pain, but I don't say anything because that would be obnoxious. I know when to keep my mouth shut, I guess."

18. What are you looking forward to? "Going to State for band."

19. What do you dream about? "I don't know. I don't remember my dreams."

20. What else do you want to say? "I can't believe I'm 16. It doesn't feel real yet. And I'm scared to drive."

I am so proud of you, and so in awe of your talent. You are such a kind, funny, generous soul and I love being your mom!

Gisèle, age 18

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 19:45:00 +0000

To see Gisèle at age 17, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "I would describe myself as passionate, ambitious, and kind. Hopefully."

2. What are you thankful for? "I am thankful for family and friends, as always. And I'm also very thankful that I have the opportunity to go to college, have this scholarship... I feel very thankful for all the opportunities I've had this year."

3. What makes you happy? "Dumb jokes. I've realized that anytime anyone says, like, "fart," or "poop," that's hilarious. Even "butt." And Dad always makes me laugh. So, "poop," "butt," "fart," Dad."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Is it weird if I say the socioeconomic state of the world? Politics right now can make me really angry. Or when people talk about politics. Or when people are ignorant of politics, that can make me really angry. Also, like, little things that people do that feel entitled. Like when people are walking toward you on the sidewalk and expect you to move out of the way instead of them also moving."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Pretty sure my answer was the same last year, but... Guess. I'm pretty sure that's been my answer every year." {Actor/director}

6. What's important to you? "My relationship with God is important to me. Also, keeping up with personal relationships like family and friends. And working hard."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "Physically, I've been really liking my hair recently. And not physically, I like how stubborn I am. I think when I set my mind on something I really go for it. And it may take me a while to get there, but I'm very persistent and I know what I want."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "I love that my mom is a fighter. I think I definitely get my stubbornness from her. She knows what she wants and she's very smart and practical about how she's going to get there. And I think that's something a lot of people lack, but you definitely don't."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "Aside from the fact that he never ceases to make me laugh, I also love that Dad is there for you whenever you need him. Like anytime anyone's feeling bad or has had a long day, he's always there in the kitchen doing dishes, or doing finances on the weekend, just always showing up."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "Right now the answer is Harlaxton! I'm very excited! The people going there for fall semester just got there yesterday. I'm excited to go there and explore all the hidden passageways."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "I admire a lot of people, so I'm just going to pick one person right now, and this is more career related than anything. Helen McCrory. You know I love the quote used in her interview - "extraordinarily fearless." And I think her style of acting is understated and natural but still elevated, and I'm in awe every time I watch her."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "There's a lot of things I want to learn more about. I think I'll just keep learning as I grow older. But right now, I'm interested in learning more about acting and directing and the theater industry. Also, I'd be really interested in learning about gender studies and what that looks like in society right now. There's a lot of classes that sound cool about that right now."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "I think right now showing up in the little things, like if someone seems lonely, going up to them and saying hi. Or if I see someone having a hard time, letting them know that I'm here if they need someone to talk to. Making an effort to reach out. I think the little things are really important, so I'd love to just be there for people."

14. What are you afraid of? "Calling CVS again."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "Aside from my Bible, because I think that's a trick question, or my phone... I guess my cross necklace that I always have on because it not only reminds me of God and to keep Him in my thoughts always, but also you guys."

16. What's your favorite memory? "I've got a lot of really good memories. Just 'cause college is on my mind right now - I really like thinking back to me getting that letter from Evansville after Texas Thespian Festival, and I had been waiting for this letter, and when it came I opened it up and it said something along the lines of, "While we enjoyed meeting you..." and I thought that I hadn't gotten in, but then I read further and it said I had gotten in. And that was the only college letter that I ever cried when I was accepted, and thinking back to how little I knew of the program then, and I was still excited for it, and it's crazy to think about where that's led."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "I'm proud that over this past year I've really faced my fears, whether that be calling CVS or otherwise."

18. What are you looking forward to? "We've got our first staging rehearsal for Jagged Little Pill tonight, so we're going to go over choreography and blocking, and the rehearsal room is going to be taped out so we have rough dimensions of the stage, so I'm really excited to get going on that. Plus I've gotten a lot of compliments on my singing voice, actually, so that's cool."

19. What do you dream about? "I'm trying to think of actual dreams I've had at night. I haven't really dreamt much these past few nights. Dreams for the future-wise, I'd love to either be in a show at National Theatre, be in a play on Broadway, and/or be in a long-running comedic TV show."

20. What else do you want to say? "I don't know. That it's weird that this is my final birthday blog thing. Yeah. And I miss you guys."

Gisèle, you make me so, so proud. You are an incredible woman, and I'm so blessed to be your Mom. Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Miles at Age 15

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Sun, 13 Oct 2024 19:35:00 +0000

To read about Miles at age 14, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "Creative, funny. I'll just go with that."

2. What are you thankful for? "My family, what we have, and the opportunities we have."

3. What makes you happy? "Doing my own thing and not being bossed around, like not being able to enjoy myself."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "When people are annoying."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "I don't know."

6. What's important to you? "Uh, being able to have my "me time" but also be helpful."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "I like that I'm not spoiled."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "She's strong, she's been through a lot but she can go through more."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "He's very hardworking and takes care of the family and does things for us even if it means he's not happy."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "I'd go back to Europe. Go on a Europe trip, visit some of the places we've already been to, but I'd also like to go to Spain, and the Netherlands again."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "I admire my parents because both of them are strong."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "I want to learn more coding skills for TSA {Technology Student Association} and be able to keep up in all my classes and not fall behind."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Make them feel welcome and not left out."

14. What are you afraid of? "I don't know, maybe boredom?"

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "My family."

16. What's your favorite memory? "Probably the Europe trip 'cause we saw a bunch of stuff I'd never seen before and I got to have a bunch of foods I'd never had before and everything was really good."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "I'm proud that I memorized all my marimba music."

18. What are you looking forward to? "Concert season in band and finally being used to all my classes and staying on top my classes."

19. What do you dream about? "I never remember my dreams."

20. What else do you want to say? "I need to do more Aceable {driving school} lessons."

I love watching you grow into the man you're becoming. You have such a kind heart, you're so thoughtful, and you're incredibly smart and funny. I'm so blessed to be your mom!

Gisèle, age 17

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 02:40:00 +0000

To see Gisèle at age 16, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "I'm short, lactose intolerant, Christian, and I love doing theatre."

2. What are you thankful for? "Not being gluten intolerant. I am grateful for my family, and our safety, and being able to live a 17th year."

3. What makes you happy? "The big robot balloon in the corner of the room."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Injustice. And lollygagging."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Guess. I'm pretty sure that's been my answer every year." {Actor/director}

6. What's important to you? "Things that are important to me are my family and my success."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "Physically or mentally? Physically I like my eyes and my lips. I also like that my feet aren't tiny. I know that's random. Mentally, or more personality-wise, I like that I'm passionate, ambitious, intelligent, and I'm not likely to ever give up."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "I think my answer's going to be the same. My mom is very strong, and I admire that strength, whether that's in expressing your opinions, or physical strength like going to bake an order when your body is telling you no. I also love that you'll just listen to me any time I'm going through anything, or just in general. You know all, so you're very good about sitting down, listening, and then giving your perspective on a solution."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "Dad sends funny texts. Like the finger with the face on it, and the strawberry with the butt on it, that make me laugh at random points in the day. I also really love that he cares about my safety a lot and that that's a big priority for him, that I'm safe and I'm set up for success. He is also super smart and organized and I aspire to be that organized someday. I appreciate that he helps me with homework; he's always down to try some problems and figure it out."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "I wanna go back to Europe when I'm not feeling bad. And I would just love to travel some more in general."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "Career-wise, I really admire Idina Menzel, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Zendaya, Alan Rickman, and personally, my mom."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "Macroeconomics right now. I feel pretty lacking in that area. I also want to learn more about what it means to direct a show and be that kind of leader in a theatre environment since that's something I'm interested in."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "In the grand scheme of things I want to go on a mission trip. I think that would be really cool. And I enjoyed doing a local mission trip and helping Afghan immigrants learn more about pool safety this summer."

14. What are you afraid of? "Probably failure and filing taxes."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "Physically? It would suck if I said a physical object and it was really asking which family member I'd save... Physically, an object I'd like to keep... The book Nana made me when I was younger. About the tooth fairies, Gisele and Isabella, and how Isabella was really jealous of Gisele and broke her magic fairy wand and had to go fix it."

16. What's your favorite memory? "When we were in The Netherlands and it was really windy and that one tourist's hat blew away and we all almost fell over. That was fun."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "My resilience."

18. What are you looking forward to? "Night of the Living Dead {fall show}, and I'm also looking forward to getting all my college stuff in and done and decided on."

19. What do you dream about? "Let me think of my most recent dream. Oh, I had that weird shark natatorium dream with the Voldemort director. That was scary. And it had the mutts from the Hunger Games in it. It was a really awful dream."

20. What else do you want to say? "I really like an Oprah quote right now, and it is, I think, "You only get in life what you have the courage to ask for." There's a Bible verse, James 1:2-3, "Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."

Gisèle, you inspire and amaze me every day. You make me so, so proud. Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Five Years NED

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:33:00 +0000

(Look at me, doing a post that isn't just a kid's birthday post!)

Today is a big day for me.

Today, I am 5 years post-active-treatment. It's been 5 years since I was declared "NED."

NED, for those not in the breast cancer world, stands for "No Evidence of Disease." When you have breast cancer, the word "remission" isn't really used. The chance of recurrence is so high that, instead, you're told that there is "No Evidence of Disease," with the world "currently" implied.

Most breast cancer statistics are defined by the 5 year and 10 year marks, so reaching the 5 year mark means you're now included in the "long-term" survival statistics. In reality, each year you survive after active treatment, your survival rate goes up & risk of recurrence goes down, but 5 years feels big. It feels important.

Active treatment is different for everyone, but for me, it included nearly 6 months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and 6 weeks of daily radiation. It's called active treatment because most breast cancer patients also have years of treatment after that initial year or so. Those following years, in my case, have involved:

a few years of monthly shots, followed by
a bilateral salingo-oopherectomy (removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes)
daily pills (with another 5 years to go on those)
bi-weekly myofascial release appointments to deal with radiation and chemo-caused tissue and muscle issues
yearly follow-up scans for bone loss and arthritis, caused by the daily pills
an infusion every couple of years to treat the bone loss
appointments to deal with chemo-induced rheumatoid arthritis
daily pills for an under-performing thyroid caused by chemo
a whole host of other side effects - massive weight gain, daily pain, continued tenderness from the drains placement after surgery, changes in my hair, skin, and nails, continued brain fog/chemo brain, changes in my eyesight, complete loss of previous energy & stamina (causing trips to the hospital if I overdo things)
early menopause - first caused by the chemo, then the shots, then the oopherectomy. And that comes with its own side effects!

All of that being said, I would so much rather be here than not be here.

I am one of the lucky ones. So many women have it so, so much worse. I made it through active treatment, I'm dealing with the rest of it, and I have an amazing support system in my husband, kids, family, and friends.

Cheers to 5 years NED!

1 week before starting chemo

port placement, pre-chemo

first chemo, icing hands and feet to prevent neuropathy

toward the beginning of chemo, with one of my kitty therapists

mid-chemo

further into chemo, losing my eyebrows & lashes

the incredible quilt my entire family decorated for me

toward the end of chemo, with brows & lashes gone

celebrating a day when I did my makeup and created eyebrows

final chemo!

prepping for my double mastectomy

flat and still bald

mapping for radiation (not pictured-my five permanent radiation tattoos)

first radiation, wearing a robe gifted from a friend

final radiation - end of active treatment!

starting to have a decent amount of hair, pictured with my other kitty therapist

a family trip to Universal to celebrate the end of active treatment!

1 year post-active treatment, learning to deal with curly hair

this morning, quick selfie

Thank you to my family, especially, for the incredible support. I wouldn't have made it through the year of treatment and the 5 years since without you.

Miles at Age 14

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 04:10:00 +0000

To read about Miles at age 13, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "Funny, try to make people laugh. Try not to make people annoyed with me and stuff. I think that's it."

2. What are you thankful for? "Family, friends, hmm. Like, food and water and necessary things that we've been provided. And, of course, cats."

3. What makes you happy? "Funny jokes, cats, dogs, lots of animals, Dad, family friends, hoodies, new electronics, Rubik's Cubes..."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Umm... when people interrupt me or when I'm trying to explain myself and someone thinks they know what I'm going to say. And even when they do, it's not nice to say it while I'm trying to speak. At least let me finish."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "A drummer. Whether that's a percussionist, percussion teacher, drummer in a band..."

6. What's important to you? "Hmm. Well, family, friends, people that I care about."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "I like that I'm always willing to try new things."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "What I love most about my mom is her willingness to help people."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "That he takes care of the family a lot and makes me laugh."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "Probably, like, a place with a nice beach because we're going to Europe for Christmas, so maybe, like, some place in, like, Hawaii, or some place on the coast with seafood."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "I admire my parents because they're good role models and get me to try new things."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "More percussion. Um, I'd like to learn like a bunch in school this year so I have less classes in high school."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Hmm. Give money to people that need food, or whatever they need."

14. What are you afraid of? "Hm. I don't know. Hm. I guess the fear of being misunderstood or not knowing the answer to something."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "Family."

16. What's your favorite memory? "Um... Probably going up to Grandma's house with the Isoms recently. That was fun. Or like Orlando, FL, which was awesome."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "My willingness to do new things."

18. What are you looking forward to? "Being in the drumline. And the new laptop."

19. What do you dream about? "I have no idea. I never remember any of my dreams."

20. What else do you want to say? "Uh, it's been a good 14 years so far. Let's hope nothing messes it up!"

You're incredible, Miles. Thanks for still hugging me even though you're practically grown. I can't wait to see what you do next!

Gisèle, age 16

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 23:02:00 +0000

To see Gisèle at age 15, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "Passionate, driven, clumsy, smart."

2. What are you thankful for? "I'm thankful for my family, God, my friends, the theatre company because it lets me be the thing I'm passionate about. It's such a great environment. Most of my teachers, because they help me learn... my cats, of course."

3. What makes you happy? "Things... food. Food makes me happy. Dumb jokes. Theatre, which is going to be all my answers. Just hanging out with great people. And also reading. Like, a good book. Those are hard to come by."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Covid. {She's recovering from it now.} Being away from home for a long time. That time of the month. When someone is doing something that I feel is unjust and it doesn't feel like I can do anything to fix it. So not being in control."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Guess. {Actor/director/producer} Honestly, Elphaba."

6. What's important to you? "My ambitions, definitely. Following my dreams. Because that's terrifying and hard, but I truly feel like it will be rewarding. That and safety for my family. And for me, but it's hard to be ambitious and absolutely safe at the same time."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "I laugh at myself, and I like that. Cause one of the times I find that I make other people the most happy is when I find myself hilarious and I crack up. Whether it be a dumb joke in the car during a pun war with Miles or Dad or in the theatre where I'm now known for breaking character because I think everything is so funny."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "I think I said the exact same thing last year, which is - you're just fishing for compliments, aren't you? But I love that you're so strong and courageous. And this ties in with that - something that I wish I had more of that is so awesome in you is your adventureisness. Because you aren't afraid of anything. If someone came to our door and asked you to hop in a plane and skydive, you'd say "Sure!" Or fly across the world and kiss the Blarney Stone, which you've already done, you'd be like, "Let's go." I also like your fast typing because it's scary. And I love how cool your life has been this far. Because you've done so many things. Like, you've worked for the Canadian Government while living in the US. That's crazy to me."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "I think this will be one of the same answers again, but what I love about you guys stays consistent. He's hilarious. And I can always go to him if I need to talk. (Same goes for my mom!) He's always there if I'm in the car and think some really deep thought. He's always ready for some good conversation, and that's great. And also he's just hilarious. In such a weird way, too. Like I'll come home from a bad day at school and be doing the dishes or something and Dad will be just laughing staring at the counter or something and I'll be like, "Dad, what are you laughing about?" And he'll be like, "Look, there's a face!" And he'll make dumb jokes out of the blue, and you'll just look over at him and he'll be laughing at his own joke. He can make other people smile while making himself smile at the same time."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "See, I think this has changed! Because I've been to more places this year, and I'm also going to Europe later this year! London. I'm very excited for London. I still want to see Ireland. I'm going to be completely honest, if we were hopping a plane and going somewhere right now, it would be New York again. Specifically, the Gershwin Theatre because I still have not seen Wicked there. And the building just makes me so happy because I would love to be a part of whatever is in store for that building in theatre. But also Greece because the water looks cool. And I want to cliff jump there."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "I admire you and Dad. I have quite a few people I admire for different reasons. Like, I admire you and Dad because you guys raised me and taught me good values. And I genuinely believe you guys are smart, intelligent, amazing people all around. I also admire people who are successful in theatre, like Idina Menzel, because she originated my favorite role {Elphaba} and I also love her voice. It's insane to me that she's so talented. And then there's Zendaya, who I think has developed such a great career even as young as she is. Also I like her fashion. And also just Alan Rickman. I know he has sadly passed on, but I really admire the work he was able to do on stage and on screen, and all the iconic characters he brought to life, and I love his voice."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "Um, hmm... driving. Still working on that. Oooh, hopefully this time next year I won't have to worry about that anymore."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "I think I'd like to go on a mission trip. Because I feel like that could help a lot of people, and also it would open my eyes to the world. A mission trip somewhere outside of North America."

14. What are you afraid of? "Failure. And also, and this one's oddly specific, being trapped underwater with something blocking the surface so I can't get back up."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "See, if it were people it would be my family. And if it were animals it would be my cats. And if it were objects, umm... maybe my baptism necklace."

16. What's your favorite memory? "Well, I think it's hard to choose a favorite memory, but I really love memories from when I was really young, like whatever I can remember. And there's this one where Miles and I were performing for you and Dad, and I believe we were singing to TobyMac or DC Talk or something like that, and I was singing and Miles was playing the drums. And we were in the middle of performing for you guys and I did a cool backward dance move and I stepped on Miles's foot. And then he was mad at me and obviously in pain but I was just like, "Miles keep dancing! Shake it off!" Because you guys were watching our fantastic performance. And I just like that memory because even though I stepped on Miles's foot and didn't' apologize until after the song ended, we both still had a ton of fun and Miles just shook it off. Also, little Miles is extra cute."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "Well, I got Best Performer last year {at a One Act competition}, and so that was a big accomplishment. I'm hoping to do that again this year. Also, I started singing lessons, which scare me because I have to actually work on singing outside of the classes, and I'm subject to feedback about my voice, which is scary to me. But even though it scares me, I'm growing in comfort with it and I know that I'm growing vocally as well, so I'm proud of myself for that."

18. What are you looking forward to? "Cake. And food. {Carrot cake and carnitas - her requested birthday dinner}

19. What do you dream about? "Um, well once I had a dream where I was in my school - and this was not a good dream - and it was kind of like a school shooter thing, which was terrifying - you should add that to my fears - and it was zombies. And every time they bit someone that person would turn into a cannibal. And for some reason Miles was in high school at that time, so we hid in an English classroom's closet and tried not to be eaten by cannibal zombies."

20. What else do you want to say? "Did you hear about the cheese factory that blew up? All that was left was da brie."

Gisèle, you have my heart. I love you more than I'll ever be able to adequately convey. Happy sweet sixteen!

Miles at Age 13

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 21:40:00 +0000

To read about Miles at age 12, click here.

He's officially a teenager (!), which means he gets a new set of questions this year!

1. Describe yourself. "Funny. And quirky."

2. What are you thankful for? "I'm thankful for my family, shelter, food that we have, education that we can get..."

3. What makes you happy? "Cats, Rubik's cubes, Breath of the Wild {Zelda game}, taekwondo, percussion, and my friends."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Probably when I'm focused on one task and someone else tries to get me to do something, and it frustrates me that I can't focus on the task that I'm doing at the moment. It's annoying."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Most likely a percussionist."

6. What's important to you? "Friendship, music, video games, family."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "That I'm not afraid to be myself. And that I'm more responsible than most kids."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "She's very tough, and she can survive anything."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "Hes very funny and he's always comforting. And he makes really good dinner."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "Probably Universal Studios cause I want to see the Hagrid's bike ride."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "I admire you {Mom} because you're very tough, I admire Dad because he's a good role model and a good cooker, and I admire my sister cause she's a good role model."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "I wanna learn more percussion. I wanna learn more glitches in Breath of the Wild."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Small things like opening the door for someone, start with that..."

14. What are you afraid of? "Hmm. Small spaces, falling from heights, drowning, stuff like that."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "Family."

16. What's your favorite memory? "Probably either Orlando while we there or when we were at the breakfast place getting something and you told us about the trip and we started getting excited. Also, when you come out of the hospital that's always nice."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "For having discipline, being respectful of people, good citizenship, yeah."

18. What are you looking forward to? "Percussion in high school, percussion next year, going to taekwondo."

19. What do you dream about? "I don't remember what I dream about."

20. What else do you want to say? "Uh, I'm excited for my possible 13 gifts!"

You are one incredible kid. The world isn't prepared for what they have coming at them when you're let loose, bud. You are so, so smart, so kind and thoughtful, and I thank God for you every day. Happy birthday, Miles!

Gisèle, age 15

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Sun, 28 Aug 2022 20:23:00 +0000

(wearing one of her late grandpa's flannels)

To see Gisèle at age 14, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "Umm... I'm quirky. And I'm pretty much mature and serious, especially for my age. But every now and then I'll get really punchy and I'll act like a 7 year old."

2. What are you thankful for? "Family. Umm... we've been blessed a lot with health, so I'm very thankful for that. And I'm very thankful for my friends and Mustang Playhouse and the outlet I have with that."

3. What makes you happy? "I like books. I haven't been reading a ton lately because our {school} library is closed and I don't think our librarian is there anymore. I've also been getting more into painting. I like shoes. And hanging out with Miles, 'cause Miles is weird, and Miles knows I'm weird. So hanging out with Miles makes me happy. For the most part."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Feeling confined. Like I don't have a choice in a situation. Or a say. Feeling silent in that aspect."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Guess. {laughs}" {The answer is actor/director/producer.}

6. What's important to you? "Family."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "I guess my compassion for others."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "I guess that you're stubborn. You know what you want and you do whatever is in your power to get it, and you don't stop until you get it."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "I think it's going to be pretty much the same answer I did last year, but he always makes me smile, and he's always funny and stuff, and he makes an effort to be a decent person even if he had a bad day, he'll try to be in a good mood for you."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "Well, I'm going to New York next year, so that's very exciting, but if it wasn't New York, it would be somewhere in Europe, maybe Italy or Ireland because of the landscapes and scenery there, and the culture and food in Italy."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "{long pause} There's no one person for this question for me. Because I admire everyone around me for different reasons. Like I said, Mom, you're super stubborn but I admire you for that and your bravery. And I admire Dad for his responsibility that he takes, and his ability to always brighten your day. I admire everyone around me for so many different reasons that it's impossible for me to choose just one."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "I guess I want to learn more about myself, and how my goals align with God's goals for me, because that's a very confusing thing to think about, about how God's plans for my future are like/not like MY plans for my future."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Well, I want to volunteer more. I feel if I contribute to society in some way that's helpful, that could help lots of people and I'd love to do that. Also, I'd love to be part of a missionary trip; that would be very cool."

14. What are you afraid of? "Are you ready for the list? Okay, so number 1 is being underwater in, like, deep water, and being trapped. So something is blocking me from breaking through the surface. Okay, so I'm trying to sum up my list here. It's mainly things where I'm not in control, and I have absolutely no way of getting out of the situation I'm in, I just have to accept it and just be at peace. That's hard for me if I'm not able to save myself."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "I would either keep a hoodie or a book."

16. What's your favorite memory? "I like the memory of us at Snooze. When we were at Snooze last, we were talking about baby stuff, and hearing about Miles sticking a green bean up his nose, while we were eating pineapple upside-down pancakes, was a really great experience."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "These are all so deep! Why couldn't they be 'my favorite toy?' I want to do well. So my drive to do well and excel in anything I do... so it's definitely my drive, my determination to move forward no matter what. It's an important characteristic of me, so I think it defines a lot of who I am and my choices."

18. What are you looking forward to? "One act season."

19. What do you dream about? "Box trolls doing gymnastics. It was a really weird dream."

20. What else do you want to say? "Well, I'm excited to be turning 15. I feel like 15 and on, it's very much like... you have to learn how to be independent and confident, and you have to know things. All of these different responsibilities, like I'm going to learn how to drive... and then there's the whole thing about voting, and graduating... I'm excited to see where my life takes me."

Gisèle, you constantly amaze me. I will forever feel blessed to be your mom, and to get to watch you grow, explore, tackle, and conquer everything.

Hi There!

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 23:30:00 +0000

Hi!

It's been a while.

A long while.

I've completely fallen out of the habit of blogging. There have been a few changes in my life, and overall things are good.

Both of my sisters have moved to Texas with their families. (Yay!) Andrea is about 3 hours away, and Brandi is 10 minutes down the road from me. With Brandi being so close, we finally started the bakery that we've been dreaming about for so long. We're baking out of my house and delivering goodies locally. (Check out thesweetcreambakery.com!) We bake 5-6 days a week, and we're loving it.

Jamie got a promotion, and now has the title to go along with what he's been doing at Halliburton for quite some time now. He's been working at home since the start of the pandemic, and it has been wonderful to have him so close.

Gisèle is a freshman in high school now and doing amazingly well. She's taking advanced classes, maintaining an A average, and is a full-blown drama queen - meaning a theatre kid. She wants to be a director/actor when she grows up, and will be competing at the National Thespian Festival in Solo Acting in June.

Miles is a 6th grader and loves his percussion class. He's doing well in school, and takes an 8th grade Critical Thinking class once a week along with some other advanced students. He's also still loving taekwondo. He's a senior purple belt and on the JV team. We're at taekwondo with him 4 times a week, and there's no sign of him slowing down.

I've been doing okay, health-wise. I'm still NED (No Evidence of Disease), which I am incredibly thankful for. Treatment has caused a host of side effects, so that has been difficult. After chemo, surgery, and radiation, I can say that I'm out of "active treatment," but I still take daily pills to try to prevent a recurrence or metastasis, and get injections to shock my body into menopause every month. All the treatment has caused hypothyroidism, so I'm now taking Synthroid daily. I also have rheumatoid arthritis, and have gained about 55 pounds. I don't feel like myself anymore. It's hard to look in the mirror and see someone else, and it's hard to get out of a chair and feel like an elderly woman. I have to constantly remind myself that any extra time I have is a blessing, and the side effects are worth it.

Some pictures to catch you up since October:

Gisèle went to her first Homecoming Dance

We celebrated Halloween! Butterfly, spoilsport, Dragon, and Injured Knight

G finally got her braces off!

Our Christmas elf putting the star on the tree

G was Sally in A Charlie Brown Christmas with Mustang Playhouse

I had a bone infusion. My osteopenia is edging toward osteoporosis.

We were able to see Matt, Natalie, Q, and Sophia before Christmas. Nana led us in some painting.

We spent Christmas and New Year's in Oregon with Mindy & Jeff & co. The kids got to play in snow!

The girls

The boys

We celebrated Dad's (Papa's) birthday, and he even wore a hat while we sang

G on one of our bakery deliveries

A beautiful Texas sunset. God's way of reminding me to choose joy.

Miles at Age 12

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 01:15:00 +0000

To read about Miles at age 11, click here.

1. What is your favorite color? "Blue. Royal blue."

2. What is your favorite toy? "Rubik's cube! Speed cube."

3. What is your favorite fruit? "Umm... that would probably be mango."

4. What is your favorite tv show? "I'm trying to think, Mom... I don't know. Let me think... I don't know."

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? "Uh... Probably whatever the cafeteria serves me."

6. What is your favorite outfit? "Some comfy dry-fit shirt with comfy dry-fit shorts."

7. What is your favorite game? "Probably Poetry For Neanderthals."

8. What is your favorite snack? "My favorite snack is whatever my mom bakes while I'm at school."

9. What is your favorite animal? "I gotta say my favorite animal is probably any kind of cat. Cats are fascinating."

10. What is your favorite song? "Gotta be Guns and Ships."

11. What is your favorite book? "My favorite book is Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading."

12. Who is your best friend? "My best friend is Javier."

13. What is your favorite breakfast? "Probably some baked good my mom makes with bacon, sausage, eggs, and juice."

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? "I like throwing my boomerang, I like running, I like kicking a ball or hitting a ball with a bat..."

15. What is your favorite drink? "Oh - all sodas mixed together."

16. What is your favorite holiday? "Christmas, no doubt."

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? "Well, I like taking my body, I like taking my blankets, turning on my lava lamp..."

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for dessert? "Anything my mom bakes is pretty good."

19. What is your favorite dinner? Freddy's or Grimaldi's."

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Right now I think I probably want to be A. an engineer, B. a coder, C. operate my mom's bakery, or D. someone who works at Starbucks."

I am so blessed to be your mom, Miles. You are an amazing, kind, generous, talented kid. You will do incredible things in this world.

Gisèle, age 14

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 21:45:00 +0000

To see Gisèle at age 13, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "That's broad. Um... I'd say I'm a creative person, umm... {long pause} I feel like I'm a very responsible person who can get the job done, so like, stable, well, relatively stable. I'm definitely an enthusiastic and passionate person about the things I love."

2. What are you thankful for? "Family. Friends, as well, just everyone who has helped me get through the pandemic. I think our pastor is really cool, too, so just everyone at our church who has helped me grow and develop my relationship with God."

3. What makes you happy? "Umm, being crazy makes me happy. Doing things that are nuts every now and then. Doing theater makes me happy. Family game nights are fun."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Not eating."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Is this a necessary question, Mom? Because I'm pretty sure you already know it. Director/producer/actor."

6. What's important to you? "Family, friends, relationship with Christ, being able to do what I love and not be made fun of or criticized about it at all. Being able to be myself."

7. What do you love most about yourself?
"Probably my drive. My drive to do things and to make sure that if I want to do something, I will go for it and I won't listen to anyone who tells me no."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "Umm... I like how brave you are, Mom. Just the fact that you're always there and always ready to try something new even if you don't have the energy at the time. You always want to try everything, go for everything, and try everything new. You're always courageous."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "Probably how much he's like me. He's so much funnier than I am. He's hilarious at really weird points. I think I said this last year, but it's the same. He helps me embrace my inner crazy, but tone it back at the same time. He always makes me laugh."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "I really want to go to New York, but in comparison to other countries, it seems a little non-ambitious. I'd like to go everywhere, but if I could choose one place right now it would be New York."

11. Who do you admire, and why?
{loooong pause} "Well, I definitely admire you, of course. I admire you for your courage. I'm trying to think of other people I admire... ummm... probably Lin-Manuel Miranda just because he's an actor and he knows that he needs to create work for himself because every actor is unique. He recognizes that he has a unique voice. I aspire to be like him because I'd like to create my own work, also, and have people respond positively."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "The film industry. Because I've never done films or participated in films except for that one commercial I participated in, in 2nd grade. And I don't know if it is something I'd like to go into later."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Umm... I'd like to provide homes for the homeless. Lately I've been seeing them a lot more often than before. I see people who look like they're struggling. and I'd like to help them."

14. What are you afraid of? "Not being able to do everything I want to do. Before I know it I'll die or be physically disabled, or too old, and I want to do as many things as possible before then."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "Family."

16. What's your favorite memory? "That's really broad! Can I just list some that I like? I do remember when I was originally in Annie as Annie and I got a bouquet of flowers, and I stood on stage for my picture, and other people and parents wanted photos of me... you know that Cinderella song "This Is Love," well it was kinda like that."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "I guess just my achievements. I've done well in a lot of shows and school stuff, and academic-wise I'm a great student. I'm a decent baker. I'm proud of my variety of skills I excel at."

18. What are you looking forward to? "Umm... Probably college. Being able to get my own dorm or apartment or something. Just discovering, like, a life plan from there."

19. What do you dream about? "In my sleep I dream about really weird things that are super random."

20. What else do you want to say? "Umm... I'm thankful that I've gotten to age 14. Not everyone gets to do that."

Here's to my bold, brilliant, beautiful 14 year old! You amaze me every day, and I'm so incredibly excited to see where you go and what you do from here.

Miles At Age 11

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 22:52:00 +0000

To read about Miles at age 10, click here.

1. What is your favorite color? "Red."

2. What is your favorite toy? "Hmm... hmm... let's think. Um, my favorite toy... probably Nerf guns. If the computer doesn't count as a toy."

3. What is your favorite fruit? "Kiwi or mango. I can't decide."

4. What is your favorite tv show? "Either Captain Underpants, Teen Titans Go, or any cartoon that I like. Or Amazing World of Gumball."

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? "Hmm... let's think... umm... probably a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with lots and lots of mayo. Unless I can have hotdogs or hamburgers, then I would have that."

6. What is your favorite outfit? "Probably my red Under Armour shirt with the Under Armour pants."

7. What is your favorite game? "Either Monopoly or Bohnanza. Or Little Big Snake on the computer."

8. What is your favorite snack? "Hmm... gummy worms if y'all let me have them."

9. What is your favorite animal? "Umm... black panther, peregrine falcon, or cheetah. Or cat - any type of cat."

10. What is your favorite song? "No clue! Can I skip? Hmm... Maybe You Can't Stop Me by Andy Mineo?"

11. What is your favorite book? "Probably How to Eat Fried Worms."

12. Who is your best friend? "Umm... Emilio, Brian, Nathan, Dominic, Blessed, Rahim, Simian, and Lucas. And Jack."

13. What is your favorite breakfast? "Easy! French toast. French toast with sausage and orange juice."

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? "Probably pet stray cats, or be in a pool, or be in water, period."

15. What is your favorite drink? "Mountain Dew or Dr. Pepper. Probably Mountain Dew. And Orange Fanta."

16. What is your favorite holiday? "Christmas. Big time."

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? "My body. My head. My pillow. My clothes. And my blanket. And my new tortilla blanket."

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for dessert? "Anything! Anything that's a dessert."

19. What is your favorite dinner? "My favorite dinner would probably be, hmmm... brats, hot dogs, and hamburgers, or breakfast for dinner, like banana pancakes."

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Hmmm... a marshmallow. A marshmallow maker. Um, honestly, no clue. A video game tester or a food tester."

You are an incredible kid. So helpful, creative, and giving of your time and energy - and boy, do you have a lot of energy! I love watching you grow and learn. You are an amazing athlete, and so, so smart. Every day with you is an adventure. Happy birthday, Miles!

Gisèle, age 13

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 17:05:00 +0000

We have a teenager. An amazing, intelligent, brilliant, beautiful teenager.

To see Gisèle at age 12, click here.

Since she is officially a teenager now, or in these "unprecedented times," a "quaranteenager," she'll be getting a new set of questions this year!

1. Describe yourself. "Um... Quirky. Hm. That's all I got right now! Creative. Dramatic. And crazy. I feel that like pretty much sums me up."

2. What are you thankful for? "Of course my family and my friends, and all the teachers who are dealing with all the weird stuff right now in schools. And God."

3. What makes you happy? "Hmm... good weather. Good weather makes me happy. Reading makes me happy. Hanging out with my family all together. That make me happy. Watching movies. And baking, probably."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Unjustice, in my point of view. Death. I just don't like the topic of someone I love dying. Or me dying. And when someone I love is hurt and I can't do anything about it."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "A director."

6. What's important to you? "Hmm... following my dreams."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "Hmm... {long pause} I'm trying to think about what I love most about myself; it's kinda hard! Umm... I guess that I'm ready to try new things, and that I'm creative and always see a different way than everyone else."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "Mom, did you just put that in there?! Probably how brave you are, and that you can conquer anything. That's why when there's any question about a role model I usually choose you."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "Dad is always so funny, and he's so weird at the same time. I don't know; he can always cheer you up, even when you're feeling terrible. He can just come in there and make a joke even when he didn't try to make a joke. And he's so passionate about everything."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "Hmm... probably Ireland. I'm just going to stick with that answer. It just looks really cool. But after seeing The Amazing Race, South Africa looks really cool, too,"

11. Who do you admire, and why? "Hmm... probably you, Mom. I don't know, just your strength when you went through treatment, and, I don't know. I admire you because you're brave, and I want to be more courageous, just like you."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "Uh, I know this is probably a very typical answer for me, but theater, of course. Because that's my dream. I think it's really cool and interesting, and I love making things come alive that you wouldn't dream could come alive. I could probably ramble about theater all day."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Hmm. Does it have to be one specific person, or can it be a group of people? Hmm. I want to make sure everyone can get a good education anywhere, and that people don't have to live in poverty."

14. What are you afraid of? "Mmmm... uh, pain? Just, mentally or physically."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "Goodness, this is so hard... ok, this is really hard. Mom, this is an unfair question! It shouldn't be this hard, should it?! Can I say Miles, or is he not considered a thing?"

16. What's your favorite memory? "Ooh.. again, I have no idea! I really liked when we went to Universal. And also, one of my favorite memories is just a collective memory of Shrek. {The musical she was in.} Bits and pieces here and there of our costumes, my terrible bird skirt... Ooh! I finally have my favorite memory. When I had just walked on stage, they had just slapped a wig on my head, and it was the first song and I was supposed to walk across the stage, look back at baby Shrek, and walk off the stage. But when I looked back, my wig fell off in the middle of the stage and I had to leave it on stage in order for the show to go on. Mr. Rhoades, my director, ended up picking up the wig and tossing it backstage for me to put it back on my head. It was funny, but also embarassing because everyone was dancing around it and everything."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "Ooh... hmmm... for being kind to other people. I think I make a good friend. But then, that's completely up to my friends."

18. What are you looking forward to? "Hmm... probably when I just stop doing school, and I can go out there and direct a movie or direct a production on Broadway and can be like,'Everyone, check me out - I'm a director now!'"

19. What do you dream about? "Since we kinda already did a question about, 'What was my dream?' I'm going to go literally, like 'What was my dream about' and it was about people turning into hippos because of lollipops. That was the weirdest one I think I've ever had."

20. What else do you want to say? "Ooh! Since you didn't ask a question about Miles, like what do I admire in Miles, it's that Miles is so energetic, and that's he's ready to pretty much do anything, and that he's really funny, too, and that he's crazy like me, and so it's nice to have someone to equal out my crazy."

Gisèle, I am forever blessed that God considered me worthy to be your Mom. Watching you grow and discover the world and all the possibilities it holds for you is one of the greatest joys of my life. I can't wait to see you conquer everything before you. Happy birthday, my sweet girl!

Well, It's Been a While

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 20:44:00 +0000

Not much going on here lately. Just a pandemic.

I was a bit shocked when I came here to write a post and saw that the last time I wrote anything was on Miles's 10th birthday. He's only 2 1/2 inches shorter than me at this point (probably less - it has been about a week since I last measured him), so it feels like it has been even longer.

Since that last post, we celebrated Halloween:

Thanksgiving in San Antonio with Nana and Papa:

And Christmas at home:

Before the pandemic hit, the kids were really enjoying school. Miles was doing great in 4th grade, and was a member of Run Club and the Choir. He also competed in UIL (Number Sense) and earned his Senior Green Belt (and Best Forms and Best Blocking) in Taekwondo.

Gisele was having a great year in 7th grade. She was the President of Student Council (the first time it had not been an 8th grader), a cheerleader, and was having a fantastic time in Production Theatre, playing Betty in The Crucible.

The pandemic hit right around Spring Break. Really, the kids just never went back to school afterward. We started online school on our own pretty quickly because they always do best with some sort of routine. The district came out with their own version of online school fairly soon after, and we switched over to that seamlessly. We set everything up in the dining room, with the kids each on a laptop while I worked on a puzzle.

A few days after this, the table was covered with papers/notebooks.
It was not this clean again for months. MONTHS.

They wore blue light glasses since they were on the laptops for hours each day.

When school ended at the beginning of June, Miles even agreed to finally let me give him a haircut at home after a few months of denying he needed one.

We've been very careful to stay socially-distanced whenever possible, and masked-up when we've needed to be out amongst everyone else.

MD Anderson has been great about masks/temperature-taking/sanitizer, etc., so I've felt perfectly safe going in for my appointments. We've been getting 99% of our groceries delivered from HEB, and Jamie wipes everything down with cleaner as he unloads the bags, and washes all the produce before putting it away. Miles returned to taekwondo after a few months of Zoom-only classes, and the studio has been wonderful. They spray the kids down as they enter, everyone wears masks, and they spray them again as they leave. The equipment is wiped down between sets, also, and they haven't been doing any sparring or partner work since opening back up.

Jamie has been able to work from home since the pandemic started, which has been absolutely wonderful. We set the desk and chair up in our bedroom, so he uses that as his office. He's back there all day, but comes out to eat lunch with us, refill his water, or grab a snack. And I can go chat with him when he has a minute to spare. He doesn't have to commute anymore, and I don't have to worry about him traveling across the city twice a day in traffic, which means I have less stress, also.

Overall, staying at home hasn't been too bad. I do miss going to the zoo whenever we want, taking laps around Target with a Starbucks in hand, and stopping into Blockhouse (my favorite local coffeehouse). And I miss having the option of dinner at Ninja, our yummy local sushi place, when we're tired of cooking every night. Our last night out as a family was actually right before news of "social distancing" hit, and was dinner at Ninja.

For now, we'll follow all of the CDC guidelines and continue to pray that this will pass sooner rather than later.

Stay safe and healthy!

Miles At Age 10

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 20:59:00 +0000

To read about Miles at age 9, click here.

1. What is your favorite color? "Red, black, blue, and highlighter."

2. What is your favorite toy? "Hmm... let's think... um, Nerf guns."

3. What is your favorite fruit? "Mangos or kiwis."

4. What is your favorite tv show? "Um, let's see... probably Last Kids On Earth."

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? "Um, pbj and chips. Specifically, Ruffles."

6. What is your favorite outfit? "Um, probably my black and highlighter striped shorts with my Harry Potter glow in the dark shirt."

7. What is your favorite game? "Super Smash Bros Ultimate."

8. What is your favorite snack? "Let's see... chips."

9. What is your favorite animal? "Black panther, peregrine falcon, or cheetah."

10. What is your favorite song? "Old Town Road."

11. What is your favorite book? "I have to say Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Actually no, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."

12. Who is your best friend? "Jack, Dominic, Simeon, Lucas, Vihan, Brian, Nathan, Logan, Ethan, Nico, Gauge... that's it."

13. What is your favorite breakfast? "Pancakes, sausage, and bacon, and orange juice and cranberry juice mixed together."

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? "Play tag, or hide and seek, or sardines."

15. What is your favorite drink? "Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew."

16. What is your favorite holiday? "Christmas or Halloween. Mainly Christmas."

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? "My body."

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for dessert? "My dad's caramel brownies with mudslide chocolate ice cream on top."

19. What is your favorite dinner? "Mussels and fries or hamburger mac."

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? "A video game tester or a food tester. And engineer. And an architect."

Buddy, it has been a privilege to watch you grow (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually) this year. You are incredible, and I feel blessed every day that God chose me to be your mom!

It's Already October!

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 17:18:00 +0000

It's already October! Fall has started, and this weekend is supposed to actually start feeling like fall in Houston, which will be incredibly welcome. And Miles is turning 10, and I get to see my bestie! Good things coming this weekend!

Things have been very busy around here lately. Gisèle has cheer and/or theatre every day after school, and Miles has taekwondo 3 days a week. He has been asked to join the JV team/class, also, which will add a Saturday class starting about a week and a half from now. With drop-off, pick-up, and activity chauffeuring, I spend a lot of my day in the car. Joggers, tees, and flip-flops for the win! (And coffee. Lots of coffee.)

Jamie loves his position at Halliburton, and we're really enjoying our church and community group together. We have good friends there and are trying to take the time to have a date night together whenever we can.

Health-wise, side effects have been tolerable lately. My rheumatologist says I'm showing markers of RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and Lupus, but don't have enough markers of either to have a diagnosis. I do show definite inflammation in my joints, though, which explains why I hobble every time I get up. This is very normal post-chemo, and with Lupron, so it's nothing special! I've also gained weight with the forced menopause, which is extremely frustrating. I'm about 30 pounds overweight at this point, and it all seems to be settling in a tire around my waist. It doesn't seem to matter how much/what I eat, or that I'm working out regularly and doing daily crunches. Somehow, I need to figure out what to do about it.

In other health news, I was diagnosed yesterday with sleep apnea, so that'll be interesting to explore. Jamie let me know that I've been making a weird sound in my sleep for a few months now - I sound like a woodpecker - so he recorded it and I played it for my dentist when I went in. She did a 3D xray that showed that my airway is down to 0 - the worst she has ever seen - so put "bumpers" on my back teeth and sent me home with a sleep study device. The x-rays are still being analyzed by doctors for a full diagnosis, but the sleep study doctor came back the next day with a diagnosis of sleep apnea. After I have the results from the scans, we'll discuss next steps to take care of it. (Possibly a DNA, which is a device to widen my lower jaw to make more room for my airway.)

To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here is an xray of the previous worst case my dentist had seen in her office, and then my airway. Take note of how far up each airway goes, as well as the red (narrow/bad) areas.

The worst case she had seen before me

My airway

She wants to use my xrays in studies and share them with colleagues. Just once, I'd like to be in such great shape that a doctor is amazed, instead of so broken that they are intrigued!

Crazy School Year

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Sat, 31 Aug 2019 16:54:00 +0000

This school year is crazy. (But it's really nice to have the craziness be about the kids' schedules, and not about my health and appointments!)

Jamie and I keep a shared, color-coded calendar (Google Sheets); we have an "all" section at the top, a section for meals, and a section for each person in the family. If something is an appointment/time-sensitive, it's in bold. This year, with Gisèle involved in cheer and Production Theatre, and Miles in taekwondo, every day has something on it, and everything is in bold.

G has cheer until 5:00 after school Mondays and Wednesdays, and cheers at games at least once a week. She also has theatre rehearsals Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays until 6:00. (Yes, there are some conflicts there.) M has TKD from 4:10 until 5:00 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They each have a sports bag full of gear taking up space in their room, and we are doing a lot of laundry. Oh, and school - all pre-AP classes for G, and GT for M. I'm spending my days doing school drop-offs, running errands or going to my own appointments, then doing school pick-ups and activity chauffeuring.

We are guarding our weekends as best we can. Any evening time we have as a family - dinner together! - and weekend time we can spend together is precious. But it is so worth it to see these two thriving, doing what they love!

Gisèle, Age 12

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 00:55:00 +0000

To see Gisèle at age 11, click here

1. What is your favorite color? "Well, I like purples, I like blues, and I like dark greens."

2. What is your favorite toy? "Toy? Like, toy - not electronic or something? I don't know, I don't really do toys..."

3. What is your favorite fruit? "I'd say mango, still. Though I really like good strawberries, as well."

4. What is your favorite tv show? "Ooh, that's hard. What do I watch? MC Squared. I don't know."

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? "A chicken salad sandwich."

6. What is your favorite outfit? "I'd say my Inspiration Stage shirt with overalls."

7. What is your favorite game? "One Night Ultimate Werewolf, or Mafia."

8. What is your favorite snack? "Dad's homemade granola bars."

9. What is your favorite animal? "Elephants."

10. What is your favorite song? "Can I say anything Broadway?"

11. What is your favorite book? "A Tangle of Knots."

12. Who is your best friend? "I'd say Melanie Garcia."

13. What is your favorite breakfast? "Quiche."

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? "Ride my bike."

15. What is your favorite drink? "I guess water."

16. What is your favorite holiday? "Christmas."

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? "Um... I don't know. I don't really bring anything to bed."

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for dessert? "Ooh... I think that strawberry cake."

19. What is your favorite dinner? "Mussels and fries."

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? "I think you already know the answer to that. Broadway actress."

Happy 12th birthday, Gisèle! You are incredible. You grow more amazing with every year, and I adore you!

Our Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 13:00:00 +0000

Last summer was consumed by breast cancer treatment, so we're making up for that this summer.

We were finally able to have our family reunion this year, after postponing it last year due to my treatment. My parents and their kids, with spouses and children, all gathered in a large house at Lake Texoma for a week to catch up. We played a lot of cornhole and a lot of board games, drank some beer and cider, and ate a lot of good foods. We had 12 adults and 12 kids in the house and had a fantastic time! We'll do it again in a couple years, maybe in the New Braunfels area this time.

The kids have had a busy summer. Gisele has been in a couple of theatre camps; she was the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz, and then in the ensemble for Camp Rock. She and Miles also both went to Camp Overflow with Crossbridge (our church), and to Camp Kesem, which is an incredible (free!) sleepaway camp for kids with parents who have been through cancer treatment. And then last week, she had Cheer Camp, since she'll be a cheerleader at the Junior High this year.

While the kids were away at Camp Kesem, Jamie and I took the opportunity to take a trip of our own! We went to Las Vegas for the first time and had a blast. It had been a long time since we'd had a vacation without kids, and it was nice getting to spend some one-on-one time. We didn't see any shows; we walked around visiting a bunch of casinos, playing some video poker and eating a lot of good food. We've decided we'll try to save enough Southwest miles to take a trip together each year while the kids are at Camp Kesem.

Now we have about 3 weeks until school starts, and school supplies are already purchased, so we have a little time to relax!

Helping Someone Through Cancer Treatment

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 20:02:00 +0000

If someone close to you has been diagnosed with cancer, there are a lot of things you can do to be a good friend to them. (And lots of things that do not help at all, but those can be covered in another post.)

Be supportive. Don't offer advice - cures, things you heard someone else did that helped, ways to improve their lifestyle to improve their chances. All this does is imply that they did something wrong, and that's why they got cancer. Or that they haven't done their research, or that their doctor has no idea what they're talking about. Be supportive - tell them that you're there for them any time they may need you. Ask if they'd like you to come along on appointments to be another ear, or to take notes so that they don't have to worry about that.
Offer to come along when they have chemo. I preferred to put in earbuds and watch something on my Kindle Fire during chemo, but I still wanted someone there with me. (If for nothing else, I needed someone else to drive.) When Jamie couldn't be there, I had a friend who immediately volunteered to take the time off of work to come along. And she said that she could talk, or bring along something to do so that I could ignore her if I'd prefer. It meant a lot to know I'd have company, but that I wouldn't feel like I had to entertain or socialize. Offering to keep them company is also a way to support the caregiver (my husband, in my case), who needs support more than they realize.
Send cards/gifts/texts regularly. I had friends and family that texted me on a regular basis, especially if they knew I had chemo or an appointment. And texts are much, much better than calls when your energy is low or you're feeling terrible. Receiving cards or small (or large!) gifts in the mail meant so much to me, also. Anything that brought my spirits up when I was feeling low was a big help. During treatment, every day can feel endless/hopeless/terrible, so those bright spots made me feel like things would be better someday. Gift ideas are listed at the bottom!
Offer to visit. And when you offer, give a specific date and time, and then text again right before coming in case he/she isn't up for the visit after all. (And don't visit if you or anyone in your house is at all sick!) Cancer is very isolating. You're suddenly immersed in a whole new world that you never wanted to know anything about, and removed from your regular old life. Your good friends will stick by you, but more of your friends, you discover, were really acquaintances and they fall away. When you do go visit, don't be afraid to ask how things are going, and then share what's happening in your own life. I didn't want visits to be all about me and cancer. I wanted to know what was going on with my friends, and didn't want them apologizing for telling me about the lows in their lives.
Support the caregiver. My husband took time off of work, took care of the kids, did all of the cooking/cleaning/shopping/ all of the driving, went to just about every appointment, and had to watch me go through chemo, a double mastectomy, and radiation. Anything you can do to support the caregiver - gifts, cards, offering to take his/her place at appointments, sending over a cleaning service, offering to bring dinner/breakfast/lunch, taking the kids for an afternoon, or coming to visit the patient so the caregiver can simply get away for some along time - anything is helpful. Gifts for the kids - movie gift cards, or things that could brighten their day in any way, made my treatment easier, as well.

Gifts ideas for someone going through treatment:

Unscented, creamy lotion for dry skin (a major problem during treatment)*
A luxurious skin cream (face) for dry chemo skin*
A good lip balm (not scented/flavored)*
A cozy, soft cardigan or hoodie
A good neck pillow for use during chemo or at home after surgery
Gift cards to Amazon, or other places for online shopping
Pretty scarves or soft beanies (or gift cards to somewhere online to buy them)
Soft, cute button-up shirts or pjs
A Sephora or Ulta gift card (I had to replace my makeup with natural brands)
A big, cute cup with a handle and straw (to make drinking lots of water easier)
A cute tote bag to take their stuff to/from treatment
A thin, soft robe for use during radiation so they don't have to wear a hospital gown
Things to do during chemo - books if they like to read, gift cards for streaming services if they prefer to watch movies/shows
A gift card for a mani/pedi for when they're able to get out again

*For hormone-positive breast cancers, products have to be paraben-free. For most (if not all) cancers, patients are encouraged to switch to more natural products. I love using items from Josie Maran, Fresh, Acure, and Burt's Bees. There are many great natural brands out there!

Most importantly,

PRAY. God can do amazing things. Let them know you're praying for them, and tell them specifically what you're praying for.

The "Thank you!" picture I sent to my cousin when I received a gift card from her in the mail. It was such a surprise, and such a bright spot in an otherwise terrible day! Knowing she was thinking of me warmed my heart,

and the distraction of online shopping helped, too.

Spoken Freely Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 12:50:00 +0000

I was interviewed for a podcast! Spoken Freely is an amazing podcast telling stories that will encourage and inspire you. My interview came out today, and you can listen here.

Long Time No Talk

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 17:59:00 +0000

It has been a long time since I've posted, but that's because life has been... normal. (My new normal.)

In good news - better late than never, right? - my scans came back clear! Except for a small kidney stone and osteopenia, I have nothing to worry about right now! Though cording has started in my arm again over the last few days, but that's another story altogether.

Jamie is doing great at work, and has been traveling quite a bit. New York, Chicago, Florida, and Washington DC. It's nice for him to get away, and he is really enjoying his job.

Gisele finished 6th grade (middle school) on a high, scoring the Principal's Award among many others. She will be in Production (advanced) Theatre next year at the Junior High, and also made the cheer squad, so she has a busy year ahead. She's also busy this summer; she has completed 2 weeks of camp (church & STEAM camp), and has 2 weeks of theatre camp, a week of cheer camp, and Camp Kesem still ahead.

Miles is completely in love with taekwondo and recently achieved green belt, the first of the intermediate belts, at Fort Bend Martial Arts. He has started sparring, and we'll be ordering his personal sparring gear and bag soon. Master Daniel wants him to join the competition team, and he is really excited about it. He had a great year at school, but is happy to have a break before 4th grade. He loved church camp - his first year going - and is looking forward to Camp Kesem later this summer. It's a (free!) week-long sleepaway camp for kids with parents who have gone through cancer treatment.

We're preparing for our family reunion and all really excited to see everyone! The reunion would have been last summer, but everyone agreed to postpone a year since I was going through treatment. We'll have 12 adults and 12 kids in a house together for a week and it should be a blast! We'll be meeting at Lake Texoma this weekend!

So that's my current normal. Busy, achy, and learning to deal with my chemo curls. I love it all. I'm grateful for it. God is good.

Scanxiety

noreply@blogger.com (Trish) — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 00:55:00 +0000

Today was a hectic day.

Jamie is in Chicago for work, so I'm single parenting it for a couple of days. (Single parents who do this all the time, I salute you!) Yesterday was a late night for both kids due to homework and cheer tryout prep. Today included an emotional breakdown by my son (friend drama) followed by taekwondo, a play audition and cheer tryouts for my daughter, and overlapping pick-up and drop-off times for activities. We ended by picking up Sonic for their dinner since I'm out of energy.

In health news, I'm continuing to feel more energetic, but joint issues and insomnia are still pretty killer. And more concerning, I have a sore spot on my ribs on my back right side.

I sent a message in to my care team at MD Anderson about the sore spot. I let them know it had been here for about 2 weeks, feels like a bone bruise, and isn't the result of any kind of injury. About 15 minutes after my cancer PCP sent the message to my MedOnc, he called me to let me know he was scheduling a CT and a Bone Scan.

It's not a good feeling when your MedOnc calls you to say he's ordering scans.

On the one hand, I'm glad he's looking into it and getting it checked out quickly; on the other hand, the immediate response makes me feel like he's worried about this, which... has me worried.

I see him on Thursday - in 2 days - for my regular check-up with some bloodwork, and then will have the scans done next Thursday. If you pray, please be in prayer for me. Pray that this is nothing, and pray for my emotional well-being while I wait to have the scans done and then wait for the results.

If this is something... it's not good.