A friend asked me how I came up with Lake Louise on my list of “places I would rather be.” I wish I had a short answer for that. Some time ago I was looking for a picture of Wall Lake in the Uintas, as my Google-images luck would have, I landed right in the middle of another blog. Immediately, I recognized that this was not the particular Wall Lake that I was looking for, so I read the blog for awhile to find where this one was located. Apparently, there is a Wall Lake in Canada as well. By now I was curious to learn more about the author. I bounced around the blog entries and quickly saw that she was a bicycle enthusiast and enjoyed reading about her excitement during her trips to Moab & Park City, and then I went a little numb. Damn it. She had cancer too. I now had to back up to the beginning of this blog to the first entry to read it completely through. My heart ached when I got towards the end and read that Heather did not survive breast cancer. Her friends & family have participated in cancer related fundraising bicycle rides & races, one of which was in Banff National Park, explaining how I stumbled upon photos of Lake Louise.
If you wish to read about Heather, her blog is http://onesimplegirl.wordpress.com
There you have it. Even more ironic, I was looking back in my calendar and exactly one year ago today I completed my last chemo treatment. Everyone said and everything I read told me it would be about a year before my body (and the rest of me too I suppose) would be back to normal. Not even close. Sure some things are much better, but I still have a lot of room for improvement. Now, rather than ending this entry on such a downer…let me share with you some of the best things I’ve heard recently.
Tyler: Mom, turn the water off! (As I was filling the tub with him already in it) The house is going to be all float.
Hmm…think this kid has heard any talk of floods lately?
Ever since Riley was a baby I’ve massaged her feet. I know, that doesn’t make sense for a person who finds feet repulsive (which I’m certain stemmed from working at a public pool for so long) to want to massage them right? She still loves it and while I do this before bedtime, she just starts talking about random happenings.
Riley: I saw a picture of you at Grandma’s when you were really young.
Me: Oh? Which one?
Riley: Well you had on red gloves and a tan jacket…
PAUSE FOR EXPLAINATION– When I was 15, my best friend & I had our “glamour shots” taken at Crossroads mall. Some of these photos have since resurfaced, although I thought I had destroyed all existing copies. A few of you know EXACTLY the one I’m talking about, and for that I’m truly sorry.
Riley: You looked a lot younger. You looked like a stranger, you know like someone going on a date to eat dinner or go bowling.
Me: (internal thought) Where does she come up with this stuff?
Tyler: Mom how old are you?
Me: Old.
Riley: But how old ARE you?
Me: I’m 35.
Riley & Tyler in unison: 35 YEARS OLD?!
Thanks kids. When your college funds are spent on my mid-life crisis, you’ll understand why.
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| Don't let these faces fool you. |
I had put Tyler in a “time out.” He was adamant that he could sneak out, so I put him back in his room. He started crying as I walked down the hall so I stopped and just listened. His cries soon stopped then he said out loud,
“This is all my fault.”
Tyler I’m so proud of you. Most adults, me included, can’t and will not say those very words.
Tyler: Goodbye friend. I’ll love you tomorrow.
“You should never settle for who you are.” Michael Scott
I'm going to focus on the funny half of this post. Right after I tell you that I spent your whole birthday thankful that you were now 35. So my kids asked me how old I was, and I said 30--Jackson said, "Oh, I thought you were 32." I said, "OK." And yes, I do remember the HOT picture of you in a leather jacket and gloves. We were so awesome.
ReplyDeleteI really think that you should of posted the picture of you in the tan jacket & gloves so we could see exactly what Riley was talking about.
ReplyDeleteChelsey - We ARE so awesome!
ReplyDeleteNatalie - I'd rather post a picture of me when I was bald. :) Maybe on an Ambien-driven night, your request may be fullfilled.
Your kids crack me up! I wish I had a better sense of humor so my kids were funny like that.
ReplyDeleteI think it is pretty neat how you came across Heather's blog. It is so sad and really sucks when people lose their lives to cancer...but the positive note is that YOU.did.not. And YOU are who we know, who we love and who we are grateful for everyday knowing that you are still here with us. Love ya girl, oh and I totally remember those pictures! LOL! You two were HOT ;)