Happy Birthday Tom

Looks like this post did not go live last week...sorry if anyone somehow sees this twice!

Busy weekend!!  Tom turned 13 on Saturday 5/21....now we have 2 teenagers in the house.....eeekkkkk!!!!

Lisa premiered in her first fashion show. It was held at Hillsdale Furniture in Bloomfiled Hills and was a charity event to raise money for her Kids Kicking Cancer group.  She was the absolute prima donna!! When we first arrived she clung to me and played the shy act, wouldn't talk or look around at anyone.  When it was time to do rehearsal she was in a panic and clinging to me.   The models were lined up and ready to practice.  They were waiting on one woman...Tika...a model who does shows in Detroit, New York and Chicago.  Tika was supposed to be Lisa's escort.  Because she was late, they were switching up who was going to escort Lisa.  The commotion got Lisa's attention and she started coming out of her shell.  Just as the first model stepped on the runway, Tika appeared.  She dropped her bags, stepped into place in line. I put Lisa's hand in Tika's and told Tika "just take her".  Lisa did her practice run with no problems.

When practice was done, all the girls went to have makeup and hair done.  As all the 6ft long leg ladies headed off to various tents that had been set up in the storeroom, the little girls were escorted to their tent to have their hair and makeup done.  Lisa grabbed some chips on the way and once she started munching, she started having more fun.  Her hair took no time at all to do;) and she was a pro at sitting to have makeup done.  Her main goal was to get into the dress she had picked out the day before and was allowed to keep if she did the fashion show.  Once her makeup was done, she put on her new dress, leggings, shoes and headband and a diva emerged.  I have no idea where she learned this, but she skipped back to the professional camera man and started striking model poses.  Once pictures were done, she carefully ate more snacks as we waited for all the girls to get ready.  Lisa was happy and excited.  As the countdown to showtime began, she got more and more animated and was dancing around to the music.  The start time got pushed back 1/2 hour because the girls weren't ready.  It got pushed back a second time 15 minutes because all but one model was lined up and ready to go.  Tika.  Lisa,  the young diva, stomped her foot, rolled her eyes and said "Tika's late again?!  Come on!  Everyone is waiting!"  I found this quite  humorous.  Seemed like they paired up the two diva's in the show!!
 
Things went off very well.  Lisa was amazing!  Once Tika appeared in the line, Lisa shooed me away and told me to go up front and take pictures.  I was so proud of how well Lisa handled that stage.  Apparently she does not know what "nervous" means.   That girl walked the runway and looked awesome.

Once the show was done, the little diva appeared, said she was ready to go home NOW and refused to take any group photos or pics.   As we walked into the showroom to find Aunt Sam and cousin Jacob, Lisa spied the vibrating recliners and jumped into one, put her feet up and started relaxing.  I used this opportunity to go grab food. Lisa ate a few chicken fingers, got her second wind, and proceeded to check out the other food offerings and color at a table.  Many people came by to tell her she did a great job.  For each of them, she would look up from her coloring, flash a big smile and say thank you.

Don't know where she learned all this, apparently she's a natural! (more pics and videos to come!)

Keep up the praying!  We had another set of scans done and her body is still responding to the chemo drugs and shrinking some of the cancer.  This is the best we can hope for and it buys us time.  They had Lisa scheduled to do a new study that involves being injected with the Seneca Valley Virus which most likely will have no side effect accept for flu symptoms but the belief  that the virus makes the neuroblastoma cells die.  We've asked them to hold off until after school gets out because Lisa should not be in public places.  They do not believe the virus would be harmful to "healthy" people, but I don't think they want to chance a Seneca Valley outbreak in Canton, MI if we expose her to the masses at the fundraiser.

So, for now, life is good.  Lisa is happy, smiling and full of energy.  She is excited about her beat cancer party ---- BLAST.  All of you readers leave us a blog comment or FB like to let Lisa know you are excited too and keep spreading the word.

BLAST 2011---Volunteer

We have our volunteer link setup.  For those of you who can help on June 11, please sign up by clicking HERE and entering your email address so a personal invitation can be sent to you.

We have some great raffles including Detroit Tiger Tickets, Ann Arbor Hands on Museum, Movie tickets AND we have a special guest coming to put on a wonderful show!  Mark Rosenthal, Nickelodeon's 2010 Entertainer of The Year, will be doing one of his "Animal Magic" shows at BLAST.  

Please be sure to spread the word!! If you are a facebook user search for Love You Lisa page.  Click on the events link and let us know if you will be attending.  You can also share the event to all of your facebook friends!

Summer "Do"

Well, it's that time of year again. The chemo has taken its toll on Lisa's curls and with a whopping two days of warm weather last week she asked for her summer haircut. Hard to believe this will be the third summer in a row she starts with a bald head. Funny how it has worked out like that. I'd rather have my baldy baby around then no baby at all! Overall, she is happy and healthy.





She was scheduled for all of her scans this week because she is eligible for a study that will be opening up. The study would involve injecting her with a virus that has been shown to cause tumors to shrink at a steady rate. The fact that she would be injected with a virus made me ask about how contagious she would be considered and if she would be allowed in public. After checking in with the doctor, we realized that she would not be able to go to school or attend the BLAST fundraiser if she started this trial. The docs made the decision to push off the trial for a few weeks (I think) so that she can attend BLAST and also finish the school year (I hope). Because of the decision to push off treatment, they've cancelled most of her testing this week. She will still be doing the MIBG because she was already injected with the radioactive dye. This test tends to give us the best indicators as to the progress of her disease so it will give us an idea of whether or not the chemo is still working. Once we have that information, we will again find ourselves having to make some decisions as to how best to proceed with her treatment. As always, we ask that everyone please pray that we make wise decisions that will continue to allow Lisa live a high quality life.

BEST Mother's Day ever

Yesterday was the best Mother's day ever...I think it even rocked more than my birthday. 

Mike had taken the kids to the Lakehouse Saturday night and brought them home Sunday morning.  I had just decided to take on the day at a luxurious 10:30 am when Lisa burst into the bedroom yelling "Happy Mothers" day.  Maranda followed with a tray of food that she cooked for breakfast.  Lisa gave me a big hug and a kiss and then with her exuberant voice announced "oh no, I'm not giving you my present because then I have to do chores!!"  and ran from the room.  Her present (which I received after dinner) was a card she made in school that included little paper flowers that listed 3 different chores she would do...LOL.

When I finally made my way to the kitchen there were my special pancakes made by Chrissy with help from Thomas.  Once all food was consumed, the kids hung out at the house and gave me a helping hand whenever I needed.  We spent part of the afternoon launching screaming balloons and then chasing them down and getting them out of the trees.  A nice nap came after all the activity.  We then went to the evening mass and had a wonderful steak dinner cooked by Mike followed by a bumpy cake from Sanders for dessert and a present of my favorite gum and coffee drink.

Wow...it really was awesome.  I was just telling someone how Mother's day is traditionally pretty non eventful around here.  It was nice to be proven wrong.

Now, it's a return to the real world.  Time to hit the road today and hang fliers for BLAST and get some raffle items.  Anyone want to join me;)

BLAST 2011 --- June 11---WIN 10 FREE raffle tickets

If you haven't already, please mark your calendars for June 11 and spread the word.  Our fundraiser is fast approaching.




Click on flier to enlarge and print!

   

If you live in Michigan, you could win 10 free raffle tickets to use the day of the event.    Just print off the flier (in color if you can) and ask if you can post it at your work, church, gym, favorite restaurant, wherever!!!  Then email info@blastnb.com a compiled list of all the places you put the flier.  The person who puts up the most fliers by Saturday, May 21,will win 10 free raffle tickets to use the day of the event!!


If you don't like to hang fliers, perhaps you own a business, know someone who does or have access to a great raffle item.  For every raffle item you provide, you can win 5 free raffle tickets (you don't even have to use them on your own raffle item!). 

I know everyone reading this has it in them to help...make one phone call,  send one email, ask some one if you can hang a flier or if they can provide a raffle item...it's easier than you think and will  help us to raise funds to BLAST cancer.

ALL the money we raise, less our event expenses, is donated directly to UofM Mott's Children's hospital for childhood cancer research and to Rainbow Connection, a Michigan organization that grants wishes to children with terminal illness.  And, as many of us rev up to do the ACS walks in May, check out this information.  You will be shocked at how little funding goes to research for Childhood Cancer. 

Chemo week

It's week 3 and off to chemo again.  Today was pretty crowded with kids and we ran into one of our neuroblastoma buddies, Jonah.  He is doing well and his response to treatment helps buoy us along.  We also were able to visit Hunter, the fourth grader at Lisa's school, and she was hopefully getting sent home today. 

It is very eye opening to watch all these kids just take cancer in stride.  It is what it is and it is part of them, part of their daily life, it's normal to them.

How strong they all are.  How wise.  They get that today is the day you should be focusing on....what your doing every minute, every second is what's important, not what's going to happen, when or why.

Hoping that I am learning from all these wonderful teachers and finally getting how to live each day fully!

BLAST Childhood Cancer planning is in full swing and will be June 11 from 12-6.  Mark your calendars and if you have any good raffle items or know of any vendors who want to set up a tent, email info@blastnb.com. Thanks!