40 Really is Fabulous!

I am so humbled by all the birthday wishes and celebrating. I kicked off my 40th celebration with a massage and champagne at lunch and concluded ... who am I kidding, I am not done celebrating yet!  As a matter of fact, I have decided that 40 is too special to celebrate for one day and instead, plan to celebrate for an entire year!! It is still hard to believe I am 40....there was a time I considered to be so old and now that I am 40, it just doesn't seem that old!  Everything truly is perspective!

This weekend included a few of my favorite things, wine, the buckeyes - including a birthday tailgate for one my besties whose birthday is the day after mine:), good food and time with family and friends!  Now, it's time to plan the rest of my year - on the agenda so far, Charlotte in November for a girls weekend and running a half marathon in February on Tybee Island. I better get cracking on something for October - it's just around the corner!  It's going to have to be something really special - I will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the best decision I've every made - marrying my darling husband, Andrew;)

The Big 4-0

As I reflect, it’s hard to absorb everything that has happened over the last year.  I will turn 40 tomorrow and I am full of emotion.  It was one year ago that I returned for a post-op visit, fully confident that since the appointment was scheduled on my 39th birthday that I was going to receive good news.  I was so prepared for good news, that I didn’t think about any other kind of news….  I was dressed up for the first time in weeks and planning to have nice dinner with my tireless husband who had been taking care of me for the last several weeks.  And then my perfect world crumbled around me… this is what I remember… “lymph node, radiation, chemotherapy”.  A collection of words that I could hardly grasp.  Fast forward to today, I have been through scans, countless blood draws, six weeks of radiation combined with chemotherapy, as well as another six rounds of chemotherapy over 18 weeks.  I barely remember Christmas 2011.  Many weeks were a blur with it taking every ounce of energy I had to get through a work day.

I have determined that turning 40 is too big to only celebrate for one day – I intend to celebrate for an entire year!  So if you see me anytime over the next year – please wish me Happy Birthday!  Life is a gift and I intend to live every day to the fullest!

My Hair is Back!

I have not been to the salon in almost a year and it was time!  I even had to get my eyebrows waxed already!  I sunk into the chair of my fabulous hairdresser, Drew, with complete comfort.  I had forgotten how awesome it felt to have your hair done!  Drew has given me tips through every stage of losing my hair, as well as each stage as it is coming back.  He says..."what are we doing", to which I respond..."what can we do?"  So, we trimmed it up and scheduled an appointment four weeks out to ... oh yeah ... I'm going blonde!  I love my dark hair, but stay tuned...