“I can’t eat my sandwich.  It’s making me fart.” –Gracie

The spa was fabulous!  Everyone at the spa was so sweet, and we ate Panera salads and sandwiches and drank wine and just relaxed.  My mom and I got to meet lots of  cancer survivors and share stories and even some laughs.  The girl who gave me my massage also gave me a scalp massage.  I also got a lip treatment and my mom got her nails done.  My mom bought me a super cute top they were selling and all the proceeds went to SHOUT.  Also, when we left we were given a gift bag full of neat things, including a fragrant candle and aromatherapy peppermint towellettes.  Yum! So I’m definitely going back to this group.  I feel like I really connected with many of the women on a deep level.  Plus I just love being social.

August is going to be a tough month for us.  OU is still hounding me for my money and they won’t take my firstborn, I already checked.  =)  Please pray for God’s provision as Chris starts his new job and we try to catch up on things we have fallen behind on.  I start working in September, twice a week at the girls’ Mother’s Day Out.  I think it will be good for our family and it will bring in a few extra hundred dollars a month.  So if we can just hold on till September…

Alright, well, next update I’ll have pics of the girlies, which I know is the ONLY reason most of you look at my site.   =)

Ohhhhh, Thursday, finally.  Chris’ plane comes in tonight.  I plan on picking him up after my spa date with the breast cancer survivor ladies of SHOUT.  And lemme tell ya, I NEED this.  All kinds of props to the single moms of this world, because I did it for a week and it sucks.  And I just miss my sweet husband dearly. 

Trinity’s walking all over, then falling, then standing back up to walk some more.  It’s soooo adorable.  Here’s a video of her latest feat–that’s right, barely walking and already a dancer.  Her motivation to walk/dance is apparent when Gracie busts out her Bella Dancerella dance mat and DVD.  Trinity can’t help but shake her booty. That’s my little dancin’ baby!

Ma took us to lunch at the tea room yesterday and we stopped by Target afterward to pick up school supplies.  And woooo!  We had fun!  Gracie had to try out her first day of school dress, so here she is at Target picking out things from her list:

Then of course, we can’t leave Target without “just looking” to see if they have any adorable back to school outfits.  She wasn’t happy about modeling them but she does love them.  It’s just she was *trying* to watch Snow White.

Pics from the tea room.  A little old man called Trinity a “dandy”  LOL

I still think of her as little.  Like when I look at clothes for her, I’ll pick something up that’s 3-6 months or something and think it looks about right, until I hold it up to her.  She’s just not a baby anymore. 

And she’s looking more and more like Chris everyday.  

Chris has been out of town so we’re doing all kinds of things to take our minds off the fact that he’s gone.  We went to lunch with Ma and Da at Olive Garden yesterday, and then had shrimp on the barbie with Grandmommy and Grandpa for dinner.  In between eating, we strolled the mall.  Gracie collected some neat things, including mints from Mont Blanc, 2 Clinique lip glosses, a sample bottle of Curve perfume, and three lollipops from Lancome.  I don’t know why, but people are just drawn to her and feel like they need to give her something.  Of course, she is happy to oblige.

Today we took all the tokens we’ve been saving and cashed them in at Chuck E Cheese.  We didn’t eat there, we just spent an hour and a half playing games and winning tickets.  Then we came home for grilled cheese.  I’m cheap.  But it was super fun.

Tomorrow we’ll be having a tea party with Ma at a tea room.  Gracie’s already excited about picking out a pretty dress to wear.   I love, love, love the fact that she’s so girly.  And Thursday night I’m going to the SPA with my young breast cancer survivor group!  Aaaaah, I’ve been waiting FOREVER for Thursday to get here!  Massage, wine, snacks, facials, etc for $5!  I’m so excited! 

OH– I forgot to tell you all!  Chris got a new job!  He starts next week at Dell!  So hopefully he will just absolutely love it and make better money too.  Which is good, because we’re going to have to start digging ourselves out of this medical-debt mess my cancer left for us.  But…I’m alive.  We can’t forget how fortunate I am, because some people are not so lucky. 

Well, that’s it for today.  See ya!

I saw Dr Tfayli today, he said I look great, congratulations on beating cancer, and my immunity should be full force by cold and flu season!  Yay me, I really did beat cancer.  Thank you everyone, each one of you who prayed and watched kids and made food, you beat cancer with me, ya know! I have a scan scheduled on the spot on my liver, they’re just going to watch it closely and pray that it doesn’t develop into anything.  I can handle that.

Gracie was the angel fairy in her performance at drama camp today.  She even had lines this time–two of them!  She remembered her first line but had to be prompted for the 2nd one.  Not too bad for her first try!

Then we went to Gymboree to spend our Gymbucks. (Thank you, Ma!)  Here’s what she ended up getting for school:

These were a very lucky ebay purchase…

And one of the girls, just because they’re just so darn cute!  Haha, poor Trinity looks terrified!

Turn up the volume! Here’s a video of the two of them, squeaking.  Sigh.  This, sadly, is a favorite game at our house. 

Gracie is a performer, we all knew that from the very beginning.  The day she was born, she came out of me looking like she’d been primping all morning.  Her cheeks were rosy, lips were pouty and sweet, perfectly round head, cute little button nose, and eyes that welcomed every little movement around her.  She was fully aware we’d been waiting on her, and honestly I think she was quite proud of herself for waiting a week and a half past her due date to make her arrival.  Fashionably late.  She had taken her sweet time, and then been thrust into the spotlight of our entire family:  The only grandkid on both sides, the first great grandchild for Chris’ grandparents, and of course, the youth pastor’s kid–a highly favorable position for any child! And Gracie loved every minute of it. 

This week is her second week at drama camp at a local university.  This school has a huge performing arts program and she’s having a blast.  Today she wore her “the world needs drama queens” tank top.  Of course, she looked so darn cute, I had to get some pictures!

Okay, and I have to say–I don’t pose her.  LOL  She does these on her own!

 Some cheerleading there for ya–we’re number one!

There’s my sweet little drama queen!