Busy Busy Busy

The above pictures are our pictures from our day trip to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC.

Take me for a ride on your big green tractor Baby.

You can go slow, you can go faster!! LOL

We have been crazy busy the last week and a half. The weekend after I finished radiation we took a day trip to the Zoo and an Edventure Museum. It was a lot of fun. Shane had never been to this particular zoo. We usually go to the one in Asheboro. But I really like this one because you can see the animals so close up. I know it is better to have a large natural habitat but when you go to the zoo you would at least like to see the animals. Caitlyn loved it. She was only about 9 months old the last time we went. Plus this zoo doesn't have as much walking. You are not totally exhausted when you leave. So we still had enough energy to go to the Museum too. At the museum the kids can pretend grocery shop and ring up the items, play in a real fire truck and dress up in costumes, milk a cow, hunt for eggs, go to Africa, go thru the body parts of a giant sized kid. There are slides thru the heart for the aorta and arteries. Pretty cool stuff. Then we went for ice cream and then we drove home. It was a blast. The kids had no idea where we were going till we got there.

The following week, Mom found a house and we just moved her in this past weekend. So her and Travis will be living there for at least the next 18 months. She was pretty excited to get her own place. I think it is a good step toward a new beginning for her. Plus I was ready to feel like I can move on to the next phase of life for our family. To feel like I was taking control of my life again. Not that I so did not appreciate all my mom did for us, because I know few moms would have done or been in the position to do what my mom did for me, but it was time. It is hard to go back to living with your parent after not for 13 years. You all kind of get set in your own way.

So now the house seems very quiet. Crazy too when we have 3 kids under 9. But it is. We still have Sheba too till mom can get the invisible fencing set up. But overall I think we are all starting to adjust to what "normal" is now.

On Saturday, Shane turned 34. Wow!!! How time flies. We were just teenagers when we started dating. But I have loved every minute of it and look forward to many more years with the love of my life. We had hamburgers, mac-n-cheese, & sweet potato fries. Yummy and of course, Chocolate Delight for dessert. It was very good if I do say so myself.

We are working on getting all the rooms back together after mom & Travis' departure. The guest room has furniture but no comforter. The office has nothing save the wireless and modem. I have been bugging Shane that for my birthday I would like to redo our room. I love the brown's and pale blue. So I could use my comforter set in the guest room and get a new one for my birthday & Christmas. So we shall see. But then I would want the room repainted so I don't know. I will have to wait and see.

I had herceptin today and met with Dr. Lemantani. He said everything looks good. I started my tamoxifen today also. The first day for the next 5 years. Yikes. That is a long time. Oh Well it is better than the alternative. I should only have 4 more treatments of the herceptin. That will be nice to finally be done with that. Should be done by end of February.

My breast tissue is healing nicely from radiation. It looked like I had a severe sunburn with major peeling. But it is finally starting to just look like a tan. Hopefully next week I can start up with the final fills and then set for 6-8 weeks than my reconstructive surgery. Yeah!!!

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. Obviously, I have a lot to be thankful for this year. A lot of things have been put into perspective for me. Not necessarily by choice but overall it has been a good thing to have your eyes opened whether you want to or not. We will be spending the holidays with Shane's parents this year. We rotate each year. It keeps it simple and no one has to wonder. We are taking the boys four wheelers and they will ride probably most of day over the 10 acres. Caitlyn too with her Daddy. She loves them. Shane can't wait till he can get her one too. Then we will have dinner, celebrate birthdays & then do a bon fire that night. So it will be much fun.

I hope everyone has a Blessed Thanksgiving. Remember we are all here, so we truly have much to be Thankful for. Don't forget to let the ones around you, the ones you love know how much you truly appreciate them. You never know what tomorrow may hold.......

All my love,

Rachael