Monday, May 30, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Thirty-Three..

On this memorial day I would like to take the time to remember all of those who have lost their lives fighting for their country.  I would also like to thank those who continue to fight...

Copyright 2010.  Arlington National Cemetary.
All Rights Reserved.

I never thought that this is where I'd settle down.
I thought I'd die an old man back in my home town.
They gave me this plot of land,
me and some other men,
for a job well done.

There's a big white house,
sits on a hill just up the road.
The man inside, he cried the day they brought me home.
They folded up a flag, and told my mom and dad,
"We're proud of your son."

And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company.
I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done.

I can rest in peace,
I'm one of the chosen ones...

I made it to Arlington

-- Trace Adkins --
If you would like to watch the beautiful video of this song,
click below.
Trace Adkins - Arlington

Sunday, May 29, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Thirty-Two

Copyright 2011.  Flower on our front porch yesterday :) -- finally feels like summer!
All Rights Reserved.

*It'd be easy to add up all the pain,
and all the dreams you sat and watched go up in flames.
Dwell on the wreckage as it smoulders in the rain,
but not me...
I'm alive.

And today you know that's good enough for me,
breathing in and out's a blessing can't you see.
Today's the first day of the rest of my life...
And I'm alive and well.*

-- Kenny Chesney --

Wow... well I don't usually actually write anything here, but as we near the end of this month I felt the need to say a little something more about this...

It's been a little over two months since I recieved the diagnosis of Stage I melanoma.  Since then I've had two more surgeries to perform wider margins on moderately atypical moles.  In fact I have stitches in my back right now for both of those. 

I'm just now reaching a point in the past couple of weeks where I feel like I can breathe again.  For the longest time after hearing the news (and even actually before it - since I was sure the mole was melanoma the second I saw it in the mirror) I feared every single mole on my body.  I wanted them all gone.  I couldn't look at a single mole and not think that maybe, just maybe that one was another melanoma.  And maybe, just maybe that one would be worse.

There are no words to adequately describe what it feels like to hear the words "You have cancer".  Or to describe the feelings that come along with that.  I recieved my diagnosis over the phone at around 8:30 am and did not go in for surgery until 1 pm.  The thoughts that went through my mind in those 4 1/2 hours still to this day bring tears to my eyes and panic to my heart.  I simply cannot imagine what people go through when they find out that they have to go through chemo treatments and radiation, or worse yet when people find out there's nothing that can be done.  My own brain struggled to find a single positive thought until the moment my doctor revealed to me in the office that my cancer was stage I.  And even for a few weeks after that, the negative thoughts still crept in far too often.     

The reason for all of this though... May is melanoma (and all other skin cancers) awareness month, and as May will be ending in two more days... I implore you to please perform a skin check tomorrow or Tuesday.  Just take note of the moles you have and of anything you think looks odd.  If you find anything at all do not hesitate to call a dermatologists office and set up an appointment to be seen.

I was lucky... and that's not something I'll ever forget.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Thirty-One

Copyright 2011.  Another of the Spring photos I took of my godbabies last Friday :)
All Rights Reserved


Friday, May 20, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Thirty

I simply love these two.


 Copyright 2011.
Copyright 2011.  Connor and Caydence tonight at the Arboretum.
All Rights Reserved.

*Life's not the breaths you take.
The breathing in and out
that gets you through the day,
ain't what it's all about.

You just might miss the point,
if you don't slow down the pace.
Life's not the breaths you take,
but the moments that take your breath away...*

-- George Strait --

Monday, May 16, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Twenty Nine -- Flower Power!

My favorite Flower Photos :)







Copyright 2010 - 2011
All Rights Reserved.



Sunday, May 15, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Twenty-Eight



Copyright 2011.  Checking out a Roly Polies.
All Rights Reserved.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Twenty-Seven

Copyright 2011.  Caydee running through the grass like the girl in "Re-Tangled" :)
All Rights Reserved


*Ladies of grace and ladies of favor,
and ladies of merciful night,
This is a prayer for a blueberry girl.
Grant her your clearness of sight.

Words can be worrisome, people complex,
motives and manners unclear,
Grant her the wisdom to choose the right path,
free from unkindness and fear.

Let her tell stories and dance in the rain,
sommersault, tumble and run,
Her joys must be high as her sorrows are deep,
let her grow like a weed in the sun.*

-- Neil Gaiman --
Blueberry Girl


Friday, May 6, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Twenty-Six

Copyright 2011.  Creepy cloud that came rolling in this afternoon.
All Rights Reserved.

*Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.
Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.*

-- Marie Curie --

Thursday, May 5, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Twenty-Five

Copyright 2011.  Blue jay in our backyard.
All Rights Reserved.

*Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, which frightens us.  Your playing small doesn't serve the world.  There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so other people don't feel insecure around you.  We were all meant to shine as children do.  It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.*

-- Coach Carter --

Sunday, May 1, 2011

365 Days Take Two! -- Day Twenty-Four

Copyright 2011.  Caydee by the tulips at the Lexington Cemetary.
Photo Credit to my father for this one.