Getting spoiled

This morning Peyton got to have her make-up done by a professional make-up artist…but surprise of surprises, so did Mom! I got hair and makeup done so that I could be in a couple of the shots with her and now I'm even more excited to see the end result. They showed me a sample of what we'll be receiving. It's a special portfolio with two black and white 8×10's, one of the both of us and one of her, then a copy of every photo they took (they must have taken at least 40), and a disk so we can have copies made of whatever we want. It is going to be so precious because some of the pictures are with her little head covered in a red kerchief, and then we finally talked her into taking it off so that we could get some shots with her sweet fuzzy hair. She hammed it up pretty good and I'm sure she'll look gorgeous and i'll look….like a mother of three who doesn't sleep enough, who ran out of the house this morning late without a shower, but now has head of perfectly done hair and face full of artful makeup…I told them I'd expect them at my house promptly at 7 AM every morning from now til the end of time!

Radiation…..fun times….I got a few answers to the scheduling snafu. The issues were that we would have to be at two different facilities at two ends of town each day, and during a round of treatment when she's felt the worst I've ever seen her. This really bothered me and I was relieved to work it out with the clinic to change things around. We're going to do our radiation at All Children's Hospital in St. Pete, we're going to do our chemo visits at the St. Pete clinic and we're going to stay at the Ronald McDonald House during the week and come home on the weekends. Pete's already planning to take those two weeks off so that he can be Mr. Mom to Nathaniel and Rachael, which will be both awesome and eye-opening for them all, I'm sure. This means that both facilities will be literally across the street from where we're staying and we don't have to worry about traveling all over the place, she'll have plenty of time to rest and recoup. The added bonus for her (if this is really a BONUS) is that because her counts often require transfusions during this period, we'll have quicker access to blood products when we need them. Wow! And here, I wanted a pony when I was kid, silly me.

I also found out that our chemo schedule had been miscalculated. We were counting by weeks…we should have been counting days…yada yada yada…it all comes down to the fact that we will start our treatment on the 9th instead of the 14th. I was a little disappointed because I was looking forward to that extra time steroid-free, but we roll with it. And then I read a post from Sherry Tucker talking about how she's coping with the anniversary of the day her son Zachary was lost to them to cancer, on May 9th. As a way to honor that day, her family will be going to our clinic to spread some joy with goodies for the kids and I just thought, Wow, what a way for God to remind me to be grateful that I still have the privilege of being allowed to have Peyton here with me now. Forget about a few day's here or there, a little inconvenience in my schedule, it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. She is what matters, each day as her mother is what matters, to be with the family that the Lord has gifted me with…that IS the grand scheme of things.

This week is teacher appreciation at our school and today I got the chance to REALLY appreciate Rachael's teacher because I volunteered to hang with the kids while the teacher's had a special luncheon. Every parent should be forced to do this…it should be mandatory! You will respect your teacher in a new and profound way….and I know now why God never called me to be a preschool teacher. I actually had the joy of hearing one of the volunteer parents say to a "tattling" student "No, I don't want to hear it, if it doesn't involve blood it isn't that bad!" I love that. It was such a fun time to spend with the kids and see their happy little faces all excited and enjoy the energy they exude…it was equally rewarding to leave and enjoy the silence after.

I had one of those moments in the car this week when a song came on and it made me cry. Oh yeah, cry like a baby! With the loss of Taylor and thinking of my friend Chris with the loss of her father, the words of the song "I Believe" by Diamond Rio just touched my heart in a special way. And now, I'm going to share the words of this song with you.

Every now and then soft as breath upon my skin
I feel you come back again
And it’s like you haven’t been gone a moment from my side,
Like the tears were never cried,
Like the hands of time were pulling you and me.

And with all my heart I’m sure we’re closer than we ever were,
I don’t have to hear or see I’ve got all the proof I need.
There are more than angels watching over me

I believe
Oh I believe

Now when you die and life goes on,
It doesn’t end here when you’re gone
Every soul has found a flight
It never ends if I’m right.

Our love can even reach across eternity.

I believe
Oh I believe

Forever you’re a part of me,
Forever in the heart of me,
I will hold you even longer if I can.

f.r.o.G….fully relying on God
—Anissa

ps.
Plans have been made for a meeting of the minds on Monday the 6th at 6:30 pm at the home of my good friend Monica. If anyone would like to come and be a part of sharing ideas or plans for the Peyton fundraiser, just let me know at [url=mailto:anissa.mayhew@verizon.net]anissa.mayhew@verizon.net[/url]