September started off with a bang. Did you know that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month? Well, if you didn't, you do now. I decided I was going to do my best to raise awareness this month. I decided to post like crazy on social media and issue weekly challenges that people could do to help a childhood cancer family. I issued challenges for people to donate blood, donate to their local children's cancer unit, do a service for a local cancer family, and other things. We were also asked by Millie's Princess Foundation to share our story on social media through their website, and also give advice to those wondering how they can help a family dealing with cancer. I was so happy to do it and received the sweetest thank you note in the mail from them after all was said and done. I probably drove some people nuts with all of my posting, but I could care less. This is so important to me and will be for the rest of my life. I have also decided that I am going to volunteer for a foundation when I finish school and become even more involved. It is so near and dear to my heart. So, throughout this post I will be talking more about this...
My work showing their support! Yay!
One day while driving, I saw a spider all of the sudden crawl up from the front of the dash and it just crawled all around. I'm usually not that squeamish around bugs and stuff, but it's not like I love them or something! By the time I got home he had crawled into a heater vent and I shut it so he could burn in there! Freaked me out.
I had a super fun girl's night out to an awesome dance party that had great food, great music, and great company. We went to eat first and then spent the night dancing away. Well, until 10:00, which is when I suppose mom's should be going to bed so they can get up in the morning with their kids, haha.
Magnus was supposed to have his first day of preschool the Wednesday after Labor Day. As luck would have it, he was sick that morning with a stomach bug. He was sooooo sad. He also missed his cousins birthday party. It was not a good day :(
Okay, this is from another childhood cancer foundation (sorry for the terrible photo, screenshot off of facebook) called the Tyler Robinson Foundation. It was started by the band Imagine Dragons (one of our very favorites, even before they started this foundation) and the boy, Tyler, who they started it for is a friend's from high school brother in law. Anyway, Tyler's brother is very involved in the foundation and he and a friend (another brother of a high school friend) decided to do a cancer ride in September to help raise awareness and surprise 10 families along the way with a check for $10,000 each. They rode from Canada to Mexico in 2 weeks and called the project Bike Canco. They asked that everyone who had had childhood cancer affect them give us the name of the cancer kid and they wrote all of the kid's names on their bikes because they were riding for them. It makes me teary even writing about it because it is so special to me that there are people out their as passionate as I am. So this is a photo of Magnus' name on his bike.
Here's a link to the video they made after the project was over. It's amazing. Watch it! It makes me ugly-cry.
Plus, in the very last shot you can see Magnus' name on Jesse's bike. I think that's awesome.
And here is a link to the video that explains how TRF came to be. It's awesome, too.
Andy went on a field trip with Baron downtown and he said it was pretty fun to watch Bear with his friends.
And the day finally came for Magnus to go to his first day of preschool!!
He was so very excited.
Our neighbor brought us a bunch of swig sugar cookies. They were way too yummy.
This is just Jonah being Jonah. He put on Laylah's bathing suit and ran around the house acting like a girl. Oh my word, I laughed so hard.
At the end of August I had gotten to the point where I was in so much pain all of the time due to my autoimmune disease, my rheumatologist recommended that I start a new medication. It. Is. Amazing. Within days I was close to pain free. I love it. It can have some undesirable side effects (which is why I waited so long to start it), but I haven't experienced any yet. Hopefully I don't, but it will still be worth it because I can actually sleep at night and I am a much happier person over all. I am also much easier to be around. Being in constant pain just isn't fun.
I give myself an injection in my stomach once a week. Easy peasy and pain free. Yay.
Katie's mom sent me this cute and funny photo of the girl's hanging out at Katie's house. I mean, sleeping. Junior high is so exhausting.
First cup of hot cocoa of the season. Andy was pretty excited about it.
Magnus got really sick with croup mid-September and was having a hard time breathing one morning. I took him to the ER where they gave him a dose of steroids and and a breathing treatment. It did the trick and we were able to go home an hour later. It gave me all sorts of yucky feelings being in the hospital with him again. I was so relieved he didn't need to be admitted.
The day came when our family finished reading The Book Of Mormon together. It only took us 4 years of nightly scripture study, hahaha. We celebrated at Leatherby's.
We started over and have a goal to finish in half the time this next time.
Our three soccer player's had a soccer night at Real Stadium with their soccer club. Andy and I both came and we had such a fun night.
Their club was invited to go out on the field with the players for the President March. Whatever that is.
Daphne's team
We sat with Jonah's team
Marching onto the field
It's hard to see, but Daphne is on the big screen below. She's second in from the right, turned sideways, like she's about to jump up into the air from excitement. I love that girl.
All lined up for the National Anthem.
Real killed their opponent, LA Galaxy, and it was a great night with our three middles.
Kaylie signed up my girls for their first competition in riding. It was for an obstacle trail ride and they practiced a lot for a few weeks before the competition.
Jonah earned his Webelo in scouts, and his Arrow of Light! He advanced from Webelos to 11 year old scouts and he crossed the bridge. It was a fun night. I still can't believe I have a scout (soon to be 2!) because I don't do anything or help him at all. His leaders basically do everything and I am so thankful for them.
Jonah and his amazing scout leader.
I came straight from work and barely made it in time to see him receive his awards and walk across the bridge. Phew! I'm so proud!
I have been wanting to re-do the girls room's for months, ever since we split them up into their own rooms last April. Their furniture was from when we kicked Daphne out of her crib at age 2, and Laylah was 4. So they've had it nearly 8 years. It was time for something different and more grown-up. I sold it on KSL and for the next few weeks I scoured KSL ads for gently used, antique looking furniture for each of their rooms. I wanted something with character and something that will make it unique and totally be about each of them and their personalities. I have finally found everything I need and I need to paint it all. It is all going to be so stinking cute, I can hardly stand it. I bought their bedding and some decor and it will need finishing touches, but I have the basics. Now, if I could just find the time to actually sand and paint. It might have to wait until after the semester is over, but I am determined to have their rooms done by Christmas so they aren't sleeping on the floor on mattresses still. I will miss their little girl furniture, but mostly the memories associated with it.
Just another photo of my Mighty Magnus boy in his super hero cape. I love him.
My sister's and I surprised my mom with breakfast, pedicures, and BYU football tickets for her birthday. Oh, I love my mom so. I really can't imagine what I would do without her.
They came, they came! Our passports finally came! And now, we wait. We have actually been waiting almost 2 months since we let Make-A-Wish know that our passports had arrived and they said they will tell us when we leave on our trip. But we still haven't heard anything.... Patience, Sarah, patience...
And still another flashback from about a year ago of my sweet little boy in his radiation mask.
And finally, to close out Childhood Cancer Awareness month, a post from Millie's Princess Foundation highlighting all of their cancer cuties that they shared stories on during the month. Mag is in the top left corner.
Ahoy, September, you were crazy and fun and unforgettable.
