Sunday, September 09, 2012

a little bit of fall

if 90 degrees instead of 100 degrees is supposed to be fall...the fall is in full swing down south.
 
 
i found these at target.  but don't be fooled.  i'm waiting for the bags of total pumpkins to hit the shelves.  the autumn mix is not the same.  i can't be picking all the pumpkins out and ending up with a candy dish full of brown candy corn rejects.  there has been sightings of the full bags of pumpkins...but i haven't seen them for myself yet.  that's not to say that i won't drive all over town today looking for them.  but i just haven't done that yet.
 
i also enjoyed my first pumpkin spice frappachino of the season.  i paired it with a piece of the pumpkin loaf and shot myself right into full swing fall.

 
september not only marks the beginning of fall...but also national childhood cancer awareness.  just like pink is the color for october's breast cancer awareness month...gold is the color for childhood cancer.
 
i have been hesitant to write about how this is currently affecting our family.  however...because i firmly agree with raising awareness and supporting these children and their families...i am wearing a gold ribbon every day this month for a little girl named claire.
 
claire is a 3 year old little girl who is battling a rare form of childhood cancer.  she was showing symptoms of a cold that quickly appeared to move into her chest.  the doctors recommended a chest x-ray...suspecting pneumonia.  that is when they found a large tumor in her abdomen.
 
the cancer had already moved from her abdomen to her spine and after stabilizing her...they began treatment.
 
claire is now undergoing chemotherapy...in the hopes of shrinking the tumor in her abdomen to as small as possible before removing it...and completely ridding the rest of her tiny body of the cancer.
 
because of her relationship with our family...she is getting to be a part of my pre-school class by having all of the books and activities sent home to her personally.  she knows that she has a real "teacher" and real "friends" because we get to communicate with her through pictures and letters.
join me in believing that God does not make mistakes and that He is the giver and healer of life...and that He loves this little girl more than we could ever even imagine...and pray with me for absolute healing for claire.  and for the month of september...wear gold in honor of claire and all of the other children who are currently battling or who have battled cancer.
 
 

 
on friday night...i was "kickin' it" for claire.
 
and even though it sounds really corny...after the first goal i score...i thought,
 
"that one was for you, claire."

 
saturday was a big day for us.
 
annslee got her ear's pierced...which is a right of passage into little girl-hood, as far as i'm concerned.






 
i got to watch my boy play some football...where matched with the slightest cool breeze...said,
 
"welcome to fall."

 
the team wore orange socks in honor of evan, a teammate and friend who lost his battle with leukemia last year.  the entire cowboy organization is wearing evan's number 41 on their jerseys this year.  i'm glad that colt is a part of this organization.
 
 
our boy was one of the captains.  this sight was one of those that sneak up on you and you freeze it in your mind...allowing feelings of joy and pride to well up in your heart...knowing that you won't forget that moment.  something about it made me see my son as a leader...the leader that God intended for him to be.  i saw a glimpse of the man he is becoming.  and i was happy to stand on the side-lines and let him go.  even if it was for just that moment.



 
UK turned the big...35...yesterday.
 
i really out-did myself with his shirt this year.

 
he comes to watch me play soccer...which is such a good, brotherly thing to do.  because my number is 8...he calls me "ocho."

 
it's a keeper, for sure.
 
and so is he...if you must know.
 

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