my chemo angel

i was so excited to get an email from ann marie back in december '08 saying that she was going to be in town this spring for a business conference. i was just about to email her to see if she was still coming and she beat me to it! i was so excited to find out that her trip was still on.

i could barely contain my excitement while driving to her hotel!

it seems like just yesterday when i was going through this funk. i was feeling sorry for myself. not proud of where i was in my life. thinking i should have more, be more, etc. a wise friend told me that i was doing the most important job in the world, and that although money is nice...cuddles and kisses are just the best paycheck ever. but to me...it didn't feel like it. so then my wise friend told me that i needed to use my talent to help people less fortunate than me. so i found an organization called chemo angels. i applied online and they matched me up with a young mom in pennsylvania. this woman had a husband and three small children. and she was in the fight of her life. it didn't take long for me to realize how blessed i was. i'd pray for this woman day in and day out. send her cards. pray some more. cry. we didn't really ever communicate back and forth until one day she wrote me back. and it was the most surreal thing. it was like we had known each other forever. i know that God put her in my path for a reason. i know that i was supposed to be there to support ann marie through her crisis, but little did she know that she was helping me through mine. i could never thank her enough for what she has given me.

and PRAISE GOD that she is cancer free!

here we are at lunch at the grand lux.

it's a sister company to the cheesecake factory. to say that lunch was delicious would be an understatement. in fact, they make your dessert from scratch, so you have to order it at the beginning of your meal so it can be finished by the time you finish your meal. we ordered the rustic apple pie. those big chunky sugar crystals were so tasty!

we were obviously very, very happy we ordered this!!!

after lunch, we headed down to the medical center. i wanted to take ann marie to the cancer survivor pavillion. only fitting since she's a cancer survivor!

on top of seeing this pavillion, she got to see how out of control the quinceaneras are around here. and the crazy houston weather. i'm sure she loved it being nice one minute, downpour and humidity the next. so much for our hairdo's!

our visit went by so fast, but we are already planning our next visit. we look forward to coming to see y'all in pennsylvania this summer!

i was sad to leave ann marie, but i came home to these cutie pies!

isn't this the sweetest picture ever? brandon was just cracking up at jared getting sugars from his cheek and neck!

and then me and my baby boy (thanks to jared for taking these!)