From Our Home To Yours...

Wishing you a very

Merry Christmas

and a

New Year filled with

love, laughter, and joy!

C'mon Ring Those Bells!

In a previous post I mentioned my recent medical journey. I haven been undergoing radiation on my leg for the last six weeks. In the lobby of the treatment facility where I go, there is a bell and a plaque with the following poem inscribed on it:

Survivor's Cheer
Ring this bell
Three times well,
Its toll to clearly say;
My treatment is done!
This course is run!
And I am on my way!

I had never seen anyone actually ring the bell and begun to wonder if anyone actually did. Then one day last week as I came in for my treatment, I heard the bell. I saw the joy and relief on the face of the lady who rung it. Her friends and family, along with the facility staff, were gathered around cheering her on. It was an amazing sight. The nurses later told me they've had people who were treated at other facilities ask to come ring the bell once they completed their treatments. (Of course they let them.)

Today I got to ring that bell. I completed my final radiation treatment. I didn't expect to feel so emotional, after all I have been doing this every day for the last six and a half weeks. I figured this would be just another day. But it wasn't. After ringing that bell, seeing my husband smiling from ear to ear, and hearing the staff cheer, I walked out the doors with a new outlook on life: I am now a survivor.

If you are undergoing treatment for cancer, I encourage you to find out if your treatment center does any type of celebration when your treatment is completed. If not, create your own. Invite family and friends to meet you there. Bring refreshments (I'm sure the staff would appreciate some, too!). Or simply arrange for a celebratory dinner afterward. You've earned it.

If you know someone undergoing treatment for cancer, buy him or her a bell. Attach a copy of the above poem. Offer to celebrate with them...and be prepared to clap, cheer, shout, whistle, and carry on for your loved one. You'll never know how loved it will make them feel.

Extreme Thanksgiving

Many of you may remember the story of Baby Zoe, my nephew who was born a couple years ago with a very rare and severe condition. My sister and brother-in-law were told he would not live and if, by chance, he did he would not have a normal life. Well, they were right about one thing, Zoe's life (and that of his family) is anything but normal!

Zoe (or "ZoBug" as Little Man calls him) is a now thriving 2-year-old. This year, he and his family will spend the first of many Thanksgivings in their new home....compliments of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I was able to fly down to Savannah, GA last week for the big reveal. The show will air sometime after the New Year. You'll have to check back for an exact date; I'll let you know as soon as I hear. In the meantime, here are some highlights from my trip.

Extreme Makeover's Paul DiMeo and Tracy Hutson (background) warm up the crowd
before the big reveal. Both were instrumental in the design of the new house.

The man himself...Ty Pennington


The true hero in my book...Tripp Turner of J.T. Turner Construction.
He and his team were phenomenal!

Two-time Olympic gold-medalist Shaun White helped design
8-year-old Isaac's room.
Isaac was floored that Shaun was there in person!

The bus is in place and volunteers gather to MOVE THAT BUS!

Welcome Home, Simpson family. Welcome Home.

Paula Deen was also a huge part of the entire process, including the design for my sister's new kitchen! You'll have to wait until the show airs to see shots of the inside as well as many other amazing things they did for my sister, her family, and their community. Trust me when I say, it will take your breath away!

To watch the local coverage of the build, click here.

And as they say in Savannah...Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Move that bus!

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

I am on my way to Savannah, GA to help Ty Pennington and ABC's Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition say, "Move that bus!" for Baby Zoe and family!

More details and pics to follow!

Sent from my iPhone

Fall Is In the Air

It's taken awhile for the weather to feel like Fall here, but that hasn't kept us from enjoying some of our favorite Fall activities. Here's a peek at what we've been up to:

Corn mazes

Train rides

Pumpkin painting

Face painting

And our favorite, a trip to Big Cedar Lodge, where there is no end of activities
like life-size chess and checkers.

Amazing restaurants

And endless fall foliage that provide perfect backdrops for photo ops!

Iced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last week, a friend of mine brought me some pumpkin cookies. Little did she know that I am a lover of all things pumpkin...pie, bread, muffins, cheesecake, lattes, brownies, etc. (it's almost like chocolate for me...almost.) Well, the cookies were delicious, but only lasted long enough to make me want some more! So this weekend I dug out a recipe I've made only once. They were a hit at the time, and I've beeen looking for a reason to make them again. So to celebrate the end of Daylight Saving Time this weekend, I whipped up some of these:

Iced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon babking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup sugar

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet morsels

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Vanilla glaze (see below)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, bbaking
powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large
mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually stir in
flour mixture, semi-sweet morsels, and nuts. Drop by spoonful onto a prepared
baking sheet

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are
lightly browned. Cool on a baking sheet for 2 minutes then remove to a wire
rack. Allow to cool completely. Drizzle or spread with vanilla glaze.

Vanilla Glaze
Combing 1 cup powdered sugar, 1-1 1/2
tablespoons milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl; mix well.