Updates

So, it's been a while since I posted and I know everyone has wanted updates on my dad and on myself since my "home office" has become official.
Dad didn't end up having his scan. His doctor is traveling to a conference and he decided he would rather wait until he returns back to have it done. So, on October 14th, he will have his scan. Please continue your thoughts and prayers that this scan will bring our family good news. He still seems to be in good spirits, but you can tell he is pretty tired. I have absolutely no idea how he continues to work full time and deal with all of the treatments.....I guess he feels if he stops, he admits defeat and that is something he just will not do.
As for me, this completes my first week working from home. It's been bittersweet. I have enjoyed the 5 minute v/s hour drive to work and it's nice to be able to walk Hayley on my lunch break, but I miss seeing everyone everyday. I cannot just walk downstairs and vent to Jen/Liz/Whitney/Tammy if I wanted to. I cannot just meet Meredith for lunch if I wanted to. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for my situation. There was a time when I cried almost every night wondering how all of this was going to work out, but things have worked out in a way I never dreamed they would have, and in turn, that has opened up a lot of opportunity for me to have a healthier work/family lifestyle. I just miss my peeps :-(
Reece had her 3 year check up this week as well and Dr. Forehand confirmed our suspicions that Reece is very stubborn and willful and will potty train when SHE is ready. So....we wait....patiently :-) Otherwise, she is growing beautifully and we are very thankful to have a healthy, happy and hard-headed Reece-a-roni!

Road trip to Charleston

Today we ventured out to Charleston, SC to visit the SC aquarium as well as the sea turtle hospital that is also located there. What a great road trip! After about a 2.5 hour drive, we got there and laid witness to an absolutely breathtaking port. We went in and got some lunch and then explored the 1st floor for about 30 minutes (we could barely pull Kyleigh from the touch tank) and then waited for our hospital guide. I wondered how much our extra 30 bucks on top of admission would be worth it to see this, but we ended up getting so much more than we bargained for. Who knew below this aquarium busting with people were 8 sick sea turtles, most of them hit by boats, 2 of which were over 320 pounds! Being a proud biology nerd myself, I was completely in awe of being in the presence of these beautiful creatures. Our guide was great and took us turtle to turtle telling us their story and letting us take the time to spend with them. Reece, who we thought would love this most of all, was a little scared of these giants, but Kyleigh was ready to jump right in with them! I was so proud of her as I watched her listen and learn and take it all in as I was. I could tell it had the same impact on her as it did for me. We learned at the end that every penny of the tour money goes to help the turtles, which made me even more happy that we did it, although I have to say that the experience was priceless. The rest of the aquarium was great as well. Reece found some smaller turtles that she was very excited over and Kyleigh was thrilled to watch a live diving show where they feed the fish in what they boast is the largest tank in North America. Coming home with two very tired kids, I am humbled to have been in the presence of just a taste of what nature has to offer, and I find I have fallen in love with her all over again! Here are a few pictures from our fun day!

Safe sex, safer TV

Got your attention didn't I :-)
I am a firm believer in family meals. Dinnertime in my house means everyone sits down, turns the TV off and talks about what went on with their day. It's our time to come together and connect. Last night, Bobby and I connected with Kyleigh in a way we were not ready for and didn't see coming.
Reece was lining up Barbie's after finishing her meal and had Barbie and Ken on top of each other. I quietly pulled them apart, lining them all in a row for Reece. Nothing more was said or done. Then Kyleigh says "Did you pull them apart because you thought they were having sex?". From my 5 year old? I was so shocked at that point, I didn't push it. Tonight we sat down for a good old fashion girl talk.......
My normal afternoon consists of my 1 hour drive home, then cooking dinner, cleaning, baths and then bed. While I am cooking, we often let the girls watch Discovery Kids (mostly to keep them from being all over the kitchen or asking every 2 minutes when dinner is going to be ready!). For the record, I am not a big fan of the TV, I'm a radio girl myself, but at least the shows on this channel are educational. If it is not on this channel, I leave it on ABC Family, also "thinking" this was a "safe" channel to leave it on as I cook or give Reece a bath. I've always felt I was very selective in the TV I let them watch.
Evidently there is a new show on ABC Family these days called "The Secret Life of the American Teenager", where a 15 year old gets pregnant.....hence Kyleigh's new knowledge of the word sex. After a sigh of relief that my baby really didn't know what she was saying and that she had not been harmed, I am reflecting back on the education I just received. For those parents who do not want their children taught life lessons by the bright flashing box, just a reminder to stop and take a look at what is on and do not assume because it is on a family channel or geared towards kids that it is appropriate or in line with the values you what to represent in your family!

Needing everyone's thoughts....prayers

It's Tuesday and the normal hum drum on my mind right now is quieted by my fears for this week. For those of you that have been keeping up with my dad's progress, tomorrow starts his 3rd cycle of chemo. He was diagnosed with "extensive stage small cell lung cancer" just 3 months ago. Lucky for us, his doctor is one of the best. Dr. Adkins treated my mom for Stage 4 intestinal cancer when I was 9...and she's still here to talk about it. I love to hear about him. In a world where health care can be so political and full of red tape, so segregated between the "layman" and "educated", this man walks the halls without his tokin white "I'm an important doctor" lab jacket...in cowboys boots and always carrying a down to earth sense about him. He tells you what you need to hear in terms that you understand. I admire this as I listened to the tape he made for my dad when he told him of his diagnosis. He does this not only for the patient, but also the family by letting him take it home and share with others.

It's bittersweet for me. I did not grow up with my dad. I have no warm memories of him as a child. I only remember having to go to weekly visits at the halfway house as was court ordered and his roommate would teach me how to build card houses while he looked away as if I didn't exist. It took me many years to get over my anger....and myself. My dad was sick. I know now that he wanted to be there, he just couldn't. Alcoholism stole that time from both of us, but with the birth of Kyleigh came a birth of a new relationship with my dad, and we have been growing stronger ever since. All those years I lived without him, and now I cannot imagine life without him.

You know, I've been asked so many times why we choose to start our family so young (I was barely 23 when I had Kyleigh, a time when most of my friends were still out having fun and being young). I do not believe in accidents. I believe it happened because we needed something major to get us to move on from our pride and pain. Funny, learning where my pridefulness comes from :-)

My dad will have a scan this week to see how the treatments have been working. I cannot do anything but hope for the best. He has continued to be positive through everything and I know he must be scared too, but that Price pride will never let it show.

We talk a lot about the future. He has always wanted to the Caribbean. It is a dream of his to retire to a beach house where he could just do nothing but sit on the beach and not have to worry about a thing (his favorite channel is the Margarita ville channel on his Sirius radio :)

Even though I don't get to see him everyday, I do listen to Kenny Chesney's "Old Blue Chair" CD and it makes me think of him. That CD encompasses everything about him to me.

Sorry for the long post, but if you could say a special prayer or just keep my dad in your thoughts this week, I hope to share good news in my next post!

Experience

Experience. That's a word I have heard a lot on talk radio lately, especially since the elections have started heating up. I love to listen to both sides debate...Obama doesn't have enough experience and now neither does Palin. How important is it really? Let's see....can you imagine leaving your children (or dog for that matter) with someone who knew nothing about them? Would you hire someone for a very complex job with absolutely nothing on their resume but high school? Seems pretty important huh? But, I remember graduating college and being so frustrated because no one would give me a chance. I heard that word a lot then too. No one was interesting in listening to my new ideas, they just wanted to know what I had already done. I am amazed at how much people focus on the past and never think about what it would mean for the future. Yes, I hear some of you saying...past predicts future. Of course it does if that is the expectation we give it.
Experience is a great teacher and one we should not take lightly. I've been kicked in the butt by it several times, however, it's an ongoing struggle not to base your entire life on past experiences. I feel a lot of times I have missed out by "practicing my past"....selling others or my own self short because of this. Keep an open mind about experience and the kinds of new ones you want to have....and which kinds are important for our new leaders.

Einee minee mini moe......

Isn't it funny when you hear of other people's decisions and wonder to yourself "how the heck did they come up with that?". It's so easy to judge when it's not your burden to bear. For those of us that obsess over every little thing, it's easy to obsess just on the method to this "decision making"...are you a "pros and cons" list maker? Do you value other's opinions and base your final choice on them? Do you flip a coin? Wasn't it nice when you were little and it just took a flip of a coin to make the correct, fair choice for everyone? As we all grow older, the decisions tend to get more and more complex, and in consequence the method to our madness does as well. Why is this? Does it really need to be more?
We are all faced with hard choices, as a friend, family member, parent or even being an American citizen. Bottom line, you just need to be able to live with it. The joy of us all is the fact that we are different, what works for one is a completely insane thought for another. The best lessons and most valuable ones I have learned in life came from my ability (or inability) to make the correct decision. I hope one day I will be able to refrain from stepping in my girl's lives and let them handle most of them on their own (there are some of course that will be non-negotiable!).
Point is to be more open-minded in yourself and dealing with others. Think outside the box and try and new way to look at a problem the next time one comes around or really make the point to listen and understand when a friend tells you of their problem/solution the next time you are talking. You may open up a whole new you.