To Infinity and Beyond....and then back to reality

A vacation was a much needed and welcomed event this past week. This was Dashing's first time since the beginning of June having more than 36 continuous hours off from his Emergency Medicine residency schedule - he had two whole weeks actually! It was great to get to see him relax - let alone see him at all!

During the first part of our trip, I read blogs during downtime with the sounds of the Coronado, California ocean waves crashing in the background and rays of a cool sun blanketing my SPF covered skin. I took brisk walks with the family on the beloved Coronado island (technically a peninsula). We ate at some of my favorite restaurants - if you're ever there, try Bali Hai in San Diego, the Village Pizzaria on Coronado, and The Fisherman's Restaurant in San Clemente. We played cards in the evenings while sipping on smooth Coco Loco pina coladas and relaxed the days away.

The second part of the trip was high energy as we all (that's 6 adults and my 5 month old niece) ventured north to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. This is part of our yearly trip, and we embrace it every year. Disneyland is definitely not just for kids as this was the first time (out of the 6 years I've been going with Dashing's family) that we have even had a child with us adults!

The jolly  music, the smells of cinnamon and sugar, the lights of fantasy, and the feel of being transported into a whole new world (Aladdin pun intended) draws a smile to your face without you even realizing it.

Dashing and my self-photo shoot in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. It was very overcast. There was a lot of squinting involved. You do not want to see what my photos sans sunglasses looked like...ok they were funny.

My niece (and as of last Saturday, goddaughter!) was enthralled with all of the action and hardly slept a wink! I guess the lack of sleep could have also been from us continuously sticking Minnie Mouse ears on her - it was cute though! Dashing and I were also wide-eyed indulging in our favorite old and new rides.

Favorite new ride:At the new Star Tours 3d Ride.

One of our favorite old rides: Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters. YUP that 228,300 is my score - beating Dashing by almost 100,000. I rock at zapping aliens.

Our favorite Disney's California Adventure ride California Screamin' roller coaster. From top left to bottom right, Sara Cate, Dashing, MIL, SIL Miss E.

Miss E (SIL), Dashing, Miss E's Hubs, Sara Cate

I hope you all had a wonderful week. After buzzing off to infinity and beyond, I am now back to reality.

Sincerely,
Sara Cate

The Quintessential Christmas

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of holiday cheer. I was able to spend the holiday's with family enjoying the true meaning of Christmas, and thanking God for all the wonderful people He has put in my life.

I also love seeing all of the Christmas lights and holiday decor this time of year - it makes me smile. So in pursuit of these scenes, I came across the oddest Christmas scene...Uncle Sam, Santa Claus, Baby Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. Who knew they all lived during the same time!
During this holiday time, I had my 7th treatment. Just this past week, Dashing looked at me and oh-so-delicately told me that I am finally starting to take on the look of a cancer patient. My skin is so pale, dark circles have formed around my eyes, and a bluish tint has settled into my skin. Luckily, as a female, it is perfectly acceptable for me to attempt to cover these things up with make-up. So, these days, I'm feeling like I could use a make-up artist around.

For a little bit of a pick me up, Dashing, the Entourage, and I went to the happiest place on Earth for the New Year's weekend...Disneyland. From the sounds of Main Street's singing quartet to the sparkle of the castle's icicle lights - I love it all.
So now this week, I will prepare for my final chemotherapy treatment. Although I'm so excited to have this portion of the treatment over - I'm still not excited to go through even one more round of this. Knowing that you will have to battle through the next week is daunting, and then knowing radiation is to come is challenging to face. Sometimes I think it's easier to not know what you're going to be up against.

I will prevail; I will be a stronger person after this. I know it.