Art Gallery

We were doing a bit of driving to and fro tonight, with the highlight of the day being our annual visit to the Chestatee Art Gallery, that is to say the gym that they have set up with all of the children's framed artwork for sale.  This year, Madison's picture was a self-portrait, as you can see above.  We arrived in time to do a bit of looking around at other children's artwork, including the lions of last year, the frogs of the year before that and a new direction for the kindergarten class:  clowns.  Personally, I'm glad we don't have a picture of a clown hanging in our house right now.  When Madison was in kindergarten, the kids did pictures of hands, holding flowers.  We currently have the three previous pictures hanging up in the hall, and obviously this one will go up as well.

Afterwards, Madison wanted to hear the choir sing, so we sat in the cafeteria to hear a performance about many different events in American history, different songs throughout time, all leading up to the Star Spangled Banner.  Everyone stood for that one, hands over their hearts.

Tonight there wasn't much time to do anything beyond homework and studying for the big habitat test tomorrow.  Daddy, Mommy and Madison are all experts on Georgia's habitats, from wildlife to ecosystems to population and geography.  She should do great on the test tomorrow.

It was Taco Tuesday also, but we managed to squeeze that in before the trip to the art gallery.  Also, there was piano to contend with, where Madison got her final book of the class.  This one should last her well into next year, but still, as things are slowly wrapping up for piano, it's hard to believe.  Just one more year and then what?  She does well, so we'll just have to see where to take that.

Yes, already we're considering upcoming classes - and camps too.  Summer is coming soon, and we've got to get all that lined up now, don't we?

Anyway, it was a busy day.  We read some more from "Mary Poppins," and Mommy and Daddy had date night with "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." as well.  School was good, as was work - and Mommy had a great day too, although the pollen count is still ginormous.  Desperately waiting for that rain!

I suppose the big thing about today though would be the game changing anniversary of ten years ago.  Ten years ago this morning, Mommy had a colonoscopy, and it was the one that let her know what we were dealing with:  a tumor.  It was determined to be cancer, and it was an obstruction that needed to be surgically removed as soon as possible.  That would be the next day - tomorrow is the anniversary of the surgery itself.  We'll write a bit more about that soon.  But before closing out today, here is one thing we posted on social media that got a tremendous response…

On this very day ten years ago, I went in for a procedure that would hopefully reveal what had been giving me trouble with my health for months. The day is burned in our memory, as the doctor came out with the awful news about a tumor, about a blockage, and about the need for immediate surgery.

Ten years ago this morning, a large cancerous tumor was discovered within my body. It was the start of a new season of our lives, with a long path to recovery involving chemotherapy, radiation, and a great struggle to survive.

Some of you may be just starting a similar journey, or it may be that you know someone taking their first steps towards their healing. I've been there, and know exactly how it feels. At times, the situation may seem without hope.

But I am here to tell you that you can make it. God didn't bring me into it - He brought me through it. Ten years later, I am here with my husband and my daughter that I have since adopted. Ten years later, here we are, living our happily ever after.