April 19, 2005

Post-IV - At the Cleveland Clinic for radiation

April 19, 2005

Pre-IV - At the Cleveland Clinic for radiation.

February 24, 2005

This photo of Liam (1.5 years old) was taken by his older brother Iain (3 years old).

January 12, 2005

I am receiving what they call 200 centigray's a day--Gray being the name of the guy who discovered the radiation treatment. The holes on the mask look much bigger than they were when it was first molded to my face.

January 12, 2005

The therapist took these pictures. You see a head on shot of the table I have to lie on. The beams come from a large robotic arm that moves around me--it's not like a small tube I'm in like MRI's.

January 12, 2005

Alex thinks this is the freakiest picture, but it's good at showing how "squashed" my face really is and quite honestly, the picture can't quite do the justice of the actual experience! The markings on the mask are where they aim the beams.

November 27, 2004

These pictures are of church visitors. It was such a sweet surprise to receive a visit from the Dickerhoff family and Pastor Sharley's family. I can't quite remember who else came, everything that happened to me in the hospital was such a fog.

November 27, 2004

I teach at the church and the kids made me a poster. You can only see the top of it in my lap.

November 27, 2004

I can't quite remember what I was clapping about. The scarf around my neck is to cover the stitches. Of course they had my chin stitched to my chest, but they were quite clever about covering that up and most people couldn't tell because I had to sit and sleep propped up in the bed.

November 27, 2004

Alex didn't want to put this picture on, but I thought it was a good picture that showed the discomfort I had aside from always smiling for the camera--a good candid shot.

November 27, 2004

Megan Elliot was the other visitor and here is a better view of my poster which is now hanging up in my house!

October 24, 2004

On the lawn at University of Virginia--a favorite family outing!!

October 24, 2004

This is Iain as a baby wearing his crab goggles--we took a similar picture of him a year later--Iain is such a hoot! He loves to wear all kinds of zany things as you can tell in other pictures!

October 24, 2004

A typical day in Iain's life--dressing up in many different costumes--this one is an everyday favorite since he wants to be an astronaut!!

October 24, 2004

This was Liam's first birthday sabbath--He's so cute!! We sang him a song and he got to blow out the candle and even got a little car for his present that day in church!!

October 24, 2004

This is Iain being grumpy during Liam's birthday sabbath because Liam's getting attention and he's not. Typical reaction. Notice the gloves and goggles and boots--Most kids have a security blanket or a stuffed animal, Iain has gloves--he must wear them at all times and has hundreds of pairs--

October 24, 2004

This picture was taken at the library--believe me when I say this is a very normal outfit for Iain for the library, grocery store--anything--he has to always be dressed up--people I don't know actually want to take pictures of him because they think he looks so funny!!! He's not trying to be funny, he's very serious about what he is wearing--I wonder sometimes if he'll be an actor when he grows up.

October 24, 2004

Lammie--(as we call him)--had a firefighter birthday party for his first birthday--he's a sweetie!! He got the nickname 'Lammie" from Iain who couldn't say 'Liam'--he's our little lamb!

October 24, 2004

Iain's 3rd birthday sabbath--he's much happier here since he's getting the attention :)

October 24, 2004

I love this picture of Iain--he almost looks like one of Mary Engelbreit's characters that she draws. We are strawberry picking on this day. Liam was sleeping the whole time. Iain loves to go strawberry picking. He eats them faster than I can pick them!!

October 24, 2004

We are in DC--we like to go to the Air and Space Museum every once in awhile--for Iain (and Alex) of course!

October 24, 2004

This picture is a bit depressing for me. I spent last christmas (Liam's first christmas!) in the hospital with pneumonia. Although I didn't know I had cancer at the time, the tumor was the reason I had gotten the pneumonia as bad as I did. I was hospitalized for a week and came home the day after christmas.

October 24, 2004

This was our beautiful Shenandoah Valley snow last December. Iain is seen walking down the sidewalk towards our house (the one with the side porch).

October 24, 2004

Iain in his favorite 'Charles Lindbergh' pilots cap--or so he calls it--where are the gloves?!

October 24, 2004

Iain was Neil Armstrong for halloween last year. His third birthday party was also a Neil Armstrong birthday party. I wonder if this guy knows that my 3 year old dreams about him every night? I made this costume myself--it was a lot of work and I will never do it again--atleast not for awhile!!

October 24, 2004

This picture and the one below were taken last year at Carter's Mountain apple orchard--Iain loved picking the apples right off the tree. They also have 'melt-in-your-mouth' apple cider doughnuts. This year, when we went, I stood in line for a half hour to buy a bag---

October 24, 2004

Liam was so tiny!!! He was only 3 months old--it's hard to believe that when we went this year--he was running around all over the place! They sure do grow up fast!

October 24, 2004

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind"

October 24, 2004

Here we are last year at a pumpkin patch--I sure do "wear" Liam a lot!

October 24, 2004

Iain loves his Redskin's football helmet--it was actually Alex's when he was a little boy. Like father, like son!

October 24, 2004

Again, while "wearing" Liam, we took Iain to the Corolla Lighthouse last summer.

October 24, 2004

Alex put all of these old pictures on here--anyway, this is Iain at halloween 2 years ago!!! He was a giraffe--I didn't know I was with Liam at the time--but he was there (in there?) somewhere!!!

October 24, 2004

Again, a picture taken 2 years ago--an oldie but a goodie--wasn't Iain cute?!

October 17, 2004

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Iain is obsessed with Neil Armstrong. I've been trying to get him an autograph, but can't seem to track down Neil! If anyone knows where he is, give me a call. This is Iain's greatest day; he's standing in front of the actual suits of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. I've never seen him so elated!

October 17, 2004

This photo just makes me laugh; a true classic.

October 10, 2004

This is Iain posing with Alex (pushing Liam in the stroller)--we are on our walk back from a day spent in Costa Maya--I love Goofy hanging off the back of the ship!

October 10, 2004

This was our last night on the ship---I finally got my picture taken with Mickey--There were a lot of emotions that night for me--I just didn't want to go home. God placed the most beautiful moon I had ever seen that night. The reflection on the ocean was breathtaking. Iain wants to be an astronaut and is constantly wishing to go to the moon with every wish weed he picks or penny he drops in the fountain. That night I prayed to God to allow me to see Iain and Liam grow and maybe see Iain go to the moon.

October 4, 2004

October 10, 2004

Beauty and the beast---Alex wrote that!! Liam is a joy because he is so strong. He is going to be such a steadfast and confident person--I enjoyed spending one-on-one time with him--I hope he always remembers my arms and never remembers what I'll be going through.

October 10, 2004

Iain said this was his favorite thing to do on the ship--the waterslide--I love the look on his face!

October 10, 2004

My three guys hanging out on the top deck of the ship!!! We were looking for dolphins or whales but only saw schools of a type of flying fish. The ocean truly is blue when you're way out in the middle!!