Some of the Christmas Knitting.......

Peace on Earth--- Please

The shopping is almost finished, the knitting is done, the lasagna is made, Christmas is almost here!  There is an overwhelming sadness casting a shadow on the holidays this year, my heart breaks for the small Connection town of Newtown.  This beautiful town is where my youngest sister lives with her husband and their four children, they are safe, but oh so sad.  My heart goes out to everyone living in Newtown,  especially those who have lost a loved one.  When will this madness end?

Remember Me?

Hi all, sorry I have been out of touch for so long, 2 months to be exact.
First off, let me say it has been 7 months since Sarah's stem cell transplant.  She looks amazing, and has been feeling great.  I can't believe it has been a year since this journey began.  Last December she was so sick she slept through Christmas, this year will be different, we have so much to celebrate.

October was a hard month for us, we went to see my Dad for his 83rd birthday, which ended up being his last.  It is so hard to watch someone you love slowly disappear, and that is what Parkinson's disease did to my dad.  My intelligent, witty, and loving father had been slowly disappearing over the past few years; I miss him everyday, but I am comforted by the fact that he is not suffering anymore.  My amazing mom is strong as ever, committed to living life to the fullest and being present in the lives of her children and grandchildren.   Thanks to "Super Storm Sandy," (no power for 2 weeks) I was fortunate to spend time at my dad's bedside, with my mom and sisters, reminiscing about childhood memories.  I will treasure that time forever.

November brought us back home and back to reality.  As Thanksgiving approached, we gave thanks for Sarah's health, and for all of our family, friends, and doctors who supported us through this difficult year.  Sarah's most recent MRI (November 13) showed no changes, hooray!  She will continue to have a "surveillance" MRI every 3 months for at least the next year.  Doctor M also suggested that her port remain in for the year, and Sarah agreed, she wants to avoid getting stuck by needles at all costs!!

Sarah is looking forward to getting back to school in January.  We went to the transfer student orientation at Ramapo College this week, and we were both very impressed.  Her schedule is made, all the forms are handed in, move-in day is January 21st, and classes start on the 22nd!  She is ready to go and get back to her life, not so sure about me, I know i have to let her go, but it will be hard!

Throughout all this time, I have been knitting my stress away!  Several Christmas presents are done, and I finished a few commissioned orders.  Lots more to do, so back to the rocking chair I go.

Be back soon, M

Just a few items, modeled by Sarah.

Knitting pictures

Don't Forget

October is breast cancer awareness month. Don't forget to schedule your annual mammogram, it could save your life !!

Sunday

Spent the morning paying medical bills, and updating the "notebook". Remember the notebook? It started with a 1 inch binder, moved on to a 2 inch binder, and now after 10 months, a 4 inch binder is full to the point of overflowing. Hard to believe 10 months have gone by since the "cancer" journey began. Tomorrow marks 5 months since Sarah's stem cell transplant, she has come so far in a short amount of time. But, I can tell you, cancer is not for the faint of heart.
Sarah has had so many tests, procedures, medications, etc, that without the notebook I never would have kept it all straight. Aside from the six rounds of chemo and the stem cell transplant, Sarah has had: a brain biopsy, a bone marrow aspiration, an EEG, a PET scan, a MUGA scan of her heart, a pulmonary function test on her lungs, surgery to insert a port, a shiley catheter inserted in her neck for the stem cell collection, a pic line inserted in her arm for extra IV access, ultra sounds of her heart and legs, 5 CAT scans, 6 X-rays, 10 MRI's, 2 neuro/cognitive evaluations, and numerous blood and platelet transfusions!! And now, after all that, my beautiful girl is getting ready to go back to college in the spring. The journey is far from over, but the ride is definitely less bumpy.
Happy 5 month anniversary Sarah, love you :)

October 5

Sorry for being out of touch, things have been crazy! Sarah and Greg are busy with schoolwork. Sarah also applied to more schools, and got in. Unless she changes her mind, she will start Ramapo college in January. Ramapo is a good size, has a great education dept. and is close to home. They do have on campus housing, so that is a possibility. I have finished a few knitting projects, and today worked for hours trying to get all the pictures loaded onto the computer. Hopefully I will be able to post them tomorrow! Today I also spoke to the doctor who did Sarah's neuro-cognitive testing. The results were great, much improved from January, which means there was no permanent damage to her brain! I am so relieved, what a relief.
Today Sarah and I got our flu shots at Target. We both got the one with the new smaller needle, it is not supposed to be as painful, but it still hurts tonight. More tomorrow, night:)

Dammit

Back again. I survived Sarah's testing, in spite of the fact that she would not let me leave the room. I sat quietly for 3 hours, trying not to distract her, all the while listening to the Doctor. I came to the realization that I have no memory what-so-ever!!!! Speaking of memory, happy birthday to Caryn and Michele on 9/20, Chris on 9/21, and Jessie today! They all received Dammit Dolls, hand-made by me.
It was a stress relief for me, just to make them. As previously promised, here are the pictures. (Taken by me, and not so great.)

Unbelievable

I am sitting in an office, waiting, while Sarah takes a neuro/cognitive test.  I am not supposed to be in the room, but Sarah demanded that I stay.  She is furious with me for "making" her  do this, she took it in January, but she was very sick then.  This test will help determine whether she needs any extra time on her school work.  So basically this testing will benefit her in the future.  I know she is mad at me because I did not  consult her about the timing of this test, at least that is how she remembers it.
The car ride here almost put me over the edge, it took over an hour of sitting in traffic to get here, it should have taken no more than 20 minutes!!  While sitting in traffic we listened to music, there was a song with lyrics that went, "I feel like I am living someone else's life" that is how I feel most days.  I have trouble recognizing myself sometimes, how did I get to this place ?  Why can't I make my kids happy, no matter how hard I try ?  What happened to my "empty nest?" it feels so crowded at times, I just want to jump out and run away.  I can't and I won't, but boy would I like to!!  Which brings me to a discovery I made yesterday; I was searching the Internet and stumbled upon something called, "Dammit Dolls". They are these cute little rag dolls, accompanied by a poem, that help you release stress and frustrations ! Sounds perfect for me, so I made my own pattern, searched through my stash of fabric, and in about 2 hours I had 3 new little friends!! I will post pictures when I get back home.
Back to the here and now; being back at Overlook Hospital brings to mind so many memories of the past 9 months.  Some days it feels like an eternity has passed since that fateful day back in January, other days it feels like time is standing still.  I wish I could better express how unbelievable this time has been.  While I know how much has been accomplished since Sarah's diagnosis, there are days when I feel like someone has pushed the "pause" button on my life.  The only comfort I have, is knowing that Sarah is so much better, so I must have been doing something productive, even though some days it doesn't feel that way.  Any way, those are all the things that I am pondering, while I wait and silently watch Sarah take this series of tests.  I really need a cup of coffee, I wonder how she will react if I leave for a few minutes?  Any guesses???  I'll let you know.  :)

Monday 9/17/12

After a rocky start, our weekend in Saratoga turned out to be very nice. Zen spent a lot of time with my dad, which gave me a chance to get out with my mom without rushing. We went to some of our favorite shops, walked around, and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Sarah stayed with the "boys" on Saturday, doing homework and watching baseball. We took Sarah for thai food that night, it was great to watch her happily eat her favorite food ! Sunday, we girls shopped again while Zen stayed with dad and supervised the "cable repairman". My parents have been having a lot of trouble with their phone and Internet service, fortunately it is all fixed now, new phones and all! We left for home after watching the Giants win, and the Jets lose; road construction slowed us down, but we still made it home by 10 pm. Greg got home shortly after we did, accidentally setting off the house alarm, never a dull moment around here !!

Today, Sarah and I went to see Dr. S, she is the doctor who delivered both Sarah and Greg. She went over blood test results, and reassured both of us that Sarah was doing well, and looking great. I even slipped in a personal question about hot flashes, they can last for 10 years, Sorry I asked !

Time for bed, good night all :)

Friday 9/14/12

Greetings from Saratoga Springs! Seems like I was just here, but it has been a couple of weeks. Zen, Sarah and I arrived this afternoon/early evening, just in time to witness one of Dad's "episodes" as my mom calls it.
Basically he is confused and non- responsive, this lasted for about 2 hours, and I have to admit it is both sad and a little scary to watch. As he started coming out of it, he was able to talk to us; he knows something was wrong, but he is not sure what happened. I feel terrible for both my dad and my mom, I am glad we were here, even if all we could offer was moral support.
Back on the home front we have been sprucing up the yard, catching up on some long over due trimming and mulching.
Both Greg and Sarah are busy with school work, Zen is busy with "club" stuff, and I have been busy knitting , cleaning, and organizing. Sarah had a couple of doctor appointments this past week, so we have been busy. I did manage to finally get my hair cut this week, (thanks Lisa!). Next week is another busy week of appointments with Sarah, but I am definitely going to get back on track with regular blog posts, so be on the lookout for some new pictures and updates.
Bye for now. :)

Sunday September 2.

Hi, did you miss me?
The past 18 days have actually been really busy. Sarah got a new laptop, and I got her old one; that meant several days of no computer while we played musical chairs with all of our data. We had to back up files, transfer files, and make several trips to the Apple store to get both laptops up to date and ready to use. Sarah and I also made a quick trip to Saratoga, to see mom and dad, and Donna, Ellie and Teddy. Teddy's leg was still bandaged; the infection is getting better, but still has a long way to go. The kids had fun; we even had a surprise visit from my cousin John and his family, which made dad very happy!
While we were away, Greg went to Donna and Scott's house to spend time with Scott, Grant and Johnny, somehow he ended up staying for a week!! Zen of course stayed home and played golf, happy for some peace and quiet.
Before we knew it, August was coming to an end, and September and school started. Greg is taking 4 classes and commuting. He has decided to change his major to game design, and is looking forward to his classes. Sarah is taking 2 online classes, and is looking forward to doing schoolwork and getting that brain of hers up and running! Her doctors thought it would be a good idea to give her brain a "test drive" minus the pressure; they also changed one of her medications, and it seems to be working. She is dealing with everything much better, in fact she has been quite entertaining lately.
I am almost afraid to say it; but life around the Dawidowicz house seems to be approaching something that looks like normal!
Happy Labor Day
:)

100 Days

Today marks 100 days since Sarah's  stem cell transplant!  Monday she had her 3 month follow up MRI, and today we got the results.  Everything looks the same, which is great news.   Sarah can begin to drive again, and ease back into school by taking 2 online courses.  She of course wants to go full steam ahead and jump back into a full schedule, but that is not realistic.  Sarah does not have to go back to the oncologist  for 6 weeks!  She will have another MRI in 3 months, in the mean time we need to schedule a neuro consult, and cognitive rehab.  I wonder if we can get a 2 for 1 deal, I could sure use some cognitive rehab;  my memory is lousy these days, or maybe I just have way too much to remember.  After Sarah's appointment, Greg joined us at the Cheesecake Factory for a celebration lunch, we have a lot to be thankful for!  This afternoon both kids finalized their schedules for school, and paid their tuition; we are moving forwards, one day at a time!

Dirt

Today was all about dirt!
Kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, stairs; everywhere I looked, dirt :(
I spent several hours today getting rid of dirt. I really love a clean house, the process of getting one, not so much!
To reward myself for all my hard work, I made dirt for dessert, chocolate pudding, whipped cream, and crushed Oreos, yum! We had fish for dinner, so looking forward to a big bowl of dirt :)

Tomorrow we travel down to New Brunswick to RWJ, for Sarah's three month follow up MRI !! Keep your fingers crossed for good news. We get the results on Wednesday, which just happens to be 100 days since Sarah's stem cell transplant. I can't believe how far we have come since that fateful Friday in January, when all our lives were changed in an instant. We still have a ways to go, but thankfully Sarah is getting a little bit better every day. Looking forward to a week full of good news and happy thoughts.
M

The Plan

I'm back, it has been a crazy time for me since last time I posted. My dad was in the hospital for a week with an infection and fever; I went to Saratoga to visit and help mom. In between visits to the hospital, we rearranged furniture, bought a TV for the bedroom,
hooked up the TV to cable, and arranged some at home help for when dad came home. Parkinson's is a disease that changes every day, some days are great, and others, not so much. It is a relief to know that dad is safe, and mom gets a much needed daily break from the home health aides.
Sarah was a big help, she got the mail everyday, and taught mom how to use her new iPad. I think mom is really going to enjoy using the iPad, it is much easier and faster than the old dell laptop she was using. It took some convincing, but I think she is hooked!
Coinciding with dad's hospital stay, my 4 year old nephew, Teddy, was also in the hospital in Maine. He got a very bad staph infection from a bug bite. Poor baby was so sick, thank goodness Donna and Scott caught it before it became even worse. They have to go back and forth to a pediatric wound center to have Teddy's leg cleaned and bandaged every other day! Lesson learned: DO NOT scratch/pick/touch bug bites!
In between worrying/helping/visiting, we had doctor visits for Sarah. August 8th was the 3 month anniversary of her stem cell transplant! She is doing well, her counts are steadily climbing, her energy is improving, and her hair is growing. Unfortunately, in Sarah's opinion, this is all happening way too slowly. She is still angry and feeling isolated, and not wanting to accept her new "normal". Although the doctors have repeatedly said that going back to school in August is NOT an option,
Sarah is having trouble accepting this reality. Remember my dear: life is not a sprint, slow and steady wins the race! It is hard, especially at Sarah's age, to realize that taking time to heal will be worth it in the long run.
While my dad was in the hospital, he kept asking, "what is the plan?" he always loves a good plan, especially one that gets him home quickly! That is what Sarah needs, a short term plan that will eventually lead her to getting on with her long term plan/goal of becoming a teacher. There are many paths leading to the same destination. Although it may not be easy, it is time for my dear daughter to reprogram the navigation system and follow a new route. There are so many people cheering her on and willing to help her achieve her goals, she just needs to accept some help and make a plan!
:)

7/31/12

Hi everybody,
Sarah and I went to get our nails done on Saturday, we were relaxing and enjoying being pampered until "that girl" came in, you know the one, she thinks the entire world needs to hear about her life.  Needless to say, that was the end of peace and quiet! But, even with all of the disruption, our fingers and turquoise toes looked fabulous!  Sunday we went to a baby shower for my dear friend Chris's son and daughter-in-law; amazing how many things one tiny baby needs!  We had a great time, and enjoyed seeing all of the beautiful gifts.  When I arrived home Sunday afternoon, I learned that my dad was back in the hospital.  Apparently he has an infection that compounded the Parkinson's symptoms, so he needed to be admitted and receive IV antibiotics, the fun just never ends.  Monday we laid low at home, I am still trying to get over a bad case of laryngitis, which is difficult with all of the "coordination" phone calls between the sisters.  Today, Sarah had a doctors appointment, and tomorrow we leave for Saratoga to see my dad, and help my mom line up some help.  Sarah is hoping to see some cousins while there!!!!  I am hoping to get an hour to run to my favorite yarn shop, the stash is dwindling!  Hey, with all that is going on in my life, I need yarn to keep me going.

Baby Blanket for Shower

Race Cars for Baby

so true!

M :)

Back From the Dark Side!

Remember when you were a kid and your mom said, "if you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all."  Well that is why I have been MIA for the past 2 weeks, nothing nice to say!
Only at the lake for a long weekend, the heat and the temptation of the lake were too much for Sarah to handle, so we left early.  I did have a good time while there, especially the annual pasta making and a mom and sisters boat ride around the lake.  Brought back memories of the summers spent at our lake house when we were kids, those were happy times.  Once we were home, there were issues relating to Sarah's health to be dealt with; and let me just say that the "aftermath" of dealing with cancer is almost as painful as the actual disease.  We were all in a pretty dark place these past 2 weeks, but we are getting help and beginning to deal, and heal emotionally.  We have only just begun, but I have to believe that we will emerge from the darkness stronger, happier, and hopefully closer than ever!  That is my wish and my prayer for my family; that we start working and healing together today, for a brighter tomorrow.
:)

The Lake

The cars, yes we need 2, are packed!  Soon we will be leaving for Saratoga Springs, where we will help mom and dad pack their car, and then off to the LAKE!  Expectations are high, can't wait to see the family.  Hopefully we will have internet access, if not, I will be back in a week with lots of stories.
M:)

P.S. Sarah had a great doctor appointment yesterday, recovery right on track!!!

vacation prep.

Getting ready to relax is hard work!
My sisters, Chris and Kathy, were here for less then 24 hours to pick up their daughters, Rachel and Sofi, who were returning to Newark airport from their community service trip to Peru.  We made more lists for the Lake, again promising to bring less of everything!  Made a huge salad with chicken for lunch, the girls were happy, they hadn't had salad for almost 2 weeks!  After they left, I emailed the list to mom, Lisa and Donna, and then Greg and I went on a scavenger hunt to find all the things we need for our trip; found the life jackets, fishing pole, duffel bags, and pasta machine.  Then we started gathering the paper products and grocery items; the more we crossed off the list, the more we thought of to add!  Looks like we will need to take 2 cars, we have several bags already, and no clothes yet.  Did some laundry and baked a triple batch of cookies while Greg and Zen went to Restaurant Depot for water and other supplies from the "list."  I have been very good in my attempt to avoid sweets and grain products, but I had to "sample" a cookie, just to make sure they were good!  Packed them up and had Zen work his saran wrap magic, no one will be getting at those cookies until the Lake!!!  Then I finished one knitting project, it's a gift so details later, gathered my knitting supplies that I will need for "vacation knitting" and "fixed" one of Sarah's new bathing suit tops.  Today we will pack our clothes, medications, first aid kit, crafts, games and puzzles.  Also can't forget the nail polish, all the girls love to do each others nails!!  Whew, I really need this vacation!  Tomorrow Sarah has a doctor appointment, so we want to get as much done today as possible.  I'll let you know how we do.  M:)

+60

Today is a special day, "Happy Birthday" to my sister Chris; it is also "Happy Day +60" for Sarah!  Two months and counting since Sarah's stem-cell transplant.   Yesterday's doctor appointment went very well; all Sarah's blood counts are still on the rise, and right where they should be, she is down to only 2 medications/day which is fantastic.  A call to RWJ and the transplant team resulted in the great news; swimming in a well chlorinated pool is now okay, HOORAY!!!!!!  Sarah is getting stronger everyday, seeing her smile again is priceless!!  Today we need to shop for a new bathing suit, my beautiful girl is so slim and trim that all her old ones fall off!  I on the other hand do not have that problem, cover-ups are what I will be looking for!

In other news, I went to a new dermatologist for my itchy skin rash, no definitive diagnosis, probably related to a combination of stress and heat.  Hard to believe, with the fun-filled, carefree life I lead.  At least I got a prescription for a steroid spray that dulls the itchiness.

The "Lake" emails have started, next weekend we begin our Marino Family week in Brant Lake, NY.
The entire clan gets together for one week of swimming, boating and eating!  It takes numerous emails and lists to coordinate who brings what, in terms of food, drinks, snacks, etc.  Every year we swear that we will be better organized and bring less, yet at the end of the week we are overwhelmed by the quantity of leftovers.  We have all sworn that this year will be different, but somehow I think we are kidding ourselves.  Food plays a very important role in this vacation,  we are Italian after all!  The annual  ritual of making homemade pasta with grandma and grandpa has become a highlight of the week for all 16 grandkids.


Looking forward to my week the the sisters, it always proves to be lots of fun, and provides us with stories that are told over and over again.  More on that later, time to finish my "lake shopping List" before the next email!
M :)

Happy July 4th!

July, hard to believe 2012 is almost half over!  
Last Saturday night we went to Chelsea's Graduation party,(down the street) it was a great party, so nice to see friends and catch up.  Seeing Greg and the boys together, all grown up and drinking beer brought back memories of them all as kids going to school and hanging out at each others houses.  Chelsea was 2 years old when we moved into this house, now she has graduated high school and is heading off to college; where has the time gone?  Sarah looked great, and was happy to be out of the house, visiting with friends.  Ever since the doctor said she should postpone going back to school until January, it is like a weight has been lifted.  No more pressure; she can take her time getting better and stronger with out worrying about keeping up with school work.  It is great to see her relaxed and enjoying herself again.  


I have been trying to focus more on myself, and my health these days.  All of the research I have been doing has convinced me that what you eat truly makes a difference in how you feel, and how much energy you have.  The old adage, "you are what you eat" has really hit home.  Unfortunately, my family is not so anxious to join me in changing their diets, and switching to healthier food choices.  My biggest objector is Greg; just the thought of healthier food sent him to the grocery store for corn-dogs, french fries, and Hot Pockets!  I hope he gets a good job with great medical benefits, he is going to need them!!


Yesterday,  Sarah and I went to Short Hills Mall with Zen to look at Mac laptops since my old Mac desktop is on its last leg.  My computer is running on an old operating system that is not capable of upgrading to the most recent software applications.   As always, the Apple store was crowded with customers, but we were still able to test out the options, and agree on a Mac Book Air.  Now it is up to Zen to go back and purchase it!  


After the Apple store, Sarah and I went to the Clinique counter at Nordstrom's, to see our friend/salesperson, Amy.  She was happy to see us, especially Sarah, we were treated to makeovers, and left looking and feeling great!


I have been meaning to tell you all about some of my favorite websites, have fun exploring!


ravelry.com --for knitting/crocheting
etsy.com-- for unique hand-made items
pinterest-- for everything
wellnessmama.com
crazysexylife.com--Kris Carr- amazing cancer survivor!
thewelldaily.com




Happy 4th of July
Maria :)

Home Sweet Air Conditioned Home

We had a great time in Saratoga, it was great to see my parents, sisters and some of the kids. We had fun making dinner together, catching up, and planning for our upcoming trip to the lake. Last night we brought in Thai food from our favorite restaurant, that was a treat for everyone! Although my parents home is air conditioned, their idea of cool is different than mine, I was hot and my dad was walking around with his polar fleece sweatshirt! Thank goodness when we got back to 97 degree NJ, Zen had the house nice and cool! When we left Saratoga, I once again fell for " you drive first mom, then I will drive". Silly me, I should have known when I pulled up to the gas pump and Greg just looked at me, seriously, he thought I was going to pump the gas! After completing that simple task, my darling boy proceeded to sleep until we reached NJ,(2hours). Sarah, who was wide awake for the entire trip, informed him that she was taking over the front seat from now on! I am glad we got away, it was a fun few days, and it did Sarah a world of good, she looks great! That's all for now, night all.

Road Trip

Greetings from Saratoga Springs, NY. Sarah, Greg, and I decided to visit mom and dad for a few days. We arrived on Tuesday afternoon, joining Chris, Chrisopher, Kathy, Annie, and Sammy. Sammy couldn't wait for Greg to take them all mini golfing, or as Sammy called it, "obstacle golfing." Today the boys went swimming and to the driving range, while the girls and I went shopping. Sarah took some great pictures down at the lake with her new camera; Annie was her model. Chris, Kathy, Mom and I all made dinner together, which was a lot of fun. Looking forward to another relaxing day tomorrow, and a visit to the local yarn shop, which is one of my favorites! It is nice to have a change of scenery and visit with family!

disclaimer

I have no idea why the previous post is in different colors and partially underlined.
It is a mystery!!!!!

Monday

 Hi everyone, 

On Friday we made a trip to Montclair University to check out Sarah's options 
since she can not go back to SHU until January, we decided not to decide yet!  
She needs time to get stronger, so she will most likely stay on medical leave, 
maybe take an online course, and reevaluate all of her options.
We had a quiet weekend at home, staying in and staying cool!!!  
At least Sarah and I stayed in, the boys played golf.  
Greg also went bowling on Sunday, he is becoming quite the bowler,
heeven got his own shoes!!  
I have been knitting like crazy, trying to finish up my "works in progress."  

Finally took some photos today, none of the "professionals" were available, 
so blame the quality on me and my iphone.

shawl 1

shawl 1 (back)

shawl 2

doll

Summer is here.

Hi all, trying hard to stay cool, summer arrived in full force yesterday! Monday we went to Connecticut, and it was a beautiful day, not too hot and no humidity, just the way I like it. We saw my mom and dad along with my sister Donna and her family; it is always great to see them. Family, especially the little ones, are always great morale boosters. Tuesday I visited with my dear friend, Chris, our busy lives have not given us much time to get together, it was great to see her and catch up. Wednesday was a doctor day, Sarah saw Dr. M at Overlook Hospital, great news, her blood counts are all going up, we don't have to go back for 2 weeks! Now we need to fatten her up a little, and work on improving her mood; she is just starting to process and deal with the affects of her illness. She has been through so much, but my girl is a fighter, I know she will come out of this stronger than ever!! Today we had a great visit with Sarah's " little" sorority sister and her mom, looking forward to seeing them again soon. I am now sitting in my favorite chair with 2 fans blasting, along with the air conditioner, I hope tomorrow is a little cooler! Time to get back to my knitting, but first, I want to wish all of you a happy, healthy, and not too hot summer :)

Happy Father's Day

love you dad

finally gave them all away!

memories

daddy's girl

like father, like son