Happy Birthday!

This post is going to be two different ones combined...

Today is my momma's birthday! She is 21 for the 32nd time! And I could not be more blessed by someone in my life. Yes, there are times when we both drive each other crazy.

But I am more and more like my momma everyday.

For instance. yesterday I was stressing out about something, then my mom picked me up and she was stressing out about something too, and in my head I was just laughing at us because we do the same thing.

My mom is really good at making everyone she is around feel special. I feel so lucky to know, she passed this down to me. I might not do it as well as she does, but she taught me to love people how they feel loved and I am trying to perfect it at a young age!

My mom is my hero for so many reasons.
She never forgets stuff

She always loves

She laughs at herself

She is an encourager
She worries far too often
but one of the biggest reason my momma is my hero is because she is my survivor...

*this is the other part of the blog I wanted to do*

Its October... If you are watching football, walking through the mall, grocery store, anywhere you will see PINK
Its Breast Cancer Awareness Month-

Here is my Breast Cancer story...
My aunt passed away of breast cancer in 2001.
Its one of my earliest memories of the situation.
It was my mom's sister, my mom's best friend really
It was my Aunt Dee- always happy, always smiling, always with the best shoes!
Since she had passed, I would always think about Aunt Dee, everytime I buy a new pair of shoes I think of her and how she would probably love them!

Then

April 29,2008
My dad called my sister and I, and told us to come to the house.
I didn't realize this day would change my life so drastically... all of our lives actually
I made my sister drive because I couldn't really think straight.
I don't really remember everything because it was kind of a blur
but I do know, when you see those people collapse because they are devastated its because their knees just buckle...
as dramatic as it seems, it just happened.
They told us, she had Breast Cancer...

it was the scariest  moment in my life.
This is MY mom, this can NOT be happening

then you feel like you are ALL alone, the only family going through this

But truth is we arent, we aren't the only family thathas been through this.

we went through surgeries, chemo, radiation...

I was the emergency contact on my mom's medical forms and I was the baby of the family

We picked out wigs, went to classes on what to expect, golden spoon after surgeries
as awful as this situation was for my momma, she was always OUR rock.
I know she leaned on my dad a lot, but to us kids she could do anything

She walked the breast cancer 3day, 12 days out of chemo!
Bald head, never slept in a tent, sick from the chemo
walked EVERY STEP of the 60+ miles (the trail is 60 miles but you walk from 530am on a friday to 530pm on a sunday anywhere you go)

without complaining, mind you!

its been over two years since that time in our life
I am a different person from it, as is my momma
but her story is so powerful
She encouraged so many people in their lives by sharing her experience

Momma,
Thank you for being my survivor
You never know how much I love you.
<3

To all the Survivors, Fighters, Family Members, People who lost their battles... you are not alone. there is only love for you. we will beat this all together.