Reasons why today rocked

So for those of you who are just sick and tired of my pessimism, ("Just cheer up you big faker!") I thought I would share that today has been a GREAT day. Here are the many reasons why:

1. I made it through the second week of my new job at The Faison School. It's a tough job, no question, but definitely rewarding work. Today was extra rewarding because I got my first paycheck. Hooray!
2. I got to spend a relaxing afternoon running errands that included stopping by the Godiva store and using a gift card. Remember: Chocolate Makes Everything Better.
   
3. I came home and got to see my husband for a few hours before he jetted off to Kings Dominion for an evening of work. These days, we pass like ships in the night so it was nice to be able to chat and spend some quality time together.
   
4. My brother was very thoughtful. He heard the message on the answering machine from the Ashland library telling me that the book I had reserved was in, went to the library, and checked it out for me. Now I just need to find time to read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
   
5. Speaking of books, my aforementioned very thoughtful husband found a new book by Carl Hiaasen (Star Island) and bought it for me at Costco today. Did I mention I have some reading to do?
6. I don't have to work at Romp n' Roll tonight. This means that I can have a restful evening at home with a glass of wine and a movie (or reading a book?). This is refreshing because I've spent every evening this week there (after working my "day job") and I'm pretty much exhausted.
   

And finally: the bestest, most wonderful, most fabulous news that I could receive today was from the IRS. Who gets good news from the IRS? Well, CJSTUF did today when we received the OFFICIAL word that we have 501(c)3 status. Yes, indeedy! This means that we can do LOTS of things now including apply for grants, fix our paypal account, get official corporate volunteers and sponsors, get access to free software, get sales tax discounts, etc., etc., etc.

More news to come! Thanks for your loyal support...and keep it comin'.
It's now OFFICIALLY tax-deductible!

PS If you have already donated to us this year, all of your donations for 2010 will retroactively be considered tax deductible. If you have NOT received a thank you note or statement from us reflecting your donation, please let us know ASAP and we will send out a letter for you. We have been sending out thank you notes and confirmation letters throughout the year but some have come back to us with incorrect addresses.
Thanks!

Rachel is in Houston Too!

My turn!

The trip out to Houston was mostly uneventful. The flight coming into Richmond was late so I made my connection in Atlanta (to Houston) with only minutes to spare. Fortunately, I only had to walk about 8 gates to make the connection. I also upgraded to business class last minute (yee haw) so it was easy on/off the plane.

On the second leg of the flight, I sat next to a mom with a 3 1/2 week old (!!!) and across the aisle from a couple with a 10-month old. If I didn't miss my daughter before, MAN!!! I was getting some serious Charlotte withdrawal so I thought the plane couldn't land fast enough.

My Houston Ground Angel was waiting for me when I got down to the terminal and in just a few minutes, I was "home sweet home" at RMH. Roger and I left Charlotte with her grandparents and headed out for a last-minute date. we ended up just going out for some good ol' Texas BBQ and talking. These are the best dates, in my opinion, because we rarely get a chance to really just talk with each other without tons of distractions. Plus: major bonus when the restaurant served Fat Tire beer. We hardly ever can get that in VA. It's a Colorado favorite!!

We came home late and relieved our wonderful babysitters then settled down for a quiet evening together. It was SO nice to have all three of us under one roof...if only for an evening. We slept in late (if you consider 8 AM late...it is in our house) and then got up for breakfast. Roger made eggs and Charlotte didn't eat much. She explored the play area and walked around downstairs.

Then we decided to take advantage of the car we have for the weekend and headed over to the Galleria. This is a mall to behold! Quite the experience and a nice, cool indoor place to window shop. We did make a few purchases. I had a Godiva gift card burning a hole in my pocket so we bought some chocolate covered strawberries and a few yummy truffles. Charlotte did a good number on the strawberries. Yay calories! We also stopped in Borders and Charlotte found a Melissa and Doug horse playset with 12 different 3" felt horse figurines. We got this for her and she has spent the evening playing with them. She decided that I got to sleep with the "grown up horses" and she is going to sleep with the "baby horses" (the horses are all the same size but somehow she decided that some are grown ups while others are babies. Whatever!

So back to the mall...we made our way down to the ice skating rink where we met up for lunch with my friend Cara. Cara and I went to high school together and we have kept in touch loosely through the years. The "keeping in touch" part has been made immensely easier lately with Facebook so when we found out that she would be spending her family vacation in Houston about the same time that we would be here, we decided to try to meet up. She got to meet Charlotte and we got to chat while eating at a Mexican restaurant by the ice rink. I think Charlotte's favorite part of the day was watching the kids ice skate. We might make a return trip to the Galleria just to do that again.

Time was getting short so we made our way back to RMH so Roger could pack last minute essentials and get ready to meet his ride (another Houston Ground Angel...actually the same one that brought me in last night.) We said our goodbyes and as far as I know, Roger is making his way home.

Charlotte spent the rest of the afternoon in the playroom with me, Granpda, and Grandma Bonita. She spent a LOT of time resting on the giant stuffed cow (it's practically lifesize and very comfy). A youth group from a local church came in to make dinner (burgers, dogs, and salad and YUMMY brownies and cookies). Charlotte's dinner consisted of a hot dog bun, about a dozen pickle chips, and a brownie and a cookie. So nutritious but at least she's eating. We said goodnight to the grandparents and headed up to our room to settle in for the night. Now she's watching Diego and resting in bed. What a day!

Tomorrow will be full of follow up appointments, her next radiation treatment, and (of course) a day full of NPO. Let's see what I can get into her by 6 AM. Hopefully, she and I will find a rhythm soon enough.

I almost forgot to mention that we actually had "coordinated outfits" today. Miss Devon (or Charlotte's Devon as she is sometimes called) sent us a great care package with a purple Dora shirt for Charlotte (that says Princess Power), a pink Peace Frogs shirt for me that says "Faith, Hope, and Love" and a big pink shirt for daddy that says "Tough Guys Wear Pink". We couldn't resist the opportunity and decided to all wear our Devon shirts today. You can see our full ensemble in the picture.

So that's all I have to report.