The Run Down On My Crochet Addiction

I taught myself how to crochet earlier this year after Lily started losing her hair. My first projects were beanies, as these were the only type of hat that Lily would wear. Unfortunately, when the summer came, most beanies were way too warm, so I started making some out of soft, lightweight yarn. My favorite is a bamboo blend that is very soft to the touch.

These "chemo caps" are her favorite, and although she will tell you that she doesn't mind being bald, wearing a cap out in public helps to keeps the stares at bay; particularly from other kids, which anyone might find uncomfortable.

Once Lily was well stocked with hats in lots of colors, I moved on to other projects. It seems that every year, I make handmade Christmas gifts for my friends and family. So this year, if you are on my list, you can guess what you are getting!!

Lily has also been crocheting and has gotten really good. Her first project? An alien, of course. Now she is making doll clothes- without even using a pattern! What a genius.

Meanwhile, I'm back to crocheting hats. This time for other kids who have lost their hair from chemo. There have been so many people who donated things that benefited Lily during our time at Phoenix Children's Hospital, I wanted to try to give something back.

Sweet Shae modeling one of my hats

I'm aided in my efforts by my co-worker and friend Cami, who not only works full time as an English teacher, but has six children and still finds time to do things for others. She planned the clothing drive fundraiser for Lily this summer and has been crocheting hats to donate too.

I'm also constantly inspired by another coworker and friend, Allison. She's also a teacher and a mom, and is always looking to help other people as well. This month, she is knitting a blanket to donate. Read more about Allison and her commitment to "Eat More Healthfully, Live More Sustainably, and Act More Compassionately" in her blog Decadent Philistines Save the World.

Thankful!

We had a great Thanksgiving this year! Not only was it very relaxing (and yummy!), we had so much to be thankful for. Lily's health was of course top on our list; we are so happy and grateful that her treatment has gone so well this year.

We have also been enjoying this beautiful fall weather! We've been spending as much time outdoors as possible and Lily and I have been planting all sorts of things: flowers, radishes, garlic, onions, spinach, lettuce, beets, and broccoli so far.

Lovey helping with the planting!

 All my sweet pups except for my Lovey are gone to good homes, with friends that we know will love and take good care of them.

It's been two weeks since Lily's last treatment, but tomorrow is a long chemo day with 3 different chemo therapies and overnight hydration.

Okay, to say that I've been remiss with this blog is a bit of an understatement.

In my defense, I've been so busy with puppies, homeschooling, doctor appointments, work, work, and more work, plus occasionally cleaning my house, exercising, and spending time with family and friends that there simply hasn't been time in the day for all that I want to accomplish. In addition to this, I'm really embarrassed to admit that I have a bit of an addiction....and it's called crochet; more about that later...

Luckily (?) Phillip has been home to help, but somehow having him home means I get even less done and he is still recovering from his knee surgery. So tonight, in a moment of quiet (Phillip is at school, Lily went out to eat with Grandma, and Jacob is doing homework), I finally logged on here to check in and realized that I never posted this blog that I wrote almost a month ago after we got the news of Lily's biopsy:

Each simple day brings forth so many moments to be thankful for.
I’m awed that even the tiniest details of my daily life reveal the greatest mysteries.

Simply waking up with the sun each morning; being alive- laughing, loving, singing, enjoying the beauty of this wondrous earth reveal to me the miracle that is life.
All too often, however, I tend to forget or maybe fail to recognize how precious and beautiful life truly is. Perhaps we all do this, or perhaps as a sensitive and emotional person, my focus too easily gets swept away by my thoughts, feelings and worries. Either way, Lily and the challenges she faces bring into sharp relief for me what a gift life is.

Last week, we found out that Lily’s bone marrow biopsy was negative for metastatic  tumor. This means, that according to all tests and scans, Lily is in remission. Words can’t describe how happy and grateful we were to hear this news.

Most of you already know this beautiful news. Reading this post again made me realize what a whirlwind this past month has been since I wrote this. I think I have been swept away!

Time to refocus my energies. Time to be mindful of each moment as it comes. Time to breathe deep, relax, and smile. Lily is in remission!