Summer to do List

So I have to give all the credit to make a summer to do list to Michelle. She started one and I needed to start one too. She even added one to my list that will have to be explained.

It will kind of work like a bucket list or a buried life idea. Each time something is completed this summer I can cross it off. I had 30 items but seems like its gonna be a continual list, which is more fun. The list officially begins the day after my last final which is April 30th. Enjoy seeing what I want to do this summer and look forward to lots of updates on my accomplishments.

Summer To Do List 2010

1. Learn all 50 States and Capitals

2. Learn all 42 Presidents

3. Go to the Toledo Zoo

4. Go to the Grand Rapids Public Museum 

5. Go to the Fredrick Meijer Gardens

6. Go to the Gerald R. Ford Museum

7. Get my cartiledge pierced with Michelle

8. Go on bike rides with Kristen

9. Work in the church summer garden

10. Build a fort 

11. Get laid--Michelle says she can cross this one off my list just by laying on me (this was her's)

12. Read "Three Cups of Tea"

13. Read "Say You're One of Them"

14. Read "Wild Swans"

15. Scrapbook

16. See some good movies

17. Get in my car and just drive

18. Slip N' Slide

19. Have the Simpson Girls and sisters out here

20. Get Jillian out here

21. Go Line Dancing

22. Sleep outside on the grass

23. Go camping with just us girls

24. Take Michelle and Rachel to Ermas

25. Road Trip

26. Explore the ATL Airport

27. Go to Holland for the Day

28. "Cheers" at the Sunset

29. Finish my t-shirt Quilt

30. Blog More

31. Visit Becca

32. Go to Lunch with Anna

33. Visit Rachel and Michelle and go to the Holocaust Museum

34. Go to a Tigers Game

35. Buy a MBHH Shirt

36. Take a picture of everything I do

37. Go to the Beach for the whole day

More to come most likely!

Tennessee Memories

So I was literally laying in bed thinking about how I have to get up early and catch the bus downtown and how I can never sleep Tuesday nights because of it. So I started thinking about some of my summer plans, more specially my plans to SC to see Mary and help her pack to come back here. It's kinda ironic that I was the one to help her pack late the night before she left MI and now I'll be the one to help her pack to come back to MI. We have a lot of fun adventures waiting for us. I'm excited to meet her family and see where she has spent her summers and school breaks and this past year. I'm also very much looking forward to going to Charleston, and flying by myself. I'm just overall excited!!!! I'm gonna miss my friends and family here but in no more than 10 days I'll be back to  MI for some good old summer weather hopefully.

On our road trip home I tossed out the idea to stop at my uncle's in TN. I haven't been there since my last plan ride in 2004. My cousin was young and we played twister and picked up rocks in the backyard for like 5cents a rock. It was the most fun trip ever. I haven't seen any of them since that following November in 2005, and miss them A LOT! Jacob and I have recently found each other on Facebook and its been fun to catch up. I just left him a post about our other summer vacation that I spent with my whole family in the Smokey Mts, that was in 2002. Where did time go?

I know if we do end up stopping in TN my uncle may not even be there and I'm okay with that. He was always there for us when we were little and we loved having him around all the time. Yet I do not really remember a time when he was around when we were little I always remember him living in TN, yet I know that its not true. He travels now for work and is barely home. Traveling home on a holiday weekend I'm hoping  just maybe I can see him for a bit. There's always that one aunt or uncle that means the world to you, my Uncle David is that to me and my sisters. No matter how he disappointed over the past years he is always our uncle and we love him oh so much! I just want to hug him forever because I miss him that much. Give him a bear hug as we use to call them.

I look forward to this summer to maybe be able to see him, my aunt Jenny and cousin Jacob but who knows what life will deal me. If I only had one more day to live I would give it to see my uncle in a heat beat.

Can we stop and breathe or smell the flowers?

Can we stop and breath? Or smell the new budding flower? Or how about remember that it's still Easter week, Easter is just beginning.

Its Relay for Life weekend! I'm really excited but man do we have a lot to accomplish before tomorrow at 4pm. Relay has made me think a lot about my family, the ones that I have lost over cancer and the ones who have beat  the beast.

My Poppa was the first person I knew that died from cancer, but I was only 5 and did not realize that cancer was the reason for his death. I regret not kissing him good-bye every now and then. And each Easter season when the Fathers bring out the burning incense I am taken back to that afternoon we let him go. At 5 that was the GROSSES smell in the world, but is the only thing I remember from my Poppa's funeral.

Aunt Cheryl was the next person I knew that had cancer. But I was young once again and knew not how dangerous it was for her survival. She finished our Easter dresses one year because she needed something to do while she rested. She was a life saver for my mom, but really my mom giving her our dresses to finish was something to keep her going.

In the last couple years I have come in contact with a lot of people who have had cancer, I have lost 2 of them, one continues to fight and 2 are in remission. 

Mr. Arsa was the nicest man I have ever come in contact with. He was a father, husband and son, losing his life to almost a year to his diagnosis day. I've blogged about his life and death before because I was at the age when I saw how bad it touch my friend and people around me. We miss him dearly.

Aunt Dee held the Hughes family together. Every Labor Day weekend we gathered at her farm house roasted corn and caught up with everyone before the school scene started again. And then at Thanksgiving we joined together again in her small house and had an amazing dinner all together laughing at Vince who had driven hours to dance with us or walked into the garage filled with smoke to hear the Poker Lingo going on. She pulled our family together and welcomed other sides of our families. My Poppa which was not related to them at all loved playing poker with the guys each November and the Thanksgiving that he died the guys played a special game for him. The last summer day I spent at Aunt Dee's was an joyous and somber one. Sitting up on the deck she watched as all the women smiled over her gifts of Tierra Glassware that she had decided to let us have. It is a gift that I will always have to remember Aunt Dee. She died the next January and we celebrated her life in a full packed hall.

Father Jerry has been a part of my life since Poppa died. He was the only traveling Father at the time of my Poppa's death and since we belonged to no church at the time he came and did mass. My mom loved everything he did during the mass and she dragged us along one weekend to a newly built church not far from our house. It was where Fr. Jerry worked she said telling us that he told stories during mass as we pulled in. Ever since that day we have been pulling into the same parking lot for mass each Sunday. Fr. recently was struck with cancer in his upper leg. First in one and then when they went to re-scan they scanned the wrong one but it was a good thing they did. They found more in the other leg. He's still fighting, getting weaker and weaker each day but continues each day for his support system of the parish.

My two survivors I know but not very well. Ms. Betty was my religious ed teacher for 2 years. I loved going to her class and love to see her when I'm home at mass. I ran into her last year at Shelby Township Relay for Life and as she wore a purple survivor shirt I was taken back, but so relieved that God gave her a chance to life and teach. Alex is another survivor I know. He also attends my church and had a hard fight. Being Father's alter server everyone in the church knew him and rallied to help him fight his fight. He retook his place next to Father at the alter recently.

So can we take a minute or two to just breathe? Or smell the new budding flowers? I hope we can. 

Til after Relay! (Look for some awesome pictures next week)

Kelly