About Me in ten words or less: Faith, Family, Frogs – not always in that order.
Faith: I am a Christian who is thankful every day for the blessings I have in my life. My life is not perfect. I know that I am not strong enough on my own to handle everything life throws at me. But I know that God is with me and when I put my faith in Him I feel the calm during the storm.
Family: I was married to the love of my life and best friend for 23 years before he passed away in 2016. We have 2 beautiful daughters. In addition to our immediate family, we have parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, and cousins. Families can be a great source of joy (and to be honest, can be a source of stress at times). No family is perfect, but they are my family and I love them all.
Frogs: I am a proud alumna of Texas Christian University (the mascot is a Horned Frog – that is a trivial pursuit answer in case you were curious). I LOVE college football and especially my Horned Frogs. During football season Frogs may actually move ahead of family on Saturday afternoons. .
In 2003 I was first diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer. I finished my treatments in 2004 and then did not think about cancer again. At least not until 2010 when I learned that I had Stage 4 (or metastatic) cancer. The cancer had metastasized in my hip and I could not walk. I had surgery on my hip and therefore you might see me walk with a limp or use a cane. Currently, my cancer is stable, in other words, it is not progressing or growing.
Having Cancer makes you appreciate that nothing in this life is certain. We are here only for a short time. We should make life beautiful for ourselves and others. Living a full life is not about accumulating the most toys as the old bumper sticker implies. Living a full life (IMO) is creating memories: for you, for your family, for your friends and for the people you come into contact with.
BuiltaLife is about me and my journey to continue to live a full life. I hope you enjoy it and choose to join me on this journey.