I couldn’t find a card like I had last year that had a picture on the front and was blank inside for my 2nd annual Greeting’s from the Groman’s newsletter...so this blog will have to do this year. 2010 started like any other year, life was filled with work and school. It consumed our lives! And we both didn't think about much else...we didn't allow ourselves to have the time to think about anything else. It wasn't looking like the most exciting 2010.
In the mean time of Life, Andrew finished up paramedic school, I made it through IEP season by a miracle, and we had a couple sushi nights that will not be forgotten! Andrew bought a new truck with the money we saved up, and we waited for my lease to be up in the fall so that we could buy me a car too and have no payments. It felt good to accomplish that goal and get closer to being debt free. We got involved in a new church, Shawnee Alliance, and found a small group that fit us perfectly. Life was going just as scheduled...nothing big was happening, but nothing small either. We were just taking in breath after breath and 'living'.
Then life threw us a curve ball, which it usually tends to do. In June, we found out the reason for my red itchy rashes and for the tightness in my chest that hurt when I took a deep breath in. Right before we left for Iowa to see his family, I found out I had cancer in my lymph nodes called Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Talk about shock. Andrew and I made it through the summer to go on vacation with my his and my family both, see our new beautiful niece Maci, and start chemotherapy treatments. I was surrounded by an enormous amount of encouragement by friends, family (even a new dog Cooper!), and strangers, and in an effort for everyone to hear my latest updates from me, I started a blog called The Pursuit. Little did I know, this blog would change my life completely. COMPLETELY. From not being able to have the time to think about anything meaningful in Life, to that becoming all I craved for during my diagnosis...to find new meaning and purpose. I found myself more alive than I have ever been...so ironic when my body was doing anything but that. I am not grateful for cancer, but I am grateful for the new insight that I’m not sure I would have had before if I hadn’t gotten this diagnosis.
My goal for 2011 is still the same as it was from the start of this Pursuit…forget the troubles of yesterday, love your life today, and be grateful for the future to try again (because it can really hold anything!!) With or without cancer. My hope was to go into 2011 without any form of treatment, but I’m only over 2 weeks. I can handle that. I survived chemotherapy and now its on to radiation this Thursday. Such new words that I didn’t think I would ever have to learn about. Andrew and I anticipate this new year to be full of travel, friends, good health, and fun. We want to get the travel bug out of us before we start a family so we are going back to Iowa in May to see his cousin get married, I'm planning a trip to Texas to see my friend in July, and at the end of the 2011 year, my hope is to finally make it to New York City to see the big Christmas tree (check that off my bucket list!). Our next big trip in finally the Europe trip the summer of 2012. I also want to keep up my exercise routine, my new interest in reading, and making use of the boat this summer. Basically, I want to keep living...not just in the day to day breaths or in the BIG moments of life, but in the in- between ones too :)
More than anything, I want to thank you. Your support has gotten both of us through this time, and all I can say is thank you and God bless YOU for being so kind to us. Andrew and I want to wish all of you good health in the future so that you can make many RADICAL memories. Since Andrew and I have been together, we have always tried to have RADICAL moments. Moments in this life that are memorable and just RADICAL. Not just the big moments in life like weddings and babies...but to make ALL of Life as RADICAL as it can be. Life is precious, it can be gone in a breath. Make sure the last breath you take is a RADICAL one. I'm more grateful than ever this Christmas season that Jesus was given to us so that we can be with God forever in heaven after we do take our last breath on earth...we just have to BELIEVE! Take a minute and thank God for giving us His son so that we can have the most RADICAL time in heaven after we leave this earth.
Merry Christmas and God Bless YOU all!!!!
Andrew and Laura
In the mean time of Life, Andrew finished up paramedic school, I made it through IEP season by a miracle, and we had a couple sushi nights that will not be forgotten! Andrew bought a new truck with the money we saved up, and we waited for my lease to be up in the fall so that we could buy me a car too and have no payments. It felt good to accomplish that goal and get closer to being debt free. We got involved in a new church, Shawnee Alliance, and found a small group that fit us perfectly. Life was going just as scheduled...nothing big was happening, but nothing small either. We were just taking in breath after breath and 'living'.
Then life threw us a curve ball, which it usually tends to do. In June, we found out the reason for my red itchy rashes and for the tightness in my chest that hurt when I took a deep breath in. Right before we left for Iowa to see his family, I found out I had cancer in my lymph nodes called Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Talk about shock. Andrew and I made it through the summer to go on vacation with my his and my family both, see our new beautiful niece Maci, and start chemotherapy treatments. I was surrounded by an enormous amount of encouragement by friends, family (even a new dog Cooper!), and strangers, and in an effort for everyone to hear my latest updates from me, I started a blog called The Pursuit. Little did I know, this blog would change my life completely. COMPLETELY. From not being able to have the time to think about anything meaningful in Life, to that becoming all I craved for during my diagnosis...to find new meaning and purpose. I found myself more alive than I have ever been...so ironic when my body was doing anything but that. I am not grateful for cancer, but I am grateful for the new insight that I’m not sure I would have had before if I hadn’t gotten this diagnosis.
My goal for 2011 is still the same as it was from the start of this Pursuit…forget the troubles of yesterday, love your life today, and be grateful for the future to try again (because it can really hold anything!!) With or without cancer. My hope was to go into 2011 without any form of treatment, but I’m only over 2 weeks. I can handle that. I survived chemotherapy and now its on to radiation this Thursday. Such new words that I didn’t think I would ever have to learn about. Andrew and I anticipate this new year to be full of travel, friends, good health, and fun. We want to get the travel bug out of us before we start a family so we are going back to Iowa in May to see his cousin get married, I'm planning a trip to Texas to see my friend in July, and at the end of the 2011 year, my hope is to finally make it to New York City to see the big Christmas tree (check that off my bucket list!). Our next big trip in finally the Europe trip the summer of 2012. I also want to keep up my exercise routine, my new interest in reading, and making use of the boat this summer. Basically, I want to keep living...not just in the day to day breaths or in the BIG moments of life, but in the in- between ones too :)
More than anything, I want to thank you. Your support has gotten both of us through this time, and all I can say is thank you and God bless YOU for being so kind to us. Andrew and I want to wish all of you good health in the future so that you can make many RADICAL memories. Since Andrew and I have been together, we have always tried to have RADICAL moments. Moments in this life that are memorable and just RADICAL. Not just the big moments in life like weddings and babies...but to make ALL of Life as RADICAL as it can be. Life is precious, it can be gone in a breath. Make sure the last breath you take is a RADICAL one. I'm more grateful than ever this Christmas season that Jesus was given to us so that we can be with God forever in heaven after we do take our last breath on earth...we just have to BELIEVE! Take a minute and thank God for giving us His son so that we can have the most RADICAL time in heaven after we leave this earth.
Merry Christmas and God Bless YOU all!!!!
Andrew and Laura
Happy Holidays to you and Andrew! I hope 2011 is everything you want (and deserve)!! Thanks you sharing your blogs. You are truly AMAZING! See you this summer to celebrate. Love and Prayers, Kelly
ReplyDeleteLove you, Laura! John and I pray for you daily. Maybe sometime the 4 of us can hang out. :) You have a Merry Christmas! You're a blessing. :)
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