hit 'em out of the park

This weekend was the "Country Strong Baseball tournament" for a great girl, Heather, who lives in our community who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. 

There was 16 teams in the tournament, all raising money and coming together with so much positive thoughts, energies and everything good in this world, to help out her and her family. 

The first night it was POURING rain. We played in the mud. but I still loved every minute of it. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as I can breathe and am running around, doing something, life is blissful. 

The second day, we really found our groove. We won every game and the sun shone ALL day. It was like a summer day. It was so beautiful. Such good vibes for Heather. 

I particularly like Kath's face in this photo

our team. Hattie's Heavy Hitters

KIMMMMMyyyyy love. 

cousins. 

ladiesssss

live and give. baseball team 2011. 

also can I get a triple scream...
1. i'm going to calgary on wednesday! AHHHH
2. I don't have cancer!! AHHHH
3. Life is so absolutely beautiful and wonderful right now! AHHHH


3 screams for ice cream. 


home run hattie 

singin' in the rain

let me paint a scene for you.

picture a cute boy, a nice girl, and an umbrella.
the city lights.
the rain.
the sky scrapers.
birthdays.
jazz bars.
singers.
puddles.

laughter. smiling. singing in the rain. Glowing and beaming from the fantastic news from that day.

My MRI results came in. I am cancer free. No more PTLD. Mass has been deleted.

The future is...limitless.

a hiking we shall go.

I'm going to calgary in 8 days!!!!!!!
Yes Yes Yes.
I'm so excited.
Second trip with new lungs.
Flying by myself.
Carrying my own luggage.
The best part? hiking ALL over banff and everywhere. Those mountains don't stand a chance. Good thing mama D got me hiking boots for christmas last year. Although at the time I thought when am I ever going to want to use those boots....fast forward 9 months...the answer: ALL the time.

Thank you donor for making this the best time of my whole entire life. thank you. thank you. thank you.
Life is so great right now.
Life is so wonderful right now....it takes my breath away.

Let me try to remember and encapsulate this feeling of euphoria for my appointment tomorrow with the oncologist. Heres to positive thoughts, energies and everything good.

donor family video

Here is video made by the Lady Team + Nik for the CF for CF 2011 fashion show.
It was really hard to re live these memories when it was being put all together. I think it was really well done though in the end.


Untitled from Hattie Du on Vimeo.

the year to live.

I've spent the last week in a bubble...a normal person's bubble. No medical terminology, no problems, no worries. I took a week ...maybe 3 weeks? or so... off after the fashion show.
This past week was spent with my boyfriend, playing frisbee in the water... diving jumping, splashing....swimming for the first time in years without a picc line in. It was the best feeling in the whole wide world. I LOVE swimming. Feeling the water swoosh over you... I don't think there is any better feeling.
I spent the week playing catch on the beach, visiting restaurants in cottage country...and I finally got my long walk on the beach....
In two days time, I have an MRI booked, dye and all to see if the mass has shrunk with the chemo from this past summer.....back to reality? My medical reality?
Bubble popped.
Oy.
Next wednesday is my appointment with the oncologist.

This weekend is going to be spent finishing up the last of the cottaging season.  I've kind of been in a state of euphoria ever since the fashion show ended. Life has been going so lovely.
In preparation of being "healthy" and me not getting along too well with the cold, I'm already preparing all my trips for the next 5 months. I'm heading to calgary on September 28th. Then to Barbados a month and a half later in November. Last year was the year of recovery...this year is the year of living. The year to live.

me and my family (except the little brother, who was off fighting forest fires) at the fashion show this year

my best friends at the fashion show this year CF for CF 2011