This is a picture of my grandson Andrew five years ago, toasting his father, and giving thanks..to be alive. Andrew had just turned three, and was diagnosed with leukemia when he was two. You can read his story here. He didn't even have the "good" leukemia....yes there's a leukemia that they actually call the good one. Try telling that to any parent with a child diagnosed with any leukemia. Tell that to Marey. Marey's teenage daughter Ali, was also diagnosed with leukemia. Fast forward five years and she is accomplishing so much with her life. You can read her story here.
Over the last five years, I have come to know hundreds of children with cancer. It pretty much became my life. I read Caringbridge Sites every night checking on kids. I can honestly say I have been to more funerals for children in those five years than all the ones for adults in my life.
Marey and Postcard Cindy, (a name she was given by a cancer dad she never met in person), have been holding fundraisers every Christmas season to help two families keep their heads above water while there child goes through bone marrow transplant. Even with the best insurance, some families travel cross Country, incurring housing and living expenses above and beyond the norm to save their child's life.
This year, they are holding a raffle over at Marey's blog, ELEMENTO-P . Go on over and check out the items being raffled off. There are some beautiful handcrafted items, and I personally made the one blanket which is similar to the ones I deliver to the Peds/Onc ward here in Central Texas for Christmas.
These are the two children Marey and Cindy are helping this year:
Ivan, a 17 year old man whose relapsed leukemia has sent him to transplant. He is at LPCH and is doing well. He is the oldest of 6 children and we would certainly love to help them out this season.
Austin is another relapsed 4 year old leukemia patient. He had 2 years of treatment, relapsed and is now going to transplant. You can read more about him at his site.
If you are still reading this....Thank you. Now go check out Marey's blog, and check back often for new items to be added. I have a link at the top of this page on the left.
I love it when I see a movie that I almost passed up, and end up loving it. Somehow the real critics and I don't see things the same lately. I thought Step Brothers was hysterical and then some. There is a performance towards the end that satisfied a nerdy part of me...but I'm cool like that, and have learned to embrace the nerd in me. 
I have nominated these five bloggers:
1. Kim from Heart Shaped Hedges because she encouraged me to blog, I love the way she blogs with substance and humor, and oh yeah, she's my daughter.
2. Cortney from The Cortney Chronicles because she actually commented on other blogs, tell me to start blogging.
3. Marey from Elemento-P. I knew Marey before I started my blog and she also encouraged me. She is by far the world's best kindergarten teacher ever!
4.Chesapeake Bay Woman from Life in Mathews. This woman is as funny as they get, yet she blogs about the beauty and serenity of a place far away from the stress most of us live with.
5. Rebeckah from Life With Kaishon. Because she named me one of her favorite blogs writes with humor and an upbeat sense of how to live life as a mom.
Congratulations my nominees! Here are your rules:
1. Pick five (5) blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4. Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award Art y Pico
Yeah, OK, so I can just see you guys drooling over this. The really exciting part for me is the retro diet pepsi glass that I got at a gas station in the 80's. I just recently unpacked it. And this is what the other side says: 
That's how it went today.....I can't help but believe that she is the one who recently put me in this retro state of mind.
Marey, the quality is poor because the picture is old, but I thought you might like this.
And this is what it said........
That's right, Cortney drinks Coke first thing in the morning. And this is what her breakfast table looks like.
My other good friend, Marey is a wife, mother, teacher and health nut. She is wayyyy smarter than you or me. She loves milk in the morning. And really? Why not? Her milk comes from the Happy California Cows. That's right, they graze along the coast so they can go surfing after they give Marey their milk.
So Marey, Cortney, please accept my apology. Milk and Coke are legitimate options, and should have been included.
If anyone else has a favorite beverage to start the day, please let me know. I want to be fair.....because I'm nothing if not fair.
