Where did September go?

Wow this month has flown by! I cant believe its almost October! Oh well, just that much closer to Halloween :) This year I have a couple ideas of what Im going to dress up as.. just cant tell ya yet, it would ruin the fun. This weekend I got out all of my halloween decorations and decorated my house. I have cobwebs on everything, window clings, spiders hanging, etc. We painted pumpkins with my family and that was alot of fun. Kyrie painted her pumpkin (very colorful!) and then herself lol. Its non toxic, thank goodness.

Yeah I know we are bad for letting her but she painted her lower lip.. lol

Our Pumpkins!!! From left to right, Mom's, mine, Nats, and Kyries haha, shes such a good artist!

Speaking of the month of October.. It is Breast Cancer awareness month.. Im not sure if I've mentioned this before but I have an abundance of breast cancer in my family. My Aunt Diana is a breast cancer survivor. We have all become more aware and educated in breast cancer. Some of my grandpa's sisters died from breast cancer. It hit our family hard and fast... My Aunt had no idea.. they found it late in late stage 3, in July 2007. As a family, we never had to deal with anything as horrible as that. We were scared, worried, and uneducated.. She went through so much.. I cant even emphasize how much my poor aunt went through. She had chemotherapy, radiation, infections, more infections, was so sick.. it was so incredibly hard to see her like that. I saw a side of myself that I had never seen before.. I am a nurturing person and help people through things like that. But I couldnt go to the hospital.. I didnt go for weeks.. I couldnt do it. My husband kept asking me to go and Id have an excuse or I was sick and she was susceptible.. I avoided it. I hated myself for it. But I was selfish and didnt want to see her like that. I wasnt sure I could handle seeing her so vulnerable and ill.. After Matt telling me I had to go, we went to the hospital. We were leaving for Boston and he said I HAD to go.. the what if's while we were gone and such.. I lost it. I felt so guilty for staying away for my own selfish reasons.. I just cried into her shoulder.. I remember feeling the silk bandana on my face as I sobbed with her.. My Aunt needed me and my support. I felt so bad and glad Matt finally got me to go. It was hard for everyone.. But we have become so much stronger. We have learned ALOT! We are closer because of it. My Aunt Nana was tested for the BRCA genetic mutation. It is a mutation in a gene that some people carry and some dont. If one has it, it means they have an 84% chance of getting breast cancer by the time they are 70.. She tested positive for it. If a parent has a gene, their kids have a 50% chance of having it. My mom and Aunt Claire were tested for it. My aunt Claire was negative and My mom was positive. Since my mom was positive, my sister and I had to be tested.. we are both positive.. wheres that stupid 50% chance?.. I was hoping by me coming back positive, that it meant Nat wouldnt have it.. It scares me.. So now its all about prevention.. We cant stop breast cancer but we can be on the lookout alot more. Im only 25 and had my first mammogram Sept 17. Young for one of those huh? But it was fine, nothing to be alarmed about on it. Get to look forward to those yearly.. woo hoo haha I also have to get a MRI done every year to keep on top of it. Its worth it though. If Aunt Nana would have caught hers in an earlier stage, she wouldnt have went through HALF the crap she did. So luckily we can stay ahead of it and be on the lookout. My Aunt Nana is a brave, strong, courageous, beautiful woman and I look up to her for all she went through and that she managed to still put a smile on her face. She has been in remission for a year! :)

The workday is over. Always the best part of the day lol. Heres to a fabulous rest of the week!