A GOOD HAIR DAY...

It's been a bit since I've posted - so sorry to all of my devoted readers! I promise I haven't abandoned you... just not too much new to report over the past few days.

I decided that this post would be about a really nice visit we had today with one of my favorite people - my Aunt Karen. She's one of my several spunky, fun aunts (I'm lucky to come from a big, fabulous family) who has really been like a second mother to my sisters, me, and pretty much anyone who knows her. She has three sons of her own, a couple of daughters-in-law, and pretty much anyone who has ever met her to call her children. She's just that kind of person. We all adore her, and wouldn't dare say "no" to her - she's one of those people you just can't argue with. She's fun-loving, kind, and one of the most giving people I know. I am so glad that Caroline is having the chance to get to know her the way that we all have.

Every day is a good day when my aunt gets over to visit. You see, my fabulous, fun-loving Aunt Karen is in a big fight right now - against ovarian cancer. Specifically, she has ovarian sarcoma and ovarian epithelial cancer, the former being incredibly rare and both being hard to treat. She's been through surgery and two rounds of chemo, and just keeps on trucking. We've been really lucky so far - aside from a bumpy recovery from surgery, she's been handling the chemo surprisingly well at this point. She's suffered some of the standard side-effects when it comest to this stuff - some joint pain, and her hair has all but fallen out and she's moved on to scarves and wigs. I know all of you readers out there who know Aunt Karen would definitely agree with me when I say that we wouldn't expect anything but feist from Aunt Karen when it comes to fighting this fight, and her spirit is certainly helping all of us to keep our eyes on the ball where her cancer is concerned - it's a fight we will win.

So our fun visit today had a job attached to it - there's always a project when Aunt Karen is around. This time, we were going to have our own little "Glamour Shots" session for Aunt Karen to show off her new wigs. She had already picked out one that looks extremely similar to her natural hair in style and color, but when she attended a "Look Good, Feel Better" program at the nearby National Cancer Institute at NIH a couple of weeks ago, they let her pick out a second, shall we say, dramatic one - it's blonde (not Aunt Karen's color) and as she says, looks alot like Dolly Parton (not Aunt Karen's style)! I guess if there's one time to take a risk and try something daring, this is it! Lots of Aunt Karen's friends have been asking to see what they look like, so we took some pictures to post on her website. I thought I would share them with my readers here, because I want everyone to know that people who have cancer are spending each day living with it rather than dying of it. My aunt is helping everyone she knows to see that we can face the challenges that come our way with the right attitude, a little laughter, and alot of love from family and friends. She is living her life to the fullest, just as she always has, and I consider it a gift to have the chance to learn a little something from her as I join her on her journey. So here's a recap of our photo session...

Aunt Karen and Caroline have a snack in the playhouse before the photo shoot...

Aunt Karen - before "Sun-In" and after "Sun-In"

Caroline - before "Sun-In" and after "Sun-In"!

The two beauties!