The Journey I Never Knew Would Be Mine

Anyone who is reading this knows back in March of this year I was diagnosed with a rare form of Cancer in my ankle called myoepithelial carcinoma. There are about 400 cases of this type of tumor ever in the world. What makes mine even more rare is people with this particular type of tumor usually get it in their salivary glands... Mine was in my ankle. After finding out my diagnosis, I immediately got an appointment at MD Anderson and started this journey. I thought that first day at MDA was the hardest of my life. 12 hours of appointments, MR Is, CT scans, Chest X-rays, and Ultra Sounds. A couple weeks later I began my journey through radiation. I went for treatments 5 days a week for 5 weeks. At first I thought, this isn't so bad, but as time went on, I would see that it was bad. My foot was incredibly burned, swollen, my original incision would become gross and painful. The more time went on, the more I started to think about what was really happening to me. Once radiation was complete they told me they needed some time to let my skin heal before they would need to go back into another surgery to make sure there is no cancer remaining.

They told me that surgery would be fairly simple. My oncologist would go in to check for remaining cancer and once that is clear, plastics will finish up with a skin graft, 10 days in the hospital and then I would begin my recovery. Little did I know, That this journey would not be anything like they expected it to be.

On Thursday, June 22nd at 5:30 am, I walked into the MDA surgery center to begin what I thought would be the final portion of this journey. At 7:30 am, I kissed my Mom and Yiayia before going back into surgery. They told my family the surgery would be about 6-8 hours... 11 hours later, I was finally in recovery. They took me up to my room where I thought I was beginning my recovery. Once in my room, My mom informed me that they found cancer cells on the tendons that bends my toes. Because of this they had to remove the tendon completely. Lucky for me, My amazing plastic surgeon was able to rebuild the tendon so I would have the ability to bend my toes. They took from my left forearm to use on my foot and then a thin layer of skin from my thigh to close my arm. Things were looking good at this point.

Friday seemed to be going just fine, until the Dr. came in to check my flap and realized that It was failing. At 4:00 pm on Friday June 23rd, I was rushed into an emergency surgery to try and fix the vein before the flap completely failed. This second surgery was 6 hours longs. When I woke up, there was a surprise waiting for me. My spiritual Father, had flown down from Tulsa to come see me. Seeing him was exactly what I needed in that moment. I couldn't understand why this was happening to me and he told me he didn't know why either but he wished he could. I needed that honesty in that moment. He has been there for me for most of my life and to have him there at that time even if it was only for a little while, it made me stop thinking of the bad things that were happening and helped me focus on the good.

Saturday My Dr. came in to inform me that I may have some sort of clotting disorder. He had never seen someones vein in the leg clot the way mine was. He could tell that my flap was still not draining as it should and trying to avoid another surgery, he decided on Leech therapy. When they first mentioned it, I started to laugh. I've seen this on TV shows but never realized this was a real form of therapy. So starting Saturday morning, I began my leech therapy. Thank goodness for the epidural, because if I had been able to feel those little blood suckers, I would not have been okay. :)
They also had put me on a heparin drip to help with the clotting. We continued this therapy every 4 hours for a couple of days. Everything seemed to be going as planned.

On Monday they realized that the leeches did help but not enough to keep it alive. The morning of June 26, they informed me my flap had completely failed and they would be taking me back into surgery. Because I had already had two surgeries so quickly, they decided to wait until Wednesday to do the third surgery. Since the flap had failed, they decided to let me get up and sit in a regular chair in the room... well after being in bed, on my back with no movement for 5 days my body didn't like that I was moving so much. I got very ill, hot,out of breath and eventually passed out in the arms of two nurses and was put on oxygen. By the time I was back in bed, I swore I was never getting back up. :) All I could do these next couple of days was wait... and to me, that was the hardest part. It made me think more about everything. Why was this happening? Why wont my body work the way its supposed to work. By Tuesday evening, they were giving me blood transfusions to get me prepared for surgery the next day.

Wednesday June 28th, I went in for my third and final surgery. This time they removed muscle from my left thigh and connected it to everything possible in my foot to make sure it takes and stays alive. Because I have such small veins and I'm a hard stick, they had to make a small incision in my right arm and go down to place the arterial line.  7 1/2 hours later, I was back in recovery. Usually you are in recovery about an hour before being taken back to your room, however they couldn't get my heart rate down to an appropriate rate.Finally they were able to take me back up to my room so I could get some rest.  Thursday ended up being the worst day I had while in the hospital. By this point I had 3 surgeries in 6 days, countless complications plus conjunctivitis and the one thing that brought me down was a migraine. I was miserable, I couldn't stand any light or noises. It was the worst feeling ever. By Friday I was back to my some what normal self. I finally felt like I was on the path to recovery. But then Sunday took a different turn. I woke up from a nap with a stiff neck, sore throat, headache and high fever. They immediately got me a chest X-ray, took blood and took a urine sample. Everything came back negative except the chest X-ray. They said I had something called Atelectasis, which is a partially collapsed lung. In that moment, I remember thinking, You have got to be kidding me! Why cant I catch a freaking break.

Skip ahead a few days, I was told on July 4th I would be able to sit up and dangle my leg. My Dr. Came in on the 3rd and surprised me by letting me start a day early. It was the first time in days that I truly had a smile on my face. The morning of July 4th my physical therapist came in and said its time to dangle, while I was sitting there she pulled out the walker and said lets see how your balance is. So not only did I get to dangle my foot but I was allowed to stand up and take a few hops to my right. I'm still not allowed to put any weight on my left foot but I'm getting a lot of strength going in my right leg and arms. The next day they had me walk out into the hallway area where I walked about 90 steps. To some people that may not seem like a lot, but for me that was a long ways... At those 90 steps however, my body decided it was too much. I got sick and dizzy just like I had that first time I had gotten up. I was very disappointed in myself. I knew I could do it so why did I only make it 90 steps... well I wasn't thinking about the fact that I have been flat on my back for days. My body needs time to get back into shape! I was determined to continue on the next couple days and get to the point where I could do it without getting sick or dizzy.

Friday July 7th, my Doctors all came in super early for rounds and gave me the best news any one could hear. They told me I was going home! At first I thought it was a dream... could this be real? After 16 days in the hospital I was really going home? That was the longest day of my life, being discharged from a hospital is not a quick thing. While I was waiting my PT came for one last hop around... This time I made it all the way around the circle hallway. I made it! I said I could do it and I did! I had a smile that went from ear to ear! I knew I could make it home. My mother, yiayia and I stayed at the MDA Rotary hotel for the next couple of days to stay close to the hospital just in case. Then Sunday July 9th, I finally got to go home to my own apartment. Recovery is so different when you are in your own home. That first afternoon, I took the best nap I think I've ever taken! My yiayia cooked me home cooked meals and my mom has been my nurse and made sure my medications are taken on time and everything I need is done. I truly would not be able to get through this without them. 

I'm in the recovery portion of this journey and each day I think back on everything and still cant understand why this happened. Right now I don't know why and I may never understand why this happened but I do know that it needed to happen. God doesn't throw you curve balls unless you need them. God doesn't send you on journey's unless he knows you can make it through. God has been with me every step of the way, and even when I felt upset with him, he still protected me. I would be lying if I didn't say that through all this I doubted my faith. I was upset that this was happening to me. I asked God why a million times, but I know there is a reason behind this. I'm so very thankful for my faith. Prayers and support of all my friends and family are what got me and are getting me through this. I would not be where I am today without each and everyone of those people who have been there for me. I will never be able to repay everyone for the kind words, prayers, support, gifts, hugs, kisses and love they have shown me. I will continue to push forward and get through this recovery and show everyone I did it. I beat Cancer. I look forward to what comes next. :) 

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippines 4:13

What Comes Next

I've had a lot of people ask what comes next in my journey. Instead of writing a million different messages, I figured why not another blog post. 

May 12th I finished my final day of radiation. It was one of the most exciting days that I had in a long time.  After my treatment was over I got to ring the bell. For those of you that dont know, when you finish treatments you get to ring a bell to represent the end of radiation. It was the first time in a long time, I felt there was a light at the end of the tunnel... 

5 weeks of radiation had nothing on the next few weeks. Even though I was finished with the treatments, they said my skin would be getting worse before it would get better. Boy were they right. I couldn't wear shoes other then house slippers, I had to use a cane for a bit because it hurt to walk, my skin was getting darker and gross every day. That light I thought I saw at the end of the tunnel started to get further away again. 

A few weeks after radiation ended I had my first appointment with my plastic surgeon. I always thought if I was going to need a plastic surgeon, it would be for a nose job, not reconstructive surgery for my foot. I guess that nose job is going to have to wait! 😀

So now what comes next. This surgery wont be a simple one. Since meeting my doctor, I've spent hours processing what comes next. The surgery is to go back into my foot, clear the remaining cancer and then finish up with a skin transplant. Because they want to make sure there is good blood flow to my foot after surgery they will take the skin and blood vessels from my left forearm and attach them to my foot. Then to close my arm, they will take skin from my stomach or groin. Because this surgery is pretty intense, they will be keeping me in the hospital for 5-7 days. The first few days, I feel are going to be the worst. I wont be able to get out of bed, move my foot, dangle it... I will be stuck with no place to go. After a few days they will start the process of allowing me to dangle my foot off the side of the bed. If all this goes well and there are no issues with blood flow, I will be released to go home. 

But thats not the end of it. It will be weeks before I will be up and walking on that foot. Lucky me, more days spent on crutches. I think about all this and sometimes I just want to burst into tears.  I'm no rookie when it comes to surgeries, however no recovery for those surgeries, comes close to what this will be like. The thought of being hauled up in bed for that long makes me crazy... good thing I like watching movies! 

As time gets closer to the surgery, the light that I saw a while back, is starting to get brighter again. There really is an end to all this. Part of me wishes this journey had never begun. But the other part of me is glad it did. A few months ago, everything was different. I look back and realize how strong I have been, how I was able to get through this difficult time, how I kept putting one foot in front of the other, even though I felt broken at times. I've realized that a few months can do a lot to a person. It can show you the person you want to be. One who wants to live in the now, rather then in the past. One who knows who her real friends are. One who is willing to take the road less traveled and be different. 

A few weeks, months, even years from now, I'll look back on this time and be able to say, remember when I had that crazy thing called Cancer? I still dont know why God chose this life for me, but I will always be grateful for the life I have. I have an amazing family who has bent over backwards for me, friends who have given countless hours out of their schedules to be with me for appointments, or lunches. Even strangers who see me in the store, or at lunch and tell me they will pray for a good outcome. It may feel as though my life sucks at times, but deep down I know I have the best life God could have given me. 

This is just a speed bump in the road. I am choosing to take the road less traveled, and in the end, it will make all the difference.  

#kickingcancersbuttonedayatatime

My Journey

This post is about the interesting journey God has taken me on. Back in 2015, I began to have the most excruciating pain in my left foot. Usually it would happen at night when I laid down but sometimes it would continue throughout the day. After weeks of this pain, I went into my Dr. where he took an X-ray and basically told me I was crazy. He said there was nothing in the scan to show that anything was wrong. He put me on some medicine to help with the pain and sent me on my way.

Fast forward a year, in July of 2016 I was offered the Youth Director Position at St. Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church in Houston TX. As hard as it was to move away from family, I knew this was what God wanted me to do. Mid August, I moved to Houston. That is when I realized not only was I still having pain in my left foot but a lump had begin to grow on my ankle. The lump grew to a pretty big size. I had many people look at it and they all said it seemed to  be a cyst. Everything I had read about cysts, didn't make me too concerned or in a hurry to get it checked out. Boy was that a mistake.

In January 2017, once my insurance kicked in, I finally decided to go to the Dr. to get the lump checked out. By this point, it hurt all the time and I couldn't wear any shoes other then sandals. Again my Dr. said he thought it was a cyst and referred me to a podiatrist. The next month I met with the new Dr. She took an X-ray said it was a cyst and scheduled me for surgery. On Friday February 24th 2017, I went in to have the mass removed from my ankle. The mass was almost 8 cm long. A week later when I went to get my boot she told me that it wasn't a cyst and she was waiting to hear back from pathology on what exactly it was.

On March 9th, I went back to have my stitches removed and that is when my whole world flipped upside down. I could tell something was off from the moment I walked into the room. The Dr. was quiet, distant and looked like she wanted to cry. She sat down next to me and told me the original pathology report stated it was a sarcoma. She informed me that they had sent it to MD Anderson for a second opinion and that was all I heard. I left the office in tears. I immediately called my mom and told her what the Dr. told me. I was in shock, I couldn't believe what she had told me. There was no way this was correct, it had to be a mistake.

A few days later we got a call from the Dr. with the final diagnosis. They labeled it a Myoepithelial Carcinoma. This is a rare form of cancer usually found in the salivary glands... mine was located in my ankle. At that point, I knew it was real.  The first few days of knowing were a blur. I didn't know what to think. I found myself staring off at nothing, wondering how this happened. I would begin to tear up just thinking about it.  My mom came to stay with me and some of my family came down to surprise me.

That was exactly what I needed in that moment. My whole world was crashing down on me. I was a month shy of 28 years old and I had cancer. I knew that I needed to get the best care and I was in the best city for that.

 I called MD Anderson and got an appointment in the sarcoma center. The first day was exhausting. 12 hours at the medical center for blood work, CT scans, MRI's, Ultrasounds and to meet my oncologist. A couple days later, I got a call from the nurse telling me my scans showed nothing had spread. For the first time in weeks, I felt relief, but I knew it wasn't the end. On April 3rd I went in to meet with the Radiation oncologist. He informed me, I would have to go in 5 days a week for 5 weeks and receive radiation on my foot. After that was over, I would have a few weeks rest period and then another extensive surgery to clean out the remaining stuff in my foot.

On April 10th, I began my radiation journey. The first week was a breeze, but as time has gone on, I've noticed a difference in me. I'm getting more tired, my foot is red, swollen, dry skin and I have marks up and down my leg. I just finished my third week of radiation. I am more then half way done with this part of the journey. Two more weeks and I will be done with radiation! I can't believe it has gone by so quickly!

I think about all of this and wonder why me? Why is this happening to me? Was there something I could have done to prevent this? Why didn't I get it looked at sooner? Why didn't I ask my first Dr. to do more scans? Through all this, I have had a lot of mixed emotions. Mad because this has happened, happy because I'm lucky I didn't have to do chemo, sad because cancer sucks.  I will never really know why, but I do know that God has a plan. He has a plan for all of us. I do know that God wouldn't have sent me on this journey if he knew I couldn't survive it. A few years from now I'll look back and remember this time and be able to say I did it. I made it through that difficult time. I beat cancer.

This chapter in my life is definitely one I'll never forget. I would never have been able to get through this without the love and support from my friends and family near and far. I'll never be able to repay those who have taken so much time out of their busy schedules to take me to my appointments or help me keep my mind off everything that is going on. To all those who have sent me get well cards and gifts. All the calls, texts and messages. I truly am so very lucky to have each and every one of you in my life.

#kickingcancersbuttonedayatatime 

I Made it!

The last time I posted in the blog, I was in my final year of college. I remember writing the post like it was yesterday. Talking about the people who helped me through college, about how many times I changed my major and I remember being absolutely terrified with what was going to come next. 

In my last year of school, I was working as a nanny for my aunt and uncle. I knew once I was done with school that I  would continue being a nanny for a few years at least. When C started to walk, Barbra and Alex had informed me that they were enrolling C in school two days a week. Honestly I was totally okay with this because that meant 2 days a week I could sleep in. 

In May of 2014, exactly one year after graduating from college, they told me they would be putting her in school full time. At first it didn't bother me because it was summer time and I would be gone most of the summer with vacations and camps. Then I realized that once school started again for her, I would have nothing to do until 3:00 everyday... Now for some people that would be great, but for me, I couldn't handle it. I kept my eyes opened for something to do during the days but nothing had come up yet. Then one day Barbra came home and asked me to send her my resume. At first I thought, what in the world would she want with that. Then she told me that she had been talking with the director at Betty Rowland and they had an Assistant position available.

That night I went home, pulled up my resume, fixed it and sent it on its way. I was excited yet nervous all at the same time. I had started out my college years as an education major, and quickly realized that my dream of becoming a teacher was just that, a dream. I had switched my major to Psychology and knew that eventually I would get a job in that field. After sending my resume to my aunt for her to take to the school, I sat down with my parents to discuss this decision. I remember asking them if they thought this was a good fit. If i would even be a good teacher. what if I got the job and then they realized that I'm not suited to be a teacher.

A million things went through my head and my parents told me that whatever happens in my life, is gods plan. They were right. Yes this is my life and I may have things planned out for myself but in the end, he has bigger and better plans for me.

One day as I was taking one of my many daily naps with C, the phone rang. It was the director at Betty Rowland, calling me to set up a day to come in and talk with her. It was the end of the year and they were busy with the art show so we set up the meeting for the following Tuesday. That was probably the longest week of my life. The weekend before, I decided to attend the art show with my Aunt and Uncle. I wanted to see what the school was like and possibly meet some of the teachers.

Aside from the Director, the first person I met was the teacher in the toddler room. As I was looking around at all the pictures in her classroom, I came across a picture of a young man I knew from high school. I had asked her why she had a picture of this young man and she  told me that it was her son. I couldn't believe it. I said I was in the same graduating class as your son! What a small world. As the conversation went on, she asked me what I was doing now that I was out of college, I mentioned that I was a nanny and that I had applied for an assistant position at Betty Rowland. She told me that she would talk with the director because she felt that I would be a great addition to that family. Little did I know, that toddler teacher would become one of the greatest friends/mother figures I could have ever asked for. After looking around the other classrooms for a while, I met another teacher. She was the Pre-K teacher. When I introduced myself she told me that she had been in the office when the director was looking over my resume and she thought I was over qualified to be in assistant. When she told me that, It was the first time since I had turned in that resume that I felt like I really could do this. She is now one of my best teacher friends.

The next week I went in for my meeting. As I walked into the office, I felt my throat drop into my chest. I was so nervous. I don't think I had ever been that nervous in my life. The director started the interview and by the end of it, I was offered the head teaching position for the Older Three's Class. That was one of the easiest yes's and best decisions of my life. 

I started working as an assistant in the Pre-K class in July and I'm so glad that I had that opportunity, the teacher I was working with not only taught the kids but me. She really took me under her wing and I would not be where I am today without her help and support at Betty Rowland.

I'm now in my second year of teaching and I wouldn't trade it in for anything. As any job goes, there are days where I'm stressed, and days where the kids drive me completely crazy, but I couldn't imagine spending my days with any other people. These kids and other teachers are my life. I couldn't have asked for a better work family. 

I'm thankful everyday for the opportunity to teach these kids. I hope they get as much out of me, as I do from them... 

My family is my forever...

Hello Bloggers,

Those of you that have been following my blog over these past few years have read many posts about me being in college and changing my major and blah blah blah. Well I'm here to tell you that I am in my final year the the University of Tulsa. 6 years later and six different major changes I have finally done it!

I think back on all the good times and all the bad times I had in college and I'm happy to say that I don't have a single regret. I know I changed my major a lot and didn't care about school and honestly I think it was because I wasn't ready to go out in to the world and be a big kid. It scares me to think that soon I will be out of school, I'll be getting a job and paying bills and have to live my life as a grown up. I have been in school since I was 5 years old. It's what I am used too.

This blog post isn't just a repeat about my time in school, but more so about the people in my life that never gave up on me. There have been a lot of people who have helped me throughout my years of school but the ones who really helped me were members of my family.

My parents are my biggest supporters. They have stuck by me through it all. They may not have liked all the decisions that I have made throughout the years; however they have supported me through the good and the bad. There were plenty of times that I wanted to give up and quit but they never let me. I would get into fights with them and tell them that school was dumb and there was no need for me to finish. What did it matter if I had a degree or not. Most people don't get jobs that have anything to do with their degrees. Well I'm glad they never let me give up. In May I will be getting a degree in Psychology from the University of Tulsa and I couldn't be happier.

Another person who has been a big supporter is my Aunt Barbra. She has helped me with many projects and papers and without her I would not have made it through. I struggle with many things in school and she has given me enough help and confidence so that I can finish. When we get together to work on a project or have her proof read a paper she doesn't criticize me or put me down. She supports me and shows me what I did wrong and how to correct it for the future. Barbra and I have this relationship that others wont understand. A few years ago I went up to visit Barbra in Spokane and not a day goes by that don't think about those couple of weeks we were together and all the memories we have. I'm the luckiest to have her in my life.

My Aunt Karen and Uncle Allen are up on the list as well. They have been through so much with me over the years and I couldn't imagine my life without them. They are the ones I can call at anytime of the day or night and they will be there to listen, to tell me everything is going to be okay, to sit there and let me cry because I'm ready to give up on everything. I enjoy sitting down with my uncle and talking about school. He's never told me I couldn't anything. He supports me so much. Even when I'm down about a hard class he just tells me to do the best I can and whatever happens, is meant to be. He constantly tells me to keep my head up and to continue working hard and eventually I will succeed.

My cousin Jessica and Kyle. There were many nights I would be over at their house working on homework and I would get so frustrated that I didn't want to continue. They told me that its hard but that I would get there and finish. They have both helped me in so many ways. Not only with school but with life. When I tell them I need to talk and vent they are there to listen. They don't judge me or tell me the things I do are wrong. They support me.

I am only naming a few who have really pushed me over the years but my whole family has supported me. I know come May my family will all be there to support me at Graduation and knowing that means more to me then anything.

That's what families are all about. Support, Trust, Love. My family is big and goofy. But they are my family and I wouldn't want them to be anything then what they are. I love that on holidays and family dinners we can sit around for hours and tell stories, have dance parties, make music videos and laugh. I can sit back at a family dinner at my yiayia's house and just watch everyone and inside I know that I am so lucky to be a part of this wonderful family.

I love my family more then anything in the world. I would not be who I am or where I am today if it wasn't for all of them.

This picture was taken on our first family trip to Mexico. It's from a long time ago but it's one of my favorite pictures. :-)

Welcome Baby Claudia!

Hello Bloggers!

Today's post will be about my Beautiful Goddaughter Claudia!

One day I went out to dinner with my wonderful Aunt Barbra and she told me the best news in the world! She and her husband Alex would be expecting a baby! I was so happy for them both. Me being the person who LOVES kids so much I was excited because I knew there would be another precious baby I would get to watch!

On the morning of Oct. 31st 2012, The family gathered at the hospital for the arrival of the newest member of our family! 7 pounds, 4 ounces, 20 inches! Welcome Baby Claudia!

I was so happy for my aunt and uncle, I wanted to spend the whole day at the hospital with them, unfortunately I had to go to class. :-(

Miss Claudia makes us cousins an even 10! My Yiayia (grandmother) was very happy to have another granddaughter to have around! There is exactly 29 years between the first Grandchild and the Last! Crazy right! :-) She loves all of us so much but I know who her favorite is now! She loves Miss Cloudy! 

I'm so happy to have the opportunity to not only be able to watch her during the week but to be her Godmother! When Barbra told me the news I got the biggest smile on my face and immediately got online to look for a baptismal cross! This little peanut makes my day! 

I love playing with her, talking with her, giggling with her and even snuggling with her! We even got caught sleeping on the job one day! 

But how could someone get mad at us? We're so ADORABLE! :-)

Baby Claudia I can't wait to teach you all about the things I have learned over the years! You are very special to me and I love you very very much! 

Day Eight and Nine

Last two days in Greece! :(

We arrived really early in Athens and our hotel rooms were not available. So we had breakfast, changed and left for the acropolis. I went last year but it was nice going again. After we visited that we were going to go to the museum but it was closed.

We broke off into little groups and did some shopping! I bought a lot of stuff! Hah I love me some shopping. After shopping for a couple of hours me and the three other people I was with went back to the hotel. Me and my roommate Gigi went back to the hotel and took a 2 hour nap then got ready for the evening.

We went out to a nice dinner as group and then walked to get ice cream. Then we went to see the changing of the guards. I had never seen that before! It was so awesome!!

Then it was off to bed because it was going to be an early morning. I was dead asleep till the fire alarm went off at 2:00 am! Hah

Day Nine

We got up early today and got on the ferry to Aegina. When we got there we went to the monastery of St. Nektarios. I went there last year with the other spiritual odyssey group but It was nice to go again. This time we got to spend more time there. We went to the beach one last time! I love the beach. I wish I lived close by. After the beach we got back on the ferry and headed back to Athens. I went back to start packing up because we have an early flight tomorrow. :( I'm really sad to be leaving Greece. :(

Day Seven

Greetings from Patmos!

Today was our last day in Patmos. We got up very early this morning to go to the women's monastery for divine liturgy. It was so beautiful but very different then what we are used too. Men stood on one side of the church and the women had to be on the other side. After the service was over we went into their store and were able to purchase some stuff then it was a little tour about the monastery.

Next it was off to the Cave of St. John the theologian. Our group called it the "Man Cave". It was EXTREMELY hot but worth it. It was amazing. I know people are like wow she's weird to like a cave but this wasn't just a cave. This was where St. John had his revelation. There is a really pretty church inside of the cave.

Since church was so early we had the whole day to lounge and do whatever. Most of the group stayed at the hotel, napped and swam. 8 of us went to another beach about 15 minutes away. It was amazing. We laid out and got our tan on, we went paddle boating, swimming and of course had lunch! It was a nice relaxing day.

We made it back to the hotel in time to pack, shower and be on our way. We stopped some places and took pictures and then walked to the place we had dinner at. I was very bummed to have to leave Patmos. That was my favorite part of this trip.

We made it on the boat around midnight and were on our way to Athens. The boat ride was 9 hours but this time was a lot better because we had cabins to sleep in! We all got into bed and then some of the boys came to play cards... Slowly and one by one we all started to fall asleep. The beds on the boat were so comfy! I had a goodnights sleep!

Now we are in Athens and waiting to to get checked into the hotel. We are going to change and head to the acropolis and then shopping!

I'll post another later!

Day Five and Day six

Hello blog readers!

Hope you guys have been enjoying my posts. When I get gone I'll post more about the trip and I'll post pictures.

Well today is day 4... Not much has happened today. We got to sleep in till 10. A group of people went out in Santorini last night and a group stayed in the lobby of the hotel and hung out. We got up this morning and headed to get on the first boat. The boat ride went very well today. Yesterdays boat ride was not fun at all. 4 of us got sick. Not like for a little bit but for the entire 2 hour boat ride. I was not a happy camper at all yesterday.

This morning I was really nervous about getting on these boats. But the boat was a lot bigger so it was not bad at all. The second one was only supposed to be 6 hours which put us in Patmos around 1:30 am but the boat had to slow down so we didn't get in till 4:00 am... Omg so exhausted!!

After a few hours of sleep we were off to the monastery of St. John the theologian. It was so beautiful. I wish we could have taken pictures. After a little tour of the church we went to meet the abbot of the monastery. We talked a bit then he took us into the library they have. The had books in there from the 9th to the 19th century. Absolutely amazing.

Then it was off to the beach. Our Beach front hotel is amazing. We had lunch then some of us laid out on the beach and some went to the pool. I'm loving the fact that I'm getting a good tan. After about 5 hours of lounging and swimming we got ready to go shopping. We walked around the square for about and hour and a half then we went to dinner.

Dinner was so much fun! We ate then we had the opportunity to Greek dance. No one would get up there so I jumped up to show them what I knew! After a couple of dances the guy who were serving us came on stage to dance. They were absolutely amazing and a couple were completely gorgeous.

Finally back at the hotel and it's time for bed. Have to be up at 6:45 for divine liturgy. We are going to a women's monastery tomorrow and they start at 7:00 and are done by 8:30... Then it will be free time till we go on another boat ride. At least this time we all get cabins to sleep in. Thanks god!

καλή νύχτα

Day Four

Hello everyone!

Greetings from the beautiful island of Santorini!

Where to even start. This morning didn't start off good at all. We took the Mega Jet from Crete to Santorini. It was a 2 hour boat ride which me and 3 other people from the group spent in the bathroom sick out of our minds. That was the most painful experience of my life! And guess what... We get to go on three more boat rides! Lucky me! After we finally got off the boat in Santorini we got on the bus and made our way to the Hotel.

We all got out swim suits on and headed to the beach. A group of us went to eat first then it was off to get our tan on! Some people went into the water immediately and some of us laid out and enjoyed the sun.

After that it was back to the hotel to get ready for the evening. We went out to this little town to watch the sunset... Words cannot describe how beautiful the sunset is here. I was absolutely in love. I don't want to leave tomorrow. Then it was off to eat dinner and do some shopping. I got myself a jersey with my name on the back, and something's for my family.

Now it off to bed! I have to boat rides tomorrow so I need as much sleep as I can get!

Below are some pictures from today! Hope you like them!

Day Three

Hello again from Crete.

Last night on the radio was awesome! We were on the radio from 10 pm to 12 am. By the time we got back to the hotel it was about 1:45 am. A group of people went out and some of us stayed in and got some sleep.

We all got to sleep in this morning which was awesome. It was much needed. After breakfast this morning we set off on our adventure in Crete. We stopped by the Church of St. Titus.
We went in and took some pictures and listen to some information about St. Titus.

Next stop was the Church of St. Menas. We saw the church of St. Katherine and the original church of St. Menas. The church was so beautiful. It looked like a lot of the other churches the only difference is the bishops throne was in the back of the alter. Never seen that before. We were welcome to go into the Archdiocese and talk with the archbishop. Of course we took shots of Ouzo with him. That normal here apparently!

When we were done with the churches we got on the bus and headed to Knossos. Knossos is a palace. It took a long time to get through it but it was well worth it. After a very long walk through Knossos a group of us went to get some lunch before our evening activity. After we ate we got complementary loukoumades, watermelons, and Ouzo! Haha Again with the Ouzo!

Then we rushes back to the hotel to change to go to the monastery of St. George. We had vespers and went into the museum and then they had dinner there. Absolutely amazing. It was Linda sad to leave.

Now a group of us are sitting out by the rooftop pool and just hanging out! We have to be up at 6:30 tomorrow to get on the boat to Santorini!!!

Day two

Greetings From Crete.

This morning the IV group went to divine liturgy with the Archbishop of Alexandra. After liturgy we had lunch with the archbishop. Today was a low key day. We have a very long free time today. Some people took naps, others went to the beach, and some of us went to the roof top pool. After lounging around for a while, a group of us went out shopping! I love shopping! Then we all met up for dinner. As usual we had out meat platters and Greek Salads.

After dinner we walked to a little park and waited for our bus driver Michali to come pick us up. We have the same bus driver as we did last year on my trip to Greece! He dropped us off at the radio station. Me and the rest of my group were on the radio with the archbishop of Crete. What a great opportunity! I was on the radio. I probably sounded really goofy! We spent two hours at the station. People could call in and ask us questions. How fun is that!

Well it's time for bed for me! Tomorrow we are going to the island of Knossos and of course the beach! Pictures to come!

Day one in Crete!

We finally made it to Crete! As soon as we got here we went straight to the hotel and got ready to go to the beach! After 2 wonderful hours at the beach we went back and got ready for vespers. After 2 hours at the church for the vespers of St. Marina we finally got to go eat! Food was delicious! Then it was off to bed! We were all so exhausted! The group I am with is so awesome! We all are already getting along! Can't wait to see more of the islands!

Spiritual Odyssey

I know I promised a long time ago but I've been so busy I haven't been able to get around to blogging at all. So here you go. A little story about my perfect summer.

Christmas of 2010 I was sitting around opening presents with my family when my mom handed me a big yet very skinny present. I opened it to see this... 

It took me a while to realize what it was but once I figured it out I was the happiest girl out there. My parents told me that I would be going to Greece for the first time that summer. :-) That night I went over to my best friends house to celebrate Christmas with her family. I told her parents that I was FINALLY going to Greece and I wanted Jenny to come with me.  Growing up we had always talked about going to Greece together and here was our chance. A few months later we packed our bags and set off on a trip together we had always dreamed about. We flew into NYC the night before we were supposed to be leaving for Greece. The next morning we headed to the airport to meet up with the rest of the group. 

I had been told by many that the people I would meet on this trip would be in my life forever. Honestly I laughed. I would only be in Greece for 11 days, How was I going to get close to these people that fast. Well guess what, they were right. I talk to most of the people I went with almost every day. A few have even become some of my best friends. We were only there 11 days, but in those days we became a family.

I look back on those days and smile because that trip changed my life in so many ways. It might have been the dinners we had when Konstantine would order too much food, the dancing in the streets in Thessaloniki or all the Closed churches Father took us too one night. Could have been all the amazing churches we visited and the wonderful people we met. It could have been the fact that I was able to go to the same church my mother and uncle went to knowing that in 1979 something happened to my uncle that would change his life forever.  I really cant put into words how that trip changed my life but it did. I will never forget this summer or the people that I went with. The only thing I wish, is that I could see the people I went with more often. When we are together its like were back in Greece. We can sit around for hours and tell stories and laugh. 

There is so much more I could tell you about the amazing trip I went on, but that might take a while. So below im going to post a few pictures from my trip.

Here are only a few photos. I'll do my best to post some more. But now you know that I really did go on an amazing trip! 

Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mothers Day to all you Mothers out there!

Today is Mothers Day, so of course I spent the day with my mom. This morning I got up and took my mom some flowers and a card and then my dad and I took her out to lunch and shopping. After lunch we went for a long drive around Tulsa. It was such a lazy, but fun day! This evening My family got together at my aunt and uncles house for dinner. There was a lot of laughing as usual. We all hung around and talked, we watched Lucy walk around the pond for a good 10 minutes and we watched Penny Lane try to get into the pond. I love when my family gets together for gatherings. There is always food, laughing and some sort of goofy moment from me. 

Today we didn't do anything real special but turned out to be the best and perfect mothers day. I have the worlds greatest mother and I couldn't imagine life without her! I Love You Muggles!

Super Nanny!

Well this week started off a little rough but got better pretty quickly! Monday at work I burned my arm on the oven. :-( 2nd degree burn! Its kinda nasty looking but Its getting better. Had to go to the doctor yesterday to get it looked at. Monday was really only the bad day I had this week...

I can now officially call myself super nanny. I watch the girls 3 days a week for a few hours each day. However this week I did something new! I went and picked up the girls at 3:30 on Tuesday afternoon, but instead  of having them for a few hours I had them till early Thursday morning. Jessica and Kyle went to OKC for a couple days and I watched the Munchkins. I really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We had a lot of fun together. Only bad thing was both nights I was abused in my sleep by a sleeping child. The first night Lucy managed to completely turn herself around in the bed, to where her feet were up by my head... Which meant I get kicked a few times! It was hard Wednesday morning for her waking up and mom and dad weren't there but after about 10 minutes she was over it! We played a lot, went on walks, had picnics and watched Tangled about 20 times. Wednesday night I had to go to class so my aunt and uncle (the grandparents) watched the girls. When I went to pick them up I found out that Lucy had gone for a little swim with the fish. I guess she was feeding the fish and she fell in. Poor little one!! Lucy had been such a good girl, that I decided we should make a cake together. We got home, I put penny lane to bed because she fell asleep in the car and Lucy and I began to make the cake. After beginning Lucy disappeared... I found her asleep on the couch. I had to finish making the cake by myself! :-( oh well it turned out pretty good. Thursday we got up and I had to get her ready for swim lessons! Kyle and Jessica came home and I went to class!

Today I went back to work and surprisingly the girls were happy to see me. I thought they would have been sick of seeing me after this week! We has fun today. It was too cold and windy to go outside so we ran around the house... that's always fun!

Tomorrow I'm going out with my friends to celebrate my birthday! My 22nd birthday is Monday, but since my birthday falls during Holy Week I can't go out that night. My friends and I are going to go to P.F. Changs for dinner and then were going to go out on the town! I can't wait! Ill take lots of pictures and I will defiantly blog about it!

Till then... Everyone have a good weekend!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Hello Everyone!
 This post is not going to be very long, but I wanted to give you an update on the life of Nanny Kate! I have exactly 27 days left of school and I am about to have a panic attack! Where did this semester run off too?? I have so much to do its ridiculous!! I can defiantly see some all nighter's in my near future! :-( Which is something I hate because I love SLEEP! I  could sleep all day and all night if I had the time! When I'm not procrastinating on school work, I'm at work playing with the little ones. They keep me sane! Lucy is potty training right now and I am so proud of her! Yesterday she ran up to me and and said "potty time"... I was like go for it Lucy!  When I walked in there to see if she was okay guess what I found... BOTH GIRLS ON POTTIES! Penny lane was sitting backwards on the potty next to Lucy! She wants to do what her sister does!
I cant believe they are growing up so fast! Kyle and Jessica are doing school tours to look at preschools for Lucy next year. Makes me a little sad that I wont be with her all the time! But hey no worries I have Penny Lane! I love her so much and she loves Nanny. She runs up to me and wants in my arms every time I walk in the door! I know I mention it in a lot of my posts and its probably annoying but I'm so lucky to have a great cousin like Jessica to let me spend time with her girls! They keep me on my toes!

Well I should probably stop procrastinating and get back to this project that is due by midnight! Once things settle down I will blog again!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

In a blink of an eye...

WOW. It has been way too long. I have been so busy, I completely forgot about my blog! Bad bad Nanny Goat! School is about half way done, I cant believe it! I'm so glad midterms are over! I've been busy with school and work and when I have free time I hang out with my friends. Friday I went out to the Hard Rock casino with my friend Afton. We went to see Randy Travis with her parents. We were probably the youngest people in the concert! ha After the concert we stuck around the casino and ate. The food was really good. On Saturday afternoon I spent sometime with my nephew. It was such a nice day, we played outside with chalk.

Later in the evening I went out with one of my friends and her boy. We went to eat dinner at Red Lobster then it was off to brookside tattoos. My friend Kaira decided she wanted to get a tattoo. She got 2 blue hearts on her hip. They are really cute. I'm glad I was able to go with her! Sunday was a lazy day for me. Slept in and lounged around the apt all day. Today I got up and went to work. Since I work nights now I did a split day. Went in at 10:30 and stayed till about 1:00, then went and ran some errands and headed back to work at 4:30. When I got there the girls were playing with the present their aunt sent them. A box of Mardi Gras beads!

After playing with the beads it was time to get the girls fed.

And of course after Penny Lane was done eating I had to get her in the bath! After bath time we played for a while then it was bedtime for Penny Lane! I love my nights with the girls!

This week is going to be a busy busy week. Today, Tomorrow and Wednesday I will be watching the girls, then starting Thursday I will be working the 2011 NCAA Basketball Championship!

Can't wait for Thursday!
Hope everyone has a good week!

Fun/Crazy times in the life of me...

Just when I think I will have some free time do blog, Everything piles on and it keeps me so busy! Is been a while since my last post so I will update you on whats been going on since then. The last post I had was about the Snow storm. Thank goodness that's over. After the second snow storm, the weather warmed up quite a bit and melted all the snow! I hated driving with ice and snow on the ground. Everyone was driving so slow! We were out of school for a week, which sucked because now we are having to do so much more to make up all the days we missed. School started back up and after a few days my life was back on track. Last Friday I went Fireman's ball in stillwater. I had so much fun! I went with my friend Sean. He was the best date EVER! ha It was fun because my best friend and her boyfriend was also there so I had them to hang out with as well. I left my camera in Stillwater but as soon as I get it back I will post pictures from the dance. After the dance we all went out to the bars, however I didn't stay out for very long because I ended up getting one of the worst migraines I have ever had! :-( but oh well.

Saturday I left Stillwater and headed back to Tulsa to attend my Best friend Jenny's Jewelry party. The jewelry she had was from Lia Sophia. You guys should go to www.liasophia.com and check out some of the Jewelry.  After the party I went to go see my dad. He had a rough night and wasn't feeling well so I decided to go spend sometime with him and my mom. Sunday I got up and went to church. After church I went home and relaxed for a bit then it was off to dinner with my parents, sister and bro in law to celebrate my sisters birthday. Her birthday was last Wednesday. She turned 24 and man is she getting old! :-)

Monday started off great then ended not so well. I got up on Monday and went into work. Jessica took Lucy on a Mommy/Daughter date. They went to get some lunch, then it was off to the movies to see Tangled. While they were gone it was just me and Penny Lane. We played, worked on flash cards and played with her toys.

 After work I was headed home when it all went down hill from there. I was driving on riverside when a car came into my lane, I of course tried to move so I wouldn't get hit, I ended up hitting the curb, bouncing into the other lanes and hitting the curbs on the other side, to end up back in my original lane and hitting the curb again, while all this was happening my hand got caught in my steering wheel and when I got it out, I hit it against the gear shift. OUCH!!! :-( Finally I was able to get control of the car and get it stopped. When I looked up I saw a big F150 headed right towards me. He had to immediately turn his wheel to avoid hitting me. I got myself together and pull off on 26th and riverside. I was in such a panic I had to call my parents to come pick me up cause I was in such a panic. Thank goodness nothing too bad happened to  my car. It needs a little work but not that much! My hand was really hurting but I didn't think anything of it till the next morning. I got into class and couldn't grasp onto my pen or my bag. I made an appt to get into the Dr. and get my hand looked at. They X-rayed it and said they didn't like how my knuckles looked. They splinted me and told me in a few days if it doesn't get better then I need to go back in.

Isn't that Ugly! But its the only thing that they had to help protect my knuckles. Its very difficult for me to do things in this but ill take this over anything. I was very lucky, it could have ended up being a lot worse.

Wednesday I got up and spent the day with the girls. Got there, walked into the room and this is where I found Penny Lane.

 In the movie bin! Since it was such a beautiful day on Wednesday I took the girls outside for a little bit. I cant wait for the weather to get warm so we can play outside a lot more.

After work I had to go to class. Psychology of Trauma is a very interesting class but its SOOOOO LONG! 6:00-8:45! After that I went home and went to bed!

Today I went to work later then usual because I said I would babysit the girls tonight while Kyle and Jessica went out with some friends. WE have played with their toys, had dinner, done the potty dance about 50 million times and watched Enchanted twice. I love spending time with these girls. They mean the world to me and I couldn't imagine my life without them in it.

I promise readers I wont let it be weeks before I update you on my life and my time with the girls. Until next time.... Hope you guys have a great weekend! Be safe everyone!

Day 6 of Snowpocalypse

Hello EVERYONE!

I'm going on Day 6 of being snowed in. Yesterday I was able to get out and run some errands with my dad so that was good. When we got home my dad and I decided to go and shovel my parents upstairs porch. 21 inches of snow... I am so sore today it's ridiculous. Being Stuck in the house is starting to drive me crazy and I just saw on the news that we are supposed to be getting more on Tuesday and Wednesday... When is this going to ENDDDDDD! I love snow but I don't know how much longer I can take. I miss my friends, I haven't seen my sister in days and most of all I WANNA GO BACK TO WORK!!!!!! I miss those munchkins so much. And of course I miss that silly boss lady of mine... However the one good thing I can say about this storm is I have been keeping up with my blog! Hah

I mainly blog about things that are going on in my life and my days with the girls... Now that I have been stuck in the house and away from the tiny ones I need to find other things to write about. Today's blog is going to be about a few people that are a big part of my life. To start...
#1. My Parents...

Obviously if it weren't for them I wouldn't be here. :-) I'm very big on family. I love my family more than anything in the world. I spend a lot of time with my parents. I'm 22 and in college and I eat dinner with my parents almost every night... Yes I do love spending time with them but part of it is I'm a broke college student. Ha My parents have been married 28 years and have 2 amazing daughters to show for it. They have been there for me through good times and bad and I don't know what I would do without them around.

#2. My sister

My sister is my best friend. Sure we have had our fair share of fights and sometimes she gets on my nerves but she is my other half. With out her I wouldn't make sense... but now that I think about it, I'm not sure I make sense even with her. Hmmmmm I'm a little odd at times but that's why she loves me. She is my inspiration for alot of things. When I'm fed up with school and life she always knows what to say to get me back on top where I need to be. I couldn't imagine growing up without her. I love you Heidi. Also you guys should check out her blog! Awesome!! http://glutenfreeindie.blogspot.com/

#3. Jenny, J-Stas, Tuggernuts...

Oh where to being when it comes to J-Stas. Jenny and I have been BEST FRIENDS since diaper days. She is and will always be my bestie. Her and I have been through alot together. Good things and Bad things. There are very few memories I have that don't include Jenny. We have been together through alot of stuff, such as flooding hotel rooms and getting daddy Stas's care stuck on a creepy road. Those are only 2 things out of many things we have done together. We both have discussed writing a book about all the stuff we have done but then we thought about all the trouble we would be in if our parents found out about some of them! :-) We see each other almost every week and if we don't see each other, we at least talk to each other every week. We have been in one little argument and that lasted about 30 minutes before I realized it was completely dumb. I'm going to have to cut myself off on this one cause if I continue talking about Jenny and I this blog would be extremely long. One of these days I will blog about me and Jenny. Just you wait. Tuggernut's I love you more than you know! Life would suck without you in it! Check out her blog too!
http://thesimplemusings.blogspot.com/

#4. Jessica and the Girls...

Jessica is one of my older cousins. She is alot older than me so growing up I wasn't really close to her. However now she is the cousin I'm probably the closet with. Like I have mentioned in previous blog posts Jessica and I started hanging out while she was pregnant with Lucy Olivia. We had alot of fun during those few months we hung out. After hanging out and helping her around the house she asked if I would help her with the babies. Of course I said yes. I loved my days with Lucy and Jessica. Then along came Penny Lane! I love going to see them. I get to spend 3 days a week with the girls and I couldn't have asked for a better job. I don't know what I would do without Jessica. I know if it weren't for her I would have looked like a complete goof going out with guys and I would not have this blog! She inspired me to get a blog and she designed my blog header. I love Jessica so much and I'm so glad her and Kyle let me be a part of their daughters lives. Check her out! http://www.mybeatlesbabies.com/

#5. Barbra, Half-Squat

Half-squat and I are one heck of a pair. I always had this special bond with her, however a couple years ago was when our special bond became something bigger. Back then she was living up in Spokane WA. My family and I had gone up there for thanksgiving. I came back to Tulsa for the last week of classes and then I flew back up to Spokane to spend some time with Barbra. We had so much fun. We would go out for dinner, we went shopping together, and we went and got facials! It was one of the best trips I had ever taken. One night while I was up there we decided to watch the movie Tropic Thunder. Neither one of us had seen it before. We were laughing so hard, we were crying. That was when we realized that she would be my Half-squat and I would be her papa. Barbra has been there for me through a lot. She always knows what to say to put me in a good mood. When she told me she was moving back to Tulsa, I was so happy. I love the fact that she is here and I can see her whenever I want. I don't know what I would do if she wasn't a part of my life. I love you Half-Squat!
Check it out! http://barbrakingsley.blogspot.com/

#6. Meggie-Poo

Megan is one of a kind. I have only known Meg for a little over a year and all I can say is it has been one heck of a year. For any of you that know me, you know that I'm really out going, I'm weird and goofy... Well guess what? So is Megan. When Megan and I get together it is nothing but laughs. Sometimes there are tears but mostly there is lots and lots of laughs. Its weird. When we are together I can't hold anything back. I'm so goofy when I'm with her. When were together you would not think that we have only been friends for a little over a year. She is there for me no matter what. I can call her at 4 AM with a problem and she will be on the road back to Tulsa to help me. I talk to her almost every day. She means the world to me and I don't know what I would do without her being a part of my life. I love you Meggie-Poo! Also Check out her new blog!
http://elladbmblbee14.blogspot.com/

There are alot of people that play a big part in my life, however if I were to mention them all in this blog post, my post would probably be about 10 pages long! ha

Thanks for reading. Hope you guys enjoy and hope everyone is having a great Sunday!