Making It Happen

Ummm...are we really leaving our kids and going to a whole 'nother country for two entire weeks?!  Is that really happening?! 

I am so excited to do this thing, to go to a place I have been wanting to go for a long time now.  It seems to me that the UK has been calling and I have been a bit too busy to answer.  But sometimes you just have to make the time, make a way, make it happen, and this needed to happen.

As most of you know, they told me that if my cancer were to come back it would more than likely come back within the next five years.  This has left me feeling like I have five years to fit as much as I can into my life.  To do some of the things we have put off doing.  To cross off some numbers on the "bucket list".  When the five years are over, maybe I will relax.  But, until then, I would like to get in some of the really big things that I have wanted to do, but previously felt like had to wait.  They will wait no more.

So, before we leave (T-minus five days and counting), I want to make sure to say a huge whopping big immense "Thank you" to the people who have helped me to achieve this goal (of sorts) in my life.

To Matthew, of course, for always saying "Yes" to my crazy hair-brained ideas.  You are the best...
To Linda, for taking on four kids for a week.  That's no small feat and you are always willing to jump in and make it work...
To Jeannie (Mom), despite the fact that your knees and ankles hurt you still tell me that you can and want to take on these crazy kids (and a dog!) for a week yourself.  You must be crazy.  I have always said that...
To Bill, thank you for helping to get the kids to myriad soccer games...
To Stephanie, I am SO excited that you agreed to do this with us.  It's going to be amazing...
To Geno, for saying "yes" to your wife!...
To my kids for putting up with this.  I know they don't understand right now.  Maybe someday they will.  I love them so much and I hope they know that I am not trying to escape from them so much as see a place that has inspired so many things that inspire me.  I hope it will make me a better mom...
To Tim and Rose, for taking on Watson (our horse-dog) for a week...
To Shelley Botchek, thank you for lending us your daughter as a babysitter and your dad as a tour guide...
To the Reddin and Zuniga-Meyer families, for their generosity with rides to soccer practices...
To our extended families for putting up with us...
To my book club for being the people who did all of the things with me that led to me having to go to the UK...

...To all of these people, thank you so much for helping us out and letting us go, and allowing me to make this happen.

Look out England/Scotland: It's happening!