Living with Whimsy

Musings from a happy wife, mother of two, and breast cancer fighter.

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Gisèle, age 18

1. Describe yourself. "I would describe myself as passionate, ambitious, and kind. Hopefully."

2. What are you thankful for? "I am thankful for family and friends, as always. And I'm also very thankful that I have the opportunity to go to college, have this scholarship... I feel very thankful for all the opportunities I've had this year."

3. What makes you happy? "Dumb jokes. I've realized that anytime anyone says, like, "fart," or "poop," that's hilarious. Even "butt." And Dad always makes me laugh. So, "poop," "butt," "fart," Dad."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Is it weird if I say the socioeconomic state of the world? Politics right now can make me really angry. Or when people talk about politics. Or when people are ignorant of politics, that can make me really angry. Also, like, little things that people do that feel entitled. Like when people are walking toward you on the sidewalk and expect you to move out of the way instead of them also moving."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Pretty sure my answer was the same last year, but... Guess. I'm pretty sure that's been my answer every year." {Actor/director}

6. What's important to you? "My relationship with God is important to me. Also, keeping up with personal relationships like family and friends. And working hard."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "Physically, I've been really liking my hair recently. And not physically, I like how stubborn I am. I think when I set my mind on something I really go for it. And it may take me a while to get there, but I'm very persistent and I know what I want."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "I love that my mom is a fighter. I think I definitely get my stubbornness from her. She knows what she wants and she's very smart and practical about how she's going to get there. And I think that's something a lot of people lack, but you definitely don't."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "Aside from the fact that he never ceases to make me laugh, I also love that Dad is there for you whenever you need him. Like anytime anyone's feeling bad or has had a long day, he's always there in the kitchen doing dishes, or doing finances on the weekend, just always showing up."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "Right now the answer is Harlaxton! I'm very excited! The people going there for fall semester just got there yesterday. I'm excited to go there and explore all the hidden passageways."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "I admire a lot of people, so I'm just going to pick one person right now, and this is more career related than anything. Helen McCrory. You know I love the quote used in her interview - "extraordinarily fearless." And I think her style of acting is understated and natural but still elevated, and I'm in awe every time I watch her."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "There's a lot of things I want to learn more about. I think I'll just keep learning as I grow older. But right now, I'm interested in learning more about acting and directing and the theater industry. Also, I'd be really interested in learning about gender studies and what that looks like in society right now. There's a lot of classes that sound cool about that right now."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "I think right now showing up in the little things, like if someone seems lonely, going up to them and saying hi. Or if I see someone having a hard time, letting them know that I'm here if they need someone to talk to. Making an effort to reach out. I think the little things are really important, so I'd love to just be there for people."

14. What are you afraid of? "Calling CVS again."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "Aside from my Bible, because I think that's a trick question, or my phone... I guess my cross necklace that I always have on because it not only reminds me of God and to keep Him in my thoughts always, but also you guys."

16. What's your favorite memory? "I've got a lot of really good memories. Just 'cause college is on my mind right now - I really like thinking back to me getting that letter from Evansville after Texas Thespian Festival, and I had been waiting for this letter, and when it came I opened it up and it said something along the lines of, "While we enjoyed meeting you..." and I thought that I hadn't gotten in, but then I read further and it said I had gotten in. And that was the only college letter that I ever cried when I was accepted, and thinking back to how little I knew of the program then, and I was still excited for it, and it's crazy to think about where that's led."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "I'm proud that over this past year I've really faced my fears, whether that be calling CVS or otherwise."

18. What are you looking forward to? "We've got our first staging rehearsal for Jagged Little Pill tonight, so we're going to go over choreography and blocking, and the rehearsal room is going to be taped out so we have rough dimensions of the stage, so I'm really excited to get going on that. Plus I've gotten a lot of compliments on my singing voice, actually, so that's cool."

19. What do you dream about? "I'm trying to think of actual dreams I've had at night. I haven't really dreamt much these past few nights. Dreams for the future-wise, I'd love to either be in a show at National Theatre, be in a play on Broadway, and/or be in a long-running comedic TV show."

20. What else do you want to say? "I don't know. That it's weird that this is my final birthday blog thing. Yeah. And I miss you guys."

Gisèle, you make me so, so proud. You are an incredible woman, and I'm so blessed to be your Mom. Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Labels: Gisele

Sunday, August 28, 2022

Gisèle, age 15

(wearing one of her late grandpa's flannels)

To see Gisèle at age 14, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "Umm... I'm quirky. And I'm pretty much mature and serious, especially for my age. But every now and then I'll get really punchy and I'll act like a 7 year old."

2. What are you thankful for? "Family. Umm... we've been blessed a lot with health, so I'm very thankful for that. And I'm very thankful for my friends and Mustang Playhouse and the outlet I have with that."

3. What makes you happy? "I like books. I haven't been reading a ton lately because our {school} library is closed and I don't think our librarian is there anymore. I've also been getting more into painting. I like shoes. And hanging out with Miles, 'cause Miles is weird, and Miles knows I'm weird. So hanging out with Miles makes me happy. For the most part."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Feeling confined. Like I don't have a choice in a situation. Or a say. Feeling silent in that aspect."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Guess. {laughs}" {The answer is actor/director/producer.}

6. What's important to you? "Family."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "I guess my compassion for others."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "I guess that you're stubborn. You know what you want and you do whatever is in your power to get it, and you don't stop until you get it."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "I think it's going to be pretty much the same answer I did last year, but he always makes me smile, and he's always funny and stuff, and he makes an effort to be a decent person even if he had a bad day, he'll try to be in a good mood for you."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "Well, I'm going to New York next year, so that's very exciting, but if it wasn't New York, it would be somewhere in Europe, maybe Italy or Ireland because of the landscapes and scenery there, and the culture and food in Italy."

11. Who do you admire, and why? "{long pause} There's no one person for this question for me. Because I admire everyone around me for different reasons. Like I said, Mom, you're super stubborn but I admire you for that and your bravery. And I admire Dad for his responsibility that he takes, and his ability to always brighten your day. I admire everyone around me for so many different reasons that it's impossible for me to choose just one."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "I guess I want to learn more about myself, and how my goals align with God's goals for me, because that's a very confusing thing to think about, about how God's plans for my future are like/not like MY plans for my future."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Well, I want to volunteer more. I feel if I contribute to society in some way that's helpful, that could help lots of people and I'd love to do that. Also, I'd love to be part of a missionary trip; that would be very cool."

14. What are you afraid of? "Are you ready for the list? Okay, so number 1 is being underwater in, like, deep water, and being trapped. So something is blocking me from breaking through the surface. Okay, so I'm trying to sum up my list here. It's mainly things where I'm not in control, and I have absolutely no way of getting out of the situation I'm in, I just have to accept it and just be at peace. That's hard for me if I'm not able to save myself."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "I would either keep a hoodie or a book."

16. What's your favorite memory? "I like the memory of us at Snooze. When we were at Snooze last, we were talking about baby stuff, and hearing about Miles sticking a green bean up his nose, while we were eating pineapple upside-down pancakes, was a really great experience."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "These are all so deep! Why couldn't they be 'my favorite toy?' I want to do well. So my drive to do well and excel in anything I do... so it's definitely my drive, my determination to move forward no matter what. It's an important characteristic of me, so I think it defines a lot of who I am and my choices."

18. What are you looking forward to? "One act season."

19. What do you dream about? "Box trolls doing gymnastics. It was a really weird dream."

20. What else do you want to say? "Well, I'm excited to be turning 15. I feel like 15 and on, it's very much like... you have to learn how to be independent and confident, and you have to know things. All of these different responsibilities, like I'm going to learn how to drive... and then there's the whole thing about voting, and graduating... I'm excited to see where my life takes me."

Gisèle, you constantly amaze me. I will forever feel blessed to be your mom, and to get to watch you grow, explore, tackle, and conquer everything.

Labels: Gisele

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Hi There!

Hi!

It's been a while.

A long while.

I've completely fallen out of the habit of blogging. There have been a few changes in my life, and overall things are good.

Both of my sisters have moved to Texas with their families. (Yay!) Andrea is about 3 hours away, and Brandi is 10 minutes down the road from me. With Brandi being so close, we finally started the bakery that we've been dreaming about for so long. We're baking out of my house and delivering goodies locally. (Check out thesweetcreambakery.com!) We bake 5-6 days a week, and we're loving it.

Jamie got a promotion, and now has the title to go along with what he's been doing at Halliburton for quite some time now. He's been working at home since the start of the pandemic, and it has been wonderful to have him so close.

Gisèle is a freshman in high school now and doing amazingly well. She's taking advanced classes, maintaining an A average, and is a full-blown drama queen - meaning a theatre kid. She wants to be a director/actor when she grows up, and will be competing at the National Thespian Festival in Solo Acting in June.

Miles is a 6th grader and loves his percussion class. He's doing well in school, and takes an 8th grade Critical Thinking class once a week along with some other advanced students. He's also still loving taekwondo. He's a senior purple belt and on the JV team. We're at taekwondo with him 4 times a week, and there's no sign of him slowing down.

I've been doing okay, health-wise. I'm still NED (No Evidence of Disease), which I am incredibly thankful for. Treatment has caused a host of side effects, so that has been difficult. After chemo, surgery, and radiation, I can say that I'm out of "active treatment," but I still take daily pills to try to prevent a recurrence or metastasis, and get injections to shock my body into menopause every month. All the treatment has caused hypothyroidism, so I'm now taking Synthroid daily. I also have rheumatoid arthritis, and have gained about 55 pounds. I don't feel like myself anymore. It's hard to look in the mirror and see someone else, and it's hard to get out of a chair and feel like an elderly woman. I have to constantly remind myself that any extra time I have is a blessing, and the side effects are worth it.

Some pictures to catch you up since October:

Gisèle went to her first Homecoming Dance

We celebrated Halloween! Butterfly, spoilsport, Dragon, and Injured Knight

G finally got her braces off!

Our Christmas elf putting the star on the tree

G was Sally in A Charlie Brown Christmas with Mustang Playhouse

I had a bone infusion. My osteopenia is edging toward osteoporosis.

We were able to see Matt, Natalie, Q, and Sophia before Christmas. Nana led us in some painting.

We spent Christmas and New Year's in Oregon with Mindy & Jeff & co. The kids got to play in snow!

The girls

The boys

We celebrated Dad's (Papa's) birthday, and he even wore a hat while we sang

G on one of our bakery deliveries

A beautiful Texas sunset. God's way of reminding me to choose joy.

Labels: Breast cancer, Gisele, Jamie, Miles

Saturday, August 28, 2021

Gisèle, age 14

To see Gisèle at age 13, click here.

1. Describe yourself. "That's broad. Um... I'd say I'm a creative person, umm... {long pause} I feel like I'm a very responsible person who can get the job done, so like, stable, well, relatively stable. I'm definitely an enthusiastic and passionate person about the things I love."

2. What are you thankful for? "Family. Friends, as well, just everyone who has helped me get through the pandemic. I think our pastor is really cool, too, so just everyone at our church who has helped me grow and develop my relationship with God."

3. What makes you happy? "Umm, being crazy makes me happy. Doing things that are nuts every now and then. Doing theater makes me happy. Family game nights are fun."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Not eating."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "Is this a necessary question, Mom? Because I'm pretty sure you already know it. Director/producer/actor."

6. What's important to you? "Family, friends, relationship with Christ, being able to do what I love and not be made fun of or criticized about it at all. Being able to be myself."

7. What do you love most about yourself?
"Probably my drive. My drive to do things and to make sure that if I want to do something, I will go for it and I won't listen to anyone who tells me no."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "Umm... I like how brave you are, Mom. Just the fact that you're always there and always ready to try something new even if you don't have the energy at the time. You always want to try everything, go for everything, and try everything new. You're always courageous."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "Probably how much he's like me. He's so much funnier than I am. He's hilarious at really weird points. I think I said this last year, but it's the same. He helps me embrace my inner crazy, but tone it back at the same time. He always makes me laugh."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "I really want to go to New York, but in comparison to other countries, it seems a little non-ambitious. I'd like to go everywhere, but if I could choose one place right now it would be New York."

11. Who do you admire, and why?
{loooong pause} "Well, I definitely admire you, of course. I admire you for your courage. I'm trying to think of other people I admire... ummm... probably Lin-Manuel Miranda just because he's an actor and he knows that he needs to create work for himself because every actor is unique. He recognizes that he has a unique voice. I aspire to be like him because I'd like to create my own work, also, and have people respond positively."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "The film industry. Because I've never done films or participated in films except for that one commercial I participated in, in 2nd grade. And I don't know if it is something I'd like to go into later."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Umm... I'd like to provide homes for the homeless. Lately I've been seeing them a lot more often than before. I see people who look like they're struggling. and I'd like to help them."

14. What are you afraid of? "Not being able to do everything I want to do. Before I know it I'll die or be physically disabled, or too old, and I want to do as many things as possible before then."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "Family."

16. What's your favorite memory? "That's really broad! Can I just list some that I like? I do remember when I was originally in Annie as Annie and I got a bouquet of flowers, and I stood on stage for my picture, and other people and parents wanted photos of me... you know that Cinderella song "This Is Love," well it was kinda like that."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "I guess just my achievements. I've done well in a lot of shows and school stuff, and academic-wise I'm a great student. I'm a decent baker. I'm proud of my variety of skills I excel at."

18. What are you looking forward to? "Umm... Probably college. Being able to get my own dorm or apartment or something. Just discovering, like, a life plan from there."

19. What do you dream about? "In my sleep I dream about really weird things that are super random."

20. What else do you want to say? "Umm... I'm thankful that I've gotten to age 14. Not everyone gets to do that."

Here's to my bold, brilliant, beautiful 14 year old! You amaze me every day, and I'm so incredibly excited to see where you go and what you do from here.

Labels: Gisele

Friday, August 28, 2020

Gisèle, age 13

We have a teenager. An amazing, intelligent, brilliant, beautiful teenager.

To see Gisèle at age 12, click here.

Since she is officially a teenager now, or in these "unprecedented times," a "quaranteenager," she'll be getting a new set of questions this year!

1. Describe yourself. "Um... Quirky. Hm. That's all I got right now! Creative. Dramatic. And crazy. I feel that like pretty much sums me up."

2. What are you thankful for? "Of course my family and my friends, and all the teachers who are dealing with all the weird stuff right now in schools. And God."

3. What makes you happy? "Hmm... good weather. Good weather makes me happy. Reading makes me happy. Hanging out with my family all together. That make me happy. Watching movies. And baking, probably."

4. What makes you sad or angry? "Unjustice, in my point of view. Death. I just don't like the topic of someone I love dying. Or me dying. And when someone I love is hurt and I can't do anything about it."

5. What do you want to be when you grow up? "A director."

6. What's important to you? "Hmm... following my dreams."

7. What do you love most about yourself? "Hmm... {long pause} I'm trying to think about what I love most about myself; it's kinda hard! Umm... I guess that I'm ready to try new things, and that I'm creative and always see a different way than everyone else."

8. What do you love most about your mom? "Mom, did you just put that in there?! Probably how brave you are, and that you can conquer anything. That's why when there's any question about a role model I usually choose you."

9. What do you love most about your dad? "Dad is always so funny, and he's so weird at the same time. I don't know; he can always cheer you up, even when you're feeling terrible. He can just come in there and make a joke even when he didn't try to make a joke. And he's so passionate about everything."

10. If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go? "Hmm... probably Ireland. I'm just going to stick with that answer. It just looks really cool. But after seeing The Amazing Race, South Africa looks really cool, too,"

11. Who do you admire, and why? "Hmm... probably you, Mom. I don't know, just your strength when you went through treatment, and, I don't know. I admire you because you're brave, and I want to be more courageous, just like you."

12. What do you want to learn more about? "Uh, I know this is probably a very typical answer for me, but theater, of course. Because that's my dream. I think it's really cool and interesting, and I love making things come alive that you wouldn't dream could come alive. I could probably ramble about theater all day."

13. What's something you'd like to do to help someone else? "Hmm. Does it have to be one specific person, or can it be a group of people? Hmm. I want to make sure everyone can get a good education anywhere, and that people don't have to live in poverty."

14. What are you afraid of? "Mmmm... uh, pain? Just, mentally or physically."

15. If you could only keep one thing, what would you keep? "Goodness, this is so hard... ok, this is really hard. Mom, this is an unfair question! It shouldn't be this hard, should it?! Can I say Miles, or is he not considered a thing?"

16. What's your favorite memory? "Ooh.. again, I have no idea! I really liked when we went to Universal. And also, one of my favorite memories is just a collective memory of Shrek. {The musical she was in.} Bits and pieces here and there of our costumes, my terrible bird skirt... Ooh! I finally have my favorite memory. When I had just walked on stage, they had just slapped a wig on my head, and it was the first song and I was supposed to walk across the stage, look back at baby Shrek, and walk off the stage. But when I looked back, my wig fell off in the middle of the stage and I had to leave it on stage in order for the show to go on. Mr. Rhoades, my director, ended up picking up the wig and tossing it backstage for me to put it back on my head. It was funny, but also embarassing because everyone was dancing around it and everything."

17. What are you proud of yourself for? "Ooh... hmmm... for being kind to other people. I think I make a good friend. But then, that's completely up to my friends."

18. What are you looking forward to? "Hmm... probably when I just stop doing school, and I can go out there and direct a movie or direct a production on Broadway and can be like,'Everyone, check me out - I'm a director now!'"

19. What do you dream about? "Since we kinda already did a question about, 'What was my dream?' I'm going to go literally, like 'What was my dream about' and it was about people turning into hippos because of lollipops. That was the weirdest one I think I've ever had."

20. What else do you want to say? "Ooh! Since you didn't ask a question about Miles, like what do I admire in Miles, it's that Miles is so energetic, and that's he's ready to pretty much do anything, and that he's really funny, too, and that he's crazy like me, and so it's nice to have someone to equal out my crazy."

Gisèle, I am forever blessed that God considered me worthy to be your Mom. Watching you grow and discover the world and all the possibilities it holds for you is one of the greatest joys of my life. I can't wait to see you conquer everything before you. Happy birthday, my sweet girl!

Labels: Gisele

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Well, It's Been a While

Not much going on here lately. Just a pandemic.

I was a bit shocked when I came here to write a post and saw that the last time I wrote anything was on Miles's 10th birthday. He's only 2 1/2 inches shorter than me at this point (probably less - it has been about a week since I last measured him), so it feels like it has been even longer.

Since that last post, we celebrated Halloween:

Thanksgiving in San Antonio with Nana and Papa:

And Christmas at home:

Before the pandemic hit, the kids were really enjoying school. Miles was doing great in 4th grade, and was a member of Run Club and the Choir. He also competed in UIL (Number Sense) and earned his Senior Green Belt (and Best Forms and Best Blocking) in Taekwondo.

Gisele was having a great year in 7th grade. She was the President of Student Council (the first time it had not been an 8th grader), a cheerleader, and was having a fantastic time in Production Theatre, playing Betty in The Crucible.

The pandemic hit right around Spring Break. Really, the kids just never went back to school afterward. We started online school on our own pretty quickly because they always do best with some sort of routine. The district came out with their own version of online school fairly soon after, and we switched over to that seamlessly. We set everything up in the dining room, with the kids each on a laptop while I worked on a puzzle.

A few days after this, the table was covered with papers/notebooks.
It was not this clean again for months. MONTHS.

They wore blue light glasses since they were on the laptops for hours each day.

When school ended at the beginning of June, Miles even agreed to finally let me give him a haircut at home after a few months of denying he needed one.

We've been very careful to stay socially-distanced whenever possible, and masked-up when we've needed to be out amongst everyone else.

MD Anderson has been great about masks/temperature-taking/sanitizer, etc., so I've felt perfectly safe going in for my appointments. We've been getting 99% of our groceries delivered from HEB, and Jamie wipes everything down with cleaner as he unloads the bags, and washes all the produce before putting it away. Miles returned to taekwondo after a few months of Zoom-only classes, and the studio has been wonderful. They spray the kids down as they enter, everyone wears masks, and they spray them again as they leave. The equipment is wiped down between sets, also, and they haven't been doing any sparring or partner work since opening back up.

Jamie has been able to work from home since the pandemic started, which has been absolutely wonderful. We set the desk and chair up in our bedroom, so he uses that as his office. He's back there all day, but comes out to eat lunch with us, refill his water, or grab a snack. And I can go chat with him when he has a minute to spare. He doesn't have to commute anymore, and I don't have to worry about him traveling across the city twice a day in traffic, which means I have less stress, also.

Overall, staying at home hasn't been too bad. I do miss going to the zoo whenever we want, taking laps around Target with a Starbucks in hand, and stopping into Blockhouse (my favorite local coffeehouse). And I miss having the option of dinner at Ninja, our yummy local sushi place, when we're tired of cooking every night. Our last night out as a family was actually right before news of "social distancing" hit, and was dinner at Ninja.

For now, we'll follow all of the CDC guidelines and continue to pray that this will pass sooner rather than later.

Stay safe and healthy!

Labels: Gisele, Jamie, Miles

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

It's Already October!

It's already October! Fall has started, and this weekend is supposed to actually start feeling like fall in Houston, which will be incredibly welcome. And Miles is turning 10, and I get to see my bestie! Good things coming this weekend!

Things have been very busy around here lately. Gisèle has cheer and/or theatre every day after school, and Miles has taekwondo 3 days a week. He has been asked to join the JV team/class, also, which will add a Saturday class starting about a week and a half from now. With drop-off, pick-up, and activity chauffeuring, I spend a lot of my day in the car. Joggers, tees, and flip-flops for the win! (And coffee. Lots of coffee.)

Jamie loves his position at Halliburton, and we're really enjoying our church and community group together. We have good friends there and are trying to take the time to have a date night together whenever we can.

Health-wise, side effects have been tolerable lately. My rheumatologist says I'm showing markers of RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and Lupus, but don't have enough markers of either to have a diagnosis. I do show definite inflammation in my joints, though, which explains why I hobble every time I get up. This is very normal post-chemo, and with Lupron, so it's nothing special! I've also gained weight with the forced menopause, which is extremely frustrating. I'm about 30 pounds overweight at this point, and it all seems to be settling in a tire around my waist. It doesn't seem to matter how much/what I eat, or that I'm working out regularly and doing daily crunches. Somehow, I need to figure out what to do about it.

In other health news, I was diagnosed yesterday with sleep apnea, so that'll be interesting to explore. Jamie let me know that I've been making a weird sound in my sleep for a few months now - I sound like a woodpecker - so he recorded it and I played it for my dentist when I went in. She did a 3D xray that showed that my airway is down to 0 - the worst she has ever seen - so put "bumpers" on my back teeth and sent me home with a sleep study device. The x-rays are still being analyzed by doctors for a full diagnosis, but the sleep study doctor came back the next day with a diagnosis of sleep apnea. After I have the results from the scans, we'll discuss next steps to take care of it. (Possibly a DNA, which is a device to widen my lower jaw to make more room for my airway.)

To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, here is an xray of the previous worst case my dentist had seen in her office, and then my airway. Take note of how far up each airway goes, as well as the red (narrow/bad) areas.

The worst case she had seen before me

My airway

She wants to use my xrays in studies and share them with colleagues. Just once, I'd like to be in such great shape that a doctor is amazed, instead of so broken that they are intrigued!

Labels: Breast cancer, Gisele, Jamie, Miles

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Crazy School Year

This school year is crazy. (But it's really nice to have the craziness be about the kids' schedules, and not about my health and appointments!)

Jamie and I keep a shared, color-coded calendar (Google Sheets); we have an "all" section at the top, a section for meals, and a section for each person in the family. If something is an appointment/time-sensitive, it's in bold. This year, with Gisèle involved in cheer and Production Theatre, and Miles in taekwondo, every day has something on it, and everything is in bold.

G has cheer until 5:00 after school Mondays and Wednesdays, and cheers at games at least once a week. She also has theatre rehearsals Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays until 6:00. (Yes, there are some conflicts there.) M has TKD from 4:10 until 5:00 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They each have a sports bag full of gear taking up space in their room, and we are doing a lot of laundry. Oh, and school - all pre-AP classes for G, and GT for M. I'm spending my days doing school drop-offs, running errands or going to my own appointments, then doing school pick-ups and activity chauffeuring.

We are guarding our weekends as best we can. Any evening time we have as a family - dinner together! - and weekend time we can spend together is precious. But it is so worth it to see these two thriving, doing what they love!

Labels: Gisele, Jamie, Miles

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Gisèle, Age 12

To see Gisèle at age 11, click here

1. What is your favorite color? "Well, I like purples, I like blues, and I like dark greens."

2. What is your favorite toy? "Toy? Like, toy - not electronic or something? I don't know, I don't really do toys..."

3. What is your favorite fruit? "I'd say mango, still. Though I really like good strawberries, as well."

4. What is your favorite tv show? "Ooh, that's hard. What do I watch? MC Squared. I don't know."

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? "A chicken salad sandwich."

6. What is your favorite outfit? "I'd say my Inspiration Stage shirt with overalls."

7. What is your favorite game? "One Night Ultimate Werewolf, or Mafia."

8. What is your favorite snack? "Dad's homemade granola bars."

9. What is your favorite animal? "Elephants."

10. What is your favorite song? "Can I say anything Broadway?"

11. What is your favorite book? "A Tangle of Knots."

12. Who is your best friend? "I'd say Melanie Garcia."

13. What is your favorite breakfast? "Quiche."

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? "Ride my bike."

15. What is your favorite drink? "I guess water."

16. What is your favorite holiday? "Christmas."

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? "Um... I don't know. I don't really bring anything to bed."

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for dessert? "Ooh... I think that strawberry cake."

19. What is your favorite dinner? "Mussels and fries."

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? "I think you already know the answer to that. Broadway actress."

Happy 12th birthday, Gisèle! You are incredible. You grow more amazing with every year, and I adore you!

Labels: Gisele

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Our Summer

Last summer was consumed by breast cancer treatment, so we're making up for that this summer.

We were finally able to have our family reunion this year, after postponing it last year due to my treatment. My parents and their kids, with spouses and children, all gathered in a large house at Lake Texoma for a week to catch up. We played a lot of cornhole and a lot of board games, drank some beer and cider, and ate a lot of good foods. We had 12 adults and 12 kids in the house and had a fantastic time! We'll do it again in a couple years, maybe in the New Braunfels area this time.

The kids have had a busy summer. Gisele has been in a couple of theatre camps; she was the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz, and then in the ensemble for Camp Rock. She and Miles also both went to Camp Overflow with Crossbridge (our church), and to Camp Kesem, which is an incredible (free!) sleepaway camp for kids with parents who have been through cancer treatment. And then last week, she had Cheer Camp, since she'll be a cheerleader at the Junior High this year.

While the kids were away at Camp Kesem, Jamie and I took the opportunity to take a trip of our own! We went to Las Vegas for the first time and had a blast. It had been a long time since we'd had a vacation without kids, and it was nice getting to spend some one-on-one time. We didn't see any shows; we walked around visiting a bunch of casinos, playing some video poker and eating a lot of good food. We've decided we'll try to save enough Southwest miles to take a trip together each year while the kids are at Camp Kesem.

Now we have about 3 weeks until school starts, and school supplies are already purchased, so we have a little time to relax!

Labels: Gisele, Jamie, Miles

Living with Whimsy

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Gisèle, age 18

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Saturday, August 28, 2021

Gisèle, age 14

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Gisèle, age 13

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

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Wednesday, October 9, 2019

It's Already October!

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Crazy School Year

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Gisèle, Age 12

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Our Summer

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