Best Day EVER

The first half of this blog is all kinds of personal and sappy, so bear with me. It's back-story before the fun, good half of the blog.

Early in 2009 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Amid all the confusion and anger and sadness, I was lucky enough to stumble upon a person in a facebook group that was in nearly my exact situation. She is a young mother living here in Utah, with three daughters that are the same ages as my oldest three. She was diagnosed the year before I was - and we were even seeing the same doctor. She started out as someone I could ask the myriad of questions I had, and has ended up being someone I value very much as a friend.

I know that people mean well and want to help in these kind of situations, and most just don't know how. So I had countless people telling me about their "neighbors friends brothers aunt" or some such nonsense that had this cancer and has beat it and is feeling GREAT! And I'm happy for them, I really am. But I know better than anyone that you can't tell me HOW someone is feeling or attest to their amazing level of health and energy. I lie to people all the time and tell them I feel good when I don't. It's what people do. Although I knew then as I know now that people were trying to give me hope and help me feel more positive, what I needed more than anything was permission to grieve for a while; permission to feel bad and say I was feeling bad and have that be okay.

I know that I have friends that love me and a family that loves me - but no matter how loved I am, I still have moments when I feel misunderstood and alone. And for a long time I convinced myself that prayer makes me cry and I do more than enough of that, so I took a break. I couldn't ask God for help because all it seemed to produce were more tears. And I really do feel that my Heavenly Father answered my unspoken prayer by sending me someone to talk to until I was ready to talk to Him again.

At the times when I felt most alone, I knew that she understood exactly what I was going through. She knows what it's like to be up all night with anxiety over an upcoming doctor appointment or surgery. She knows the feelings of worthlessness and depression. She knows how hard it is to be a wife and mother when your mind is consumed with worry and your body doesn't even feel like your own. She even knows how it feels to have an ugly scar in the middle of your throat - and knows that although it shouldn't matter, it does. And I desperately needed someone who REALLY understood. I would never wish this on anyone, but to have her going through it with me gave me strength that I don't think I would have had otherwise.

We were able to meet each other once at Huntsman (we had appointments on the same day, lucky us!), but other than that one meeting I've never been able to spend time with her outside of our chats and emails. She was kind enough to invite my family to her home yesterday, and here's where things get good...

My girls were very excited to meet the three little girls I'd been telling them they'd get to spend the day with. I was excited to spend some more time with Marietta, and I told Dennis that he and Rob (her husband) could start their own little support group for battered husbands.

Amid her multitude of talents, Marietta is an amazing photographer. She has a perfect little studio in her house, and the walls are filled with some of the cutest pictures I've ever seen. A few months ago she had to listen to me whine about our less-than-desirable family pictures experience (Hayden ran away and cried the whole time, Claire vomited, and I almost bit Dennis' head off in my frustration). She was kind enough to offer to take some pictures of the girls when we got there. It went so well, and I'm thrilled with them. Go check out her blog, because she's really great at what she does. http://www.ahmphotography.blogspot.com













After getting their pictures done, the girls went and played together while the guys left to pick up pizzas, and Marietta printed photos for me. The girls put on a Peter Pan play and a little dance show, and then we ate lunch. We sat and chatted after lunch, then left to take the girls out for ice cream. We went to Farr's by the Ogden Temple, and man, it was SO good! I have about 50 more flavors I need to try, so we're going to have to go back often.

After stuffing my face at Farr's, it was time to go to iFly! A few months ago Marietta and I were talking about how rough/exhausting this past year has been, and decided we need to have more exciting experiences. She mentioned a place she has been to a couple of times called iFly, an indoor skydiving arena. I said I was all for it, and she made an appointment for us to go at 4:00 yesterday.



They took us back in a little room to watch a short training video, and then our trainer came in to go over the highlights with us and make sure we were ready. He said that all you really have to remember is to hold the position (arms in front of you with elbows bent, chin up, back arched, and legs apart and bent at the knee) and we'd be fine. I was feeling pretty excited and ready to go. Then, on the way out the door, the trainer left us with this little gem of information: "Oh, obviously if you're flying towards the glass you should extend your arm in front of you and push off. You wouldn't believe how many people I see face-plant into the glass every day."

Oh, great. So while I suited up and prepared for my "flight", all I could think about was the picture my husband was surely going to post immediately upon our return home of my face smashed up to the glass at 120 miles an hour. At that point, I got a little nervous.

I'm not exactly what you'd call physically coordinated. In fact, stories of my LACK of physical coordination have spread far-and-wide. I started to think this may not be my "thing". I'm more of a sit at home and read kind of person. There's very little chance of embarrassment that way.

Here are myself and Marietta in our flight suits. Don't we look like experienced models? I'm going to wait by the phone for iFly to call and beg us to be in their next brochure. It's going to happen.





Dennis told me to "look excited". Is this good? Can you tell that I'm picturing my face-plant into the glass?



Hayden had missed a nap and was unhappy to see me go, but facinated with the goggles. Who could blame her? They were awesome.



This is my Top Gun pose. Enjoy.



Marietta and I waiting behind the glass...





Flying!!!

I tell you, this is the most exhilarating thing I've ever done. After I got my balance and kind of got the feel for things, the trainer took me way up high and did turns and flips and...I don't know what. At that point I was concentrating on breathing, and in an attempt to gulp down some air I made the mistake of slightly opening my mouth. That's when I realized what the sexy, orange goggles were for - as my own spit flew right at my eye. But, I avoided the glass with ease and REALLY enjoyed every second of it. The rush lasted for hours after the actual flight.

As I was changing out of the "flight suit", my trainer and another experienced flyer said they were amazed that was my first time. They said most people don't fall into it that easily and that I might have to take up a new hobby. So obviously I've completely overcome my awkward stage and I'm ready for anything now.

Maybe even a real sky dive? It could happen. I loved it that much.

We said our goodbyes to our friends and then went to my grandparents house, since we were only about five minutes away. They fed us dinner and we chatted and Grandma played games with the little girls. My grandma thought I was crazy to have gone to iFly, and Kaiya said, "Grandma, maybe you'd like it! You should try it sometime."

Grandma shook her head and said, "If I turn 80, maybe I'll go. I hear that's the age when you can do any crazy thing you want."

Ha! My grandma is 78, beautiful, in amazing shape, and completely with it. She does not seem her age, and I'd be shocked if she doesn't "make it" to 80. So I hope she realizes I'll be taking her up on it. Besides, it's like an instant face-lift!

All-in-all, yesterday was a nearly perfect day. Marietta and Rob, thank you SO very much for inviting us to your home! You have a beautiful family. Thank you for the pictures, lunch, ice cream, and for holding my cranky toddler while I got to "fly".