When you have a house with four young kids, there's usually no telling what will happen on a day to day basis.  You can pretty much count on the continual chaos of running, yelling, screaming, laughing, playing, fighting and messes. 
      Ohhhh the messes.  
      I wrote before about walking through a "Parade of Homes" house once while pulling back the tears as I looked at my husband.  Shooting him a, "We could never live in a house like this" expression, he stopped me before I could even say the words.   
      Shaking his head he said, "Honey, put our kids in this house with four spoons and a gallon of chocolate ice cream and give it ten minutes."
      He was right.  It didn't matter how nice or pretty a house might be.  Our kids could destroy it.  They could destroy almost anything.  In no time flat, a clean car could have unidentifiable splatters on the floor and upholstery that would boggle even NASA.  A house, especially a bathroom, could substitute as a petri dish.
      Some of my personal favorites have been when our home had its very own water slide in the kitchen.  You too can do this by simply holding the water lever in on the refrigerator door until it floods the whole floor.  You'll be good to go in minutes flat...no sunscreen necessary.
      For special occasions, you can include a waterfall for added effect by holding up the spray hose from the kitchen sink.  Oooooooooo, Ahhhhhhhh. 
      Our house has had a snow storm on the inside.  Just one whole bag of flour can go a looooong way.  You'd be surprised at the surface area it can cover.  Especially when making snow angels and having snow ball fights.
      Want a REALLY cool glow in the dark room?  Just find a closet or bathroom...anyplace that's dark will do.  Pull the ends off of a bunch of glow sticks and go to town.  Shake those babies until every square inch is covered. 
      One of my personal favorites has been the abstract art that can be found on any given wall or door.  Ahhhh yes.  Van Gogh himself would marvel at the potential these children have.  They're quite brilliant I must say.  The "Summer of '12 Hallway Collection" rendered me speechless. 
      And then there are the kids themselves.  The things they get into, stains on their clothes, drawings on their arms and legs, mud in their feet...we have found more unbelievable things from head to toe on these four kids.  
      Just the other day, our five year old son walked right up to me with a clump of something in his hair.
     "Preston?"
     "Yes."
     "What is that?"
     "I don't know."
     "Buddy, Let me see it.  What do you have in your hair?"
     "I dunno Mommy.  I think it's gum.  Ethan put it in there."
     "ETHAAAAN!!!"
     "Yes?"
     "COME HERE RIGHT NOW!"
     "Yes?"
     "WHAT is in his hair?"
     "Gum.  I didn't want it anymore."

     Like I said.  There's usually no telling what will happen on a day to day basis.  It's always good to remember to keep your wits about you...but it also doesn't hurt to have a few good tricks up your sleeve. 
     Oh, by the way, peanut butter is really good at getting bubble gum out of hair...and carpet, and couch cushions, blankets, cat fur... 

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    In 2002, Adam was in the Air Force and had just gotten home from the Middle East after 9/11.  It was just the two of us, we had no kids, we were Newlyweds...so we went on a three day trip to celebrate his return. 
    While sitting on the beach, he saw something in the sand.  Whatever it was, it reflected the sunlight in a way that caught his attention enough to dig a little deeper. (no pun intended)
    With a handful of sand, he carefully rinsed it through the ocean to discover a tiny ring for a little girl.  It was beautiful and delicate.  
    There were no children in our area of the beach but we asked people around us if it belonged to them to no avail.
    Not knowing if or when we would ever have a little girl, we decided to hold onto it just in case.  If we possibly did have a daughter, we could one day tell her how we found the buried treasure and hoped for her.
    Last month, our little girl turned four years old.  The tiny ring would fit her perfectly.
    Our family was about to take a vacation so we carefully packed the ring that we had kept all these years.  Lauren Elizabeth has never known about the ring, so it would be a complete surprise to her. 
    As we sat on the beach, Adam gave me a look to let me know that he was ready.  Lauren was playing in the ocean with her three big brothers so Adam scooped a little pocket in the sand and put the ring in.  Patting over it, he called for Lauren.
     She ran up as Adam said, "I think there's something buried in here Baby Girl!  Look!"  
     Going beside Adam, she began to dig.  She suddenly felt the ring with her fingers and looked up at him with a smile.  Pulling it out of the white sand, she studied it.  
     Laughing, Adam said, "Lauren, it's a ring!  You found a ring!  It's buried treasure!"
     She screamed and jumped up to look at it.

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     The third day on the ship there was a strange noise and somewhat of a vibration.  I looked at Adam.  "What was that?!"
     He looked back with confusion and went to a window to see outside.  "There's a BOAT out there!"
     "A boat?  What do you mean a boat?" 
     Going towards the window, I couldn't understand what he meant.  We had been out to sea for days and were in the middle of nowhere.  What kind of boat could there be?
     "You mean a ship?"
     "NO!  A BOAT!  A little boat...like a raft.  It looks like someone got shipwrecked or lost at sea or something." 
     Reaching the window, I couldn't believe what I saw.

     He was right.  There was a small boat out in the middle of nowhere. 
     "What in the World?!"  Grabbing Adam's hand, we started running up flights of stairs to the outside of the ship.  Reaching the side, we looked over and there it was.  A small boat that definitely had people in it.

      Some employees from the ship began to gather and we asked what would happen.  They told us that our ship had already stopped when they saw the boat.  The US Coast Guard was called and we were waiting for them to arrive to take it from there.
      Standing and watching the boat, we expected the stranded people to try anything to move towards the ship to be rescued but they didn't.  It almost seemed like they were trying to go in the opposite direction.  It was then that I became a little nervous.  The way I figured, if you were lost at sea and had been found...you'd be acting like a crazy person trying to go towards the help.  Why weren't they? 
     Little by little, passengers from the ship began to gather along the sides to see what was happening.  We began to hear murmurs of everything from, "What if they're bad guys?  Why are we stopping...let's go."  to "They must be refugees and they're trying to get away from us so we don't pick them up." 
     Everyone seemed confused with the whole situation. 
Suddenly, the make-shift sail from the boat began to lower.  

     The tension began to rise around us as people whispered, "What are they doing?  Who are these people?" 
     The little boat began to redirect and come towards us.  It looked like the people pulled out what seemed like paddles and began to row.  There was a strange mixture of fear and wonder.  
     Coming closer to us, they began to wave their arms seeming as though they were friendly, or asking for help. 

    A large door on the side of the ship opened and the small boat approached it.  As the people climbed on, we all still wondered who they were and what was happening.  There was no sign of the Coast Guard yet but an announcement came overhead that the ship would keep the people contained and make sure that they were taken care of.  
    As their boat was cleared out and the people were taken in, we looked down to see what they were traveling in.  It was unlike anything I had ever seen. 

     If they really were refugees, where were they coming from and what was so bad where they lived to make them risk their lives at sea under such conditions?  It was hard to believe altogether and a pit grew in my stomach.
     Eventually the Coast Guard arrived as everyone stood and watched.

     The people who were lost at sea were loaded onto the Coast Guard's boat and whisked away.  We still don't know who they were or what their story was.  
     Word spread on the ship that they had been out to sea for three days and were completely out of food and water.  It's hard to think what would have happened to them.  
    It's even harder yet to think about where they came from if in fact they were trying to escape.  I hope they're okay.  It was such a huge reminder of how truly fortunate we are to live in freedom.   

     One fun thing about the Disney Cruise were the Pirates and Princesses. 
     It wouldn't feel right to be out to sea without seeing a swashbuckling Pirate.  On the third night of the trip, there were a plenty to be had. 
      It was "Pirate Night" and it was hard to go a blimey minute without encountering one.  Mateys of all ages were decked out and ready for adventure.  Captain Jack Sparrow was there to ensure the festivities.  

     Plenty of Landlubbers had a Jolly Roger time, but once the Pirates walked the plank, the Princesses came in. 
     After having three little Pirates in a row, we never thought we would get the chance to meet Cinderella...and it was finally time.
     Lauren Elizabeth wondered if she would see Snow White.  She has loved Snow White ever since her friend Lia had a birthday party where Snow White showed up as a surprise.  Lauren Elizabeth wondered if she would ever get to meet her again. 
     We brought her little dress from home, went to the cruise...and hoped for the best.
     When we heard that there would be a Princess gathering, Lauren could hardly stand the wait.  
     Trumpets sounded and as everyone looked above, there they were. 

    Lauren's eyes widened when she saw Snow White.
    The Princesses made their way down the grand staircase and it was hard to keep Lauren from running towards them.
    The Princesses formed a line but as luck would have it, the very last one was Snow White.
    We giggled as Lauren went from Ariel to Belle and was so excited to meet each one. 

     The time finally arrived to meet Snow White.  There was one little girl in front of Lauren Elizabeth and she waited her turn.  Looking at us with the biggest eyes, Lauren seemed like she would burst if she didn't get to talk to Snow White soon.
     As the girl in front of us walked away, Lauren sprinted to Snow White and all but knocked her over with a hug.  Snow White couldn't have been better.  She talked and listened to Lauren Elizabeth about so many different things.  They discussed the most important matters of what it was like to turn four years old and of course, bows and hair styles.   

     It was a magical time all around.  Scurvy Pirates and Princesses alike had a Fairy tale ending to a most fun filled day at sea.

     It all started around the beginning of the year when my Mom and Dad surprised us with the news of a Disney Cruise.  They had always wanted to take a big family vacation but it never seemed to be the right time. 
     My older brother and his family are back home in Ohio, Mom and Dad have retired and now live in North Carolina, while Adam and I are a little over an hour away from them in NC too. 
     Between the logistics of time, distance and everything else...it just never seemed to work out. 
     That's when it happened.  
     Mom and Dad simply said, "We're doing this, everybody needs to make it work". - And we did. 
     I can't remember the last time we took a whole family vacation.  We'd always say that that we would - but then turn around and another year had passed.
     Whatever convinced my parents to book a Disney Cruise, I don't know.  I've always heard from people who have been on one that there's nothing else quite like it - and now I can understand why.  
      It was unreal.  The attention to detail and the amount of fun that everyone had was beyond anything imaginable.  It almost felt like you took a little piece of Disney World, made it your own, then put it on the water.  You didn't have the lines of a thousand people from the theme park to contend with waiting to see Snow White - because she was there with you, on the boat, having story time with the kids.        

     "Mad Scientists" came to teach the kids how to make "Flubber" then later, "Ratatouille" cooking class took place where the kids made chocolate chip cookies.

    When you were ready for some fun in the sun, you could go to the top of the ship for a swim or some snacks. The kids had a ball with their cousins as they beat the heat. 

      When the ship stopped, one of the ports was Disney's Castaway Cay.  It was enough to leave you breathless.  There were the most beautiful white sandy beaches with crystal clear water.  As you went in, tropical fish were swimming about. 
     The kids were amazed as they went underwater to go nose to nose with them.  
     The waterslides were ridiculously awesome too. 

     Back on the boat, the things to do were endless.  First run movies were played in two different movie theatres.  We watched "Oz the Great and Powerful" in 3-D after watching "Wreck It Ralph" with the kids and their 3-D glasses.  There were nighttime shows and musicals that brought Disney to life.  Young and old alike couldn't help but smile at the "Toy Story" production on stage.  
     I think that the most fun of all was when the kids saw the characters.  You never knew when someone would be right around the corner or hanging out beside the ship.  The kids would run and scream as they all but tackled them every time. 

     Even though we had the best time possible on the Disney Cruise, the whole meaning of it all was to spend time together.  Reconnecting with loved ones and taking a minute to come away from the rush of everyday lives was unmistakably important.

    Thanks to some time away at sea, it turned out to be a wonderful vacation.  THANK YOU to Mom and Dad for making it happen.  We couldn't have done it without you.  David, Heather, Charlie and Fiona...we Miss You already!  
    With the hustle and bustle of everyday living, it's important to remember to take time out to enjoy life and the wonders it may bring.  We've recently had a wake up call that reminded us of just that - so this trip couldn't have come at a better time.
    After all, it's always good to get a reminder to have a little "Faith, Trust and Pixy Dust".

     It would be hard to write about how much fun a Disney Cruise could be.  I'll try to rely on the old saying, "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words"... 

    Over the next few days I'll tell of Pirates and Princesses...

     Memories made with family...

     Different countries...

     Finding people lost at sea...

    And even buried treasure...

    It was an amazing week of adventure that I can't wait to write about!  We hope you'll join us!

    The doctor called and it's benign! Thank You God and Thank You for the thoughts and prayers!  Amen, Hallelujah!!! 

     "Beatrice?  You can come on back Hon."  My heart pounded. 
     Here we go.  Adam and I rose from our cushioned chairs in the waiting room.  Holding hands, he gave mine a squeeze as we walked towards the pleasant nurse.  She propped the door open with her back and a smile, then took the paperwork I had just completed.  I didn't want to walk through the door with her but I knew that I had to.  
     Guiding me to a chair in a hallway, I sat as she began her routine of necessities.  Weight, height, blood pressure...it seemed surreal that I was going through such a regular collection of data when all I wanted to do was scream, "I don't care about any of this...I just want to know if I have cancer!"  
     Adam knew me too well and tried to crack a few jokes.  The kind nurse gave us a grin then walked us to a white room with two chairs and an exam table.  Telling us that someone would be right in, she closed the door.  
     The way I see it, that's about the time that one of three things are bound to happen. 
     Number one, you'll be in complete denial of what's going on around you.  "There's no way that I'm sick.  It's just not possible." 
     Number two, you're somewhat at peace with whatever may come.  "I'm either fine or I'm not.  No matter what...I'm going to deal with it."
    Or number three...you're totally freaking out.  "I'm going to die.  I'm going to find out in the next hour that I'm going to die."  
    I've been a little bit of all three for the past few days.  It pretty much hits you the hardest when you're sitting in a sterile room, waiting for that knock from the other side of the door though.  It's difficult not to wonder who is about to enter...the Angel of death or of Mercy.
    A young and pretty Physician's Assistant came to visit first- and explained the reason for the follow up tests.  The last results came back with somewhat of a red flag so they had to continue further.  "If we need to get in there and see what's going on, then we'll know for sure.  We'll wait and see what the doctor decides to do." 
    (Get in there and see...)
    Taking us from the unassuming examination room, we were led down the hall to a darkened room with a bigger medical bed to lie on and equipment all around.  There was a high-tech ultrasound machine to the left and a knot grew in my chest reminding me of our little ones. 
     How many times had we seen this same display before?  Finding out we were having a boy for the first time?  Finding out on the fourth and final attempt that we were actually getting a baby girl?  So many tears of joy had been in rooms just like this.  
     This could not be happening.
     The doctor entered the room with a calmness and a kind smile.  Shaking our hands and going to the machinery, he had me lie down as he placed cool gel and the ultrasound across my neck.
     "Everything actually looks to be within normal limits...so that's a good thing."  My heart swelled through my chest.  My heart was too hasty.
     "The one reason that we have you here today though, is that even though you have a lot of growth around your thyroid, there's one small area that we're concerned about.  It's demonstrating the signs that could be related to cancer.  I'd like to take some samples of that area by sticking a very thin needle in your neck and getting what we need.  We don't have to do that today if you're not ready, but we should do it so.."
   "Do it now."  I stopped him mid-sentence.  "Do it now and get it over with.  I'm here...do it now."
    The doctor looked at me, then at Adam with an unspoken "Alright, let's go then," expression as he turned to get what he needed.  
    Another nurse with lavender non-latex gloves appeared and stood to my left.  Adam sat in a chair to her side and leaned forward to hold my hand. 
    I whispered, "Do you want to see this?  He's going to stab needles through my throat."  As my stomach tighten, Adam said, "I'm right here." 
   The nurse with the purple gloves lowered my head backwards.  It was an unnatural position with my neck pushed up in the air.  I tried to breath and keep the focus off of the blood flowing to my brain.  All of the anatomy classes I had taken to become a therapist began to slam through my thoughts. 
    (What if he hits a nerve?  What if he punctures my trachea?) 
     More thoughts of, "What if I cough?" to "What if HE coughs?" started their way in. 
     The screeching sound of a scratching record took away all of that as soon as he turned and approached me with the needle.  It was not small.  
     Before I could ask if there was any numbing cream, any ANYthing...he put the ultrasound back on my neck and said, "I'm going to look where I want this to go and I'll tell you when to get ready." 
     I was trying to breathe and stay perfectly still, while at the same time, my head had to tell my body not to move.  It's the most unnatural thing to have someone take a needle to your neck while forcing yourself not to budge.  
    "Okay...we're ready...aaaand..."  There was a pinch.  It was on the mid-right section of my throat and it literally felt like a sewing needle being pushed into my neck.  It wasn't the worst pain ever but it definitely wasn't pleasant.  I thought he was going to push it in, then take it right out.  He didn't.  He seemed to scape or push around...I don't know what...until finally he pulled the needle back out and it was done. 
     It was like truth serum in reverse.  Whatever he pulled out of me would hold all of the answers. 
     Purple gloves flashed across my face as gauze and pressure were put in the absence of the needle. 
     Turning his back, the doctor asked if I was ready again as he came towards me with a new needle.  Same pinch, same pressure, same urge to punch him.
     Round two was done and I felt the back of my neck stiffen from tightness.  Turning my head to see Adam, I didn't know if he would be alright or close to passing out.
     He nodded and gave a half smile whispering, "Are you okay?"  Nodding yes, I fought back tears.  I felt the area sting in my neck when I moved it. 
    Stopping me short from answering, the third needle came into view.  "You're doing great.  Are you ready for the last one?"
    "Yep."
    It was done.  A pillow replace the uncomfortable position of my neck and more gauze was held against my skin.  We would know the answer once and for all and now we had to wait...again.
    As things were wrapping up, we explained how we were going on a family vacation for the first time in a long time and how it would be nice to know before we left.  The doctor said that he would actually be able to look at some slides of the samples if we wanted him to, giving a preliminary assessment of the results NOW. 
    "I can't tell you with 100% accuracy, but I can at least tell you if things look good to a certain degree."
    Adam stood where the nurse once was at my side.  I saw his chest rise from the breath he took in.  I didn't know if it was from nervousness or relief. 
    A calm came over me.  The test was done.  The answer existed...now it jut had to be found.  Through all of the prayers from family and friends...through words of advice and thoughts of well wishes...a feeling said, "It will be okay." 
    The power of prayer and the faith in God are an amazing thing.  It can remove fear and doubt and strengthen the weakest of hearts.  Like my Mom said before I left for the test, "Our God parted the Red Sea Child, he can take care of this!"
     For what seemed like hours, the doctor switched slides in and out of a microscope on a table across the room.  Adam and I waited for any response. 
     Quietly snickering, I mumbled, "Suddenly I feel like I should have paid more attention in biology class."  Adam grinned and shook his head.
    "Well..."  The doctor said as he hunched over the microscope.
    "To tell you the truth, I'm not seeing anything that alarms me.  It looks pretty benign so far." 
     My eyes filled again and I pulled Adam's hand.
    "This isn't 100% remember, but it looks pretty good so far.  I'll try to have the official results to you by the end of the week but I like what I see."

    Thank You God and Thank You to our family and friends for the prayers and thoughts.  Things look good and we'll keep hoping for the best. 

    My husband Adam grew up in the Air Force.  He was literally born and raised in the military.  He lived from base to base, city to city and ended with his high school years being near Washington, DC while his Dad worked at the Pentagon.  He was a city kid.
    If you take just the opposite of that, you'll get - well - me.  Both my Mom and Dad were from Navy families.  My Mom then grew up in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey and even though they raised my brother and myself in the most beautiful part of Ohio, it almost felt as though we had ocean water coursing through our veins.  I was blessed to grow up in the rolling hills of Southeastern Ohio where it was as though God painted the trees with color each Fall, then transformed the world into a Wintery Fairlyland soon after. 
     We were also blessed to visit Mom's whole side of the family in New Jersey each year where we lived on the beach...or as Mom would call it...the "shore".  We also went to my Dad's side in Hilton Head Island, SC where his parents lived upon retirement.  I was a nature kid.
     Does it matter that Adam and I are polar opposites?  Not really I guess.  If you put me in the middle of a city I would be lost without him.  If you put Adam in the middle of the woods he would swear there was a snake somewhere nearby.
    He went into the Air Force just like his Dad and that's when I met him.  We were married right before 9/11 and being a Newlywed, I stood frozen as I watched him go to war.  When he returned, we went on a three day cruise before we had to move for his new orders in Texas.  
    Where am I going with all of this?  Well, one of the ports that the ship stopped was on a picturesque Caribbean beach.  I had never seen anything like it.  You could walk into the water for what seemed like forever as the crystal clear blue surrounded you.  No matter how far you went, you could still see your feet.  
     Regardless, Adam didn't seem to love it.  Wondering why he didn't want to go out very far in the ocean, he shook his head and said, "Just because the water's clear, doesn't mean there still aren't sharks".  
    It was hard not to giggle. 
    We decided to sit on the white sandy beach, listen to the waves, breathe the air and feel the sun.  It couldn't get much better. 
    Adam watched as a small baby crab passed us by and he continued to sit up on his towel as though he saw something else.  
    "Hey, what do you think that is?"
    Trying to see through squinted vision, I had no idea what he was talking about.
    "Don't you see that?  It's something shiny...right there...look!"
    I didn't see anything.
    Adam got up and walked towards the water.  He stopped short, bent down and started to dig in the sand.     
    Coming back, he had a handful of sand and he was pushing it around with his finger. 
    "Look!  There's something in here!"  
    He was right.  There was something clumped in his hand.  We got up and went to the water to wash it through, wondering what it could be.  
    As he carefully lifted his fist through the water and turned it to open, a tiny gold ring appeared.  At first I thought it was an earring but then we realized that it was a child's ring.  It was so small that it wouldn't fit on a pinky - and at the top - there was a little diamond.  
   "Oh no!  Some girl lost this!"  It hit me especially because when I was young - I lost my favorite necklace in the sand.  It had three hearts on it...pink, yellow and blue.  My Mom and I looked for hours but we never found it.
   Adam and I walked the beach asking people if the ring was theirs.  Nobody claimed it.  When we went back on the ship we took it to the lost and found.  The woman behind the counter smiled and said, "Do you have any idea how many cruises ago that could have been lost?  There's no way to find out who it belongs to."  We gave her our information and told her to contact us just in case.  She never did. 
    Heading back home, we wondered what to do with it.  We didn't have kids at the time but decided that if we ever had a little girl, we would give it to her when she was old enough.  We would tell her about the time we found a buried treasure in the sand that had us hope and dream of her.  
    Fast forward to today and our baby girl just turned four years old.  The ring would fit her perfectly. 
     As luck would have it, months ago, my parents booked a Disney Cruise for our whole family to go on.  We're getting ready for it soon and the kids have absolutely no idea.  It couldn't have come at a better time as Adam and I deal with tests and Doctor appointments this week.
    We've already packed the ring to take with us so we can give it to Lauren on the beach.  It's hard to believe that we found it over a decade ago - and we're finally going to give it to our daughter.   
    I guess it really is true how they say that "Opposites attract". 
    Sometimes even when you take a city boy...a nature girl...and put them together, one may never know.  The greatest treasures of all just might be discovered. 

       I've been going back and forth on whether or not to write.  On one hand, I don't want to acknowledge this, while on the other - writing for me is therapeutic.  It allows my thoughts and feelings to take form.  
     It would be hard not to find someone who hasn't been affected by cancer.  A family member...friend...any loved one who has gone through it in some way shape or form.  This week we've been introduced to our own personal story.  
     Our family doctor sent me to an Endocrinologist some time back and they found that my thyroid evidently has a lot of cysts or nodules all around it.  It was explained that that's not uncommon and how people often have "things" growing in them all the time.  Many times they are harmless and usually even go
unnoticed. 
      A "Thyroid scan" was scheduled just in case - and I went to the hospital to have it done.
    They injected something into me with a needle that allowed them to do a test on my thyroid.  The way it was explained to me was that they wanted the nodules to be "hot" instead of "cold" - whatever that means. 
    The results came back and sure enough...a good amount of the growth was what they wanted it to be, but some of it was not.  The doctor called and said that they needed to go further
with the testing to rule out cancer. 
    I go tomorrow to get some lab work done, then Tuesday at 8:45 in the morning, I'm set up for an appointment to have needles pushed through my neck to actually pull out some
samples - checking to see if it's benign or malignant.  
    It's kind of hard to wrap my head around any of it so far and it seems like it's not really possible.  I don't know how to do this.  The "not knowing" is what's all but haunting.  It's next to impossible to try to comprehend the words when a doctor actually says to you, "We need to rule out cancer".
     Adam has been good about it saying over and over, "You're NOT going to have cancer and if there is a worst case...then we'll
fight like hell until it's gone."
     I really don't know how it could be a possibility though.  I feel completely fine and I just don't think there could be anything wrong.  
     I can't ignore it however - and I have to be proactive.  I'll go through all of the tests and hopefully find out that it's
completely okay. 
     It's an ugly disease that affects too many.  I'll hope and pray for the best - but until then, I'll make sure to hug my loved ones even tighter - and never want to let go.