Today marks the 8 year wedding anniversary of my friends, Jeff and Julia Freeland. Thank you both for blessing my life with your friendship and welcoming me into your extended family. You have created a beautiful family and it's an honor to have you in my life. Happy Anniversary!
Today, I honor my cousin and friend, Helen. We've been pen-pals for over twenty years and last summer, she and her brother, Rob, came to Sacramento. I was fortunate to spend a week with them, touring Sac, San Francisco, Yosemite and watching Rob participate in the WMA Championships. It was so fun to spend that time with them! Helen is a teacher, compassionate and funny. I love her spirit and devotion to the kids she teaches. So, today, I send you wishes for another year of fun, love and adventure ... With love from one Andrew to another!
This is my niece, Avery Cait. She is ten years old and has the heart of an angel. She took my cancer diagnosis in 2009 very hard. She is happy now that I am in remission and reminds me to eat fruits, vegetables and lots of antioxidants. She wears a pink bracelet in my honor and for the past couple years, she has carved ribbons into pumpkins in the fall. She is growing up so quickly and I hate that part of her youth had to include her aunt getting cancer. But, she has taught me so much through this experience. She is full of love, hope and compassion. I fight on against this terrible disease called breast cancer because I do not ever want her life to be touched by it in any way, shape or form. I love you, Avery Cait and am so proud to be your aunt!
Breast cancer is a terrible disease. On January 18, 2012, my dear friend (pictured here in October 2011 with her family), passed away after a valiant fight with metastatic breast cancer. We've been friends for 20 years, having met in high school. We fought our original breast cancer battles in 2009, and sadly, Gina had a recurrence. It was an incredibly aggressive form of cancer and she was gone before I could get to her side and say goodbye. I hope that she is watching down on us now and can feel the love I have for her and the sorrow I feel because I miss my friend. There is nobody like Gina - she was the best of the best, the funniest woman I know and the kindest woman around. I hate breast cancer. I hate that my friend is gone and that her young family will have to live on without her. But I keep Gina's love and laughter in my heart and fight on in my crusade to raise awareness about breast cancer.
I realize it's been a long time since my last post, but I'm back anyhow. In November 2011, I had the chance to meet one of my heroes ... Jim Brickman! Who, you ask? Jim Brickman! America's Romantic Piano Sensation, that's who! I've been a fan for years, and thanks to the kindness of my buddy, Tina Macuha, I got to meet Jim in studio, watch him perform live on television, attend his concert at The Crest and visit with him again after the concert. Such a great talent and an incredibly kind man!
This is my niece, Avery Cait. She is ten years old and has the heart of an angel. She took my cancer diagnosis in 2009 very hard. She is happy now that I am in remission and reminds me to eat fruits, vegetables and lots of antioxidants. She wears a pink bracelet in my honor and for the past couple years, she has carved ribbons into pumpkins in the fall. She is growing up so quickly and I hate that part of her youth had to include her aunt getting cancer. But, she has taught me so much through this experience. She is full of love, hope and compassion. I fight on against this terrible disease called breast cancer because I do not ever want her life to be touched by it in any way, shape or form. I love you, Avery Cait and am so proud to be your aunt!
