February - Dallas Trip & YSC/LBBC Conference

Rachel and I traveled to Dallas the last weekend of February and spent a few days at Rob & Sharon's with Nancy & Jerry, Wendy & Brad, Sophie, Ryan, Emily & Brooke. This was our first visit to meet the newest addition to our family, Ryan Thomas Schmitz! Isn't he a cutie??
Sophie started playing soccer last year and she is an awesome little soccer player!! I was so happy we got to see one of her practices. Nothing like watching a bunch of preschoolers playing soccer. And, I have to give it to the girls - they were tough!! There were boys practicing on the next field over and they were the ones crying and whining for mom - NOT the GIRLS!!! Way to go Soph!
We took the kids to what my nieces refer to as a "bounce house". It's a big warehouse type building full of inflatables - what a way to keep them occupied, entertained and wear them out all at once!

Soph on the slides

Brooke & Emily at the soccer fields:



Somehow, we missed getting a picture of the adults this trip. We usually try to do that when we are all together but it was a little hectic this trip. We'll all be together again in June and I'm sure there will be lots of picture taking at Amy's wedding.

While we were in Dallas, Rachel got to spend the weekend with her cousins, aunts and uncles while I slipped away for a few days. I attended the 9th Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer at the Hotel Anatole. This conference is sponsored by Living Beyond Breast Cancer and the Young Survival Coalition. I participate in a YSC bulletin board and have come to "know" many women who, like me, were diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 or younger. I was able to meet some of these awesome women over the weekend as well as make new friends.









Vendors and Survivors!!



I attended workshops on Bone Health, Practical Tools for Living with a History of Breast Cancer, and Breast Cancer Genetics. There were general sessions with Medical Updates, Embracing Life Through and After Cancer, and Diet and Nutrition Research. At the banquet, I sat with women from Arkansas, California, South Africa, Arizona, and another state but I can't remember which one ; ) I had a great time and hope to attend next year in Atlanta!!