It is September again. Today is Brinley's diagnosis anniversary. Three years ago today we were told our daughter has cancer. During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Except I didn't know it was, because there is never any gold anywhere. I won't start down that path though, it may not turn out pretty if I do. Our Brinley is doing so well. She is getting better and better, looking healthier and happier month after month. It's so hard to believe where we sat three years ago. I remember begging time to be our friend, so that we could just pass that trial, and praying that we would learn from it. What a blessing it has been to learn from our experiences. Now let's not ever go down that road again.


August was a very emotional, difficult, wonderful, stressful month. The emotional part, our sweet friend Daniel passed away. Cancer took his life at 7 years old. Much too young to leave this world. May I just tell you about him? He made the world a better place. When you were with him you wanted to be better. You knew you couldn't complain, because he didn't, and he had every reason in the world to complain. He was so very special, in a way I could never explain or describe. Special in a way that you wonder why he is even in this world, he was too good for it. Then you realize he is here to teach us. To receive a body, and teach us how to live. I had the opportunity to speak at his funeral about the way he has touched people. I just couldn't do him justice. I tried so hard, but while preparing I realized our vocabulary is very lacking, there aren't words beautiful enough to share. It reminded me of the story of Christ coming to the America's and they weren't able to write his prayer because it was too beautiful, too sacred, and there weren't words for it. That is how I feel about Daniel. Special doesn't cut it. Wonderful, nope. Amazing, still not good enough. That's why I feel so privileged to have known him. I don't need a word I suppose, because I got to be with him enough to experience it myself. The morning he passed away we were able to go visit him and give him a kiss (he was quite the ladies man and was used to kisses...) and he was surrounded by love. So very sad, and so beautifully peaceful. His legacy, to "Love Each Other" was shown in that room, and it was a tribute to what he taught us, to love each other. He will be missed in this world, but I only imagine those rejoicing to receive him in heaven. They are lucky.
Sweet, sweet Daniel, we will miss you. Please save a hug for us. Your hugs were so special. And you are free now, from cancer, forever and ever. You won. Thank you for touching us the way you did. Our hearts are changed forever. We went to the movie theater today where we saw Pooh and you wanted to sit by "Brinley baby" and got candy stuck in your teeth. Brinley and Jade remembered how fun that was. Brinley did your Cars pinata at her birthday party and we were pretty sure you were laughing with each swing, watching us try to break that thing open! They will always remember you and how privileged we were to know you. And I wish we had more time to know you better.





With Daniel's passing we are more motivated than ever to beat this beast. Which leads me to the stressful part of the month - the upcoming Lemonade Stand! Oh, this year we are getting bigger and better (or at least we hope...) We have reached our goal of 10 stands in different locations (12 actually!) helping us get to our $10,000 goal. We have stands all over the place, Salt Lake area, Las Vegas, Reno, Montana, Maryland. I will give more details this week because many of them are happening the 10th, and if you are close to one and can't make our *Grand Stand* (that's really what it's called, I didn't name it that, although it will be grand..) you could stop by one of the other stands. A HUGE thank you to those of you who have taken this on. It is touching to have people so willing to help this cause, and it makes September one of my favorite months because we all come together for these kids who need us. We have some very special people in our lives.

If you can't make it to our stand this year, please consider making a donation, every single dollar helps, and gets us closer to a cure. You can donate at http://www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/71351. It would be a wonderful "diagnosis anniversary" gift (hint-hint).

Please do something this month to spread awareness. Make gold ribbons and pass them out. Write a grocery store and ask them to do something to spread awareness for childhood cancer. Wear a ribbon and give someone the chance to ask you about it. Hold your own lemonade stand with Alex's Lemonade Stand. Eat at Chili's where part of the proceeds will be donated to St. Jude's this month. I don't care what it is, just do something in honor of these kids.

I was watching Rapunzel with the kids and the part in the bar where they all sing about their dreams came on. I started wondering what I would sing about (am I really admitting that?) and I realized my dream (second to finding a cure) is for September to be covered in gold the way October is covered in pink. No joke, it was like a daydream from Mr. Krueger's Christmas, I pictured walking into a store where there were gold balloons, products with gold ribbons, Alex's Lemonade Stands in the front of the store. That's the way September should be. It would honor these warriors who fight a battle inside their little bodies. A battle that nobody can fight for them. They are only children, fighting so hard to become adults. SO LET'S HELP THEM BECOME ADULTS!! Help them have that life that we all treasure, a family of their own, children, grandchildren. That's my dream.

Please don't tune me out this month, because I am about to get annoying. Facebook friends, beware. Don't do it...don't hide me....