Group photo!

It all started like most of our great ideas do: with Vicky.  Being in contact with the Cancer Research Institute, she learned about some exciting new treatments that were being researched.  The CRI was asking people to wear white (presumably to represent white blood cells) on June 7 to show support of the research, and then send in photos of themselves in white.  We can do that, right?!  Easy!

 

Now, you go ahead and try to get 11 busy women in the same place at the same time wearing the same thing.  By some miracle, we all ended up at Kelsey's house on Friday at 9:30 pm.  Most of us were wearing white, although Britney was convinced that her bright blue shirt would somehow not show up as much as her lovely white skirt.  After a bit of convincing and a tour through Kelsey's closet (which included some "Can I have this?" "No." "But it will look better on me than it will on you!" "Shut your face."), we finally managed to have everybody in the correct place, in the correct color.  Now that the hard work is done, it'll be super easy to just snap a few pictures, right?

 

Wrong. 

 

So, so wrong. 

 

After enlisting Kelsey's brave husband, Peter, to be the photographer, and taking a couple test shots on the couch, we decided to get more creative and started discussing our photo options.

 

In the front yard?  Too dark.  Under the bright garage light?  Too garage-y.  On the stairs?  Too senior picture.  In front of that wall?  Too white.  And then, eureka!  Kelsey has a red wall in her bedroom - we would show up great against that red wall!  (pause while Kelsey runs upstairs and makes the bed)  So we all traipse upstairs to the bedroom to stand against the red wall.  Only problem is, it's not a whole wall.  It's a square on the wall, painted behind the king size bed to act as a headboard.  Behind the bed.  The bed's in the way.  So what can we do except all get on the bed?  We NEED that beautiful red background for our picture!

 

 

 So that's how Peter came to have 11 lovely women in his bed on a Friday night. 

 

 

 

Life tip: If ever you want to get to know someone a little better but you don't know how to take the next step, have them lay on their tummy on a bed and then sit on top of them while trying to act casual for a picture. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you think it was difficult up to this point, you clearly have never tried to get 11 people to smile nice natural smiles, with their eyes open, all at the same time.  Bri seems to have a remarkable skill of looking at every possible item in a room except the camera.   Liz thinks she looks more natural in a picture if she lets loose with a sudden loud guffaw, even if nothing funny just happened.  Candace, Joan, and Angela were just trying to make the best of having to sit on top of a wiggly giggly pile. 

 

After a few (read: a lot) of terrible pictures, we managed to nail a few nice ones.  But true to American form, if a little is good wouldn't a lot be better?  So we decided to go for another clever pose to get a few more great shots.  I know!  Let's all lay on the floor!  In a circle!  Brilliant!  So we shimmied ourselves into something less like a circle and more like an oblate spheroid.  At one point I heard someone say "I think your boob is in my ear", which is just not a sentence I was expecting to hear today.  Or ever in my life.  Leave it to the Wilderness Warriors.  Once on the floor, it was basically a repeat of the chaos on the bed.  Bri, look at the camera.  Emily, stop looking so smooshed.  Kelsie, move your hair.  Kendra, your feather is in my face.  Bri! Camera!

 

 

 

(Clockwise from the blue hair: Liz, Angela, Candace, Joan, Kelsie, Emily, Vicky, Britney, Kelsey, Kendra, Bri)

Truth be told, we had a great time.  How fun would it have been if we'd just sat in front of a camera, smiled a canned smile, and went home?  No fun at all.  Things got a little crazy, but all's well that ends well, and we ended up getting some fantastic, genuine shots that show who we really are: a group of dear friends who love each other and hate cancer. 

 

Bio: Liz

About Liz:

I was recently married to the man of my dreams, Matt, in September 2012. We have two boys, Chance, 11, a big sport fan, and Franklin, 4, obsessed with every kind of superhero. We also have one more (sex TBD) on the way!

I chose the label ‘Canvas’ not only because I have tattoos, piercings, and like to frequently change my hair’s color to anything else but ‘natural’, but also because I accept all of life’s experiences, challenges, and tests as a way of molding who I am. I always say I have no regrets in life because if I went back and changed anything, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today, and frankly, I quite like her and the path it took to get here!

“I wouldn’t trade the pain for what I have learned…” from “Crystal Ball” by P!nk. Click here to hear the whole song.

While I am not a religious person, I do have a strong belief that things work out the way they are supposed to and “what’s meant to be will be”. This work of art (my soul) has been taking shape for 32 years thus far and has many more modifications to come I’m sure. Therefore, I am: “The Canvas”.

I am doing this hike against cancer as part of my journey in dealing with my mom’s recent death. My mom died of lung cancer March 1st. 2013, just 5 weeks after being diagnosed.

A little about my mom: 

My mom was the toughest person I ever knew. She was a very practical, hard-working, strong, faithful, patriotic, reliable, and humble woman. She was not afraid of anything; not even her sudden, fatal diagnosis of Stage 4 Small-cell Lung Cancer.

My mom had an endless amount of skills, from sewing, painting, calligraphy, aviculture (when we lived in Hawaii we had over 100 birds, many of which were exotic/endangered species), gardening, upholstery, and was often called upon when someone needed something done. Everyone knew you could call Jan and she would take on whatever project, whether it be nursing an injured animal back to health, sewing a wedding gown, a quick hair-cut, some sound advice, help on a school project, to re-arranging your living room. She was well known for her reliability in any situation. She spent her whole life putting the needs of others first.

There are so many things I learned from my mom, but one thing that sticks out is a lesson on anger management. Back when I was young and naïve, I found it very satisfying to throw something and break it when I was mad. I remember talking to my mom about it and her response: “Oh, phff! When you are mad, try scrubbing the floors!” I can still here her voice telling me, “That way when you’re done being mad, at least your floors are clean!” She did not pout about anything in life, and certainly not her short, abrupt ending. This hike for me is my way of “scrubbing the floors” to deal with the grief. When it’s over, besides raising money for the fight against cancer, I look forward to the great bond I will have built with incredible friends and the true beginning of the healing process of life without your mom.

My mom's life >cancer

Bio: Kendra

About Kendra:

Let me start by saying thank you to the CFLC for extending an invite to be a part of your passion, your unity, your fight. I do not know what it is like directly, when it comes to knowing someone who has been diagnosed with cancer. I do, however, know what it is like to be super passionate about something and to fight for it, so with that said I am honored to be a part of this team!

A bit about me:

I love my life.
I am a daughter, a wife, a mama, a sister, sister-in-law, auntie and friend.
I have a love for learning; Jesus is my teacher and I am learning everyday. He has given me life and purpose and has blessed me with a husband to do life with. My husband, Nick, adds 'better' to the good things in my life and adds 'easier' to the things in life that can be hard.

God has blessed us with a marriage of all sorts of amazing experiences. Some of my best examples of that would be our 4 amazing, beautiful, strong and big-hearted kiddos! Mekenna 9, Zander 7, Knox 4, and Piper 2. I love them with all of my being. It is always an adventure with them and it is an absolute privilege to be their Mama.

Another example of what God has given me is the blessing of having a piece of my heart in Haiti. Specifically with all the kiddos at Compassion for All orphanage. I have been there three times and believe God has called me to more than just that. It will not end there.

Life is a gift and I want to live it with all my heart.

In Training: Afternoon Tea

From our best English Warrior, Vicky:  

There are few traditions more sophisticated and quintessentially British than ‘afternoon tea’. It is a perfect opportunity for gentle folk to gather, gossip and enjoy tea alongside sweet and savory treats in the hours between lunch and supper.

As an English woman now happily residing in America, there are a few things I miss: good bacon (I think I might have mentioned this), Eastenders, red post boxes, free health care and yes, afternoon tea!

So imagine my delight when I discovered that this age-old tradition was being served up with all the bells and whistles at the St. Paul Hotel!

I had an instant image of us – a group of glamorous, well bred women dressed in our finery, sipping tea, fingers crooked, legs crossed at the calf – something like this: 

Or maybe more like this:

Definitely not like this!

What we actually looked like was this:

We had a wonderful time, from the 20 minutes we spent in the restrooms...

To the tea itself...

We were glamorous ladies doing what ladies do best, chatting and laughing and making memories...

I can’t honestly say that we crooked our little fingers, however, there were definitely a few crooked necks when the entire Chicago Blackhawks team walked past! (Kelsie's so clever... They're back there!)

In a few short months, most of this group will be in shorts and tshirts, rowing and hiking to raise money so that generations to come can also enjoy the delights of afternoon tea and all the other wonderful things life has to offer. For now we are all content to raise a cup of tea or a glass of champagne to the fact that we believe:

Enjoying afternoon tea with friends >cancer!