Heather Bird Photography

For those of you who may not follow the GoFundMe.com site for Derek and Teresa.
An update and thank you from our friends Derek and Teresa.

Our Guardian Angels,

Over the last two weeks, Teresa and I have been privileged — profoundly moved — to look generosity in its face. You have redefined friendship in a manner so stunning, we haven’t been able to wrap our minds around the meaning. All we know is we are uniquely lucky and truly blessed to have this financial gift from each of you. It means peace of mind during a circumstance that strips it. It means security during a period that steals it. And it facilitates hope while our uneven odds squeeze it. It also means we will spend the rest of our long lives committed to being better people, better friends, and determined to pay it forward.

Simply, thank you. You have made our lives immeasurably richer. And I’m not talking about the money.

Teresa saw this page for the first time in the waiting room of her first chemo session, nervously thumbing her iPhone. “What’s this,” she gasped, showing me a tally that read $5,035 dollars raised by 29 donors. The GoFundMe site, along with the heartwarming blog on heatherbirdphotography.com, transported Teresa’s fragile thoughts from cancer to courage, from medicine to memories, and from the hospital to our astonishing support network. We didn’t check the fundraiser site until the next day. The numbers had quadrupled.

We will never be able to properly thank all of you whose words and warmth give our family the daily strength to forge forward. Thank you for allowing us to reconnect, and to re-imagine friendships first formed in high school — or earlier. Thanks to the St. Joseph community, the JCC community, our Salt Lake Tribune stalwarts and journalism friends. Thanks also to each college connection, every roller derby teammate, and anyone motivated to contribute who doesn’t even know us. You’ve built a cradle for Teresa, me, Rourke and Emelia. When days get dicey, we will use it.

Breast cancer came calling today, when Teresa combed clumps out of her hair. Our doctors told us to prepare, but how is that possible? How do you mask disease when the mirror and shower are daily reminders? How do you blend when your appearance solicits stares? Yet my wife powers on with her brave smile and eager eyes. She returned to work to teach the children she adores. She feels most alive in the classroom, surrounded by exuberance and wonder.

Overall, chemotherapy has been tolerable. Visited by waves of joint pain, hot flashes, mouth sores and fatigue, Teresa also has maintained high energy, a healthy appetite, humor and grace. The latter is her signature, which keeps me forever in awe. In the first 48 hours after her four-hour drip, Teresa enjoyed a sunset walk around Liberty Park, joined our kids inside City Creek Center’s DinosaurLand, and escorted her Midwest mother through IKEA.

But she gets the biggest lift from you. As our life’s order seemed to crumble, we discovered another foundation through family and friends. You are the rock that keeps us strong. You are the roof that gives us shelter. You are the will that gives us resolve. We will wear you like blankets.

Love,
Derek & Teresa

My hero and friend, Teresa, has made it through round one of chemo and the rough few days that follow.    And she is doing incredibly well!     I initially mentioned that you could see her strength in her eyes and hear it in her voice…. well you can also see it in her smile.     While the past 18 days have sent her life into a terrible whirlwind, she’s still smiling.

Love you,
Heather

Saturday was Opening Day not only for Ricky but also for Benny and Nolan!    That’s right.  They are playing T-ball for the first time and our assumptions were right, three and four year old T-ball is quite a mess.   But it is also adorable and so hilarious to watch.

It was very fitting the the boys were placed on the Oakland A’s, Ken’s favorite childhood team.   It doesn’t get much cuter than two 3 year old tiny tykes in baseball uniforms playing on their daddy’s favorite team.

Nolan is number 4, Benny is number 5, and Ricky happens to be number 6 this year.

Three year old T-ball pretty much goes like this…. 12 three olds line up in a straight line from 1st base to third base which looks more like “red rover, red rover” than baseball, except there’s always those few that don’t really line up.   Case in point, Nolan and Wyatt who are much more interested in getting a treat than playing ball.   The picture below was taken during an inning while a batter was up to bat!

When the ball is hit, the entire mob of three year olds dashes for the ball.

Benny has actually been pretty into the idea of playing baseball for awhile.  He always wants to practice with Ken and Ricky and loves when the big boys let him play in the neighborhood game.    So, I was only a little surprised when he actually was trying to get the ball and run or throw the ball to first base.

Except that ALL he wanted to do was get the ball.    While up to bat, he would swing as soft as he possibly could so the ball would end up as close to him as possible because…..

he was about to go diving to get that ball.    Here he is, trying to beat the opposing team at getting the ball that he, himself just hit.

Eventually they convinced him to run…

and he would get on base, but if that ball came anywhere near him there was no way he could resist fighting for it.

Nolan liked playing also.    He tried to hit the ball as hard as he could.

And he got the concept of running to the bases,

but Nolan, is just, well… he’s Nolan.    He’s a little dramatic, more social than is probably good on a baseball field and just a goofy kid.    Seconds after I took the picture below he started running in slow motion with his arm flailing in slow motion, like some re-play or something.    We were all yelling to run fast, but he kept up with the dramatic slow motion run.  I was laughing SO hard, that I couldn’t possibly get a picture.

Ricky got such a kick out of  the entire spectacle!   He kept giggling at their every move and at one point said to my mom, “Oh… small kids are TOUGH.”

It may be a long season, but it will be worth it for the laughs alone.

And if nothing else, seeing our babies in A’s uniforms on the field is just priceless!

Ricky is playing for the Rockies this year, which he was thrilled about.   He hit a home run his first time up to bat.   What a way to start the season!

He and Ken have been working on his fielding this spring and he is getting some use out of the pitchback from Santa, finally.   He’s pretty serious this year and is LOVING playing.

Happy baseball season.
Love,
Heather

 

 

The love and support for Teresa continues.    A wonderful friend of ours, Misti Milner, has started a team for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k that is being held in Salt Lake City on May 11th.   Please join us for a fun morning where you can run, walk, skip or cartwheel through the course for Teresa and others.

If your not a runner but would like to try, you’ve got exactly 4 weeks to get ready.   A 5k is 3.1 miles.   You can do it.
Get out there and start running today.  

Join Team Teresa by clicking here.

There will be additional information on how to purchase a team shirt soon as well as information about the logistics of the race-day.   (where the team will meet, etc)

Thank you to Misti and Leslie Johnstun for the suggestion to get this going and to all of you who jumped on board so quickly.   We’re going to have quite the team!

Love,
Heather