The story behind the cookies.

Hi friends! If you follow me on social media you may have seen me selling cut-out sugar cookies before. This is one of my favorite fundraisers! I have raised in total about $3,000 selling cookies out of my home. My husband hates when I do big orders because I never have enough left for him. Recently getting to go to Michigan and walk with my “BC Babe” friends was a wonderful reminder of how I started selling cookies so I decided it needed its own blog.

First a quick cancer update. I am all healed from my double mastectomy and learning to live with my “spacers”. These are my temporary breast implants until after radiation. I started some new medication last week that has been kicking my butt! I am officially in menopause so I have started taking an oral medication to continue to suppress my natural hormone production (because I had hormone positive cancer). I also get a month a month shot to keep my body in menopause. This means I have full blown symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, body aches, brain fog, and I am as emotional as my pre-teen daughter. Please pray extra for Wolfeee, poor guy! I also got a bone density infusion because being in early menopause is bad for your bones. I had a bone scan after my surgery which showed I naturally had low density bones so my doctor is being very proactive about protecting them! Which I am thankful for. But the infusion made me sicker than sick and I spent a week in bed. Only have to do that twice a year! I have officially started radiation and have 3 treatments done and a sun burn already. That's a little discouraging but hey 3 down and only 30 to go! I am back on some steroids to try and help with my aches and I am starting some other non-medicine practices to help my body feel normal again. I miss being me and anxiously awaiting the return of my energy and pain free days!

Back to the cookies….in 2017 I met Tracey who is part of the team I walk The Susan G Komen 3 Day with. Tracey was a very kind and compassionate woman with a sweet and infectious laugh. She was an immediate friend and I spent a lot of time walking with her on my first 3 Day. I knew Tracey was a survivor and was walking both for herself and for her mother who was a 2 time breast cancer survivor. I only wished then I needed more and I would have asked her to share more of her breast cancer journey. If you have ever been to a 3 Day event before I know you can agree with me that when you leave the event you get a million friend requests! Tracey and I were no exception. We became friends on facebook after the event and the following holidays I saw her advertising homemade baked goods as a fundraiser for her walks. I loved to bake! I adopted the idea since we live a whole state away and started “Cookies for the Cure” in the fall of 2019. I started with pies and cookies but have transitioned to only cut-outs.

This past February at the same time I was being diagnosed Tracey was being told her breast cancer had returned in several areas of her body. She spent a few months with her family and friends and we lost her at the beginning of August. This was my first breast cancer death since I was diagnosed and the first friend from the 3 Day I had lost. It hit hard. Every holiday that I am able to bake cookies I love to feel a small part of Tracey’s legacy alive in my kitchen. The smell of the cookies and the mess of powdered sugar remind me of the sweet moments I was blessed to share with Tracey.

A few weeks ago I made the commitment to join my other babes in Michigan to participate in 3 Day Nation together. Since Covid is still an area of concern for our committees all the walks were condensed in a national event that ran October 1st thru October 17th. My best friend, Kodi, and I joined about 10 other walkers in Michigan to walk the 60 miles together. I was very anxious about going and was 110% sure that because I had not been training like I normally did I was not going to be able to walk the whole event. I confirmed with Beth, our fearless leader and organizer, that there were sweep vans (a car that can pick you up on the route if you need a break) and packed my gear. Friday morning I woke up in a complete panic. What was I thinking!? I cried, gave this burden to God, and laced up my shoes. It rained most of Friday but Saturday and Sunday we saw some sun! And guess what? God delivered. I took every step of those miles and completed my 4th 3 Day without needing a sweep from the van! Warrior. I took those steps for myself, Tracey, and all of those who have lost their battle with breast cancer. It is just fair and so I will keep baking and keep walking until a cure is found.

If you live in my area and want to support my cookie fundraisers please keep an eye on my facebook or instagram around any and all holidays. I don’t make them every holiday and I have started to put a cap on how many I sell because my hands get tired! But every one is made with a good dose of love. Until next time, all my love. Xoxo