New Years Resolutions

I always make New Years resolutions and never follow through with them. This year I have decided to make resolutions that I know I can keep.

1. Run a 10K (Cowtown in Febuary)
2. Raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (Required to raise $500 for Team in Training)
3. Follow a budget (Self imposed starting Jan. 1)
4. Get a stamp in my passport (Trip to Rivera Maya in March)
5. Read at least 6 new books  (This is the only one I could possibly fail at)
6. Cook my way through the Pioneer Woman cookbook

I'm excited to celebrate my first New Years with Kason. We have reservations to eat at Del Friscos and we will ring in the New Year there with champange and a kiss at midnight. The next day we are headed to San Antonio to cheer on the Red Raiders at the Alamo Bowl. What a great start to a brand new year!

Love,
Sam

Goodbye 2009

I know I have been bad keeping up with this blog. I sit down and start to write something and get stuck and give up. I had 4 blogs that I never finished so I will finish and post this one done or not. 2009 has been a great year for me. I met my boyfriend in January of 2009 and because of him I have done more this year than ever. Here is just a little of what we did this year.

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo

Texas Tech Football

The Alamo

Tech vs. Baylor @ Cowboys Stadium

Durango, Colorado

New Orleans

2010 will hold even more memories. We already have a trip to Rivera Maya planned for Spring Break. January 2010 will also mark my 2 year anniversary of my stem cell transplant. To celebrate I have decided to train with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training to run my first 10K. My goal is to raise $500 to help promote the mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's of finding a cure for all blood cancers and improving the quality of life of patients and their families. I'm not a runner, but with the help of the trainers and my dedication to the Leukemia Society's mission I will be able to complete this goal I have set for myself. Please visit my Team in Training webpage if you would like to help me reach my fundrasing goal. http://pages.teamintraining.org/ntx/cow10k10/sgalpin

If there is anyone still reading this blog I wish you and your family a healthy and prosperous 2010.

Love,

Samantha

Happy

Time sure flies when your having fun. Only 5 more weeks left of this school year then it's Vacation Time! Of the 4 years that I have been teaching, this is only the second year that I have taught an entire school year. I love being a teacher and working with my 3-5 year olds. They make me crazy and happy at the same time. I hope that I can continue teaching and making a difference in my students lives.



I have been dating this wonderful guy for the past 4 months and I am so lucky to have him in my life. We have done so much together since we have started dating. We have gone to the Main Street Arts Festival, ate at Lonesome Dove, gone to Jazz Fest in New Orleans, went to a Nickelback concert, seen the Texas Rangers play, gone to a Stars game, seen a concert at House of Blues. We have had so much fun together. After living at home with my parents for the past 2 years I am finally moving into my own apartment. I am excited to have my own place again. I have so much stuff in storage so it will be like Christmas when I unpack. Living on my own is a big step because that means I don't need anyone to take care of me anymore. I can now take care of myself.





It's been over a year since my transplant and the last time I went to see the doctor I talked to my transplant coordinator. I would love to get to meet my donor so I released my information so that I could be found. To meet we both have to agree to be found. Well they have had trouble contacting my donor so if she does not agree to release her information then I will never get to meet her. It makes me a little sad that I will not know the person that gave me the gift of life, but on the other hand maybe she doesn't want to be recognized as being a hero. I could never thank her enough for her gift. To do something like that for a perfect stranger gives me faith in others.

Life

I thought I would do a non cancer related post since there is a lot going on in my life that doesn't revolve around cancer (finally)!

My dad has been in Iraq since the 5th of January. Since he is a jet engine mechanic in the Air Force he is safe on the base. We are able to talk to him a few times a week, but he is not very talkative about what is going on over there. The one thing he does say is he is ready to come home. It looks like he will be home the first week of March. I try to deny that I am not like my father, but I know I am. Since he works a different schedule than me I wouldn't see him until the weekend, but I have missed him since he's been gone.

School is getting busy. I teach an integrated 3 year old class in the morning and since Christmas I have added 3 new kids bringing the total of students to 16. 9 of them are teachers kids from the daycare and 7 have special needs. It is a busy class and I am very glad to have the help of my assistant. I couldn't do it without her. My afternoon class is self contained meaning these kids have high needs and are not ready to be integrated with their peers. I have 9 of them. 8 boys and 1 girl. The girl gets a lot of attention from the boys. I have to keep them from kissing her! I can't believe there is only 4 more months of school left. I have been extremely lucky to have made it this long without catching any little bug that my kids have had. These past few weeks I have had 2 kids come down with the flu. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't catch it next. I am looking forward to the summer. Right now I don't have any plans, but I would like to take a trip. I have a friend in Hawaii that I would like to go and see. Then I know someone in Singapore. I want to get my passport so I will be prepared if I ever need to make a quick trip out of the country!

Well my life is good right now. I enjoy my job, I am planning on moving out of my parents house and I am dating a great guy. I am very lucky to have this chance for a fresh start.

Scategories

I was reading Camille's blog and I thought this little game sounded like fun.

Scategories Rules: IT'S HARDER THAN IT LOOKS! HIT FORWARD, ERASE MY ANSWERS, ENTER YOURS, SEND IT ON TO 10 PEOPLE INCLUDING THE ONE THAT SENT THIS TO YOU. USE THE 1ST LETTER OF YOUR NAME TO ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. THEY HAVE TO BE REAL PLACES, NAMES, THINGS.NOTHING MADE UP! TRY TO USE 2 DIFFERENT ANSWERS IF THE PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU HAD THE SAME 1ST INITIAL. YOU CAN'T USE YOUR NAME FOR THE BOY/GIRL NAME QUESTIONS

1. What is your name? Samantha
2. A 4 Letter Word: sand
3. A Boys Name: Shawn
4. A Girls name: Stephanie
5. An Occupation: Senator
6. A Color: Scarlet
7. Something you wear: Socks
8. A Beverage: Sprite
9. A Food: Spaghetti
10. Something found in the bathroom: Shampoo
11. A place: Spain
12. A Reason for being late: Slept late
13. Something you shout: Shut up!

Prayer

On the day of my transplant the Chaplin read this prayer before I received my stem cells. I wanted to share it with you. I cry every time I read it.


We come today to celebrate a new beginning.
We feel afraid and anxious about the unknown, while we also feel excited and hopeful as we look forward to new possibilities.

The cells we bless today offer new possibilities for Samantha's healing.
These cells, as tiny as they are amazing, are a gift from the Creator of all Life.
Thank you, God, for the gift of life and for this transplant as a means of using the gift for healing.

Gracious Giver of Life, we thank you for these cells.
We are especially thankful for the courage and compassion of Samantha's donor.

Spirit of all grace and mercy, bless these cells for Samantha's healing according to her deepest needs of body, mind and spirit.
May Samantha feel your healing power flowing through every cell, bringing a new day of health and joy and creative energy.

Loving Creator and Friend, come with us now on our journey into the new.
Lead us forward with your vision of abundant life, and help us to continue to become all you created us to be in your divine image, now and forever.

Samantha, may Divine Love and Wisdom "be healing to your flesh and marrow to your bones" (Proverbs 3:8)

1 year ago today

I am amazed that one year ago today I was in the hospital recieving my stem cell transplant. This picture is from my "birthday party" I guess today is my 1st birthday.

I am suprised how fast this year went by. A year ago I was at my lowest and now I am feeling great and back to my "normal" life. I never expected that I would have gone back to work only 8 months after my transplant and not be completly exhausted. Don't get me wrong, I am tired and somedays I need a nap, but I feel 100% better than I did a year ago. I still make monthly trips to Dallas for check-ups and I still have a few issues that we are trying to resolve with the right medication. I am so lucky that I found the perfect donor and I have not had the complications that I could have that would make my life difficult. Now that it's been a year I am able to release my name to the donor center letting them know I am interested in being found by my donor. It is up to her if she wants to be found. I would love to meet her and to let her know how grateful I am for her selfless act. Without this transplant I would not be here. She is my angel and I hope to meet her one day.

This picture was taken at the State Fair a couple of months ago. Look how much hair I have!