A little of this and that....

I accidentally dove into the "Spring cleaning" mode today. It wasn't my intention to do this the day before Easter, but it just turned out that way! Isn't it funny how you just plan on doing a couple loads of laundry... then notice there's cat hair all over the couch, and the bathtub needs to be cleaned and all the mirrors could use some Windex. Next thing you know, it's been 4 hours vacuuming and scrubbing while listening to Pandora. I am finally on my couch with the best cup of loose leaf green tea. I discovered lots of new artists on Pandora today (being sure to "like" them all), and paid extra special attention to the little knick knacks I keep around my apartment. My furry friends even provided me with a couple photo ops. I think it's so cool to stop and sit and just dive into a deeper zone about something that I've done or seen countless times, maybe even with the same people, in the same places, over and over again. Maybe these photos will have that make more sense.... Enjoy!

My fav loose leaf tea from World Market in my fav SF mug

(I've had this mug for probably 10 years and it comes to every new place with me)!

I look at this gorgeous painting that my little brother made for me, everyday. It's the town in San Diego I moved to right after college. I grew up going to this beach and now my little man does the same. This sits on my window in my kitchen, I love it dearly!

Yummy broccoli salad I made during my cleaning break. You can find the recipe here.

My Good Friday view:)

John 3:16

St. Patrick's Day and Green Beer with girlfriends.

Drinkin' whiskey like a real man.

I cherish park days, especially with my buddy. We get on the best tangents about life and all that it encompasses. ;-)

Stopping to really soak up the street art in 'the Mish'. 

AKA: one of our favorite hoods in SF, the Mission District.

I love this. And only until we can make the right changes within ourselves, can we radiate off to others in the best possible way.

Being reminded of Bay to Breakers 2012 and looking forward to May 2013!!!

I met Trisha only a couple months ago and I feel like I grew up with her.

Thankful for new friendships...!

My 28th makes me smile.

(And being covered in birthday panties. Best. Girlfriends. Eva.)

Spring Cleaning made me find this little gem. I would like to point out that a) I am a real blonde, or at least I was at one point & b) my dad was 27 in this photo. What a freakin' stud.

Warms my heart and gets me thinking:

I am noticing a park trend here:) 

Park days with my beautiful girlfriends are some of my favorite days of my life!!!

Naked bike ride around the city. 

It was interesting to observe, as you can probably imagine. 

*This is the clean version.

#nothinginSFsurprisesmeanymore 

Just when I think there's not a single person who loves San Francisco as much as I do...

I find Allison. :)

Happy March Madness!

Cocktailing for a cause with these beauties.

Academy of Sciences, San Francisco

One of my sweet kitties. Not choosing favorites but I just think she's stunning.

I love how her eyes match my room.

Such pretty orchids from a neighbor.

"Earth laughs in flowers." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think I'm spotting a 'dad trend' too. 

My rock, my everything. I love him. Plain and simple.

Well, there you have it. A little slice of my life in the best city on earth!

Happy Easter everyone!!!!

The Glowing Green Smoothie

For those of you who know me, know that I try to be super aware of the foods I eat and what I put into my body. Why age sooner than we need to? ;-) (My occasional In-N-Out burger and whiskey on the weekends wouldn't prove this! But I can't be perfect). I'm highly against processed foods and keep canned foods to an absolute minimum. With that being said, this smoothie, is unreal and I'm so excited to share it. Today was the second Sunday I have come home to make it, and it makes 3 servings so I had 1 tonight and I'll take the others to work the next couple days. This is literally the equivalent of an entire salad with added fruits in just a simple drink. I am in love and it tastes sooo good. The best part is that this can be made in your blender, not your juicer. More and more people are straying away from juicers because the skin is thrown out. The skin is actually the healthiest part of the fruit/veggie! Blending is great because you get every ounce of the produce, with nothing being thrown out or wasted. A VITAMIX would be ideal for this and when I can afford one, I will definitely be purchasing!

Here's what you'll need: (I modified this from the original recipe)

~2 cups of water

~a handful of organic spinach

~a handful of organic romaine

~juice of half organic lemon

~1 organic banana

~1 organic apple

~1 organic pear

~3 sticks of organic celery

Blend the lettuce and water first.

Squeeze that lemon... the old fashion way ;-)

Add in the goods. 

Drink UP!

Stay young and ENJOY:)

xoxo, Jackie 

Happy Friday!

As I'm about to head out the door to walk to my yoga class this morning, I was reading "Becoming a Woman of Simplicity" and wanted to write a quick post. The book quoted Randy Pausch, the 45 year old professor who delivered "The Last Lecture" before his death of pancreatic cancer. He said this: "Things we spend time on inherently take time away from other things. So constantly ask, Is this the best and highest use of my time?"I couldn't have stumbled upon this at a better time. We should ask ourselves this question every day and prayerfully consider how to use our time wisely. For those of you reading, I hope you have a HAPPY FRIDAY... It is St. Patrick's Day after all.  :) And with that, I leave you with a photo of the most beautiful drive I have ever taken in my entire life:

The Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

The 7 Year Life Cycle

"Life is a process of growing and outgrowing,

and what fits snugly today, be it an idea, attitude,

or belief, may be entirely the wrong size tomorrow."

~Sally Brompton

I encourage you to read that quote a couple more times before reading this post today. I had a patient yesterday who struck such a chord with me that I had to tell all my girlfriends about it at happy hour last night and felt compelled to research then write about it this morning. 

I have been cleaning this particular woman's teeth for nearly 2 years now. She's in her late 60's but has the energy and aura about her of someone in their 30's. I always get extra excited when I see her name on the schedule. When she takes a seat we start catching up on the last 6 months of our life and updating each other on everything we have been doing.( I typically run late with her so I have to be mindful of our talks and timing! hehe). She then asks me if I'm familiar with the idea of the 7 Year Life Cycle. I had never heard of it so she explains it the best she can in the small amount of time we have left. This morning I started googling and wow, does it make a world of sense. I'll try to sum it up the best I can!

"There is a natural release of energy every seven years which encourages us to move forward and make changes. It is the soul's demand to be seen as an individual not as a collective."

In other words, there is a spark within us every 7 years that is yearning to dig deeper into our individuality and stray away from the way we think we should be whether it be in the eyes of our parents, our peers, our teachers, or our partners. We are gradually influenced by others during the course of our life and there comes a time where we will want to break free of the way "it should be". If the need to seek our individuality is ignored or stuffed away somewhere then resentment, hurt, anger and other negative feelings have the chance of following us down the years of life. Each description is meant to be focused on finishing the end of that particular cycle:

1-7: When we are this age we are pliable and must accept that what is said is so. Eventually, young kids will start to use the word "No" in order to show their aggressiveness. By age 7, kids are able to put a rationale to the word no. "No, because..."

7-14: Ahhh think back to middle school years. I think they were some of the toughest for me because kids at that age can be cruel and we were so worried about what everyone thought about us. Teenagers can be looked at as pesty, but in reality they are just trying to find their identities. They are being shaped and molded by those around them and deep inside they are seeking for the individuality we all possess. This is the stage that is preparing us for adulthood. 

I should mention here that there is an aggressiveness through the cycles. We all want to find that individuality and what our point, if you will, of being on this earth really is. If we shove these feelings aside and try to ignore them, they will build on top of the next life cycle, giving you even more weight to deal with in the coming years. 

14-21: High school into college years. Another tough set of years because again, we are told to be and act a certain way. Even if we aren't 100% confident (I mean, who is at this age?), we do things anyway that maybe we don't feel good about doing. But we are worried about what society and others will think of us. At 21, we are ready to cut ties from our parents and move to be solely on our own. I realize this has changed in the recession especially, more and more people are moving in with their parents for financial support etc. But this is referring more to the emotional aspect. We are in the "Don't tell me, I already know" mind frame.

21-28: The greatest realization of adulthood occurs at 28! 28 is when we begin to integrate with the rest of the world and with the "Ok world, what have you got to give me?" approach. Opportunities start to come into our lives and we have a serious moment of thinking about the windows of opportunity that stand before us. Which road do we go? What do we want? At 28, whether you are single or in a relationship, we are still searching for our true identity. We may pick up new hobbies or interests or even decide to conquer this world solo for the time being because we know we have the rest of our lives to be selfless and depended on. We have a desire to do new things and head in new directions. 

28-35: True emotional adulthood arrives. We are finally able to withstand being influenced by the attitudes of others. It is the opportunity to become free of the emotional stigma of the past and to let all of that go because your individuality and the person you are cannot be shaken anymore from outside influence (this is towards the end of this cycle around 35). You are probably deciding for the first time in your life, exactly that YOU want to do. You are finally separating those concepts which are really yours from those which belong to somebody else. 

"Every age, every cycle, has special things to be known, understood, and worked with. There is NO time in our lives that do not have validity! In each cycle there is a need for unfoldment and a release from pre conceived attitudes. It gives a freedom which permits major change in attitudes, in relationships, and in career."

35-42: The 42nd year is a polarity of the 28th year. The view is no longer, "World, what can you give me?" but instead "World, what have I got to give you?" It is the realization of all the growth we have been through and our ability to use this growth in the most productive way possible. Doubts tend to come up but they are not a negative thing. We ask ourselves whether we wish to maintain our life as it is or whether we are ready to make new changes. Doubt can be positive if it is leading you to be suspect of something in your life that is not good for you.

42-49: Doubt tends to follow us into this cycle and we look back at our life and ask ourselves "Where have I been and what have I done with my life?" We begin to wonder if it is too late and the truth is that it is never too late to do anything that makes you happy. We are able to let go of very small things that will make room for newer and bigger things. One may view this cycle as a last chance to be productive, show their ability, or to make a name for themselves. New hobbies or passions start to enter our minds. 

I am going to stop here because the first 7 cycles from age 7-49 are the spiraling of all the change within us. The cycles that come after this time are expansions of the same 7 spirals once again. We have been given everything we need to make changes in our life and to fulfill our personal goals--- provided that we listen to our inner selves and NOT the external forces/people/things that will try to mold us. This is obviously going to change from person to person. For example, if we are still raising a family in our 7th cycle, the ability to just pick up something new may not be feasible. So the urge may then trickle into the next cycle as long as the person does not let themselves believe that it is too late! It is never too late to follow what makes you happy!

The overall point to all of this is that there is a natural release of energy every seven years which encourages us to move forward and make changes. It helps to keep us from getting stuck in a rut, which I will admit is my absolute biggest fear of life. If we are able to flow with these cycles, we are able to find change less fearful. 

**When I look back at my own life and as I am coming to the end of the 4th cycle, I see a lot of sense in this theory. Although I wish when I was making changes to my life that it had not been at the expense of hurting others, I know that the experiences which were brought to me were needed. Decisions both right and wrong, are learning experiences. And sometimes a wrong decision ends up being the absolute right decision. We will have crossroads in our lives where we are forced to reevaluate and try to decide which route to take. I thank God daily for the growing ability He's giving me to make the healthier, happier, kinder and more compassionate decisions which will not only serve me but those around me. He keeps reminding me that His route is far better than mine. As I go through my life cycles, I know He is with me, guiding me through these transitions and it keeps me confident and far less fearful!

Xoxo,
Jackie

Words

So the English band, Mumford and Sons has been blowing up. After they won Album of the Year at the Grammy's, I read that their sales on iTunes sky rocketed. I am not a huge fan of the band mainly because I feel like every single song sounds exactly the same. And although Ben Lovett is insanely gorgeous to look at, I definitely wouldn't buy their album. With that being said, I am oddly obsessed with this video:

I mean, who would not want to be at this party.... at Red Rocks, in the middle of summer (guessing by the tank tops). And Ben's smile on the keyboard, omg. Ok, my point is that although I get soooo tired of these songs being overplayed on my local radio... these dudes have the best lyrics. I really hope they write their own songs or my dreams of their talent would be half way shattered because obviously they are talented musicians. So here are my favorite M&S lyrics:

"Hold me fast because I'm a hopeless wanderer."

"I will love with urgency not haste."

"Where you invest your love you invest your life."

"Grace in your heart, flowers in your hair."

"Lend me your eyes I can change what you see." (absolute favorite)

To do list.

1) Eliminate processed foods from my diet (the best I can). Cheese is my huge weakness and most of it is processed (especially the Kraft brand which I won't get anywhere near). But TJ is cool because they have organic cheeses made from cows that aren't treated with rBST, which is a growth hormone and extremely toxic to us. Canned and packaged foods are processed and are killing us slowly. I should add in any meats that have any connection to factory farms, but I don't buy meat or fish that isn't organic anyway (or raised local!).

2) Stretch every day. I wish I could do Bikram everyday and honestly I know I can. But it would be hard. I walk everywhere so by the time I get to my studio, take the class, and walk home, it has taken me almost 3 hours. I know I know, excuses excuses. But I do stretch every day both during and after work.

3) Eat organic whole or 2% yogurt every day!! I am going to do a separate post on the benefits of probiotics and yogurt. It is sooo good for you! Stray away from anything NON-FAT. Our bodies process non fat labled foods as sugar which is extremely hard on us. Non fat is a gimmick-  you're better off with low fat. (more to come!)

4) Trust in the good Lord. And oh, is He good! I pray every single day that I will not distract myself or flee from the route that God has planned for me. It is so easy to lose the course and I am finally for the first time in my life, feeling more grounded concerning my faith than ever before. I am so happy.

5) Tell the truth. Tell the truth. Tell the truth.

Here are my short little reminders to help keep my life healthy and balanced. What are yours? 

The Light That Shines

Oh my goodness. Have a box of tissues ready for this one. A friend of mine in Australia posted this 15 minute documentary on her Facebook page. After I watched it, I immediately forwarded it off to all the women in my family. Although this is a heartbreaking story, it is beautiful to be reminded how fortunate we are. And to see such a shining light in this woman who is undergoing many trials and tribulations. 

May this video touch your heart the way it did mine.

DIY quote art

I love the Pottery Barn word art! I can't believe the prices on some of those canvases and wood pieces so I wanted to try it myself. But I can't take full credit for either of these projects I'm about to show you. My girlfriend Sara inspired me when I was at her house one day. She is a little artist:

She clearly chose a London theme, I went with San Francisco. Although these are a few of my favorite neighborhoods, with careful measuring I chose the ones that would fit best on the canvas:

First, I bought my canvas at Michaels (with a 40% off coupon of course, these babies are expensive!). I took a piece of paper and just sketched out a few neighborhoods to see which would fit best. Sara free handed hers with a pencil and did amazing. I tried, but it was sloppy so I decided to print out the letters and I traced them onto the canvas. This took a LONG TIME, about 2 months to finish entirely but then again, I wasn't working on it every day. I measured out the size of the letters and the space between them all with a tape measure and ruler. It wasn't precise but it worked. Then, with black paint, I went to town and carefully painted around each and every curve.

Ideally, I probably should have started from the middle and worked my way out. But since I did this over multiple days it didn't really matter since it was dry. Up close, there are definitely some flaws. I dropped my brush in the center of one of the letters and my cat walked on it when it was wet. But I think the imperfections make it kinda cool. 

The second one I did, I also copied from Sara. :) It took less than an hour! I bought a book from the thrift store for under $1 and ripped out the pages, laying them over another canvas. I didn't care which book it was, but I wanted it to be old and have that yellowish, stained page look. Then, I plopped mod podge all over the pages with a paint brush.

I used these to hang both canvases side by side:

....and BAM! Here they are. 

In, But Not of, the World

There have been countless times I have thought in my mind that I must have been born in a different decade. I used to talk to my grandma about what it was like being a kid during the great depression. All she would ever say was, "It was a hard life, but it was much simpler back then." Hard and simple are sort of oxymorons to me, but I think I understand what she's saying. I'm so curious about the 30's and what people would do before we had technology. I imagine there was more talking and more reading. More people engaging and less people taking advantage of each other. More knock out fights and less shootings. Really just more depth to people because they weren't able to hide behind a computer or text to get out of an uncomfortable situation. They were forced to look at each other and actually talk. I like that.

With that being said, I have felt before that I'm living on this Earth but not really apart of it. Being raised in a nice suburban neighborhood in San Diego, surrounded by a large group of friends, going off to a University, traveling the world for years on end and then finally settling down in one of the most expensive cities in the country, San Francisco. Most would say this was a somewhat of a privileged life, and although I've worked hard to get here, I know there are others who have worked much harder and are still struggling to make it.

The book I started a couple months ago is called "Becoming a Woman of Simplicity". It teaches us, how to live slowly in a multi tasking world and how to de-clutter our calendars. It helps us learn how to be quiet and still in the confidence of God; the way He has intended for us all along. It shows us that the important things are not tangible "things" and I really need to remember this sometimes. My sister has started this book with me and we are trying to talk about every chapter together as we finish. I read one every Friday on my day off and it really sets my entire weekend up. They take about 40 minutes per chapter because you are reading along side your bible and filling in verses and answering questions. It's stimulating and really gets you thinking! It would be too much to summarize each chapter so I'll just pick a couple points out.

This post is definitely going to have more of a Christian influence than my past ones, but it's only how I feel and chances are, you're feeling the same. If not, try to embrace it anyway. ;-)

~Profound Simplicity: God wants us to have empty pages, hours, and rooms in our lives. Social media and the "instant everything" has definitely been a blessing and a curse. It takes a conscience effort to put these things away and just to be still. To surrender to the peace and quiet and let God work his magic! ;) I've recently picked up meditation which is the hardest things I have ever done, ever! But wow, the benefits are taking it's toll and answers are easily coming to me. Here's what this book told me in chapter 1 and I love it so much: "Abiding allows the Lord to bring interesting people, worthy activities, and valuable things into my life in the right way, at the right time, and for His purpose." I love that.

~Trusting not Worrying: Ahhh it is so hard for us to believe in what we cannot see. But how amazing it is when miracles happen and our prayers get answered. We have to let go of the past and although the future should be on the forefront of our minds, it should not consume us. Rather, focusing on today and putting one foot in front of the other, with God on our minds, is absolutely more enriching and fulfilling. There will be trials along the way, but trust don't fear. James 1:2-8 basically says: "If you are lacking, ask God and you will receive. But do not doubt. Believe."

~It's an upside down, crazy world: The world will always try to stray us away from God. We are surrounded by temptations and distractions every single day. The closer we get to God, the closer he gets to us. For me this is essential because he's helping me to stray away from the negativity in all sorts of aspects. I'm getting better at pushing certain people and situations out of my life, the second I know they won't benefit me. "Set yourself free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate." 

It really is impossible for me to summarize this entire book so these are just a couple of points that I've highlighted and that have stuck out for me. I hope all of my girlfriends will read this and study it, it's opening my eyes to an entirely different world. A more simple world where even in the midst of iPhones, social media, and the bustling city I live in, I am able to find calmness and serenity. I like it and really can't see my life any other way.

DIY quote mug

There are a plethora of these DIY mug sites and I have been wanting to make one for myself for awhile now. So easy, cheap, and full of personality! I bought a mug on sale at Crate and Barrel for $2, but then saw some at the thrift store for 50 cents today, so do as you please!

First, I wrote out my quote with a pencil. I chose my favorite lyrics from my favorite Bob Dylan song. "We'll meet again one day on the avenue, tangled up in blue." I chose to go the route using a standard sharpie. Only problem I ran across was that it was a brand new sharpie with a really fine tip, so my letters were really thin. So I wrote over each letter 2 or 3 times which didn't turn out as clean or neat as I had intended, but I still think it looks ok. Next time, I'll wear my sharpie out a bit for a broader tip. Once it was fully dried, I rubbed my finger over the letters to remove the lead pencil showing in some spots, and it did rub right off and the sharpie won't smear. Then I popped in the oven on a baking rack at 350 for a half hour! This is such a cute idea, I really loved making it. :)

The simple things

  Ahhhh, it's been so long! I am absolutely shocked that it is already September, and that we are only a couple months away from Christmas again! My mom used to always tell me that time would speed up as I grew older. She was 100% right.
  2012 has not been my favorite year, but that is for me and my closest people to hear about. ;-) One thing I can say I have learned in the last 9 months though, is simplicity. I am in the midst of a fabulous book that I plan on blogging all about as I get more in depth, so I won't reveal it yet. I am learning things about myself and the woman I strive to be while studying this book... and I really like her! (The woman I'm becoming, that is). I'm finding myself more aware of the true fact that the important things are not "things", having 600+ friends on Facebook does not add substance to my life, and truly trying to live a life of simplicity, a life that God has intended for us long before social media had been thought of, is truly, truly invigorating. (And energized people usually live longer and happier lives!)
   2012 has been full of blessings in the same retrospect. My grandma had her 2nd PET scan today since she was diagnosed as cancer free. Every 3 months she has to get these done to see if the bad stuff has somehow crept back into her body. Every 3 months our family is on edge and full of anxiety. And today she was once again diagnosed with no evidence of disease! So she is off to Switzerland, France & England next week... and I am filled with excitement (and maybe a little envy...;-) .

Here she is gardening and trust me that thing was heavy:

  Hmmm, what else do I feel like touching on tonight? I really am excited to talk about the new book I'm studying. It has changed my way of thinking tremendously in the last few weeks that I've been reading it. We live in a world where everyone is living vicariously through everyone else. I'm absolutely guilty of it too, and I'm not even necessarily sure it's a negative thing. It becomes a downfall I think, when we start to judge and become jealous because we don't have those "things" or we don't "look like that in that dress", or we can't afford to take that trip or buy that house, or the artificial comments of how much you miss this person, but really do you even know this person, you only met once! No one truly talks anymore, instead Facebook has been used to leave insincere comments to people you could never pick up the phone to call. It's especially used as a place to post about what we "have" or the newest item we just purchased. I have literally scrolled down my friends list as I've seen ridiculous statuses and deleted person after person. I may sound dumb, but by not having the materialistic annoyances and the flashes of everyone trying to out-do each other, wow it has made my "news feed" much more enjoyable. And it really does narrow my life down to just keeping in touch and sharing my life with people that I truly do enjoy spending time with. Anyway, that might be enough for now. I'm drinking a Stella and ordered chinese food in tonight. Couldn't be happier in my 500 square foot apartment. "It's the simple things..." And it really is. :-)

2 yogi thoughts

First of all, how beautiful is this picture!? ^^^^^
While in yoga last night, my teacher was wrapping up her last words and finalized the night by saying... "In this room, much like life, you have very little control of anything." This was of course, followed by lots of laughs as she went on to say.. "Sometimes the room will be too hot or not hot enough, the person next to you may be having a wobbly night and distract your entire class, your teacher may be pissing you off. But you can only control YOUR reaction and how you CHOOSE to respond to these annoyances." (and yes, she emphasized the words in caps).
This got me thinking of course, and I know I have blogged about this in the past. The part about us having absolutely no control over anyone but ourselves. How amazing is this to know that we can choose our day to day mood because we have sole control over our OWN SELVES. I love this.
So it makes me wonder. Is your reaction over someone else's actions really necessary? Change and control your attitude as fast as you can into a positive one because you CAN. We naturally get caught up in others and how their actions imprint our lives. But why do we let them? This is to me letting go of things and people I can't control and focusing on this life that was preciously given to me. Focusing on the real and not the pretend. The love and not the hate. The simple and not the complicated... Because there are "very little things you can control in this room, much like in life." ~Ryan, best Bikram teacher ever! I love her. :)

A couple classes ago, my teacher Mark, asked one of the students in class who needed to take a rest and kneel down.... "What are you feeling?" I thought it was a quite obvious question. The guy is totally hot and feeling like his heart is going to explode out of his chest. Ya know, he's probably thinking he would do anything to be drenched with a cold hose right about now. But his response was, (as he stuttered a bit) "I-I-I can't find the emotion." I loved this response more than anything because I feel like there are many times in life (and definitely in that yoga room), that I just can't find the emotion to describe how I'm feeling. But maybe I'm one of the only ones....?

No Cancer in this House!

 

My Grandma, me, & My Dad

In a prior post I was telling you about a family member of mine who was diagnosed with a very serious cancer. It was my 70 year old, traveling, hiking, nothing-can-stop-me-Grandmother. It was diagnosed as Stage 4 Esophageal cancer (it had spread to several distant lymph nodes), which was also inoperable because of the location the tumor was in the esophagus. (Notice how I'm talking in past tense!?) It absolutely rocked our family to the core when the doctor told us only days after she found out, that they expected my grandma would only have 11 months to live. When we heard that it was inoperable we all felt even more helpless, but the doctor did say they would try radiation but didn't feel hopeful because the tumor was already closing off 75% of her airway and the amount of radiation she would need to shrink something of that size, just didn't seem promising. Well, after 6 extremely scary months, the radiation worked, the chemo worked, and when our family took my grandma back to the doctor she looked at all of us both puzzled and excited. "There is absolutely no sign of disease in your body anymore. You're officially in remission." She showed us the newest PET scan, which only 6 months ago was littered with neon yellow splotches which show you exactly where the cancer is attacking the body. This PET scan was completely clear, with not a single dot of neon.
Esophogeal Cancer is one of the most serious because only 13,000 people in the US are diagnosed every year. This is not enough for our country to require yearly screenings, like we do for breast cancer. So by the time it is diagnosed, it is usually much too late for a positive outcome. Here's the esophagus in relation to the rest of the body, just in case you weren't 100% sure:

 

Absolutely everything passes through here, and the largest cause of this cancer is smoking and alcohol consumption. My grandma had quit both smoking and drinking 15 years ago. They just didn't realize the hazards that we do today, and it saddened us that even though she was trying to better her life, the cancer still was able to sneak in, over a decade later.
   With all of this being said, we are so grateful for the literal miracle that God has given to our family. We prayed several times a day, in big groups, in small groups, by ourselves. Friends of mine who had never even met her were praying with me. I have always believed in the power of prayer, but now I am even more convinced. ;-) Less than 5% of people live 5 years after being diagnosed. We knew all of the statistics but also knew that God is bigger than any doctor or any treatment. He is the largest healer and the bible tells us He WANTS to heal. I truly believe that our faith in God made this cancer disappear and I thank Him every single day for giving us more time with her. We are so happy and so thankful.
  With all of this being said, there are always possibilities of cancer returning. Again, we are not too concerned with the statistics because we have already seen something extremely rare happen while fighting this awful disease. So my grandma will take the precautions of repeating a PET scan every 90 days with the hope that none of the nasty stuff will return. And we will continue to ask God to keep the cancer out of her body. With these couple things, we are praying that she will be the healthy, active Grandma (who I grew up hiking and traveling with), always! Thank you for reading :)