The Hope Tree

Our blog has been quiet for awhile, but now I think we're ready to become aquainted again. Crystal has lived on through our memories and prayers, and now she will be able to continue her quest of helping those through cancer in a most unique way.



Carol Jeanotilla, a friend of Jason's, is an amazing artist who has been working on "The Hope Tree". You can see Jason and Carol in the picture above. Crystal wore a locket during her treatment that looked like a treasure chest. She kept all of her hopes and dreams safely tucked inside. Now the locket has become part of the sculpture, Jason was able to place it there himself.



Here, Jason is able to place a note from family members inside of one of the branches that will be sealed inside. You can see a camera man behind Jason filming a documentary that will follow the tree for one year.



The photo above shows the crucifix from Crystal's service inside the base of the tree. What a lovely reminder of how her memory will be forever helping new cancer patients who visit this beautiful sculpture. It was Crystal's dream to be a nurse since she was a little girl. She was able to help so many through their journeys with cancer. Now her dream of a long nursing career can be realized through the strength she showed during her illness, and now with her memories being held inside of this beautiful tree of hope.

The sculpture will be installed on October 11, 2009 (if construction follows the schedule) at the Martin O'Neil Cancer Center on the beautiful St. Helena Hospital Campus. The dedication ceremony will take place November 20, 2009.

I hope that I will be able to visit the tree in the future. It was so amazing to see itas a work in progress. The completed sculpture will have a bronze base, the tree itself will be platinum, and there will be a cape of copper that will envelop the tree as a symbol of a nurses cape. The artist Carol Jeanotilla started out her career out as a nurse before she became an artist full time. She was able to combine her caring nature and her art into the most amazing symbol of healing.

My Best Friend

I find myself wanting to call her often to share my day with her; as we always did since childhood. She is the one person I need to talk to and comfort me at this time, but I realize her absence is the reason my heart aches and the tears continue to run down my face.
My memories and dreams now are the places I keep her alive; the place I can touch, talk, laugh, and even cry with her. I had a dream the other night that I was sitting at her funeral and she walked up, sat beside me, and wrapped her arms around me. (Ahhh, i needed that). I woke up with such peace. Crystal said in our last phone call, " I'll watch over you." I know now she lives in my heart.
I apologize for those who don't know me, my name is Alicia and I am the lucky one who was given the title " Crystal's Best Friend". Crystal and I lived around the corner where our parents still own homes today. We started our friendship at age eight riding bikes, playing hopscotch, and jump rope in the middle of the street. We always walked to and from school and often played at the park right above our elementary school. Crystal was so funny I often peed my pants(literally). Crystal would yell, " The slide's wet!" I would say,"I know, it must have rained last night." She accepted that answer. It was not until recently that I shared the story with my daughter who just had to know if Crystal knew that I had peed my pants that day. Crystal grinned, nodded, and said yes. We did not embarassed one another, never boasted, or bragged.One was never more proud than the other; as a matter of fact, we were each others biggest fan.
Our friendship went on to middle school and high school where our music, hairstyles, and friends changed. Most of our friends did not know the special bond Crystal and I had or that we were friends at all. It was rare that we hung out at school; we would have our occassional lunch and pass notes in the hall. But one thing for sure, we always started and ended our day with a phone call to say, " Meet me at the corner," were we would share our day. It was like that even as we grew older when she would call me on my way to work and on her way home.
Before we had graduated high school, Crystal had told me:
she wanted to be a nurse; and she was, she told me she would have three kids; and she did, she said we would be best friends forever; and we are and will always be, she said that we would baptize each others daughter; and we did.
Crystal had a plan and a purpose and I am happy that she was able to check those things off her list.
I will always cherish our very special bond that survived high school, boys, college, our move to different states, and many miles apart could not break our lasting friendship. I have pride in the many years Crystal and I shared and the deep roots that anchor our friendship. AND I AM PROUD TO BE HER BEST FRIEND. Alicia

Eulogy for my sister Crystal

Eulogy by Cindy Archuletta

My name is Cindy and I am Crystal's older sister.

First I would like to thank all family and friends for coming out to Celebrate Crystal's life and we have to remember that this IS a CELEBRATION OF A GREAT WOMAN'S LIFE. I would also like to express my family's gratitude and great appreciation to the three amazing and awesome women that helped Crystal when she was diagnosed with Cancer. Cherie, Ellen and Dee. Thank you for walking with Crystal during this difficult time. You were there when some of us couldn't be due to living back home in California. You were the wind beneath her wings.

I am 3 years older than Crystal but she took the role of big sister until my mid twenties. At that time I started the journey of recovery. Crystal was very supportive and proud of me. As I learned to be responsible and accountable our relationship bloomed. We were tied by blood but also shared an amazing friendship that only sisters can understand.

Crystal's journey brought her to Colorado almost 10 years ago. I struggled with this. I not only lost my sister but Best Friend. I had always imagined Crystal and I living close to each other and seeing one another on a regular basis. I thought our children would grow up together and we would share spaghetti dinners or watch DVDs, actually I think it was VHS back then. I saw this with my mom and her sisters and wanted that for us. I figured Crystal would come back home after completing her RN program. When Crystal met Jason I realized that the likelihood of her coming back home had diminished. Crystal fell in love. Things didn't turn out the way I had wanted but one look at Crystal's face showed me that they had turned out just the way they were supposed to. Crystal took a single father and his son, Gaven, and closed the circle to make a family.

Crystal was a loving wife and devoted mother. She had many other roles but being a wife and mother were the two most important. Crystal laid down a strong foundation and Jason and her were able to build on that. They created a home based on love, respect, patience and tolerance. Jason, Gaven, Aiden and Rylee were everything to her. Her love for them kept her going.

I will miss my sister more than words can say. She lit up a room She made you want to be a better person. She is and will always be my hero. We will never know the why..why this happened? ..why her? But what I do know is that every single one of us sitting in this room and those who are not were blessed to have come across an amazing woman. We are lucky to have had the opportunity to be a part of her life and see her handle her illness with Grace and Dignity till the very end. I hope we can all remember she lives on in our heart, thoughts and memories. Most importantly, Crystal lives on through her children. She loved and adored them so much and I believe she continues to from the heavens above.

I was playing around with Crystal's name to see what I could come up with and this is what I got.
C - Caring, Courageous and Compassionate
R - Role Model, Responsible and Radiant
Y - Your Inspiration and Mine
S - Signified Strength and Self Respect..Special and Survivor
T- Thoughtful and trustworthy
A - Amazing and Admired by many
L - Loving Mother and Wife, Loyal Friend

Thank you...

Hi, my name is Christine, and I met Crystal when we were both working at St. Joseph Hospital. Since the moment she told me about her cancer I wanted to help. I never felt like I was doing enough. I had told Crystal that I wanted to do a poker fundraising tournament for her and her family. She was really excited for it. I posted the information 2 days before her very untimely passing. I would still like to plan the tournament, but feel it would be better to let some time pass. I will post the date once it is finalized, and I hope to have many of her friends and family come to support Jason and the kids.

Eulogy for Crystal

Eulogy for Crystal LaGrange by Jason LaGrange
I would like to thank all of you for joining us today to celebrate Crystal’s life. My name is Jason and I am honored to be here today as Crystal’s husband and father to our beautiful children Gaven, Aiden, and Rylee.
I met Crystal 8-years ago…she was enjoying a quiet evening after work with her friend Antonella until I decided to interrupt their conversation to introduce myself. Antonella played along, but Crystal made it clear that she had no interest what-so-ever. Usually I would have walked away and had a good laugh with my buddies, but this was no ordinary encounter. Her dismissal caused me to reevaluate all of my corney lines and after hours of trial and error…maybe even fatigue…she gave in and we all decided to go out.
We had a great evening and as we made our way back to her car Crystal and Antonella found my CD collection and pulled out a copy of OMD. This is not a very masculine CD and I thought for sure they would jump out of the car in laughter, but they continued to play along. We made it back to their car, exchanged numbers, and Crystal gave me a kiss on the cheek. The next day I pulled out my cell phone to give Crystal a call and noticed a number with only 9 digits – I couldn’t believe I messed up the number.
A couple of weeks went by and no call from Crystal. Then one morning I decided to pull out the infamous OMD CD and to my surprise it had been replaced by a note from Antonella. My eyes lit up and I now had Crystal’s phone number. I gave her a call and we set our 2nd date – she even agreed to return the CD.
Plans were set and as I made my way to 14th and Pearl…which was not a great neighborhood at the time… I was surprised to see how quiet it was. A few months later I learned that Crystal had called 911 to report unusual activity before I arrived so the cops had just cleared everyone out. Looking back I think we were both pulling out all stops to make sure this was the perfect date – and it was. We had so much in common even though we came from very different backgrounds.
Throughout the next 4 years we had a blast dating, meeting new friends, visiting our families, purchasing our first home, and enjoying our engagement. It seemed as if everything was aligned just right for us as everything came so easy. Crystal’s laughter would light up any room, her compassion for all was unmatched by anyone I have ever met, she was dedicated to family, she knew how to have a great time under all circumstances, and possessed a responsible/professional ethic that inspired us all.
In 33 years Crystal accomplished her goals. As a teenager she dreamed of becoming a nurse and over the past 8 years she has touched so many with her kind hands and moral support. Here among us today are patients and co-workers she has touched throughout her amazing career. We are all better off to have known such a beautiful person.
She learned how to snowboard, mountain bike, play golf…thanks to uncle Randy, enjoyed hiking and even decided to complete a marathon just a few months after giving birth to Aiden. This is the first time I really noticed her competitive spirit – not only did she train and complete the race in an amazing time she beat me by more than and hour…and even more impressive she beat her dad by a couple of minutes.
Crystal wanted to see other parts of the world and had the opportunity to visit Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands. And most of all she dreamed of having a happy marriage and children to call her own. Despite her abbreviated time on earth Crystal accomplished these dreams and lived a complete life!
A special thanks needs to go out to Crystal’s mother Alma. Alma made sure Crystal was prepared to be a very special wife, mother, and nurse. The compassion, patience, stability, and personality we all grew to love was inspired and formed by a mother’s unconditional love and guidance.
Crystal used these tools to create a very special home for me and our children. She welcomed Gaven into her life with open arms and embraced responsibilities far greater than anyone could have imagined. From trips to and from Hockey, Basketball, Baseball, you name it Crystal was there. When it was time to do chores Crystal made sure Gaven did his part…I was always a bit soft when it came to taking out the trash or putting our clean clothes away…but she taught him the importance of working together as a family.
Aiden was the realization of her dream of motherhood. She was so excited when she learned that she was pregnant and enjoyed every single day of her pregnancy. Even when her ankles were swollen, or her back hurt, or she was stuck in labor, she cherished the experience. Crystal always commented that Aiden had his mother’s heart, his acts of kindness, gentle touch, and laughter made Crystal smile every day.
Rylee was the completion of our family. Crystal always dreamed of having a family of 5 in some combination of boys and girls and when Rylee arrived she felt like her life was complete. Crystal loved Rylee so much and was looking forward to walking thru life with her daughter. Late at night Crystal often teased me about getting prepared for Rylee’s first kiss, date, proms, marriage, children, and more. I know Crystal will remain with all of us in one way or another, but I think there will always be a special connection between Crystal and Rylee. In fact, I believe Crystal will live on through our children – especially her “little mamas” Rylee.
Crystal was the most appreciative person I have ever met. She was thankful for everything and envious of nothing. Remarkably, in her last hour it was very important for her to reach out to friends and family to thank them for their support. I challenge you to think about what you would do if you only had an hour to live and I think you will see what a special life we are celebrating. If Crystal was standing here now I know she would tell everyone here to be thankful and appreciative for every moment of every day, regardless of the circumstances – we may not have her courage or that final hour!

My Eulogy to Crystal

Is she really gone?? I keep waiting for my 6 am phone call. Yesterday Jason called and the caller ID came up as Crystal and if only for a second I forgot about the last couple of weeks and thought it was her. I am not one to question God because He has always taken good care of me but I lately I have been asking Him...WHY?? I want to crawl into a cave and stay there but instead I go about my life in a robot like manner. I wonder when the pain will go away, probably never. I miss her so much.

At the funeral a few of us gave Eulogies to Crystal. I asked to speak. I knew I had a lot to say, but I wondered if I could actually do it. I think we all did. Jason got up and did his Eulogy. I was next. Jason's Eulogy was a hard act to follow. It was so beautiful. However, I knew if he could do it, I could do it. I got up and took two or three deep breaths and started to speak and suddenly something over took me. I am certain it was Crystal. I think she gave us all the power, the strength and the courage to get up and speak without breaking down. Jason, Cindy, Cherie and Ellen gave the most amazing eulogies. Everyone spoke about different aspects of Crystal's life. In the end everyone wase filled with words, stories and personal memories about the amazing woman that we all knew and love.

We talked about posting all of the eulogies on the blog to share with everyone. Up until now, I haven't had the nerve, desire or courage to look at my eulogy. But I noticed that no one else had posted their eulogies and I really want to see everyone else's again so I figured I would go first.

It has been over 17 years since I last went to college. My writing is gramatically horrible. I just write how I speak. Sometimes the periods and commas are in the wrong spots. Forgive me for that and remember that I write from deep in my heart and soul.

{Trish}

My Eulogy to Crystal
The phone ringing at 6 o’clock in the morning isn’t most people’s idea of a great way to start the day. In my world, the sound of the phone ringing at 6 o’clock in the morning was the sound that put the first smile of the day on my face. Because I knew it was my Crystal and I would usually have her undivided attention for at least 30 minutes while she was driving to work.

Hi my name is Trish. I am Crystal’s cousin and her biggest fan although I think I would have to fight off a few of you who think you might be her biggest fan. But don’t even think about it….I would fight you until the bitter end and am sure that I would win. Crystal was more than a cousin. She was a best friend and the sister I never had rolled up into one great big package. I want to thank all of you for being here to celebrate the life of an amazing woman who did everything right.

Most of you know Colorado Crystal. Colorado Crystal was the mature Crystal. The responsible Crystal. The Crystal who came here to go to nursing school. The Crystal with a goal to accomplish. The nurse Crystal. The wife Crystal. The mom Crystal.

I am here to tell you about California Crystal. The single Crystal. The dingy Crystal. The Crystal that had more blonde moments than most blondes I know. She was goofy. She was silly. She was playful. She was a party girl. She was a free spirit. Our motto was “Work Hard and Play Hard” and we played hard!!

I wanted to come up and tell you some funny stories about when we were growing up. Let me tell you, I had a hard time coming up with things that were appropriate enough to discuss with you. I thought of a lot of things that I knew I couldn’t tell you. Some I couldn’t tell you because they were, well….illegal. Some I couldn’t tell because her mom and dad are here and they took place at their house while they were on vacation. The others I couldn’t tell you because I am sure she wouldn’t want her mom and dad to know. I know I don’t want them to know especially because a couple of nights ago at dinner Miguel said to me…..Tricia all this time I thought you and Crystal were good girls. I wanted to ask him…What is your definition of good?? But instead I crossed my fingers and toes under the table and assured him that we were good girls.

The California Crystal was the Crystal that I rescued at all hours of the day and night after she had been stranded from numerous places, the Crystal that bungee jumped in Rosarito, Mexico and walked away with huge bruises and welts on her legs, Alicia you were with her when this happened so you can take the blame for this one. The one that got caught using her sister’s ID, I was there for this one but it was Cindy’s ID so Cindy you can take the blame for this one. She was the one that ordered a couple of hundreds of dollars of room service not knowing that someone would eventually have to pay for it and that someone was her father..Dana you were there for this one so now I guess you owe Miguel your half and Crystal’s half of the bill. She was my partner in crime, the one that stayed intoxicated with me for an entire seven days on our vacation to Hawaii…this was only her and I so I guess I will have to take the blame for this one. Crystal was the one that heard a good song and ran onto the dance floor with or without a partner..usually without.

What I think is so crazy is that her precious Rylee is already displaying some of Crystal’s goofball symptoms. I think Crystal had already detected it, she knew it. She would often look at Rylee and say “My legend lives on”. Oh boy, I think she is right. I have already come to terms with the fact that I am going to have to spend lots of time in Denver when Rylee becomes a teenager. I will know all her tricks because her mom and I probably already did them.

Crystal until we meet again in heaven, I will miss your 6 am phone calls, our long talks about everything and your annoying giggle when you really got going. Heaven is a better place now that you are there. All of us are in a better place because you are watching over us.

On behalf of my Aunt Alma and my Uncle Miguel and my entire family, I would like to thank all of you who helped her get through this. Those who brought the family those delicious dinners, those who gave her rides to and from treatments, those who babysat, those who gave her moral support and those who prayed for her. I would especially like to thank Dee, Ellen and Cherie I only felt comfortable being so far away because I knew you were here taking care of her. I would rather have 3 friends like you than a million fair weather friends.

Program from the service

A Poem for Crystal

My friend Susan sent this poem to me.

It brought so much comfot to me because it feels like it was written for Crystal.

God saw you getting tired

And a cure was not to be.

So He put his arms around you,

and whispered, "Come to Me."

With tearful eyes we

watched you suffer,

And saw you fall away

Although we couldn't bear to lose you,

We could not ask you to stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,

Hard working hands laid to rest,

God broke our hearts to prove to us,

that He only takes the best.

{Author Unknown}

The funeral for

Crystal N. Nava LaGrange

will be held

Thursday morning April 30, 2009

at

10 o'clock in the morning

Horan & McConaty
11150 East Dartmouth Ave
Aurora, CO 80014
303-745-4418

reception immediately following

A sad heart....

It is with a very heavy heart that we let everyone know that our dear friend, family member, and loved one Crystal passed away last night, April 23, 2009. She was surrounded by her family and friends. All of your love and prayers over the last few months have truly been such a blessing to Crystal and all of her family.

Crystal lived her life devoted to her family Jason, Gaven, Aiden and Rylee.

She will be missed immeasurably. I will update with news of arrangements in the upcoming days. Thank you for being a part of such a truly amazing life.

Jason, Gaven, Aiden and Rylee LaGrange

6584 S. Quantock Court

Aurora, CO 80016

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the LaGrange Family Fund.

It's Time to Shuffle Up and Deal For the LaGrange Family

What: Texas Hold'em Fundraising Poker Tournament

When: May 16th 2009 at 2pm

Where: Murphy Creek Golf Course in the Pavilion

1700 Old Town Morris Road
Aurora, CO 80018

Buy In: $75 (Cash winnings will be awarded)

RSVP to Christine Anfield at btanfield@msn.com/303 617-7947

Please join us for a great night of poker, drinks, food and music to help show our support for our dear friend Crystal and her family. If interested in donating food for the event or prizes for a raffle let Christine know. Hope to see you there.

Crystal Checking In

We just got through one crazy week. Tuesday, March 24 was Rylee's first birthday and Thursday, March 26 we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary.

For our anniversay, all I wanted to do was go see a funny movie and have an icee and some popcorn. We had babysitters all lined up and we were off for an enjoyable evening. Unfortunately this was also the day of the "Blizzard 2009". Everything was shut down because of the bad weather. We drove to two different theatres and both of them were closed. After driving around, we decided to go home and call it a night.

Tuesday was actually Rylee's Birthday but we had her party on Saturday. My cousin Trish and my best friend Alicia came out for Birthday Party. We had enough time for three wardrobe changes. Alicia bought her the most beautiful pink princess dress with lots of layers of pink organza. Dee got got her a petticoat with layers and layers of tulle. Rylee looked especially cute in the petticoat when we accessorized her with her new pink sunglasses and pink converse tennis shoes. After that we changed her into the dress that Trish bought her. It was a pink and black dress with the Disney Princesses on it.








Rylee's party was a huge success!! Everything went off without a hitch, even Rylee's nap. Well I guess I shouldn't say EVERYTHING...Rylee had a mini meltdown when Daddy shoved a cupcake in her face. Daddy is used to having boys, I think he may have forgotten that princesses don't like to have dirtly little faces!! We got her all cleaned up and we were good to go again.





My good friend Dee, the one who set up this blog for me, hosted Rylee's party. She did such a great job. Everything was so beautiful...the Happy 1st Birthday Banner, the giant tissue balls, the cupcakes and especially the food!! A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Dee for hosting, planning and organizing the PARTY FIT FOR A PRINCESS!!






I wanted to update you on my health. Before I left for California, I had a pet scan to check on my progress. When we got home, we got the results of the test. The cancer has spread to my liver, lymph nodes and other areas of my abdomen. The good news is that it appeared that my cervix has responded to the initial rounds of chemo and radiation. The doctors decided to give me three more rounds of chemo. Chemo is very exhausting. After I have it, I am usually in bed for five days straight due to the anit-nausea medication. This Wednesday I will have the third round of chemo. Two weeks after that I will have another pet scan to see how well I am responding to it. If I respond well to the chemo, I will get three more rounds. If it turns out that I am not responding well then my doctor and I will have to figure out how we are going to pursuee it.

Over these next few weeks please keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

Crystal

Rylee Turns One!!

Rylee celebrated her birthday with friends and family on Saturday! She looked so adorable in her girly pink shades. More photos to follow...

A big week coming up!

This is my favorite picture of Crystal! She has a lot to celebrate this week. Rylee turns One on March 24, and Jason and Crystal's 4 year Wedding Anniversary is on March 26th. I feel so happy that we can share the big moments and little moments together!

This just about says it all...

*make your own at Wordle.net

Music and Margaritas!

The Drought Busters made an appearance at the Wig Party of the Century last night. The margaritas were poured, dancing broke out, a sing along was enjoyed, and wigs were worn with pride.
Crystal was the only one that looked gorgeous in her brand-new, super fabulous wig! What a great time to celebrate what we have, and not what we don't. If you would like to wear a wig in solidarity, please do so a snap a photo! We will put in on the Wall of Wigs on the blog! Looking forward to seeing you in a new 'do!

We Are All Crystals Guardian Angels

I consider myself one of the lucky ones - I get to be in Colorado and help Crystal, Jason, Alma, the kids whenever it is needed. And I often think, I couldn't imagine being a family member or friend who don't live here - how difficult it must be for them to not live close enough to be able to help. I know, because I have felt that way before. I even feel that way with Crystal at times when I can't be there because of other obligations I may have ... and then I am thankful that Alma and Miguel and Dee and Cherie are there for her, or one of her other friends, co-workers or family members. So, with that said, please hear what I am about to say to all who live afar-

Each and everyone one of you are with me when I am helping Crystal and her family. I promise. While I may be the lucky one to be physically present at the time, please know that I am just the deliverer for each and every one of you who simply can't be here but want to be. We are all Crystal's guardian angels!

So I thank you, as does Crystal, Jason and the children.

Please continue to pray and send words that will bring encouragement and strength and laughter, yes ... even laughter!

With gratitude,

Ellen McVicker

I missed them too much!!

Ok so it was only two weeks ago that the LaGrange's were in California. My heart hurt when they left. My mom was scheduled to be in Denver this week. I missed them all so much, I decided to tag along. So here I am, as happy as can be, writing to you from Denver. We arrived at about 2 o'clock and we had a FABULOUS day....doing nothing but enjoying each others company.

My mom and I scheduled our trip a little late so our airline tickets were going to be a little bit more than usual. That didn't happen though. For both of our tickets we paid exactly $140. This was possible because of two very special friends...our long time friend Renee Rivera gave us a Southwest Ticket that she had and my good friend Melissa Menier gave me a $100 Southwest Gift Card. Melissa and Renee know how much we adore Crystal, they gave me these gifts the instant they found out about Crystal. There are no words to thank you girls for this very special gift. I really, really wanted to be here with Crystal at this time and you both made it happen!

For those of you who have been keeping up with this blog, you know that Crystal had some tests done before she came to California. When she got back to Colorado, she got the results. The tests showed that her cancer has spread to her liver and her lymph nodes. Because of this, she started her next round of chemo a few days early. I wanted to be here with Crystal because she is going to cut her hair on Friday. I know that this was heavy on her mind. I wanted to be here for her to support her and help her be strong.

I ask you again, please pray for Crystal. Pray that her cancer is stopped in its tracks, pray that she is strong for whatever comes her way and most of all pray for the miracle that I know is possible!!

For those of you who have been lurking around Crystal's blog, please post a comment. Any words of encouragement, prayers, positive thoughts, miracles or anything you can think of!!!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

{Trish}

Kelly Corrigan, The Middle Place

I know this requires tissues, but the words are so perfect. A thank you to everyone who has helped and continue to help. I encourage you to read this book, it is amazing!


http://www.circusofcancer.org/
This is an amazing website for friends of cancer fighters. It specifically deals with breast cancer, but has a lot of great insights for everyone.

We Love Brothers Paint!

We were so blessed this past week by a group of amazing, generous brothers who happen to paint! Crystal really was looking forward to decorating Rylee's room, but when she got sick it kind of got pushed down to the bottom of the to-do list. Our sweet friend Lisa K. mentioned Crystal's story to Luke (one of the brothers) and he said, let me and my brothers do it, we would be honored!

So the brothers came in and painted Rylee's room a very girly shade of pink, then our sweet friend Tammy Thurston came in to paint in the stripes!




It turned out sooo cute and girly! They also did Aiden's room, and finished up Gaven's. If you are in the Denver area and are looking for a great set of Brothers here they are!
http://www.brotherspaint.com/

Luke can be reached at 303-549-1490

Aiden and Rylee's Baptism Pics

Hi everyone,

Here are a few pics from Aiden and Rylee's Baptism. My husband Gilbert and I baptized Aiden. Crystal's brother Alex and her best friend Alicia baptized Rylee. The baptism was at the historic La Placita church in Downtown Los Angeles last week. It was followed by a really nice party in Pasadena hosted by Crystal's parents.
~~Trish~~


Trish and Aiden _ Alicia and Rylee


Rylee and Alicia ____Aiden and Jason


Crystal, Aiden and Gilbert __Alex and Rylee




The Godfathers! ___ _ The Godmothers!

Happy and sin free!_ My Dad and Aiden!

Message from Crystal

I have wanted to write on this blog for so long. As you all can imagine, this has been a difficult time of my life. Being an oncology nurse has actually worked against me at this time. I have seen so much that it makes it difficult to keep a positive attitude but I continue to work on this on a daily basis. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful support system. It never fails that the days that I am feeling "not so positive", there is always someone in my life who is positive for me. Jason, who is my ROCK, is always there to remind me that I need to stay strong and keep a positive attitude.

I started off getting a regimen of 6 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation. This was difficult because I went for treatment five days a week. After this, I was scheduled for additional radiation that extended my regimen by a few weeks.

It has been three weeks since I had my last radiation. I have had my ups and downs but overall my energy level is returning. I will start a new regimen of chemotherapy treatment on February 23. There are pros and cons to the new regimen. The pros are that it is only once every three weeks, after going to treatment 5 days a week for 6 weeks, this will be nice. I will have several days where I will be feeling the side effects of the chemo, but the rest of the days should be more tolerable. The worst part of the new regimen is that I will lose my hair within the first 10 days of treatment. I am trying to mentally prepare myself for this. I want to be in control of when I lose my hair so I plan on cutting it before it starts coming out.

I had a Pet Scan on Monday, February 9 to see how everything is looking in my abdomen and to make sure the cancer has not spread any more. I will get the results on Thursday. This Pet Scan will not show if the tumor is shrinking because there is still too much inflammation from the radiation in my pelvis. I will get another Pet Scan in May, this one should give us more information as to whether or not the tumor has responded to the treatment.

I am in California right now. We came here to baptize Aiden and Rylee. When I found out I had cancer that was one of the first things I wanted to do. I wanted to make sure the kids had some spiritual direction. We baptized the kids in the morning at a historic church in Downtown Los Angeles called La Placita. We had planned to have the reception in my parent's backyard but when there was rain in the forecast my dad made a quick move and changed the venue. We ended up having a beautiful reception at the Pasadena Hilton. There was about 70 people there, lots of family and close friends. It meant so much to me to have everyone there to share in this special day.

Another thing that is very important to me is journaling. While I have been on my one month recovery, I have been journaling for Jason and the children. If I am not there for them, I want them to know who their mother is and what my hopes and dreams are for them.

I am still trying to figure out if there is a lesson to be learned in all of this. If I had to say right now....never take one moment for granted. The next time you find yourselves complaining about something, take the time to ask yourselves what is "REALLY" important? Slow down, take time to stop and enjoy life, tell the people around you that you love them. The one thing that makes it somewhat worthwhile is when my story has made someone think about how they can make a positive change in their life.

Thank you so much for your love and support. I am so touched by your positive thoughts, prayers and words of encouragement. Please keep them coming!!

{Crystal}

They're Heeerrreeeeee!!!

I woke up this morning at 6 am. I felt like a little girl on Christmas morning. I was sooo excited that today I would finally get to see Rylee, Crystal and Alma (Crystal's Mom). They did not disappoint. We had a great day and I got lots of MRT, this is my new acronym for Maximum Rylee Time!!! Crystal says I am biased and that I have my cousin blinders on but I beg to differ. Rylee is definitely the CUTEST BABY ON EARTH!! I just love that little girl!! I could sit and watch her every move 24 hours a day.

My mom picked me up, we got some food and took it over to my aunt and uncle's house. We talked and talked and talked some more. At 7 pm we took off to head over to Michael's (Crystal's Brother) House. He made us one of our favorites...Tostadas. The big discussion of the night was "How do you layer your tostada with all the fixings". We all fought and discussed why "OUR WAY' was the best. It was pretty funny!! We topped it all off with a Red Velvet Cake in the form of a HUGE Cupcake. Yum, Yum!!

Tomorrow we are meeting at the store. I want Crystal to see all of the Fabulous Scrapbook Layouts that have come in from all over the country. So many people have been touched by her story. We are having lunch and then heading to my house to hang out. More excitement to come...Jason and Aiden are arriving Friday evening to join in the Fun Times!!

I will try to post again to let you all know how we are doing!!

Bye for now!!

Trish

Another Shopping Spree

I am so excited, I can't even sleep!! Crystal will be back in California in 2 days..woohooo!!

Ok so my little baby Rylee is not as little as she was the last time I saw her. She is growing like a weed. After I bought her all those outfits that I talked about on my last post I found out she is now wearing a bigger size. Last night I went back to exchange everything for a larger size and somehow or another I ended up with so many more outfits for Rylee than I started with. I don't know what happened but I just can't seem to control myself. I could go absolutely broke shopping for her. I bought her tons of cute bows for her hair, three more shirts, a pink cardigan, a pair of white capri pants and today I got her these super cute pink "Ugg like" boots with the little fur balls on them. OMG, she is going to look so cute!! I told Crystal to bring Rylee in a diaper, I will take care of making her look super cute. My dad gave Rylee the nickname "DENVER DIVA". She is definitely going to be the DENVER DIVA gone L.A. STYLE!!!

Sad but true. It just isn't as much fun shopping for boys. The clothes are just not that as much fun!! I did buy Aiden his baptismal shoes but I had more fun buying him other stuff. He loves to watch movies, read and put stickers all over his face. I bought him the movies Curious George and The Bee Movie. I also bought him some books, a puzzle and some stickers. I can hardly wait to give it all to him.

I told Crystal she better bring an extra suitcase. I will be sending her home with all the stuff I bought for the kids and tons of Scrapbook Pages. We have soooo many Scrapbook pages, it will be impossible to get them back to Denver in one trip. I plan on sending the scrapbook pages back when anyone travels back to Denver. I can hardly wait to get those Scrapbooks completed. Crystal is bringing me an entire disk of **NEW** pictures so I will have more work to do. I am not concerned though. We have about four baskets full of scrapbook layouts that are just waiting for the right pictures!! I plan on taking hundreds of new pictures when they are here too!!

I am bummed that the weather is not going to hold up for Saturday. It is supposed to be raining pretty bad that day. Miguel (Crystal's Dad) was so concerned we ended up moving the venue for the Baptismal Reception so it could be indoors. To be totally honest, none of that matters. Nothing is going to ruin my weekend!! I have been working like a mad woman to get everything done for the Scrapbook Store for this week and for next week. I plan on spending every waking moment with the DENVER DIVA and Company. I can't wait to see Rylee and just squeeze her. When I was in Denver last November I think I squeezed her a little too hard, she finally grunted to show her unhappiness. Is it bad of me to want to squeeze her until she grunts???

Ok, I know, I am a little chatty today. I get like that when I am excited. I am going to stop know otherwise Dee might boot me from my blogging privileges...hahahaha!!

I will post all the details of our visit along with some pictures as soon as I can.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Trish

P.S. Let's keep the prayers and positive energy going for Crystal. She had some tests taken earlier this week and we are looking for great results!!! The power of prayer and positive energy can bring that miracle that we are all hoping for!! Thank you to infinity!!

The Countdown is on...

Seven days until the LaGrange's come to California!!

They are coming to baptize Aiden and Rylee. Gilbert and I are honored to be baptizing Aiden. Crystal's best friend Alicia is baptizing Rylee. I braved the rainy streets and headed shopping for Aiden's baptismal outfit. The outfit is so cute. I hope the weather is nice because I bought him a shorts outfit with a vest and a little bow tie. My little guy is going to look so handsome!

I did some shopping for Rylee too. She is like a little doll. I love to dress her up and have photo shoots with her. I know it is only February but I couldn't resist the cutest baby bikini I have ever seen. I bought her that and a beautiful white dress that she can wear after we change her out of her baptism dress. I also bought her some crop jeans with a super cute valentine's shirt. I hope that she is up for a photo shoot now that she is on the move!!

I will post pictures as soon as I get a chance.

Trish

Rylee has hope...

Hope with her. Rylee put on her best inauguration outfit to celebrate a new day. Join us in our quest for hope. Say a prayer, write a note, send positive thoughts. Crystal has hope, please join her with yours.

The Audacity of Hope

Crystal and I were talking about a lot of things yesterday, but HOPE seems to be very important to her and to all of us. We are all hopeful for a miracle, a great outcome, a long and full future, health and happiness. She wanted to let all of you know that your kind words, help, dinners, and donations of time, money and vacation days are what keep her going strong.

She is just tired right now. Tired of being tired. Tired of medications, and appointments, and all of the things that she has to do to stay focused. It is exhausting. She wants you to know that she is focusing on being with her family now but keep the cards, calls, and prayers coming! She doesn't have the strength for a social life at the moment, but she loves hearing from you!

Here's the good news! She is done with the first round of chemo and the internal radiation!! (Insert Cheer Here!) She has a few more radiation treatments this week and then she can let her body rest for a few weeks.

She looks great, you would never know the battle that she is fighting. But she doesn't feel quite as good as she looks. Hang in there, don't forget her in your thoughts and prayers.

Checking in from California

We have had such an enormous response to our request for scrapbook layouts. We have two baskets bursting at the seams with beautiful layouts. At the scrapbook store we have a wonderful group of ladies on our design team. Each month we task them with a different challenge for scrapbook layouts. This month we asked them to create layouts for Crystal. We have a beautiful showcase of layouts displayed at the front of the store.

I promised you a sneak peak of the layouts for Crystal's scrapbooks. This is miniscule fraction of the layouts that have been donated to Crystal's scrapbooks. We will keep posting them as often as we can. Thank you to EVERYONE that has dedicated their time to make this possible!!

Christmas with the LaGrange's

It has been a month since I have seen Rylee. I hear she has two teeth and she is standing up on the furniture. You know that that means?? Its only a matter of time before she takes off walking. I miss everyone so much. I can hardly wait until the LaGrange Family packs it up and heads to California later this month.

Crystal had lots of company over the holidays. Jason's parents Dot and Jim came in from Iowa. His brother Chad and his wife Paula and their baby came in from Georgia. Crystal's brother Michael came in from California. Her sister Cindy totally surprised Cindy on Christmas Eve by flying in from California with her husband Andre and all their kids, Brandon, Andy and Taylor. Right after Christmas Crystal's best friends Alicia and Dana came in along with Crystal's goddaughter Aubry.

Things have settled down in the LaGrange Household from all the excitement of the holidays. It sounds like Crystal shared some quality time with family and friends and that is what the holiday season is all about!!

{Trish}