What Have I Been Doing?

I know, no excuse for not blogging for 3 months, but What in the heck have I been doing?  Going through chemo DOES NOT mean I get to lay around and sleep and be sick... Heck no!!!  I've been VERY VERY busy......

My baby boy, Dallin, graduated from Westlake High School on May 26th, 2016. 

He's officially a graduate!

Made for Dallin by his sister, Terina. 

Partying it up Memorial wekeend at our Purcell reunion in St. George, Utah that included 1400+ other people. (which yes, I got really sick after and was hospitalized, but so worth it)... Met tons of new cuzzins and reacquainted with many others. 

 

If that isn't enough.... Here's more...  I finished my MPA degree at BYU on June 9th!!

 

I'm still alive and CHEMO is done!!

Ok, it's been almost three months since I've posted anything, life has been crazy busy and I've been crazy exhausted and sick, but now it's time to catch everyone up on ME. 
July 14th was my FINAL chemo and as I rang the BELL my family cheering me on!  I hold the record for the most people to come to the ringing the bell. 

Jamie, my friend and chemo nurse for all 8 treatments! 

Love from Indiana, Elder Houston Heimuli

How did I get so lucky?  I know, it's because I AM THE FAVORITE AUNTY to all 23 of my Murray nieces and nephews....  No really, I am.  Just like I am the favorite child of my parents, the favorite sister of both my sisters, shall I say more??? 

 

In my email inbox today, I get a Missionary Monday email from my nephew serving his mission in Indiana.  (sorry, no edits here)  I love you Elder Heimuli! 

 

Aunty,

Im aware that youre in a very painful situation. You have fought through sooo much and you continue to keep fighting. You wanna know what i think about when i remember all those times i stayed over at your house aunty? how bossy you were haha!! but thats a good think, because you know what needs to be done and you do EVERYTHING to make sure its done. Its like some crazy drive that you have that i wish i had. But i know youll get through this, especially with your mentality and will. I love you aunty and i pray that god will support you through all your trials. No, I know he will. Just keep the faith, dont let it go! 

Just wanted to shoot you a email aunty and say i love you and i pray for you and the fam!!

Ofa Lahi Atu

 

Elder Heimuli

Love from California

My nephew,  Second Lt. Tony Moe at Edwards Airforce Base in California sends me this text this evening.  I literally cried.  I can feel his love all the way from California.  I love you, Tony!!! 

Went to the barber shop after work today and the lady said, "How would you like your hair cut sweetie?" and I told her, 'Easy, just going to shave it all off!' and she laughed and said "You're joking right? Your hair is so long and beautiful!" as she ran her fingers through it and I told her 'Nope, serious. I'm doing it for my favorite Auntie, her name is Lani! She is battling cancer and shaved her head, so I'm going to shave my head too to support her' and she nodded and said "That is a very good reason" and asked me questions about you as she buzzed off my hair and at the end I took out my wallet and she said "Nope, I'm going to pay for this sweetie. This is my way of supporting your Auntie, please tell her I will pray for her too and wish her a speedy recovery". :) I love you Auntie Lani!! You got this. Sending you all my love, prayers, and positive vibes and energy from Cali!

I am so blessed to have family and friends all over the globe loving and supporting me.  I love you all, and yes, WE GOT THIS!!! 

Beautiful makeup session

My daughter, Ina, is my personal makeup artist.  She came today to make me feel prettier than I felt even when I had hair (which I didn't even think was possible)!  Ina is so talented.  She made me feel so special as she took her time and did her magic while I laid on my recliner.  I love my daughter and her talents.  She's always been my Ms. Diva and I love it!  I love you, Ina!  Thank you for letting me be your mother... I am so blessed...

Bald is Beautiful!!??

Why didn't I listen earlier?  It's because I'm Lani and I always seem to do things when I want to do them.  duh..  The doctors told me my headaches would continue until my hair was gone, but I wasn't ready yet.  The headaches were unbearable so I finally gave in.  Stacy Taylor, my hair stylist for 15 years, shaved her first cancer patient while Junior supported me with every positive comment he could make to put a smile on my face. 

Then I woke up from my 5 hour nap to find my boys looking as crazy, bald, and beautiful as me.  My Tolu loves me unconditionally to shave his beard that he hasn't touched for 2 years, too.  I've been bugging him for two years to cut it and this is all it took.  If I would've known.  LOL.  Even my two haole boys showed support for me with their new hairdos! 

Down with Chemo #2

Thursday was my second chemo and here is my "chemo office" all set with my laptop, book, computer bag, drink, and candy.  LOL.  I got an assignment for my masters program handed it, registered for next term, send about 50 work emails out all while getting my chemo done!  What an accomplished morning it was!!! 

Jojo picked me up from chemo and I talked Ina into taking me to do a manicure and a pedicure before Junior picked me up!  hehe.  I was still feeling good, so why not, right?  I must make sure my nails are on point! 

They Miss Me

The night before my first chemo, I received this surprise video from my faculty at work.  It's obvious they miss my bossy, controlling, OCD me, but duh who wouldn't????  This made me laugh as I was a bit anxious for my new venture of chemotherapy. 

Trusted Employees

Hey.  Pania here.  Again.  You think I don't remember that I told you in my last post I was turning this blog over to Lani?  Well, I've bugged her almost daily since then to get her to start blogging.  And she's given me the same excuse every time, "There's nothing interesting to write about."

"Write about your family.  Write about what's important to you.  Write about how this whole thing began," I helpfully suggested.  

Nothing.

So I've had no luck whatsoever trying to get her to blog.  For a typically fearless woman, she's kind of avoiding this whole blogging thing.  Finally, tonight I got an email that said, "My office staff sent this to me.  How do I put this on my blog?"

Yessss!  At last she found something interesting to blog about!  I sent her the simple instructions.  

Nothing.  

I'm telling you, if this video weren't so darn cute, I would have just left it alone until Lani figured out how to get it up on her blog.  But it is so darn cute.  You've just got to see it.  

So what did I do?  You guessed it.  

Enjoy -- it will make you laugh...  

It will make you cry...  

It will make you wonder what kind of people Lani works with, haha.

(Click on the pic below)

I promise not to be such an enabler next time.

Here's Lani

Before she was diagnosed with cancer, Lani was full of life.  Now guess what?  She still is!  Listening to her talk about cancer is like hearing someone tell you they were just bitten by a mosquito -- like it's no big deal.  Yet it is to the rest of us who love her.  

I'm Lani's older sister.  But I'm not the oldest.  Kookie is, and there is no greater oldest sister in this world.  Lani is our baby sister...cutest baby sister ever.

Clockwise from bottom right: Baby Lani (look at all that hair!), Tamaiti, Mom (Norma), Me (Pania), Kookie and Dad (Thomas)

Clockwise from top right: Lani, me, Dad, Mom and Kookie

And you can see that she grew up to be the prettiest baby sister ever.

  

She's also Junior's wife... 

Mom to six children, mom-in-law to four, foster mom to many...

And I speak with 100% accuracy when I say that her favorite title is Nana to eight beautiful grandchildren.  Eight!  I try not to be jealous.  I fail.  

Here are a few pics of her family:

Lani with her "baby" Lauryn. Isn't Lauryn gorgeous like her mom?

Of Lani's 4 handsome sons, Dallin is the youngest.  He's been called to serve in the Papua New Guinea Lae Mission and enters the MTC in July 2016.

The men in Lani's life (L to R):  Tolu (2nd oldest), Thor (oldest), Dallin (5th child), husband Junior, and Jordan (3rd child)

Lani's beautiful daughters (inside and out):  Lauryn (6th child) and Terina (4th child)

Thor and Des have 4 children (L to R):  Eliana, Thor, Tautua and Evaleyah

Tolu and 'Ou have this little princess, Vickie-Jane

This is Jojo -- Jordan and Shayna's cute baby boy

Terina and Tupalu have 2 children (L to R):  Nyree and Foe

Lauryn, Dallin and Dylon went to Prom a couple of weeks ago...

Now that you've met the immediate family, I'm turning this over to Lani to blog about what's going on in her own life.  This will be her first attempt at blogging so be gentle with her, LOL.  Its primary purpose is to keep her out-of-trouble as she goes through chemo (I'm kidding).  Its secondary purpose is to allow germ-y folks to stay up-to-date on her condition without endangering her low immune system (I'm not kidding -- I'm her protective older sister, ok?).

Oh, let me post just one more picture...because once Lani starts blogging, you may not see another pic until she figures out how to attach one  :)

Lani cut off all her beautiful hair right before her first chemo treatment.  She hasn't had her hair this short since she was 5 years old when our mom decided she didn't want to battle Lani's tangled curls while we were in New Zealand for a month.  After all these years it's short again in preparation for her pending [insert any famous and extremely good-looking bald person's name here] hairdo.