Feeling Much Better

I am feeling so much better. Thankfully! Thank you for praying! It truly was a rough week. It was like everything aligned in a perfect storm. The surgery coincided with the last week of chemo which I have found is, most definitely, the worst phase of the cycle. It's like my body is full up and can't really do much more than just the basics during that time. Once I was able to take a break from chemo, my body could finally focus on other things, like healing properly. The incisions, which were just starting to show signs of infection, have cleared up. Whew! Thank you Jesus!!

I struggle with exactly how honest to be here but in the end, there really is no sense in trying to make it look like I always have it together. I don't. But I'm pretty sure if you know me, you already know that! If you don't know me (Hello random citizen!), you'll soon learn that about me.  I'm learning a lot about others as well. Those of you who struggle with chronic pain, honestly, I didn't know how exhausting it is. My choice to not use opioids this time was just that, my choice. I know it might have made my recovery longer and harder than it otherwise might have been but like I said, my body was showing signs of distress and did not need one extra thing in it. I'm so glad to be feeling better and to have all of that all behind me!

I just want to take a minute to thank all of the people who have been so helpful in driving our kids to their various activities, music lessons, field trips and "play dates" (lol). R and C and K and V! You have been a life saver to us! Thank you so much for helping to keep our kid's lives as normal as possible! Our Jiu Jitsu club had a fund raiser for us and we were absolutely blown away by the kindness and generosity of the people there. Thank you M!! We belong to a very special community of people who are walking beside us and supporting us and we couldn't be more thankful for each and every one of you! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Food continues to be a hot topic here as my family curiously watches me eat plant based meals. Are they completely sold on the idea? Um, no. There will probably always be a place for pizza here at our house. But even small changes, when we make them together, are so good for all of us, not just me. For my birthday, my girls got me this book and oh my, what fun it has been trying out new recipes (thank you Hannah for helping me!). Honestly, I can't think of a day when I have felt deprived or have not enjoyed the food I'm eating. There are even some fabulous recipes out there for non dairy, grain free, plant based, sugar free desserts to satisfy those sweet cravings as well. Overall, I am enjoying this style of eating and based on the amount of times my kids want a bite of my food, I'm thinking it will be fairly easy to coax some of them over. That will make cooking so much easier when there is just one meal to make instead of two (I said "some" of them, not "all" of them. You know who you are! Lol).

Speaking of my birthday, for a present this year, I asked for family pictures. (Thanks for the great idea Kass!) We met up with an amazing photographer that literally made the whole thing just so easy for us, not to mention, so much fun! The older I get, the more I treasure these photos!! Thank you all so much! It's not easy to get us all together in one place at one time but we did and we truly had the best day together which was thankfully, before surgery. Even better!

Photo credit: Merissa Casson

I am so incredibly thankful for each person here. Family is one of the greatest blessings we have here on earth. What is greater still, is belonging to the family of God. Behind each smiling face, there is a time when, instead of a smile, there is fear, or frustration, sadness, anger or disappointment. We lose our way and we wander like little children, from the Path we know and love so well. What a wonderful Saviour we have who so freely gives to us Grace and Mercy, Strength and Love and Forgiveness. Which we then, in turn, can show each other. We are forgiven and we forgive. And we can be part of a Family that will never be separated.  Not even in death. 

And that, dear friends, makes us smile. 

The Family of God

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,

I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!

Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,

For I'm part of the family,

The Family of God.

You will notice we say "brother and sister" 'round here,

It's because we're a family and these are so near;

When one has a heartache, we all share the tears,

And rejoice in each victory in this family so dear.

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,

I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!

Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,

For I'm part of the family,

The Family of God.

From the door of an orphanage to the house of the King,

No longer an outcast, a new song I sing.

From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong,

I'm not worthy to be here, but praise God I belong!

I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God,

I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood!

Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod,

For I'm part of the family,

The Family of God.

~ Bill & Gloria Gaither ~

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a