Hi friends, many of you have been following along on social media, and you know that we recently found out that my mom’s cancer has returned. She has been debating what to do about it and after your outpouring of love and prayers she is ready to fight it with chemo and radiation.
A friend of mine suggested that I set do the 54 day rosary novena for her and ask my friends to join. I wasn’t sure how I would do that but then I saw that Micaela did something similar (but with Holy Hours) for Kendra and her husband Jim, who is also fighting cancer. So, I put together a page were you could sign up to say a rosary for my mom on one of the 54 days. (The first 27 days are for petition and the second 27 days for thanksgiving.)
We will begin on June 30th and end on August 22, the feast of the Queenship of Mary.
Pictured: My mom on her birthday last week. Photo credit: my sis-in-law Maria. // Me & mom at the Mission. // Mom and dad with their grandchildren two years ago. There have been three more added since then! Photo credit: Felicity Photography.
We are praying this rosary for these intentions:
For Dolores’ strength physically, mentally and spiritually during her treatment.
For the strength and patience of the family members who will be caring for her during treatment.
For mom’s healing from cancer, if it be God’s will.
For peace of heart and complete trust and surrender at the hands of Our Father for all involved.
We are also asking for the intercession of Our Lady Queen of Heaven and Earth, St. Peregrine, St Terese of the Little Flower and Fr. Luis Marx (a very holy family friend/priest who recently died.)
A big thank you to all of you who have already been praying and especially for those of you who will take this extra step of offering up a rosary. Heartfelt thanks from my mom, me and my family!
This week’s version of Online Daybook is a little different since it was written while on vacation, so welcome to the Online Daybook/ 7 Quick Takes Lake Tahoe 2016 Edition. (Linking up with Kelly for 7QT.)
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Grateful…
For a safe trip to Lake Tahoe.
That my mom’s surgery went well.
For phone calls, texting and social media that keeps me connected with family even when I am far away.
For a date night with my Sweetie thanks to Bella babysitting.
For vacations in general. I need this recharge! (Even though I sometimes think it is more stressful than being at home!)
Praying for…
My mom. For her recovery from surgery and that she keeps her positive spirit as she waits to heal.
The tired, the weary and the overworked.
For the safety of all travelers.
For the person who was hurt at the lake yesterday and air lifted to the hospital.
Some special intentions.
Pondering…
Of course, my mom is on my mind right now. The trip has been nice so far but it is not as fun as last year when my mom and dad were able to join us. This is actually our first solo trip without a set of grandparents to accompany us. It was hard not having my parents with me, especially knowing that my mom would be having surgery while we were in Tahoe. I really wanted to be with her as she recovered in the hospital.
I thought about canceling our trip but in one of our phone conversations my mom told me that she did not want me to be sad or to feel bad that we were having fun without her. She wanted me to enjoy this time with Brian and the kids and she said she’d be there in spirit with us and God willing, physically with us on next year’s trip.
As it turned out, even if I was there I wouldn’t have been allowed in her room since visitors had been restricted so she could heal without germs from the outside. So for now, I am doing the best I can to enjoy this time with my family and have fun because I know that is precisely what she wants us to do. On the day of her surgery I wore my fight cancer shirt and we prayed our rosary for my mom, lifted her in prayer and took lots of photos so we could share them with her when we visit her in a couple weeks.
UPDATE: My mom is back home and recovering nicely. Thank you for the continued prayers! 🙂
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Around the Hotel…
It looks a lot like home…books scattered on the tables, action figures on the floor, fingerprints on the windows. 😉
Family Chit Chat…
The first time we came to Lake Tahoe was 13 years ago when Bella was just a year old.
Thirteen years later and Brian is still my sweetheart…
However, the baby is now 14 and we’ve added three cute boys to the mix. 🙂
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In the Kitchen…
Thankfully our hotel has a good sized kitchen so we’ve been able to cook our meals. However, tonight is Mexican night and we get to eat out. Ole!
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Reading…
I’ve been reading like crazy but I am behind on writing my summer books posts so I will work on those this week! Hint: Some of my list is pictured above. 🙂
Watching…
Brian and I just saw the first episode of the BBC mystery/thriller Thirteen about a young girl who escaped after 13 years of captivity. However, something about her story does not ring true…so the mystery begins. I love the feel of British mysteries (and dramas.) The show itself reminds me a bit of Broadchurch, minus the lovely David Tennant. (Parental note: This is rated MA. The first episode had some language and the story line itself is dark.)
(At the Movies)
The last three movies I watched were Love and Friendship, Captain America: Civil War and The Jungle Book. Surprisingly, of the three my favorite was The Jungle Book.
The Jungle Book – I took Andrew to see this and I think I landed out enjoying it as much (if not more) as he did. The story was captivating and the special effects were enthralling. I was completely swept into the movie and it held my attention the entire time. It went beyond what I expected from a “kids” film. (Parental Note: The movie can be scary for younger kids. My 8 yr old loved it but my sensitive 6 yr old and 5 yr old skipped it and I’m glad they did. They’ll wait to watch it on blu-ray where it’s not as intense as a big screen.)
Love and Friendship – While it was not my favorite Austen story, the humor and wit of the dialogue left me smiling.
Captain America: Civil War – I am fan of all the Marvel movies and while the movie was enjoyable I hated the “brother against brother” story. I can’t help it. I am not a fan of conflict and like when more peaceful means solve a problem. 😉
Next on my list of movies to see are Conjuring 2, The Legend of Tarzan and Star Trek Beyond.
I was also debating about watching the French film The Innocents but then I read Sr. Helen Burns review of the movie and decided to definitely watch it if it opens locally. The story, which is based on actual events, takes place in Warsaw in December 1945. A convent of nuns is attacked by Russian soldiers and many of the sisters are raped and consequently become pregnant. A young French doctor puts herself in danger to help the nuns. Sr. Burns says, “This is a very sensitive, non-sensational film of based on actual events (and many nuns have been raped and gotten pregnant during other wars as well) that manages to wrap itself around and enter deeply into the psychology of this very pointed and specific trauma” and “The Innocents is a truly religious film. Religious films are about God, not the trappings of God or His human mouthpieces.” (Read the full review here.) It is not light summer fare but sounds like a deeply moving film.
Listening to …
Summer is officially here. Here is the first song on my Summer 2016 playlist. 🙂
I love this super cute idea from Jenna at Call Her Happy.
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I haven’t posted anything since my last Daybook. Hey, it’s vacation time! Later this week I will hopefully finish my summer book post. In the following weeks it will be the return of Spotlight Saturday and bullet journal updates.
If you follow me on social media, you have already seen these. If you haven’t, then here’s a peak into our vacation.
I love walking through the tall trees. It reminds me of the Redwoods in NoCal.
Fun at the Lake! I love the ocean but letting kids play in the calm lake is 100% less stressful than dealing with the unpredictable Pacific waves.
We don’t have miniature golf close to where we live so the kids love to visit the local Magic Carpet mini-golf. There are dinos and pirate ships on 3 different courses, although Matthew sometimes looked like he was playing hockey instead of golf. Afterwards, the boys enjoyed playing a racing game with their dad.
Playing at Tahoe Paradise Park.
Andrew giving his sister a push.
Despite the heat, there is still a bit of snow on the mountains.
If you go past the park and though the grassy area towards the river, you’ll find this to the right.
However, this year I discovered a little trail that leads to the left side of the park, along the river. When the kids were done playing I told them we were going exploring to see where the trail led.
The scenery was gorgeous.
And about a quarter of a mile down I spotted this lovely scene. I could hear the sounds of the water rushing and birds tweeting and for one brief moment life was completely perfect. Until I listened a little closer…to the whining voices around me saying, “It’s too hot!” and “There are too many bugs!” and “Are we done yet?” Sigh. Oh, well. I had my moment, brief as it was. We headed back to the park so the boys could spin themselves sick on the merry-go-round instead.
I did keep up with my walking challenge of #rol100milesin100dayswhile in Tahoe. Bella would join me in the evening when the weather cooled down.
Other times we’d go as a family and the boys were more than happy to join me (well, when I promised them ice cream cones at the finish line.) 😉 Either way, I caught up on the days I was slacking before we left.
When the sun set on our last day we had to say goodbye to Tahoe and promised to be back next year. 🙂
So that’s what I’ve been up to lately! What about you? What’s currently happening in your life? Will you be doing any traveling? Do share.
Have a great weekend!
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Happy feast of the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. I just wanted to touch base, particularly for those of you who don’t follow me on social media but have asked about how my mom is doing. She went for her biopsy on Tuesday and the doctor confirmed that she has cancer and that it looks aggressive. They don’t know a stage yet. She will get a contrast cat scan on 5/15 (the feast of Pentecost) to look into her abdomen and pelvis to see if it went into any lymph nodes. Then she will meet with her oncologist on 5/20 to get the results and make a plan of action. All things considered, mom is really upbeat and positive and ready to fight.
We all thank you for your prayers so far and humbly ask for your continued prayers. It is very much appreciated! xoxo
It is a little ironic that a couple hours after posting about my weekend trip and sharing how it helped to heal the pain of the loss of my father-in-law, there has been a new cross presented to my family. I guess God wanted to make sure we had a wonderful time in each others company before we climbed the next mountain together.
If you may recall, I mentioned that my mom hasn’t been feeling well. She had her doctor’s appointment this week and the situation is much worse than we anticipated. She has cancer. The doctor couldn’t confirm it 100% but he was pretty sure it was cervical cancer and that “it looked bad.” This was a blow to all of us. I have already walked this road with Brian and don’t relish traveling it again with my mom. MY MOM.
I think I have been in denial since I heard the news. I have not cried yet. I have held strong for the kids who asked me if Grandma was going to die like Opa. I held it together so I could talk coherently with my mom and my many siblings. I haven’t let myself really think about it or I’d go crazy but now in the quiet of the house with Brian at work and the kids at school the tears can’t be held back… They are falling faster than I can type these words…
I don’t want my mom to have to walk this road, and more selfishly, I don’t want to lose my mom. She is such a rock and source of strength to me, I can’t imagine a time when that has to change.
With Mother’s Day approaching, I can’t help but think about mom and how she has shaped my life. She had a rough childhood and made mistakes in the early years of raising us up but she wasn’t content to repeat the vicious circle of dysfunctional families. She surrendered herself to the healing power of God’s grace and corrected her mistakes, and with my dad, raised up a family with a strong faith and love of God. She is now enjoying the fruits of her labor with children that are carrying on the faith and expanding the family tree – particularly with 4 new grandbabies within one year.
I admire my mom so much. I gave her a lot of grief and heart ache in my pain-in-the-arse years but she never gave up on me. She taught me to trust in God and believe in myself with God’s grace. She taught me that life is too boring without a little fun and a lot of laughter. She taught me about inner strength because she is the strongest woman I know. She has faced fears and kept going forward even when she was unsure of the way. And she did it without losing her sense of humor.
As I am typing this, I am also realizing that what I admire about my mom is going to be what gets her through this trial. Her faith, her trust in God, her courage to move forward even when she is scared and her sense of humor will serve as the very tools she needs to fight this battle. Now I just pray that we as her family have the strength to trust in God completely and walk this road with her.
I keep thinking about this morning’s Blessed Is She devotion. One quote is stuck in my head.
“The Lord’s Ascension means that Christ has not gone far away from us, but that now, thanks to the fact that he is with the Father, he is close to each one of us forever.” – Pope Benedict XVI
“He is close to each one of us forever.” I’ll be repeating those words over and over reminding myself that Our Lord is right by our sides, holding our hands and never leaving us.
Normally, my mom is very private and has reservations about posting personal business online for all to see (as you can deduce, that gene must have skipped me) but when I asked her if I could ask my online friends to pray for her she said, “Definitely, yes!” She wants as many people praying for her as she can get. So, please keep my mom (and our family) in your prayers. She is scheduled to have a biopsy taken tomorrow – Friday, 5/6/16 – and then we’ll know how bad (or not so bad) the cancer is. I’ll update this post when we get the results.
Thanks, guys. You have always been there to support me when tough times have hit us and it means a great deal to me. xoxo
UPDATE: My mom had the biopsy on Friday and we will get the results on Tuesday. I’ll keep you posted. Thank you or the continued prayers.
UPDATE #2: My mom’s biopsy confirmed that she has cancer and it looks aggressive. She will take another cat scan on Sunday, feast of Pentecost, to check if it has gone into lymph nodes. We will know more next week. We both thank you for all your prayers!!
UPDATE #3 (Dec 2016): My mom had surgery in late June and the cancer was removed. So far there are no signs of cancer. She will continue to be monitored.
The last few times I posted it was about my father-in-law’s passing and his funeral. My emotions were bittersweet and tear stained. Thankfully, today I am feeling nothing but gratitude and joy after a great weekend road trip.
My sister Bridgette and brother-in-law Mick (the one you were praying for when he was stationed in Afghanistan last year) are celebrating the upcoming birth of their first child. We decided that Bella and I would attend the baby shower and Brian would stay home with the little guys to have a father-sons bonding weekend. The boys were so excited. There were plans for sleeping bags on the floor, sports outside and snacks that mom normally wouldn’t allow. 😉
Bella and I were excited to have a mother daughter weekend and since we are the two Disneyland junkies of the family, we left a day early to spend Friday at Disneyland.
We were blessed to attend on a school day (we happened to be off) so the crowds were relatively thin and in the morning we hit all the major rides with less than a 5 minute wait time in each. (That’s a Disney miracle.) It was nice to do all the things we normally can’t with the younger boys.
We had a blast and kicked butt with our fitbit walking – 20,000 steps in a day!! That’s a record for me.
I would have lost some weight had I not counteracted it with yummy treats like this. 😉
By the end of the day I was so tired I could have cried but I had so much fun they would have been happy tears.
The rest of the weekend was spent with family and friends and it was just what I needed. I can only go so long until I need my familia fix – hugs from my parents and siblings and laughter all around. I was especially happy to spend time with my mom since she hasn’t been feeling well lately. (Please keep her health in your prayers.)
On Sunday we had Bridge and Mick’s baby shower. So fun!
Bella met her new little cousins Gracie (above) and Keith.
My sister Jacinta and her “mini me” Bella.
I was excited to get together with my sister Elena who flew in from Virginia. She is also a blogging buddy and is in the process of redoing her blog. Stay tuned!
The entire weekend was just what my heart needed but I was missing my big fella and three little guys. I was eager to get back home on Monday.
I drove into the driveway and saw Brian playing with the three boys. When they turned around and saw us the boys ran over to hug us. John-Paul even had tears in his eyes and I couldn’t help but tear up myself. It was so good to be home!
Life seems to go in waves of peaks and valleys. God blessed me with an incredible respite from all the heart ache but now it is back to reality and back to work. Hopefully I’ll also have more time to hang around here more often. 😉 Have a great week!
However, the baby is now 14 and we’ve added three cute boys to the mix. 🙂
If you go past the park and though the grassy area towards the river, you’ll find this to the right.
The scenery was gorgeous.
