Tag Archives: cancer

Boys, cancer, christmas, Family

Be Having Wifesaver

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Every Christmas for as long as I can remember, my mom would make Wifesaver from the Best of Bridge cookbook.

I remember this was last thing she would do before she went to bed on Christmas Eve. She would cut the crust off the bread. Layer it with ham and cheese. Pour the eggs overtop. And then in the morning as we were unwrapping gifts we would hear the crunch crunch crunch of the cornflakes as she put the topping on.

A few days ago, a good old friend of mom’s asked how she could help. I told Bev B. it would be great if she could make mom’s Wifesaver.

Right now this memory and ritual created by mom is being eaten by our family. Thanks to Bev’s love and generosity.

The smells, the look, the taste, the memory, the memory, the memory.

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cancer, christmas, Family

Be Jenny Penner designer for Elle Mikal Designs

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Jenny from Elle Mikal design was one of the first people I told when I knew my mom was going to die. She has prayed, sewn and her gift of a toque and word for everyone has helped each of us walk this journey with my mom and dad in style and with God’s anointing.

Here is what she wrote to us:

May each of you receiving your hand-stitched toque/hat today open hearts to the prayers that have been prayed for you in specific… each hat has been carefully named with much more meaning behind the name itself. It is my prayer that each of you will receive all that has been stitched into you as you wear your Toque/ Hat.
Elle Mikal means… Who is like God? Each of us have been created and designed by God for God for the display of His Splendour.
Each Toque/Hat has either a flower for Fragrance of the Glory of God or a circle that represents Rejoice…sometimes life is difficult
sometimes life is ok
sometimes life is good
sometimes life is great…
in it all there is joy
a circle of joy
but mostly there is… Elle Mikal
Glory to God in the Highest!!!

Revelation 22:1-5 NLT
“Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.”

20131223-201350.jpgThe Family of Toques

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Mom

20131223-201400.jpgMom and Dad

20131223-201409.jpgMom and Michelle

20131223-201415.jpgMom and I

20131223-201424.jpgMom, Michelle and I

20131223-201430.jpgThe Mitton/Jenkins Family

20131223-201437.jpgRea, Rogelio, Yago and Rio

20131223-201442.jpgJamie, Marnie and Baby (due in March)

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My Family

Thank you Elle Mikal design for sharing your God given gift with us.

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cancer, Family

Be Going Inward

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Transition.

Only a beautiful hi from mom this morning.

Down the path.

Moving forward.

Packed her bags.

Going Inward.

My Spirit sits with my mom.

I sit with my mom.

The scarf she knit around my neck.

My tear catcher and prayer shawl.

My Sexy Neck, my boys, my dad, my sister, C, Rea, Jamie, Marnie and Ron at my side.

Going Inward.

Waiting to see how this journey will be.

Knowing your love is holding us up.

Knowing mom is our guide.

She will do it her beautiful, thoughtful way.

Thank you world.

Thank you peeps.

Thank you for holding us close.

Thank you to my beautiful mom for letting me journey with her.

This is such an honour and privilege to be at her side.

I LOVE YOU MOM!

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Boys, Christianity, Family

Be Snowing In California

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I am not sure how you feel about God or prayer or miracles or signs and wonders BUT I DO FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT LOVE.

How is it possible that this little stay-at-home mom’s blog has gone from 20-50 hits per days, to now 855 today? The LOVE you share for my mom, Gwen, my dad, Mike and our family.

We are overwhelmed by your love for our family through this blog, through phone calls, emails, cards, food and visits. Everyone has used their own ways and their own gifts to love us. Thank you.

Also being a Northern girl we all know about snow. A few weeks ago, I posted about the significance of snow in our life here.

On Friday, when we transferred mom from hospital to hospice, the snow flakes were fluttering out of the sky. I asked Tom, the ambulance driver, if mom could feel the snow on her face. As dad, Sexy Neck, JC, CC, and OC came to greet Nana into hospice, the snowflakes fell softly on mom’s face lying in the stretcher.

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The next day, I received this email from my old University roommate and teammate, Jill. More snow stories. I love how God brings such miraculous signs and wonders to encourage us. And the greatest of these was LOVE.

Now, here’s Jill:
SNOW IN CALIFORNIA
I’m loving reading your blog. How did I not know you were writing this?

We have so much to talk about but I thought I would share this with you.

I read your blog about the importance of snow in your life.
Last night I was thinking – what if I asked God to snow here?

I never really asked, just thought about it.
In fact I didn’t want to ask, because it doesn’t snow here.

Anyway, this morning I looked out to snow. Tree snow.
The fluff has been coming off daily, but this morning it was like a little snow storm.

Then tonight, Ayla finds these two itsy bitsy Styrofoam bits. She takes one and hands one to me and says Mum let’s have a snow ball fight.

Made me smile and feel so warm.

Looks like you are surrounded by wonderful friends and family.

Your blog has turned so peaceful.

-Jilly

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cancer, Family

Be Sharing Your Story – Theresa and John (Diana’s parents)

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We are extremely touched by how many people are reaching out to us and are sharing this journey with mom and our family.

This morning I received an email from Diana’s parents. Diana shared her journey with us this morning.

Here is what Theresa and John had to say:

Mike. Joanna, Steve, Jackson, Colby and Owen and family

We have been following Gwen’s and your path all along the way; we are sure that Gwen appreciates all your loving support from the get go through to this difficult part of her journey – she may be too ill now to articulate it but never forget that she gives you her loving support right back. We like to think she will be doing that from on high when she gets there, and sometimes you will need to feel her doing that.

We are full of admiration for Gwen, you, your family, and especially Joanna (and Sexy Neck – I can never think of Steve again without thinking of this reference – and the little ones) and how you are all coping and providing support and love for each other. I am sure there have been some bumps along the way where not every moment went totally smoothly, but even the bumps have been full of love.

Yesterday I went searching in our photos and finally found the one that epitomizes Gwen to me – Jackson’s 3rd birthday party whose theme was cycling – it was a neat party and you and Gwen were both very involved – attached are a few photos that show Gwen in her cycling jacket, etc. manning (or womanning) the water station and you, Mike, manning another type of water station – good thing it was a hot day!! The kids sure loved it all and it was one of our favourite birthday parties – though they are are all fun!!

Being her very dynamic cheerful self while Being interested in what family and friends are up to, Being active cycling or hiking (and encouraging others to do the same), Being proud of each of you for your special gifts, Being joyfully and enthusiastically involved with family and friends, that is what Gwen means to me.

John and I are thinking about Gwen and all of you

Love and Hugs

Theresa and John

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cancer, Family

Be Sharing Your Story – Diana

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I have known Joanna for 7 years. My 3 children were each born, into the loving hands of the same midwife, 1-2 months after each of Joanna’s children. We are incredibly blessed to have Joanna and Steve as our oldest daughter’s godparents. Joanna is my bosom buddy. Until 8 months ago, our family of 5 lived in Vernon. Our blood relations lived 500+kms away. To our family, Gwen and Mike are Nana Gwen & Papa Mike or simply Nana and Papa.
When Joanna asked me to say a few things about her mom, and being enough, I said “of course”. Only being concise is not my forte. So, I have since written several pages in my mind’s eye, each a smattering of all the places and times we have experienced together. I would guess Nana has seen more day to day life of our young family in the last 5 years than our children’s 4 grandparents. It has meant the world to us.

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• Early in knowing Nana, I remember her being so excited to cuddle my children on her lap, often reading, or even taking in a live sports game.
• Since then I have tasted a great many delicious gluten-free cakes Nana brought for JC, CC and OC’s birthdays.
• Nana handmade and gifted our family a beautiful beach bag
• Nana invited my parents over for Thanksgiving dinner, when they were camping in the area
• Nana has hung out with my children when I went back to work between mat leaves
• Nana has skied with my children on weekends
• Nana has surprised me with her skill and enthusiasm for paddle boarding, biking, hiking…

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Though this may sound like a list of activities or “doing” on a blog all about “being”, in my memory Nana is adept at making these one in the same. I have observed, over and over, how much she just knows exactly how to “be enough” in every moment… seeming to love whatever she is doing, whoever she is with, wherever she is: Disneyland, Hawaii, snowshoeing, snuggling up to read a simple book to her grandkids, or even fighting off wicked flu bugs she caught while taking care of them! When living in Vernon, Kurt and I both felt we could talk to Nana about anything. No matter what troubles arose in life, she always seemed to have this way of shrugging her shoulders, nodding, and without any hesitation saying (or often asking) something simple to knock stress and apprehension down a few notches.
When I asked Daria to draw a picture today for Nana, she drew this beautiful representation of the essence of Nana:

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The Heart. Through laughter, shrugging off her own talents, listening to others, asking thoughtful questions, giving to others, and more, I remember Nana through our time in Vernon overall as being genuinely heart-felt in each moment… as if she would be perfectly happy to endlessly continue doing just what she was doing. And in that way of being, Nana has a special easy way of letting her children and grandchildren bring their own uniqueness to the world.
I can hardly believe hospice is Nana’s new home. Like Ang, I do question: why the short time? Yet, I can say honestly from seeing Nana the past 5 years – Nana has already been enough!
She has shared so openly and freely of herself with her children, grandchildren, and everyone (like me) she has met along the way… from the bottom of her heart. What a precious and unique gift. I am quite sure she will continue to bring forth the unique spirits of each one in her family. I know I will always see Nana in their faces.
Nana just has that incredible talent of being there. Listening. REALLY listening. And being enough.