Day 11- We went to church and I felt like everyone was staring at me. Some I am sure had no idea that I was walking around with cancer. Some knew and leaned in to give Evan a hug as we walked by. The gospel music made us (Evan, my mom and I) all cry. The sermon was the beginning of a new series called Killing Giants, pretty close to home. The start was about image and how the only image we should care about is the one that God sees. After church we were gifted a lake house in Seguin for the weekend with the Raykovich’s. After grocery shopping and packing up we headed it out there, it was perfect. That evening we immediately got in our swimsuits and swam with the kiddos. Evan cooked us all an awesome meal of steaks, purple asparagus, and strawberries and I even was able to enjoy a glass of organic red wine. That evening Dana and I stayed up late working on my website for my blog that I will use to capture this journey. Through this whole whirlwind, I finally put my phone away and just enjoyed the weekend.
I woke to the sound of littles running around and my hubby making breakfast. I was met with big grins and a cup of coffee. I love mornings like that. They remind me of vacation. Like the vacations we take to Michigan, kids everywhere, lots of laughter and chaos, but beautiful, happy chaos. It was a bit overcast that morning and after a yummy breakfast, we all did some kayaking. The big girls loved kayaking with the dads. The lake is beautiful. It did start to sprinkle a bit. Dana and I escaped to the hammock and recorded my first video about this whole ordeal. Then the sun started to peek through the clouds, we went swimming again and enjoyed some sans kid time as they all slumbered away with lake hair in their cozy beds. That evening we had Buddha bowls for dinner, vegan eating at it’s finest. It’s funny how dramatically your life can change when it has to. I have fully embraced this new nutritional path. After all the kids were down, Dana and I were able to enjoy a cup of fruit for dessert and sip on our organic chardonnay. We sat by the water and talked about life, watching fish swim to the surface for a late night snack. I am so grateful for her friendship and blown away by her dedication to me during this battle. I know it has just begun, and I have a long way to go, but when things like this hit you hope that the ones you are closest to will be the ones by your side. I am so blessed to have her.
Day 13- Today things seemed more like reality when I woke up, and I guess I need to start to expect that. Even though I am about to go through this huge change in my life, it's still life and people are still people. Disappointment doesn’t go away just because I have cancer. People will do the best that they can, help when they can and I need to extend grace always. Evan, the girls and I enjoyed a few more hours at the lake house before we left. My favorite part was just relaxing in the hammock by the lake as the wind chime made it’s musical melody, and Halen played with Evan in the water. But here we are back on the road to face this whole fiasco. I hope this year goes by fast and the next thing I know this is all behind us.