Good News, Bad news . . .

Which one would you like first?

Okay, I'll start with the good.  Bailey does not have lymphoma cancer.  Her swelling has been going down each day so that means the antibiotics are working!  I was relieved and then the doctor called and said how concerned he was about the rest of her problems.  Mostly the platelet count and the hemoglobin count.  These things are not from any infection.  He thought she could have another cancer somewhere in her body or it could be an immune problem.  Either way something else seems to be wrong.  And yes, this is the good news portion of this post.

Bad news.  Mark's work is trying to put him onto the weekend shift.  All weekend All the time,long hours, no weekdays.  I really don't think this would be good for us.  Weekends are our family time, our Church, our friends.  It makes me feel stressed just to think about it. 

Sophia is sick and yesterday started getting spots.  They are all over her tummy and back.  I'm hoping for some kind of rash, and not chicken pox or measles.  She's been crying a lot and seems uncomfortable.  We will see what the doctor has to say this afternoon.  I was going to go out with some friends tonight for their birthday  and hope that can still happen.

Please pray for us.  I am not sure how much more I can handle.  I don't do well with stress and there has been so much of it lately.  Hope it gets better soon!

Love Andrea

We are not out of the woods yet . . .

Unfortunately,  things have not started to get better yet.  About five days ago, Mark noticed that our dog Bailey had some swelling or lumps, under her chin close to her neck.  The next day I took a look and was surprised how big they were.  When I talked to Mark he said that they weren't that big when he felt them.  By the third day it was all one lump and getting harder.  At bedtime I took her collar off to make her more comfortable.  In the morning it had  travelled into one side off her face.  I had called around to the vets in our area the day before, and now quickly made an appointment where I could get in the quickest.

At the vet, He said that she had a slight fever, all her lymph nodes were swollen (for an infection usually just one would be swollen).  I had to leave her there for a blood test and the were going to take a sample of the inside of the infected area with a fine needle.  I was told it would take a couple hours.

A couple hours later they called and said it would be a couple more hours.  Apparently they needed to sedate her for the  sample in her neck area.  I picked her up at 4:30pm, when the doctor told me that he suspected it to be lymphoma, a type of cancer, that in dogs spreads rapidly to other organs.  Her blood work showed that her platelets were down to 13 when normal is between 175 and 500.  And she is somewhat anemic.  He also thinks that it could be starting to go into her bone marrow already.  But having said all that he did keep on saying that we should wait for the results to come back from the lab regarding the sample.  But it does not look good.  There is a chemo treatment, but since her blood work was not good she might not make it through even if it did work.  She also has an ulcer in one of her eyes.  Basically, the whole picture that was painted for me was not good at all.  If it is the cancer she should be getting worse everyday, which seems to be happening.

So if you could pray for us, we would really appreciate it.  The kids are very attached to her, and she is so amazingly gentle, and calm with them.  She lets them climb all over her.   Pray for our family, pray for Bailey and pray that we would be able to handle all the stresses we've had and continue to have.  Thanks.

Love Andrea

PS - Yesterday my sister's car also got stolen!!

The end of August is coming! And Updates!

Wow!  I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted.  And I can't believe how busy it has been, and stressful.  By the time I have time to blog it is later in the evening, and then I am tired and don't have the energy.  But I have thought about it often.  Too bad intentions don't get anything done!

For starters the end of summer means another birthday . . . or two.  The twins are turning two on the 30th.  I look at pictures from two years ago and can't believe how far they have come.  They are so full of life and energy.  And sometimes when I look back I still can't believe that we have twins.  Pictures to follow!

Secondly, I will update my last post.  I made it through my cleanse and am proud to say that I have lost 20 pounds.  During the last month and a half I have kept the weight off with a maintenance program, eating healthy and excersizing more.  I hope that I will be able to continue this.  I'd love to lose more but I'm also happy with how far I've come.  Thanks for your prayers.

The last two weeks have been very stressful and hard on family life.  It all started two weeks ago.  On that Friday morning we realized that our backyard had been broken into.  My brother's bike and Drew's trail-bike were stolen.  This frustrated Mark and I a lot and traumatized Drew.  He was very upset by it all.  He broke down the next night.  He couldn't believe someone in CANADA would do such a thing and that they would hurt other people so much.  It was heart breaking to hear his heart break, and to learn this lesson at such a young age.  This sent Drew into a week of hard behaviour.  Listening was very hard for him, obeying, treating others kindly were all out the window.  It seems like he is just starting to come around now.  Poor guy!  He is a very sensitive child.  He has a tough exterior, but he's quite soft inside.  He internalizes a lot, so I am glad that he felt free to let me in.  We talked about it a lot.  Every aspect.  About a half an hour.  What if the police do find them?  How would they get them to us?  Do they have a truck? Trailer? And then to calm him down a bit before he fell asleep, we watched the Olympics for a bit together.  It was actually quite bonding.

Too bad that wasn't it.  During these weeks Sophia has been dealing with constipation, and now she is actually on medication and we are still trying to find the right dosage to get her "regular".  

Let's go to week two.  Exact same night, one week later, another break in our backyard.  That's right.  I'm sure it is the same person trying to "finish" the job.  One bike left.  No we didn't lock it up.  It was an old ten speed bike that is broken.  Drew drags it around the back yard and it is almost unrideable.  Mark went out to hang out with some friends at 9:15pm, my brother left our place at 10pm, when he noticed our gate was open and then saw the bike laying in the middle of the road a little up our hill.  Apparently the thief noticed how undesirable the bike actually was, kicked it and left it.  So the bike is back at our house, but it can't even be hauled around the yard anymore.  The worst part is feeling violated.  It's bad enough when it's just once, but twice feels very scary.  I've put my vote in for a friendly but protective German Shepherd.  It was also scary that we were home, just watching tv, when it happened right in our back yard.  We are not telling Drew about this one.  So we'd appreciate it if you would just be careful about the way you word things.  Thanks in advance.

A couple days later, I slipped down our stairs and landed on our cement entry floor on my tailbone.  I was in a lot of pain, but hoped it would go away within a day or so.  The next day I started on Advil.  Mark and some other suggested I go to the Dr.  I had to go for an x-ray, nothing is broken.  Lots of Advil, pain, sleep and help with the kids.  Today I am starting to feel better, but it still aches.  The doctor thought it should take about 2 weeks to heal.  I am hoping for less.

Then we got the news from my cousin who was borrowing our car, that it had been broken into.  Mark was in the process of fixing his car.  If any of this had happened individually it would have been a lot easier to deal with, but by this time I was totally stressed out about it all.  You can't help but say, "what else?"  By the way, we are not telling Drew about this one either.

Okay, one more thing to end this string.  Our fridge kicked it in.  It was starting to freeze our food - not the freezer part.  So we turned down the temperature.  Still freezing!  Turned down the temp a little more.  Then it didn't keep the food cold enough!  Time for a new fridge.  We got a great deal because it has a couple of scratches on the handle and a small dent in the side, which you can't see when it's in place.  We got it for about half the price, and it looks great in our kitchen.  At least we got a great fridge out of this one.  :)  When we moved the old fridge away, we saw a small puddle of green stuff!  Definitely time for a new fridge!! 

All in all, it's been a hard couple of weeks.  One day before this all happened I was reading my Bible and thought I should take more time on this passage later.  I put a bookmark in and left it alone.  Then totally forgot about what the passage was, but remembering I wanted to go back to it.  I finally got back to it yesterday.  This is what it said:

The Message:

~Luke 6: 17 - 23

You're Blessed

Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon.  They had come both to hear him and be cured of their ailments.  Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed.  Everyone was trying to touch him - so much energy surging from him, so many people healed!  Then he spoke:

You're blessed when you've lost it all.

God's kingdom is there for the finding.

Your blessed when you are ravenously hungry.

Then you're ready for the Messianic meal.

You are blessed when the tears flow freely.

Joy comes with the morning.

"Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me.  What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable.  You can be glad when that happens - skip like a lamb,if you like! - for even though they don't like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds.  And know that you are in good company, my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this." '

 

I know I haven't had it as hard as some, but for us it was a very stressful week, and this passage helped me to feel God in all of it.  You start wondering, where God is in all of this and why he let's it happen.  But I have felt God near me. :)  And I know that I am hungry for that Messianic meal.  And can't wait to just touch his coat and feel that energy and love come through my whole body, healing me once and  for all.

Hopefully, then next couple weeks will be better.  Looking forward to some celebrating.  Birthdays and anniversaries.  We are celebrating 8 years of marriage this month!  Hope you are all enjoying your last days of summer, even though the rain is here!  

Love Andrea

The month of the Cleanse

Okay, so I know that it is too late to start writing a post, but I feel like it and have a couple minutes (although it will probably take more than that!)  I have bee eluding to seeing Daniel Wong for a little while now, so I thought I'd fill you in.

He got me taking these chocolates, and a fruit drink twice a day.  The chocolates really aren't chocolate, but they taste like dark chocolate.  They are a mood booster, "they curb hunger, boost energy, support mental focus, and promote calmness".  It's an amino acid supplement filled with vitamins.  If you want to know more (about the "chocolates, the fruit drink, or the cleanse) you can go to www.isadelight.com (Chocolate info only) or www.isagenix.com.  The fruit drink is a powder that you mix into 8 oz. of water or juice.  I'm not exactly sure what it does, but definitely helps with energy.  There are over 30 fruits in it alone.  It's quite amazing reading through the ingredients list.  After taking this combination for a week or two I started feeling a lot better.  I felt like my body was healthier, but also I was taking a lot less of my depression medication.  Currently, I am not taking my medication, except for the odd day, and I am still feeling pretty good!  This makes me excited!  Daniel Wong, thought that my depression was due to a hormone imbalance.  I agreed.  And this combination helped to get my hormones balanced again.  After about a month on this plan, he suggested that I do a cleanse from the same company.  This is a whole body cleanse to get out all the bad excess hormones that just hang around in your body, usually gathering in the middle section (trouble area!).  So I thought I'd go for it.  After the cleanse I should be feeling a lot better, and have more energy.  That would be great!

So here I am on the cleanse.  It is a 30 day program with no days off.  It feels intense at times but I am determined to follow through.  Although some days not so much.  If you think of me in prayer, I would really love it if you could prayer for strength to make it through, to be diligent  and finish the program.  I am on day 11 now, and have currently lost 5 pounds.  The program includes me having a shake for two meals a day and the last meal (either lunch or supper) be a regular meal of 400 to 600 calories.  The first couple days were really hard, but now I am enjoying it.  Wow!  I never thought I'd say that in the beginning.  There are also a couple other supplements to take during the day, drink 8 glasses of water a day, and you need to do 20 minutes of exercise.  But that's hardly anything.  Most days I can fit that in!  Especially as Drew is really enjoying going for bike rides lately.  The last couple of days I've been feeling better energy-wise again.  And that feels good!  Makes some of these hard days worth it.

I'm also getting into the meals.  The company that I am doing this through, Isagenix, sends out emails every couple of day to inform you of things, encourage you and give you recipes.  I haven't tried any of the recipes yet but they actually look really good.  Mark's Mom is also on this Cleanse and it is great to have someone, besides Mark, to support me.  And she totally knows what I am going though.  She showed me a recipe from her Curves magazine that fit into our plan today, and it was so good, I thought I would share it with you all as I say good-night for today!  (I made it for supper tonight) By the way, sorry these post have been kinda long lately!  Enjoy!

Grilled Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa (Sorry no pics this time!)

Prep Time: 20 min.

Cooking Time: 10 min.

"Lime is especially well-suited to Mexican dishes, perking up the taste, so you can get by with less salt."

1 1/2 - 2 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

2 Tbsp + 1 tsp Lime Juice (about 2 limes, divided)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt (I just used regular salt)

2 Avocados, diced

1 vine-ripened tomato, diced

1/4 red or yellow onion, finely diced, about 1/2 cup

1/4 tsp salt (to taste)

1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Place chicken breasts in a flat dish with sides just large enough to hold them in a single layer.  Add 2 Tbsp lime juice, oil and salt and flip chicken several times to coat well.

2. In a medium serving bowl, combine avocados, tomato, onion, and salt and mix thoroughly.  Add cilantro, if using, and remaining tsp lime juice.

3. Heat indoor grill or BBQ, or heavy skillet to medium-high.  Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, until it starts to brown on the outside and it's no longer pink inside the thickest part, about 165 F on a meat thermometer.  Remove from heat, slice into strips, top with Avocado salsa and serve!  Enjoy!

Love Andrea

White Rock

Tuesday, Angela and I decided to take the kids down to White Rock.  Looking back on the day, I have fond memories.  If you asked me about it on Tuesday.  I probably would have a different story.  

First I printed out a map from google for the directions.  Not exactly the way I knew but I wasn't exactly sure about how to get there the way I knew, so better safe then sorry, I followed the map.  Bad Idea!  It got me lost.  I stopped at two gas stations, and used my own knowledge of the area and we finally got there!  A little late, but there none the less.  When we got there it was almost lunch time.  We parked at the bottom and walked our way up the hill to find lunch.  This was done on purpose, so we could stop in the shops on the way up.  Angela was looking for a Canadian shirt and it seemed like the perfect place to look, for something a little more unique than the malls.  She found something a couple stores into the search, and then we were on the way to find lunch.  All the while Drew was having trouble listening, but enjoying himself at the same time!  

For lunch, I really wanted to find a Fish-and-Chips place to let Angela try it out.  She had never had them like that, and enjoyed it.  So I am glad that we were able to make this trip/adventure.  After lunch we walked back down the hill on the other side, beside the water.  We walked the pier, but Drew and I stopped half ways to have some time to focus in on our listening and regroup.  When Angela and the twins rejoined us, we kept heading to the van, stopping at the museum/tourist stop for a map.  (Just in case I needed it on the way home, I wanted to be prepared!)  Back at the van, we grabbed our beach stuff and headed over the tracks with our two buggies.  For some reason Drew has wanted to be back in the strollers.  I guess it looks like so much fun for the twins!  Playing on the beach started out well.  Then Drew decided he didn't like walking on the beach, and just wanted to stay on the blanket.  I tried explaining that there were shells and rocks and beach stuff to watch out for, or that he could wear his sandals, but he didn't want to listen to it.  Maybe next time he'll be in a better head space and have more fun.  Then I went to go put more money in the parking.  When I left everything was fine.  Little did I know, Ethan figured out that I was gone and basically cried the whole time.  If I would've known, I would have taken him along!  He was just playing so nicely.  Then everyone started crying and we decided it was time to get going home.  It took us a while, with all the heavy and wet towels and blanket, changing the kids, hauling everything over the rocks and a hill, Angela cut her toe on a rock.  But finally we were on our way home.  After less then 5 minutes of driving, the twins were both asleep.  Aah!  I took 0 Ave. all the way home, and everything went fine.  By the time we got to Abbotsford, Drew was asleep too.  Once in Abbotsford, we drove a little extra, just to give them a little longer nap.  Home at last! :)

Staying on the blanket!

"Say Cheese!"

It's actually a smile!

                                                             Dirty, but having fun!

Now you may think our day was done.  But it wasn't!  We had about an hour to regroup and then we were off to have supper at Oma and Opa's.  Mmmm!  Oma had made vereneki!  IT was so good!  Even better for me because I took a day off from my month long cleanse.  (More about that later)  The twins were given Pea Soup!!!  I don't know what my Mom was thinking?  As soon as they saw what we were having, thats all they wanted.  No Pea Soup, even if it was good!  They ate and ate, we all did!  And when they were done with fruit vereneki and farmer sausage, Opa brought out a big bowl of cut up stawberries, and another one of watermelon!  My kids love fruit!  So they were in heaven!  Sophia just kept on stuffing her mouth!

Aah!  That was good!  :)

See my tummy!

At the end of dinner, their tummies were totally full!  And they were covered with berry juice.  They looked like they had been in the berry fields for hours!  We put Sophia and Ethan straight into Oma's tub!  We got them cleaned and it was home to bed!  What a day!  Fun in the sun . . . and  at Oma's!

Hope your week has been good!

Blessings, 

Love Andrea

A Small Hand Offering a Piece of "Garbage"

Often Ethan brings me small pieces of Garbage to show me.  I open the cupboard door to the garbage can and he puts it in there.  Usually it is a piece of dust or fuzz.  

Last Sunday, in the  morning before Church, Ethan held out his almost closed hand to me.  Thinking nothing of it, I went to open the cupboard door, when I glanced back at his hand.  I did a double take when I noticed his piece of "garbage" was a wasp.  An alive wasp!  It was not dead!  Not wanting to have the wasp sting his clinching fist, I tried to get Ethan to drop the wasp.  He didn't get it, he didn't want to drop his garbage!  In the end he did drop it, but the wasp stung him on his thumb anyway.  The wasp also left the stinger behind, in Ethan's little thumb.  He cried and I got the stinger out.  He cried for about a half hour, but then seemed to be pretty good.  During his crying he kept wanting me to kiss his owie.  I'd kiss it and then he'd be fine for about thirty seconds and then he'd feel the pain again and want another kiss!  So cute!  At Church we wasn't really himself but who could blame him!  We're all better now though!

And then yesterday was shot day!  And I totally forgot.  All of a sudden I got a call, and it was our health nurse reminding me of our missed appointment.  Oops!  It is great that she is a lovely women from our Church and is very friendly and forgiving.  She was ready to call it off if I needed that, but I thought that I should just go ahead and get them over with.  Mark was on evening shift so we got the twins ready and headed over to the Health Unit.  I had just dropped Drew off at Preschool, the last of the year except for his year end celebration!  Wanting a nap, but got shots instead!  Ethan was first and did pretty good.  They each needed two shots and he only cried at the second one.  Then I gave him his sippy cup and he was okay.  Until it was Sophia's turn.  He didn't like it that someone was hurting Sophia.  Such a sweetie.  But the good thing is that we are done having shots until kindergarten!  Yeah!

Hope you all have a great day!

Love Andrea

Posting Videos? QuickTime?

Still trying to post the video I made.  I got it switched to QuickTime and still can't get it to work.  If anyone knows how to do this, please let me know.