Thanksgiving Was So Much Fun

Well, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I think ours was one of the most fun we have ever had. With Lauren being sick, Wayne overcoming his cancer, and Grandma and Grandpa getting older, we all appreciate life, family, and getting together so much.

We got up early on Thanksgiving morning and Mark, Lauren, Ryan, Stephanie, and I were out the door by 8:30. Giovanni spent Thanksgiving with his family and came up in the evening. We went to McDonalds and got breakfast and realized we had forgotten the pop we were going to take, so we made a stop back at home and were on our way. We got to my Mom and Dad's before noon. Linda, Wayne and Michael got there a few minutes after we did. Matt and Katie had gone up the night before. Bruce had been on call the night before, so they came up after he got off work. They arrived in the afternoon. The only dogs that were there were Ernie, Buzz, and Stink. They all got along well.

We congregated mostly in the kitchen, talking, drinking, and snacking on shrimp cocktail brought by Linda and a yummy cheese ball made by Katie. We had the Macy's parade on the tv and then football the rest of the day.

 I had decided I wanted to take our Christmas card picture outside and Lauren had made signs for us to hold up that spelled out Happy Holidays. The weather did not cooperate though and Kristen and my hair was blowing in our face. The signs were also getting blown all over the place. I will post the pics and flubs at the end of this post. We decided on a shot that was taken with all of us sitting on the steps of the deck. I will post that pic in a later post as I don't want to spoil the surprise of our card. Katie, Matt's fiance took the pics and did a great job.

My Mom and Dad were hard at work in the kitchen. It was finally time to eat!! Before dinner, Mark usually says the prayer. This year he could not get one word out without choking up. Finally my Mom took over and said a very sweet prayer about everyone being around for a long time. Mark gave my Mom a big hug and thanked her. The dinner was so delicious and filling. Turkey and gravy, dressing, homemade noodles, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, jello salad, dried corn, deviled eggs, crescent rolls, pumpkin rolls, and cranberry sauce. What a carbfest! We didn't have dessert until later but when we did we had, pumpkin pie, cherry pie, nut pie, cookies, and a chocolate pudding,oreo,cool whip dessert.

We played games after dinner. The first game is called Left Right Center.  We play it around the dining room table. Everyone starts out with three $1 bills. In a nutshell, you take turns rolling three dice that have L R C or a dot on them. If you roll L R or C, you give a dollar to the person on the left, right, or in the pot in the middle. A dot means your dollar is safe. You just keep going around the table until the last person with money wins the pot. Stephanie won the first game and Lauren won the second. It is really fun and we all laugh so hard. The next game was Catch Phrase and it was fun too.
Gio got there in the middle of that game and we all kind of pooped out after that because everyone wanted to talk to him. We still had fun sitting around the table talking and laughing.

Lauren was really tired that day and tried so hard to participate. A few times she had to go sit down, put her feet up and wrap up in a blanket. The Xeloda is really making her so tired this time. Thank goodness she only has to take it until tomorrow.

Everyone stayed overnight except for Mark, Stephanie, and I. Steph had to be at work at Macy's at 4:30 in the morning, and we had to get home to take care of our doggies. Ryan, Lauren and Gio stayed overnight the next night too and came home Saturday.

Here are some pics from Thanksgiving. The first one is of Katie, Wo, and Stephanie. All so pretty!

One of the good ones.

Not paying attention.

Good one except for Sis's hair.

 

Wo having a hard time. I look like I have broken out into a song, and who knows what Sis and Bruce are looking at. Mark is the only one staying on task!

 

 

This is the pose that will be our card. Not this one, but a better one. Buzz jumped in the picture here and Sis is getting him the heck out. Haha.

 

My sister's family. So cute.

Ryan and Stephanie. Adorable.

Busy in the kitchen.

Grandma Tommie in her huge pantry.

Still in the kitchen.

We will be heading to Michigan next Tuesday for Lauren's CT scan. We will see her doctor the next day and decide what to do next. Please pray for good scan results. It is such a difficult and nerve wracking time. We are praying for a Christmas miracle. Many prayers to all others who are living with illness. Until next time... Love, -Pam

Getting Excited For Thanksgiving

Well, it's almost Thanksgiving!! We are going to my Mom and Dad's house in Port Clinton. There will be my Mom and Dad, my sister Linda and her husband, Wayne, along with my nephew, Matt, and his fiance, Katie, my nephew Michael, Mark and I, Kristen and Bruce, Lauren and Giovanni, and Ryan and Stephanie. My Mom and Dad make the turkey, dressing, noodles, gravy, jello, and pies. I bring green bean casserole, which I have to increase the amount every year because it is definitely a crowd favorite. My Mom has to make a ton of noodles because Lauren, my sister, Linda, and my nephew Michael looooovvvvve them more than anything. So do the rest of us, but they are obsessed!! I also make a sweet potato casserole that is the butt of many jokes every year. Matt and Michael, my nephews even used to sing a song about them on the way to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Something on the order of "Ain't gonna eat none of Aunt Pam's sweet potatoes". Haha. It has mashed sweet potatoes, orange juice, brown sugar, butter, eggs, milk, and then pecans on top. I think it was the pecans that made them squeamish. Mark, Kristen, and my Mom and Dad like them. I'm not sure about anyone else. I guess the first time I made them I put too much oj in them. They have gotten better as years have gone by. This year they will be happy because I am not putting nuts on top. I can't disappoint them by not making them. They love to make fun of them and I don't really care. It is all in fun! I also make a chocolate pudding dessert with oreos, pudding, and cool whip. Linda brings tons of deviled eggs and snacks. Lauren wanted to make something and I told her to just get a bunch of two liters of pop. Kristen wanted to make something and I said no low fat, healthy stuff. She and Bruce are crazy health nuts. That has no place at a Thanksgiving table!! I am not sure what she will end up bringing. She is a good cook. She just doesn't like to cook. She and Bruce are always working and busy, so I really don't blame her. Katie, my nephew Matt's fiance always brings something as well.

I decided we are going to leave our dogs at home this year. Frank is too hairy and old and Peanut and Penny freak out on the drive up. Penny usually throws up and Peanut shakes so bad because he hates riding in the car. It will be a lot more stress free for us. Besides, Sis and Bruce bring their sweet but hyper and bratty Boston Terriers, Buzz and Stink, and Linda brings her Rat Terrier, Ernie. Her sweet Max had to be put too sleep a few months ago. So three hyper terriers are enough. Penny barks non stop around them. Peanut usually just hangs with the pack and thinks he's the head honcho, but I just don't like putting him through the stress of getting there. I think everyone will thank me for not bringing my two little yappers and big hairball. Mark and I will be leaving that evening. The kids are all staying overnight. I hope they have better luck with the air mattresses than last year. Remember, Ryan's kept going flat and it was a fiasco. I know I posted about it last year on Caringbridge.

Changing the subject, we decided Sat. to go to Dontino's, an Italian restaurant in Akron for dinner. Lauren, Gio, and Ryan went with us. We had a nice time but Lauren could hardly keep her eyes open. She was so tired and has been since starting her Xeloda on Wed. She seems to fall asleep whenever she is sitting. The side effects from this chemo are crazy. You never know each time how she is going to do. I sure hope this isn't a sign of her getting worse. I am anxious for her to have her next CT scan and we are praying for good news.

Since it was nice on Sunday, Mark decide to put up our Christmas decorations. I am sure all the neighbors think we are nuts for putting them up so early but it was a nice day and he couldn't pass up the opportunity. Plus, it makes him happy to come home from work and see the decorations and lights. Ryan hepled him and Lauren and I sat in the driveway. It was kind of cold when just sitting there, but it was sunny. Here are a few pics.

I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving with your families. Please say a prayer for Lauren and all others who are not in good health. I am sorry to say that our dear friend, Marta went to heaven  this past Saturday. May she rest in peace. Enjoy times spent with loved ones.

Love, -Pam

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Gretch.

It has been a fairly quiet week since I last posted. The weekend was warm and sunny. I am writing this while sitting in the sun today. For those of you that live in warm, sunny climates, it might not be a big deal, but wintertime in Northeast Ohio can be quite depressing. Lots of dark, cloudy days that make you feel so cruddy. We sure do appreciate the sunny days!!

Mark, Lauren, Gio, and I went to El Rincon, our favorite Mexican restaurant on Friday night. I have written before that Lauren has lost her taste for Mexican food, but it has come back a tiny bit. She loves the queso dip with chorizo. I think she could make a meal of that with chips and eat nothing else! I don't know how her tummy handles it, but it does.

Wo and Gio went to his house on Sat. and did yard work. Gio said he couln't believe how much energy Wo had. She helped him rake leaves and mowed on the tractor. Her legs were really sore and achy that evening, which is understandable. Lauren was hungry for chicken salad, so she and Gio made some along with pasta salad. Gio liked it, but Wo was disappointed in it. I didn't taste the chicken salad, but the pasta salad was great.

Sunday morning Mark made his usual big breakfast. Lauren and Gio went on a bike ride and a walk after breakfast. We were happy to see Lauren with energy! We all went over to Gio's in the afternoon since the Browns weren't playing this week. Mark and Gio hung motion detector lights around the outside of the house so Wo feels safe there. Gio always teases Lauren about her hating the house. It's not that at all. She loves the house, but likes to have people around her all the time and doesn't like to be by herself. She doesn't want you to bug her, just be around her. Plus he doesn't have cable or internet yet. Once she has that, I'm sure she will want to be there more.

Wo and I met all of our girlfriends for breakfast on Monday morning at our usual place, The Frontier in Hartville. There was a pretty big crowd this time. Lauren and I, Debbie B., Dawn, Debbie J., Ruth, Sherry, and her son, Jack. I had kind of had my fill of big breakfasts, so I just got a blueberry muffin. That definitely was a first! We always have the best time with these ladies. I don't think Jack said one word and probably couldn't wait to get out of there away from all of us cackling hens! Haha. Lauren and I went grocery shopping after that.

We had a lunch date with our friend, Lisa on Tuesday. We met her at Rockne's in Fairlawn. Our  friend, Sharon, that passed away this summer from gall bladder cancer has a daughter named Katie. She had written to me saying she would like to go to lunch with us in place of her Mom. She was planning on coming this time and we were all set for her and her two little children with a high chair, baby car seat holder, and coloring supplies. Her daughter woke up early with a runny nose and Katie didn't think she would make it through lunch without her nap. She also didn't want Lauren and Lisa around a child with a runny nose. Hopefully, they will be able to join us next time. She misses her Mom so much and I think it would be nice to cheer her up a bit. I finally charged the battery to my camera, so here is a pic of Lisa and Lauren.

After lunch with Lisa, Lauren went to dinner with her good friend, Jill. They went to Don Pablos down on The Strip. They shopped a bit at Marshalls and Wo was home by 8:30. Jill has been such a great friend to Lauren. Her Mom, Debbie is one of my good friends and still sends Lauren a card every week. We love you both so much!

Lauren started back on her Xeloda last night. She will take it for two weeks, have a rest week, and then have a CT on Dec.4th She will have labs, doctor visit, and chemo, if it is decided what new type on Dec.5th. She is having back pain and she says her liver feels really big and it is hard to lay on her stomach or side. She mainly sleeps on her back. I hope her CT shows good news. It is so hard wondering what is going on in that liver.

Lauren feels like a lot of her friends have kind of forgotten about her. If you could leave her a little message of encouragement, I am sure it would help a great deal. Thanks so much for your continued support. We would appreciate any prayers for good scans, tumor shrinkage, and maybe even a miracle. Also a few for all of our CC friends and for our friends with other cancers as well. Thank you so much.

I will leave you with a sweet pic of Wo and her first dog, Gretchen. Lauren was really afraid of dogs when she was little and would practically crawl up on Mark's shoulders when she saw a dog. She could spot one a quarter mile away and start panicking. We loved dogs and wanted one so bad. We had gone to a shelter and Lauren freaked out at puppies because they are so hyper. One day the shelter called us and said they had the perfect dog for us. They told us to come down and bring Lauren to see her. The dog was very calm and Lauren was not scared of her. I think something magical happened between them. She was meant to be there for Lauren and to help her overcome her fear. She was such a scruffy little thing with a terrible underbite. Her name was Gretchen and she was a stray that had recently had puppies. She also nursed some orphaned puppies, so I knew she was a sweet girl. She was one of the best dogs we have ever had. Sadly, we didn't have her for a really long time. She developed cancer and passed away. It took us so long to get over her, but she is forever in our hearts. This is Wo and Gretch making the Gretch face. Until next time...Love, -Pam

Cancer, Birthdays, and Microwaves

Woops! I think I have gone kind of long without an update. I am so happy all the election hoopla is dying down and things can get back to some kind of normalcy. Although, anyone living with cancer never has a normal life.

Lauren has been doing quite well on her Xeloda this time. She has had no nausea or vomiting and her feet never got red or sore. I wonder if the combination with Oxaliplatin was causing all the bad side effects. She has been very tired and has had some back pain this time, though.

We all had a nice time last Sat. night. Lauren and Gio met us at Outback for dinner. Ryan and Stephanie also went with us. Steph got a special sundae because Monday was her birthday!! A whole 20 years old. I love when we can all get together and have dinner together. Lots of fun, good food, and laughs. I sure do wish Sis and Bruce lived closer so they could join us too.

I had e-mailed Dr. Zalupski (Lauren's Oncologist) last Friday and asked what he planned on doing with regards to Lauren. Since she had the allergic reaction to Oxaliplatin, I was wondering what he had planned for her. He e-mailed me back and said he would call Lauren or myself Sunday or Monday evening. He called Mark's cell on Sunday and said he would call back Monday evening. He called and spoke with Lauren Monday evening. He said he wanted Lauren to continue with her Xeloda, take a week off, and then take her Xeloda again for two weeks. He doesn't want her to come to Michigan on Wed. He wants her to come for a CT scan on Dec. 4 and will see us on Dec. 5 and we will go from there regarding what chemo to take. He may keep her on Xeloda and add another chemo or maybe something different depending on the scans. He said he could try the Oxaliplatin and give her a bunch of steroids before and draw it out for 8 hours instead of 2, but he doesn't know if her reaction was a mild one for her or a bad one. It was a really bad reaction, but he doesn't know if that is the worse it could get or if the next one could be life threatening, and he doesn't want to risk it. Thank goodness. Too scary. He told her he could load her with all sorts of chemo, but he wants to help her and not hurt her. Do you see why we love him so much. He is doing everything he can for her and we trust him so much.

My Mom and Dad had decided to give Gio a really nice housewarming gift for his house. So, last week they came down and my Dad and Wo measured and  did more measuring and planning. They wanted to put an above the stove microwave in his kitchen for him. We had a nice time with them last week and  and the huge box was left in Gio's basement all week and he never even noticed it!! They came back yesterday and my Dad worked on this project from 10 to after 7. I swear he is a machine!! He is 80 years old and would put any 20 year old to shame. He is such a perfectionist too, so I am sure it is the best installed microwave ever. He had to trim cupboards and doors down and fit brackets into a very tight space. Mark and Ryan helped with things. My Mom brought sloppy joes for lunch. We ordered chicken from my Mom's favorite chicken place for dinner. Lauren, my Mom and I moved a bunch of stuff Gio brought from his parent's house into the office. We had a really fun time together. Gio was so surprised and happy when he got home. It was great. Sorry, we don't have any pictures. We are slipping on the picture taking.

Our little chihuahua, Peanut was 5 years old on Tuesday. He is my little baby and I just love him. He can be quite cantankerous and mean at times. Probably because I babied him so much. I think we have all been bitten by him at one time or another. He used to chew up paper and if you stick your hand near his mouth to get the paper away, watch out. He only weighed 24 ounces when we first got him. Here is a pic of him when he was a tiny baby with Wo.

Our little chihuahua, Penny, will be 2 tomorrow. She is such a sweet girl. She does not have a mean bone in her body, but man does she have a loud bark!! And bark she does!! She is such a little yapper.
Penny is definitely Lauren's favorite pup. Penny sits with her any chance she gets and loves to sleep in Lauren's bed. I think she knows Lauren is sick and always tries to comfort her. She is way bigger than Peanut. They are both quite hefty because they love to eat. A little bite of this and that adds up for them. These little dogs are such a joy to us. Here is sweet Pen.

That's about it for the week. We have a sad week. Our CC warrior, Tim passed away last Friday. He fought so hard and will be missed by so many. Marta, our friend with stomach cancer is in hospice care. It is even hard for her to post on FB or her blog. Please pray for her and Tim's family. Also for Lauren and all of her CC buddies. Some have had bad news lately. Thank you all so much for caring.
Until next time...  Love, -Pam