Family Highlights!

Oh my poor blog! I have been neglecting it lately! My absence has been in part to my feelings of what is going on with my body right now. Today I am feeling really really good so that in turn has turned my mood in the right direction. Amazing how a mood is affected by how your body feels. So here I am updating my blog! Some highlights from November. What a month is has been. Now it is December and the month of our Savior's birth! I am going to make every moment count this month, no matter how I am feeling. Each treatment will get better, I believe! The sun was shining this morning but now it has gone behind some clouds but that is NOT going to hamper my mood! I am ALIVE and I am feeling GREAT!!!!! My two middle children have been having school at Anita's house the last couple of days and that has been no only good for me the other two here at home but it has been great for those two kids as well. I can't believe that tomorrow is Wednesday already. This week has kind of flown by! YIKES!!!!! I haven't even begun my Christmas shopping. May need to call on my dear friend Tami to take the kids so that my hubby and I can get the kids' gifts bought! AHHHHH.....it will be here before we know it! Anyway.....pics to enjoy! love you all!

Cathi

Highlights from the trip to the Vikings game! Jason forgot the camera in the car so he didn't get any pics during the game.



Mikayla being a total goof ball! I just love this girl! She is the LIFE of the party!



My hubby the chef!! Isn't he handsome?


Holding Vickie and Jim's new baby, Sophia Grace! Thanksgiving was the first time Jason got to see his niece. She was born November 2nd. Isn't he a natural? NO we are not going to be having anymore children. Too late for that anyway....considering all that I am enduring right now.




The Bottelberghe grandkids. What a happy bunch huh???



The kids holding their baby cousin! They are going to have so much fun with her when she is older! Too cute!!




My new wig! Today is day 13 and the hair is still holding on strong. They say days 14-16 is usually when your hair falls out. Tomorrow is day 14. I am holding out hope that it will just thin out a little, but if it does go away, I have my back up plan. The wig! We all like it! Much better than the first wig I had 4 1/2 years ago.




Decorating for Christmas! This is the first year that I let the kids have their way with the ornaments. It was GREAT!!! I am such a FREAK when it comes to the ornaments that I haven't let the kids put them up. Well not this year and I think they did an AWESOME job! I will be allowing this every year from now on. We also got the lights hung up outside! It was a blessed weekend, even though it was a treatment weekend.

Road tripping.....

We have spent more time in the car this weekend then out but it has all been well worth it to go and pay my respects to my wonderful uncle. We are abut an hour from home right now and it has been a long day. I wouldn't be the least bit disappointed if I traveled anywhere for a very long time. It was great to see my cousins and aunts and uncles again. It was just great to be surrounded by family during this difficult time. I faired well during the funeral, I cried mostly during the eulogy. And I was fine at the gravesite until they started to sing Amazing Grace. Then I lost it, the song was half over with before I had enough composure to sing along. Today has been a day for remembering memories of my uncle. The many wonderfull things about him. He was always so happy and upbeat. He will truly be missed by many, especially his kids and grandkids. I will forever miss him, and I know that he is always with us in spirit. God knew what He was doing last Monday when I was told that chemo would have to be pushed off for 1 more week. I wouldn't have been able to attend the funeral. I thank the Lord that there are many silver linings to the last week of my life. Now it is time to refocus and start my fight. It is what my uncle would want me to do. He would want me to focus on me and get ready to do what I need to do to get rid of the cancer again. So tomorrow is patient teaching for chemo, Wednesday is dr's appt. for the surgeon and the oncologist and then Friday morning at 8:30 I will begin my first treatment with my husband by my side. It will take about 5 hours for the first treatment as the first time around they always have to take things slow to make sure you don't have an adverse reaction to the drugs. It is going to be a long week, not sure how much schooling we will get in this week but that is okay, that is the art and joy of homeschooling. We march to our own tune!!! The kids are still learning just not in a traditional sort of way! I wouldn't want it any other way! Have a blessed Sunday evening! I will keep posting anything new either here, Facebook or my caringbridge website. here is the address again in case you didn't get the email :)
www.caringbridge.ord/cathibottelberghe

Take care!

Cathi

RIP Uncle Paul

For those that don't follow me on Facebook or my caringbridge site, my uncle passed away at 12:23 this morning. I knew the end was coming and that it was coming quickly but it is STILL very hard to accept or even understand. I know that he is no longer suffering and is at peace. I am thankful for the family that surrounded him in his last days. I am praying that I will be able to make it that way for the funeral. He was my hero! I love you Uncle Paul! May we meet again in the joyous realms of Heaven! God Bless you! I will miss you now and forever more!!!!

Cathi

Some fun back into my blog.....

It was time to post some fun things that have been going on in our lives. Even with the recent set back there have been highlights over the last few weeks. On the 17th of October the kids and I went on a field trip to the Heartland Corn Maze. That was an awesome time and it really took my mind off of what was heading our way. My biopsy was the next day so this was a nice reprieve to that. So here are some pics from that. Let me tell you.....it is NOT for the directionally challenged as I am, but we had fun nonetheless. Thanks to a few young boys who got us back on track and even told us where the "unmarked" stop was so the kids got to get a free "treat" from the consessions. That was a highlight to them :).













My 35th birthday highlights! It was a great birthday all things considered!!!!

Flowers from my kids and my dear friend Tami M.


Flowers from my new and wonderful friend Anita! She stopped the morning of my birthday and prayed over me. POWERFUL!!!


Wii Fit Plus! This is so much fun!


WOW Hits 2010, birthday tradition every year. They get me this CD for my birthday each year.


The new Kutless worship CD. Very powerful and heartfelt CD. Love these guys!


Pretty bow, wanted to do something funny!!!! ;)


Snowman from my mother in law, Char.


Prayer Box from Char. Put my first prayer request in it on Friday the 30th!


Piano book from my parents. Easy piano classics. It has been fun playing those songs.


Cake time. Had to light my own candles ;)


Halloween 2009

Fall Carnival at church. The kids had a blast!!!







AWANA Grand Prix, Mikayla, Colby and Keara
They had such a fun time, making and decorating their cars and then racing them. Mikayla didn't win a trophy but Colby and Keara each did and thought that was really cool!!! :)







Keara got 2nd for Design! Her car was pretty! :)


Colby got 2nd for Speed! He was siked that he placed! He had the fastest car that night! Too bad he didn't get 1st! Oh well, maybe next year!!! ;)



Okay that is it! I think I have everyone up to date now. Enjoy the pics! Some fun on my blog once again!!! Have a fabulous weekend!!

Cathi

Biopsy results

The cancer has reared it's ugly head again! I have created a caringbridge website that I will be using to keep everyone updated on treatments, etc. I want to keep my blog for the "fun" of our lives each and every day. While this is not what we were praying for, we are all completely and utterly at peace. The children took the news very well at dinner tonight when we told them. We pray now that the chemo does what it needs to do and kicks this cancer's butt again and I go into remission again! For what the Good Lord has in store for me.....I don't know but I go forward in faith and I will keep my eyes on the prize!!!

To God my savior, may You bless those around me. Use me as Your vessel, in anyway You see fit! I love you Lord Jesus and to You may the glory be!!!!

Here is my website:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cathibottelberghe