Sunny Palm Springs

I can't help but put up another posting to share some more good news!!

Mom (almost 89)and Dad (almost 90) are the most amazing octogenarians I know, who don't let chronic back pain, heart problems, and bruised bodies sideline them for very long. Here are a few pictures to illustrate what I mean.

Dad's still driving (except after dark) and pumping his own gas, doing all of the shopping, and when I awakened this morning, he was doing a couple of loads of laundry!!

And Mom is recovering nicely from her bad fall four weeks ago. Her bruised ribs were more painful than her bruised face and ego, but she's feeling much better and is now back sleeping in their bed rather than on the recliner. She got fully dressed today for the first time and here she is squeezing fresh orange juice from their orange tree.

I'll bet you're wondering what I'm doing other than relaxing in the sunshine since Mom and Dad have things well under control!! Well, there's a bit of housecleaning, etc to be done and right now I've got buns and cinnamon buns rising!! Just being together gives us all a lift and we enjoy playing games and reading together. Dad's macular degeneration prevents him from reading, so I'm reading them a biography right now of a wonderful man they knew personally way back in the '40's--Percy Wills.

And BOB is doing well at home. On Thursday he received a phone call asking if he'd be able to conduct of "board workshop" for a church in Alberta next Saturday!! He was thrilled to be given the opportunity at a time when he's feeling so well. He'll be able to be gone for two days without missing dialysis.

KIM is enjoying a week of feeling pretty good, knowing that she'll have her third chemo this coming Friday. JIM plans to come out and visit us this week and it will be so good to see him.

GOD IS SO GOOD!!

Heading South

I'm updating our blog a little early this week because I'm flying to Palm Springs tomorrow morning for nine days. It will be wonderful to be with my folks again, although I know that Bob and I will miss one another more than ever since we've been together almost 24 hours a day for the past year.

Unfortunately, Bob is unable to go due to his need to be on dialysis. But there is good news regarding his dialysis. Next week he will be transferred from Surrey Memorial Hospital to Panorama Community Clinic to receive his dialysis. This is a relatively new facility just five miles from us, less that half the distance that he now travels to the hospital. His schedule will be adjusted slightly, changing one of his treatments from Sunday afternoon to Saturday evening. We're so pleased about this, as it will mean that we don't have to rush out of church on Sunday mornings, but can stay around to visit and also have friends over to our home for lunch!!

We've had so many guests around our dining room table lately, it's beginning to feel awfully quiet!! Vi, Bart, Lois, and Duane all left on Monday after three wonderful days together. Talking, laughing, playing games, watching games--NFL football, and of course eating together filled our days. Everyone sampled our "favourite" cocktail--carrot/apple juice--with mixed reviews!!

The occasions are far too few when Bob, Vi, and Lois are together. That makes these events SO very special.

It was great to have our nephew Bart with us again. He was the first of all the family to come and visit us just after Bob's diagnosis and release from the hospital back in early May. He's the oldest of our nieces and nephews, and definitely the tallest. Bob isn't very short, but he sure looks like a midget beside Bart, even with Bart trying to crouch down a bit!!

KIM began to feel much better about ten days after her chemo and now knows what to expect in terms of side-effects. She'll have her next chemo in nine days and is enjoying more energy until then. Tim's been doing an awesome job caring for the kids, horses, and Kim. Colby told us on the phone that his dad is a "SuperDad" and we agree!! Thanks so much for praying for them.

I'm looking so forward to being with Mom and Dad and also seeing Jim, who will come out to Palm Springs for a couple of days next week. You can be sure that I'll be taking pictures to include in my next update.

We continue to "Give Thanks" to the Lord and our dear family and friends for your love and prayers.

More family time

We're spending the next three days with Vi and Bart and Lois and Duane. Vi was in Vancouver on business this week so we met her downtown for dinner on Wednesday evening.

I went with Bob to his dialysis this week and saw his new "hook-up" to the graft in his arm. He's adjusting quite well to the new system.

We've had a lot of snow and unseasonably cold weather in BC this week--and all over the Pacific Northwest. Lois and Duane were supposed to take the Amtrak from Eugene, OR up to Bellingham, WA yesterday, but the extreme weather played havoc with the railroad and roads, so their trip was delayed a day.

Bart flew into Vancouver this morning from Edmonton, and he and Vi drove out here at noon today and all six of us will be spending the weekend together before Lois and Duane return to South America on Monday.

KIM had chemo last Friday and it made her VERY tired. Barbie's been able to arrange to stay with them for a few days after each of the chemo treatments.

Well, it's time to venture out on the roads to drive down to Bellingham to pick up Lois and Duane. We're looking SO forward to these next few days together.

THEN, next Thursday I'm flying to Palm Springs to spend a week with my folks. Since Bob's doing so well, he encouraged me to make the trip. It will be so good to be with them again--and to enjoy some sunshine and warmth!!

Giving Thanks!!

After our company left, I finally took down the Christmas decorations and changed the "vignette" in our little nook above the fireplace--as I do with each season.

BUT . . . "Giving Thanks" is ALWAYS IN SEASON!!

Read the following post and you'll understand why we are so full of thanks today!!

Friday the 13th--a Good News Day!!

BOB saw his oncologist yesterday for the first time in two months, and she gave us the good news that his tumour markers continue to decrease!! He won't need to go for another appointment until early April, unless he begins to experience continuous pain in his lower back--or any other part of his body. She said that after Bob's initial diagnosis back at the end of April, she would never have thought that he would be doing so well. She gave chemo and dialysis the credit, but we know that the Lord has been causing "all things to work together for our good and for His glory"!!

KIM also saw her oncologist yesterday and had her second chemo treatment today. She's encouraged that her final chemo treatment will be in early April rather than in June as originally thought. Although she's been pretty tired, she's felt amazingly well for the past twelve days. Barbie is able to manage her work schedule so that she can be at Tim and Kim's helping with the children for a few days after each of Kim's chemo treatments. Kim will have chemo once every three weeks. And yesterday Kim and her friend went to a "Look Good" workshop at the hospital with other breast cancer patients (mostly women over 60 years old). They were given over $400. of skin-care products and make-up and tried on wigs, etc. But the highlight of the time for Kim was meeting another 33 year old gal who was diagnosed with breast cancer in December. Sharing with others and looking for ways to encourage them brings such joy to Kim. And she also has a new "baby" in her life that is a delight--a one and a half year old little girl horse that she and Tim have named "Journey"!

JIM saw his surgeon yesterday and oncologist today. They seem pleased with his recovery thus far even though it seems slow to him. Tiredness seems to be the common complaint of Bob, Kim, and Jim. He's hoping to resume working at least part-time by the end of February.

And MOM Dodds is improving every day, although I guess the bruises on her face still look pretty "scary". It's the bruising of her ribs that is actually causing the most pain and fragility, but each day brings improvement. She and Dad still phone us all every evening to pray with us.

So you see . . . it's all GOOD NEWS for which we are tremendously grateful!! GOD IS GOOD!!

Just a few Thiessen pics!!

Here are a few pictures of the wonderful time we had with Lois, Duane, and their kids and sweet granddaughter Gabby!!

All the kids left yesterday morning and Lois and Duane leave tomorrow morning for Oregon and will return next week.

A very full and wonderful week

Since I last updated the blog, we’ve had a condo full of wonderful visitors. My sister Barb and her husband Buddy flew here from Texas on Dec. 30 and stayed with us for almost four days. We had an awesome time together—mostly just talking, laughing, reminiscing about the past, fully enjoying the present, and anticipating the future with confidence in God’s faithfulness and goodness—and of course eating a lot!! Here’s a picture of us taken at the Boathouse here in White Rock on Jan. 2.

The day after they left, Bob’s sister Lois and her husband Duane arrived from Uruguay, South America. After Bob’s cancer diagnosis about eight months ago, all of our children, siblings, nieces and nephews wanted to come to visit us, and at this point almost all of them have!!

A couple of days after Lois and Duane’s arrival on Wednesday, all four of their children arrived here for a very special family reunion. Matt and Rachel and their adorable little 15 month old daughter Gabby, as well as Anita, Lois and Duane’s youngest, arrived from Indiana on Thursday, and Alison arrived at midnight Friday night from California. Thankfully we were able to reserve the guest suite in our condo complex and between that suite, our condo, and the spacious amenity room, we’ve had plenty of “venues” to gather together and even have some privacy from one another!!

Once again our days have been filled with much talking, laughing, sharing, and of course eating!! The Thiessen children will leave us on Tuesday, but Lois and Duane will stay for a few extra days, then take the train down to Oregon to visit Duane’s mother for a week, and then return here for a final few days before flying back to Uruguay. Bob’s sister Vi and her son Bart will be flying down here from Edmonton for a few days at the end of Lois and Duane’s visit!!

We've taken many pictures and I'm having difficulty attaching them to this post so will include them in a separate posting.

It’s actually a very good thing that these visits have come now instead of a few months ago as Bob is feeling amazingly well—just tired—and we give him lots of freedom to rest. He’s now receiving his dialysis through the new “graft” and the doctor is pleased how well this new vascular access is working. His hemoglobin has dipped again so he’ll likely be getting a couple of pints of blood this week.

BOB will see his oncologist later this week, who is monitoring his well-being since he’s been off chemo. KIM also has an appointment to see her oncologist this week and will have her second chemo treatment on Friday. Her hair began to fall out this past week and apparently she and Tim decided get all of the kids involved in “cutting” her hair together!! What a traumatic event that would have been for all of them. Please continue to keep Kim and the family in your prayers.

My brother JIM tested his stamina this week as he went out to Palm Springs to assist in the care of our parents for a few days. My mom had a nasty fall last week when she tripped over a curb, bruising her ribs and her face pretty severely. Dad’s bad back doesn’t allow him to help her get up and down, even from a sitting position. Jim was so helpful to them and Mom has greatly improved in the past couple of days. They continue to encourage us all every evening as they phone to pray with each of us. What a comfort it is to know the reality of God’s presence, strength, peace, and assurance of His good purposes in all that we face.

I will try to more consistently update our blog every Friday so that friends and family know when to check for the latest news!!

We are SO grateful for your love, support, and prayers. Eight months ago we could never have imagined that we would come to the end of 2011 with such joy, thanksgiving, and strength. GOD IS GOOD!! And we are entering 2012 with a sense of hope and expectancy of all that the Lord has for us. We hope you are doing the same!!