Resting up for the next arrival of kids!!

David, Ann, Billy, and Manny left here a week ago after a wonderful week together.

Papa and I are all rested up now and ready for Tim, Kim, Colby, Gracyn, Carson, and Mykenna to arrive on Sunday for five days!!

Actually, all of our children and grandchildren have been together in Regina for the past few days and we're awaiting pictures of them all to post on the blog. David, Ann, and the boys leave Regina tomorrow to head home to Fredonia, NY.

Bob will have chemo again this Friday if his white blood cell count and platelets are high enough. He has two more three-week runs of chemo to complete this second regime of chemotherapy.

He's been feeling so well that he's encouraged me to fly down to visit my parents in Palm Springs mid-August. My mom has been battling an unrelenting pounding headache for over a month now. Last week she had a CT scan and will get the results tomorrow and we're hoping and praying that she will soon get some relief. It will be good to be with them for almost two weeks.

Grandchildren Therapy!!

David, Ann, Billy, and Manny arrived here on Monday, after a seven-day roadtrip!! We've been having a wonderful time with them. The pictures really tell the story.

Playing games, going to the beach, taking the SkyTrain into Vancouver and the SeaBus over to North Vancouver, and visiting Papa at dialysis were just a few of the things we did together.

It seems that our days are full of some kind of "therapy"--mostly chemotherapy and renal dialysis, but the BEST therapy of all is being with our grandchildren!! Each type of therapy brings its special kind of healing and renewal, but all have a common side-effect--tiredness!!!

David, Ann and the boys leave for Regina on Monday, and Papa and I will have a couple of weeks to rest up before the arrival of Tim, Kim, and their precious four--for another week of "Grandchildren Therapy"--yippee!!

Summer has come to BC at last!!

The weather finally turned to warm sunshine this week and we are so thankful.

I worked back at the notary office this week and Bob took seriously his role as "house husband" and made some delicious meals, serving them with flair--including a special Fourth of July dinner, since we are both half Americans!!

Bob's platelet count rose again this week enabling him to have chemo on Friday. He continues to feel quite well, except that he's more tired than he'd like to be.

My brother Jim is also doing pretty well, but again he wishes he weren't so tired. Since a good portion of his stomach and esophagus were removed, he needs to eat smaller portions of food more frequently. He feels that he's back to eating as much as he used to, but can't seem to put on any weight. He continues to ride his bike and is also exercising in an effort to gain strength.

Jim will see his oncologist in September and have a CT scan to monitor his condidion. Gastro-esophageal cancer is a particularly nasty one, and he has done incredibly well, considering all he has been through. We are so grateful to the Lord.

Jim spent a couple of days out in Palm Springs this week with our parents. Dad had a small surgical procedure on his back on Thursday but didn't need to be hospitalized. He's recovering quite nicely, however at 90 he doesn't bounce back quite so quickly. Mom's been really struggling with very bad headaches for over a month now, so they have more than their share of aches and pains.

Mom and Dad still phone us every evening at 9:00 pm to pray with us, a practice they began well over a year ago when Bob was so sick. They phone Jim and Barb as well. It gives us the opportunity to pray for them too, and "tuck them into bed" with the assurance and comfort of God's presence and peace.

Tim and Kim celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary last Friday. It was a great time of thanksgiving for God's faithfulness to them, particularly in this past year with Kim's breast cancer. She's doing very well and loving being back in the barn and in the garden, and she made dozens of jars of strawberry jam this week!!

David, Ann, and the boys will arrive here tomorrow evening. They decided to take a long roadtrip here this summer rather than flying, and they've had an awesome time on their seven-day journey from western NY, travelling through the Badlands of South Dakota and Yellowstone National Park. Bob and I are so excited about their weeklong visit with us and are presently "resting up"!!

Then Tim and Kim and their four fly here towards the end of the month. Barbie plans to come out later in August, so we have so much to look forward to. And if these sunny moderate temperatures continue, we have the perfect venue to get out and make great memories!!