Still No Announcement

Dear readers, if you’ve been keeping up with my blog, you know my first grand child was born on Saturday. Her mom and dad are still adjusting to life with a newborn and haven’t made an official announcement yet. Therefore, neither can I share publicly her photos or name. Check back tomorrow…? 

So today’s post will only involve the sheer beauty and the Million Little Miracles I’ve experienced here in Wyoming and Idaho. 

I drove over the Pass into Idaho to visit Margaret 

Look very closely at the tree trunk! This is one tall pine! This hike yesterday was in Sheep Bridge Trail by Grand Targhee. 

My long time friend, Margaret, took me hiking there and explored this Narnia-like snowy forest! We met 24 years ago working in a dental office together!

This hike at Sheep Bridge has a surreal creek gurgling away enough to lull a baby to sleep!

Margaret’s house illuminated with the background of the alpine glow, as she called it!

Then back to Wyoming again as the sun was setting last night. 

This evening I went for a hike on the Old Pass Road and freaked out because I thought I saw a bear in the distance but thankfully it turned out to be a bear-shaped shadow! But these women were angels that allowed me to walk with them and their 3 dogs and comforted me with their company. 

The view from the cabin where we are staying. That pink tinge is the sun rising on a mountain!!

This week has been filled with SWeet time of study and reading of a new book called Crafted Prayer by Graham Cooke. As I’m hanging out at my friends, B & L’s house in the mornings and taking care of their dog, I find myself gifted lots of quiet time to read and learn about what God’s teaching me next. These are very special days!

Miracles and Beauty Abound

I will start this post by saying that I know it has been several days since I last entered in my journal. The reason I delayed in writing anything was because I wanted to wait until the day I have been anticipating for many, many months… That is, the birth of my very first grandchild! I will start this blog by sharing that the miracle of my granddaughter has finally arrived! Everyone is doing wonderfully and the baby is healthy with 10 fingers and 10 toes! She truly is a miracle baby for me in so many ways! Her mom and dad are still wrapping up the final details of doctors and nurses coming and going before they make a public announcement with her photos and her name so I will withhold that until after they have made it official, but thankfully I am able to at least share that she is here and healthy and simply scrumptious!

Anything else I share will not compare to the beauty of seeing my daughter, son-in-law and my granddaughter… However, my last few days have been filled with beauty and nature that is some of the most spectacular and majestic creation I’ve ever experienced!

Grand Teton National Park

Gros Ventre canyon’s red fox

Gros Ventre’s bull moose

Picnic’s restaurant Best avocado toast

Green Teton hiking trail to Taggart Lake

Jackson’s elk refuge has big horned sheep

Grand Tetons 

Grand Teton hike

Frozen fog 

Iconic Jackson pic

Creek running through Grand Teton

Taggart Lake with my crazy husband dressed in shorts and my body guard!

A Narnia-like walk in the woods

Hiking 4.2 miles around Taggart Lake

My gnome and me! 

Keeping my heart fixed on my walk with God. Asking all along the way for His Presence, guidance and peace. Receiving His miracle after miracle. Humbling myself always. Choosing gratitude. Asking God to use my life however He pleases. Praying for continued physical healing. Remembering how brief our time here truly is and knowing our potential impact on others matters…therefore letting go of any hatred, bitterness, resentment, deceit, unholiness, pride, and entitlement. Praying for my own reconciliation and reparation with others where there may be brokenness and hurt. Honoring my honest feelings while practicing non-violent communication. Seeking wisdom from the Lord. And authentically choosing joy today! 

If I can remember all that, it’sa good day!!

Wyoming

Been traveling for the past 2 days in a Uhaul moving truck and I’m glad to be on solid ground and done driving!! We arrived safely and other than being tired of traveling, I’m doing just dandy so I figured I’d include lots of photos of my views from the road. Iowa and Nebraska have more corn fields, black cows and everything agricultural than any state I’ve seen.

Last night we had a most delectable steak dinner in North Platte, NE at The Cedar Room. John ordered Rock Mountain Oysters and I was able to choke down one bite but the filet was significantly better!

Then onward to Wyoming! Snowy and finally mountains! You know you’re in Wyoming when the rest stop public bathroom doors have a bucking Bronco!

Traveling to WY With John & ‘Ted’

Thankful that I’m continuing to physically feel just fine minus a few minor issues like my skin is beginning to crack again. That’s rather disappointing since I thought that was only from the chemo meds. I was expecting my skin issues to be resolving by now but maybe they’re not exactly. Also, this morning the fatigue and tightness in my legs and arms was really noticeable. Again, not sure if it’s from walking/hiking every day this week or if my body is feeling this fatigued from the Perjeta or Herceptin?

Last night John and I met with the new leaders of John’s Wonder League ice hockey as they all take over running the great group of hockey addicts that play weekly hockey together.  It’s bittersweet to see John come to the end of running a league he started over 10 years ago. Yet such a blessing to see how it’s morphed into a really fun group of people that love playing hockey together and have been very supportive of me through this whole ordeal too.

  Yesterday I got to get a little more adventurous with my buddy, Ever! We went to the same spot I’d been going to all week with his sister, LillyMae, but it was warmer so we got in the creek!!

Then John and I spent the rest of the day buttoning up the house and packing to be in Jackson, WY for the next few weeks while he and Matt install a stair case in a new castle some very generous man is building for his family’s legacy! 

Was up early today and we all were on the road by 10:30 am. The great news is that John and I were sent off with sweet notes and hugs by these beautiful kids! We feel so loved by them. It’s awesome how God provides pseudo grand children for us to love on and spend lots of time with when we don’t have that locally and my daughter’s baby in Florida hasn’t yet arrived! 

The drive was just super, SUPER bumpy from Ohio to Illinois in the truck carrying the stair case! Now we know why!!! We all have been extremely disappointed that the Uhaul company didn’t check the condition of all the tires prior to getting it to John. At about 4 pm we realized that one of the inside rear tires was totally bald and shredding totally apart so we’ve been currently sitting in a BP gas station in Illinois waiting for roadside assistance to no avail! It’s definitely going to take us 3 days to get to Wyoming at this rate!

On the bright side, this was the sunset this evening! 

Hoping we will be on the road first thing in the morning with a repaired tire! Until then we are impatiently still waiting for roadside assistance! Here I am with Matt aka Ted K with seat heaters and a warm van while John works out the details with incompetent UHaul!! 

Infusion Day Plus

It’s been a couple days and I am just now, finally getting to my blog. Life has been relatively normal for me, so not much to report, in my opinion. Regardless, I’ll share about God’s goodness in my days for those faithful readers.

Before heading to Columbus, OH yesterday to the Stephanie Spielman Comprehensive Cancer Center, I went to see my hubby and company start loading the moving truck with the stair parts we will be taking out to Jackson, WY. I’m very excited to see the Tetons once again where it’s so easy to see God’s creative hand at work!

In the afternoon I had my infusion and I’m very glad to share that it was super uneventful! I walked in and the nurse accessed my port, drew blood from it and started my meds. I felt nothing before, during or after the whole ordeal! Nothing other than a tiny prick to get to my port and had a shot in my tummy fat of Xgeva for bone strengthening. It was also the first time I didn’t have to see the oncologist which made for a quick appointment! Physically, other than a need for Imodium once or twice this month from the medications and a little bit of muscle fatigue and neuropathy, I’m feeling amazing! I praise, You, God for that! 

I came home and had the energy and joy of hanging out with these beautiful children so their mom and dad could have a date! Shortly after getting home from having pizza for dinner I hit a fatigue wall and before I knew it they were babysitting me!! 

This morning I got to spend time with my dear friend, Andrea and we went to my bench and enjoyed a walk and visited. I’m so thankful for friends that stay in our lives through moves, divorces, cancer and distance! Andrea is one of those faithful friends! Today was a baking day for me starting with pumpkin caramel scones for Andrea!

I ended my day with LillyMae as she helped in getting Christmas gifts ready, cleaning and doing laundry, making 🍋 Lemon Chicken piccata and finishing my baking spree with these slightly amended chocolate chip cookies. I haven’t baked this much in a long time but John informed me that he had a hankering for them so I found a new recipe and they’re delicious! 

Tonight I started reading a new book that I received from my cousin, LuEllyn. It’s by Joni Eareckson Tada called Songs of Suffering. It’s a book of 25 hymns and a devotional that goes with each one. I don’t see myself as one who is suffering however I very much am appreciating reading and considering the lyrics to ponder the truths in them that will help me lift my head on those difficult days. And I found it very enlightening that the only place in the Bible where it refers to Jesus singing is the night he was betrayed just before his crucifying suffering. It’s no wonder the Gratitude song has been so profound in last several months for me! 

As this day closes, I think about the last several days and reflect on just how thankful I am for so many million little miracles all around me and that have been part of my week! It’s truly overwhelming! The best moment I think was sitting by the creek out in the woods and listening to LillyMae play Amazing Grace on her violin! It was a SWeet, sacred moment for anyone including the birds and squirrels around us!