January to December 2014 Take 2

 "Love is a hurricane in a blue sky, I didn't see it coming, never knew why, all the laughter and the dreams, all the memories in between, washed away in a steady stream.

Love is a hunger, a famine in your soul. I thought I planted beauty but it would never grow. Now I'm on my hands and knees, trying to gather up my dreams. Trying to hold on to anything."
I'm With you  by Nichole Nordeman

5/1 Mayday. Whatever you call it. I headed into my doctor's office and had a punch biopsy done on a funny looking mole that was on my stomach. I'd had it for quite awhile and had noticed it starting to change in December. But to me......it was nothing.

5/6 Katie had choir practice at 7:00am. I picked her up early from school because she had an ortho appointment at 1:30.
Dr. Neil called me at 4:00 that afternoon. My heart sank when I heard his voice. I knew it must be something when he called me instead of his nurse. I was sitting in front of my computer in the office when he told me I had cancer. He didn't know the extent but it was not good.
I hung up the phone, and found my best friend Lamar, outside working in the yard.  He knew immediately by my face. He held me while I sobbed, never saying a word out of his mouth, but I could feel every word he was saying!
Funny how the memory is, there are times when I cannot remember what happened last week but I can re-walk that day through my head over and over again, forgetting nothing!
Mother's Day followed the very next weekend and I have no idea what we did. Sorry Katie, but I know you get it.

I am not going to go into detail on anything else that follows related to the melanoma. It's all documented in my previous posts......read away!!

5/14 Deep tissue biopsy-Dr. Searles (love him!)

5/19 Path report came back. I was diagnosed with stage 2, Clark level IV malignant melanoma , the most deadly form of skin cancer.
That night, Katie had her choir concert at the Adler Theatre and after it was over, we were walking by the fountain outside and Becca & I danced in the fountain.........why? Just because everything looked different that night.

 

5/22 Katie was on the news and in the newspaper. The Davenport school district brought forth a plan for a time change to the start and finish of K-12th in all of the schools. Katie & one of her besties, Elise, started a petition for the district to keep the current hours. One of the girl's arguments against the time change was that starting school at a later time, 9:00am, will not make the kids who are already habitually late, show up on time. (I agree 100%). Elise & Katie spoke at the forum held by the district and made the news and the newspaper! The outcome was that the district withdrew the plan for a 9:00am start time for the High schools and they moved it to 8:10am. There was room for compromise and it was graciously accepted. The superintendent saw their passion, their petition and 2 high school juniors that made a huge difference!

 

 

5/27 Welcome to our world sweet Alex Crane Vargas. You are such a loving baby & I love being your GaGa
6 pounds 14 ounces & 19 inches long

5/29 The Zoo Story: The day before my first big surgery, I wanted to have a day away. I wanted to do something that I would not forget. Erin & I decided to take the kids to the zoo and let's just say that I won't forget that day.....ever! The question I asked myself that day was "how many adults does it take to handle/take care of 2 small children at a zoo?" Well, it was myself, Erin and KK(Katie) with Maggie(2 1/2) and Jake (5). We walked out of the zoo that Thursday with mud on our clothes, face, body and it was caked in Maggie's hair. It was hot, tiresome, there was crying ( and that was just me, ha!) So what is the answer to how many adults??? Obviously more than 3.
We'd had a great time and everything had been nice. We had traveled the entire zoo without incident. We had rode the train, fed the fish, and the kids had a round on the carousal. We had just left the giraffes and were heading to the zebras when Maggie spotted a large mud puddle. Before we could do anything, Maggie hit the puddle at full speed. Her croc shoes slipped out from underneath her and she landed flat on her back covered in thick, black mud. Between the sobs, right in front of the zebras, she was stripped down. Some sweet mom passing us gave us wet wipes, and we tried to make her ok. The mud was caked in her hair, so I gathered it together and put it into a bun. Erin washed her shoes in the fountain and Katie wiped her as clean as she could. The hot sun was drying it quickly on her little body and I remember wanting to laugh because woman pay big money for mud treatments. We all took turns carrying her through and then out of the Niabi Zoo that day. We all walked out with mud all over us, on a day that none of us will ever forget!

5/30 Lamar & I drove to the hospital for me to have surgery. I got to spend time with Lindsay and Alex before heading down to surgery.

6/1 My cousin Carrie and her husband, Ted, had their 3rd baby. It's a girl. Lauren Joyce Porter.
6 pounds 14 ounces 18 inches long. She is a beautiful combination of her parents!

6/13 My lumpectomy for my sentinel node biopsy

7/4 Katie was at church camp. Mom, dad, Lindsay, Maggie, Alex, Heather, Claire & Christopher came for lunch and fireworks. We did sparklers and then that night we went to Home Depot for the big Bettendorf Fireworks.

7/25 More Biopsies

7/30 My cousin Kelly and her husband, Terrance had their 2nd baby. A boy, TJ. He was 6 pounds 1 ounce and 19 1/2 inches long.  He is going to be a heart breaker!

8/12 Two surgeries in 1 day. Dr. Searles (love him!)

8/30 My cousin Hannah who lives in Colorado, signs to play college basketball for Trinity International college in Deerfield. She will be 2 hours away!!!!! Happy birthday to me. We got Hannah that morning and had a fabulous weekend with her. I love having her so close to me


September I had the privilege to start leading a small group for women's ministry at our church. I started Wife of Noble Character not knowing then how much it was going to change me! It's been huge. Thank you Becky, for giving me this opportunity.

10/2 My sweet friend, Meri, had a double mastectomy that stemmed from her having 2 kinds of cancer in both of her breasts. She is still currently going through Chemo, but is so strong!!

10/6 Katie had metrofest for choir that night at Bettendorf High School and during the performance I got a text from Kevin that they were in the ER with Maggie, she had fallen in the garage and broke her arm! It was a huge moment of change. Her cast is now off and she is back to her normal, active self!

10/12 A benefit was held for me in Bettendorf. Hosted by Tammy Danielson, Stephanie Sales, Lindsay Vargas, Erin Williams & Brenda Elmore. They all wore black for me!

10/18 Lamar & I were able to go to Ohio to see my cousin Pam and her family and my great Uncle Paul &  great aunt Jimmie. Paul is my grandpa's brother and the only living child of the entire Dunkin clan of kids. There were 11 kids. 7 girls and 4 boys. They moved to Ohio about 5 years ago and we miss them like crazy! It was a huge treat getting to hug him, hearing stories of their past and just being with them.

10/24 Welcome to our family, Grace Katherine Otwell. "Gracie" you have flipped our lives upside down

10/28 The Busers were here from Papua New Guinea

11/7 Katie and I took her first college campus visit to Central College in Pella, Iowa. Bittersweet times as she is getting ready to close this chapter on her life and move onto the next.

11/16 Our church celebrated its 10th anniversary. It was a memorable weekend with Night of Worship, and a sermon with a trip down memory lane. Sometimes, well actually most times, when I am in the service, I don't want to leave. My church is a safe place to me. I don't worry about anything while I am there. It is not about getting our bills paid, it is not about being sick and wondering of what the next month holds, it is not about the high school drama, or if there will be enough work for Lamar. I think I would live there if I could. It is not about ME while I am there! Sadly, it is the only time when I do not make it about me. I don't feel like I have to share that time......so why do I do it any other time?!

 12/4 Katie was inducted into the National Honor Society. A very proud moment for us!!

So, it is time to say good-bye to yet another year. What will 2015 hold for us? Only God knows.
The warmer days have melted the snow and today as I look out the windows, I am not sure if our Christmas will be white. I do know however, that with each passing year, I come to appreciate more and more that "Christmas, he thought......doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps....means a little bit more!"
-Dr. Seuss  

Merry Christmas 2014
Lamar, Heather, Katie, Chloe & Gracie