Update: numero tres

Becky Update: numero tres

Today Becky had *the* oncology appointment that we have all been waiting on pins and needles for. This is the one that discussed a more solid treatment plan and the pet scan results....and (can I have a ominous drum roll, please? kind of a dum, dum, dum, DUM?) The cancer has spread to the lungs which means a surgery to remove the tumor from the lungs (that includes 3-5 days in the spa. You know...the spa that has their needle "therapists" wake you up during all hours of the night making sure you can't recover a bit because they won't let you sleep?) and a very not so lovely 4-6 month supply of chemotherapy. Yep. Not exactly what we were hoping for, but a treatment plan nonetheless. And we will all unite, being powered by the love of our Heavenly Father, and press on. We will carry Becky along and make this road as smooth as we can, whenever we can. We love you, Becky.

So after having a good cry (I don't know if my kids knew quite what to do with a mother sobbing in the laundry room while folding clothes and singing comforting hymns....I got some intrigued looks as they passed through the hallway!) I got online and did my research. And registered for the Race for the Cure. Anyone want to join us? Team Becky is going to rock it in Seattle on June 6th and we'd love to have anyone join us. Bring a pink bandana and we'll have a Becky love fest for a leisurely 3.2 mile jaunt.

Updates and such

Becky went ahead and had a mastectomy on Friday, which "took a big weight off her chest". (7 lbs 4 oz, to be exact and that is her quote, not me making light of heavy things.) Funny how much a tumor infested breast can weight. This is very uncool of her because now she weighs less than me and is putting even more pressure on me to loose my toddler weight. (I can't really call it baby weight when Lilly is running around carrying on conversations, eh?) Tomorrow she goes in for a pet scan and then a mere week later (which is way too long, if you ask me) we will find out the results and see if the the cancer took any extended vacations to other parts of her body. That is the low down and pretty much all we know right now. Coming from a person that can't stand not knowing if she is expecting a boy or a girl, the waiting is akin to some sort of medieval torture device. And what do we do while waiting? Knit a new boob for Becky, of course. Apparently there is also a long gap between having a mastectomy and getting a prosthetic, which I find pretty intolerable for someone who is now going around with one breast that is at least a DD. I never thought my knitting skills would be put towards something so useful, but here we go!

And my scripture for the week:

Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you. Seek me diligently and ye shall find me. Ask, and ye shall receive. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:63

Dear Breast Cancer: Bite me.

Dear Breast Cancer,

Bite Me. Your little cousin, lymphoma, sucked enough. You are not welcome in these parts.

It turns out to be good timing for some simplifying as last week my little sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. We are all sitting around in the "calm before the storm", waiting for a biopsy to determine if it will require "just" a mastectomy or a mastectomy and chemo/radiation. When thinking of the fact that she 4 small children, ranging in age from 5 months to 8 years old, this is huge. Breast cancer sucks royally at any point in your life, but when I picture a young mom trying to juggle a baby and a toddler and throwing in the lovely side effects of chemo, I am just plain old sad. Please include Becky in your prayers....

and I will leave you with my favorite quote of the week:

If you will put God first in your life,

everything else will fall into its proper place

or drop out of your life entirely.

{Ezra Taft Benson}

sarah, the nut

Welcome to a brief synopsis of Sarah, the nut. You aren't going to be seeing me as much on here as I am trying to overcome some of my nuttiness. You know, the side of me that says "Why buy a $3 pack of cards when I could spend an hour making them?" or....the real trouble maker: "I'm already sewing one _______, so I might as well make 20 of them!" I have always said that I plan projects like I have 1 child yet I finish them like I have 10 children.

There is a John Bytheway (did I tell you than I also met him while in SLC???) talk called "What's in Your Backpack?" that we listened to on our little car trip to SLC. Now, John was actually talking to teenagers and he was talking about things that they put in their backpack (teenage stuff like negative self talk, etc) that make their hike/earthly journey so much harder than they need it to be. And all I heard while listening to this was all of the junk that I throw in my pack. You know...mom stuff like sewing projects, a frivolous photography business, crafty crafty fluff, a Pottery Barn house, the perfect birthday party....you get the idea, right?

So I have been playing with this over the past month and these are hard habits to break! I am trying, but it is not easy. I was proud of myself because we had this fun little carnival party but instead of having a long list of things I had done for the party, I had a long list of things that I chose not to do for it. No super cute snacks. No pinwheels for the cupcakes. No handmade signs. (Quickly printed in a matter of minutes and just as cute.) Some things were already in motion and it was too late to eliminate, but I still did a pretty good job and eliminating the unnecessary. I am trying to catch all of these little things and am not doing it all the time (The girls and I started 4 quilts for Mother's Day, but I decided that they will be gifted later in the year after realizing the irony of me being a bad mother to give a good mother's day gift), but am trying to throw all of these stinky bricks out of my backpack. Too bunch junk in the trunk. (Ok, that could apply to my life in a few different ways, but I digress.) Ok, enough rambling. I just thought I would explain my sudden absence. I'll be here and there, but just not so much. I am just trying to refocus a bit and prioritize. Thank you, conference, for reminding me of the end goal here. I am a little dense, but I think I am starting to finally get it. (I know! It's about stinking time!)

may day failure

I feel like today was a slight failure. Yes, we made it to the soccer games, the birthday party and even had time to run into costco. (and I do mean run.) The two things that I really wanted to do today that didn't even get close to happening?

1. I SO wanted to deliver some May Day bouquets today with the girls. We didn't even get far enough to get the flowers.

2. I wanted to head over to our local cemetary to start photographing gravestones with the girls. I *did* carry my camera around all day, planning to go. Does that count?

And my question of the day: When did May Day turn into a day of protests instead of a day to deliver flowers and walk around a pole with ribbons? I say we go back to the cooler one.