A Hootenanny, A Boat Cruise and A Birthday Party

 

"Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." Psalm 107:8-9


Yikes! I can't believe it has been over a month since I have posted to "Annie's Song". November was a very good month for mom and dad. A picture truly is worth a thousand words and both photos included here speak volumes. Who would have thought after the immense challenges of July, August and much of September that mom would be doing "all the things"?


What things you might ask? Mom and dad went to a Hootenanny at Knowlwood Restaurant earlier in November. Then, Darla and Geoff (good friends from their orchid society) wanted to bless them with a boat cruise in Newport Beach. Family and friends gathered on a lovely Sunday afternoon and were treated to a cruise from Lido out toward Crystal Cove. At one point we were surrounded by a huge pod of dolphins, which was very special.


On Darla & Geoff's boat


This past Sunday we celebrated a milestone birthday~ Dad's 85th. Family, friends and neighbors gathered at mom and dad's home and enjoyed some of dad's favorite snacks: potato chips with Lipton's onion soup & sour cream dip, Tater Tots with cheese dipping sauce, pistachios and shrimp cocktail. No birthday party would be complete without cake and ice cream (& James' chocolate chip cookies 😉).

At dad's 85th birthday party on Sunday. What beautiful smiles right??

My heart is full. Of praise to God for all the ways He has poured out His mercy and favor and provision upon my parents in a multitude of ways. Of gratitude for the gift of family and friends ~ who celebrate with us in the good times and offer love and support in the hard times. Of appreciation for simple joys: another birthday to celebrate, another Christmas season to anticipate...

Mom continues to improve weekly. At physical therapy this week mom's therapist had her using a cane and hopefully mom will transition from a walker to using a cane soon. Mom has been back in the kitchen helping with meal prep (anyone who knows Ann, knows that being in the kitchen is one of her happy places so this is a delightful development.).

One of my prayer requests from the last post was for clarity on whether or not to pursue a therapy called OpTune. It is my understanding that mom has decided not to use OpTune at least at this point. (Thanks for your prayers.) Mom is continuing with maintenance oral chemo and next week is her 5-day regimen of Temodar. Fortunately, she tolerates Temodar very well. Her next MRI to check her status will be sometime in December. 

Prayer Requests:

  • For the MRI this month to show no progression.
  • For mom to continue to make more progress and gain even more strength especially with walking.
  • For me to be more consistent with posting updates. 😊
With love and a very grateful heart,
Terrie

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ann's Obituary

Image
  Ann Patricia Rupp May 13, 1946 - July 20, 2023 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am; there you also may be." John 14:1-3   Ann was most definitely the heart of her home. She always had the warmest smile, the most welcoming demeanor. Ann wanted her family and friends to feel embraced and comfortable; loved and fed. Nourished body and soul. She had a very generous spirit. She loved giving gifts even on a day (like Mother's Day) when the day was meant to celebrate her. That's how thoughtful she was. It's impossible to imagine there was a person who knew Ann that didn't like/love her. Ann was a beautiful & happy baby. Ann was born Monday, May 13, 1946, the day after Mother's Day. She was a wonderful gi
Read more

In My Father’s House

Image
  "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1 - 3 Ann Patricia Rupp May 13, 1946 - July 20, 2023 In my Father's house.... these are the verses my dad chose for mom when the time comes to have her memorial service. Honestly, I feel sort of numb. Like it's not really real. Yet I know that when I go to visit mom and dad, my mother will not be there.   This is how I think of mom. Ann/mom was most definitely the heart of her home. She always had the warmest smile, the most welcoming demeanor. She wanted her family and friends to feel embraced and comfortable; loved and fed. Nourished body and soul. She had a very generous spirit. She loved giving gifts even on a day (like Mother's Day) whe
Read more
Image
  "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:    He leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his  name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the  shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they  comfort me. " Psalm 23:1-4 My beautiful mom and her radiant smile. To all who have been on this journey with Ann/mom and our family since July 2022, I want to express my deepest gratitude for each one of you. Your words of encouragement and comfort; your generosity of spirit to contribute financially these past 11 months; your prayers (probably most precious of all) have uplifted us and have made a heart wrenching year easier to bear. I am fully confident your prayers have made a significant difference in Ann's life, my dad's life and for all of us who so dearly love her.  Although I knew the day would come when I woul
Read more