Part 2

COLON CANCER???

So as we are leaving the Doctors office, we set up an appointment for a Colonoscopy, December 19. It was the first available appoinment, almost 2 weeks away...

COLON CANCER???

We are walking out to the car and I feel like I want to die. I feel like my heart is in my throat. I look at him as he is walking and he starts to make some jokes. I laugh along with him, there is nothing else to do...

COLON CANCER???

Now at this point we had not told anyone, not anyone, about what was going on. No one knew. They knew that we had some doctor appoinments, and we were running some tests to figure out what was wrong. No one knew that something had been sent out for a BIOPSY. We did not tell anyone that something had been found...

COLON CANCER???

Have you ever had one of those moments in your life, one of those moments that you feel like you can't breathe and you are not sure what to do? You feel lost and don't know where to turn. That is how I felt that day. The day I found out that my husband had CANCER. I felt like I was reliving the phone call from my dad, saying that my mom had Breast Cancer and moments later, my mom walked into the house and she fell into my arms, sobbing. I felt the same way I did when I walked into the doctor's office and got one of those looks from my dad, that only he could give me, and I heard the doctor say that my dad had Stomach Cancer...

COLON CANCER???

Now I have to relive it all again...Are you kidding me? But this time with my husband? What are our kids going to think when we tell them? How can I look at them and tell them that now a third person who they love has CANCER? How am I going to look in the mirror and try to convince myself that everything is going to be OK?

COLON CANCER!!!

Part 1-Could You Repeat That Please?

For some time now, I have had a secret. (I knew that would get your attention! I am not pregnant, don’t worry.) Well, it isn’t that it is a secret, it is just private and personal and ‘family business’ as Debbie’s family says.

So this might not be a surprise to some of you. Some of you are fully aware of what I am about to write; others are not. Those of you that had no idea, I am sorry that you have too read about it on here, but that’s just the way it is sometimes.

Travel back in time with me for a moment or two…

Thanksgiving week, November 2008: David isn’t feeling well. On Turkey day he has a scheduled appointment at 1:15. I know, but we figured it would not be busy…and it was not! They called and told us to come in earlier because we ‘probably have other plans for the day.' Whenever we could and they would get us in. So after David gets home from Flag Football, he showers and we go to Kaiser. We meet with doctor #1. He says he will refer us out to a specialist. So we set up an appointment, #2. (You didn’t think that I was going to give up the outcome yet, did you???? NAH!) So we meet with doctor #2 and she doesn’t like what she sees either and sends ‘it’ out for a biopsy. Yeah, UGLY word, BIOPSY. So several days later and after playing tag with doctors, we finely get the results from the test. They said that it was positive for cancer. So we go in and meet with yet another doctor. We will call him doctor #3. (Original, I know!)

As we are sitting with him he starts asking us questions:

Doctor 3, “Does Colon Cancer run in your family?”
David, “No.”
D3, “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
David, “Yes, I have 5 brothers and 1 sister.”
D3, “They all need to be checked. Do you have any children?”
David, “Yes, we have 2.”
D3, “How old are they?”
Kori, “12 and 14.”
D3, “They need to be screened, no later than 25 but not before age 20.”
Doctor 3, “So no one in your family has a history of Colon Cancer?”
David, “No.”
Kori “Excuse me, I’m sorry, can I ask a question?”
D3, “Yes, please.“
Kori, “Are you telling us that he has Colon Cancer?”
D3, “Uhhh did you not know that?”
Kori looks at David then looks at D3 again.
David and Kori, “No.”
D3 looks to his computer screen and then apologizes to us because he thought that we knew. I said to him, “Maybe I am just dumb for not thinking that because it tested positive for cancer that he actually had Colon Cancer.” (Does that make sense?) Of course he assures me that I am not dumb. I looked at David, “Did she ever say to you that ‘you have Colon Cancer’? Because, I think that if we had heard ‘Colon Cancer’ that we would remember.” Of course David agrees with me, because we had never heard those two words before: COLON CANCER

There are many things that I have heard at the doctor’s office before. In fact, humor me for a moment, let’s play Family Feud.

The top 5 answers are on the board. Here is your question:
Name something that you hear at the doctor’s office?

1. Bend Over

2. Spread Them

3. Open your mouth and stick out your tongue

4. This might hurt a little

5. You need to lose some weight

Colon Cancer was not on my list.

Too Much Rock Star...

Those of you that know me, know that I love to sing. Am I good at it? ummm Not really, but I try my darnest! My favorite part in the movie My Best Friends Wedding is when Cameron Diaz is singing at the Karaoke bar and she is killing the song. "I just don't know what to do with myself." But in the end wins every over. They whoop it up and they cheer for her. That is how I feel...I am just there to win everyone over.

Well, New Years Eve at the home of Ranse and Shelly Gale is no exception. (Once I got Jeremy Goff off the microphone, I was home free.) LOUD AND PROUD is my motto. We rocked the house for several hours, playing along to Fleetwood Mack, Nirvana, Metallica and MANY others.

I have a new favorite song to sing along too...LIVIN ON A PRAYER by Bon Jovi! Now I am not a rocker chick. I have never been to a rock concert. I have never sported one of those rock shirts, that the 'rockers' wore in high school that proclaimed KISS or DEF LEPPARD or RATT as the best band. I am not a fan of 80's hair bands. I cannot stand hair that is not combed or brushed or looks like you just woke up 5 minutes ago. The only rock album I have ever had was a tape cassette of Quiet Riot that I bought in junior high at Florin Mall. You know that place that was right inside the main doors to the left ummm I think it was called The Warehouse. "Come on feel the noise, Girls rock your boys!" I think it was spelled cum though and noise was spelled with a 'z'. I don't wear a chain on my pants or a bracelet with spikes...BUT I CAN SING LIKE JON BON JOVI!!! I got a 93% on it. Next time look out though...I am bringin my cowboy hat and I will score a 99% just for wearing the hat. Heck I might even find me a shirt with BON JOVI on it. (I wear a large if any of you reading this find one.)

So how do you know when you have had too much Rock Star??? And I don't mean the drink either...Maybe, when it is around 1:00 in the morning. You turn to say something to little Ranse and instead of calling him Ranse, you call him 'FRANCE' and then you laugh like a HYENA for the next ohhhhh at least 5-10 minutes (yeah that's hard to believe) and you can't stop because you are tired and the tears are coming from laughing so hard and the cider was old and had chunks in it and you sang LIVIN ON A PRAYER loud and proud TOO MANY times, but people keep requesting it over and over again. And that's a FACT- not CRAP!

What's a girl to do???

NEO MAXI ZOOM DWEEBIE

Que Anthony Michael Hall...
Brian Johnson:
Saturday, March 24, 1984. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois 60062.

Dear Mr. Vernon,
We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was that we did wrong. What we did WAS wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write this essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us... in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct?
That's the way we saw each other at seven o'clock this morning. We were brainwashed.

I have always been a big fan of the movie, The Breakfast Club. I loved the idea of these kids coming together and their lives changing because of the impact that they had on each other.

Andrew Clark: You don't have any goals.
John Bender: Oh but I do.
Andrew Clark: Yeah?
John Bender: I wanna be just like you. I figure all I need, is a lobotomy and some tights.
Brian Johnson: You wear tights?
Andrew Clark: No, I don't wear tights. I wear the required uniform.
Brian Johnson: Tights.
Andrew Clark: Shut up.

So why am I blogging about this movie today of all days? This really is plain and simple...

John Bender: Well, Brian, this is a very nutritious lunch. All the food groups are represented. Did your mom marry Mr. Rogers?
Brian Johnson: Uh, no. Mr. Johnson.

Today I took my son to his first and hopefully his last Saturday School. As I dropped him off outside the school, I wondered which character he was. Who he was most like. Is he John Bender, Allison Reynolds, Claire Standish, Andrew Carp or Brian Johnson? I would like to think of him more as Emilio Estavez' character, 'The Athlete' as oppose to Judd Nelson's, 'The Criminal'. Then again, Anthony Michael Hall's 'The Brain' would be nice. I know he isn't 'A Basket Case' like Ally Sheedy. And he definetly is not 'A Princess' like Molly Ringwald. It might seem weird to you that I think about that, but I loved, I LOVED this movie!

Allison Reynolds: Your middle name is Ralph, as in puke, your birth date's March 12th, you're 5'9 and a half, you weigh 130 pounds and your social security number is 049380913.
Andrew Clark: Wow. Are you psychic?
Allison Reynolds: No.
Brian Johnson: Well, would you mind telling me how you know all this about me?
Allison Reynolds: I stole your wallet.

I sat there and looked at the other kids who were dropped off and wondered who these kids were and what they had done to join my son at school on this fall morning. I know you are wondering what my son did to be at school on a Saturday morning at 8:10. No, he did not tape anyone's buns together, he did not pack a pistol, and luckily there was no weed involved. He was more like Claire today...He cut class. Not to go shopping like Molly Ringwald's character, but because he didn't want to go to science class.

Richard Vernon: Well, well. Here we are. You have exactly eight hours and fifty-four minutes to think about why you're here. You may not talk, you will not move from these seats. Any questions?
John Bender: Yeah. Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?

This was a tough one for me. I felt complete disappointment in my son. I was sad that he had listened to two other kids who said, "Don't go to class and hang out with us." I was frustrated that he didn't have the courage to say, "NO!" and I wonder what will be the next thing that he gives in to peer pressure for. That is hard to swallow. I now know how my parents felt, those times that I am sure that I disappointed them. I wished that they could have been here, for me to call and apoligize too. Instead, I am sure, that they were looking down on me and saying, "We know how you feel."

John Bender: My impression of life at Big Bri's house, "Son?" "Yeah, Dad?" "How was your day, son?" "Great, Dad. How's yours?" "Super. Say, how would like to go fishing this weekend?" "Great, Dad. But I got homework to do." "That's okay, son. You can do it on the boat." "Gee." "Hon, isn't our son swell?" "Yes, dear. Isn't life swell?"
[kiss]

Now this makes me think even bigger...How many times my Heavenly Father has looked down on me and felt the same thing that I felt that day: Disappointment and frustration in choices I have made and might still make.

Brian Johnson:
Dear Mr. Vernon,
We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong, but we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...
Andrew Clark: ...an athlete...
Allison Reynolds: ...a basket case...
Claire Standish: ...a princess...
John Bender: ...and a criminal...

Does that answer your question?...

Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.

Ode to Sam

My heart is full of love for this beautiful girl! Sam was one of my last Beehives or first Mia Maids and was with me all the way through Laurels and then some. The years all blend together into one big ball of fun and laughs and it starts and begins and involves this one chick, Samantha Jade Messersmith. There are so many things that I could say about her, but I won't. I will keep them in my heart. One of the coolest things about this girl is that she is one of my best friends and I know that she feels the same way about me. My one memory of Sam, that I will always hold near and dear, is her thanking me at her final home basketball game, Senior Night. Natalie, Heather and I went to her game that evening, like we had several times. In her little thank you speech she said thanks to Harris, Goff and Coleman. I mean come on, her Young Women leaders. I know that meant alot to all of us. Sam hung out at dances and activities with us because we cared about each other, not because she couldn't find someone to dance with...Look at her-she is BEAUTIFUL...but because we had a great time together. I am going to miss her more than I can say!!!

Natalie and I had the chance to have one last moment with her this week. We went to Cheesecake Factory for lunch on Tuesday and then to see Mamma Mia that evening. (See 'The Schroeders' post for details on this fun evening.)It was fun to just talk and hear about all the things that she will be doing...

See you on Sunday, November 23 in San Jose, CA. Seattle University will be playing there that day! Have a great college experience and most important...MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

GOOD LUCK SAM! You are my sunshine...

BOULEVARD BISTRO

So, David surprised me and took me out to dinner on Saturday. What a great day it was! I went to Time Out For Women with several friends that day and then out for a FAB-U-LOUS dinner with David.

So our Friends, Bret and Debbie, own a restaurant in Old Town Elk Grove, Boulevard Bistro. We do not go there as much as we would like to, but when we do, we always have a great time and are guaranteed a great meal with wonderful company, who come and sit with us and crowd in on our 1 on 1 time...LOVE YOU DEB! You can eat with us anytime you want- it's your restaurant!!!

We were treated to some sparkling cider as soon as we sat down. We decided on starting with the Shrimp Cakes, served with a corn salsa, (my favorite) and David ordered a smoked salmon served with corn pancakes. Both came with amazing sauces drizzled beautifully on the plates. No Sweetbreads this time!

For dinner, David ordered the 'melt in your mouth' Rib Eye special, served with Heirloom Tomatoes. David went back and forth between that and the Venison. I tried the Chicken Breast, stuffed with Ricotta and peppers. This was served with green beans and basil mashed potatoes and a creamy sauce. We both were thrilled with our selection. (I know this is killing you Amy!)

On to dessert, of course. I cheated, I couldn't make up my mind...Pays to have good friends, who are accommodating and great staff...I ordered the Chocolate Decadence, YUM, and the Fig Cheesecake! Smaller portions of the two. Yes FIG Cheesecake. WOW! David chose the Raspberry Sorbet with fresh berries and then ate my cheesecake along side his sorbet. He loved the combination of the two together, of course. After we finished we went and sat in the bar area and visited with Debbie for a long time.

If you have not been to this restaurant, we highly suggest going there for date night...Tell them that David and Kori (and Mike and Amy) sent you! It is the best! They have won KCRA's A-LIST dining award for 2 years in a row and Sacramento Magazines-Best of Sacramento award and many other honors. Here is their website...
www.frontiernet.net/~boulevardbistro/
or their telephone # is 916-685-2220. They also serve Brunch on Saturday and Sunday. I can't wait to try the Creme Brulee French Toast, :-) Bret's Creme Brulee is amazing! It is my second fav dessert served there. Taking 1st place is the Chocolate Pot de creme, which they were not serving on Saturday :-( Good thing the cheesecake was YUM!

First Day of School...AGAIN

This time it is Josh and I! Here are our pictures...


Yes, his mouth is full of food. Surprised? His Kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Szyper, who is still a good friend of ours!


This is my picture dated October 1975. It must have been pre-school. Love the plaid, not the lace though!

Joke...

What do you do with your bicycle after your mission???


You shoot it...DUH!




Saturday while we were at the family shoot, a group of scouts and their leaders showed up with 4 cars and an arsenal. When they started to wheel bikes out toward the hill, David says, "So which of you are the RM's?" They laughed of course.

I thought they were crazy to do this, but I also did not serve a mission for 2 years...

Golf Tournament

David and Josh went with Ranse and Ranse Gale to the 4th annual Josh Harris Memorial Golf Tournament. I know that might sound a little weird, since our son's name is Josh Harris. This particular Josh Harris who the tournament is named for was killed in a car accident. I will never forget the headlines in the Galt paper that week. It stated Josh Harris was killed in an automobile accident. It brought tears to my eyes. I was the fortunate one though. My Josh Harris was alive and well. I have since then met this family and expressed my sadness for them even though I did not have the opportunity to meet their son. Our friend Anngela introduced our Josh to Harry, Josh's dad at a boy scout fundraiser earlier in the year. We told him that Josh played baseball not football. He said that there was still time for him to get involved in football. I laughed. David met Harry's wife Carol, Josh's mom today and introduced our Josh to her. She apparently started to cry.

All the guys had a great time and brought home some golf stuff to add to their collections. Josh out drove David on a couple holes, he was very proud to say! This is a great picture taken at the 10th hole.

Service with a Smile???

My Grandma has always been the first one to say CHARITY NEVER FAILETH. Regardless of her health, she has always been the first person to volunteer her time to help others or sew something or cook something. My dad was the same way. They both have ALWAYS been great examples to me about giving of yourself and serving others. So Grandma told us, I mean asked us, to come out and help her in the yard. They live on a good acre out in Fair Oaks and there is no sprinkler system to speak of. Every where you look, there are gardens and bushes and plants and fruit trees and vegetables. Grandma and Grandpa both have always had the crazy notion that holding a hose and watering everything by hand is fun and relaxing. That was how my father was also. It always hurt my thumb. As a kid it was boooorrrring. There was always something better to do when you were 14, than hold a hose for an hour.

So Kara and I loaded up the kids and we drove out to Fair Oaks this morning to be of SERVICE.

Why do we have to go and work out at Great Grandma's house?
Because she asked us to come out and help her.
Why can't she do it herself?
Because she is 90 and Grandpa is 96. They are old and need help. She said she would buy us lunch.
...thinking...
Where are we going?

Gotta love them...

Homerun Hitter

Shelly Gale hitting away...

Thanks for having us out for the 4th of July! We always have a fun time with the Gale Family.

Darren...

This is one of the hardest things that I will put on my blog. David's brother Darren was in a tragic accident today. We do not know all the details at this time. However, Darren was killed while riding his motorcyle today. He was 28 years old.

This just seems crazy to me at this time. I think this is my Sally Field 'Steel Magnolias' moment. You know, the one at the cemetary, after they buried her Shelby and she is with all the star power women in the film and she starts flipping out and she wants to hit something (How do you spell Weeza?) and she realizes that her hair does indeed look like a "brown football helmet"! Darren will never show up at any gathering with his 'To-Go' containers. He would bring his own containers to guarantee that he could always take food home. He was funny that way. Darren was the one who I thought should be on Survivor because he would eat ANYTHING or do anything. I liked that he did what he wanted regardless of what you thought. He was an amazing yo-yo-er. He could do the coolest tricks ever. We went to Disneyland one year and joked that he should throw out his hat and collect $$$ because people would just stop and watch him. He also had decided that on that trip that he was going to try and get in as many peoples pictures as he could. He would just stop and stand there and smile, in the background. He also took one of Mariah and Rachel and grabbed a bunch of 'tourists' and said 'Hey get in this picture with me'. Darren would give you the shirt off of his back if you asked for it. My kids love him...they are hurting too. Josh immediately bowed his head and starting crying. Rachel teared up when she heard the news. I know that they will miss him very, very much. I am glad that David and his brothers had the chance to spend the day together before his wedding and I am sure that they are glad that they now have this memory. I am also grateful that we were all able to be together this last weekend for Dennis' wedding. I know that our last memories of Darren are those of being together: laughing and playing video games and piggy back rides and climbing the boat and yo-yo's and $2.00 bills and gold coins and wearing a cloth napkin tucked into the front of his shirt instead of on his lap and sharing plates of desserts and drawing maps on the sidewalk in Tahoe and kissing the bear statue at Harrah's and of a bowl of gummy bears and ice cream sprinkles that he was eating for dessert with Wyatt.

I am not screaming "WHY? I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHY?" like Malynn aka Sally Field (If that is how you spell her name). I am not mad or angry. I am just sad, very very sad.

When David and I were married I instantly acquired 5 brothers (and one more sister, sheesh Shellee this isn't about you! HAPPY NOW???). I have only one sister in my family. Darren was my brother...Darren IS my brother and I am thankful for him.

So if you go through your Disneyland pictures and see some tall, blond guy standing in the background and smiling, send me a copy of the picture...That's Darren.

Here is the video of Darren climbing the outside of the boat during the wedding cruise. This was the 2nd time he did it...I thought it was funny. I love his laugh at the end! It brings a smile to my face...

Lake Tahoe

David's brother Dennis got married this last weekend to Karen. I left my camera in Nana's car so I have not been able to upload any of this yet...SORRY! Everyone had a great time. We had a lot of fun out on the lake, but it was very windy!

The kids swam in the lake on Saturday. It was freezing! I put my foot in the water and I thought it was going to be blue when I took it out. The kids were offered $$$ to get in...

We rented 2 paddle boats and everyone had a fun time out on the lake. Afterward we went over to the house that Matt and Shellee rented and had dinner and cake for Rachel's birthday.

Wyatt

This is a picture of our nephew Wyatt. He loves action figures. He calls them his "Guys". He came to watch Josh's game last weekend. He was late because he had to stop and play with the penguins at EG Park. Some people call them geese, some people call them penguins!

Brothers...

Darryl, Don, Darren, David and Danny

David's brother Darren, guy in the middle, got married a few weeks ago. The brother's decided to spend the day together and go shooting and just hang out. David's brother Dennis couldn't make it for all the Friday festivities. David woke up at like 4 am that morning. I think he had a great day. He talked about it and just laughed a lot.

And then they all came home telling some crazy joke about a brown cow and a brown chicken who went on a date...thanks Darryl!

Darren Gets Married

David's brother Darren tied the knot this past weekend. His new wife is Holly Harris. HH...it was HH before too, kinda funny! heehee. They have been dating a couple of years. She is funny and I have enjoyed getting to know her. She and Darren suit each other very well.

We had a fun reception. Lot's of crazy music. They got married at Frasinetti's Winery
off of Florin Road. I got to do Cassidy's crazy hair. It took me almost an hour to comb threw her crazy curls and dry and straighten it. That girl has her fathers hair...darn you Darryl! We had a nice lunch there.

Afterward we went to a park and had a picnic at a park off of La Riviera blvd for dinner. Shellee and her family came out.

For some reason I did not end up with a picture of the 2 of them. I need to get one and post it!

HOPE...

Today was Relay for Life in Galt. Rachel spent the day at the high school with a few of her friends. It is amazing to me how many people's lives have been touched by Cancer. I cannot believe that my mom has been gone for going on 7 years! That seems crazy to me! But as I think back over the years, there has been a lot that she has missed and that brings tears to my eyes. It is hard to sit still at something like that and not want to just break down and lose it. I miss my mom, but I know that she is watching over me.

I am sorry if you have lost someone to cancer. I 'hope' that you have not but if you have, I know how you feel...