Vilate turns 7

Vilate's 7th birthday was yesterday (Mon, June 22nd).  Last week on Wednesday, we took her with all our other kiddos and 2 of her friends to see the movie Madagascar 2 at the free movies (if you haven't heard of these google: Free Family Film Festival).  It was a lot of fun!!  The movie was hilarious and the kids really enjoyed it.  The kids sat really well for the move, that is except for Nephi - he make it half way through the movie before David had to take him out. Following the movie we stopped and got some lunch at a fantastic restaurant called McDonalds and took it home with us to eat on the lawn.  David and the kids played baseball after eating for a while and then it was time to return Reid and Jarrett to their homes.  Vilate was spoiled and got to go and hangout at Reid's house with his family and had a BLAST!!!  Thanks Tiffany!!

Then on her actual birthday David took her to Wal-mart to pickup her present.  She got a pink electric Razor scooter.  It took 18 hours to charge it so she got to ride it for the first time this morning and had a fantastic time!  After they picked up the scooter she wanted to go and buy her very own box of See's candy.  So, David took her there and she got to spend quite a bit of time makin

g sure that she got the right mix of treats for her collection.  She was so proud of herself.  Grandma Cox made a birthday cake for Vilate.  Last year Vilate ordered her very own cake.  She wanted a one-layer round cake that would be just for her - kind of like a baby's 1st cake.  She ate it like a baby's 1st birthday cake too!  She thought is was so funny to get her face all messy.  This year was no exception.  She got her cake, we sang, she blew out the candles, then licked them off, and then dug her pretty little face into that cake.  She LOVED it!!!  It was really fun.  I love that Vilate likes to be a kid and play and be silly.

A little about Vilate at this age:

Vilate loves to laugh.

Vilate is VERY opinionated and is determined that things be her way..

She loves to eat and trying new foods is a fun adventure for her.

She loves to play with her friends.

Her dream is to be a school teacher -- although she has mentioned that being a News Anchor Woman might be fun.

She loves to play baseball and is really good.

She is excited to start playing on a basketball team.

The swimsuit she chose this year is a boy's pair of swim trunks and rash guard that are black and have silver skulls on them.

She makes us laugh and smile daily.  Vilate also tests our patience, but we sure do love her and are so grateful that Heavenly Father sent this wonderful little girl to our family!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy ViLaTe!!!!

Happy Birthday Nephi

Last Friday was Nephi's 2nd birthday. I cannot believe that my baby is already 2 years old! This year Faith, Hyrum and Vilate left on Nephi's birthday to go to Asthma Camp for the weekend so, when Nephi's present arrived in the mail on Wednesday, we opened it right up and let the kids all play. We got him a really cute Sesame Street Elmo's Kitchen. He absolutely loves to cook foods for us and collecting the money is a huge part of the fun!

On Friday we took the "big" kids to the drop off spot for Asthma Camp. Helaman got to go and spend the night with a friend and so that left me and David home with Nephi and Gloria. At around 6ish I started to feel like I was going stir crazy. I said to David that I wanted to go somewhere. David asked where and said that he would take me anywhere I wanted to go. With only 2 kids I thought that the mall might be do-able. We took Nephi and Glo over to Arden Faire Mall and visited the Disney store, ride the carousel and stop at our favorite chocolate shop. Nephi and Glo loved the mall. They had a marvelous time telling David and I all the things that they just HAD to buy at the Disney store. They ended up walking out with new swimsuits and that was it! We promised that if they put all the toys away we would take them on the carousel. They were sold! David took them on the horsies and they loved it! Then we finished the evening by getting a box of See's candy - to which Gloria let everyone in the mall know that she no longer liked chocolate - WHAT?!?!?! Bummer for her - great news for me! :)

I think Nephi had a great birthday and I sure loved that he was only 2 and not expecting anything. It sure makes birthday's easier the younger that the kid is turning!

A few things about Nephi at this age:

He loves to smile and laugh.

He loves to chew gum - really he does chew it!

He loves going ANYWHERE!

He likes to eat anything with sugar in it....the more the better.

Nephi loves friends and playing with other kids, although he is not always the best at sharing!

He hates sitting in his carseat.

His favorite dinner is parmesean cheese....he doesn't need the spaghetti or the sauce just the cheese! - Don't forget the spoon.

He loves to color.

His newest talent is screaming at everyone...sometimes for joy but most of the time just because he can!

I love this little boy soooo much and can't possibly imagine our family without him.

Happy Birthday Nephi!!!

A Rough Week

Okay, so I was so sure that I was up to this challenge. I was so confident and sure of my self and my abilities to conquer all. And then the chemo fatigue hit. And man, it hit me hard! The nurse, Jean, said in the chemo class that the fatigue would be the worst and that I should prepare for that. My thinking was: "I have had 6 kids - under the age of 8. I KNOW fatigue." I was so terribly WRONG!!!

Today I feel more myself than I have all week. Sunday I went to church and was okay. Sure, I felt tired, but it was manageable. Then came Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I wasn't feeling sleepy, just weak and dragging. Not only was I exhausted, but my spirit was starting to feel bogged down and like I just couldn't shoulder the weight of what I was/am having to go through. There have been many times over the past few days (it feels like it has been weeks) where I have said out loud, "Why can't someone else be the strong one that gets this challenge?" I was depressed and feeling like, as much as I had talked big in the beginnning, I really was a wimp and there was no way that I was going to make it through this.

This morning the kids were are scheduled to go places today. David had Sacramento State Orientation and Nephi, Gloria and Helaman got to go to the childcare center there. Faith and Vilate were lucky enough to go and hang out with some friends and Hyrum got to go over to his friend Joey's house. I was just laying in bed and the phone rang. My friend Krissy's plans had changed for the day and she wondered if I would like to and be able to go to the Sacramento Temple with her today. (For those who don't know, the Temple is a place where we go and learn about what our Father in Heaven has planned for us. His will is made known and anyone who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in good standing and holding a Temple Recommend can go at appointed times and learn and draw close unto Him.) What a blessing a change in her plans happened to be for me.

I got up and saw the girls off to their friends' house. I took a shower and got myself fed and all ready to go. Krissy showed up and we headed out to Folsom (the Temple is off of Hwy 50 and Folsom Blvd - anyone is welcome to go there and feel the Spirit on the grounds. They are exquisite!) We pulled up to the front of the temple and she dropped me off so that I wouldn't have to walk from the car. I sat on a beautiful marble bench and watched a young couple posing for their wedding pictures. The waterfountain was beautiful, the flowers were blooming in all these beautiful colors - it was amazing and I really could feel like this was exactly where I needed to be today. The Lord wanted me there!

We went in and while checking in Brother Lund called me by name and said hello to me and I felt such peace. The session was perfect as always. We as members of the church don't discuss exactly what goes on in the temple - not because it is secret - but because the sacredness of it is so great. Basically you learn the meaning of life and what the Lord's plan is for us eternally. It was wonderful to be in a room full of happy faces. You can't help but smile at the temple, at least I can't. It makes me so happy there that I can't help but cry and smile at the same time. It was a wonderful experience and I walked away knowing that the Lord does know me. He does know the pain that I am having to go through. He does know that I can handle this and that if I just lean on Him, He is just waiting to help me.

This week in Relief Society we had a lesson on service and since then I have had the following scripture in my mind: Mosiah 24:14 "And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."

While this past week has been hard, today gives me the hope that I need, the rejuvination of my spirit so that I can take on this next week. Thank you Krissy for thinking of me and thank you Father in Heaven for showing me your love and compassion for me.

Chemotherapy...not what it used to be!

As I said in my last post I began chemotherapy this week and today was my final day. The only associations that I had with chemo were very violently ill patients. It was terrifying for me. I was really concerned because I HATE throwing up!

On Tuesday morning we went to a chemo class and all the talk on all the side effects made me so nervous/anxious that I finished the class by throwing up in the garbage can. It was lovely! We got home from the class and within in few hours the nurse, Jean, that conducted the class called me to let me know that she had spoken with Dr. Cen, my oncologist and that they thought it best that I begin chemo right away - the next morning in fact. I figured that it was okay and that waiting was torture and just delaying the inevitable.

I went to be a little nervous, okay A LOT nervous, but woke up peaceful and ready for the challenge. It helped to know that the nurses and doctors had determined that they were going to prescribe for me EVERY possible anti-nausea medicine that they could. I got to the office and Jean was there with her smiling face and got me right in. I must say that I felt way out of place. I was the youngest in the room by at least 40 years. They started my chemo and it was nothing big. Just a poke followed by drugs being administered by IV. David and I played a game of Scrabble and I got to take a nap. My Dad and Mom were able to come in and visit as well. The nurses pretended not to notice us breaking the one visitor per patient rule and I was certainly glad.

I went home after 4 hours and spent the rest of the day trying to relax. The next day I went back and had another treatment - same type of thing only this one only lasted 90 minutes. After my treatment on Thursday I got to go with my family to Leatherby's for my niece, Mia's 7th birthday. We had a great time visiting and enjoying being together. I was sure ready to go to bed after that. It was a busy night for me!

Today I went to my last treatment in my first set of chemo. David took me and I was able to just visit with him and then he stepped out to run an errand and I visited with the Social Worker and then got to talk on the phone with my good friend Allison. I had a different nurse, Mary, and I will admit it, I was a little nervous. The whole stick-me-with-a-needle thing is something that I get nervous about. Mary was good and I am so glad that the nurses there know what they are doing. After the treatment the kids got out of school and I got to walk in to pick them up. Following picking them up we went to the annual 4th grade swim party at some friend's house and had a nice visit. I then came home and took a 2 hour nap, that was MUCH NEEDED!!!!

Now I am just hanging with the kids. We are watching Swiss Family Robinson (the original - of course) and loving it! As scary as this whole thing has been, I am grateful for prayer and for the calm and comforting spirit that has attended me. I am a little nervous about the upcoming week, kids out of school, late-onset nausea, and just the unknown of a week immune system.

The good news is that my Heavenly Father loves me and he will give me the strength that I need to make it through this. I cannot thank you all enough for your prayers and thoughts. I know that they are making all the difference. Also your generosity and offers of help are a blessing to us. We will be taking you up on those offers, I promise! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Quick update

The last few days I felt like life is going in Fast Forward and I am stuck in Slow Motion. Things are happening at record speed and I am having a hard time keeping up. We are leaving right now to head over to the hospital for my first chemo treatment. Last night I was terrified, but today I feel peace. Please keep praying for me, but pray in faith. Pray for hope, pray for faith, pray for peace - all of these things for me and for you. Pray for healing because I know that the Lord hears all of our prayers and I know that He can heal anything regardless of what the doctors say or think. I'm not sure of my reaction to the chemo treatments, so don't hold your breath for a post today, tomorrow or even Friday - it's a 3 day out patient treatment. I will try to update when I can, but there are so many kids around that I need to hug and kiss and I do have a wonderful husband that needs occassional attention as well! I am very blessed to have friends and so many people that love me and care about our family. I thank you for your support. Enjoy your life! I know that I am doing all that I can to enjoy mine!!!!