Coffee on the Verandah - Two by two - 5/21

[eandesmom]

Originally Posted by MEK

I am anxiously awaiting your next update because I am hoping you are going to reveal some tentative plans for your future blow-out big family trip.

Maybe. Maybe not! Part of me doesn't want to jinx anything and there has been a lot going on with my family on the health front. I don't think any of it will impact the trip but it's made for some very stressed out sisters and a heavy heart for me.

Originally Posted by MEK

Oh - and thanks for giving me the name of that starbucks. I'll get it in the store and put it in my k-cup holder. I don't want to buy starbucks in the kcups because they are too expensive and I do like the San Francisco bay stuff for that. The price is right.

I like the SF stuff for daily use but do enjoy the Gold Coast quite a bit. Nice that you have that holder, that probably saves quite a bit than buying the actual cups. Jeff and I drink too much coffee to have one of those make sense. BTW...he loved the idea of sharing an OW

Originally Posted by scottny

What a fun day. I love mini golf. The bike ride sounds like fun. Too bad you did not see a manatee.

It was fun, so nice to actually take advantage of all the activites at the resort, something we never seem to do. I would have loved to see a manatee and was bummed we didn't.

Originally Posted by brookelizabeth

I'm late, but I'm HERE!

Between catching up on Glenn's report and yours, I am wanting a Vero trip ASAP! LOL What a wonderful, relaxing resort. And how AMAZING that you got to see both the laying eggs and hatching on your turtle walk!!!

You guys would love Vero! You need to build it into a trip one of these days. I can just see Henry at all the pirate events they have. It is a great resort and very relaxing but still plenty to do for several days.

[englishrose47]

Checkin in "

[KatMark]

I'm caught up again.

The bike ride looks like so much fun and great family shot (well, except Jeff who was taking the picture).

I love the idea of a Mickey bar as an appetizer. You are on vacation...why not!?!?!?!??!?!

[Chilly]

I like a nice bike ride like that, not too long, and away from traffic.

[addictedtothemouse]

Mickey bars for lunch? YUM!!! You get the cool mom of the year award.

[eandesmom]

Originally Posted by englishrose47

Checkin in "

Hi Rosie! I need to get over to your threads and get caught up!

Originally Posted by KatMark

I'm caught up again.

Now I need to, over on your thread!

Originally Posted by KatMark

The bike ride looks like so much fun and great family shot (well, except Jeff who was taking the picture).

It's kind of at an odd angle as it was sloped so I look really short in it and the E's look tall. Eric cracks me up with the helmet over his baseball hat.

Originally Posted by KatMark

I love the idea of a Mickey bar as an appetizer. You are on vacation...why not!?!?!?!??!?!

Exactly! Why not!

Originally Posted by Chilly

I like a nice bike ride like that, not too long, and away from traffic.

Me too. I definitely prefer paths and trails. Know too many folks who've had nasty bike accidents.

Originally Posted by addictedtothemouse

Mickey bars for lunch? YUM!!! You get the cool mom of the year award.

I may never get it again so it was fun while it lasted!

[rentayenta]

Mmmm......Mickey Bars sound like the perfect lunch.

[Moira222]

FINALLY I am caught up! I have been looking at Vero online and your TR is only adding fuel to my fire. The turtle walk sounds great. How amazing to see momma laying eggs and then hatchling heading out.

Was it very hot in July or did the ocean breeze break it up? I have a July baby....eventually we will have to take her for her birthday.

Love the gread day...beach, archery, mickey bars and a family bike ride , not to mention good food at a funny named restaurant. The Es must have been in heaven.

I will try not to get so far bhind. And i will say a prayer for your family Cynthia....hoping all is okay.

[Mndisneygirl]

I hope things are getting better with family health issues. I'll keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.

[eandesmom]

Originally Posted by rentayenta

Mmmm......Mickey Bars sound like the perfect lunch.

Breakfast, lunch or dinner if you ask me! I could go for one right now!

Originally Posted by Moira222

FINALLY I am caught up! I have been looking at Vero online and your TR is only adding fuel to my fire. The turtle walk sounds great. How amazing to see momma laying eggs and then hatchling heading out.

It was amazing, it had never even occurred to me that we might see an emergence, it was something I will never forget.

Originally Posted by Moira222

Was it very hot in July or did the ocean breeze break it up? I have a July baby....eventually we will have to take her for her birthday.

It was hot. We'd expected it and planned for it and because we kept near the beach or pool, or in the shade, it was manageable. The bike ride was probably the hottest part of the Vero portion of the trip I think.

To be honest though...I don't remember a breeze.

Originally Posted by Moira222

Love the gread day...beach, archery, mickey bars and a family bike ride , not to mention good food at a funny named restaurant. The Es must have been in heaven.

It was a great vacation, other than the work and olympics interferring a bit lol! I'd go to Vero again in a heartbeat.

Originally Posted by Moira222

I will try not to get so far bhind. And i will say a prayer for your family Cynthia....hoping all is okay.

Thanks. I guess it's ok as it can be, just far too many people I care about dealing with very scary health issues, both friends and family. Prayers are always welcome and mean a lot.

[KatMark]

Cynthia, I will keep your family and friends in my thoughts and prayers, and you close in my heart.

[eandesmom]

Originally Posted by KatMark

Cynthia, I will keep your family and friends in my thoughts and prayers, and you close in my heart.

thanks Kathy.

I may post an update about it, I may not. I'm still trying to process some of it and don't have all the information I'd like...and can't really press the folks that do at the moment.

[eandesmom]

Before I do my next update, I have some real life updates as well. Not that vacation isn't real life but...you know what I mean. First and foremost, I'd like to ask for some prayers. Honestly, this is heavy stuff and if you'd rather not read, I do understand. The first 2 are for immediate family and folks that will be going on the big New Years Eve trip next year, if we can really pull it off. I hope to do an update on that trip soon as there has been some planning (and plotting…and pointing!). There is a specific ball in the air that needs to be lobbed back before I feel safe talking about it though so it will be a little bit. Before Christmas for sure!

First, and the one weighing heaviest on my heart is for my nephew Kolby. He is only 12. A ball of energy, a spitfire in a very tiny package. One of the scrappiest kids I know. He makes me crazy half the time, and cracks me up the other. He and Evan are VERY close, he and Eric not so much. He picks on Eric but that’s a whole 'nother story. Eric does ask for it at times. Kolby was diagnosed, in utero, as having a heart defect. He has been closely monitored his whole life, often falling into the category of "failure to thrive" in terms of weight gain and growth. You would never know it to meet him. Soccer, baseball, basketball, you name it. His heart is tested a couple times a year. Recently there have been some delays in his testing due to the fact that his dad changed jobs and refused to provide my sister with the new health insurance info (they are divorced) and only recently was he able to get fully caught up on all his needed tests as the original one scheduled, had to be canceled as my sister didn't have the info to give the hospital. There is a long wait for these appointments. After some significant testing last week, he has been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. I don’t really want to get into it but for those who do know, it is a devastating diagnoses with no known cure. Apparently it is not a new diagnosis, but for whatever reason, no one realized the severity of the initial diagnoses when he was 1. They/we knew it was potentially severe and he needed to be monitored but have been so busy trying to make sure he does just "grow" that all energy has been focused there. He makes picky eaters seem easy. He has gotten better in the past couple of years but oh, it's been a challenge to get him to eat. The past year has been tough on Kolby, (outside of his health) his brother and my sister, with some fallout from the divorce, school issues etc. As you might imagine, my sister is a wreck and I can't press her for details. I could, but I won't. When she's ready to talk more in detail, she will. She has her own processing that needs to happen.

I do not know what kind of cardiomyopathy he does have but do know that he is meeting with a new doc next month to discuss meds. The fact that he has made it to age 12 without any medical intervention in light of this diagnosis, and the fact that it has been on the radar since he was 1, is very encouraging to me. The fact that they have measured some deterioration in his heart function that now requires intervention, is not. It's like a time bomb, that we knew was there, actually now started ticking. We all have been hoping and praying that it was somehow deactivated. It is terrifying to me and I cannot imagine how it feels to my sister. I have not told the E's and I’m not sure how this will play out on that front but need to let my sister, and Kolby himself, lead. They do know he's got a non specific heart condition that has to get tested at times and it may well be that no one says anything different for now. I just don't know.

I pray that this disease is manageable with medication, allowing my nephew to grow while they continue to look for a cure and that my sister is able to hold it together during all of this. Between her divorce, going back to school for her teaching degree in (middle school special needs) and now this, I'm just not sure how much more she can take. Bless her heart, she’s dealing with her stress in her own kind of therapy (besides faith, of which she has a joyous amount and why I know it's ok to talk about this and ask for your prayers). She’s retiling her fireplace in the tiniest, prettiest, glass tiles you can imagine. Should keep her too busy to think too much for a while, which is a good thing. If you all can help me lift them up, I’d appreciate it. This is the Kolbster at the cake decorating party that you may recall from my PTR. This is his entry!



Next is my sister Kerri. Her MIL has dementia and it appears to be progressing much more quickly, all of a sudden. The disease hit hard while my sister was getting married 2 years ago (she is 14 years younger than I, he was a widow) and she is struggling with dealing with it. As my BIL works odd hours (police seargant) a lot falls to her, and even my parents to deal with her MIL's care. It’s an insidious disease that I know some of you have very specific experience with and if you can pray for strength and guidance for my sister and my BIL, it would mean the world.

There is other stuff going on with one of my brothers (foreclosure) and I am extremely worried about how all of this is weighing on my folks. They seem ok but it’s got to be very tough for them right now. Thanks to soccer I have been able to see both of them several times in the past few weeks and that has helped me not to worry overmuch.

I also have 4 friends, all in their 40's (some barely!), fighting cancer battles. One is a DIS friend to many here and while I know she is in all of our prayers, a extra special extra request couldn't hurt. She's had tough news and we are all praying for other answers and ideas. Another is a high school friend, Justine, fighting Lymphomia Cancer. She recently went through a stem cell transfusion and is fighting to stay healthy and let them do their thing. She’s just come home after 10 days in the hospital that were more than a little scary and I pray she can stay home and heal. Last, but not least is a special couple. Jodi has been fighting the breast cancer battle for almost a decade now. Her heart function has become a problem with this latest recurrence (3rd I think) and she’s wired up like a cyborg with an internal defibrillator. She is due to start heavy chemo treatment again. While preparing for this, she and her DH had a lovely trip planned and have been full of jokes as to how she might make it through TSA wired as she is. They have had to postpone their trip as he has been diagnosed with Glioblastoma (brain cancer) and had surgery last week. This one hits home as the E’s dad fought that battle and survived against the odds but I know all too well what that battle is like and what those odds are. Please pray that they can continue to be strong and their girls can stay strong and not get derailed in school as they deal with this. They are both in High School and I can only imagine how frightening it is with one parent, but two? It hurts my heart. I have faith. I do. But I'd love extra prayers. As MeMom put so well, we may not get the answer we want and sometimes it's having faith that we will have the wisdom to understand and continue, no matter what.

Okay. Sorry about all that. On the less heavy front we have been busy here. Jeff and I had a lovely date this weekend and were able to go out to dinner and see the new Bond movie. Eric went on a Scout backpack overnighter and came back soggy, but anxious to go again so I guess I’ll let him go to winter camp. In classic NW style, the scouts went oystering and then roasted them over the fire. The big bummer of the weekend was that Kendall’s HS soccer team lost in the state quarter finals. It was a heart breaker of a game for all and a bit of an upset.

I admit, I did spend part of my weekend fantasizing about various trips to mentally escape. Too bad none of them are real but I had fun looking and playing with the new DVC RCI online tool.

As I didn't post any Halloween pictures, I thought that might be good, and lighten things up a little before I get to the next update. These are from my mom's annual Halloween party.

Anybody want a taco?



If you don’t have enough money for one it might be because the IRS came to visit



If all else fails…just eat donuts!





Evan made it to the finals and Jeff still maintains his crown in the adult round.
Thanks for listening guys. Sometimes just talking, helps. We are getting ready to host Thanksgiving next week and it looks to be a full house after all which does my heart good in the midst of all of this.

[dizneeat]

Cynthia, I had NO idea you had all of this going on! Prayers and lots of Pixie dust on the way for you and your family and friends.

[Flossbolna]

Cynthia, I am so sorry that you have so much going on in your life that just is awful. I am thinking of you, your family and friends and hope that the outcome of all those situations will be much more positive than you dare to dream right now!