Update on my Father-in-Law

Hi there ~ an update on my Father-in-Law…I apologize, first, if this seems to be a change from the last update I wrote about him. What seemed to be a “typical” fight against Colon Cancer that includes treatment and such actually seems now to be a bit more serious than I was lead to believe.

Pete will be going through Radiation and Chemotherapy starting next week. From what Scott has told me, he will have 6 weeks of treatment, followed by surgery, and then approximately 6 weeks of recovery. Although the Doctors are acting calmly in the face of the storm that continues to surprise us all, I am seeing that they are not messing around or procrastinating in any way, shape or form in the treatment of this cancer. I’ll be including Pete’s e-mail update from a few days ago at the end of this e-mail, and in it you will see that it’s been around for approximately 2 years. You can guess that it may be a bit farther along than we had originally thought.

I would ask for prayers in a number of different areas:
1) Prayer for healing in Pete’s body. He was also diagnosed with skin cancer earlier in the year, but thought he had kicked the cancer “thing” through the surgery he had in that area. As early as August they had found another spot and were watching it….

2) Prayer for all the changes this has brought about in Pete & Cathy’s lives. Pete took an early retirement just last January, and already they’ve enjoyed living the dream they had of traveling once he retired. Please pray that their faith would remain strong, and that in the midst of it all they would see, feel and know God’s Hands are carrying them through. Pray especially that they would each be able to surrender their anger, their fear and their doubts to Him…and that they would in turn be strengthened in their faith in the midst of it all. Pray that satan’s lies would be garbled in their ears and that the truth of God’s ever-present, never-failing love would be shouted into their hearts and minds.

3) I guess, really, pray that (#2) for the entire family. What I love about being a Foskett is that I entered a family unit much like the one I grew up in that is close and loves each other dearly. Please pray for Jileen & Steve and their daughters, Peyton & Sydney ~ they live in Apple Valley nearby Pete & Cathy and are the ones really feeling the brunt of the care and stress of the situation. Jileen also was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer earlier in the year ~ she will be having her second full-body scan November 12th to make sure it hasn’t come back. Please pray for wisdom as she proceeds with her own treatment. When she has a body-scan done she has to go completely off her thyroid medication. You can imagine the stress of taking care of two very active, amazing little girls is hard enough at times like these ~ she is blessed to be able to rely on Cathy & Pete’s help to care for her and her family as she goes through these times. Now that help will be pulled back quite a bit, I imagine. Please pray that God would work a miracle in her body during this time ~ that He would give her energy to care for her family and energy left over to feel healthy and strong even without her medication. Pray, too, for wisdom as she makes decisions on how to proceed.

4) Pray also for Jeff & Alison. They live in Southern California too, but are a bit farther away. Alison has had some health issues of her own this past Summer, and continues to heal her own body. Jeff is in a place of having to make some decisions regarding his employment, and the stress of their own situations is great already…Please pray that they would seek God’s face and know His peace in every situation. Pray that God would continue to heal Alison, and that there would be a joy and a peace that emphasizes their love for Christ in all things.

5) Pray for us as a family. We are planning a vacation over Thanksgiving to Southern California. We’re looking very forward to being able to not only see Scott’s side of the family, but my parents are planning on meeting us out there as well. Mom & Dad are concerned over the visit being an additional strain on Pete & Cathy, but we are all seeing it as a wonderful opportunity to spend some time together as a complete family over an appropriate holiday to do so. Please pray that South Dakota and the areas between there and Southern California wouldn’t get too much snow until Mom & Dad are able to make it BACK home again as they have decided to drive out. Pray, too, for peace in the journey for them ~ I’m realizing I, personally, really need it to work out that they are able to make it.

5a) It dawned on me tonight as Scott & I were praying on the phone that when we arrive in Southern California Pete will be in the middle of his treatments. Knowing the impact Radiation and Chemotherapy have on a body I am concerned for how the boys will react seeing their Papa looking very different from when they saw him just last month. Please pray for wisdom in how Scott & I can prepare them for what they’ll see without scaring them too much about the battle Pete is fighting. We realize cancer, illness and disease can’t be hidden, but when we don’t see each other very often, the initial impact of the change will be great….please pray for wisdom and words.

6) Finally, I ask most of all that you would pray that above all else God would be glorified in each and every word, thought and deed that is a part of this time of our lives. Scott and I have seen Him do amazing things in our own home over the last year ~ pray that we would all continue to SEEK and to SEE His hand in all things. In Isaiah 53 we read of Jesus Christ ~ the One who “took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows…” Please pray that we could rest in the beauty of knowing He not only heals, but He loves us with an unending love that never lets go. Pray for acceptance of His plan knowing we can trust His hand.

Thank you so much for praying ~ I cannot express how much it means to be able to share these requests knowing prayers will be going up all over the world. God bless you all ~ and thank you again.

Trayc

I LOVE THE ROCKIES!!!!!

Alrighty, then! Way to go, Colorado Rockies!!! I am SO STOKED!! I can't even tell you how happy I am right now! My team has won the LEAGUE!!!! They're headed to the WORLD SERIES, BABY!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was giving Scott a bad time on the phone (he's in Arizona!) about being a Dodgers fan. I told him that he didn't get to experience this euphoria all us Rockies fans are experiencing right now because the Dodgers have been around for so long. There is no way he could have ever experienced the joy of a first-time League win...let alone a sweep!! For some reason he just groaned. HAHAHAHA!!

Seriously, though? I am so stinkin' happy! I lived in Colorado their Inaugural year, and every year Scott gives me a bad time about my "choice of teams." (Notice his hasn't been much better lately?) But this year? Not THIS year, Sweet-ums! Who's going to play in the World Series? The Dodgers? The Los Angeles-we missed it by this much-Dodgers?

(Dodger cry-baby blanket)

I think NOT! It's the ROCKIES!!! The We're-this-close-to-Heaven-Colorado-Rockies!!!

By the way ~ if you watched the game, did you see the sign right at the end? It said, "Is this heaven? No, it's Colorado!" I'm on the phone with Scott watching the last of the game with him and we see that sign and I burst out laughing and he says, "There's your sign, honey." From day one I have raved about Colorado. I loved living there, and would move back in a heartbeat, but there are no paper mills there. So...Scott has had a saying that he shares with many people whenever I start going on and on about Colorado (much like I'm doing now). He says, "Yeah, Trayc's going to get to Heaven one day and she's going to be walking with Moses and the guys, and she's going to say...'God? It's nice, but it's just not Colorado.'" What can I say?



So...as homage to my soul's home-state, I'll share some of the reasons I love Colorado:

10) Whitewater rafting doesn't get much better than going through the Royal Gorge
9) Air Force Academy Football Games! (teaching at an all-girls school this was a TREAT!)
8) How many military bases are there in Colorado? Let me count them...1, 2, 3...more! (I was single when I lived there! I can put that on here!)
7) So many beautiful places to see and experience the awesome beauty of our Creator
6) Colorado Springs ~ Garden of the Gods, Focus on the Family, Old Town, etc, etc, etc
5) Denver ~ Opera, Coors Field, that funky Mexican Restaurant that's pink on the outside, and my introduction to Macaroni Grill! (love it still!)and, of course, the Traildust Steakhouse in Englewood
4) Dew Drop Inn in Pueblo (best pizza EVER!!!!)
3) Celestial Seasonings in Boulder
2) The most AMAZING Blue skies you will EVER see!

1) Royal Gorge and Rocky Mountains ~ I lived at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains ~ I miss waking up and looking out my window at the mountains 2 miles away.

So those were just a few...and I know there are WAY more! I miss my days in Colorado and wouldn't trade the memories for the world! Songs bring me back there...Cotton Eyed Joe brings me back to Crocodile Rocks every time...and I can still hear "my girls" laughing and singing whenever I hear songs from "Sister Act" or "Annie."

As you can see, the Rockies winning the League Series is a big deal to me ~ thanks for letting me blog about my soul's home-state.

Apples of Gold

UPDATE: I didn't check the link earlier, so I've fixed it now if you want to check out the other blog. If it still doesn't work, the address is: http://www.tbds.blogspot.com Have a great day!

Hey all ~ there's a new blog in town! It's something I've wanted to do for a while, so it's about time it's done. All you have to do to get to it is click on the title of this post ~ "Apples of Gold"

It's not really a blog ~ it's more of a devotional page. I write something called "Treasure Box Devotionals" for an e-newsletter for moms called "Emphasis on Moms." I love doing it ~ opening up God's word for people to be encouraged, taught and challenged by. It seemed natural that they turn into a blog....

So, each week...or sometimes day...(that's my goal ~ to do it daily)...there will be a new verse or passage posted along with a short little thought bubble at the end.

In doing this I simply pray that you would be encouraged in Spirit and in deed to draw closer to Christ and all His beauty and might.

Pete's Health

Thank you all so much for your prayers. One thing we have discovered, and it's a good thing, is that Colon Cancer is not as scary as it sounds. Thankfully we've come so far in knowing what needs to be done to "get it" that the Doctors don't sound like they're too worried about this.

THANK THE LORD!!!

From what we've been told Pete will probably start with Radiation treatment, then surgery, then chemotherapy to finish it all up. When I asked Scott if the doctors had given any idea of the severity of the prognosis his reply was, "it sounds like they're saying, 'let's take care of this and you can get on with your retirement.'" So that's a good thing.

It just seems so strange to hear the word "Cancer" and not have it carry the horror or horrors that it has in so many other instances. My friend, Jennifer Withe, experienced the same thing when she found out she had breast cancer a few weeks ago. She had a mastectomy, will go through chemotherapy, and will continue to live her life. I never cease to be amazed at the abilities God has given us to fight and cure disease.

So, the future looks bright, and I thank you for your prayers.

F-I-L

Please pray for my family-in-law. Last week we found out Scott's Dad has Colon Cancer. He sees the specialist today to find out just how far advanced it is as well as discussing necessary treatments/surgeries/procedures and other options. Thank you for praying!

When I let my mind "go there" I can't help but be overwhelmed with sadness on a number of different levels. There are so many wonderful times we've had with Pete, and I treasure some of our conversations we've had while on vacation with he and Cathy. One in particular has us standing at a railing at the resort in Canada while we were staying there before the Foskett 50th Family Reunion. I enjoy hearing about his years growing up and his sharing tidbits of Scott's grandparents. Having come into the family from out of the blue it's a special gift when he takes the time with me to open up the past and the memories he has with his family from before I was a part of it all.

He's not gone, he's very much alive, and I thank God daily for the opportunity the boys have to have Papa Pete as their Grandfather. His work ethic is unmatched and his love for his family is huge. This is not a small thing that is easily taken for granted...quite the contrary. He is also my husband's best friend. Scott said the other night, "I don't quite know what to think of all this...." I can tell that he is simply not allowing himself to "go there" and to pray in faith that God can heal his Dad. He had come home from New Mexico the day I found out. I had gone to pick him up at the airport, and we were going to have lunch as is our tradition when he comes in and the boys are at school. When he walked up I could tell there was an extra weight on his shoulders. I thought it was work-related as I've seen it a few times when everything hits at once, but as he got closer I could tell this was something deeper. He had tried to call me right after he had gotten off the phone with his parents, but I was unavailable so I asked him why...that's when he told me...you could have cut the air with a knife. It wasn't tense, it was a feeling of overwhelming grief of the unknown. And there's so much more unspoken....

Thank you for praying. We appreciate it and covet them now more than ever.

ADD-ON:
Here's an e-mail update we've received from Pete & Cathy just a moment ago...

"Pete and I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support and love this last week. We have heard from so many via telephone, e-mails, cards, personal visits and people praying with Pete on the phone. It is so encouraging knowing so many are thinking of us and praying for us. Please continue to pray for courage for us as we begin right away with meetings with doctors and procedures.
We have met with the specialist this morning. We will be coordinating Pete's treatment with 4 different doctors right away, who will discuss with each other and us the best plan of attack. Each day we will probably be knowing more. First, Pete will have blood work drawn and a CAT SCAN done immediately. Then with those results and the information we now know, the oncologist will decide which will come next, but it will probably be radiation first, then surgery and then chemotherapy. Those procedures should all be beginning within the next 3 weeks.
Again, thank you for your love and your prayers for courage, for patience and for a peace that passes all understanding as we begin to take the path down this road with courage and with a strong faith that God will see us through.
Love, Cathy and Pete"