Seven Down, Five to Go

"Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before the LORD with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.  

In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land."

Monday, June 11, 2012
DJ Bigelow enjoying a boat ride on Lake Nacimiento

Dear friends,  although DJ has not particularly enjoyed his return to chemotherapy because he has been negatively impacted by its ill affects, I am happy to report that today, Monday June 25, he is strong and able enough to return to work for this week.  His digestive system is not functioning at its best, but his side-effects are manageable.   He is strong and courageous.

Here are some photos of a fun time we enjoyed together with the Benyos a couple weeks ago.  In this photo, Brooke Bigelow is sporting her dad's sunglasses and ball cap, while Uncle Joe and Baby Brianna drive the boat and Auntie Crystal enjoys the ride, as DJ and Alexandra are pulled behind on a tube.  It was a lovely day!  Fun family togetherness :-)

Alexandra loves to ride on the tube

Caedmon and Kingston (Benyo) Rios joined Alex for a tube drag behind the boat.

Just for kicks, here is a photo of a salad of which I partook recently at one of my favorite local restaurants, Thomas Hill Organic Farms.  Yummy!  I love salad!

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care."

~Psalm 95~

Precious Moments, and Chemo #7 (or 19)

Dear You,  I am so happy to report that while DJ was recovering from surgery, he enjoyed a lovely time of little-to-no ill affects of chemotherapy; and his recovery from surgery was just peachy keen!  He experienced decreasing residual pain, not at the incision sites but mostly deep within the tissues and muscles; and when performing actions such as sneezing or coughing.  He rested well for three and half weeks, pacing himself appropriately with family activities and other field trips.  For example:

 Alexandra Bigelow's promotion ceremony from the 8th grade.  

Soon we shall have our very own high-school freshman.

 Brooke Bigelow's promotion ceremony from the 5th grade.  

As Alex moves on to high-school, Brooke heads to middle school.  

Do I detect the slightest bit of affection between the sisters?  :-)

 A First-Place trophy on Father's Day, 

after 6 softball games in the triple-digit heat of the San Joaquin Valley.  

Brooke's reaction to her team's win

I regret to report that resuming chemotherapy last Monday, June 18, has been difficult for DJ.  He has plodded through with perseverance and courage, but his body has been un-happy to him.  Yucky nausea at the beginning of the week, yucky diarrhea now.  I pray that it will pass quickly for him and that next week will bring him relief.  (Simultaneous to DJ's seventh round of this line of FOLFIRI chemotherapy, and after having spent the weekend together in Hanford, several of the girls on Brooke's softball team experienced what seems to have been a 24-hour stomach flu; I wonder if DJ's illness from chemotherapy has been compounded by a virus.  But whatever the cause, I do wish and pray that it will pass through quickly; I pray for mercy!)

In other news, I am as happy as a lark for summer vacation to have arrived.  I just adore the sight and the smell and the feel of long hours of sunshine.  I am enjoying these precious moments of family time, when all of the kidlets are toilet trained, able to swim on their own, fun to play with, and yet none of them yet drives a car or spends excessive time away from us.  I am really enjoying our family fun together-ness.  I am blessed beyond measure!

Thank you for loving us!  The end, for now.

Two Weeks Post-Op

Saturday, May 26, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
HB, STW, LRM, DJB
29 hours after DJ's release from the hospital

Dear Friends and Family and Fans of DJ Bigelow and his family,

DJ has requested that I pass along a PERSONAL message from his very own self to YOU; the message is this:  "Thank you."  He's a man of few words, that guy that I love, but what more needs to be said?  How grateful and humble and happy we are that you love us, support us, encourage us, pray for us, prepare meals for our family, care for our children, telephone us, post love notes to us through the mail, mow our lawn, send us good intentions, and for every other expression of grace and hope and healing and goodness and friendship and love that you give to us.  Thank you so very much!!

DJ is recovering from surgery remarkably well.  Within 18 hours of being released from the hospital, he was in attendance at Brooke Bigelow's softball tournament; and then out to dinner with his wife, his sister-in-law, and his brother-in-law (see photo above); and back the next day for more softball.  DJ also has been careful to rest properly between field trips and to pace his energy appropriately.  Two weeks after his thoracoscopy with pulmonary wedge resection, he continues to improve marvelously.  He does experience a little bit of pain and residual discomfort with certain movements (ex: stretching too far to reach the remote control, or sleeping in a particular way that does something I can't explain); but overall, he is happy and relieved to be doing so well post-surgery, as well as to be free of chemotherapy-induced symptoms!  This is the best he's felt since February 27, when FOLFIRI treatments began!

In other news...

Monday, June 4, 2012:
After 3 days of labor, Caedmon completed work on the "Destiny Bounty"
(Ninjago lego creation)

Friday, June 2, 2012
Alexandra Bigelow, one week away from finishing the 8th grade
and her career at Flamson Middle School,
dressed up pretty for her end-of-the-year 8th-grade dance.

Saturday, May 26, 2012
Brooke Bigelow donned catcher gear
as her team prepared for their first game of  the first tournament of the All-Star softball season.
Go, Bearcats!

We are blessed beyond measure!  The grace of God is amazing and beautiful, of which we are grateful recipients!  Your love is a significant part of God's grace given to us - thank you, thank you, thank you!

Next up:  summer vacation for the children (and for their mother, more or less) begins very soon; their last day of school for the 2011/2012 school year is Friday, June 8.  DJ returns to chemotherapy Monday, June 18 - but we don't speak of that now; now, we enjoy the moments of health and well-being!

The end, for now.  :-)  xoxoxo 

Saturday, May 26, 2012
Extra credit: Name these characters
:-)