July 27th It's a Surprise!!!!

Today was one of those days we will never forget!!!!  I told Ron we needed to go to Amanda's house, she was one the people on his Schreiber Team, she is expecting a baby in a few weeks and I had made a gift for her that I wanted to take to her.  That part was true, I just didn't add the fact that his whole team was going to be at her house waiting for him to surprise him with a great afternoon of fun visits, good food, and enjoying each others company.  Ron was the team leader with these people for many, many years and they are truly part of his family.  He loves them all so much, so needless to say it was a very good surprise and was a day full of fun and laughter!!! 

Epictetus said this "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."  I think this is a good way of saying the way that both Ron and I felt today, we have been so blessed with so much that I don't think we could even think about asking for more! I don't know how wise we are, but we do know how to rejoice in all that we have! 

This is the cake Amanda had made for Ron isn't it the BEST!!!! This is the "before" picture:)

 Sitting around Amanda's table visiting!

 More visiting.......

 Amanda had a little slip with the cake....

 This is the "after" picture  we did get a good piece before the oops!!! And it was very good!!!

 Mike Keene, Greg Sutton, Sally Jaynes, Big Daddy (Ron), Jim Zeller, Amanda Fox.  

The team is missing Don Dowdy who was not able to attend. 

So that is the day, it was as you can see from the pictures lots of fun! Thank you so much to you all for making this such a wonderful day for both Ron and I! My sister Sheri gave me a gratitude book which I have loved recording my thoughts in throughout this journey of ours.  In the beginning of this book it says "The small act of recording what you're grateful for has the power to truly transform you. it will focus your energy on the positives in your life, leaving less energy for the negatives."  I have truly found this to be true, but it's because of all the wonderful people around us that makes it so easy to have so much to be thankful for!

Ron's two week break is almost over! He will begin his next 28 day dose of his chemo on Monday.  We will hope and pray that his side effects will be as minimal this next round as it was last time.  Only time will tell.  I think of the quote from Ann Frank who said this, "Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."  We have so much to think about and be happy!!!

Scans on his brain will be the first part of August and the CT scan will be in September when he's done with this next round of chemo.  As always we thank you and ask you to continue to keep us in your prayers, we are so thankful for that wonderful blessing in our life!

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

July 15, 2013

Ron....Just hanging out at the Huntsman Cancer Center:)

Ron is doing very well!!! He is on his last day of his first round of his chemo Sutent.  The routine goes like this 28 days of taking one pill a day, then 2 weeks off, then.... repeat.  Ron has been able to tolerate taking the chemo with minimal side effects.  He has had some bad days for sure, but he has also had some good ones.  We are counting on the good much more than the bad.  And will very happily be enjoying the good days over the bad.  He had labs done today as well, and all looks good.  

So now we will wait until August, for his MRI scan on his brain to make sure he has not had any more mets there.  

Then he will finish another round of sutent, followed by a CT scan which will be another tell all as far as where the cancer is at.  But alas that is not until September.  So we will keep moving forward and doing all that we can to have faith, be happy, and enjoy this summer together!!!  And especially a WEDDING!!!

President Gordon B. Hinckley said this of faith, "If there is any one thing you and I need in this world it is faith, that dynamic, powerful, marvelous element by which, as Paul declared, the very worlds were framed (Heb. 11:3) . . . Faith --the kind of faith that moves one to get on his knees and plead with the Lord and then get on his feet and go to work--is an asset beyond compare."  

This has always been one of Ron's favorite quotes by Pres. Hinckley regarding missionaries, but I think it has a lot to do with most anything, that we have to deal with in life.  Ron is doing all that he is asked to by the doctors, he most defiantly spends a lot of his time pleading with the Lord on his knees, and then he does just what Pres. Hinckley said to do... he gets on his feet and he goes to work.  He is always so kind to everyone and always happy.  He is truly amazing to me.  

We have so much to be Thankful for, I just can not say it enough, we are so blessed!!!!!

 I love this man so much!!!!          FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Happy 4th of July

Many things have been happening at the Beckstrand house hold.  So I will attempt to give you a bit of an update on Ron, as well as some of the things that we have been doing.  Ron is about to begin his third week on the chemo drug Sutenet.  He has definitely had his share of side effects.  He tries very hard to push through them, and to keep on doing what he can.  But some days he just feels so wiped-out/sick/tired/yucky/ it's all he can do to get up.  Then he has some really good days and so we try to enjoy them, when they are here.  He will meet with his Doctor on the 15th of July to have his blood work done, they will be testing to make sure his counts are all good.  Then he will also have his infusion on that day so it will be a long day.  His infusion takes 4 hours, but we are so thankful he can have it, as well as the fact that it is only once a month!  Then he will have 2 weeks off from the chemo, before he starts a new session on it all over again.   They will wait for 3 months and then he will have more scans to see if the chemo is doing what they want it to do.  So we just keep on praying, fighting, and doing all we can to keep up our spirits and do all that the Lord wants us to do!! 

One of my favorite quotes, and I'm not even sure who said it, but it was in the May Ensign in 1997, and is goes like this..."Occasionally we reach the top of one summit in life, as the pioneers did, only to see more mountain peaks ahead, higher and more challenging than the one we have just traversed.  Tapping unseen reservoirs of faith and endurance, we, as did our forebears, inch ever forward toward that day when our voices can join with those of all pioneers who have endured in faith, singing, "All is well! All is well!"'

I feel like each time we think we are done with a challenge, just like the pioneers felt when they got to the top of one mountain and thought they would be done, only to see another even bigger mountain ahead of them.  They never gave up, they just kept on going until they reached Zion.  I know that is what Ron and I are doing! We will never give up even when the mountain seems higher than we can bear.  We will push forward until we too can say, "All is Well!" 

And so we have spent this last week enjoying the company of our most loved children.  And having lots of fun doing it!! 

Rocky on the other hand just sat around with his tongue out!! 

 Ron and I drove to Payson to have some fun with Lindsey and the kids.

 We had a wonderful time with Grace.  She came home with us and had a sleep-over with Pop and Grandma.  We made cookies and then she and grandma left Pop behind and went to see the new Monster movie.  Lots of Fun!!!!

 Grace Susan we love you!!!

 Emma, Grace and Maggie the Three most beautiful granddaughters in the world.  Ok I am a little one sided but you have to admit they are dang cute!!! Love these girls!!!

 Desert Star Playhouse is a really fun place to go! Our family loves this place we had a ball.  The only thing that would have made it better is if Logan and Lauren could have come with us! But getting them here from Arizona would have been a bit hard! We really had fun.  It was "The Lone Stranger" 

 Ron, Chase and Kaylee

 Diz and Ron 

Logan and Lauren are working very hard in Arizona! We are so proud of them.  And are counting down the days to the Wedding!!!

 They also have time to play! They are on their way to the pool! 

This is kinda hard to tell what it is but I had to put it in.  It's our drive way! When we got home from our 4th of July breakfast our drive way had been decorated by some amazing "anonymous" person or people with all kinds of word of Love and encouragement for Ron and I.  It was done really well and totally made mine and Ron's day! He had a really hard day on the 4th.  Just didn't feel well at all!!! It's amazing to me how people just seem to know when its been a hard day, and they can make it better! We are so very blessed by so many truly wonderful people!!

And so another week is upon us.  Who knows what it will bring, but what I do know is that no matter what it is we will face it with strength and courage, knowing that the Lord is always on our side. Keep up the prayers as always! And thank you as always.  We could never do it with out all the Love and support that is given to us!  We are so blessed!

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT