Siebert Visit (Part 2)

Continuing on with digital scrapbook pages - preserving memories of a five-day visit from our Siebert family ...

(Digital scrapbook supplies: First two pages - Page Template: Digital Scrapper Premier May 2014 Love, Mom by Carol Gillmour; Paper: Digital Scrapper Premier 2014 06 Outdoor Dad by Brandy Murry, Digital Scrapper Premier 2014 07 Liberty for All by Mommyish, Scrap Girls ABR_Creased'n'Crinkled. Last two pages - Page Template: Scrap Girls JSM_dD-pageGrids; Papers: Scrap Girls ABR_Creasedn'Crinkled, Digital Scrapper Premier 2014 08 WeekendatHome by Kate Hadfield.)

Siebert Visit (Part 1)

Preserving memories in digital scrapbook form of the wonderful visit we had with our Siebert family earlier this month ... thanking God for the very special five days He gave us together! The visit was especially significant as we could all spend time together with our 93 year-old father. We see him often, as he lives a short 20 minute drive from us - but this was the first time for him to see his three sons & their families since 2011, three years ago.

Click here to see more photos in Part 2 of our Siebert Family Visit ...

(Credits for digital scrapbooking supplies: Page Templates: Digital Scrapper Premier 2014 08; Paper: Digital Scrapper Premier 2014 07 LibertyforAll by Mommyish, Premier 2014 08 WeekendatHome by Kate Hadfield Designs.)

Five Day Visit from Our Siebert Family

We just spent five wonderful days together with our Siebert family. All three of Cherry's brothers traveled here - two from the west coast, and one from the east coast. Lee with his wife Cheryl, came from the Portland area. Steve with his wife Beverly, and twin daughters, Katie & Izzy, came from just north of New York City. And Loren came from Portland, where he has recently moved after the loss of his sweet wife, Margy, last summer.

Standing L to R: Gary, Loren, Cherry, Steve, Beverly, Cheryl, Lee; Seated: Our 93 year-old father.

It was a very memorable five days together, our first time to gather in three years. Though the brothers live on opposite coasts, we are blessed to live right in the middle, and also near our father ... so our home becomes the place for us to gather. 

Our father greatly appreciated having each of his four children together ... and we all missed our mother, who passed away nearly seven years ago.

L to R: Loren, Steve, our father Johnny Siebert, Cherry, Lee

It was also a very special time for cousins to be together - four of our six children, and Steve & Beverly's two daughters ... 

Standing L to R: Sara, Amy, Katie, Izzy, Carrie, Lance; Seated: their Grandpa.

And what fun for everyone to spend time with these six (of our ten) sweet grandkids!

L to R: Ali, Cole, Cruz, Jake, Levi, Eva

We were so very blessed by these five days together! Check back here in the days ahead, as we'll be sharing more photos in digital scrapbook form. So many memories to treasure, and so much to thank God for!

Cristy's Surgery Results

Our daughter, Cristy, heard the pathology report (after the removal of a cyst on one of her kidneys) five days after her July 28th surgery. We were at the airport at the time that we received her call from Dallas, waiting for the arrival of several of Cherry's family for a five day visit. We were stunned to receive the news from Cristy ... her cyst was cancerous.

Here is the news, as they shared it on their CaringBridge site:

"Unbelievably, my lesion was also cancerous. The same kind of cancer as Mark's ... renal cell carcinoma. There were even some aggressive areas which put it at a grade 3 (Mark's was grade 2). The good news is that the margins were clear, which means they got it all. ... My prognosis is the same as Mark's ... no other treatment is required because they got it all out, and the chances of it coming back are very low."

Our first reactions were ones of disbelief ... how can it be that both Mark and Cristy needed to have surgery to remove a cancerous tumor/cyst from one of their own kidneys, as they were being tested to be kidney donors for their own daughter, who has a rare kidney disease. Mark & Cristy have been told that people with certain types of kidney diseases are more prone to getting the type of kidney cancer that they both have. And as they are both carriers of Juvenile Nephronophthisis (JN), which they gave to Crystal, the doctors are interested in studying this possibility further as an explanation to this unusual, and unbelievable situation. 

We are all in shock, and at the same time, we are filled with thanks to God for His care in the discovery of this cancer in both Mark and Cristy. Discovery at very early state, so that it could be removed completely, with no chemo needed. Follow-up checkups will come every six months now. Please pray for both of them, for peace of mind, and for no re-occurrences.

Cristy's recovery is going well now, though it has had it's pain and trauma ... and one week later, she is mostly free from the surgical pain, as well as from bad headaches she was also experiencing. Please pray for complete healing in every way, and for an extra measure of God's peace and grace to our dear daughter and her family. They are so grateful for all those who are praying, and for all the care they are receiving from their many friends there in TX.

Cristy's Surgery

Thanks to all who have been praying for our daughter, Cristy's, surgery on July 28. This was the surgery to remove a suspicious-looking cyst from one of her kidneys - this cyst was discovered when she was going through testing to see if she could be a kidney donor for her own daughter, Crystal. 

The surgery took place yesterday afternoon, July 28. Here is Mark's report on FaceBook late afternoon yesterday:

Quick update on Cristy: Surgery went well and the Dr is confident that he got all of the growth on her kidney. It took longer than expected as the cyst went a little deeper into the kidney than the Dr realized. So he had to make a 2nd cut to be sure he got it all in case it turns out to be malignant. We should know by the end of the week whether it was malignant or benign. She is recovering and resting now. We hope to go home tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers, for help with meals and for encouraging notes/comments. We appreciate all of you and your concern for Cristy. -Mark

Of course, we wish so much that we could be there in Dallas at this time. And though we offered to go and desire to be there with our TX family, Mark & Cristy felt that they would be covered well with the care that they receive from their many friends there, including their very caring church family. Thankfully, we were able to see them in TX in early June, and also in mid-July when they came up here for a visit. And though we desire to be there now again, we realize this is probably best, especially as my (Cherry's) three brothers and their families will be coming to our home in just a few days for a visit, from the east and west coasts.

But, as you can imagine, our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with them constantly these days. And we are so thankful to Mark for his texts, phone calls, and photos that he is sending to us ... before and after surgery, and as she was recovering last night. And we're thankful for many who are praying ...

This quote from Streams in the Desert this morning was a good reminder - to keep our eyes on God, and keep His perspective as we go through trials. So thankful for the trust He is giving our dear family in TX, and for His grace and strength through trials. For them, and also for us as parents and grandparents.

"Our trials are great opportunities, but all too often we simply see them as large obstacles. If only we would recognize every difficult situation as something God has chosen to prove His love to us, each obstacle would then become a place of shelter and rest, and a demonstration to others of His inexpressible power."

This is our prayer for Cristy, for Mark, and their children ... and this is our prayer for ourselves, and for all who know them.

We're hoping to get another update this morning soon, and may add more to this post - so feel free to check back. Also, we anticipate talking to Cristy soon, as well ... the morphine and other meds kept us from being able to communicate with her last night.

Later (9:15 am)  ... just heard from Cristy, and also here is an update that Mark posted on CaringBridge:

Since surgery, her recovery has gone as expected except that she has had some trouble with nausea and headache.  The nurses have assured us that these are typical reactions to the surgery, the anesthesia and some of the pain meds she has been on.  They are giving her Zofran for the nausea and finally this morning it seems to be helping.  The pain from the surgery and the headache seem to be under control this morning as well.  We are hoping that she will feel well enough to keep some food down this morning.  They had her up walking at 4:00am today and she seemed to handle that ok, so if all continues to go as planned, we will be home some time this afternoon.  Thank you so much for your prayers!

You are invited to click here for more updates as Cristy recovers - from Mark & Cristy on Crystal's CaringBridge site.

Jake & Cole

Sharing photos of our two-night sleepover with two grandsons here while Sara & Sean were able to take a four-night little vacation getaway at the end of one of Sean's business trips to beautiful Oregon. They are such sweet, good little boys - and have so much fun together! 

(Credit for digital scrapbook supplies: Page Template: Sweet Shoppe - mcato-simplebeauty; Paper: Digital Scrapper July 2014 Premier, Mommyish-Liberty for All.)

Family Celebration for Gary's 70th Bday

This was the big year for celebrating #70 for Gary!! We celebrated as a couple on his actual birthday, June 23. It was a very memorable day spent together at beautiful, restful Willow Lake - just perfect.

And then, over the weekend of July 12-13 we were blessed with a very special weekend when our kids and grandkids honored him and celebrated his bday. We were so touched by their love, and these many photos (on seven digital scrapbook pages) are our attempt to capture the memories.

(Credit for digital scrapbook supplies: Page Templates: Digital Scrapper July 2014 Premier; Paper: Digital Scrapper June 2013 Premier, We are Family by Dianne Rigdon / Digital Scrapper June 2014 Premier, Outdoor Dad by Scrap Girls.)