Our Long Weekend

So it has been a few days since I updated this, but not much has been happening. Today is Labour Day, therefore a long weekend. To be honest, its just another day tacked onto our weekend.

Saturday morning, bright and early, we had a yard sale. It was our first ever, and most likely our last lol. We used to sell on Ebay, but with not enough time in a day, and Barry's stamina not quite what it used to be, we decided to pack it in. So, a yard sale seemed like the best way to go. It was a lot of work, but fun.

Samantha, my sister, and Melody, my cousin came to help. My aunt also helped at the beginning and end. Daniel sat and played in the dirt and had a ball, getting so dirty his bath water afterwards looked something like coffee. Barry sat out for quite a while in two bouts. He was a trooper and smiled lots, talking with all the buyers, wheeling and dealing!

We met this woman, MaryAnne, who had colon cancer and she was such a kind person. She used to work at/run (not sure) the Canadian Cancer Society here in Guelph, but then gave it up when the sad stories started to become too much. She was such a warm, kind person, and she reached out to Barry and I in such a selfless way. She gave us her phone number and told us to call her. She shared her story with Barry, and I got teary while she spoke because she genuinely seemed to care. A stranger, and she was moved with Barry's battle. I fully intend to call her. Our meeting, our paths crossing, was not random. Wendie (Barry's first wife) always say that everything happens for a reason, and I completely believe that too! We may not find out why our lives are intertwined, but it was such a moving experience meeting her, that I am certain there is a reason. She didn't have pity in her eyes when she heard about Barry like most strangers do....she had something else, something more. A sadness, but encouragement and hope? I don't mean to sound corny, but there was something there.

I, and I welcome telling off for this, did not wear sun screen and my face got burnt. Bright red, like a ripened tomato! It hurt, it made me hot, and it made me mad. I felt so foolish. My husband has melanoma, and I am forgetful and foolish enough not to wear sun screen when spending the entire morning outside! Bad, bad, bad, bad, BAD!

Sunday we had a quiet kind of day. I forced myself to go to Walmart to buy Daniel some new shoes for school, but left the boys at home. I was sore in places I have never been sore before, and hope to never be sore again. I did a lot of lifting of the tables, 3 times, and my body was sore lol. So I got the shoes, and a few other bits, and came home. Nothing spectacular, and it was a nice and lazy, well deserved, quiet kind of day. Lovely!

Today, the Legends (not the Leg Ends), aka Barry's Ma and Pa, came for a visit. They were on a mission for pictures, a secret to Barry, and it was disguised as a casual visit. Daniel loves when they visit, and actually didn't want them to go today! Bless him. He had so much fun playing engines with Nanny on the floor, and showing her his imaginary pets (which includes one of every animal he knows about)!

Barry's dad is a healer (excuse my forgetfulness as to the correct terminology). On this visit and the last he has placed his hands on Barry and worked to heal him. Its nice to watch, hoping that it works, and to see Barry and his Dad sharing that tender moment. Every night around 1030pm Stan holds a picture of Barry and clears his mind, asks for guidance, and works to heal Barry. I know I am not doing this any justice, but it has worked on others in the past, he can do this, and I am so moved that he is doing this. We have no way of knowing that his healings work, but I am confident that something is keeping Barry strong. The doctors may have no hope, but we do, the people that love and care for Barry do, and I know that something is keeping the cancer from making him feel its presence. There have been no headaches, no sign of these lesions on his brain, except in the MRI results. Faith is a strange thing to hold onto, but I have it, and I know many others do. Keep those hands working Stan, they are powerful...

Tomorrow is Daniel's first full day of school! My emotions are all over the board here, which I have been told by experienced mothers is normal. He is only 3 and is starting junior kindergarten. 3!! Still a baby, really! Although Barry and his father point out to me that he is growing up. I don't like to hear that, and I can admit that he will always be my baby, regardless of his age! :) So we got him new shoes, chose one of his blankets to bring to school for nap time, decided what to pack in his lunch, and had a good long chat about the fun things he might do at school. He was so excited that there will be red paint, and red crayons to use lol. Red is his absolute favourite colour! So I know I am going to cry when kisses Barry and I goodbye and runs off to play with the farm he has been waiting so patiently waiting to play with since our last visit. He is super excited and I am sure he will miss us for a few seconds, and then he will have too much fun to think of us lol. I am glad he is so excited, and glad that he isn't worried about leaving us for the day, but he is still my little boy! I am not sure I am ready for this. I know its silly, I do. And I am sure Barry and I will enjoy this piece of freedom, just maybe not tomorrow!

Daniel doesn't know this yet, but Bieke is taking Daniel to the donkey sanctuary here in Guelph on Wednesday! He is going to be sooo happy to go back again. He talked about it so much after the last visit. Bieke, you are wonderful to take him! You are going to make this little boy VERY VERY happy! xxxx

This week should be fairly quiet, in regards to appointments. So far its just John the physio guy, and the nurse, then a visit to Dr. Knight, the oncologist. That's a slow week.

I know I am forgetting stuff that I wanted to write about, but perhaps tomorrow it will come to me when I am not so emotional about Daniel's first day lol.

Lots of love to you all, and thank you for the wonderful and unending support!
xxxxx