End of August - beginning of New Beginnings

What a busy couple of weeks. Between my uncle in Edmonton recovering from brain cancer (first it was colon cancer and now this), and now my parents are here to help celebrate my great Aunt & Uncle's 60th Wedding Anniversary the month of August has just flown by. What an accomplishment thinking about 60 years being married and even my parents having achieved 50 years of marriage this year, to someone that will never reach that milestone given our ages. But I believe that every year that a person is married is a celebration, especially when cancer is so much part of our lives. My great uncle is going through cancer of the stomach and yet he still is an accomplished violinist, journalist and a husband caring for his wife - both in their 80's. Can you ask for anything better with that lifestyle and marriage accomplishment? We can all wonder about our own life expectancy but sometimes people never think about marriage longevity? Kind of a surprise when you think about how excited folks are in the beginning of planning a wedding or a life together..we forget to take inventory later on in the years about being excited for what else is going to happen down the road; or in the middle of the journey. As we get older we only plan for the next holiday or worse the next long weekend. We need to think about the tomorrows before they get here and include our spouses and make it a real plan together. Do you have your plan? Are you prepared for the next year; the next five years or what about the next 10 years? I know that Jack and I talk about our plans all the time and even though we might never hit retirement together, we know that our plans take us through this month and onto the next couple with all kinds of togetherness and celebrations. We encourage everyone to come up with a couples plan - could be fun and exciting but most of all could be like starting all over again in the beginning - you just never know!

60 Years of Marriage

What a busy couple of weeks. Between my uncle in Edmonton recovering from brain cancer (first it was colon cancer and now this), and now my parents are here to help celebrate my great Aunt & Uncle's 60th Wedding Anniversary the month of August has just flown by. What an accomplishment thinking about 60 years being married and even my parents having achieved 50 years of marriage this year, to someone that will never reach that milestone given our ages. But I believe that every year that a person is married is a celebration, especially when cancer is so much part of our lives. My great uncle is going through cancer of the stomach and yet he still is an accomplished violinist, journalist and a husband caring for his wife - both in their 80's. Can you ask for anything better with that lifestyle and marriage accomplishment? We can all wonder about our own life expectancy but sometimes people never think about marriage longevity? Kind of a surprise when you think about how excited folks are in the beginning of planning a wedding or a life together..we forget to take inventory later on in the years about being excited for what else is going to happen down the road; or in the middle of the journey. As we get older we only plan for the next holiday or worse the next long weekend. We need to think about the tomorrows before they get here and include our spouses and make it a real plan together. Do you have your plan? Are you prepared for the next year; the next five years or what about the next 10 years? I know that Jack and I talk about our plans all the time and even though we might never hit retirement together, we know that our plans take us through this month and onto the next couple with all kinds of togetherness and celebrations. We encourage everyone to come up with a couples plan - could be fun and exciting but most of all could be like starting all over again in the beginning - you just never know!

Busy Weekend

Jack and I decided that this weekend was more about him needing to be in Regina for Carol's funeral service and being that this was more the "Ashby" side, that I would go up to Edmonton and spend time with Rachelle & Dana who is in the hospital recovering from brain cancer. It turned out that Rachelle was able to get Dana out on a day pass and so we took him to Bernie's trailer at the lake. That man has gone from XLarge clothing to a man's size small golf shirt and 32" waisted pants. Both bouts of cancer have taken a toll on his body. However one good thing was that his thought process was much better than it has been in previous visits. God works through people in so many different ways, that it is a marvel to see what he can do for some. I pray that Dana's radiation treatments will go okay and give him the pressure release on the brain that he so desperately needs. I pray that Rachelle receives good news tomorrow and that we have Dana around for many, many more years to come. We have just been so blessed with both of them as family members and such great friends. We pray for strength and endurance for Rachelle in the event that she has to make some tough decisions about Dana's next couple of months...may God give her wisdom, patience and most of all support to know that she is making all the right decisions based on Dana's needs at this time. God has shown me such power in so many people that have been living with this awful cancer sickness. He does have a plan for each of us and may I be able to live with my plan should this be his way for me or those close to me.