MARKING TIME

 Suzette and I - 2007

Celebrating our December Birthdays

Me 70 - Suzette 53

Christmas 2008

This was my "silly gift" to the girls. 

Suzette - Oksana - Jessica - Jacque - Susan 

October 2008 - In Oklahoma City during Mickey's Heart Bi-Pass

We were so worried about him having this procedure at age 75

 Our last official family portraits - December 2008

 Christmas 2009

The shirts were Suzette's little gift for the girls.

Susan - Suzette - Jessica - Oksana - Jacque

(the girl on the end was a friend of Jessica's that joined us)

SEPTEMBER 28, 2010

The day this family would be changed FOREVER!

SUZETTE IS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE IV LUNG CANCER 

It wasn't really lung cancer - the cancer was between her rib-cage and lung but had wrapped itself around the aorta from the heart which made it in-operable.  

She had gone in a few days earlier for a routine office appointment for pain in her shoulder.

 October 4, 2010 

Dave and Suzette celebrate Mickey and my 52nd anniversary

 October 16

Dave and Suzette have just returned from Bethesda, Maryland.

Her Oncologist had sent her there hoping she might qualify for a new experimental drug they were testing.  

She did not.

This is the last picture of her with her own hair.
   

 December 2nd

Taken at her home as we were preparing to take her for a CT Scan

Didn't she do a great job in selecting a wig that looked so natural.  People were not even aware it was a wig.

 December 17th

Out for a bite to eat, with Marc, Mickey and I after her chemo treatment.  She became very ill, we left immediately and she rode laying down in the backseat as we took her home.

 Celebrating our 4 December birthdays -2010

Suzette's the 13th

Jacque's the 22nd

Jessica's the 23rd

Susan's the 25th

Suzette's last birthday - age 56

Christmas 2010 at our house

Suzette was very sick and almost didn't make it

She always put on a good face and never complained.
Note she has on a jacket, she was always cold.

 January 2011

Taken at her home just before we took her for another CT scan

February 3rd

 At her beloved nephew Aric's 12th Birthday
She was so sick this day they almost didn't come, but you can see when she did she was enjoying herself and laughing.

The last time Suzette was ever out of her home, except for the chemo and Dr. appointments was in March, 2011 for Benny's Birthday.  Again, she was very ill.  It was the last picture I have of her and her Jacque but I could not locate it for this post.

April 1st 

Suzette and I attended a Cancer seminar at Cassia Hall.

It was a wonderful time you can read about it by clicking on the link.
Unfortunately I did not take my camera.
This was truly a final gift from God for Suzette and I.  We enjoyed the morning sessions and activities and we choose to eat lunch out on the patio in the sunshine of this beautiful day.  We left right after lunch, and did not stay for the afternoon session, because Suzette was feeling badly, but we did stop for our final ice cream cone on the way home at McD's.  We went through the drive-in and sat in the car with the windows down talking and sharing.  

April 22nd, 2012
Suzette is put in the hospital

April 29th
Suzette is released from the hospital 7 days later

May 8th is Mother's Day.
All the children are going to attend church with me.
We are all here waiting for her and Dave to arrive.
Dave brings Suzette in her wheel-chair, wheels her in the front room and she says:  "Mom I wanted to go with you so bad today and I'm too sick and can't but I had to come here today to see you and tell you."

Mother's Day - May 8th

May 11th

3 days later Hospice is call in.  Suzette sits on the couch in her living room, with us, talking to the hospice representative.  At the end she says, "I'm tired and need to rest."  We help her to her bed.  She never again is out of her bed.  

May 19, 2011

11:30 p.m.

Suzette goes to Heaven 

She fought her battle for 7 months and 21 days, a total of 234 days.

She was brave to the fault.

She never complained and she never asked "why me" very much.

She lived 57 years, 5 months and 6 day.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:16

The cross, with a tear drop, I wear around my neck daily was given to me by son, Marc, the first Christmas without her, 2012.

The Reunion Heart

Since Heaven has become your home

I sometimes feel I'm so alone;

and though we now are far apart

You hold a big piece of my heart.

I never knew how much I'd grieve

When it was time for you to leave.

Or just how much my heart would ache

From that one fragment you would take.

God let's this tender hole remain

Reminding me we'll meet again,

And one day all the pain will cease

When He restores this missing piece.

He'll turn to joy my every tear,

And when I wear this necklace near

It will become my simple way

To treasure our Reunion Day.

*******

No parents should ever have to bury their child. 

The one good thing I can say about our daughter's cancer, actually all who are stricken with cancer, it gives you time.  In the 7 months and  21 days from diagnosis to death there was not one thing unsaid that needed to be said, and all her wishes were carried out to a T by both Mickey & I.  We were with her most of those days and we savored each and every moment together, even in the pain and agony because we knew how short time was.

  

We are all GRATEFUL for those 7 months.

We are UNGRATEFUL for her not being here now and miss her terribly.

  We are GRATEFUL for the hope and truth that we will one day be together again.

*******

You never know how much time you, or your loved ones have.

Use every day wisely and treasure them as the gifts they are.

Last Family Photo

Missing son, David & Granddaughter, Jessica

and our beloved Suzette