In the Book of Mormon, there is a record of a family who traveled from the Tower of Babel to the American continent. The family of Jared soon received their first glimpse of a vast, stormy ocean, having been required of the Lord to crawl into some mysterious air-tight vessels they were promised would carry them safely to a better place. As they gazed into the deep, moving water, they breathed the unfamiliar sea salt and felt the ice cold water lap at their feet. "What will become of our family?" "Can we do this thing that God requires of us?"

These were the questions we asked as our family stood on the edge of a new journey in February 2011. Before Cathi was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer, we saw the waves of an unfamiliar storm brewing and felt the fear of anticipation. When the cancer was certain, our family was required to wade into the cold water, crawl into a mysterious vessel and trust the Lord would be in charge.

The family of Jared was given stones touched by the finger of the Lord that provided light inside their vessels "that they might not cross the great waters in darkness......and it came to pass that...(they) set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God. And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind. And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind. And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters. And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind. And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord. And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water." Read the rest: http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/6?lang=eng

This blog is the captain's log of our family's journey. It will serve to keep all of you updated on Cathi's condition but also be a place where I can express the lessons we are learning so that it might be a source of strength for others who are going through difficult challenges. We are certainly not unique in this regard. I hope to continue trusting in the light we have been given and to lead our family when we are encompassed by the dark ocean or tossed by its waves. We sincerely seek for your faith in asking the Lord to calm the water, give strength beyond our own and lead all of us of us to a better place.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A Family Night to Remember

Monday night, we all gathered around and took turns snipping and buzzing Mom's tender head, careful not to cause any minor cuts (which could be a big problem with no white blood cells to fight off infection). One of the last major cancer mysteries is now finally solved...no more need to worry about this milestone...IT IS DONE! 

Here's the Good Sport herself flashing her characteristic peace sign while her anxious offspring are hoarding celebatory pizza to build up their artistic energy...



Here's Leah sporting her Florida Gators pajamas while she takes some of the first snips...



Here's Emma finally satisfying her urge to give her mom an 80's mullet...



Here's my Little Buddy refusing to take any part of this while enjoying more pizza...



Here's Mom trying to be either a punk rocker or a tough motorcycle mama...we weren't sure which...



Finally, here's the boy who was most anxious of all to give his mom the very same buzz cut she always hated on him.  This is about the time when all the hair stylists and onlookers turned into Mom's greatest cheerleaders...



Here is what was left of Mom's hair...



And of course, Mom was left...still the same, fun, roll-with-the-punches Mom.  She quietly left the pizza, the hair and all the excitement and found herself in front of her bathroom mirror, alone.  I'm sure she took a deep breath and wiped a few tears as she told herself, "I'm doing it!"
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9 comments:

  1. azb10721April 26, 2011 at 9:06 PM

    Cathi, You are in our thoughts and prayers through all of this. It is hard to lose a few pieces of ourselves, but that is how we become a polished stone! You are accepting you "polishing" gratefully...and with grace...what a blessing you are to your children in teaching them how to deal with life, in all it's twisting glory! We love you all! Love, the Binns Family

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  2. TrishaApril 26, 2011 at 9:44 PM

    Cathi,
    I admire you so much and am so proud of you! You are wonderful! What a hard but necessary step you took tonight. Know that I think of you often and that your courage continues to give me courage as well. (((HUGS)))
    Love Trisha

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  3. AmberApril 26, 2011 at 9:52 PM

    You are beautiful, Cathi!

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  4. Creative by designApril 26, 2011 at 10:10 PM

    Wow you all amaze me. Love you all and continue to be strengthened by your loving example.

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  5. TXboomApril 26, 2011 at 10:18 PM

    Just remember, you're not Samson - you will ultimately gain strength, not lose it, though the journey be tough. We are cheering and praying for you.

    Our love to you Cathi, and your wonderful family - which indeed will be forever!

    Grant and Laurelle

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  6. KelliApril 27, 2011 at 8:15 AM

    Cheering you on from AL too, Cathi! Love the punk rock/biker chick look! :) What a brave mom to let everyone get in on the act...and to let Jerry post the pictures! Talk about a good sport. :)

    Wanted to share that last night when it was Noah's turn to say family prayer, he said, all on his own, "Please bless Sister Van Leuven that she will feel better." It was so neat.

    Thinking of you guys everyday!

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  7. Brittany @ My Decoupaged LifeApril 27, 2011 at 11:27 AM

    I bet she still looks fabulous :)

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  8. AnnApril 27, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    What grace and dignity you are blessed with Cathi. Mostly, your humor continues to lift us all. Please know I am cheering you on and I think of you every day. My family's prayers are with you and your family. Hugs from me to you my dear friend..Love you! Ann

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  9. val ockeyApril 27, 2011 at 10:20 PM

    I love my sister! I'm so greatful for her courage! Enjoy the freedom from having to fuss with a hair project each morning,....it won't be forever. [i promise]

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