The big Shecklets are off of school this week (because we opted to not sign them up for intersession classes this year.) Today we had a hand appointment for Shecklet #3, went to the park (until three bus loads of kids showed up,) and then went to MOA to ride some rides and go to the American Girl store.
We had a fun group of visitors today – Jake’s aunt, uncle, one cousin and her boys came to see us. The kids had a blast playing with their (great) uncle, who even took them to the little park to help them burn off some energy.
After playing at the park, we had pizza, pretzel jello salad, and chocolate vinegar cake. Jake’s aunt knows my faves 😊
This basketball playing, Lego-loving kid has such a huge heart! A few weeks ago, he asked if we could go to Feed My Starving Children to pack meals on his birthday. Ummmmm….yes, of course we can! We invited family members and his godmother and had a great time! After packing meals, we came home and had pie – lemon meringue and apple – with ice cream, of course.
Shecklet #3 learned about leprechauns last year in kindergarten. Her teacher’s room was apparently colored green while everyone was out of the room and little footprints led to the bathroom where the toilet water was colored green. This St. Patrick’s Day, #3 decided to set a trap to catch a leprechaun. 🍀 I should have taken a picture of her elaborate trap, but I did capture the letter she wrote.
Shecklet #2 decided he wanted a fedora (after a friend of his wore one to school on Thursday.). We found that one was available at Old Navy, so we stopped to check it out today while running errands. Not only did he find the fedora, but also a skateboarding bulldog shirt to complete the outfit. This kid is so much fun! I hope he always keeps his confident sense of style.
The Shecklets all wanted to look dressed up with ties for Grandma Patti’s birthday celebration this evening.
We gathered at Grandma Lois and Papa Dale’s house to have grasshopper pie for Grandma Patti’s birthday.
Love this kid to pieces! She turned 5 years old today and has grown so much! She loves to count, point out letters and numbers, and plays so well on her own and with her siblings. I love to hear her play make believe with Barbies, Shopkins, and Legos. We gave her a teepee for her birthday this year – and she asked to sleep in it tonight 😊
Shecklets 3 and 4 received a package while Jake and I were in California and inside were two unicorn mugs. Their Uncle Jason and Aunt Bri thought they’d enjoy the fun surprise that takes place when you add hot liquid to the mug. It’s so much fun being a girl!
It’s hard to believe that these were taken three weeks ago.
Before I was wheeled into the OR, Jake whispered, “I love you” one last time into my right ear. Hearing those words in that moment gave me a last boost of courage to face what I knew was going to be a very rough 24-48 hours. When I woke up from surgery and looked at the clock on the wall, the entire wall fell to the side. This happened every time I opened my eyes. It was nauseating. Yesterday I walked three large laps at the mall with my mother-in-law and today I walked around our block on my own. It is amazing how quickly our brains can adapt to major change.
I’ve been reflecting back on the last three weeks a lot lately. So much has transpired in such a short amount of time. I had brain surgery and was discharged from the hospital three days later! That blows my mind. When I left the hospital, I was still dizzy, and not completely balanced, but mostly capable of walking on my own. That blows my mind. The prayers and emails, texts, and blog post comments continue. That blows my mind. (And also makes me smile.)
There have been a few people throughout this ordeal who have told Jake that they started praying for me after not having been to church or praying in years. Others have shared that reading about what my recovery has entailed has caused them to “reset” so to say and not take for granted the simple things in life that they are able to do without thinking twice – walking, picking something up off the floor, driving kids to and from. I’ve even heard that kids have told their parents they are praying for me (without any prompting.) <Insert my tears here.>
After I was told I had a brain tumor last fall, I began to pray for healing. It seemed like a logical prayer request. Little did I know I should have been more specific. God saw it fit to start healing areas in my life that I didn’t realize needed healing. It took facing Norman to bring me to a place where I could see that my perspective on certain relationships needed a major adjustment and helped me realize areas in my life that were broken. It has been hard – probably the hardest six months of my life, and I know He’s not done with me yet. But I’m grateful for the chance to see how God is using it all – my diagnosis, surgery, and recovery, in ways I never imagined.
Unbeknownst to me (but not that he was keeping it a secret,) Jake reached out to friends of ours at our church prior to our last mass there before leaving for San Diego with this message:
“As you may know, Veronica and I are leaving for San Diego on Sunday afternoon. In this blog post, Veronica mentioned the music at St. Paul’s. We have discussed our last pre-op Mass as a family a few times. If your schedule allows, would you please sit near us during the celebration of Mass at St. Paul’s at 8:30 this Sunday? Being literally surrounded by our Parish Family during Mass will help Veronica greatly. I don’t intend for this to be a surprise but a simple show of support for her.”
There is something about the physical presence of someone who you know cares about you that can bring a sense of peace – even for a short amount of time. I experienced that peace this morning. Yes, there were tears, but also a true understanding that God is in control and I have an army of prayer warriors supporting me as I face surgery and the start of recovery in the coming days.
ETA: The following post was written by a friend on Facebook on 1/22/18.
Yesterday after Mass, I had the privilege of witnessing an amazing outpouring of love and support for a beautiful young wife and mother of four who will be undergoing brain surgery tomorrow. Her husband, Jake had arraigned for people to sit around or near Veronica during Mass as a sign of love to her. What happened after Mass will forever be etched in my heart and soul. After the final song, 15+ women surrounded Veronica and gently, lovingly placed their hands over her and prayed as she wept and released her suffering at the Foot of Christ’s Alter. When I lifted my head, I saw Jake sitting at the end of the pew surrounded by 15+ men with their hands outstretched in prayer beseeching God Almighty for strength, wisdom and peace for Jake and Veronica. Several of the men were holding their young children as they prayed. I can’t fully describe this beautiful outpouring of love and support from The Body of Christ, but I’m confident the Lord heard our prayers and will shower them with grace to follow this path placed before them. Please pray for Veronica tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Central time as she takes the next step in faith and love. God bless you, Veronica Cimperman Sheck.
P.S. I might add that we are praying for a miracle that Veronica will NOT lose her hearing in one ear when the tumor is removed. Like my husband said, “Praying that Norman (the tumor’s name) will just peel off and leave everything else in tact.” Doesn’t hurt to ask.
