I'm Back!

Okay, it has been a LONG time since I have blogged...in fact it's been 8 months! Many transition's (as my new counselor calls them) have taken place since then I am not sure where to start. I feel great now but for awhile I felt as if I had inhaled and couldn't exhale. Of course that is a bit exaggerated but it paints the picture of how I felt at the time.
You know how sometimes it seems that life cruises along and everything feels fantastic...the sky is clear, birds are singing, everyone's healthy, kids are doing well, etc. THEN....boom it starts to crumble a little bit every week and that waiting for "the other shoe to drop" starts happening!
November 2008 when my mom and dad were here visiting from CA, I asked dad about a suspcious sore on his cheek. He told me that it was a rare form of Sarcoma and he was having it removed when he returned home. WHAT?? My strong wonderful healthy daddy CANNOT have cancer!! My dear mother was about to have a double mastectomy to remove her second occurence of breast cancer and now my dad?! So, while I was home in CA taking care of my mom, my dad was getting radiation everday. My poor beloved parents. TOO MUCH!
When I returned from CA my dermo told me that what I thought was a harmless flesh colored mole was actually Squamous skin cancer and I need to have it removed. She performed Moh's surgery on my left cheek and my face changed forever after receiving a 3" incision! No MORE!
The economy has hit alot of us and it hit my husband and I for sure. He came to me and told me that we need to sell our house and "downsize". So, we did but YIKES....that is STRESSFUL! Two weeks before we moved our loving family dog was so sick that we had to put her to sleep. I CAN'T HANDLE MUCH MORE!
What made me finally inhale and not feel like I could exhale? Our oldest daughter was about to leave for her Junior year in college. She and I were the only ones home, her car was packed and she looked at me with her big beautiful eyes, gave me a hug and a kiss and walked out the door:( It was different this time saying goodbye. It felt as though my little girl was leaving and that future visits home would be as a woman. Now I know that is "normal" and "good". We work their whole lives as mother's to raise them up "in the way they should go"...but yikes it was SO HARD this time!
I immediately picked up the phone and made an appointment with a counselor. I NEED HELP!
I have never felt depressed in my life and these last 8 months have been difficult. The good news is life is good again! Mom has healed beautifully and stronger than ever. Dad has healed and in remission. My face is definitely scarred but it's okay and I can handle it. My dermo told me, "Robin, it now becomes part of your character". THANKS ALOT!
I miss our dog Casey dearly and often but life is easier withour a dog. It was sad to leave our lovely neighborhood that we raised our teenage daughter's in but our new townhome is great! I FEEL BETTER!
So, as Rick Warren (pastor of Saddleback Valley Community Church) says, "True greatness isn't determined fame, wealth or talent, but by what it takes to discourage you." HANG IN THERE "this too shall pass".

Loving Mother's

I love this Jewish Proverb.."God could not be everywhere, so He created mother's". My heart is heavy with 2 opposite emotions today, one of sorrow and one of great joy. My feeling of sorrow is due to the fact that 2 of my friends are dealing with losing their moms. Kelli's mother recently passed away from cancer. Her memorial service was the most beautiful, Christ-centered service I have ever attended and because she knew that she was dying, she planned every detail. My dear friend, Karen is going through the last weeks of her beloved mother's life. The evil cancer is taking her too! I have known Karen's Mom, Elvira, for a long time and she is a gentle, loving, Christian woman. Both these remarkable women will be missed dearly! I feel joy and overwelming gratefulness for the gift of my own mother, Deri. She is and has always been one of my best friends and now that we share so many common health issues, we are each other's greatest support system's. I cannot imagine losing her, but as I get older I realize that death is something that must be accepted. Being a mother is the GREATEST GIFT that God has ever bestowed upon me and I treasure my own children. It will be a joyous day when they each have their own children and I become a grandmother! For now, I just need to treasure my my own mom. P.S. to all my reader's, call your mom or if she is no longer here, then call someone who is like a mother to you and tell them you love them!

Sometimes the sadness hits me......Diabetic sadness

I am pretty much always in a good mood. The glass is almost always half full, but sometimes, I feel sad. It seems that when my blood sugar is too high or too low, this wave will hit me and it reminds me that this disease is ALWAYS on my mind. I try not to let it show and I am surrounded with family and friends who are supportive and loving. There was one night where I believe God saved me from a extremely dangerous low of 21. My gaurdian angel woke me up 1/2 hour after falling asleep and I was lucid enough to know that something was very wrong. That night changed my outlook on everything in my life! I really value everyday and I do not ever take anything for granted.
I've learned that this life is a true gift from God and that we MUST take care of ourselves so that we can serve our purpose here on earth. Now, go and enjoy your day, smile at everyone you come in contact with, hug your kids and be grateful for today!! Love, Robin

MOPS is a real BLESSING to me.....

When I was a young mother of 2 and raising my kids in California, I was a member of MOPS (Mother's of Presschoolers). MOPS International exists to gather women together in a caring atomsphere. Every week we would meet at church and I would willingly hand over the girls to a childcare worker. With a big smile I'd rush off to our MOPS room where we would enjoy a wide variety of speaker's and crafts. It was a time to share my cares and concerns with other mommies. It was also a time to "escape" and to fellowship with other young moms.
Now that my kids are older I am a MOPS Mentor which means that I am there to foster relationships, encourage and to tell these young moms......"This Too Shall Pass!!" I LOVE being a mentor and these wonderful women have become like my adopted daughter's. As one of the speaker's I try to give them real life advice from real life experiences.
It is truly a BLESSING for me to be a MOPS Mentor and I thank each one of them for allowing me to be part of their lives! Love ya, Robin

Kids gotta find something to do!!

Well, today we traveled up to Boulder for Kristen's high school soccer game. They won, yeah!! She is a force to be reckoned with on the field! I have been trying to think of what to share with other parents whom have kid's in high school. My best advice after going through it with 2 children is that kid's do best when they are involved with something they love outside of their academics.
My oldest danced all through high school and my youngest is a soccer player. Both the girls have been captains on their teams and have learned great leadership skills. I strongly believe that high schooler's need to get involved with sports, theater, music or student government. The lessons learned and the extra-curricular activity broadens their circle of influence, teaches them to work together and fills in some of the extra time after school.
It seems that when a high school student has alot of free time, they can tend (not always, however) to get into trouble. This is just my opinion but I personally believe they gotta find something!

Oprah say's it's tough and so do I.....

When I went to bed last night I had every intention to get up and get on the treadmill. Then I got busy on my computer, returned some phone calls, etc., etc. I should really walk outside today because even though it is cold the Colorado sunshine is hard at work and it is beautiful outside! Even my dog is looking at me longingly hoping I will put on my tennis shoes and invite her for a long walk.
So, what is keeping me from enthusiastically going for it? All I know is that when I was involved with the Got Milk? weight loss challenge, I was a die hard 4-5 times a week exercise machine! Oprah even dreads it :) But she does it regularly!!
Can anyone out there relate? We know that we must move our body often especially after 40, yet it is so much easier not too!
Okay, now that I got that off my chest, I am going to put on my walking shoes, hook up my dog and go for a walk!! Have a good day everyone out there in BLOG town..........Robin

The REAL Housewives of Orange County

Up until four years ago, I was a REAL housewife of Orange County. In fact, both my daughter's spent their childhood in Orange County, CA. Now that we live in Denver, CO. it drives me crazy to watch the TV show, "The Real Housewives of Orange County". I did not personally know anyone that was that over the top and materialistic! Let me share with you about 3 of my dear friends that I believe are beautiful examples of REAL Orange County housewives. These women live in the same gated community that they show on TV, Coto de Caza. Tania, Corinne and Patti are amazing women who stand for so much that is good and righteous. Each woman loves their husbands, children, friends and God. They are generous with time and money and give back to the community. None of them have been divorced and even though they are surrounded by wealth, each woman works hard to stay grounded. They are women who struggle in many different area's of life, but they get back up and try again! These are the REAL housewives of Orange County!! Today I've learned that each of us need to live with integrity and to strive to be the best woman we can be. The world is watching!