Incredible Week

Hello all, this week has been quite a bit quieter then last. Which was good because this family is tired...and finally caught up on rest. We got to see a lot of friends and loved ones last week. In fact we had visitors every night. The girls (and Mama & Papa)truly enjoyed seeing everyone. The best part, Natalia had no problem telling people when to leave, she had had enough. On to our weekend in Monterey...

On the 27th, when we got the news that the tumor was growing again, one of the first people we talked to was Jeannine. We said we were taking the girls and my parents to Monterey. This has always been a special place for this family. Edgar and I spent part of our honeymoon there and we took Natalia when she was just a few months old...and about every other month since then. We told her we were finally going to stay at the Best Western Beach Resort...we had been saying for the past several years that we would stay there the "next time" we went. Wellllll, J got right on the phone to Best Western and a few days later...they comped us 2 rooms and breakfast. WOW! Not only that...we were stopped at Casa de Fruita when I received a phone call asking what types of things Natalia liked. When we arrived at the rooms there were goodie bags for each girl filled with notepads, markers, colored pens, paper, photo albums, stickers and kites to fly on the beach...oh yeah...and cupcakes that said "Talia" across the top. Andddddd...fruit, cheese and cookie trays were delivered with balloons and sparkling cider. Edgar and Sophia took a little swim in the pool while Natalia rested. We met up with Tom(a photographer)at 3:30pm. David, my Sunday School teacher, had arranged for us to have candid shots taken by Tom while we were in Monterey. David said he racked his brain to think of a good way to help us...those of you who know us know we are picture crazy...it was the perfect thing. Tom shot for about 1 1/2hours all over the hotel and the beach.

Edgar and I carried Natalia's wheelchair down the steps to the beach. She said it was a blast. She got to feel the wind in her hair and the ocean at her side. She even took the piece of seaweed I handed to her before she realized how slimy it really was. Edgar and Pia ran with the kite and Natalia laughed at them. Dinner at the hotel was amazing...not just the food but the atmosphere. The restaurant is on the top floor with large windows down one side and mirrors down the other. You have an ocean view no matter where you sit. At breakfast, we watched a group of 12 sea lions swim and sleep just off shore. Amazing!!!! Then off to the aquarium, where each girl had their own must see items. It was fun but very draining. It would hit me every so often that this was the last time we would all be there...worse when we got home Sunday night. How's this for coincidence...as we were leaving the restaurant after breakfast a waitress stops me and says "I hate to impose on you but your story touched me so much. My 24old son has recently been diagnosed with an astrocytoma." I am beginning to hate the word impose...Shannon...there is no imposing and if there was I would have no problem freezing you out...I'm kind of good at that. I just thought wow, and calm over came me. Here was another mother who was about to start one of the hardest journeys of her life. I hugged her and told her there is always hope and not to give up the fight. I told her a brief summary of our journey and told her to urge him to give treatment a chance...we were only supposed to have until September '08 and she is still here. We have the chance to say goodbye and not have to wonder what if...

These last couple of days have been spent in recovery. Natalia was really worn out when we got back...ok, we all were. I'm tired now so I won't go into to how we are doing physically and emotionally...I just don't feel like crying tonight. It has been way to close to the surface all day. I feel good and strong enough to get through this time one moment and ready to shatter the next.

Much love to you all,
Roni