Good Monday morning!!  Hello everyone!  How was your Easter weekend?  We had a wonderful time in El Golfo.  Thank you so much for praying for us while we were away.  The weather was great.  It was very fun and relaxing just hanging around by the beach with our family and friends.  We laughed and ate and laughed some more.  Tyler loved playing in the sand and water.  The water was so warm too.  I took a ton of pictures that I will share with you throughout the week.  Since we returned yesterday, Nani hasn't had a chance to do Easter basket fun with Tyler yet.  We are going to plan a day for it soon.

We set aside a special time on Good Friday evening to have our gathering for Mike's brother Bryan, who passed away.  It was a very sweet, emotional and memorable time.  We carried out the wishes Byran had, and ended the evening with a firework show that Bryan would of loved.  I can't even begin to tell you how much he is missed.  It was great to be able to share funny and loving stories of Bryan throughout the weekend.  Love you Bryan!  We all still feel you with us.

Here are a few pictures of Tyler from this weekend.  There is nothing more cuter then a toddler playing on the beach.  Here is Tyler with the bucket and shovel that his Great Papa Frank and Great Grandma Jodi bought for him.  He is digging in the sand.

Filling up his bucket.

Then he just decided to get all the way in the water.  He loved it!

I thought about everyone this weekend and prayed that you all had a great time on Easter too.  I won't be hearing about when my appointment will be for the Cyber Knife procedure until sometime later in the week.  I will keep you posted. 

Prayer requests:  Please keep in your prayers the Anthony Garcia family for comfort and peace.  Anthony passed away yesterday at the age of 17 from cancer.  Also for someone who is having surgery today.  Pray that everything goes smooth and that he has a speedy recovery.

Psalms 3 verse 8:  For salvation comes from God.  What joys he gives to all his people.

Read the bible in a year:  Today.....2 Kings 12 - 14.  Tomorrow....2 Kings 15 - 17.  Eeeeks!  I am behind.  I will catch up this week.

Have a marvelous day everyone!!  Today is another gift from God and He is so Good!

Question.....What is your favorite thing to do at the beach?

Good Thursday morning!!  Also a good Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning too!  We are so busy getting ready to get out the door this afternoon.  So much to do.  It has been a little bit of a hectic week too.  I know once we are in El Golfo that we will all get a chance to rest and relax.  Really looking forward to hanging with the family.  I am feeling better everyday.

I want to wish every one of you a very Happy and Blessed Easter Sunday!  Jesus has Risen!!  Thank you God for sending your precious son Jesus to this earth, to live a life we all strive to live after, and then to sacrifice your son and die on the cross for our sins so that we can spend eternity with you!  It is the most awesome thing that we celebrate!  I believe this with every fiber of my being.

I pray for you all rest, relaxation and a whole lot of family fun!

Since I won't be blogging again until Monday I would like to wish two ladies, Teri Sulli and Gina Cosio a very "Happy Birthday" on Saturday.  Have a super fun birthday weekend girls!

Here is a picture of Mike and I at the zoo.

Here is one of my sister Monica and I.

John 20 verse 29:  Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen me.  But blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway."

Read the bible in a year.....Today...2 Kings 1 - 3.  Friday.....2 Kings 4 - 5.  Saturday...2 Kings 6 - 8.  Sunday....2 Kings 9 - 11.  Monday....2 Kings 12 - 14.

Have a fantabulous weekend everyone!  I will see you on Monday.  Today is another gift from God and He is so Good!

Question.......What are you and your family having to eat for Easter dinner?

Good Wednesday morning!  Mike and I went to Vista yesterday to have my CT chest scan done and OF COURSE they wanted it done with contrast!  Who was I kidding when I thought that maybe they would do it without contrast.  So you know what that meant......yep.....they had to start an IV.  Remember 2 weeks ago I had blood drawn.  Last week it took a couple of tries to get an IV.  Yesterday it took 3 tries to get an IV and where they finally got it was a very painful place in my arm.  I stayed strong until I got into the car to go home and then I cried.  I know that I shouldn't be upset by something as little as an IV but I was.  My arm is bruised and my veins are tired.  Whew.....thanks for letting me get that all out.  Now I feel better!  I am so thankful and grateful for your prayers.

I also met with Dr. Lean too.  She is awesome!  She told me that the Cyber Knife procedure required no IV's.  WooHoo!!  She is putting my plan of treatment together after she gets these scans and will call me sometime next week to set up everything.  She won't know until she looks at everything on how many treatments.  She said 1 - 3 and that they run consecutively by day.  They also fitted me for the vest they will use for the procedure and showed me the room.  It is all just the most amazing technology.  Dr. Lean told us that their Cyber Knife center was in the top 5 in the whole world.  God led me to the right place and I know that I am in good hands.  Get ready everyone because when this is all done we are going to "Happy Dance!"

I have my little sidekick Tyler with me today.  We are just going to hang out again.  We are both trying to get well before we leave tomorrow afternoon.  Here is another zoo picture.  In this one Jen and Ty are blurry but look at the polar bear in the background.  It was amazing watching him.  Cool exhibit!

Prayer requests:  I have received a prayer request from a family who has asked for prayer for a member of their family whose behavior and dishonesty has led to many problems that they are trying to deal with now.  They are asking that their family will be at peace again soon, have strength to deal with this and that the issues they are facing will be resolved quickly.

John 20 verses 13 - 17:  "Why are you crying?" the angels asked her.  "Because they have taken away my Lord," she replied, "and I don't know where they have put him."  She glanced over her shoulder and saw someone standing behind her.  It was Jesus but she didn't recognize him!  "Why are you crying?" he asked her.  "Whom are you looking for?"  She thought he was the gardener.  "Sir," she said, "if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him."  "Mary!" Jesus said.  She turned toward him.  "Master!" she exclaimed.  "Don't touch me," he cautioned, "for I haven't yet ascended to the Father.  But go find my brothers and tell them that I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God."

Read the bible in a year:  Today.....1 Kings 21 - 22.  Thursday......2 Kings 1 - 3.

Have a wonderful day everyone!!  Today is another precious gift from God and He is so Good!

Question.......Do you like the Cadbury cream eggs they have out at Easter?  I love them!  One thing I do not like though are the Peeps candy.  Anyone like them?

Good Tuesday morning!  Little by little I am starting to feel better.  My day with Tyler yesterday turned out great.  He wasn't feeling so well either.  So Nani and Tyler put out lots of blankets and pillows all over the family room floor and we chilled there all day.  He thought it was great and giggled that we had so many blankets and pillows.  We read stories, watched Sesame Street, ate snacks and lunch, played toys, snuggled and napped together there.   It was almost like an all day picnic.   It was absolutely wonderful.  Who would ever of thought that being sick together would be fun?

Mike and I are headed out later this morning to San Diego for my appointment with Dr. Lean and to have the CT chest scans done.  Sometimes I can't believe that all of this is happening, but it is.  Your continued prayers give me strength and peace as I take all of this one day at a time.  I humbly thank you.  Your support means the world to me and my family.

I asked everyone yesterday what their plans are for Easter.  Well for us most of the Gilbert family and some friends are actually leaving on Thursday afternoon to El Golfo, Mexico.  It will be a bittersweet trip.  Before Mike's brother Bryan passed away in October his wishes were to be cremated and to have his ashes spread out at sea.  This is where he wanted it done and this was the first chance where we could work it out for the whole family to go together and grant Bryan his wishes.  We will be staying on the beach there through Easter.  It will be a very memorable Easter for our family always.  Please pray for us all safe traveling mercies.  Unfortunately Jeff has to stay behind and will hold the fort down for us.  He is finishing up his internship for school and just can't take the time off.

Here are some more pics from the zoo.  This one is of Nani and Tyler looking at the Rhino.

Here is Tyler posed on a silver polar bear.

Prayer requests:  Pray for the cure for cancer.  Pray for all these awesome people who are fighting it: Lorri, Teresa, Lorenzo, Jose, Susan, Anna, Cova, Karen, Cyndi, Claudia's dad, Sharon, Betsy, Chris, Allen, Kenny, Irma, Faustine, Samuel, Father Ruben, Ken, Kristin, Patrick, Becky, Jim, Wayne, Carolyn, Ron, Jeff, Diane, Bill, Lara, Barbara, Kari, Heather, Gary, Denise, Cammie, Cody, Martin, Cynthia, Anthony and Bec.  God bless you all.

John 20 verses 8 - 12:  Then I went in too, and saw, and believed that he had risen, for until then we hadn't realized that the Scriptures said he would come to life again!  We went on home, and by that time Mary had returned to the tomb and was standing outside crying.  And as she wept, she stooped and looked in and saw two white-robed angels sitting at the head and foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.  To be continued...

Read the bible in a year:  Today....1 kings 18 - 20.  Wednesday......1 Kings 21 - 22.

Have a terrific day everyone!  Today is another precious gift from God and He is so Good!

Question.....Has anyone been eating the Easter candy they have bought yet and saving for Easter?  Yep, I have.  I figure I will just go back and buy some more.

Good Monday morning!  Well Mike and I went ahead and left for our weekend away that he had reserved and had planned for months.  I was still sick but just knew that the antibiotics would kick in and I would be better once we got there.  Well it didn't quite turn out that way.  While I can't say it was the perfect weekend away is was still nice and we had a good time.  We went to a place called Newberry Springs and went camping.....in a tent!  Can you believe it?  Here is a picture of the view from our tent which was right by the water.

It was a little piece of paradise and I thought to myself as I was sitting there feeling yucky that I'd rather be sitting here relaxing looking at this beautiful private lake then home relaxing in my bed looking at my walls.  Mike did everything for me this weekend and wouldn't let me lift a finger.  It was so comfortable and would of been perfect had I been feeling 100%.  We will definitely go back there sometime again.

I am officially on Spring break.  I wasn't going to have my little side kick with me today because this infection has turned into a nasty headcold but he woke up as sick as me.  So we are going to snuggle in my big bed today and rest. We will read lots and lots of books.  

I have to go to San Diego tomorrow for my CT chest scans with Dr. Lean.  Could you please pray that I get over this soon?  I do not want it to delay getting the cyber knife treatment.  Also I am not sure if this CT scan is going to be with contrast or not.  If it is, it means getting another IV and the thought of another IV so soon makes me so aprehensive about the whole thing.   

Prayer requests:  Please pray for the Bendix family who has been through a lot lately.  Traci is recovering from surgery and Rick had a massive heart attack.  Pray for complete healing for both of them and for strength.

John 20 verses 1 - 7: Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone was rolled aside from the entrance.  She ran and found Simon Peter and me and said, "They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!"  We ran to the tomb to see; I out ran Peter and got there first, and stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but I didn't go in.  Then Simon Peter arrived and went on inside.  He also noticed the cloth lying there, while the swath that had covered Jesus' head was rolled up in a bundle and was lying at the side.

Read the bible in a year:  Today.....1 Kings 15 - 17.  Tuesday.....1 Kings 18 - 20.

Have a simply marvelous day everyone!  Today is another gift from God and He is so Good!

Question......So what are everyone's plans for Easter?  I will tell you ours on tomorrows blog entry.