Momma in Maine

Ok, first the hard part...then the fun part...

I have been very hesitant to put this part of the story up here on my blog.  Mostly because it is not my story...it is my sister's story.  And as far as I can tell only people who would be complete strangers to my sister read my blog.  I don't know if I was in her shoes I would want strangers reading about me.  However, she is the reason for the fun part of this story--and the hard part so I think I have to include it all.

This:

is my sister, Camie.  She is sixteen months older than I am.  She is funny, beautiful, strong and one amazing Momma.  In February she noticed a lump on her neck and after some prompting she went to the doctor.  The biopsy came back positive for thyroid cancer.  Thyroid cancer is typically one of the better cancers to get...that doesn't even make any sense.  

Cancer is crappy, always.  

But thyroid cancer has a very high cure rate and treatment is more manageable than some of the other cancers.  You just have to live without a real thyroid for the rest of your life and take medication--always.

After her surgery to remove the cancer in her thyroid they discovered the cancer had been naughty and spread.  She had another spot in her lungs.  This all happened over the summer.  While I was in Utah visiting my older brothers we all agreed, Camie deserved a special visit from all of us.  We haven't all been together since the reunion in 2008.  We started planning.  We thought a total surprise would be the most fun.

Last weekend, I got on an airplane all by myself for the long trip across the country from California to Maine.

Adell gave me her princess ring and reminded me to sit by the window so I wouldn't get sick.

It took all day but I finally made it and two of my sisters were there to pick me up at the airport.  Camie didn't know that all of the siblings had been planning a big, fat reunion in her honor.  She thought I was the only one coming out.  She wanted to get me up to northern Maine to see our Mother.  

Camie is on the left, me in the middle and Jennifer on the right.  I think we have some actual ghosts in our ancestry--it is the only explanation for our crazy-pasty-complexions...or airport lighting?  

The next day, we convinced Camie to hold off on plans to see Mom in favor of seeing Dad.  We were going to the beach and going to eat Italian sandwiches.

Camie and I drove over to meet my Dad with my other sister, Lesely.  Lesley also did not know all of the siblings were coming.  We kept it a secret from all of the Maine siblings in order to keep it from Camie.  The whole drive over I kept giggling.  I had to blame my giggles on the beautiful fall foliage.

From left to right: Me, Dad, Camie and Lesley

Once we met Dad at Amato's (if you are ever in Southern Maine, get an Italian from Amato's--you wont be sorry).  Dad asked Camie to go pick up some chips to have with lunch.  When she walked over to the chip section all of our brothers were there waiting.

So she started crying.

Then was lots of crying and lots of hugging.  It is a shame we don't get together more often.  We wouldn't have to cry so much when we do get together...

I guess I will go ahead and add a little more to the hard part of the story.  A couple of weeks before we were going to be in Maine Camie started having symptoms that possibly meant the cancer had spread to her brain.  It was a horrifying week where we all cried and worried and waited for brain scans and doctor meetings to happen.  The results came back clear.  Still, it added a heaping pile of stress on a woman already dealing with enough in her life.  Yuck.

Oy, I am crying typing this.  Once we had recovered sufficiently we bought a boat-load of Italian sandwiches and headed to the beach.  We ate and talked and laughed.  And, I think, we all felt better.

Me and one of my younger brothers, Charlie.

Me and another younger brother, Ebin.

Lets see...from left to right: Dad, Charlie, Me, Caleb, Camie, Jennifer, Lesley, Ebin, Mike, Annette and Chris.  We are only missing Oliver for the siblings and every one's significant other--other than Annette who is Chris's wife--just so you don't think I have an adorable, blond sister I never talk about.

After the beach we all drove back to Jennifer's house for dinner and games.

Hey Mike!  Mike is the wood working brother who walked me through destroying painting the wood dresser over here.  Then my Dad and Camie.

There was more laughter and catching up around the dinner table.  By 7 pm I think we had laughed more than we cried so it all worked out.

The next day was Mom's turn.  We piled into cars and made the long drive up to northern Maine to see Mom.

It was a seriously long drive.  I did not barf...many thanks to sitting in the front seat a luxury usually denied to younger siblings growing up--it helped that we had five cars driving north.

Ebin, Mom, Caleb and me

Mike, Mom and Chris.  Chris is the oldest sibling in our family--he kind of runs the show.

My Mom moved from southern Maine up to northern Maine earlier this year.  She lives there with my youngest brother, Oliver.  Have I mentioned that Oliver has down syndrome?  Mom showed us all around her "new" place.  Her "new" place is one of the homes my Grandparents lived in when I was growing up.  When my Grandma Clara passed away my Mother bought the house.  It has been her dream to retire up where moose, deer and bears out number people for a long time.

Oliver bossed Ebin around the whole time.  Oliver made Ebin haul the wagon around outside for a while, then he made Ebin carry the wagon inside, down to the basement.  There he made Ebin give him wagon rides--after Ebin cleared a track.  Oliver is 25 years old and has us all wrapped around his little finger.

After Ebin left (Ebin, Charlie, Mike and Charlie's girlfriend, Shannen couldn't stay the night at Mom's house--work commitments and a flight out for Mike sent them away early) Oliver stayed in his room going through his important paperwork.  Oliver loves cowboys and every villain from the Disney movies.  That gigantic pile of papers?  It is all pictures of cowboys and villains.  He carefully looks over each picture, laughing or scowling.

The next day Mom showed us the "swimming hole".  I was just a-gog over the fall colors.

Caleb and Mom.  Caleb is one of the brothers who lives out west.  

After checking out the swimming hole we had to head back down to southern Maine.  Those of us flying home had flights the next day out of Boston and we needed to be back in time.

Over all, it was a crazy/wonderful trip.  I still cannot believe we pulled it off--the surprise, all of us being together, managing divorced parents...we did it all.  Thanks a million to all my brothers and sisters who made the effort.  Go us!

A last picture of the ten of us.  Wow!  

It was a fun trip, even if it took a cancer diagnosis to get us all together.  Lets do it again--but leave cancer out of it next time.