My Aunt Susan Rocks

Back when we were in Oklahoma for girls weekend in October, Aunt Susan got the call confirming that she had breast cancer. It was a hard thing to swallow for all of us. Our family has been hit by the C word too many times. We lost our precious Aunt Rosie to breast cancer in 2012, our Papaw to cancer in 2012, and Mom to cancer in 2015. I mean- loosing one person to the C word is too many! But knowing we had another person facing the fight- our hearts hurt. We were scared. Unfortunately we had all seen too much to NOT be scared. But as this amazing family of mine does, we put on our smiles and cheer leading suits and stepped up to the plate for our Aunt Susan.
After a long road of doctors appointments, tests, and scheduling nightmares...she got her surgery date set for the Monday after Thanksgiving. And in my heart, I knew I had to be there. I needed to be there for her. I needed to be there for Alisa. I needed to be there for Mimi. I needed to be there for ME. So with the help of my great husband and inlaws- I made it happen. And I even worked in a little something extra for ME.
Dad and Kathy were coming in on Sunday afternoon. Bit, Taron, and Nolan were coming in Sunday evening. And Alisa was coming in Saturday evening. SO- this girl beat them all there! I left on Saturday morning as soon as Josh got home from work and took myself to my Mimi's house-because Mimi time!!! I managed to score a one on one day with my Mimi. No kids allowed! haha! I can't tell you what that did for my heart. During the last almost 2 years, Mimi has provided the listening ear and open mind I needed many times. She gives advice without actually giving advice. If that makes sense at all. Adjusting to life without Mom involved many situations and trials that I didn't expect. And many times there was no one that could tell me just what I needed to hear. (or maybe I didn't want to hear what they were telling me). But there were two people who could consistently talk me down off of my ledge and help me understand and accept the "new normal". My Mimi and my Aunt Bit. They were there for me at a time when everyone else was there for me too- but thery were there for me in a different way. They never made me feel guilty, yet they helped me to see things in a new light. The only problem was that my Aunt Bit was a 14 hour car ride away. So our conversations were by phone. The 4 hour car ride to Mimi's was do-able. And it never took her long to get to the bottom of what was on my mind and heart. I have always enjoyed time with my Mimi, but over the last 2 years that time has become even more treasured. Time is a precious thing, and I treasure any amount of time I get to spend with my family.
So Mimi spent our day doing a little shopping, at my request, going out to dinner, visiting, laughing, and just being together. Best gift anyone could have given me. And by that night, Alisa had gotten in and she and Aunt Susan came to join us for a game of cards! Because CANASTA!

The only problem with this game was that Mimi and I were on the same team. I'm not used to that! My canasta game is based on a small level of knowledge and skill, and a large level of being "mean" to Taron and Mimi! But I was a good girl and was nice to her! It took concentration for sure!

Poor Alisa was SO tired! She had been traveling all day long!

I believe that Aunt Susan was a little tired too...

Or maybe she was just being "Crazy Aunt Susan". It's a title she wears well.
We ended our night a little early. Well, it was like 11pm- but that was early for the Johnson Card Clan! I'm pretty sure Alisa might have fallen asleep at the table if we had kept going much longer!
The next morning Mimi and I got up slowly, enjoyed our breakfast and coffee, and got started on preparations for dinner. And what was the most important part of dinner?

Cherry pie of course! As I watched Mimi make these pies, as I have many MANY times before, I began to wonder..How many pies have those hands made? Probably more than anyone could count. And the thing I love the most about watching her make those pies? The fact that she still gets out her trusty cookbook to do so! It's stained with cherry pie ingredients, and that only makes it more special.
Eventually (like as in about 1pm eventually) Mimi suggested that we get dressed. hhmmm. I was kind of enjoying my pajama day! But I agreed that we shouldn't probably be caught in our jommies when someone came over after NOON!
Aunt Bonnie arrived first, followed by Aunt Susan and Alisa eventually, then Dad and Kathy, and eventually Aunt Bit, Taron and Nolan (and then Uncle Dave in time for dinner!).
I introduced Aunt Bonnie to Snap Chat filters.... and laughed my tail off!

Everyone should have an Aunt Bonnie in their lives! Never a dull moment. Ever.
Many texts were exchanged through out the day about Cherry Pie and whether or not it would still be there when the Holt/Abner clan arrived. I MAY have hidden them in the laundry room to give the idea that they were in fact eaten. ha! Mimi also informed me that Taron and I could NOT eat out of the pie pan this round. She mentioned something about there being other people there and we shouldn't do that, and blah blah blah. Because honestly- I quit listening. Since when do Taron and I listen when there is pie involved?? So why would we start today??
This was the scene in the laundry room when we got caught!

We weren't scared. Much. (we WERE hiding in the laundry room though....) No worries- Mimi laughed (and maybe rolled her eyes at us..) and eventually Dad and Aunt Bit joined us and ate out of the pan....because they figured if Taron and I could get away with it, so could they!
After dinner there was mention of cards. But there were so many of us that we weren't sure how we could play cards and enjoy it. Then Alisa suggested we play spoons. I had never played spoons before.... but it's now my new favorite game!!!!
I am not sure when I have laughed so hard! I had no idea how crazy a game of spoons could get! But there were spoons flying all over that kitchen, under the table....

Fights broke out (uhhum Dad and Aunt Susan!!!)

Dad even pulled a spoon out of his own MOTHER's hand!!! Brutal I tell ya! I laughed especially hard when we had all picked up a spoon on the first or second round and Aunt Bonnie was still passing cards along! See?? I told you that everyone needs an Aunt Bonnie!
Who were the first 3 people out?

Yep- we are the cool kids!
But the laughter was still going strong as we watched everyone else!

Then Aunt Bit decided to join the cool kids club!

And then Dad's fool proof plan of just passing cards without looking proved to be less than fool PROOF! So he joined our club!

Next up to join the cool kids was Aunt Susan and Alisa!

Kathy hung in as long as she could! But eventually the desire to be a cool kid took over!

And then there were two....

And the last addition to our club was Taron!!

Which left Nolan as the spoons champ!

He's not boastful or anything....
Everyone finally wound down and found our beds for the night. I didn't say we used them...we just found them. Aunt Bit and Dad went to pick up something from the Abner's, and I could hear them in the garage...so I joined them and we visited out there until about midnight...
Then Bit and I continued our conversation until sometime around 3am! OOPS! But in our defense- we don't get to sit and visit nearly enough! So we seized the opportunity and talked until we could go no longer.... I always treasure my heart to heart talks with my Aunt Bit. She has an amazing heart, and I love that I can pour my heart out to her with no judgement. The sleep deprivation was totally worth it.
Morning came too soon- but it was so nice to be able to sit around Mimi's table with everyone and just enjoy being together. Kathy got to see why I enjoy my Mimi's kitchen table coffee time so much, and everyone enjoyed getting to know her a little better.
I sent this picture to my Aunt Susan and told her I was on my way to the hospital- but was going to swing by the Holiday Inn to check out the breakfast buffet first!

Eventually we did all manage to get dressed and head to the City to catch up with Uncle Dave and Aunt Susan. She was already prepped and ready when we got there, but we were lucky enough to get to go back and circle around her and pray over her. And I will tell you that the love we felt standing there was amazing. I felt a peace like no other, and I pray that Aunt Susan did too.
And no family moment is complete without a selfie!!!

They got her back pretty quickly and got surgery started. The rest of us hung out together in her room for the remainder of the day. Surgery took several hours. We passed the time by talking, laughing, playing on our phones, setting up our very own chicken buffet in her room, and praying for the doctors performing her surgery.
She didn't get back to her room until around 6. But we were all glad to see her! But knowing that we had a 3.5 hour trip ahead of us made Dad, Kathy and I a little anxious to get on the road. I felt so torn as I kissed her cheek while she slept. I wanted to stay there with her. I wanted to walk this road with her since I knew what lied ahead of her. But I also knew that I had to get home to my babies and Josh. It was HARD yall! But I just had to say my good byes, hide my tears, and get in my car....where I proceeded to cry most of the way home. The emotions that came flooding back while I waited for Aunt Susan's surgery to be over caught me off guard. As strange as it sounds...I longed to go back and do this again with Mom. Only because it would mean Mom was still here. And I still had more time with her. I managed to hold it together quite well- until I was in my safe place...alone in my car. Then it all came flooding over me. And I let the tears flow. Tears from missing Mom. Tears for Aunt Susan. Tears for Alisa- because I knew exactly how she felt as a daughter watching her Mama go through this. Selfish tears for me because I couldn't stay. It all flooded over me. And once I was done letting it all out- I felt better...a little.
But the best news we got of the day was that all of the lymph nodes looked clear, and we eventually found out that they were ALL in fact clear of cancer cells! HUGE PRAISE!
Now I am counting down the days until I can go back and hug her neck again!