See you up there!
On Thursday, August 25th, my mom, Kathleen Marie (MacDougall) Van Zutphen passed away from complications related to pancreatic cancer.
She was surrounded by her children and free from all pain and discomfort. It was the most peaceful and beautiful death. After 2 days of constant sleeping, she took her last breath and was gone. She went from being surrounded by her children on earth to being reunited with her son Kevin in heaven. He passed away in 1980 after a tragic accident.
We were worried when she was diagnosed with cancer back in February of this year that the upcoming months would be full of pain and suffering.
Who could have predicted the upcoming months would look like this...
The baptism of her newest grandchildren days after her diagnosis!
Elena's 1st birthday party in February
Mom's 69th birthday on April 6, 2011
A special lobster dinner for her 69th birthday with my siblings! She was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia where lobster is as common as chicken :)
The Great MacDougall Extravaganza in April
Our big family reunion with almost all of her siblings in April of this year
Double Rainbow sighting in May!
Friends visiting in late June
Visits from family in late July
Can you believe that is how she spent the last 6 months living with terminal pancreatic cancer?!?! We are going to miss her like crazy but we are so peaceful in the knowledge our Catholic faith gives us that she is enjoying her reward in Heaven with Jesus and Mary. And we are also joyful that we have a new intercessor to pray for us constantly in heaven :)
If I even tried to relay the peace and joy she had the last few months living with terminal cancer, it just wouldn't do her justice. She was so peaceful knowing that she would die soon...in fact, she couldn't wait :) I can't go into the stories of her life here on my little blog - it just couldn't contain her story. As times goes on, maybe I'll have a chance to share things here and there so that my kids can revisit it all in the future.
Holding Leo for the first time
Holding Elena for the first time
I love you and miss you Mom :)
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