Thursday Chris had chemo. He lost 3 pounds but his white blood cell count was 3.4!!! Wow! From .78 to 3.4. Anything higher than a 3 is were they like it to be:) After chemo we had a family Christmas party (my mom's side) Chris wasn't well but such a trooper went anyway. He is tired, sick and been having bad headaches. He is also trying hard not to get sick, thanks to his family. I started getting sick Friday. Poor Chris has been sleeping on the couch since then:(
Meg and I went to the David Archuleta/Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert. It was wonderful!!! After the concert we ran to Deseret Book store and waited almost two hours in the cold for him to sign some CD's that we bought. Saturday night we had are annual family (my dads side)Christmas party. Chris was ill but came. We ate, talked and Santa came. Fun to see all the relatives. Last year at this time Chris was in the hospital with blood clots in his lungs, and making me wonder if he would be around to baptize Jacob. Jacob's last birthday brings back wonderful memories - being baptised on Christmas Eve and having a wonderful lunch and a beautiful birthday cake made by a special family. Thanks again:):)
Chris will see the doctor on December 30th and should have chemo.
Hope your almost done or done (that would be better:) Christmas shopping. I am excited to start relaxing (hee,hee). After Wednesday morning I can. I am feeding the teachers breakfast Wednesday. I am having most of it catered. Thank goodness since I am not feeling well. Darn cold!!! Last week I had a child home sick every day. Ahhh. (Didn't get any shopping done!) Haven't even started on neighbor gifts yet! I do have to admit yesterday was fun - all day treats kept arriving. Kids would fight to get to the door to receive the goodie. We are surrounded by good cooks. Keep um comin!!:) hee, hee.
Have a Merry Christmas! We love you all,
Ricki

Chris lost 3 pounds this week. Didn't have chemo because his white blood cell count was 0.78. Last weeks chemo was realllyy hard on him. He was still throwing up Wednesday night, which is unusual. The nurse gave him an IV of Zofran to try to relieve the nausea. Doctor decided that Chris should come back next week for chemo (it would have been his off week). Will see how it goes.
So, now I have to be flexible with my schedule (which I don't like to do:) We were going to celebrate Jacob's bday next Saturday, during the day after his Jr. Jazz game and before my Uncle's xmas party (Friday, I have tickets to the David Archuleta and Mormon Tabernacle Choir Concert- lucky, lucky ME!!! I'm surprised you didn't hear me screaming when they arrived in the mail:) but we are now going to celebrate tonight because Chris might be ill next week. Had to call all the relatives, go and get his present and buy his birthday cake. Asked my mom to babysit Katie next week. Change my dentist appointment (was next Thursday- that's ok though hate dentist:) If Chris had had chemo yesterday he would have then had chemo Dec. 23rd making him sick for Christmas. This way if he has chemo next week then he won't be sick for Christmas. Good thing. So, now Chris can go to Jacob's bday party, his Jr. Jazz game on Saturday and ward Xmas party. Maybe I will even throw in a trip to Temple Square to see the lights - since he is feeling better (hee, hee) then if he had chemo:):) Doctor mentioned changing chemo to every two weeks. We meet with him Dec. 30th.
"Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." (Ether 12:6)
Love ya, Ricki

Chris gained 6 lbs!!! His white blood cell count (immune system) was at 1.1. Doctor decided to still treat him just a different dose. Doctor doesn't believe that white blood cell count will go up much higher because his bone marrow has "been beaten up." (Bone marrow is where white blood cells are made). Chris has been doing chemo for about a year and a 1/2. Takes its toll on the body. It was very nice having a talkative, happy husband for awhile but now he is back to throwing up, sleeping and being very tired:(
I want to thank those at Chris' work that did the candy gram for him. That was very thoughtful. Things like that always make people feel loved and appreciated. Chris needs stuff like that so that he can keep fighting. Makes life a little easier. You're awesome!! Thanks again.
Everyone but Chris and Ryan are sick. We have: sore throat, fever, aches and pains, cough and congestion. Been a lot of fun trying to keep us away from Chris. We are using a lot of wipes, hand sanitizer and Lysol.
Meg had a great time in California on her trip, came home sicker then when she left:):).
Chris put up our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving day and finished taking the kids shopping. We loved the movie Tangled by Disney. Katie kept asking if we could buy it:)
Jr. Jazz has started for Tay and Jacob. Here comes the hair pulling (on my own head:) because of now being way to crazy. Tay and Jacob have bball practice, Rye has a choir concert, all three boys have scouts, chemo, ward Xmas party, bball games, science fair project, and Tay has a Greek project due. At least I can say we have now started the science fair project. Rye is growing bean plants in cups and feeding each one a different liquid - Rock Star, 5 hour Energy Drink, Pepsi, water, and Miracle Grow to see which one will do the best. "Place your bets!":):)
"Happiness does not depend on what happens outside of you but on what happens inside of you; it is measured by the spirit with which you meet the problems of life." -President Harold B. Lee
Love ya, Ricki