Just so you know after reading the second blog post from yesterday you will be able to notice that the style of writing is different. lol.  Chris was kind enough to finish my posting.  He forgot to make a lot of errors (he made some spelling ones:) and he did paragrahs.  Hee, hee.
Chris forgot to mention a few things:)  The airlines lost Meg's second bag in Korea, so after getting off the plane and collecting her other bag we went to the baggage claim area and reported it.  They will deliver it sometime today.  Her carry on bag weighed 47 pounds just by itself!!!! and in the picture you can see her back pack!!!!  That's my girl!!!:)  If you look closely you can see her making a grunting face as she lifts it to put it in the trunk.  Hee, hee. The bag that got lost had all her souveniors and gifts in it so she was bummed.  She brought home a lot of different goodies that she had us taste.  some good, some not so good.  She went to bed at 9pm.  Some of her friends came over at 10 to visit (had to tell them she was asleep:(  - I was reminded how much I miss all of Meg's friends.  Meg got up this morning 6:20 am and went to cross country with Chris and Ryan.  Got to get that rice off.  lol.  I looked in her room a few minutes ago and found that she had moved her bedding from her bed to the floor!!!!!  Girl isn't used to a soft bed - she slept on wooden planks.

Also, last night at the Court of Honor Tay received his Life Scout award and we are now headed onto working on another Eagle project.  Tay wants to do the same one Rye did.  We are soooo thankful to his scout leaders they are ammmaaazzzziiinnngg!!!!!!!!! Without them all of my boys awards wouldn't be possible.

I had a hard time sleeping last night (kept crying).  My heart is sooooo full (yes, I'm crying!!), so full of joy.  Good news on Monday from Chris PET scan, Megan arriving home safely, getting to vote (living in America), my sons receiving scouting awards, and especially being together as a family -all 7 of us (I realized that at Cafe Rio when it was time to pay- lol).  Did I mention? My heart is about to burst???  It's sooo full. I am trullyyyyy blessed!!!!  I wouldn't be grateful enough if I didn't thank my Heavenly Father for all that he has given me.  I am truly the luckiest mom/wife in the world!!  Yesterday was such a wonderful day!!!  I just can't say enough - I'm just sooo grateful, so happy, so blessed.  Thanks Heavenly Father for the best day ever!!! (and the start of a new one:)
Love, Ricki

Today has been an exciting day!!!! Started out with Rye passing his driver's test. We now have 4 drivers (as soon as Meg gets her license back. lol). Took Jacob out of school early to go and get Meg. We waited for her to come down the escalator - sooo fun:) She looks great!!! She keeps mentioning all of the things she couldn't/didn't have in China example carpet:) She also took a shower and "accidentally" swallowed water and then spit it out. Then she remembered she could drink it:)

Next is work, figuring out school, and getting back to life in a free country. Fun to have her home, we missed her and she is such a grown up woman, always a big help at home.

We hit Cafe' Rio on the way home from the airport, Megan needed some Mexican food.  We then hit the local elementary school to vote.  Megan’s first time voting!  So she left a communist country with no rights to voting and returned to our great country and 2 hours after arriving she was able to exercise her freedom to vote!  She went on about how neat that was and how happy she is that she lives in the USA. 

Then we ran off to a Scout Court of Honor. Ryan received his gold eagle palm. That means he has earned 10 extra merit badges beyond his Eagle. Chess being the last one. Wonder if he will go for the next one, Silver. It would take another 5 or so merit badges...you never know.

Well, it is time to put some kidies to bed, including the jet lagged Megan, and prepare for another day. Thank you all for always thinking of Chris, me, and our family. We are so grateful for friends and family, you are some of the best blessing life has granted us!

So, I started some of this post yesterday and than got busy and didn't get to finish it.

A BIG YIPPEEEEEE!!!!  Megan is on her way home!!!  I'm sure that she is totalllyyyy exhausted from traveling 33 hours.  Lasst night for FHE we made Welcome home posters to put outside and to take to the airport.  She was flying "back wards" Shanghai to Seoul Korea to LA to home:)  Will be taking Jacob out of school early today to meet her and then we have invited friends and family to meet at Cafe Rio where she wanted to eat at after getting off the plane.  I'm sure she will be thrilled to see her friends (lol - after 33 hours- mmm... I bet she smells wonderful:)  I just can't believe that 5 months has gone by!!  It was soooo quick.  Hope it goes this quickly when I have a missionary out in the field:):)

Yesterday (June 25), was also Chris' PET scan results (down below was what I had written before his doctors appointment).  Goooodddd news!!!  No cancer in the liver or lungs!!!!!!  Lymphnodes that have been there are only about a centimeter bigger than a year and a half ago when he had his last PET scan.  He does have a new one in his pelvis but all of them are around 1.4-1.6 centimeters.  Doctor wants Chris to come back in September and we will discuss doing chemo.  Chris wants to continue to "play" this summer.  He has a lot going.  He helps every day with cross country (he has been walking/running 4 miles a day), on Friday's "he's the coach" and helps the kids with their form and on Saturday's is their to support them (and Rye) at marathons around the state.  He also went to Camp Helaman last week for a day and a half, is headed to Cubcamp for a day and has been asked to go to Bear Lake with Tay (which is probably the only way Tay will stay 6 days - read below than you'll understand:):) and he is in charge of food for Youth Conference.  Somebody must believe that he's going to be around for awhile.  hee, hee.  So, needless to say we are very excited with the results and look forward to having Chris around for awhile longer:)
This is what I wrote yesterday before we left to the doctors:
Chris got home Thursday night from camp around 6pm, showered and we headed out to eat with some of Chris' friends/old co workers and their wives.  Chris misses work and his friends:(  It was fun hanging out with them - they are a lot of fun.  Hee, hee.  Came home and Chris fell right into bed he was sooo tired and he said his neck hurt from sleeping on it weird.
Friday, we let Jacob and katie ditch school so that we could go and see " Brave" before Tay had to leave for camp.  LOVED it!!!  Make sure to stay to see what happens after the credits:)  I'm glad Chris got to see it.  He hates seeing the movie previews because he just doesn't know if he'll be around to see the movie.  Ever thought of that?  My poor, poor Chrissie:(  Came home and got Tay ready for camp.  They were leaving at 2.  Ok, another crazy story. . .. . .  I wake up at 8 am Saturday morning and look at my phone.  There is a message from Tay's scoutmaster it reads "brought Tay home not feeling well" (2:19 AM)  WHAT???!!!  I go running to Tay's room but he's not there.  I look around the house and their he is sleeping on the front room floor!!!!!  I wake him up 1) to see how he is doing 2) to get the story 3)why he didn't wake us up. He said that he didn't feel well.  Strawberry Reservior is 1 1/2-2 hour drive!!!!!! One way!!!  Then the scoutmaster had to go back up.  Tay said his tummy hurt.  Poor boy.  I don't think he will make it through a week at Bear Lake - Chris will probably need to go with him.  One of the leaders offered his camper to Chris - soo nice.  Crazy story - this is Tay's third time being brought home:(  Later that day my sister was kind enough to let jacob and Katie play at her house (Tay sick) so that Chris and I could sit in the car for four hours to go and get Rye from camp.  We got there a little late (suppose to be there at 4 for testimony meeting) but Chris was ill and we had to stop a few times.  Then headed back to Aunt Cherie's to get the kids.  Poor Rye hadn't showered all week so he was ready to go home and shower and sleep.

OK, so back to today (June 26), Rye is out taking his drivers test right now.  Will see if we have four drivers in the family.  Ooppss I mean 3 - since Meg can't drive.  LOL.  That's one thing we will be doing this week is getting her drivers class set up and pay her fine.  (along with getting rid of her WORM - hee, hee) Tonight after Cafe Rio we head to Tay and Rye's Scout Court of Honor - funny we had one the night Meg left and now one the night she gets back.  Exciting!!:) 
Tomorrow, Tay tennis, scouts and Rye works.  Thursday, it's Katie's last day of kindergarten and her kindergarten program.  We will also take everyone to see Brave if Meg is up to it:)  Friday, tennis, last day of school for Jacob (for 3 weeks:( eye doctor for jacob, Tay and megan and then onto Manti for the Manti Pagent (where Chris and I were married 22 years ago) for a yummy turkey dinner and a wonderful performance.  It's fun to read in the Book of Mormon and invision what is happening on the Manti Temple hill example when Moroni "rents his cloak" and talks about fighting for freedom and liberty (he's standing on the wall of the temple) adn the Nephites and Lamanites fighting.  If you haven't seen it you've got to:) This is the last week.  June 26-30. 
This is a good week, great week, exciting week . . ..  . 
"....the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of greater importance.  Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us; and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers."  -Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Love ya, Ricki

Monday went ok.  Chris was very sick and tired after the test (who wouldn't be after fasting for more than 12 hours), he came home and slept and for FHE we made it easy on ourselves and watched the movie John Carter (test results Monday 12:50).
Tuesday, we ate lunch with Katie.  The kindergartners were practicing getting hot lunch so they will be ready for 1st grade.  Just as I think about it I need to throw up!!  Maybe I should home school her:)  I have NO clue what I will do with myself - I like to keep busy and I will miss her tons, and tons (so will Chris).
Yesterday, I spent most of the day at the elementary school being "the snow cone queen."  Katie had 5 snow cones and I had 4:)  Chris would have helped but the Young Men's president asked him to help drive some boys up to Camp Helaman (16-18 year old boys) and to stay for a day and a half until other leaders come up.  I haven't heard from him since yesterday morning.  He is suppose to be back sometime today (it's a 2 hour drive).  Parents are to pick up their son Saturday at 4.  Sooo, last night 4 of us (crazy only 4 of us) had pizza (Chris can't eat). it's amazing how just making snow cones all day wears you out so we had pizza delivered (the really greasy kind - lol:)  I slept in the middle of the bed and had everyone in bed (including myself) by 9:30.  Sooo nice.  Hope Chris slept well on the ground:)
The rest of this week is filled with Tay having tennis lessons, getting him ready to go camping on Friday to Strawberry Reservoir, picking up Rye on Saturday and the BIG one.... going to see the new Disney movie - Brave.  The kids want to see it tonight at 12:01 am - yeah NO!  Excited to say that "Chris made it to another mile stone"  he wanted to see Brave and it is out tomorrow.  (Next one is Meg and that's almost here also:)Will see it tomorrow before Tay leaves for camp and again next week when Rye and Meg are home:):)
 Crazy!!!!!  Next Tuesday we pick up Meg from the airport! She loved her adventure to the Yellow Mountains.  She said it was beautiful and fun except for the 9 hour train ride - having to sit up there and back.   I spoke with her this morning and she soooo does not want to come home.  She loves her students.  This week was her last week teaching.  She took them each a hand written card with their American name on it and a bag of goodies.  She took pictures with each one of them separately and received gifts and love notes from them.  She says she is going to have culture shock coming home - hee, hee.  Last week she got sick - she is still sick.  Lucky Meg has a WORM!!  she is taking Grape Seed extract for it now and as soon as she gets off the plane she is to take the antibiotics that I picked up for her from the doctor.  The doctor said that Chris couldn't get it if we all use good hand washing and don't drink out of the same cup as her.  Soooo, when she gets home she is - just as a precaution - going to use one of the bathrooms (that will be only hers) so no one uses her towel etc.  Dixie cups for her to drink out of and then throw away. . . .  on a gross note (ha, ha) the doctor said that Meg should see the worm come out!!!!!!!!!!!  The boys are soooooooooooo excited.  They have begged Meg to let them see!!!!!!! and then she will have to be checked by the doctor. lol.  Sooo glad that this happened at the end of her trip instead of the beginning. Drama, drama, drama thousands of miles away. LOL.
Katie lost two teeth this week.  One, last Saturday while one of the employees from Lowe's and I ( where we bought the barbecue) were trying to load the barbecue in the van.  She comes to me all bloody holding her tooth:)  sooo, much fun:)  I feel soooo grateful to be a mother.  I love my children tons they bring me such joy (and pain lol) can't imagine life without them. 
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln
Love ya, Ricki

Today, at 12:30 Chris has a PET scan.  Mostly just to shut me and the insurance company up.  LOLLOL.  I feel more upset about having to go to a new location etc. (insurance changes) then I do what the test will find, only because we already know "he's going to die" just don't know when - and of course since he keeps out living what the doctors tell us:).  As Chris screamed yesterday "he can't die because he can't leave Ryan and I here to kill each other." lol. (we are tooooo much alike Chris says).  Chris was ill yesterday, he missed Jacob and Katie singing to him in church:(  I had them sing to him at home while I video taped it - it was even better:)  We spoiled him rotten with gifts that he can use now and the rest of us can continue to use when he's gone -gotta be practical (hee, hee).  He got a new chair, a Miami Dolphins fleece blanket that I had the kids each tie a side of and a funny story - I sent Chris to get ranchera meat for Sunday dinner (he speaks better spanish than I do) while the rest of us went and got his present (a new barbecue - as you all know I kind of set rs on fire:)  When we came home Chris was tinkering with are old one, he had replaced the pipes and put in new stones.  Ahhhh!!!  so, Sunday we used both. Ha ha. A sad conversation I caught between Katie and Chris yesterday - Katie said "when I'm ten ..." and Chris said "I won't be here I will be dead"  Katie - "ok, when I'm seven".  Chris - "I will probably be dead, but I will always love you."  (heart breaking!!!!!!!!!!!!)
We won't find out the results of the PET scan until next Monday.
I will send this post out now and than finish up with all the fun stuff that happened last week later.  Today will be a long day and I know I won't get back to this til tomorrow (maybe:)
7 days til Meg comes home!!!!!!

 Just got off skype with Megan.  she had LOTS to say:)  I will try to recap.  Hee, hee (she makes fun of me because I take notes while she is talking:)  Last week she had a "Chinese massage" they put warm glass jars on her back, she and her roommate had bruises and Kenzie passed out three times!!!  Aren't massages suppose to be relaxing?? lol.  The Harlem Globetrotters came to her school and performed.  The school performance that she and the other teachers and their students have been working so hard on for the parents went well.  She did another Home stay this past weekend and had lots of fun eating and karoking.  Some of them are going to the Yellow Mountains this weekend.  Tomorrow is her last day to be able to use Face book.  She has been paying a proxy since Feb and since she only has two weeks left she didn't want to pay.  Sooo, poor Meg no more face book:(  Yesterday they received an email from the American Embassy telling them to stay indoors that the air quality was very, very bad. (Ahhh,) something is burning but they don't know what and the Chinese government won't realise any information.  Chris and I were teasing her about her flight home.  She leaves shanghai (which I say as an American so that I really bug her, hee, hee) June 26th at 11:10am and arrives in Salt Lake June 26th at 3:15pm.  Boy that's not a very long flight!!! LOLOLOLOLO- Meg can't wait to see us. ha aha.  Hard to believe she's coming home soon.  We have been soooo blessed that Chris is still here and to have skype.  We just haven't missed each other thanks to being able to talk regularly. 
Rye didn't realize that he had one more road test to do.  so that's what he did.  He will take his test on June 26th Ha, ha, a very busy day!!!!:)  It's at 9 am and should take about 2 hours teacher said.  (can't miss Meg:)  He is also getting up for cross country practice every morning at 6:40 am.  Chris drives him.  while rye is out running Chris walks the track.  Last Saturday Chris and Rye got up early.  Rye ran the 3 miles and Chris cooked breakfast for everyone out running.  Katie, Jacob and I showed up for pancakes:)  Rye went to work to be the Cow and it had been sent out to be washed so he called me to come back and get him.  Not a happy camper.  I told Rye it had better not happen again - that they need to call and let us know - I don't enjoy driving back and forth and gas isn't cheap.  Well, it did happen again but this time as Rye says "they are afraid of me" so they let him stay.  Gave him a shirt and told him to just be a cashier in his shorts - he didn't have his uniform.  Ahhh, it's nice to have people "afraid of me" lol.
Tay and Rye had their physicals this week.  Poor Tay was soo freaked out about "turning his head and coughing"  The doctor told him to lay down on his back - Tay laid on his side, dr said on his back.  Tay laid on his stomach - dr told him his back.  Finally, I said "Tay the dr isn't going to check you with Rye and I in the room - calm down!!"  Pooooorrr boy.
Tay is enjoying tennis and doing chores (lol).
We got a call from r car insurance company saying that Chris' license was suspended and that they couldn't renew are insurance policy until it was reinstated so we needed to call the DMV.   Chris called and come to find out the ticket that he received in Missouri - which we paid.  Missouri sent the notice late and so we now have to pay $30 to get Chris' license unsuspended!!!!  Grrrrr.  that ticket has been such a pain in r sides. 
Last week was very emotional for me.  Wednesday afternoon Chris told me that he wasn't feeling well (hadn't felt well all day) and that he needed a nap but wasn't sure if he was going to wake up so he just wanted me to know that he loved me.  (see .... why I am emotional?!!)  I had to take Rye to work.  I told Chris that I was going to lock r bedroom door "just in case"  i didn't want the kids to find him.  After I dropped Rye off at work I came back and checked on him. He was still breathing (and of course continues too -- what a brat for scaring me).  I checked on him two more times.  By the fourth time he yelled at me and told me "that he was trying to sleep" lol.  Too bad for you.  You tell me something like that and I'm going to hover over you!!!   Friday, I hung out with friends all day - sooo fun.  Then we went to Michelle's wedding reception (meg's friend).  It was a beautiful reception.  They had a DJ for dancing.  I was ok until Michelle and her dad danced.  Then I fell apart.  Katie and Chris danced.  I was sooo mad at myself for not bringing my camera - I usually have it.  I felt very drained after just knowing that Meg and Katie won't have that.  I guess we just won't have a DJ that will solve that problem.  Being in the Temple with Michelle while she got her endowments out was wonderful and sad at the same time. Knowing that Chris won't be there physically.  Also seeing all of Megs friends that she grew up with made me miss her and the fun times we had when she was younger.  Having all of those wonderful young adults in my home.  Where has time gone?!  Then Sunday they changed Chris' home teaching partner which was Ryan to someone else!!    so now Ryan also has a new partner.  That was the last straw for this girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm not sure what I am suppose to do.  Have faith.  and yet don't you think that Rye and Chris should be partners until the end? - which we don't know when that will be.   Sorry, but I am mentally exhausted.  I need to rejuvenate myself some how.  Life is exhausting and yet I have it pretty easy right now.  I know it's going to get a lot harder. 
Katie has kindergarten testing today.  Rye work and tay scouts.  This week:  Jacob scouts, and a field trip to This is the Place that Chris and I are going to (school doesn't end until June 29th).  Tay and Rye go to the dentist.  rye and I to the eye doctor. Tay tennis. and another one of Megs friends is getting married on Saturday so we will attend the reception. 
Jacob told me today that he would like to be on D track next year so that he can spend more time with Chris.  I have no idea what to do.  We are on A track for next year but that means we only get a three week summer.  It will be hard on Chris and I when Katie goes into first grade - no one home to spoil:(
I will be OK soon.  Just feeling sorry for myself. (I'm allowed - right?!:)
Love ya, Ricki

Anyone for a crazy week???  Tues I went to physical therapy and they once again worked on my ribs.  It's crazy that I haven't had any tingling or numbness in my hand!!! It's been years since I haven't been in pain. Feels wonderful!!  I was verrryyyyy sore for a couple of days from whatever they did to put my rib back into place.  Chris was very kind and took over everything for a couple of days while I cried like a baby, iced my back and lived on ibuprofen. 
After physical therapy (before the pain set in:) I ran and picked up 1400 creamies and took them to the middle school for Wed and Thurs activities.  Wed., I took Katie to the eye doctor.  You may have noticed but she can do this weird thing with her eye.  It makes me nervous so every year I take her to the eye doctor so they can tell me the same thing. lol.  She's "just weird"  she can turn her eye and then bring it back.  I really liked this new eye doctor (we had to switch thanks to insurance:) they did a lot of tests on her and dilated her eyes.  Rye and I go and see him next week.  I like to keep up on that stuff, not knowing when my insurance will end. 
Thurs., i helped at the middle school with memory books, passing out creamies and taking down decorations from the 9th grade dance.  Came home and took kids to the pool - the outdoor pool just opened.  Now that Katie is 6 I don't have to be right next to her.  It was nice I put a life jacket on her and she swam all over, went down the slide... and I sat on the side of the pool so I could see her at all times.  The water was waayyyyy to cold, last weeks weather wasn't warm enough to warm the water:)  I'm sure I looked dumb sitting on the side of the pool with my legs in the water and my beach towel around my shoulders.  Hee, hee.
Rye finished school this week and has been working hard.  Go Rye!
Tay and Jacob's best friend is moving to Florida tomorrow so since Friday while his family packed and moved we had the honor of having him stay at r home.  Friday we had a "late night" for some and their friend Adam spent the night.  Saturday, was crazy for me.  sometimes I think I can juggle more than I can.  I put together the "Neighborhood get together" to say "good bye" to Adam and his family and say "hello" to the two new families that moved in recently.  i also asked a family that we met if I could bring them dinner.  The dad (his name is Chris - haaaa, haaa) is dieing of some blood disorder(has to go in every 6 weeks for treatments) and the mom (Tiffany) has three bulging discs and needs back surgery.  The dad (Chris) had been verry sick.  We can totally relate to them!!!!  He is the stay at home mom and she works for money and insurance.  Sooo us!! It's beeen good to talk to them - we get each other:)  Anyway, that picture of the chicken on the side - yeah, that was suppose to be their dinner and ours.  I was doing really well at first "babysitting" it than I got busy and forgot until the whole barbecue was on fire!!!  Big flames!!! I was planning on taking them dinner at 6 so that I could get ready for the party at 7.  In tears I vented out loud what I should do - Rye said "mom buy a chick fil a 64 nugget tray for $23."  (no family discounts:( so I called them and ordered it then ran down and got it.  This morning when I saw one of the kids (he's in Katie's class) he hugged me and told me "that was the best dinner ever!"  I laughed of course it was!!  I would love to receive Chick fil a for dinner.  lol.  (my family was pretty excited also about dinner:)
Chris has been working on helping the Cross Country team achieve their goal of running 500 miles this summer.  He put a schedule together for practice on Fridays (they don't practice on Friday's) which he will be in charge of and different races on Saturdays that are all over the valley.  His plans for this Friday are after practice to make the team eggs, pancakes and avocados (he saw it on line:).
He has been having a lot of problems with his stomach and breathing.  He grabs his chest - both sides and makes awful noises.  We try to ignore them - but it's stressful.  He has admitted to being in pain - which is not like him. 
Talked with Meg she says everyone is ready to come home from China:)  She loved her Home Stay this past weekend.  She learned how to make dumplings and is excited to make them for us.   Can you believe that she will be home soon?  All that worrying about Chris dieing while she was gone.  Pretty much over.  Hee, hee I don't expect anything to happen before she gets home:):)
This week isn't to crazy.  some of just the usual - Rye work, and scouts.  Tomorrow I work in Katie's classroom.  Wednesday, Tay will start taking Tennis lessons.  MWF for 40 min all summer.  He is very excited.  Chris and I love tennis we used to play when we were younger.  LOL.  Thursday, Rye and Tay are getting physicals (Rye - cross country and Tay for scout camp at Bear Lake) adn Rye is taking his DRIVING TEST!!!!!  ahhhhh.  Will see how it goes. Hee, hee.  Friday, one of Meg's good friends is getting married and we will go to the reception for her. lol.  I am going to try to get myself motivated enough to start painting again.  Boys bedroom, my bathroom and the hall bathroom where katie peeled off the paint mmmmm... stinker!!
"Suffering is universal; how we react to suffering is individual.  Suffering can take us one of two ways.  It can be a strengthening and purifying experience combined with faith, or it can be a destructive force in our lives if we do not have the faith in the Lord's atoning sacrifice.  The purpose of suffering, however, is to build and strengthen us."  Robert D. Hales
Love ya, Ricki