Thursday, January 31, 2013

Just came back from the doctors.  Chris sleeping.  So, I will take a minute and let you know what was decided today.  Chris is in a lot of pain so he is going to go ahead and do chemotherapy again.  They may later add radiation but for now doctor needs the PET scan done so that we can radiate the area that has the most growth.  Dr. is also worried about radiating his neck because it will hurt/burn his esophagus, causing more pain.  Chris will have his PET scan Feb. 5th and his port put back in on Feb. 6th.  He was very, very unhappy about having the port put back in but knows that his veins aren't good enough.  He will start chemo Feb 12th.  It will be close to one that he has had.  It's called folfiri.  All acronyms for each of the drugs.  It's said "full fury"  so we had to laugh - good name for the stuff.  He will go in every other Tuesday and get his poison.  It will take three hours there at the hospital and then he will be sent home with a pump which he will wear for 48 hours.  Then we will return to the hospital and they will remove it.  On r way to the hospital Chris and I were trying to decide which day would be best for him to have chemo.  He wanted Friday so that he could still teach Gospel Doctrine on Sundays (which he loves teaching) and I wanted Thursdays because Friday is early out day for elementary.  Neither of us got are way. lol.  Dr. said Chris would be tired on Sunday but should be fine and then the following week even better, so maybe Chris and his team teacher can trade Sundays so that Chris can always have his "off" week off:):)  We scheduled chemo all the way to the end of March which was wayyy weird.  Time getting closer for Meg to leave.  He does chemo Feb 12 and 26th and March 12th and 26th.  So he should be on the mend by April 3rd when we take Meg to the MTC - wow where did the time go????? 
Next week will be busy for us:) between Chris' doctors stuff, homework, Rye work, Tay Jacob and Rye scouts, me helping at the middle school selling candy grams, breakfast with books, family having lunch with kids day at school (on Wed), and the Blue and Gold Banquet for cub scouts - Jacob receiving his arrow of light, webelos patch and his religious knot (exciting stuff).  It's all good stuff:):)
One of Meg's favorite scriptures:  "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."
Love ya, Ricki

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Since my last post we now have 4 (me, Taylor, Ryan and Jacob) out of 7 of us on antibiotics thanks to me passing strep throat around. lol. Meds three times a day - got us all on the same schedule so that I can keep up. Finally, everyone is back to school. And.... will see who gets it next.....:)
Rye was asked to Sweethearts for this weekend - girl's choice.  Her name is Rachel and she works at Chick fil a with Rye.  Rachel's sister is working Rye's shift this Saturday so he can go to the dance.  Just waiting to find out what color her dress is so we can buy a tie and do the corsage:)
Meg has officially decided that she is going on a mission.  She has been working very hard on the paperwork.  Lots and lots of it!!!  She finished her FBI background check and fingerprinting (which she had to go to police station for) yesterday. She went on Sunday to meet up with a bunch of girls that just came back from their mission to Portugal and others that are leaving the same day she is.  She learned a lot about what to take.  She said it reminded her a lot of China.  They don't have dryers!!!  You hang your clothes to dry, which they never really get dry.  Take foot fungus cream because your feet will always be wet. lol. And they eat black, round squishy things from the ocean - which Meg says that she has already eaten in China, so she's good:):)  She said that she could totally handle it:)  I'm sooo glad she got to go to China last year she learned a lot.
Are cousin Sister Groneman is serving in the same mission as Dakota in Brazil.  Before she left we told her about Dakota and to look for him.  We also told Dakota to look for her.  Sooooo, last week their paths crossed:)  They ended up in the same restaurant on pday. Dakota's companion is (and other missionaries lol) totally in love with her and couldn't believe that he knew her, they wanted to be introduced. lol.  She is beautiful!!!  Dakota is in an area that is poor and has an orphanage.  He sent Meg a hair bow that he bought from a family that was selling them to save money so that they could go to the temple.  Soo, for Valentine's we are making hair bows, pencils (for the boys) and hearts out of candy canes to send so that Dakota can give them out to the orphans or the family that is saving money can sell them.  Whatever Dakota wants to do with them. We've had fun making them:):)
Chris is still in a lot of pain.  He continues to only take ibuprofen.  Can't sleep much, his back hurts, uses an icepack on his groin area tumor (it burns he says), his right leg isn't working right, his neck causes him great pain, and he is always tired.  Last night he fell asleep at the dinner table:(  He has an appointment with the oncologist Thursday.  Will see what he is planning on doing.  He continues to try to play ward ball, and ref ward games.  he has had some exciting moments on the court!!!:)  "Church Ball" need I say more??????????!!!! 
I will try and update you on what Chris decides to do sooner rather than later. lol.
Love ya, Ricki

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Finally!!!!  Meg sold her apartment contract Thursday.  Lucky for me I have been sick and she needed to be moved out by Thursday night.  Didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped.  1- she "thought" she had packed. 2- she had to return library books and pick up a check from the Admin bldg by 5 pm. 3-clean. 4- 5 flights of stairs will exhaust anyone, especially a mother who went to the doctor earlier that day because of strep throat. (mother's NEVER rest - lol). It was quite the day.  My sweet sister in law watched my kids while I was gone.  Car was soo full that we had to go home and unload first before I could go and pick them up.  I drove by my favorite hamburger place  which I would have stopped and eaten at if I could taste and if I knew that it wouldn't feel like I was eating shattered glass. sooo, now all seven us live under one roof again.  We are all trying to adjust. Hee, hee.  Meg was telling me that the next time she gets all her stuff out of r house will be when she gets married!!!  Crazy!!!  She still doesn't know what she is doing.  If you follow her on face book one minute she is counting down the days and the next she is finding out that Dakota's coming home sooner than expected.  Now, she is looking for a job but doesn't know if it is for 3 months or for longer.:):)  For her bday Chris took her, Jacob and Katie to dinner.  Tay and I were to sick to go and Rye was working.  It wasn't a very exciting bday for her:(  Yesterday she cleaned the temple for the first time.  She said she would clean it everyday for free:):) (I was suppose to go - I figured I wouldn't do the Lord any good laying on a bench:):)
Last Monday at Rye's work party he won a 32 inch TV:):)  He brought it home and told me it was mine- he felt bad he had forgotten my birthday.  What a nice boy:):)  Tay and Rye just finished semester number 2 at school.  They did a great job having missed so many days while we were in DisneyWorld.  Rye now has college credits to add to his resume.  He is taking Math 1050 this quarter. 
Jacob loves his contacts.  Tuesday, Jacob and Katie go back to school:( 
Chris is still not well. His back is still killing him and he is always very, very cold no matter how many sweaters he has on.  He has been refereeing ym and men ward bball games.  That doesn't require running up and down the court, he feels useful and he enjoys it and.... he's good at it. (he used to ref highschool bball games for money) he tries to play on the team but can only be in for about 2 minutes:( 
Life is never dull around here.
Love ya, Ricki

Monday, January 14, 2013

Toooo bad for Chris, but he is still here.  He feels horrible and his back is giving him a lot of trouble.  We went out for ice cream on my bday but had to leave sooner than expected because he just felt horrible.  Chris' new goal is April 13th - r wedding anniversary:):)  That's ok that's about three months away. 
Pooor Meg is in a dilemma of her own.  Friday afternoon a girl called wanting to buy her apartment contract.  Office was closed until Monday.  Girl didn't realize that Meg's contract is until Aug.  She wavered back and forth.  Still at this moment we aren't sure what the girl is doing.  Meg wanted me to help her move her stuff out last Saturday but I told her to wait - don't quit your job, don't drop your Portuguese class, don't move your stuff.... not until paperwork has been signed and deposit is on it's way back to my bank account:)  Sooo, who knows what Meg is going to be doing.  If the girl buys her contract then she is headed back home to look for a job and drive us crazy:):) until April, maybe???  or stay here until September when her boyfriend comes home from Brazil..... did I tell you she bought her wedding dress??????  She bought it from China, same city she taught in.  No shipping fees!!!!  It's beautiful - she looks beautiful in it.
 Dakota made her a very nice gift - each month she is on her mission she is to open a box with a little gift in it.  She opened the first one ...shhhh.... and it was written in Portuguese.  Chris read it to her:):)  So, now she is a little wishy-washy about going on a mission.  We've told her that no one will care which way she goes they are both wonderful choices.  Life choices:):)
Love ya, Ricki

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Yes, I know I haven't written for a while. I do have plenty of excuses and .... I did start three different times... they're just in the "draft" section of the blog. lol.
So, I will try and sum this up quick so that there isn't a "fourth" draft:)  Chris is NOT well at all.  We have stopped sleeping in the same room due to the pain he is in and the sleep he isn't getting.  If I don't get enough sleep I am a very unkind person.  He tried sleeping on the couch so as not to bother me but I found out that the couch has a permanent "dip" in it because of all the other times he has slept on it and that was hard on him so I made him "stop being nice" and take the bed.  Now he can watch tv if he needs to, lay in the middle of the bed, moan and groan all he wants, walk around the room or stand on the floor and bend himself in half and lay on the bed (all of which he does to try and alleviate the pain).  His back is hurting him a TON, his hips are gone and so he can't sleep on his side.  The tumor in his neck is very large and making it at times hard to swallow.  Breathing is becoming difficult, he is skinny and the tumor in his groin area is growing.  And....... he wants to die on my birthday.... Jan 11.....so that I will always remember him!!!!!!!!  I'm sure that it won't happen but he is done living.  He is in sooo much pain.  He asked me a couple of weeks ago "to let him go"  I of course said "no."  I told him it was fine to die on my bday but that put the funeral around Meg's bday (Jan 16) and I wasn't ok with that.  It's one thing to ruin my bday for the rest of my life but not hers.  I also keep reminding him that Taylor turns 14 on Jan 29 and will need to be ordained to a teacher.  Can't go anywhere!!!!  (Meg turns 20!!)  When you see him he doesn't act sick, but he is.  Tay asked me a few days ago "if dying hurts?"  I think we can all feel that it is getting closer.  We have witnessed a lot of miracles/blessings these past few months.  Megan getting her endowments and Chris being able to attend.  Being together for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New year's... spending good quality time together. There is always a pit in my stomach each morning until I hear the bed room door open - then I know he is alive:):)  Chris played a HORRIBLE trick on me the other day.  It was morning and I came into the room to get something and to me he looked like he might be dead, so I snuck up close to see if the blankets were rising and falling - nothing so I went closer and all of a sudden Chris sits up and yells "gottacha!!!"  I wanted to hit him really hard but instead hit the mattress and told him that I hated him. lol.  What a brat!!!! 
Meg is down at BYU again.  She couldn't sell her apartment contract so not sure how this is going to work when it's time to leave for Portugal.  She is working at the MTC and taking a Portuguese class.  and will celebrate her 20th bday on the 16th.  This is a secret...... you didn't hear it from me.....Meg will hang me by my toenails...... but she had her first colonoscopy on Friday.  Due to family history at age 19 each child will have one.   I must say it was a very emotional time for me..  I had Dr. Doxey do the colonoscopy for Meg.  He is a very kind man we saw him a few times in 2008 in the ER and I have never forgotten his kindness.  I knew he would understand my stress:)  Thankfully, she is ok and doesn't need another one for three years.  What a relief. (if you need a colonoscopy we have a wonderful doctor - I can give you his number:):)  My half glass empty personality was sending my thoughts reeling.  Not a good time to be around me. lol. So as for this mission stuff  I know this will all work out we just have to keep reminding ourselves that the Lord has a plan.  Have faith:)  Anyone needing an apartment in Provo by BYU? call us. lol.
Rye is working at Chick fil a still.  Adn he and Chris just finished a big school project last night.  Thanks to Chris I'm sure that he will get an A plus.  It was a power point presentation which Chris has always been good at:)
Tay babysat the neighbors bunny while they were gone at Christmas.  Did a great job at his Christmas band concert and is filling out the paperwork for his Eagle project. Will turn 14 on the 29th.  (just in case I don't write before then - lol)
Jacob turned 11 on Christmas Eve.  We spoiled him all month for his bday.  We went to Play Planet with friends and is covered from head to toe in Agent P clothing from Phineas and Ferb.  He just got contacts yesterday.  You might think he's a little young but he is very responsible (not like others in this family), he wanted them and hey, new insurance started this week. lol. (we have a great eye doctor if you need one:):)  We are off track right now so it is perfect for getting used to them.
Katie is alllll girl!!!!  and verry, very spoiled:):)  She got a cotton candy machine, and a  cake pop machine  for Christmas (all messy:):). 
Chris just reminded me that he has three days left!!!!  I reminded him that "he should go out in style"  there is the laundry to fold, the dishwasher to empty....... lol.  He's not to happy that I put this on the blog.  He really is a great guy:):)  Those of you that know us know that this is how we deal with it.  We laugh, we joke.  It's been four years.  I get tired of fixing my makeup from crying so..... joking it is.  Don't think badly of Chris.  I always try to put myself in his shoes and think how I would be... I would be afraid that  I would be forgotten also.  I know he is.  He mentions it often to us. I've tried to reassure him that we will never forget him.  He and I have been together over 23 years.  There is nothing that he hasn't touched in my life.  I told him I will cry every second!!  He doesn't want that he says.  Life is a roller coaster of emotions.  I'm sooo grateful for the gospel.  Without it I can't even imagine!!!!!!!!!!! 
We love ya all, Ricki