Chris is doing O.K. It's been five weeks since he had chemo. Last week his hair started falling out by the handfuls. He has very thick hair so it might be hard to tell but it is alot thinner. He wants to shave his head. We find his hair in the food and on the kitchen counter etc. First I thought it was the cat. His fingers are almost healed and he has been able to do things that he wants to do. He put up Christmas lights on our house (he was to sick to do it last year). He has taken Ryan, Taylor, Jacob and Katie each Christmas shopping and out to eat (he will take Megan next weekend when she comes home). He pulled my washing machine apart to see what was wrong (with the guidance of "British James" on u tube) - we are going to the laundry mat today, we've been without a washing machine for a week!! The repair man said the part will be in on Friday or Saturday. It was cheaper to repair the old one then get a new one (darn it:) I wanted a pretty red front loader) And he is helping coach Tay and Jacob's Jr. Jazz bball teams.

Katie and Jacob have been sick this month. Jacob will get his braces off on Dec. 12th at which time he will get a retainer that will have a fake tooth on it. He is missing a tooth (just like Chris). When he is older he will have braces put back on but for now the dentist was fixing his bite. He is excited to get all that metal out of his mouth:)
Took Rye to the foot doctor. He hurt his foot during cross country and it has been hurting him a lot. Thank goodness nothing serious was wrong. They took xray and found that he isn't done growing - he was very excited. His foot was hurting because he is growing and needed some arch support. Easy to fix. We also enjoyed going to his cross country banquet. We also celebrated him receiving his Eagle Scout award. Chris was ill that night and we started late so we could wait for him. It was a wonderful evening. Rye gave one mentor pin to Chris for being a wonderful father and scout master to him and the other mentor pin went to the young man that helped Rye with his Eagle - the young man is on his mission right now (in Brazil) so we asked his family to come so that Rye could pin it on his mom and we would send it to him. Chris worked hours and hours on Rye's video. It was sooo much fun to watch. Chris did a great job - like always. I must say I am sooooo glad to have it all the way over.
We had are Primary program this month. It was wonderful and we were soooo blessed to have a special visitor "pop" in to see us. Dallin H. Oaks came and watched. He was so fun to watch. He smiled at every child after they finished their line. He also spoke to us. Katie and Jacob both had their lines memorized - so proud. After the meeting Chris, Meg, Tay, and Rye went and shook his hand. Very cool. I know we live in Utah but we really don't get many opportunities to shake a General Authorities hand and sit so close.
We had a very nice Thanksgiving. Chris wanted to have a real tree for xmas so we went and bought one. Tay, Jacob and Katie have never had a real tree before. Smells so good. It's tall and bushy.
Meg got her passport last week and is still very excited about going to China. she moves back home Dec. 18th. She will work, work and work so that she can pay for her trip and extra spending money there.
Chris and his two friends decided that they wanted to teach their sons how to play Dungeon and Dragons just like they used to play as kids (get them to use their imaginations:) It's sooo fun to watch and listen to them play. They are having such a good time. They have been playing once a week for the past month. Nine people total - makes for a lot of noise:)
Can't believe it's December!! On December 12th it will be 3 years since the social worker came out and took me into a room with him, the doctor and a large box of kleenex to tell me that Chris only had 6 weeks to live. I can still remember the whole thing as if it was yesterday. My how our lives have changed!! We just keep adjusting to the different situations that come at us. Sooo grateful to still have Chris with us. Life will be sooo awful when he is gone. I've gotten used to having him around 24 /7 (I didn't think I ever would:). I know he would rather be at work but sure has been nice to eat dinner as a family at 5:00 pm if that's the only time we can eat because of everyone's schedule or eating lunch with one of the kids at school, Katie and him going and getting a Slurpee, helping with homework and typing projects, making an Eagle Scout video for Rye and many other things.
Oh, and he learned to appreciate me more this week!! LOL When he was taking the washer apart he kept telling me he was "sorry that I had to work in these conditions" You know how it goes all around the machine is lint, lint and more lint. No matter how often you clean it, it comes back:) and mounds of dirty laundry all around. I couldn't stop smiling, he had such a good time watching those videos and then going downstairs and doing what the guy said. He was like a kid in a candy store. And he and the appliance repair man "talking shop." I did video tape him. It was fun to see him having fun. Oh, how I love him:)
Love, Ricki