Crazy but today its been one year since Meg left us for China.  Time flies!!!! One year ago I was crying like a baby.  Soo, nervous, scared, excited for her and her new adventure, and soon she will be leaving us again for another adventure - - Portugal. April 3rd.  She and my mom have been working very hard on getting things bought (I've been lucky enough to have sick kids:( she has a lovely plum colored winter coat, blue raincoat, good walking shoes.... She continues to read her Book of Mormon in Portuguese along with listening to it on CD.  It's a lot of work to get ready.  Her mission farewell will be March 24th. She shows me blogs of other sisters there in Portugal and I cry.....another adventure that will just make her a better person.
Rye had a great time at Sweethearts.  They went to a trampoline place during the day and then a big group of them went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner then to the dance and then to a friends house and watched a movie.  It was soo nice that Rye went with a girl that has the same standards as him.  She had to group date, parents had to be home at friends house, good movie to watch and had to be home by midnight. Ahhh, soo nice.
Since Sunday I have had 3 sick kids.  Jacob came down with the flu and Katie and Megan got strep throat.  Soooo, if you are counting that is 6 out of 7 of us that have had strep.  We are still trying r best to keep it away from Chris and to keep it from spreading around us again.  Tuesday and Wednesday Megan was lucky enough to take care of Jacob and Katie so that I could be with Chris. As of today Jacob and Katie are still on the mend.  They haven't been to school all week:(  Hopefully tomorrow.  I was sleeping in the boys room because there was more room on the floor but I had to switch to the girls because Jacob's coughing was driving me crazy and.....his talking in his sleep.  He yells at Katie a lot.  I don't know how Tay stands it. lol.  Meg cleaned up the room so I am now sleeping with "the girls" again.  When Chris has his chemo I would have moved anyway... the pump he wears is very noisy and vibrates the bed when it touches the mattress. Loads of fun:):)
Last night was the Blue and Gold banquet for Cub Scouts.  Bitter sweet.  It was my last pack meeting that I will ever attend. No more boys in cub scouts.  We have been going for years!!! The women that put it together did a fantastic job.  Decorations were so cute and the arrow that Jacob received was very cool.  They even roped Tay into helping.  He did the scout oath and motto (Rye had to work).  I was very grateful that Chris was able to go he had had a long day.  He was even in the kitchen cutting up hoagie sandwiches for the dinner. Thanks cub scout committee for a wonderful evening.
Last week I got to meet with the principal of the middle school, Taylor and one of his teachers.  Since the beginning of school Tay has been in a class that doesn't respect their teacher.  They dance on the tables, talk disrespectfully to her, etc..... a very naughty class.  I have spoken with the administration a few times and they have been good about helping but for some reason last week things spiraled out of control.  The teacher decided that because the class was soo bad that she was going to punish the whole class by giving them a pop quiz.  My sweet, quiet Tay decided that he had had enough of being punished for the actions of others.  He stood up, told the teacher "No" tore up the test and threw it in the garbage.  Because I was sleeping in the boys room that night I was lucky enough that Tay spilled his guts (at about 10 pm when we were suppose to be sleeping. lol.).  Through this whole year Tay and I have just wanted the kids to be respectful to the teacher and to learn that she is of value not to let others treat her that way.  She is a great teacher and Tay enjoys her and her class (when they are behaving).  We talked about switching out of her class at the beginning of the year but Tay didn't want to leave the other good kids to defend themselves.  Needless to say.  The whole thing was quite the experience.  Tay can handle a lot but when he finally feels like he's had enough he's going to blow.  Watch out. lol.
Finally, onto Chris and his two days of torture:):)  Monday night turned into an emotional evening.  The hospital called to tell us that we would owe $1100 the day of the port.  It's a new year, we start over with insurance deductible.  I called insurance to see how it works.  The lady said that we pay first $2200 and then after that we only pay copays. Chris gave us the "we don't have the money."  I should just go on hospice and die." "I'm not worth it" "I don't want to go into debt and put it on the credit card or borrow money from family" The last two were my suggestions.  I know we have plenty of family members that would loan me the money and then I'd pay it back after he died from the life insurance money.  I swear he's trying to kill me!!!!!  Sooo.... then we had decisions to make.  PET scan cost $6,000 just by itself so there is the $2200 all by itself.  Tuesday morning we went for the PET scan.  He was very sick afterwards.  Shhhh don't tell (he doesn't read the blog), I called the doctor and asked him if we brought the scan over now if he would look at it and tell us if he thought we should put the port in or go on hospice.  Dr. Whisenant was very kind he looked at the scan - tumors everywhere  except in the kidneys and bladder.  He said that he would go through with chemo that he hoped that that would alleviate some of Chris' pain.  He was very sick that night - threw up, lots of pain:(
Wednesday, kids sick and Meg was kind enough to take care of them (so we missed breakfast with books).  Chris appointment was at 9.  We sat in three different rooms and they didn't wheel Chris away until 11.  I wasn't to happy I had a PTA meeting at 2 that I needed to be there for because we needed enough people to do some voting for and the Blue and Gold banquet that night I was in charge of food and feeling guilty leaving two sick kids at home (nothing like having your mom).  I say "if I'm on time so should you!!" lol. It takes time for the surgery and then after you have to wait to "come out" of it.  The whole thing was an hour behind.  While I was waiting for Chris to "come out" of it so we could go I over heard the doctor speaking to the people next to us because he was talking loudly (the man that had the procedure wore hearing aids but didn't have them in) he said to the man (I don't know his name) that he was sorry but that he had pancreatic cancer and maybe had about 6 months to live.  I immediately stood up and moved closer to the curtain separating us.  I had told Chris earlier before he went into surgery that the couple next to us looked familiar but I couldn't figure out where I had seen them.  They started asking a lot of questions especially about good surgeons.  then they mentioned Dr. Whisenant's name and I immediately appeared on their side of the curtain (my hands are sweating as I type this - me and my forwardness - I make myself nervous. lol).  I knew exactly where I had seen them.  The doctor this whole time had been very negative, the woman was crying.  I introduced myself (with the doctor giving me a crabby look) and told her about Chris.  That I could give her a wonderful surgeons name and that we went to Dr. Whisenant.  the doctor proceeded to tell me to go away "that we have hippa laws" and basically to "mind my own business" as he was pulling the curtain closed in front of me. I somewhat politely told him that I wasn't leaving that I had been through this same hell and I was staying.  The woman asked me to stay.  I quietly stood beside her and when the doctor was through I gave her Dr. Ott's phone number and she asked for my name and number.  She and her husband came over and spoke with Chris.  She and I hugged.  I know why Chris' surgery was an hour late.  I remember going through all of that.  We didn't know anything.  No one to tell us who the best surgeon was - you only want the best for your loved one.  What the next step is........... Thankfully this man has lived a full life - 7 girls and 16 grand kids.  I hope that when he thinks about what he has to go through he remembers Chris and that Chris won't get to grow old.  That he (the man)  has lived a good life - whatever choice he makes.  After they left Chris and I talked about that.  Chris has never thought about "growing old" 30-40 more years of life because he knows it isn't going to happen. Stinks for me I have tooooo!!!   I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for letting Chris and I be there.  right place.  right time.  I don't even know their names or if we will ever see or hear from them again.  But that one phone number to the "best surgeon" (Chris is still alive after almost 4 years from his whipple - March 9).  We think Chris is prove that Dr. Ott is pretty awesome. lol.
Found this quote this morning:  "No matter how many times I break down, there is always a little piece of me that says NO, you're not done yet Get BACK UP!!!"
Love ya all, Ricki