Goofy girls 

Matching girls 

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Chiristmas!

Merry Christmas! Jake and I got to spend the last two nights in complete comfort on our new matress. The matress is so thick that our old headboead is barely visible! I love it. And, the last two evenings, I have woken up at a normal time (not 12, 2, 4 AM...) The yikes, who come onto our bed often throughout the day had to be lifted up as it was too tall for them. I might even need a stepstool! We are so grateful for this Christmas blessing.

We had my Mom's entire family home for the holidays at my grandmother's house. My mom is one of 7, so there were over 30 of us. It was a great time of eating, visiting...did I mention eating! I love having my whole family together. When everyone comes home, it is like they never left. It was also a beautiful day (about 70') so they were outside most of Christmas day.

Physically, I am feeling fine. I had my second infusion of Zometa last Thursday and it was even easier on me this time around. I get a little more tired, but I am getting used to that and knowing what to do to help prevent it...umm, that was a no brainer...rest more. I have another treatment and a doctor's appoinment on the 5th of January. Jadyn will have her surgery right down the block from my hospital on the 3rd. We are looking for a van this week so it will be possible to transport our family in the coming weeks with Jadyn taking up a whole row to herself. Send your thoughts and prayers our way and shopping for a used car is so stressful for a perfectionist like me.

Jess Ran Off to Mexico

Actually the title is quite true. Jess did indeed run off to Mexico. This year she headed up an Angle Tree drive at our church for an orphanage in Matamaros, Mexico. I am very glad she is able to make the trip-- the great thing about being on the oral chemo now is that she was able to go because she can take her pills with her. The director of the orphange's wife is battling breast cancer as well, so I am hoping Jess can find a kindred spirit. My guess is they will both encourage each other with the faith they walk with. She comes home tomorrow night. Her mattress arrives Saturday. Mattress Giant was just going to have us pay the delivery fee, but now they've decided to take of care of that as well. It's a $1500 pillow top mattress with both latex and memory foam. Most importantly when Katelyn and I tried it out it passed the get out of bed test. What I mean by that is one of us hopped out of bed and the other one didn't move. I think we spent less than $200 on our old one and the only get out of bed test it ever passed is that neither Jess nor I have ever fallen off the bed while the other one was getting up. I don't know what the beds have been like in Mexico, but I'll be glad when she can sleep peacefully through the night in her new bed.

Blessed

I think the week really started for Jess and I on Tuesday. Of course I know the week starts on Sunday, but since this week has been remarkable it must have started on Tuesday. Tuesday for Jess meant that a friend of hers (actually a friend of mine too) paid to have the house cleaned and decorated for Christmas. If you've been keeping up with us you know how little time Jess has had and she also been a little tired and worn out. Therefore, having her house cleaned and decorated was a huge blessing-- I think it stole the stress directly from her. For me Tuesday started with a stool. I have the world's rickitiest stool that puts whoever sits in it (that would be me) somewhere between near death and very real simulation of a bucking bronco. No longer though because a student bought me a brand new stool. During class I mentioned that Jadyn would be having surgery January 3rd because I wanted them to know why I wasn't there the first week they get back in January. The next morning the same student brought me a card with a Walmart gift card. Then a teacher offered to bring a meal on Thursday. It was perfect timing because today Jess had a treatment (non-chemo). Then today, the faculty at my school surprised me at our Christmas party after school. Word had gotten out that Jessa's back has been bothering her since the tumor came back in her back and that our bed (which alhough I don't think was the cheepest bed available was probably the second cheapest) despite my efforts to make it more comfortable is still like sleeping on a pile of moving rocks to my wife. Anyway, the faculty took up a collection to buy us a new mattress. Then they asked the Matress Giant on South Cooper (next to Applebee's) if they would match the contributions. The district manager just happened to be there (yeah right-- thank you again God). After hearing our story, he said that instead of matching the gifts, he would just give us a new mattress. Wow! I get to pick it out on Saturday. The first night that Jess sleeps on it I'm going to put a pea under it and even if she doesn't notice it (she probably won't with a pillowtop), I am still convince that she is my princess. Thanks you God for blessing us.

Our family at Thanksgiving...much to be thankfukl for! 

Infection update

Hi there! Jake always asks me to write, and I say, "I have nothing to say!" So, before he asks me, I am going to write to tell you of my doctor's appointment concerning my port infection. I saw the doctor this morning. He said that it was indeed an infection around the port line, but he was content to treat it with the anitbiotics I've been on for the last few days. If it does not get worse, he will leave well enough alone. If it gets worse, he will take it out. This is my second port already, so I am praying for this infection to clear up on its own.

I still have no side effects from the chemo pills I take daily. I have even stopped watching my hands for signs of peeling or tingling. I put lotion on them still about 3 times a day, but thankfully no signs yet!

I am trying to get motivated to put up something that resembles Christmas in my house. Right now, I still have a fall wreath on the door and a pumpkin on my table. I'll get something together, but it might be the week before Christmas at the rate we are headed! Can anyone relate?! Decorating requires cleaning, which also requires time! The girls are so excited about Chirstmas and Santa and baby Jesus. Bryn said the other day while eating breakfast, "I think baby Jesus is hungry too!"

Take care,

Port infection

Even though Jess is not taking her chemo intravaneously, she is taking two other medicines through her port. Consequently, she developed another infection along her port line again this week. She is already taking medicine for it and will see her surgeon soon. Last time she had an infection she had to get her port taken out and changed to a new location, so we're hoping that the antibiotics will take care of it this time. Jess's back is still bothering her some around the tumor sight. It feels better than it was feeling the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but worse than it was feeling earlier this week. This weekend Jess and I are both doing prison ministry through Bill Glass ministries. I'm pretty excited because they give a cross made out of prison bars the fifth time you go, and its my fifth time. Jess is going for her first time, and is probably more nervous about making sure our kids are taken care of for the weekend than sharing the gospel with inmates. There are a ton of people helping us out with our kids--we are rellying on a lot of family and friends. Thank you for your continued prayers.