Spring Forward...or around...or over there...

So, I called to vent to my mother this morning, telling her I feel like I'm going through a mid-life crisis! I'm sure you all understand my dramatic nature, and knowing that I'm not even 30 yet will make some of you chuckle, but I think I know to a small degree what it must feel like. I JUST NEED SOME SORT OF CHANGE!!

I'm not one for consistency. I LIKE to mix things up now and then (unless it comes to general physical health. That is a much needed-but not taken for granted-constancy!), and if it weren't for family needs, I would be okay with changing jobs every few years. The only thing is, I LOVE MY JOB. I really do. There is constant stimulation, no shift is ever the same, patients change. Maybe it's going to the same PLACE every time that is getting on me. Then there are some people (myself included) who would actually SEE where I work and would say, "You don't want to work HERE??" I know, it's a beautiful and warm and uplifting building and the people I work with have to be a group of the most competent nurses and case managers and social workers in the whole valley. I can't imagine myself anywhere else. Which was why I took the Nurse Supervisor job, but I must not do enough of that to offset my feelings of consistency.

Plus, there is so much that we need/would like to do to our house. The list is so daunting that I just want to move! The catch: In order to get the $$ out of this house, we'd have to do all that stuff anyway before we move. :) And I don't want to MOVE; I love this neighborhood and our ward and the kids' school and our friends...I just want a new house!! :) Every time we watch Extreme Home Makeover I just daydream about them showing up on our doorstep, but even with what we went through last year, there are so many more in such worse shape than we are. At least we are here, together, warm and generally healthy...but wouldn't it be fun!!

Anyway, Mom gave me some good ideas, and I think she's sooo right (of course!!)! The weather is starting to be sunny and warmer and I have never had Cabin Fever so bad, but it has just been such a long, cold winter!! So, since I can't move I'll rearrange! I'll work on the work situation later. :) But my house, I can do whatever I want to it. :) I want to paint the kitchen. Rearranging the toy room is a good idea. Doing something with our bedroom would be fun. I'll start with the girl's bedroom...today...after L wakes up from her nap...and after I take a nap...Okay, it's a good plan for tomorrow. I'll even draw up plans for the yard. I've wanted to do a new flower box, maybe even make the back patio bigger...all sorts of fun stuff!! Thanks, Mom!!

Surprize!! A Cancer Free Party

"What's this for?"

Well, at least he didn't know about the party!! Luckily I didn't spill the beans (which I usually do) and though he spent the morning in bed with a cold, I was able to make him ware ear plugs then have his Dad keep him occupied downstairs while everyone came and I set up. My mom even took the kids for a ride and broke into her sister's house, just so they wouldn't give away the surprize. What a family, eh? If he had any clue I was acting wierd, he didn't let on. :)

Thanks, honey!

I didn't know what kind of cake to get. I saw this one and thought it would be fun. He's always wanted to drive a race car, plus it was the Daytona 500 this weekend, so what the heck. The steering wheel even makes noises. Hehehe We had a fun turn-out. Thanks everyone for coming! It was great to get together and celebrate the end of one thing and

the begining of a new life, cancer free!

Attention!! Cancer Updates!!

First scan was "OK, but not 100% (whatever that means)." That was seriously what the Dr said. We should have said, "Um, No. It's either clean or not, none of this 'oh, we'll see how things turn out down the road.' " Another MRI is scheduled for May. HOWEVER, my modest interpritation of the MRI reading (from the Radiaologist's summery) there is nothing new growing (why can't his Dr say that?). No new growth is good!! It's been 6 months since his last scan, so this is great news. We'll take it!
Thanks so much for everyone's help and support. We are looking forward to getting on with our lives and just enjoying life, now that D is not stuck in the hospital every three weeks and sometimes inbetween, with infections and such. Until May...

The Rest of the Story...

...so back to Valentine's Day, I was going to say that I was standing in the driveway, holding the shovel and salt bucket, in my pajamas with my snow coat over them and a knit hat, just looking around at the very clear driveway (I must've looked awfully silly). I bugged my neighbor about it later in the evening and he insisted it wasn't him. Anyway, it was a nice V-Day surprize. As for the rest of us, Eliza and I had fun at her party at school. I even took Lydia with us, kept her wrapped to my hip and we managed. I had everything deligated out, so I just had to supervise. It was great. :) We had a quiet evening at home. Babysitters are a bit difficult to get lately, for some reason, but we had one for Wednesday evening, so we went to dinner then, just the two of us. We talked about vaccations and traveling, stuff we'd love to do but would have to put off for a while. This year will be different than last year but still new as Daryl goes through post-chemo tests and monitoring. Five more years and then he'll be free! We'll take it one doctor's visit at a time. I still love his bald head. Lydia rubbs and pats it when Daryl says "Good boy!" :)

Valentine's Day 2008

Here are some fun pictures from Valentine's Day and a couple other days this past week

The girls love to pose and Lydia loves to say "Cheeeeese!"
I couldn't believe I was able to get Lydia to stay in that pose long enough to take the photo! When she saw Eliza get down on the floor, she dropped down right next to her!

They both are so loving.

I'll keep this picture and show it to them, maybe even enlarge it and frame it, to put in their room about 10 years from now. :)

Eliza's Kindergarten Valentine's Party, making cards for Mom and Dad, matching conversation hearts and decorating cookies. I've been the PM Kindergarted Room Mother this year. I really has been great because I can't be there during the day, but this way I get to organize the parties! I've had great help from other Moms, too.

Oh...got...to...get...up...

Tada!!! Cheeeeeese!

Listening to Eliza play the piano

Eliza is playing 'Old McDonald Had a Farm' for Grandpa Peay, all by herself!!

If Love were Gumdrops...

...that's silly, because I don't even like gumdrops! :) BUT, if Love were Chocolate?? I'd have an even HARDER time loosing all this extra weight. :) Not that chocolate's ever stopped me before...Anyhoo, speaking of lovely things, D left for work early because a snow storm came in AGAIN last night and he wanted a head-start on the crappy roads. After breakfast, the girls and I kept busy downstairs with laundry and bills, then I decieded I'd better get out and shovel the 12 INCHES of snow out of my driveway and get the other car off the street before the plow comes by and burries it! Then, the power goes out. Fun stuff. So I'm carrying the shovel and bucket of salt through the house cuz the garage door doesn't open without electricty (can anyone say, Back-up battery???). I open the front door, step out into the briliant sunlight and...hu?? Where's all the snow? Someone had cleared our WHOLE driveway!! I stood there, in the driveway, shovel in one hand, salt bucket in the other...Well hello this is Daryl just interupting the nice story Rachel was telling and thought that since she went up stairs to finish putting the girls to bed i might try to add something that Rachel may not have said about today. Three years ago today was the Valentines Day that i asked Rachel to marry me. It is quite a story. It took me a long time to get her to not cancell our date that we had set. The reason she was cancelling was because she didn't want to leave Eliza home with Nannie because Eliza was sick. After convincing her that we could just stay home and watch movies or cable or whatever, she folded and let me come down to see her. I was trying to find the "right time" to ask her but it never seemed like the right time so when she told me it was time for me to go home i knew i was running out of time! We went upstairs and she gave me my coat, turned around to walk me to the door and i set my coat down on the couch. She, noticing this, turns back around before i could get down on one knee and gives me my coat back, and tells me it is time to go. This happened several times (it was quite humorous). Then i hurried and thew my coat on the couch and fell to one knee and asked her if she would marry me. Do you know what she said??? She said "SHUT UP!....You had the ring this whole time?"and then shove me backwards...I was speachless; i hadn't thought of that response, several others but that one never crossed my mind. I also wondered if I had wandered into an episode of Sienfield where Elain always tells Jerry to shut up and then pushes him when she is shocked but happy about something. Anyway it was a surprise to her because she saw me order the ring and be told that it would take awile to get back to us. What she didn't know is when she was far enough away I paid extra to get it sent to us next day air that way I could suprise her. Well she was suprised. I don't think that she has regretted saying yes to me that night and I know I haven't. We have had some arguments here and there but we have always worked them through and have loved every moment that we have been together....I stood there, in the driveway, shovel in one hand, salt bucket in the other in my.....Well, that interuption was a surprise. Now I don't know what to say. Maybe I should get to bed and finish the story tomorrow?? ;) Bye!!!!! xoxoxo

Back To School

Eliza has been home from school (and everything else) since last Monday. It started with not feeling well Sunday evening, fever Monday, sore throat along with some huge swollen lyphnodes and nice pink tonselles (and a negative Strep test) Tuesday, and "Mom, my hands are itchy. What are all these red bumps?"

My heart fell into my stomach!

First of all, I'm trying to convince myself that she doesn't have Mono by Tuesday (the curses of seeing health ailments as a nurse), so by Wednesday when the spots broke out, honestly? My very first thought was, "What if the Rapid Strep test was a false negative and now she has scarlet fever?" Not my brightest moment as a mother, but given our dealings with doctors and tests this past year, can anyone really blame me?

Besides, I knew in my heart of bleeding hearts that my baby had Chicken Pox. Yes, she had the wonderful vaccine, just like 95% of the rest of the population of children her age. She seemed more annoyed than sick, but I made the appropriate phone calls, arranged for her school work to be sent over, cancelled dance and piano for the week, and even accepted a play date. My friend wanted her daughter to be exposed. She also had had the vaccine, but she still wants to know her daughter at least was exposed, then whatever happens, happens. :) I was grateful for the playdate; Eliza was getting stirr-crazy and I was grateful for the distraction.

Lydia started in with a fever on Wednesday, and her appitite dwindled, so I was assuming her throat could have hurt. I braced myself for her plight as well, and even cancelled her 18 month check-up. I didn't want her getting more shots if she were already sick. Besides, it's not very conciderate of others to sit in a waitingroom spreading an airborne virus. I'm sure all the other patients visiting the MD that day would thank me.

AND......the vaccine lives up to it's label: if the child does get this virus, it should be a mild expression of the disease. I could probably count the pox that actually errupted on Eliza's hands and arms, 10 on her legs and toes, 1 on her cheeck, 1 on her nose, 1 on each ear. I gave her some benadryl one night because the itching was bothering her, but nothing like the itching misery and sticky, soggy, oatmeal baths that I remembered.

She is so ready to go back to school today. As for Lydia, not one Pox, so I'm not convinced it fully effected her. At least I know she's protected. No booster shots for Eliza, which is good. Any time to reduce a shot is in all our best interests. Can anyone say "Drama?"

One more thing to be grateful for...Daryl is one month post-chemo. Not only for the obvious, but if this breakout whould have happened just 4 short weeks earlier, this little episode could have been devistating. Now who's dramatic. We both suddered at the thought and breathed a sign of relief. Now? Back to life! Good thing I don't have to work tonight. I'm beat!

Jordan's Baptism 5 January 2008

It was so great for Daryl to be able to baptise Jordan! He was worried that it would fall at the wrong time in between treatments, but Dr Chen told Daryl that he had had his last one. So, Daryl put some plastic over his Central Line in his upper chest and hopped he didn't have to dunk Jordan too far under water (can you see it under his jump suit??)!! Lucky for them the font was only half full! Daryl could have been on his knees and still been able to get Jordan under the water. Jordan's feet almost came up out of the water, but Daryl was faster getting him under and back up. Jordan just hung on!! Thanks to all who came. It was a special day for him and Daryl.

Updates

Well, we've made it through the first of the year! Daryl's last chemotherapy treatment was early January. His doctor deceided he was finished with his treatments. He will have a scan on 15 Feb. and we'll know for sure if he's in remission. Wow, it's been a busy 13 months, and still a long road ahead. But, we've learned a lot about eachother. :) As for the rest of the family, everyone is doing well. The girls have come down with the Chicken Pox!! They even both had the vaccine!! Oh, well. They are both getting cabin fever, so we are playing a lot of games and they are helping me with some cleaning. Daryl has been working more, and I have been enjoying my time at home. It goes by so fast.

We are also bummed Mit Romney is pulling out, but I don't blame him for saving his money!! Maybe in 2012?? Have a great week!