Merry Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas everyone!

I had my 4th chemo session yesterday and all went well. My blood work came back fine only a little anemic. Dr. D was so excited. He said it was the first time he had felt needed in my treatment cause everything had gone so well, he thought I didn't even need him. I just laughed. I asked if I needed to eat something different since I was anemic, he said "No just keep doing whatever you are doing." I said, "Great my diet of cinnamon rolls and cold cereal seems to be working well" Just joking. I have been eating too many sweets and carbs but have TRIED to make my quota of fruits and veggies. I really love them but when you have to do anything you tend to not do it. Weird

My first day of chemo I am so amped it is hard to sleep. Last night about 9:30 Cliff and I started putting together Gabbi's little kitchen set. We finally got it done about 11:00. We played Alabama's Christmas album while we worked and it was the first time I really felt like it was Christmas. Her kitchen turned out really cute I am sure she will enjoy it. This afternoon we have to go to St George to pick up Charlee Ann's car so we are going to have Gabbi's picture taken with Santa. Teddi said she had Olivia's taken so I hope I get a copy of that. I set the Santa photos on the edge of the bar in Christmas frames and they look so sweet.

We are going to make Minestrone soup and a good bread for Christmas Eve. Cha and the kids are coming over and Teddi has to work so we won't get to see them until Sunday. Cliff will be back from Colorado with the big girls and we will have our real Christmas dinner on Sunday night. Looking forward to it all and feeling strong, lucky, thankful, and happy.

To Our Daddy's

Happy Birthday Daddy

Today is my Dad's birthday, the first one without him. I think of him almost every day and miss him a lot. Last night we all got together and took white balloons and each wrote a birthday message to Dad/Grandpa and then took them outside and sang Happy Birthday to Dad and let them go. The kids loved it. When they got out of sight, Oliva said, "He got them!!!"

We all had dinner together and I made one of Dad's favorite dinners. Roast Beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and a green salad. I could just see my Dad fixing his plate and loving it. He had a lot of hunger as a kid so he LOVED a good meal and a full table. It was so nice having the babies here but boy does it wear me out. They are so funny and have so much fun together. They are still getting the "sharing" part down but they are so sweet.

We went to the doctor yesterday morning and he gave me an all clear so far. I don't have to go back to Dr Wintch until the end of April. Then we will do the first MRI . I am feeling well and pretty strong. I do have my 4th round of chemo tomorrow, but I think it will all go as usual cause I feel real good. Hopefully by the time Cliff gets back from Colorado with the kids on Sunday I will be over the worst of it and feeling good. He is leaving Saturday and I sure hope the roads have cleared by then cause they are snowy and bad right now. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Sky High

Ron came by yesterday and took me flying in his flying machine. I am not sure what it is called kind of a motorized hang glider or parachute glider. Whatever it is, it was really fun. He was the pilot of course and I was just along for the ride. It has a front and back seat kind of like a motorcycle (only bigger) so I just sat behind him and he did all the work. We started out out at the roping area in Scenic and flew all over Mesquite and then kind of followed the river down to south of Bunkerville. We buzzed all the livestock on the way and even ran into Vay Mickelson who was flying his machine also. It was really fun. Ron showed me a tree in Bunkerville that he said gets blue herons in it every spring and that they nest in it and have their baby birds. Who knew!

Ron right before he got me all strapped in and we took off. He has helmets with microphones so you can talk to each other which makes it really nice. After we ran in to Vay I had Ron take me back to Scenic as I was starting to get a little nauseous. I took my meds before I left but I was just a tad bit sick and didn't want it to get worse. It was a lovely Christmas present and I really enjoyed it so much. Nice to see the community from the air. It gives you a whole different perspective

Beautiful Sunday

We has a storm blow thru about 4:00 in the morning that I thought would blow us away. It just rained and the wind really whipped around. When I got up about 6:00 am it was calm and as the sun came up it just turned into a beautiful day. Sunny and warm. I was ready for it I had had all the rain and gloom that I could stand. Now it's back to the Nevada I love. Sunny and nice

Teddi came out today with Olivia and so we go to see our big girl for a bit. Cha and Ted took the little girls to see The Princess and the Frog movie. I think Teddi is going to spend the night with Cha. I was just too tired to go to the movie, plus Dallas was playing at home and I wanted to see the game. Right now they are playing like crap and I might as well have gone to the movie.

I made cinnamon rolls this morning that were yummy and fixed us all a hamburger for lunch. Tony came in late from playing paint ball with his cousins and I had to make him one after the mess was cleaned up but I really didn't mind. I love my boy. He was a hungry teenager so he had already eaten two cinnamon rolls by the time his burger was done so in the end he only ate about 1/2 his burger and a 1/2 a bag of Doritos's. Just like a boy.

It's Still Cold

Well it has been cold and dreary all week. It seems like neither Cliff or I could get warm all week. We have mainly just laid around. We did go to Las Vegas to Cowboy Christmas on Wednesday and had lunch at Lone Star. We weren't in Vegas very long and just kind of wandered around at Cowboy Christmas. I did buy a mug and some note cards but it's just the same old stuff we have bought every year for the last 20 years so it's getting kind of tired. Plus their prices are stupid. I was looking for a pair of red dress boots and did find one pair of Ariats but they were $30.00 more at the show than on the Internet. It is really stupid. We did go by and look at the dress coats Cliff likes so well and they did have one made out of a beautiful heather colored fabric but he has 3 that he barely wears now so we just looked. Seems we just don't care that much about "things" these days. I did buy Cliff a ring, figured it was time he had one. It's really nice, a gold nugget ring, very manly. He seems to like it.

We baby sat Gordy on Friday for Cha and really had fun. She is such a sweet little girl. The weather was so nasty we could not go out side like she wanted to. so we stayed inside and watched the movie "Annie" over and over. We did switch to Cinderella for a minute but then back to "Annie. As long as she has a movie she is pretty easy, that and her babies, she has to push them around in their buggies and tuck them in . It's real cute.

Cliff went bowling last night but I was tired from watching Gordy so I stayed home and went to bed. Cliff said he bowled the worst he had ever bowled and they got their butts kicked. He got home pretty early but I was already asleep. We got up this morning and went to breakfast with Gordy and Cha. Tony was over at Carmen and Pollo's. They had some kind of Virgin Mary's birthday celebration and march at the Catholic Church and then they were going to play paint balls.

I just made some cinnamon rolls and of course immediately ate one even though we just got back from breakfast (what a fat ass pig) but it sure was good. Now we are just sitting around watching Celebrity Ghost stories. Watching the dreary clouds. I need sun and I need it now!! They say to will clear up by the first of the week.

Cold and Dreary Sunday

It is so cold here today, the high has been about 40 degrees and it's overcast. I have about froze my butt of all day. I wanted to go back to bed all day but I have managed to make it till now, 3:00 pm and I am still up, HA

Charlee and I went to Walmart for a few minutes and picked up a few last minute gifts, then we came home and got all her stuff wrapped. I had to hand tie all the bows cause that's just what I do. I got a few up dated addresses for my Christmas Cards and want to get them out this week. Talked to my Mom for a few minutes and she seemed fine.

Cliff and I have just kind of laid around all day. He has been watching football and I have tried to read but I don't have my prescription glasses back yet from being repaired so I am reading with those over the counter ones and they give me a headache so I finally just stopped.

Charlee, Gabbi and I went to Vegas yesterday and met Queen Olivia and Teddi at Chuck E Cheese for lunch with the mouse. The girls were so cute. Gordy just loved the mouse and kept waving to him. They enjoyed all the games and had fun running around. They go their wiggles out. We had to go by Sears for Cha to pick up a pair of boots she ordered but then we headed for home. It's too damn crazy out there this time of year.

I have had a harder time this round of Chemo. Just really felt crappy and tired. I have been sleeping about 12 to 14 hours a night so that has helped. Thank heavens I have been able to sleep. I do feel lots better today so hopefully it's up hill from here. I really struggled yesterday in Vegas, the girls could see it and were really concerned and helpful. I sure have good kids, better than I deserve I am sure. They are tops!! I am just worried about being on my game when the kids come for Christmas. I want them to have a really good time and I hope I am not sick while they are here. Hopefully I will be on my way to OK by the time they get here. I take my next treatment on the 23rd and they will be here either the 26th or 27th depending on if Cliff stays over one night, so I should be on my way to better at that point. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I am really looking forward to seeing them, it seems like they have not been here in ages.

We got our tree up and it looks real pretty. I love to see the lights at night. Also got a few new Oranments when we were in Texas. Here is the tree and the new ornaments, one in horonor of Texas (yellow rose) and one for our Mexican contingency.

QUEEN OLIVIA'S 3RD BIRTHDAY

Friday is Olivia's third birthday. We had her party a few days ago and it was so much fun. She was so excited about the whole deal and loved the cake. presents, etc. After the party she said "thank you for coming to my party" It was so damn cute.
She wanted everything to be for a princess, so that's what we did. She had a princess cake and a dress that she could dress up like a princess. Aunt Charlee got her a set of princess high heels and Mima & Big Daddy got her a rocking throne for her prissiness's.
She got all dressed up in her princess attire and then closed her eyes and twirled around in a circle and said "Now I want my dream boy" We about died laughing. What she meant was she had gotten a princess barbie and prince charming from her Mom and Marty and she wanted the doll but it was so funny.

Sweet Queen Olivia with her Uncle Toby. She was so excited that he was at her party. She had talked about the fact that he was coming for a couple weeks before. They were really cute together
Queen Olivia and her birthday haul

Gordy Cheese sneaking some birthday cake frosting
The princess cake that we did not eat one bit of. It sure looked cute but everyone was so full after dinner we didn't eat a bit, other than the bite Queen Olivia took when we played "Bite it"

3rd Round

Well I went for my third round of chemotherapy yesterday. It took longer than usual, but everything went like clock work. Dr D Said my blood work was excellent in fact my white blood count was 47, higher than it was last round which is unusual. He said , You are making my job easy," To which I answered, I am just tough as old shoe leather." I hope it stays that way.

I have one more round of this type of treatment then we change to the new drugs. On those, I take the Taxol every three weeks for 4 rounds, and the Herceptin once a week for a year. After the Taxol I can start radiation that will run daily for 5 weeks and THEN I can have my reconstruction surgery. I just goes on and on. I told Cliff, if we go through all this and then this crap jumps up again, I will scream. Makes me kind of wish they had taken the other boob in the beginning just to be sure. But, that's water under the bridge so oh well. Either way I guess I get to see how tuff I really am. (insert a photo of me flexing my muscle in my flabby arm, the good one)

After we got home we watched the Gordy for a little while. She is so cute and so sweet. Here is a picture of her pushing her baby around in the baby buggy. She would push the buggy real slow, like she was being careful not to hurt her baby, then stop and go check her baby and tuck in her blanket and make sure her bottle was near her mouth. It was the cutest thing ever. If you notice Digger is in every picture, he thinks it is his job to protect her and every time anyone comes near her , he tries to get between her and who ever it is like one of us is going to try to get her or something. It's pretty cute and he is a good protector.



Then we came in the house and watched her new favorite movie "Annie" which in her Little Spanish accent she calls "Anna". While we were watching it, I got a hot flash and pulled my wig off. It took her a few minutes to notice, then she started backing up on the bed like she was afraid. I said, " It's still just Mimi, and patted her. She finally quite backing up and scrunching up her shoulders like she was scared. I said, "Do you want to touch Mimi's head?" She didn't act scared so I reached over and got her little hand and rubbed my head with it. She kind of smiled and then stared to come to me. I said, "Give Mimi a kiss, which she did and then she looked over at my wig which I had hung on the bed post and made a claw of her little hand and reached toward the wig and went grrrrrr like it was a monster or something. It was so funny. My sweet cheese. She still likes Big Daddy best and spent a lot of her time cuddled up on his lap while he played video games.