Mask-erade

So Saturday's  Mask-erade party was a lot of fun. A big thank you to those who were able to come. And a no worries to those who ended up having other things to do.

Sunday was my first time I could have worn one of my awesome new masks, but life got crazy trying to get two little kids ready for church after their naps. (We have afternoon church.) And I forgot to grab a mask on the way out the door. After getting the kids settled I had to grab a blank one out to the car. I hurried and drew a dunce cap on it because I felt like one. People were so kind to help me have cool masks to wear and I come to Church the next day with a blank one. I would post a picture but I did it in pen, since that was all I had, and it doesn'the show up very well.

Tuesday was chemo. This is me styling one of my new masks.

Today, this is the mask I wore to get my chemo pump disconnected.

It's so nice to have a variety of awesome looking masks to wear. Thank you all.

Catching up!

It has been quite a while since I have posted anything here.  For Christmas we made a trip to Logan and spent a week at Karen's parents house.

On Christmas Eve I took James over to the hotel where two of Karen's sisters were staying and we went swimming with the cousins.  James didn't really swim he just floated for a bit and got really quiet.  After he had enough, we went back to the house and enjoyed the family dinner with a little over 30 people.

James at the hotel getting ready to go swimming

Christmas was good with Karen and I both enjoying the kids opening their presents.  At least James has figured out how to rip the wrapping paper off.  Rebecca is still working on it out but James is more than willing to help out.

On Christmas we spent the morning with Karen's family and then went over to visit my family.  The few days afterwards were spent catching up with family and enjoying some time off and not having to think about Karen's next chemo treatment.  James was also able to play in the snow which hadn't really materialized before Christmas.

James trying to get out of the snow!

(Wearing his new hat and gloves, thanks mommy.)

Gratefully Karen's treatment schedule meant that the week of Christmas was an off week.  That also meant the week of New Years was a chemo week.  Karen's parents came down on New Years Eve and helped put together a small meal after which we watched movies.  To ring in the new year I took Karen to the hospital to have her chemo pump removed after her latest chemo round.

New Years Eve dinner.

Becca ready for bed on January 1st.

Since the Holidays we have been able to settle into a bit of a routine.  We did make another trip to Karen's parents over Martin Luther King Jr. day.  This week Karen had a CT scan that showed some more reduction in several of the tumors in her liver.  No change for the one on the lung but since she has been taken off of one of the drugs due to side effects that is great news.

Tuesday Karen headed in for her latest round of chemo and had her chemo pump off today.  The drug that she is no longer on causes problems with white blood cell count.  To counteract the effects she had been getting what they call a growth factor shot when her pump was removed.  I'm glad she doesn't really need it since one of its side effects is bone pain.  One less thing for her to go through.

Next month Karen is going in for a colonoscopy.  Originally we had thought we would have to go up north but it looks like we can have it done locally.  It makes it easier on her and the kids when we don't have to drive an hour each way.

James and Rebecca are doing great, especially considering everything that is going on around them.  James is running around everywhere and even likes to sweep and vacuum (when we let him) while Rebecca is 'motating'.  Not quite crawling but doing more than just rolling around on the floor.  A few more weeks and she will be crawling which means a gate at the top of the stairs again.

Becca with her cousin that is just a few weeks older.

James playing with mom's glasses.

Braden

Saturdays

Saturdays have become one of my favorite days. Especially the Saturday after chemo. I get to change the sheets on my bed, wash all the clothes I wore during those 5 days (twice in hot water), take a shower and wipe down the toilet with disinfectant one last time. Then I get to act like a normal person for a week.

Saturday is a special day.
It's the day we get rid of chemo.
We wash the sheets and show'r somemore.
So we don't have to worry until chemo.
(As you can tell rhymes are not my forte, neither are song parodies. If you think you can do better, I would love to hear them.)

During chemo and the two days afterwards (while my body is getting rid of the chemo) I use one specific bathroom which I wipe down with disinfectant every time I use it so if someone else needs it they won't come in contact with chemo residue. ... And try very hard to keep James out of that bathroom. For some reason he really likes to play there.

This Saturday is another day I am looking forward to. To try and reduce how many colds I catch this winter I have decided I really need to start wearing surgical masks more often. Recently I bought over 150 of them and they are boring. So I am holding a Mask-erade party to decorate them. I will have to post pictures of the decorated masks.

Saturday is a special day. It's the day we get ready for ... a party.

New Goal for 2015

I have decided that one of my goals for the new year should be to post on here at least once a week. Wish me luck.