January was busy with Brennen's birthday.  He enjoyed a party with friends at CiCi's Pizza (basketball team friends).  He's also had basketball practice every week and a game every Saturday (Perryville gym).  He is on the Seals team.  We're very proud of his progress, although he doesn't get to practice with his Dad quite as much as he'd probably love.

Greg has been playing basketball with some friends at the church gym on Thursday nights.  That's been a good mental and physical exercise for him.  Bren sometime joins them toward the end, and thinks his Dad is really awesome!  

Grant suffered 2 weeks in Jan from mono!  This was quite a nightmare with fatigue, lymphadenopathy, vomiting, weight loss, sore throat, etc.  But...we survived and he seems to be back to his old active self!  Finally!  Bren passed a kidney stone just before Grant's mono episode, so we dealt with 2 medical issues in a row with the kids.  

My Dad has been dealing with a big medical issue for the greater time period.  He presented in Dec. with obstructive jaundice, which proved to be secondary to pancreatic cancer.  Last Monday, he underwent major surgery ( a whipple ) to resect the cancer.  As best as could tell the 9 hour surgery was successful in removing the cancer, but his recovery is proving to be challenging.  He was doing great the first 2 or 3 days, but soon after they introduced a regular diet, he began vomiting uncontrollably - 2 gallons of biliary secretions at a time!  More than 10 times a day!  The food would go through, however.  So, apparently the efferent loop must be edemetous and obstructed.  They now have a nasogastric suction tube in place that's removing copious amounts of these secretions so he will have less of the projectile vomiting, and will have him on TPN (IV feedings) until the inflammation at the new anastamoses resolves.  He is really ill.  He told me yesterday he really thought he was dying.  I think, though, he will pull through.  Once this is all over, though, he will require radiation (Greg) and chemo.  Tough ride! All this while knowing he has metastatic prostate cancer and is just 58 years old!  My mother is exhausted.  He won't let her leave his side.  Of course, I don't think she'd want to.  

Well, today is Valentines day.  Greg gave me roses yesterday.  I'm not sure what we'll do to celebrate today.  I guess I'll cook dinner...  Not too excited about that one - kind of tired.  Maybe well go out - we'll see.  Gotta go do some chores!  Checking out - Chris

Weekend

Our weekend has been just busy enough, filled with both joy and sadness.  We have enjoyed some fun family time, singing Christmas carols around the piano, going to the theater to see a holiday film about a magical toy store, and putting up our 3rd Christmas tree this season.  We had put up 2 at our TN home, where we plant to spend Christmas this year, so we opted to let the boys completely decorate a smaller "toy-themed" tree here... so much for my "Designer Tree", but hello to the "True" Christmas spirit!  They had a blast, and brought back that old 70's gold garland, red and green balls, and ornaments from their very own plane, train, and automobile collection!  We love it!  

On a sadder note, Greg, Grant, and I attended a funeral (Bren was at a basketball camp) Saturday.  Greg was honorary pallbearer for the service of Dr. Mark Spurlin's father, who'd actually been a patient of Greg's for sometime.  Mark  is a wonderful man and a great friend. Grant colored him a picture to "cheer him up", and he was very touched.  The service was beautiful, and Greg was honored to be asked to be there in the symbolic way he was asked to serve.  

Well gotta get back to the never-ending housework!  

Nutcracker

Though a Thursday, we drug our boys out for our local (Centre College) performance of The Nutcracker Ballet.  They (ages 4 & 6), after being prepped with a child-version story at home, were actually amazingly attentive the entire show!  I loved my annual fairy-tale of attending this traditional dance of Christmas "Magic", wishing I was still in my pointe shoes playing the part of Clara (or the "extra" for that matter).  It does boost my holiday spirits!

Bren has a spelling test tomorrow, as usual for Fridays. Fingers crossed he gets

the tricky ones. Hopefully I will do some catch up on mail and chores in the 2 1/2

hrs. Grant spends in preschool tomorrow. Hopefully we'll get our KY tree out and 

decorate very soon as well. Having just done 2 in TN, it was a bit hard to get my 

head elf motivated to jump into the attic and start carting out more Christmas 

decor (especially the heavy stuff requiring assembly).  

Our "Chickie" & "Papa" have just left after spending a Thanksgiving vacation with 

us, and we are missing them much. We are getting back into our usual routine 

and out of our vacation mode. Tough transition on us all...especially the kids! We 

hope the gap b/t visits will remain small. We were grateful to feel to be a small 

help for Cenia Parsons (Pop's Sister), via phone support, this Thanksgiving time.  

She was just diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Studies thus far are staging it rather 

early, but poorly-differentiated, so shel will likely face chemo. It feels great to give

back to family!!! I also was able to help Mom with her dx and tx of parainfluenza 

virus a few days ago, and she is following orders and recovering steadily. Chick is 

improving, or so she and her labs seem so far, from her polymyalgia rheumatica.  

Anyway, feels so good inside for me to give a piece of my passion to those I love 

most, especially by helping them through any such "tough times". I read a neat 

book with multitudes of inspiration today - " Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips" by Kris Carr - 

I'm recommending it to MANY...even non-cancer patients or their families. It's that

inspiring and such an easy read.

Well, it's getting late and I shall join my husband in bed. This weekend promises 

great fun with a baby shower, Stake Conference (or a trip to the TN lakehouse for 

banister installation). Gotta get up to pack Bren's lunch; see he and "Dad" off to 

school and work, respectively; then, get Grant ready and delivered to his morning 

pre-school. Goodnight!

Love,

Chris