Christmas Season '09

Well, it's been awhile. Things are still dull and going well.
What a year it has been. (or at least half a year) .
I just started round 4 of the Sutent, so we've completed 18 weeks so far, and 5 months since surgery.
Had a doctors appointment today. This was a normal appointment with bloodwork and some face to face time with the Cancer Warrior. Blood work was normal or ok for the situation except
that the blood is super thin at the moment. He adjusted the coumadin for a couple of days to
get it back where he wants it. We'll check it again in a week. I don't feel bad. I couldn't tell that something was out of adjustment.


We had Christmas all over the place this year. Years ago, we were determined that our kids would wake up in their own beds on Christmas morning. Well, dang !!! They were paying attention and now they want the same thing for their kids...and so we travel. We had a shortened Christmas eve time with Sam, Alicia, Eli and Emily. Our plan was to also be with them on Christmas morning, but at their urging because of the eminent snowstorm, we went on to Fayetteville on Christmas eve night. Stayed with Rachel and Matt (they don't have any little ones yet, Rigby the puppy doesn't count).


Carrot's Version:
Dull? What does chemo do to your perspective?


After receiving the news that OKW's scans were "nothing short of a miracle," we settled into celebrating Advent and Christmas. We got a real tree instead of going through the intense work of putting up the nine-foot artificial tree. We met Eli and Emily at the tree farm to choose and cut our tree. They had already chosen, cut, and loaded theirs by the time we got there.
I took off the last day of school before the holiday to avoid the three-hour holiday talent show and movie for 300 sixth graders. I had a wonderfully calm, quiet day to begin my vacation. Of course, I have 200 essays to grade before I go back, but that's the price of that quiet day.


Daddy came to our house on Wednesday for the duration. On Christmas Eve we had all eyes on the weather. With the snow storm looming, Sam and Alicia encouraged us to get ourselves in the car to get to Fayetteville before the road got slick. So, in an hour, we tossed gifts, clothes, food, Daddy, and ourselves into the truck and headed north. The snow hit soon after we got onto 540 and made that leg of the trip really exciting. We arrived at Rachel and Matt's house safely but unwilling to go any farther to find more beds. Rachel and Matt ended up giving us their bed and sleeping on the couch. On Christmas morning Cheryl Dawn and Marty made it down to retrieve Daddy and headed back to Bella Vista. We had a wonderful dinner of veal and crab-macaroni and cheese and enjoyed our silly crackers with hats, jokes, and toys. Sam's family negotiated the airlines successfully after a nearly three-hour sit on the tarmac in Atlanta. They're in Germany now with Alicia's folks touring the snowy old world.


I helped Rachel unload the boxes in her office. Matt painted stuff using his new 22-foot ladder. Who puts a smoke detector that high? This morning I rode back to Little Rock with Erin and her boys. Ethan sang every word to "Do You Hear What I Hear?" over and over. Elliot is perfecting the back-arching screech to protest any denial of his mobility. PawPaw is installing a gate on the stairs as we speak.
On Wednesday, we'll celebrate 37 years of wedded bliss. What a journey. From U of A students in 1972 to the joys of grandparenthood today, it's been a blessing to be best friends and in love.
On January 6, Bryan will turn 59. We hope his 60th year is as exciting as this one. Dull? I don't think so.

Erin's perspective:
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. I sat in that oncologist's office today... it was ridiculous. I was looking to meet the Mysterious Dr. Baltz, but I didn't have the chance. Seriously folks... a line as long as St. Peter's, waiting for your name to be called. This guy must be good.
I had dinner and drinks with my dearest friend Amy this evening. She was worried about Dad. I told her (and she is well versed in seeing thru any facades or shenanigans I may pull) that he was fine. He has white eyebrows, but he's working full days, and doing his thing, and that for right now, he was just fine. She bought it , so I will too. Her major concern was that Mom had not booked the beach house for next summer. She knows us, and knows that booking the beach house is as regular as fixin' breakfast, so... her conclusion was natural. I assured her that with our latest results from scans, we were in talks of beach vacations.
There was actually a minor sibling scuffle over the parents this year for christmas. Rachy and I wanted them in Fayetteville, Sam wanted them in Little Rock. I'm sure they felt wanted and important, and I'm sure they secretly loved it. I just wanted them to open their new jerseys for next years' games in my presence.
















Oh Yes! The perfect present!
Ummmmmm, don't know what else to say. Blogging is stressful. I didn't like sitting around that Oncologist's office today with lots of people that looked sick. Dad doesn't look sick. He looks ridiculous with his white eyebrows, but most people would assume he had an unfortunate pigmentation condition, not the dreaded Big C.
Next, the Birthday Party. We've always shafted Dad's B-day simply for its unfortunate juxtoposition to Jesus' birthday. Too bad for him. This year, it's on.
Come one, come all, we'll have pie.
Lervy Dervy, E