Bon Voyage!

Becky again....

Well, fans, we ARE GOING!  Miracles do happen and we indeed leave Thursday for our trip.  4 different flights, 4 schedules; and hopefully we all meet in San Juan, Puerto Rico and enjoy each other this week.  We will miss Ryan & Stephanie sorely; but will enjoy them and Brigham when we arrive home on Christmas Eve night.  Tara is a little anxious about seizures - she doesn't want to have one on the cruise (or ever for that matter) so in your prayers; please pray that she is seizure free and able to enjoy this time together.  Thanks sooo much!

It has been CRAZY around here trying to prepare for Christmas and a cruise.  I, once again, am so grateful for the moments that make up life.  Last Friday I was so happy that Tara felt like helping with the cookie baking / caramel popcorn popping job.  We wanted to give some goodie plates to our neighbors and friends (who live close enough to deliver plates to!) who have been soooo good to us.  Tara actually had energy all day and worked like a trooper to make those cookies.  She said the math skills involved in cookie making were good for her brain!  I don't take those priceless days for granted.  I don't remember the last time Tara had energy all day long.  Usually if she's at my house, she may have energy for a few hours at most; but then she's here because she's usually sick or eating dinner.  Not usually is she here because she's energetic and wants to help with a project.  Don't take your daughters for granted.  I love working on projects with my kids.  Stephanie and I made a quilt for Brig's bed together; and she's in the process of another one, and I look forward to the day Rachel will live here maybe with a few children at some point; and she can hang out during the day and work on a project!  Anyway, I cherish those times.  So, here's the truth about how Tara is feeling:

She is more energetic overall than she has been since before surgery
She has been working more days at work (a good sign)
She doesn't take naps much anymore
Her head is completely healed and ready for swimming in the British Virgin Islands!
She still fights bad headaches that scare her at times
She said last week her "body felt like it was going back on chemo again"
She has a loss of appetite
She says her math skills are pretty poor, and reading is more difficult

Not sure why the math and reading; I do believe that since she can do math and can read (it's just harder) she can work at those things and they will increase in ability.  She didn't seem to be affected in those areas after the original surgery; so I am hopeful the brain can regenerate and increase it's abilities in those areas.  We'll ask Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Smith about it next month.  I hope the cruise menus will tantalize her taste buds and shock them into working again!

Our house is mostly a happy house these days.  It's exciting to think about Rachel's upcoming wedding, and the trip.  Stephanie is looking pregnant and it's fun to watch her stomach start to grow.  She finds out what the baby is while we're on the cruise....  I love having my family around me and will look forward to alot of that at Christmas!  I am blessed with good health myself; so I can keep going.....

It's been quite a long 18 months - but here we are with one treatment left in January.  Life is good.  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season - and enjoy the little moments - I will never be the same again. I hurt more when others are hurting (emotionally and physically) and the good moments are just sweeter.  I don't even take a day for granted anymore.  I love looking in my children's faces and memorizing the moments we have.  Don't let your lives have something very shocking happen before you stop to be positive and love the moments we have been given.  Learn from our journey and enjoy your health and energy NOW.  In Mike's talk he says, "instead of focusing on the things I can't do; I try to focus instead on the 990 things I can still do!"

Love you all!  Merry Christmas!