Happy Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and boy, do we have a lot to be thankful for. What a year it's been. Diane is feeling pretty good nowadays, it's almost back to normal, where the main focus is kids, house, laundry, bills, groceries, sports, etc. We are very thankful for our Doctors that treated Diane, and all that went into it. The nurses, specialists, radiation staff and everyone who made this journey as easy as it could be. We will also give a BIG thank you to you, our friends who stepped up to the plate and offered anything/everything to make Diane feel more comfortable, and loved. It was overwhelming and I still begin to tear up when I think of all the notes and E-mails that started pouring in when friends found out what Diane was diagnosed with. Wow.

Here's to a wonderful time to give thanks, and to recieve thanks. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Slowly but Surely, It's Almost Over

Since our trip back from Yosemite, I have noticed an "almost" return to normal for our family. Diane is eating a bit more, her taste buds are slowly coming back, she is trying new food items and saying "I can taste a little bit of this". Things aren't as bitter or sour tasting as they were before, and it is SO COOL to see her back to eating salad, oatmeal, pizza, raisins, freshly juiced fruit drinks, chicken and mashed potatoes. And that's all for her breakfast one morning! (just kidding).
The other night was a rare occurence where Diane and I and all 3 kids were home for dinner AT THE SAME TIME! And we all sat down at the dinner table and actually had a real nice meal, with the whole family conversing and enjoying each other's company. To me, this was just heaven, one of the simple pleasures of life that you thoroughly enjoy and savor. Diane and I both said, "we have GOT to do this more often!"
I am seeing little cameos of everyday life sneaking back into our world, and I couldn't be happier.
Well, I could be happier if it weren't for this damn recession, but that's a different subject. My wonderful wife is recovering quite well, I have the best children in the world, and I love what I do for a living. As my sister Maria says, "just living a dream!"
Is it "over"? After having cancer, it is hard to say it is over. Your life is changed. You are a survivor, and after going through this whole ordeal and treatment since last Spring I think I can say the worst is over and it's a lot closer to normal than ever before. We thank God and all our family and friends for the amazing amount of love, support, and concern that was shared and given to us. I honestly think it helped Dianes' journey through all this knowing she had such wonderful support and friends that were there for her.
Every day is a blessing, every hour is a gift, every minute of life is special, so embrace this time as much as you can, enjoy your journey, and tell your loved ones how you feel about them!

Back from Yosemite

Our quick trip to Yosemite ended up exactly liked I had hoped for: A fun time with just the family (minus Brian) in a most beautiful location. As we drove there, we noticed big dark puffy clouds on the horizon. It started to mist as we climbed to 6000 feet elevation, and Diane noticed some snow on the ground! The temp started dropping, down to 37 degrees! We really didn't plan on very cold weather, just brought some heavy sweaters and jeans. Uh Oh! As we approached the valley floor, one of the most spectacular sites I've ever seen appeared as we came out of a tunnel. There was half dome all lit up from a setting sun, white clouds were floating mid air and a rainbow was arching over the sky! We all went"wow" as we decended into the valley.

It "warmed up" to 45 and we got settled in our trailer, playing games and reading and keeping toasty warm. Tyler kept making Diane laugh, it was so good to just be together and hang out. We took our dog Lexie for a walk up to Bridal Veil Falls, had lunch at the Ahwahnee Hotel, and rode our bikes around a bit, freezing our hands and noses.

I know this sounds like a broken record now, but Diane is slowly recuperating day by day. She is taking small bites of food, beginning to taste some things, and is getting good sleep time at night now, not coughing as much. She visited Dr. Fong today, and he said she looks SO good, and after putting the scope down her throat said it is looking very good as well, there is one spot that is very raw, probably from the radiation still. She still has a very sore throat, but it is slowly going away.

trailer trash?

Tyler and Diane on the trail

Jim Danielle and Lexie the guard dog protecting us from bears and dubious characters

Yosemite bound

Sunday we head out to Yosemite for 2 nights. I made reservations awhile ago, hoping the whole family could just relax in one of the world's most beautiful places. Brian has commitments, Tyler and Diane really don't want to go, and Danielle is OK with it. I was personally hoping for a little family retreat, a small mini vacation with just the family, where all the distractions of every day life are gone, and we all look inward to the one most important thing: our family, our health, and our love for one another. Maybe it's too soon because Di is still recuperating, but she reluctantly said OK, because it really means a lot to me. So off we go, our 30 foot trailer is going to be our home for the next three days, warding off the bears and cold. Either it will be a fun time, or I will be the ugly Dog for forcing the family to do this. I will keep you posted.
Diane is not coughing as much, she can begin to taste a very small amount in her mouth, but is still not eating much and still needs her rest. A couple of hours activity and that's it. She mentioned yesterday that she is thinking of going back to the gym next week, so that's progress!
I went to my Pilates class on Friday, after a very long absence, and it hurts just to bend over and tie my shoes. A good hurt though.
Till next time!

Halloween!

The photo is from the Russell wedding we all attended last week. What an amazing event!

Diane is s -l -o -w -l -y starting to eat, a few bites of this, and a few sips of soup. To me, this is a great step, though small, it is still a step. She is still napping, feeling tired a lot, but , trying to be the eternal optimist, I am seeing some little small steps forward. Visually, she still looks amazingly beautiful, people tell me "I just saw Diane today, SHE LOOKS GREAT!". I know she does, I see it all the time. I still belong to the Hot Wives Club, (HWC) and I know the the inside of her body is where all the pain and healing is taking place. There will be day when the inside and outside are both beautiful!

I took Danielle out for Halloween, rode the pedicab all over the neighborhood, it was her chariot and she was Cleopatra.

I am going to be sore tomorrow from riding! Well worth it though!