The End of 2012

The year is over, well almost and what a year it has been.  One of the questions we often get asked is how we do it.  Honestly, I don't know.  I have faith that the Lord will help us get through what ever trials we are given.  Then I just try and get through today.  That is really all that is asked for us is to get through today.

This month has brought some extra challenges for us.  We were in the ED with Sarah on the 23rd.  Luckily it wasn't because of a fever.  She has twisted her ankle on Saturday, and since she is a HemOc patient, she isn't allowed to go to the insta-care.  She got an X-ray and there was nothing broken.  She limped for a few days, but is mostly fine now.

Sarah did start on a fever on Christmas Eve.  I thought that it was a mirror of the year before where I spent the time Santa came in the ED in Utah, with Sarah.  Luckily this year, her fever subsided before the 8 hour mark and didn't break 101F.  Even though she fought the fever for both Christmas Eve and Christmas, we avoided a trip to the ED.

Christmas was different.  It was our first year as just our family.  We decided to stay home and we had a good time together.  We started a fire on Christmas Eve and sang songs and talked about Christ and how the birth of the Savior was seen by the Nephites.  We held many of my traditions that I grew up with on Christmas morning.  We hanged sheets so that the girls couldn't see into the tree.  We had breakfast with individual boxed cereals, grapefruit and oranges, and hot chocolate.  The kids had to help clean up and we read the Christmas story from Luke.  Then the kids got to go into the room with the Christmas tree.

We got a piano as a family.  We just need to populate sheet music to play and lessons for everyone but Nate. It will be nice to have a piano in the house again.  It took Gus a few presents to realize that there were toys behind the wrapping paper.  Once he did, he loved to open the presents.  He got a number of cars and a track for them, as well as a few sound books that he reads multiple times a day.  Sarah got a Zuzu pet to match one Lilly got one as part of our Disneyland trip.  Lilly got a Luigi Lego cart that she got to build and it went by itself.  Jess got a Kindle Fire as well.  It was a fun Christmas and a start of new traditions.

Lilly and Sarah playing with Christmas presents

This year also found me not teaching at Deer Valley.  It was brought home the day after Christmas when I didn't have to get up early to hit the slopes.  It has been relaxing to not have to work during a vacation, though I did put some hours in at the office this past week.

Jess did provide excitement the end of this week.  On Thursday, she had a fall in the garage and hit her knee hard on the cement.  She was in pain and went to the doctor's on Friday.  They sent her for an X-ray but it didn't get back to the office before the end of the day, so we don't know whether it is broken or not.  Some of Jess's friends used in the medical field and had a knee immobilizer and walker that they let Jess borrow, to help with the injury.  Those help and allow Jess to get around without as much pain.  It also has put me in charge of most of the house.  Hopefully it will still be standing when Jess gets better.  ;)

Thanks for all the love and support.  We are amazed at the compassion that is still shown to us in our trials.

Thanksgiving and the following week

I have been bad about getting posts up.  There has been a few major things over the past couple of weeks.

Thanksgiving was great.  We had it over at the Barlow's this year.  It has been fun to have Thanksgiving with over the past few years.  They have a tradition where they make what ever food each member of the family is most thankful for.  This year there was ribs and curry.  We bring the traditional Thanksgiving things like turkey and yams.  It is a great feast.

My family joined us a few days after Thanksgiving for a quick visit.  We thought it would be fun to have some crab for dinner.  Going out with so many people was expensive so we did crab at home.  It was lots of fun.  Sarah and I went down to Pike's Place Market to get a couple of crabs.  While we were getting the crab, Sarah saw the cups of shrimp with sauce and started licking her lips.  I bought it for her and she chowed down on it.  Funny girl.  The crab dinner was a success and lots of fun.

Sarah with her shrimp cup

Grandpa Butch playing with the girls, while Shannon tickles 

Last Friday was a busy one for us.  Lilly had a school dance that we were looking to go to as a family.  However, Sarah got invited from Sunshine Kids to go to the Wizard of Oz play at the Children's Theater.  Jess and I split up.  Jess got a babysitter for Gus and went to the dance with Lilly.  I went with Sarah to the theater.  She got scared of the wicked witch, until I explained to her that it was all pretend.  She loved it and is now asking me to read the story to her at bedtime.  There are a lot of good organizations that help kids with cancer.

Sarah and Jasmine (a hospital roommate for one of her early stays)

We are grateful for all the love and prayers for our family.  We are excited for the upcoming holiday season as we focus on our Savior and helping to bring the spirit of Christmas to others.