Bon Jour mi ami

Clayton and I found one of Taylor’s french speaking dolls so we have been brushing up on our french…poorly I might add.  His favorite word is bleu.  Sounds more like bluh. haha.

Anyhoo.  Things are going along here.  We are moved in thanks to the many helpers.  Donna and Gordon came early to “set up house” so when I arrived with the children, the house was functional.  Grandy soon followed to help with decor.  I do NOT have a knack for where to hang, arrange, etc…and she is my Martha Stewart.  My mom came to visit and we spent hours in one cavernous, junky antique store.  It was a good time talking and reflecting.

The whole family able to go on one last hurrah to the lake with my college friend Karen.  It is a trip that we have been planning for a year or so and it finally happened.  What a miracle!  Seeing my long time good friend was like a dream.  I love her, and so did my family.  She set up a visit to her family lake house and we were in heaven.  Our family loves the outdoors and the water.  We inner tubed, fished, cooked family meals, the boys played golf, I napped :).  We couldn’t have asked for a better vacation, and it gave us a sense of place and togetherness before taking the plunge into new schools.

Yes, school has started and everyone is doing well.  Jack was slow to start, still mourning for his old school and friends…but he is slowly adjusting and meeting a few folks.  Yesterday he went to a friend’s to play basketball…always a good segue.  He has met the baseball coaches, and plans to try out for the team.  Clayton is doing outstanding!  He goes to school with Emma Kate and George.  He is in the fourth grade and has a full time attendant.  Communication is awesome, and they all love Clayton.  Emma Kate is soon to start guitar lessons, and George has started fall baseball.  His team is the MudCats :).

Our neighborhood? Frankly, I cannot believe how well we have taken to this place.  The set up is altogether different.  We live in a community where the children can come and go to each others’ houses without care.  The back of our house opens up into a shady common area with a playground, sandpit, gazebo, and bike trail…yet it is distant enough to not be invasive.  The kids go out our screen porch (YES!) and can go find a playmate at whim.  We put child proof handles on the doors to keep Clayton safe.  Yet, I can shoot out with him to play and it is all within walking distance (and our bathroom).

We are attending a church called Fellowship Bible Church.  It is the church that the Freeman Family attended, and we thought we would give it a go.  It is nondenominational and BIG….quite a switch from Balmoral.  We like it and they have a buddy program for children with special needs.  They have three services on Sunday, and the format is contemporary worship music followed by Bible study sermon.  The congregation is young.  The kids go to children’s worship/education until 12yo. It is in a separate building.  They like it too.  I volunteer in the buddy program (the least I can do in return for the love and devotion they show to Clayton), and am paired with a child with autism.  He is cute, loving, and has a few challenges just like Clayton…a perfect match for me I think.

Friends?  I am meeting some (one :)).  I have become quite fond of a family down the street.  The Petaks.  We are “fit” for one another.  Heidi (mom) and Brian have four boys ages 4-12.  They play well with our little ones.  They go to the same elementary school and the same church.  Heidi is great, laid back, and is comfortable to be with.  I am blessed to come to know her, and we support one another with the kids.  Yea!

Taylor is doing well with school, and is enrolled again at the U of M this semester for 12 hours.  She is also continuing to work at Flight restaurant downtown, working a lot of hours I might say.  She is busy, and holding her own.  I am very proud of her.

Ok…the news you have all been waiting for….
My cancer is back.  I knew it actually.  I met my oncologist here and he offered up a plan to wait until the end of September for another scan.  This would give me a full three months from my last scan to recheck.  Yet, I knew something wasn’t quite right.  When we returned from the lake…I was having slight pain.  With time the pain increased and the bloating started. I let my sweet, great, attentive, conscientious Dr. Numnum (yes this is his name) know, and he ordered blood work and a CTscan right away.  Lo and behold the scan and blood work indicated a cancer return.  The plan:  This past Monday I had a liver biopsy (actually surface of my liver and surrounding lining).  It went well, and the tissue is being sent off.  The report should be back in about two weeks, and the report should indicate the “best” chemo to combat my specific cancer cells.  Ahhh the gift of science.  This is supposedly the latest and greatest in cancer treatment so I am all a go.

Feelings?  Physically I am slowed but functional.  Of course the day after the biopsy I went physically over board to cope with the emotional duress of it all.  Not a good plan.  So today, I am taking is slow and catching up on my correspondence if you will.  Emotional, as stated, I am grateful to have God and friends.  I MISS ALL OF YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH and I really miss my cat Shadow too.  If not for God and Heidi, I would be losing it.  And I am taking it in stride.  I like my life here and I REALLY like living with my husband.  Gordon is great through it all, and I do so enjoy his company.  He truly is my best friend.

Hugs and kisses to all.  This is way too long.

Will keep in touch.  COME SEE ME.  I AM USUALLY AT HOME 🙂 and we are definitely a drop in kind of family with plenty of room and food.

Over and out, Peri