January started off by Spencer convincing us all to make prime rib for New Year's Eve and going to see a BYU men's volleyball game.  Then he was back off to college, Allison came home from her trip to California to see my family and school was back into full force.


Regular life met new peer tutors and Saturday computer classes for me, date with cousin, archery team and art classes for Robyn, and some fun times for Allison - stag Save Ferris Dance, friends over, date to Sweater Swing and getting asked to Sweethearts dance for February.


Our baby turned 12!  On her birthday she took brownies to school, had a day long fieldtrip to see SUU gymnastics, then had friends over for nachos, ice cream and going to color me mine.  Next day it was time for an awesome birthday lunch date with her dad...more nachos and ice cream.  She definitely has inherited something from her dad besides her beautiful eyes!



Then the first day we could Allison and I along with her friend Luke took Robyn to the temple for the first time.  It was also the afternoon we were waiting to get results from the cancer board where our doctor was making Jeremy's case -  good place to wait, calm my nerves and get some needed perspective.


The radiologist report from the first week of January had been pretty depressing.  Said the tumor was bigger than it had ever been and had spread.  The board agreed that surgery was a good option for us to pursue.  So on my birthday we had an appointment with the surgeon.  Friends and neighbors knew the day was going to be stressful so they showed forth love and support in amazing ways.  I count one of my greatest blessing being the people I am surrounded by.  They have carried me through this year and on my birthday especially.  Even my para's and student's parents decorated my classroom - which I can't show because of all the confidentiality stuff but I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry all day long.


Surgeon said radiologist were wrong.  The medication had helped with all the OTHER tumors - yep took us by surprise as well.  So we are looking at a pretty dramatic surgery maybe at the beginning of summer.  Jeremy had caught influenza B the weekend before.  So he spent the week on Tami Flu wearing a mask and under quarantine at our house.  Luckily by Friday he was feeling much better...

Two weeks ago with all this stressful news hitting us, Jeremy asked if we could go away over night.  So I made arrangements for a sub and for kids and Friday morning thanks to Donny Osmond "aka fairy godfather" we had an amazing weekend.  Donny flew us in his private plane to Las Vegas for 2 days.  He arranged for us to stay at the Flamingo, see a magic show, "O" at Bellagio, Legends, spend an afternoon at the spa getting massages, dinner out and of course to see the Donny and Marie Show and then we all flew back together late Saturday night.  What an unbelievable trip by an extremely caring, generous man.


Diet went out the window this weekend for sure.


It definitely has been an emotional month of lots of ups and downs.  I am grateful that at the end of the month we were given the gift of time and can discuss more of what the next few years will be like not whether we will have them or not.  It will definitely be a new normal for us but that is becoming something we are more used to.  Our new normal constantly changes but we are trying hard to be flexible and have hope during the down times and gratitude during the up times.