January 16

I feel like I am still celebrating! I started getting gifts on Monday and that has continued until today, Thursday. I had one of the best birthdays ever, mostly because I felt so remembered and loved by so many friends and family members. The stake RS presidency brought me some balloons and a candle. Sister Jolly bought me flowers, David brought me flowers and another neighbor brought me some lovely calla lilies. Lilies, of all types are my favorite flowers. Another friend in our ward offered to do our laundry for us, and she gave me a cd and some cute socks. Julie and Chrissie took me to lunch and gave me some nice gifts: a CD, a game, some scented soap, a book and some activities to do with the kids. David came home from work early and brought dinner with him. I took a nap for a while and then we had dinner as a family. The boys all did their chores and homework and we watched another episode of Little House on the Prairie, like we have been doing every night before we go to bed.

I took my last dose of Xeloda yesterday. I'm still a little nauseated today, but I feel like I'm getting a little stronger each day. This morning I went to visit my friend in the ward, Janet Harr. She had a mastectomy and radiation about 2 years ago. She was really supportive for me when I was struggling with treatment decisions and when I felt sick. She gave me 2 hats when I turned bald and she gave me a book. It turns out that just recently, her cancer came back and appeared as lesions on her liver, just like I started out with a year ago. The neat thing is that she left Dr. Breyer's practice as well and went to my new doctor, due to my recommendation of Dr. Shehadeh. She is pleased with him and says he helped give her new hope. She just started her chemotherapy last month, so now she is bald again, for the second time. I brought her a bandana and I showed her my black hat with the fall which looks like bangs. She and I had a good talk, as we are both in the same "boat." She also just got a gift of a yorkie puppy who is cute and little and soft. I invited Janet to come over next week and watch the recording I made of Patrick Swayze's interview with Barbara Walters. I found it very inspiring.

Six other ladies in the ward took me to lunch at China Isle this afternoon. We each ordered a different dish and then passed them around the table, family style. I even ordered a take out entree of my favorite mango chicken. One of the ladies brought me a present of some lovely scrapbooking papers and a bunch of little jars of colored glitter. I look forward to using them next week when I am feeling better.

Well, my brother Dave just arrived for a visit. He loves Sandi and nicknames her "crazy pooch." Jonny went on a campout tonight, sleeping in a snow cave and going ice fishing, so just Nathan and Brenton are here. I can hear them downstairs inviting David to play a Wii game with them.
I'll write more later!
Emilee