A return to blogging

Michelle reading to Anita while she wears her new dress

Michelle and Sandy at Blue Bunny

Kristina and a guest in the butterly pavilion, Omaha Zoo

Anita and I cheesing it up and Kristina took the picture

Fabian turned one

Lula turned 9, that one gigantic candle in the middle

Pa's b'day and the girls helping

At the Denver Aquarium

Brendas b'day, cake by Kristina

Anita helped to tear up the floor.  Dad and Jim replaced it

we went to the park a lot during this time

Renaissance Fair with the large birds

Kristina and Anita were declared princesses

ArtSplash, Anita in front and Kristina jumping in the back





Anita on her birthday opening presents

birthday crew at the Kaufmans

Baby Cierra made her first family gathering

pumpkin patch in Lawton

Kristina loved the corn box

Happy Halloween

I've been thinking about getting back on here but then feel overwhelmed with how to report everything that has happened since last getting on here and so much has happened.  Biggest news throughout this time has been Brenda's treatment.  She had two surgeries, is almost finished with radiation and her first round of chemo.  She has been so strong and brave throughout it all and managed to keep working and being a great mom to Kristina.  As this is also a busy time with fall activities and birthdays she has been on the go and managed to host a birthday party for Kristina at Play All Day.  Other exciting news was that our friends Sandy and Michelle came from Illinois to visit and we had a fun time spending time with them.  Impossible not to acknowledge the sadness too in that Denny wasn't with them and they are continuing through a difficult season of birthdays and holidays themselves.  For celebrations in order of occurrence: Lucy turned 5, Brenda 42, April 35, JoJo 8, Jenny 40, Pa 64, Fabian 1, Tanner 3, Lula 9, Kristina 7 and Anita 2.  We ate cake at each one of those celebrations and Anita is quite the baker and decorator.  In August we did go to Omaha for the weekend and had a great time at the zoo and CoCo Key.  We had a long detour due to flooding and Anita had to work very hard at not constantly touching Kristina's hair or pulling it.  Anita's health was pretty good all summer until August when the flood water began receding, harvesting began and we have had very little precipitation.  So, we have been back to the doctor three times in six weeks and of course nothing is wrong just allergies.  But, those allergies have kept us up most nights and she is also teething which has led to mommy being bit two times in the last week.  Jim is working at Charlie Zook and with his hours and days off combined with me taking a day a week off in October we were able to give grandma a little break as she attempts to manage life and the extra care required in helping with Brenda.  We have also been to the Sioux Falls Zoo with Holly and the kids and last weekend went to the pumpkin patch.  There seems to have been a celebration or get together every weekend since August so we are looking forward to life slowing down a little bit as we enter the holidays and want to enjoy them.  Anita went with Kristina trick or treating last night and had a good time.  We also visited cousins on Jim's side of the family and stopped to see him at work.  She was the cutest monkey ever.  Anita continues to grow (she's in the 80th percentile for height and weight.)  She talks non stop and wants to be such a helper.  No one is allowed to touch ice and put it in a cup w/o her.  She also waters plants, feeds birds, puts laundry away and picks up trash.  I help, I look, I do it are some of the common themes.  She wants to do it herself and usually has a pretty good idea of how to get it all done.  She loves to play hide and seek and only needs to work on alternative hiding spots as she frequents the same ones over and over.  A few funnies from the last week are following Pa to the pumpkin patch and he pulled in to put gas in the car.  I told Anita he needed to get gas and she said, "Me too, I toot."  Tonight she has been using a flashlight to look in our mouths and ears (too many dr. appts.)  Tonight I asked if she saw anything in my ears and she said, "rocks."  Then she went to Jim and said she saw "bugs."  She makes us laugh every day and can't believe how much she can remember and then act out.  She was jumping around over the weekend telling us she was a cricket.  She is also ordering us to her room for school and "I teach."  Kristina is her teacher and also fashion guru.  Anita is picking up on that style and today when I asked her what she wanted to wear she said, "blue dress."  Luckily we had one.  I could go on forever but this gets me back on and my goal is to write every week and my other goal is to order prints from Snapfish every month.  I just finished loading and printing off pics from a whole year which took a ridiculous amount of time and then I didn't get to enjoy Anita's pictures all year.  I'll post just a few tonight.  Oh my, I feel even more overwhelmed looking back at pictures.  Completely forgot about going to ArtSplash, the Renaissance Fair, replacing the kitchen floor and our trip to Denver.  No wonder I'm tired.

Merkel

Never heard of it before but Merkel cell cancer has definitely changed our lives.  Brenda received news Monday that the biopsy did show cancer and they scheduled surgery for the 22nd.  No news at that point what kind it was but that news came on Tuesday when she also found out she would have radiation five times a week for 5 to 7 weeks after surgery.  She would also have a pet scan on Wed. and wait to hear results from her doctor next Tuesday.  We are all terrified as we wait.  Kristina is picking up more than we realize and made some grown up comments to grandma about all the people that are worried about her mom.  She also said she prayed for her and knew the doctor would make her feel better.  It is Kristina's faith that can help carry us all through this as we are carrying more fears and doubts.  We had planned to take the girls to the zoo in September or October but due to radiation Brenda will not be up for that so we are going this weekend.  We're leaving at 7am to head for the zoo, spend the night and go to Coco key and possibly children's museum.  It will be a fun girls weekend to help pass the time as we wait to hear news.  Gma and Kristina took Anita to get her hair cut today and this is also where Kristina is showing what she knows.  She assisted with Anita, kept her busy and helped with getting her to turn her head for the hairdresser Holly.  On the way home Kristina was asking Anita if she knew who cut her hair and was repeating the name Holly.  She then told her that was not her other/first mom, but instead our friend Holly that cuts hair.  She is something else and who knew how much she was absorbing through this whole process too.  When Anita first came to us, Kristina asked if that was her sister.  I told her that Anita was not her sister but I would like them to act like they were and take care of each other.  They are doing that more all the time. 

A week in pictures

Anita, Pa and Kristina on a hike at Dorothy Pecaut Center

having a snack

Kristina offering reassurance

bug catchers

looking at a spider



helping Lucy open her present today




Fabian yelling at everyone to get out



JoJo checking out the colored pencils

Holly and Fabian

Lucy with her mini me Dora



Javier and Anita taking turns in his car



Anita kept asking for the keys

5 stitches after falling off his bike this week



Hugging her Tia when she arrived




After killing several bugs she went back to driving the car

 Anita and I went on a road trip early this morning and left the house at 7:15am.  Anita did great riding in the car and singing all the way to Sioux Center.  It was only 8am so we decided to browse through WalMart with four other people who were up and shopping that early.  Anita enjoyed looking at many toys and had a partial assist in picking out her birthday present.  After she was tired of walking we got back in the car and drove to Hull.  Everyone was just getting up there and we enjoyed playing.  Fabian is crawling all over the place now and Anita had fun looking at him in his crib and pushing his hands off the side.  We gave Lucy her Dora doll and coloring book/colors which she enjoyed.  She colored along with Anita and Javier.  Once it warmed up a little bit all the kids went out to play and Anita had fun swinging, going down the slide and riding the teter totter (sp?).  Before lunch was ready she was tired out and we loaded up to come home.  She took only a brief nap so was pretty tired this afternoon.  To stay awake and keep busy we went to visit gma/gpa/brenda and kristina and she had fun playing in the basement with the girls mostly.  Now she's down early and we prepare for another busy week.  No news on Brenda's biopsies, mom is going to Omaha on Friday with ladies from church and I have Friday off to watch the girls.  Hoping for a quiet week and warm weather so we can join my friend Pam in her pool right down the street.  We joined her yesterday in her backyard paradise and Anita had fun swimming, petting Buddy the dog and also touching the kittens.

Brenda

Brenda had two biopsies done today and is looking at having surgery very quickly.  Sounds like they are pretty sure it is cancer but are waiting for results to see which kind so the best treatment can be given.  Life changes quickly again and Brenda is trying to absorb all of this information while also letting Kristina know and reassuring her.  When Brenda has surgery she will be in the hospital for two days and I don't think they have spent a night apart since Kristina spent time in the NICU when she was born.  This will be very hard on both of them.  For now we wait to hear results of the biopsies and trust that God is in control.  Kristina starts 1st grade in a couple weeks and Brenda will have surgery after that but it sounds like the next four days are the most critical in finding out the specific kind of cancer.  On a better note, gpa, gma, kristina and anita had fun going to the Dorothy Pecaut Center today to look at all kinds of critters and then went on a little hike.  They had a snack on a picnic bench and went to visit gma cline before eating mcdonalds.  Sounded like a great morning before heading home for a snack and hearing from Brenda after her appointment.  Other news I had been concerned about was that Holly thought she was pregnant.  I have been sad for everyone in thinking about the effect on Anita and the rest of the kids.  She called tonight to say she is not pregnant but now the search begins for why she has been so ill for three weeks.  This weekend we will go to Hull to celebrate Maddie and Lucy's birthdays.  They were both born on August 18th.  Lucy loves Dora and is getting a Dora doll.  Maddie loves Justin Bieber and is getting a t'shirt of him.  Should be a fun time for all the kids.

Butterfly girls

Anita was happy to return to gma and gpa's house today after a few long days with her parents.  Upon arrival she was happy to see her partner in crime (Kristina) and a butterfly that Pa had put in a plastic container for them.  Both girls enjoyed touching and holding the butterfly.  Then they all went to the park this morning and Anita was able to follow Kristina all over and had a good time.  I haven't gotten the whole story, but last week gma was out of the kitchen and Kristina and Anita got in the fridge for milk.  I guess when gma came back Kristina was pleading her case while Anita stood in the middle of a half gallon of milk on the floor.  Gma said she even had milk on her eyelashes.  Together they are quite the duo and I'm sure will have many adventures.  Lucky for Kristina that Anita can't say too much yet.  Big news on Kristina's end is that she slept in her bed all night last night.  Pa told her she is now ready for first grade.  We're all very proud of her, first losing a tooth and now in her own bed.  Jim had his first day at Charlie Zook and will spend six weeks training on a computer about the cars.  Anita and I went down to our friend Pams house after dinner to watch some ladies from work due a Zumba workout in the pool while we played with Ryan (2 1/2).  We may join them in the pool next week as it appeared to be a fun time.

The toothless wonder



Kristina with teeth




and without one tooth

Kristina lost her first tooth this week after months of it being loose.  Now she has a few more that are getting ready and probably won't take as long to get out.  She said the tooth fairy brought her three dollars.  Can't believe how much inflation has gone up.  I think I got a quarter.



August 1, 2011



Anita LOVES the belt her dad made her




belt with glasses and new stroller




riding the choo choo at cousin Patti's house




Kristina's serious water gun attack face




Posing and ready to go swimming

 It has been a crazy, busy couple of weeks and the main event was that Jim lost his job.  Luckily I have a good job and a great boss that allowed me to return to full time immediately while Jim found a new job at Charlie Zook selling cars.  I'm working very hard at being grateful I have a job, grateful we were able to keep our insurance, grateful we didn't buy a bigger house or new car this summer and grateful I did have time off with Anita this summer.  I'm not completely grateful yet as I'm sad about missing time now but also grieving my future plans of wanting to work less and be home with Anita more.  Right now this is how it will be and I'm closer to accepting that than I was last week.  Anita has not been feeling great but she has been talking non stop.  Every day she adds new words to her vocabulary and sometimes sentences.  "No fit" is a common one as she tries to stuff too many people into the doll van.  "I get it" when she is after anything in the house or chasing bugs.  She pretends to swat bugs on the couch and loves looking for them inside and out.  Kristina caught a centipede last week and they both held it.  Anita will have to join Kristina at bug camp last year since Kristina enjoyed it so much.  Anita loves wearing her belt around just like Pa and Dad so that is a daily ritual with whatever outfit she is wearing.  She is running, jumping, dancing and swimming so much we are struggling to keep up and when we don't she lets us have it verbally although we're not sure what all she is saying yet.  She can also spot a choo choo from a mile away and every time we get in the car she is asking to see one and also asking for money.  She likes to be handed loose change and she puts it in the pocket on the door of the car.  We need to get her a piggy bank to start saving.  Received exciting news that our friends Sandy and Michelle are coming to town on the 19th and we'll get to spend some time catching up with them.  First time meeting Anita so it will be fun for all of us.  There has been a lot of drama in Jim's family over the last week that has stressed us out in addition to his job loss so we are looking forward to having friends here with us soon.