Jake

Jake came home last night around dinner time. He was still groggy. His surgery went well and he did fine. Everyone's glad to have him home. We'll know later this week the results of what type of cancer he has and if it's the type that spreads. For now his bed is in the laundry room since his hip is oozing and bloody. The incision is probably 5 inches long or so. He was more alert and ready to go out this am.

I started my job on Monday. It's fun w/ the kids and always something to do. I take the kids down to lunch, bring them out to recess after and so on for 2 more lunches. Down here, there's no outside recess if it's 30 degrees or colder. Today we have the storm Mn had. It's windy and only to get windier and the day goes on. It was raining over night so hopefully it won't freeze as the temps are supposed to drop today. I'm bummed that I didn't get Brent's lunch group =( but I still walk by and see him in class and in the hallway. There's lots of kids I know from Brent and Maddy's classes. I have free reign to run things that work for me. It sounds like they need some new, proactive people working. There's another monitor so we split the building and she has Brent's half of the classes. I have some 2nd graders, but mostly 1st grade. One recess, the music teacher is on the playground too. She and I talked about Brent and his 'musical abilities!' She sent a note home with him saying he's 'in tune to pitch and beat more than other kids!' She thought he could pursue some musical things outside of school. The kids plays football and can hold a music rhthym (sp?) =) it's great to be with the teachers and here how Brent is doing. Well, I'm off to shower and go to work!

Jake

I spoke with the vet yesterday and the results from Jake's small biopsy are in. The bump under his chest is a fatty cyst. The mass on his hip they believe is cancer due to how the cells are reacting. He goes today for blood work and will have surgery on Tues to remove the whole mass and have it tested further to see which type of cancer it is and if it's spread. Keep him in your prayers! I'll keep updating.

My New Job!

It's official as of yesterday, I'm a permanent employee of the Loveland School district!! My new job is the Student Activity Monitor at Brent's school-1st and 2nd grades. I will be the monitor in the lunchroom and playground and I start Monday. I'm excited! My hours are every day from 10:30-1:15-Perfect! Brent's excited too to have me there. It will be nice to have set hours and days. It makes it easier to volunteer in the kids' classrooms. I have the holidays off (with pay) the kids do and summer's off. They average my pay so I'm paid all year-even in the summer when I'm off. YEAH!!

Thanksgiving was fun and relaxing. Our turkey turned out AWESOME and we had pie, mashed potatoes and all. YUM! The kids were off Wed-Friday so it was nice to be home with them.

We took Jake in Monday to have his bumps tested-he has 2. Well one is a flat mass. We should know today or tomorrow what the test shows. Many prayers for him!

Jenny and I went to see New Moon on Tuesday. WONDERFUL as I figured it would be! Hayley wants to see it so I'm taking her this weekend =) She's read the 1st & 2nd books 3 times and Eclipse once.

Well, I'm off to get Maddy ready for school. No call so far for work today so I'm enjoying a day off!

Halloween!

The kids had a fun Halloween! The weather was beautiful as usual. We went to our neighbors down the street and had dinner outside and the kids went out trick or treating. Our block sits at the end of our street so the trick or treaters don't have to walk down every street. We have a bonfire and drinks and chat. Here are some of our neighbors, we brought our pumpkins down to light. We caught up with Katie and her family-they were the cat girls. We brought a bunch of candy to our church who then sends it to military folks. Better they eat it than us =)

Grandma and Grandpa left this last Monday. We had lots of fun. The kids love having them here and for them to be here for Halloween. We found a new town called Waynesville we like w/ lots of little shops and antiques. We bummed around there last Saturday after the whole family went to the barn. The kittens loved grammy's lap and Hayley's while the boys and I brought horses in/out. Lots of great time spent with them. Today we went to the barn and Scott fixed one of the gates and Maddy and Brent cleaned stalls! Maddy was looking for other stalls to clean-she liked scooping the poop! It was too funny.

On Tuesday, Jake had a 'thing' burst on the back of his hip. It was bloody and oozing. I brought him to the vet and they cleaned it, shaved it and we bring him back next week to have it tested to see if it's cancer or not. It's a mass underneath and he's on med's now to get rid of the infection and have the swelling go down but there's more there than just being swollen. Hopefully it's nothing. Otherwise he's his old self and acts fine.

I can't wait for New Moon to come out on Friday! It looks better than Twilight. My neighbor and I are already planned a night to go see it. Hayley now has read 3 of the 4 books. She may be hooked too.

I'm off to help Scott put the garage back together. He's cleaning, airing the boat out.

Happy Birthday Paige!!!!!!!! ;-) Hope you had a great day!

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch on Saturday. It was 50 degrees but it was so windy it was cold. Sunday it was beautiful-65 degrees and sunny and it's been like that since. Tomorrow and Thurs it will be 70!!! Anyway, it had rained Friday so it was very muddy. We took a tractor ride out to the pumpkin patch. They drive through the woods and have fun decorations up. On our way back, our tractor got stuck in the mud. Another tractor came and pulled us out. We all had fun and shoes, truck, clothes were muddy =-) The kids are so excited for Halloween and no one is sick!

Hayley is feeling better and was back at school last Wed. Brent and Maddy were home thru Friday. Maddy still had a low grade fever Friday afternoon. Everyone is better now and back to school. The kids receive their h1n1 vaccines today. Hayley's not to bothered, Brent i'm not sure. Maddy i'm picking up from school and going in to get hers. She was crying walking home from the bus yesterday so i'm not sure what she would have been like. So we'll do it together after school. She cried getting ready this am and to the bus stop =( poor baby girl.............we're going to get ice cream tonite! It's been hard to decide yes or no on the vaccine. B & M will receive their 2nd dose in the next 30 days.

Gma and Gpa arrive tomorrow night!!!! YEAH!! The kids are counting down.

Well, i need to go finish cutting the grass. it's supposed to rain this afternoon and it's LONG! I love this Ohio weather!

Sick Kidlets.....

Well, the bug has finally caught up to us! The combo of H1N1, colds and other crud has been awful here. Tons of kids out at every school. Any day the kids will be vaccinated AT SCHOOL for H1N1 at the cost of the school. Obviously with parental consent. Hayley was sick Sat-Monday. Fever, aches, cough. By Monday she was starting to feel better-only low grade fever. I kept her home yesterday just to have 1 more day to get her immune system back before going back to the sickly school. Maddy came home yesterday after her book fair. I went up for it and she looked awful and tired. We went to the nurse to check her temp and it was 101. Brent woke up this am burning up and so they're both home today. Hopefully their's will be short lived like Hayley's. We don't want sick trick or treaters!! Plus gma and gpa are coming!!!!!!!! YEAH!! Grandma is retired!!!!! Last Thurs was her last day =) So we're not sure how long they're staying. We've all joked about staying till turkey day so we'll have to see. They haven't said so it will be a surprise! Way to go Granny!!!

So what else is new.................Hayley's last ftball game is Sunday. Scott & I are liking our bible study. Lots to learn. It's nice to have nights free to hang out and play outside. I miss sports but don't. I like the simple, non hectic life! I've been working almost everyday at the high school. Love it and keeps me busy! Last Friday Cindy (Katie's mom), Katie and the girls and I went to see the play Beauty and the Beast at the high school. Very talented kids! It was really cute. The girls liked it. School is going well for all. The 1st quarter ends this Friday! Where does time go??

The weather is warming up to 65-70 degrees this week. It's been 55-60 or so. Colder than normal.

We all went to the barn a few weeks ago. The kids LOVED the kittens and played with them. Scott helped bring in horses to feed =) it was quite muddy as it had rained. I was bringing blind Dolly in and she stepped right in a mud puddle and splashed my pants with mud. Quite disgusting but worth it! Scott got a laugh out of it! It's a great family place to volunteer. We fed the chickens and the rabbits. I've never been that close to a chicken. The kids thought that was cool.

Take care!

Loveland's Homecoming parade

The black truck is the one the players and Hayley's squad rode on. Their truck went by so fast, they were past before I knew it was them. Hayley's standing up by her coach w/ the funny hat. The other truck is cute w/ the tigers =) The girls getting ready........they went early to decorate the truck and the trailer and have pizza. Hayley had a blast! The parade was fun. Brent & Maddy got a ton of candy!