April Chemo Treatment

 Went to my 1 year appointment from the radiation treatment and the Doctor gave me a shot of chemo directly in my eye.  Man did it hurt.  The shot burned really bad and hurt so bad that I thought I was going to throw up.  The doctor told me that this shot would help with the radiation side effects.  I never want another shot in my eye with chemo.  He said that it was not a common practice or FDA approved but he thought it helped with radiation damage. 

 I wore the patch for a full day.  After the appointment Ross and I had wanted to go out and eat lunch.  After I got in the car I laid my head down and if I moved I thought I was going to throw up even though I was hungry.  Poor Ross I told him to drive straight home and not stop even for Tylenol.  For the 2 hour drive home I thought "Why did I get the shot???"  Another week of sitting around with my eye closed - lovely.  Now I have to go to my Cranial Sacral Therapist to get my energy back in my eye balanced.  I am so thankful for Annette.  It was a miracle that I found her.  She has helped my so much and I owe my eye doing so well to her.  When the doctor couldn't figure out why my eye hurt so bad last year, she figured it out and got my eye feeling so much better.  I have learned to honor my cancer eye.  My cancer eye has taken this on and I am so thankful for my left eye.

 This picture is right after the shot.  My eye swelled up and did not like it.

Oregon Trip March

 Ross went under the trailer to fix some plumbing and had to crawl in on his belly.  Griffin looked under for his Grandpa Ross and would say "Grandpa are you hiding?"  We had just played hide and go seek inside the house and he thought his Grandpa Ross was playing again.  I don't think so with cobwebs everywhere.

We did a temple session in Portland.

 Kent loved to be held.  He is so cute!

 We went on a hike near their home.  Lance carried the 2 boys.

 Ross and Lance doing yoga to stretch and unwind.  Ross loves his yoga.  Even Griffin is trying it out

Linda wears goggles to protect her eye.  Griffin put them on and said he was swimming.

Kim and Lance strapped Kent in and Grandpa carried him.  They strapped him real tight and Kent doesn't seem to mind.

 The trees in Oregon all have moss growing on them. I love how big the trees are

 The blossoms falling on Griffin.  Love Oregon

Oregon March 2013

 We loved holding our Superman Kent.  Kimberlee and I went to the Aquarium while the man went crabbing.   Weston left on his mission one month earlier so we decided to go and visit our Oregon Grandchildren.  We had so much fun.

 Lance said that while we were there he had never seen so many vegetables and fruits, so we had steak one night.

 Grandpa reading to the boys. 

 Ross and Lance went crabbing and Griffin got so scared when Lance pulled them out.  Yummy

 We had an Easter Egg Hunt and Griffin found them all and he ate all the candy himself.  In the backyard was this beautiful daffodil and Griffin pulled it out.  He is definitely a boy.

 Grandpa chilling while Griffin lines up his cars

 We had so much fun playing with Griffin.

Weston's 1 month Mission

 Weston with his Mission President Toombs.  Weston has been able to get to know the Mission President due to his Trainer was a former Assistant to the President.  The Mission President has gone with Weston to teach people.  Weston has enjoyed getting to know him and his wife.

 Weston got right into the work.  When he got there in Aurora, Colorado he had baptism set for that week.

 Here is a picture of Weston and his buddies at his farewell.  Going to miss seeing the boys

 Picture of the missionaries in the MTC.  The big guy on the right plays football for BYU.  Also the picture below is one of all the missionaries leaving the MTC for the mission field.

 Weston's good friend, Ryan Hineman was in the MTC together.  They both look so happy.  It was too bad that Weston did not get a picture of Josh Gross.  He saw Josh for only a moment in the MTC as Weston was rushing off to a meeting.

 The bat and helmet.  Weston loves to play football and the helmet was awarded to him as Player of the Year, but the helmet means more to him.  He read the Book of Mormon and got the bat as a Priest and that was when he gained a testimony of the Gospel and decided he wanted to serve a mission.

 Pictures of his farewell.  I love the picture below of my Mother, Nancy, Gary, Cindy and myself.

 We had such a good time seeing family and friends.  Here is Jesse, Terra with Nathan and Jessica.

 Here is a copy of today's letter from Weston:

Well this week we had a baptism lined up and I was to baptism Gary but we have to postpone it. He had to be interviewed by the president and there is something up that he has to write Salt Lake. He is still strong which is good because most just fall away because they can't baptized right away. This week was the most productive so far we taught 25 lessons. One day we taught 8 so we literally went to teaching appointment to teaching appointment. It was awesome and we found 7 new investigators it was just awesome how much the Lord has blessed us. I went on exchanges with the zone leaders this week and it was interesting because they serve in the YSA branch and it is different than back home. They have 30 active in the branch and they meet not in a building but in the cannery. It is weird how different it is then back in mesa. The ward I am in is huge and has 700 members with about a 100 active. So we are always busy visiting people and the city of Aurora is one giant apartment complex so we have a lot on our hands. It has been great my companion was an AP  before he was my trainer so he is close with president so I have more contact with him than most. He talked about how when the age dropped the productive went sky high and has been that way. I am excited to hear what the prophet has to say about missionary work this session. I am excited for conference the most I have ever been. One thing that is hard to do is to get member referrals. They don't ever tell us anything and that is were 80 percent of baptism happen. So I have a commitment that who ever reads this gives the missionaries one referral. It isn't that hard almost all the referral the members doubt but we have so far always gave a way a book of Mormon or something else so give them referrals.

Christmas 2012

 This is the last time that we will all be together for 2 years.  Kimberlee and Lance came down from Oregon for Christmas and this is Weston's last Christmas because he leaves for his mission in February.   We all got together and my niece, Hillary Porter toke our family picture.  We were very fortunate to have Grandma Jean in our picture.

Here are all the grandchildren holding their number in order.  Kate has her #6 upside down.  We have 11 grandchildren and each and everyone of them are special to us.

 This is the last picture with Griffin with both of his front teeth.  A couple of days after this picture he was in an accident and hit his front teeth and lost one of them.  We are just grateful that everyone was safe.  We felt blessed.

 Here is a picture of all our 6 children and Grandma Jean.

 Here are all the girls.  Aren't they just beautiful?

 And here are the handsome boys.  Love them all.

 The grandchildren all love Weston and here is a picture of them all hugging their favorite Uncle Weston.  When he is on his mission, they are going to miss him.  Weston loves each one of them and loves to wrestle them.  He is a great Uncle.

2012 was a very challenging year for Linda.  Linda was diagnosed with choridal melanoma cancer in her left eye.  Through the challenge of radiation and keeping her eye, we have learned many lifetime lessons.  Adversity can make you strong.  Ross has finished up jobs in New Mexico.  Linda will be so glad to have him in Arizona.  Weston graduated from high school and was named "player of the year in football".  Weston received his mission call to serve a mission and will leave in February.  We are all so proud of his decision to serve the Lord.  Now we will be empty nesters.   Griffin has already called and asked for his Grandma DeeDa to come and visit him.  I think we can find things to keep us busy the coming year with 11 grandchildren.