Paul

What a wonderful visit to see our Colorado family.  One that I have been wanting to do for a while now.  Thanksgiving with them.  Has been almost 10 years since we have celebrated Thanksgiving with our Kerri.  And I can guarantee you it won't be another 10 years.  Our visit seemed short but we filled our days with love.  Kristi and family also joined us which added more love.  We finally had our 8 grandkids together again with us, Didi and Pap.  They now age from 19 down to 11.  Jakob, Kristopher, Sasha, Chad, Leah, Juliana, Ellie and Layton.  What wonderful, caring kids they were to their Pap and their Didi.

Kerri and I decided since she and Paul were having 25 persons for Thanksgiving, we would prepare a lot of the food on Wednesday.  We started that morning making stuffing (filling or dressing, what ever you want to call it), mac and cheese, carrot casserole (tastes like sweet potatoes), green bean casserole, cut up veggies and Kerri cleaned one of two turkeys.  This one they were going to smoke. Needed to be ready to put in the smoker at 5 AM.  Then Kerri started on dinner for Wednesday night.  Great cook my Kerri is.  Her kitchen is her domain.   Oh, Bill made his ever so famous pickled eggs on Tuesday.

Thanksgiving morning brought more cooking for Kerri till we got over to their place.  Kristi and us rented an Airb&b property about 10 minutes from Kerri and Paul's.  Nice place.  So much easier for them with their 6 kids and then to add the 6 of us.  First turkey in the smoker at 5.  Food made yesterday was heating up on grills, smokers and oven.  Next turkey ready for the fryer.  Juliana and I started a cheese and cracker turkey tray.  Ellie and Leah helped us finish it.  Wonderful.  All foods and the carved turkeys were ready by 2:30, along with foods brought by her guests.  Matt gave a nice blessing.  Kerri then herded us in line to begin the piling of wonderful, delicious foods on our plates.  10 kids and 15 adults.  Weather was so nice that our kids took their food outside and sat on the trampoline to eat.  Then the pumpkin and apple pies, sorry we didn't make them, were ready to eat if you had room.  Such a beautiful day with our families for Bill and I.  Beautiful family along with some friends of Kerri and Paul's to make the day special.

Friday was another great day.  We started by counting cows.  Up to 19 with the little ones, the mommas and bulls.  Then off to the grocery store to get a cake for Kristopher.  Yes, we got to finally celebrate one of our CO grandkids birthday.  Kristopher turned 17.  What a great young man he is. Very proud of him we are.

All this I post because this is a day I want to remember the details of years from now.  All this I post because I haven't had any chemo treatments or steroids since last Wednesday, November 14th.  Just taking Lyrica for neuropathy, Acyclovir for shingle prevention, potassium and my vitamins. All this I post because I didn't or still don't have a foggy head, feel totally fatigued, feel the steroid ups and downs and the just don't feel good part of the days.  All this I post because even though it was a short visit, we really enjoyed having our families together.  Our beautiful daughters, Kristi and Kerri and their beautiful families!

Next Tuesday, November 27th and then Wednesday, November 28th, I will start back with my chemo treatments of Kyprolis and my Dex.   Then I will have another week off, except for Dex.  Dr. Sarriera is not going to have me make up the week (this week) that I lost. Thank you Dr Sarriera.

We rode along with Kerri and Paul 2 days to see the herd of cattle they are getting.  Cows, heifers, bulls, calves (help Kerri) - total of 19 with more on the way.  Kerri and Paul pointed them out and called them by name.  White tags and branded XO and the number 7 backwards.  As we were looking for their herd (another herd grazing with them), I saw a calf laying all by itself.  Concerned it was lost as I didn't see any momma near by.  Paul pulled up beside the calf and proceeded to moo or moan something.  No momma.  So he got out of the car, calf got up.  Paul grabbed the calf by the tail (this didn't hurt) and it started crying.  All of a sudden about 40 mommas came running towards Paul and this calf.  And Paul came running towards the car.  He made it.  Sure wish I would have videoed this.  Oh, I got to see the real momma.

Quote:

Being grateful is a good way to end the day.