In short, everything is fine. I continue to struggle with some hand/foot issues as side effects of the chemo, so the doctor advised an extra week or two off chemo to let them heal. It's hoped that once the body catches up with everything, that there will be no future problems with it. Due to my feet issues, I haven't been able to exercise as much as I would like. I'm hoping to find a way to get around that one of these days. I'm more fatigued than I like and part of that is due to lack of exercise.
My tumor markers remain normal, although with slight increases. No worries until a noticeable trend is seen and even then, no worries. It is what it is and most days, I feel quite normal and move along with life.
The kids are now on Christmas vacation after a very full autumn semester. Michael's soccer team placed second in the Northwest Sectional Soccer Tournaments ... something no team from Sunnyvale has ever done. None of our teams have ever even made it that level of competition. It was a great season and Michael grew a lot with the team. He is now on his school's team and will play in a more competitive league in the spring.
Rachel's cheer squad placed second in their division at the USA Cheerleading Competition. This was their first competition of the season and while they weren't perfect, they learned a lot which will help them prepare for future events. More importantly, Rachel is enjoying her cheer time and looks forward to next semester. She has quite enjoyed her first semester as a high school student.
Art continues to work hard to provide for us. The end of the year is always a busy time for companies and this year is no exception. We do take time for weekly date nights.
I remain content with the activities of a stay-at-home mom who is rarely at home. My life is full and my bucket runs over. While I am "busy" in the activity sense of the word, I'm learning more and more about just "being." This time of year has me doing more "stuff" which makes me miss my times of being still. I do know that God is with me, regardless of my activity level, and I enjoy his company wherever I am.
2,000 years ago a baby cried in Bethlehem. His voice is still heard around the world.