Pretty good weekend!

Saturday we were in the medicine room for about 7 hours getting blood, platelets and other things. I read a neat article on the St. Jude's website about a man that drives from MO every couple of weeks so he can give platelets. We sure are thankful because in our stay here, Devree has probably got platelets about 3 -4 times for each round of chemo. So if you figure that per patient they need about 16 packages of platelets, that means St. Judes needs lots of donors. Devree also gets about that many packages of blood too. We are on the upswing now though. I doubt she will need any more blood products because her counts are maintaining and that means going up from here.

Sunday, Devree was able to go to Sacrament meeting. We got her all "dooded" up and she even let me put make-up on her and everything. Grandma Rice's socks even matched her skirt so everything looked great. She had on her wig, but she still had to wear her mask. We tried to say goodbye to some of the people because Todd will be driving the boys home next week, and we won't have a car to get there. Shay and Dane had been spending the night with Celest and kids. Breck is gone on business to Boston and then he flies home for a few hours on Wednesday before Celest and he get to fly to Kansas City on Thursday. We are going to celebrate his and Dane's birthday on Wednesday night. I will make dinner and a birthday cake. Dane is actually going to get to celebrate his birthday 3 times. I let him open one present so he could enjoy it. It was a Shark mask and shark fins for his feet and his hands got these things that can squirt other people. He had fun with them in the pool. Then we will celebrate his birthday with Breck and let him open another present. Then on his actual birthday he will celebrate in MO with Grandma and Grandpa and cousins and open another present we got him.

It has been great having Dane and Shay here. They keep us hopping and on our toes. They always want to go to Target House 1. They want to play Foosball and go to the Amy Grant room which has all of these couches, a huge screen TV, musical instruments and all of the game systems. We watched a movie and they played around while I relaxed on the couch. I think they get stir crazy in our little apartment. The Amy Grant room is larger than our whole apartment.

I had a good conversation with Dane about what he wants for his baptism. He wants all of the cousins that come (that includes you married cousins) to sing "How firm a Foundation". So start practicing your parts. I am going to ask Kolten to play, but I think it would sound neat to have it accapella for the last verse if everyone practised their parts. Dane decided on the prayer and the talk. We get to share the baptism with a girl that we have known since we moved to Dayton. Her name is Megan and she is a few days older than Dane. Megan and Dane have always had a really good relationship and Megan has always had a special place in Dane's heart. If anyone wants to hear the funny story about that, you will have to email me.

I also had a good conversation with Shay about some of his school goals for this coming year. He would like to try more sports. I know he has musical talent and I want him to develop those talents too. He is considering playing the trumpet. That is going to take lots of chill pills on my part. But then again his bedroom is on the other side of the house! He has really done well in school and has excelled at math and english. He is a little nervous going back to public school this year, but knows many kids there.

Well this has been a long one. A good way to start the week. . . Tell me where this paraphrased scripture is found. "Pray always. Never Ceasing."