Last Day at St. Jude's Jan 25, 2012

Ethel and Brenda came to St. Jude's to have lunch with us. They are so kind and good and generous. They both have loaned cars to us while in Memphis. Celest came also and we had a nice chat after lunch too. Celest is so kind and gracious to have everything ready for us to stay at her home.

We went to the bad part of Memphis to enjoy the famous "Jerry's snowcones". There was Breck, Celest, Taylor (Tayzia's boy friend), Tayzia, Talon and Kallie. Of course Devree and I were there.

Devree got a rubber bracelet in rememberance and we tried FRIED pickles. They were both kinds of hot but very good. Devs got a kiwi strawberry but they had lots of flavors and it was freezing outside too.

Taylor took a picture of all of us. We had dessert first and went home to a delicous chicken dinner.

Devree is very excited to get a new device that makes her hearing aids into headphones. It will be waiting when we get home. We are excited to fly home even if it is way too early in the morning. We met one boy today that has been here basically the whole time since we left in 2009. He was allowed to go home to South Carolina for a short visit and then back to therapy. He got a bone marrow transplant but his body is not doing too well. His name is Chase and he has this shirt that he wore again today. "Bald Chicks ar Hot!" Chase has graduated from high school and his life is just waiting to find out if he is going to be cured. Three years here would be INSANE or it would drive me insane. I guess you have to be thankful for the challenges that you have been given. We saw Season and Chase Burch. Chase is about 2 years younger than Devree and is going to celebrate 5 years since diagnosis in March. Season is the one that told me to get Devree to St. Jude's. I am eternally grateful for Season.

St. Judes 2nd day Jan. 24, 2012

After our delicious dinner of Taco Soup from Celest. Tayzia, Celest and Breck doing the dishes.

Talon, Jackson covering his eyes (the stinker) and Kallie not feeling so well.

We got Jackson not covering his eyes. THANK YOU TALON!

A new feature of the "NO" clinic (Neuro Oncology) there is a IPOD player. Devree is loving to rock out on her own music. She is DANCING to "Shake it" by Metro Station. You know the song...."Shake shake, shake shake shake it". It makes you want to dance. NOw we don't mind having to wait an ETERNITY in the clinic room.

Yesterday at the end of the day we got good/bad news. The bad news first. Devree is loosing more sight in her right eye because of the paralysis. The good news is that St. Jude's has given an offer to a ONCOLGIST/FERTILITY specialist. We are very excited for this, because that means they could harvest sperm/eggs from those cancer patients that are going to be heavily radiated like Devree was and find solutions for after cancer treatment. We are lucky that Devs has a fertility specialist back home in Carson that is treating her for future fertility. But St. Jude's will find other solutions also.

We have the unofficial of the brain scan. Everything looks GOOD!

Now on to the rest of the long day. HAVE A GREAT DAY!

January 2012 St. Jude's Checkup

We have already got lots of new prizes for Devree since we have been here. She got a "Cars" T-shirt and 2 new hats and some other clothes from a lady in the ward.

You see the purple Fedora above and then she got this leopard wrap. She is still struggling with the infection from her eye brow lift on the top of her head. The surgery had healed but the skin keeps getting irritated because of wigs etc rubbing it and it got a bad infection.

Devree had to get 2 IV's today. The first nurse poked her arm. Devree convinced her to find another spot after the nurse tried to "milk" her arm. Then she put in her wrist. It was hurting and she let the blood coagulate for the tests so then we saw one of our favorite nurses "Ebony" and she put in a really good IV in the other hand. Ebony is the nurse that joined in singing "Here comes the Sun"with us, when the sun finally came out in Memphis February 2009. We had been in Memphis for 3 weeks and it finally showed its face! Ebony laughed with us when we reminisced back.

We are so blessed to celebrate 3 years since Devree's brain cancer diagnosis. Devree asked "Why don't we celebrate that day?" To me it was one of the worst days of my life and I told her "We are going to celebrate when you hit the 6 year mark of being cancer free!" She is doing great and has reached the point after this check up she will not have an MRI of the spine or a lumbar puncture. We have had lots of excitement as the Brices picked us up. The Breck Rices nick name that Shay gave them. They were all at the airport and had signs and a lovely dinner waiting for us. Then we had tornado warnings for an hour with the most amazing lightning show that lasted for a half hour. I have never seen lightning strike all at once like the finale at a fireworks show. I should've got pictures. We are safe and no tornados that we saw.

Have you been thankful for your blessings today?

Trip to Utah

Shay holding Zachary. Zach is a mellow little boy. He warmed up to us pretty fast.

Devree and Zach.

Todd, Koe, Dane and Craig behind. Koe and Craig were so nice to let us stay with them.

A good one of Koe and Craig.

Me and Todd at the Church Museum. This was in the Tribal room with some great paintings.

Devree and Shay standing in front of the quilt "Arise and Shine Forth".

Todd lifting the 90 lb Gold Plates in the Book of Mormon exhibit.

Koe, Kylee, Zach by the chickens that would make noises.

Kylee put her skirt on to dance to the music.

Devree putting on her skirt and head peice to dance.

Devree watches the girl on the video screen to dance the right way.

Shay and Dane liked building the wall that Samuel the Lamanite stood on.

Devree's pose.

Shay and Dane and their design.

Fishing on Nephi's ship.

Sitting in the truck.

Shay cannot quite fit. But this was Zach's favorite.

Posing on the bride portrait place.

All of us.

This was on our tour of the Conference center. We got a private tour and it was wonderful.

The Christus.

I got to visit with Sister Baggett that I trained 30 years ago on our missions in Eufala, Alabama. Barb has beat cancer 3 times.

This is her chemo hat. It is a bed pan that measures your excrement all glittered up on the outside with all of the other paraphenelia of getting chemo.

This is Me, Wanda, Cherie and Pat. We joined up for dinner to celebrate 25 years since we were all in the American Fork Singles Ward.

Devree and Aunt Mary. We had a BRUNCH with the Browns and Hatch's. We had a FUN time.

Katie, Jared and Wendy. Thanks Wendy and Shane for getting everything ready at the church.

Maddy, Katie and Jared's daughter.

Alicia and Chip.

Cute girls.

Hailey giving her best smile.

Todd and Heidi Jones.

Caitlyn and all of the Jones family.

Todd with Aunt Donna with Andrea, Uncle Eldon and Mainette in the back.

Scott and Jill came. YEA!

Cameron and Erica Quist that we were able to attend their Open House.

Theron and Jaime Quist, Todd's cousins from Ohio, the parents of Cameron.

Bos with his best smile. We are so sad we didn't get Vance. He went to bed already. But both sweet and fun boys!

Emily in her new home.

Kamon said he needed to keep his hat on because his hair was not combed. Then he said he needed to not show his double chin.

What a wonderful trip to Utah. We loved seeing everyone. It was great and we look forward to General Conference and seeing everyone then too!