Merrry Christmas

Merry Christmas!!  And thank you to our families for making it special.  We spent Christmas Eve with the Brzyckis at Missy & Dennis's and then Christmas Day with the Jasmins at my Mom's.  Of course Christmas morning was spent at home opening the gifts from each other (and Santa!).  It was a great Christmas and today we're planning to just lounge around at home and extend our celebration.  I do fully believe in celebrating for the 12 days of Christmas!!  We hope everyone has a joyous Christmas with family and friends!

Preparing for Christmas

Like most of you, we are in the throws of preparing for Christmas!  The shopping is done (okay, minus one gift that Ed is responsible for...but other than that, all shopping is done!).  Baking is also done!  And today will be spent wrapping!

To be done baking is a major accomplishment.  For those of you who don't know, I bake a variety of cookies and candies each year.  And each year, I tell myself I'm cutting back, but somehow that just doesn't happen.  I do like to bake a variety of cookies and I have stopped doubling recipes so that I only make a single batch, but I like to try new kinds.  This year, crazy me ended up with about 100 dozen cookies and that does not include the fudge, truffles, rum balls, etc.  And I eliminated some types of cookies this year that I traditionally make.  The good news, though, is that I give the majority of these away as gifts, so many benefit from my craziness (and I do keep a few in the house for Ed and Dan to enjoy!).

And speaking of Dan, I'm happy to report he is home for Christmas.  In fact, he is pretty much home until he finds a full-time job wherever that might be.  He has his apartment in Bristol, RI, through January and he will go back later in January for a few days to finalize/print his thesis summary and attend presentations for other arch students.  At that time, Ed and I will also go out with a U-Haul to bring the rest of his furniture/stuff home.

We are excited to have him home and thankfully he has some part-time work lined up so he can earn some money as he begins his search for a full-time job and begins the next chapter of his life!!

Ed continues to do well and maintains his "standard" two-week chemotherapy treatment.  Still keeping tumors at bay and, in general, he's still feeling fine.  I joined him this week for his doctor's appt so I could share baked goods with Dr. Bowers and his staff.  They are such wonderful people there and I can't thank them enough or express my appreciate adequately for all they've done for Ed these past two years.  Here's hoping I'm delivering Christmas cookies to them for many years to come!

Since I'm sure this will be my last post before Christmas, here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! And a Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate this holiday!

Lining everything up to begin the package prep!

Linzer cookies--new cookie I made this year. I'm pleased with how they came out!

First layer of candy boxes (fudge, truffles, rum ball, haystack)...

Top layer of candy boxes (macaroons, brittle, peppermint bark, choc-covered oreo, Linzer cookie)

The many finished packages (which I can thankfully store on our three-season porch to keep refrigerated!)

Happy 75th Birthday Mom

Sunday, Dec 11th marked my Mom's 75th birthday!  Because she hates surprises and parties and being the center of attention, we held a very small breakfast with just immediate family and a couple close friends.  It was a nice way to recognize my Mom and it had everything she loves most--family and friends and good food!  Next month we celebrate her Auntie Alice's 90th birthday, so here's to at least 15 more years for Mom!!  She definitely comes from good genes!!

Auntie Gingy, Mom, friend Sandy, friend Theresa

Dan's FINAL Thesis Presentation

This month marks Dan's last semester at Roger William University and on Friday, December 9th, he gave his final presentation for his thesis project.  We are so proud of this accomplishment and all his hard work to get him to this point.  His girlfriend Cassie drove up from Long Island to attend the reviews and so was there to take some pictures.  Once he completes this semester, he will have earned a Masters of Architecture (although he won't walk for graduation until May 2012).  We are so very proud of him!

Two Year Anniversary

Early December marks the 2-year anniversary of Ed's diagnosis.  Depending on what date we want to use, the actual 2-year mark is either December 3rd or December 9th.  December 3, 2009 was when the gastroentrologist informed us that, beyond a doubt, without a biopsy, he knew Ed had colon cancer.  December 9, 2009 was our first meeting with Ed's oncologist where we got the "official" diagnosis and prognosis.  Regardless of what specific date you use as the marker, here we are two years later and life is treating us well.  It is so hard to believe it's been 2 years.  The days and the events of those days are still very clear and vivid.  And I remember how we only prayed and dreamed of having 6 months together and if we were lucky, could we make it a year??  Never did we think beyond that or consider two years later Ed would still be with us battling this disease.

On December 2nd, Ed had another CT scan and the good news is "no change".  Tumors are still present, but no new growths or changes in the size of the tumors.  And Ed feels pretty good considering.

So as we mark the two-year anniversary, we are thankful that we've had this extra time together, that he has been "healthly" for the most part (except for that little inconvenience of needing chemo treatment every two weeks), and we are thankful for Dr. Bowers and his oncologist nurses (especially Shane), and their team and all the advancement in cancer treatment that enables those like Ed to fight this battle.  (Cait, I'm thinking of you as well at this time as you also mark your two-year anniversary!)

God is good!