The Flack Family

3 years ago today...

2012-01-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

3 years ago today my sweet Kristoffer was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. We were originally told that it was a neuroblastoma (20% survival rate). Then we got the results of the biopsy and it was determined to be a nephroblastoma which increased his chance of survival a ton. Looking back on that horrible time in our lives, I just can't believe that was our child and our family going through all that. I still worry sometimes that Heavenly Father is going to want him back sooner than I will be prepared to send him. I truly do not think of these things on a daily basis but days like today bring back a ton of memories! I am so grateful to have this little boy in our lives and even more grateful that he is healthy and gets a chance to enjoy his life. We just love this little peanut!

Katelynn turned 16!!

2011-12-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

Katelynn FINALLY turned 16! She has been counting down for months. She has already had her first date! I made a small slide show to show her through the years...

Flack/Guillory Christmas Party

2011-12-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

It was another great party this year. The kids listened to Twas the night before Christmas while they passed their bags around each time they heard the word "the." Then when the story is over they each open their bag and get a present.

Jonathon was the narrator. He always throws in some extra "the's" to make it interesting.

Kristoffer was so sweet with his little cousin, Jay. He just loves him so I had to throw this one in there.

Then it was time to sit on Santa's lap. My kids are all getting coal this year so they were sweating bullets hoping to make it onto the "nice" list. Kristoffer has his moments but he usually is a good boy.

Katelynn was super embarrassed by Santa (aka Jonathon's BFF). He asked her how many boys she has kissed this year. She turned all shades of red!

Then my little Connor jumped up there like he is on the "nice" list. I hope he is not disappointed Christmas morning.

Then it was Smashleys turn. She might get on the "nice" list. She has a week to repent.

Kristoffer's Christmas Program

2011-12-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

Kristoffer's Christmas program was so cute! Normally they are kinda boring but he learned his part so well. He has trouble retaining information so to watch him do all of the actions so good just makes my heart swell. He is such a cutie!

The Most Wonderful Husband Award goes to....

2011-11-24T10:25:00.001-07:00

Jonathon and I celebrated our 15th anniversary yesterday. We went to the Outback and then saw Breaking Dawn. He hated the movie, I loved it. We are polar opposites, so it is shocking that we don't have the same taste in movies. My husband does deserve the best husband award though because he surprised me with a trip to Cancun, Mexico. This resort looks amazing. We have desperately needed a vacation for some time and this is perfect. You can see where he is taking my by clicking here. We are going in January and the best part is NO KIDS. You moms know what I mean. I can't wait. I love this man and I am grateful that he forgives my faults and loves me regardless. I am truly blessed.

Halloween...

2011-11-04T20:02:00.000-06:00

Kristoffer and Connor had so much fun on Halloween. First we went to their Halloween carnival at their school and played a bunch of fun games. Then it was off to the church for the trunk or treat. They were exhausted by the end of the night. Katelynn and Ashley are too old to dress up so they hung out with friends the whole night.

Kristoffer was a "Samarai Power Ranger"

Connor was the "Green Lantern"

Poor Katelynn...

2011-10-22T22:23:00.000-06:00

It is never good to be woken up by a screaming kid in the middle of the night. You never think clearly and tend to run to that child whether you are dressed or not. A couple of nights ago, we were awakened by a blood curdling scream from Katelynn. We came running out of our bedroom...I'm thinking either one of my kids is not breathing or someone is in my house trying to take Katelynn. We found Katelynn in the hall on the floor screaming because she was in horrible pain. Jonathon carried her to her bed and we tried to calm her down (she was about to hyperventilate). She was in a lot of pain. We got dressed and took her to the ER. They got her in quick, started an IV and gave her some drugs. They checked her gallbladder. It was normal. So they kept her for observation and told us she probably had food poisoning. We still have no idea really but she is back home now, feeling good, and probably needing therapy from seeing her parents in their undies. Poor kid!!

Homecoming week

2011-10-15T22:38:00.000-06:00

This week was homecoming week. The girls had fun stuff going on all week! Here are some pictures...

Katelynn and Connor

Katelynn and Maggie

Katelynn and Jonathon

Katelynn modeling her homecoming dress. She is too young to date although she is counting down til that 16th birthday. 2 months from today!!! She looked beautiful.

Katelynn at the homecoming parade. She walked next to the soccer float and handed out candy to the little kiddos!

Ashley rode on the volleyball float! They had a great time.

A Week in Sports!!

2011-10-09T17:31:00.009-06:00

This was an exciting week in sports at the Flack house. Ashley had her end of the season tournament. They did awesome!

They took 1st place!

Shaking hands after they won the championship game.

Ashley holding their championship plaque!

Posing with her team!

Champions!!!

Football games:

Kristoffer and Connor both had football games on Saturday. They both did really good. Connor scored a touchdown.

In the huddle with coach.

Running to pull flags!

Very focused!!

Half of the kids don't even look like they are paying attention but they are supposed to be trying to get the flag. Not sure if they even know who has the ball. That was typical with this age group. Kinda funny to watch.

Kristoffer played really good too. He caught 2 passes and threw the ball for a touchdown.

Huddling with coach! Jonathon also helped coach his team.

Focused!

Runnnnnnnnnn!!!!

Katelynn:

Katelynn's soccer game this week was intense. They played a district team that they lost to in their first game. They did so good. That was the best I have seen these girls play. Both teams were very competitive. The game was tied 1-1 (Katelynn's scored a goal) and the other team got a penalty kick and ended up winning 2-1. We were still very proud of the way the girls played. The other team was getting so frustrated with Katelynn. The defender that was trying to keep Katelynn out of the goal finally just grabbed her by the back of her jersey and tried to pull her to the ground. The girl ended up with a yellow card and our team got a free kick. I thought we were gonna have a rumble cause Katelynn's fists started flying. Unfortunately I have no pictures cause I forgot my camera. Thank heavens Sunday is a day of rest! I'm tired!

No Evidence of Disease!!

2011-10-05T19:12:00.005-06:00

The Doctor finally called today. I have been calling him for the past 2 days to get these scan results and they kept telling me they were in meetings. I am not the most patient person but the results were worth the wait. Kristoffer has no evidence of disease!! The lymph nodes that were swollen on his last scan are back to normal and the spots on his liver are unchanged. So now we do not have to go back for 6 months. That sounds so wonderful. Kristoffer was so upset to have to miss school and have an IV put in. He just kept saying, "i want to go home now!" He still doesn't understand everything but when I told him he doesn't have any cancer, he was very excited. He calls it tancer, which is so cute. For some reason it doesn't sound like such a horrible disease the way he says it. I found this sweet picture of Kristoffer from a while ago. His primary teacher gave him a small set of scriptures and he loves them. They actually took the place of his football (he always sleeps with a football) for a time. Such a sweet boy...

Smashley!!!

2011-09-23T22:02:00.005-06:00

Smashley had a really good game yesterday! Their team is undefeated and Ashley served for 8 points in a row. She was on fire. Here are some of her action shots.

Focus!!!

She loves to spike the ball even thought she still needs to grow a couple more inches. She has already passed Katelynn by. Now she has set her sights on passing her mama.

Next trip to UNM

2011-09-19T08:43:00.003-06:00

We are coming up on our next CT scan! It will be on Sept. 29th. October will be 2 years since his last round of chemo. I can't believe it. When I talk about it, I feel like I am talking about someone else. When we hit his 2 year anniversary of diagnosis I had a lot of tough memories. Jonathon had a lot of comforting to do. Bless his heart, he is my rock! I am sure he would love to trade me in for a lower maintenance wife but he sure is good to me. This anniversary, however, makes me happy. I remember the last dose of chemo. The party the nurses had for him. The excitement of thinking about the future. Being in the middle of chemo makes it hard to think about the future. If this scan is all clear we will then start doing scans every 6 months. That will be so nice and my bank account will appreciate it too.

For now though we are crazy busy with football for the boys, soccer for Katelynn and volleyball for Ashley! Kristoffer caught 2 passes in his game on Saturday. That boy lives for football! It warms my heart to watch!

Between our 4 kids we have 6 games this week. That does not include practices or any other extra activities. I love it though!

Katelynn's tournament

2011-09-12T07:54:00.005-06:00

We took our boys and went to ShowLow Arizona for the weekend to watch Katelynn play in a soccer tournament. There were 12 teams in the tournament. Here is a game by game replay...

Game #1: We won 4-2. Katelynn had 2 assists in this game.

Game #2: This was a very intense game. These 2 teams tied 1-1. Katelynn scored the 1 goal in that game but then they went into a shootout. The picture above shows Kate and her teammates waiting for their turn to shoot! Very nervous mama on the sidelines.

We won the shootout and the game. This is the girls shaking hands at the end of the game.

Game #3: We won 5-0. Kate scored 2 goals and had 1 assist. It was a fun game to watch.

Game #4 (Championship game): They played the same team that they beat in game 2. They played really well but they just could not get a goal so they lost 2-0.

So we came away with 2nd place but they played awesome and we were very proud of them.

Kristoffer's baseball season

2011-08-17T19:15:00.007-06:00

Kristoffer had so much fun playing baseball. He usually played right field or catcher.
He hit the ball at least half of the time. It doesn't matter if he hits the ball or not he always has a smile on his face.

Bella and Katelynn enjoying the game.
Kristoffer's team got 2nd in the tournament. He was thrilled.

They got trophies and that makes this little boy very happy!

He just loves being part of a team.

I Will Miss You....The First Day of School!!!

2011-08-15T10:38:00.006-06:00

I don't know about all you other moms out there but I love school. I am not one of those parents that could home school my kids. I love my freedom too much when they leave.

Ashley is in 8th grade and has a lot of classes with her friends and is really excited to start back to school.

Katelynn is a sophomore now and acts like she doesn't like school but I think she secretly loves it, socially anyways!

Kristoffer is in 2nd grade and is excited to go to Ms. "Beee Gay"s class. Her name is Ms. Begay but he keeps calling her Ms. Gay. So we have really been working on the "Be" part and now he really emphasizes that part of her name. I hope she is very patient and understanding of his needs.

This little guy is in Kindergarten and so excited for school. We held him back a year cause he is so young, kinda immature and small for his age.

Ashley's Birthday Party!!!

2011-07-16T15:56:00.007-06:00

Ashley had her birthday party at the skating rink this year. She invited some of her friends and they all had a great time. I did go a little camera crazy but they were so fun to watch...

I kept hoping my sister would fall but she did pretty good for an old chick.

We enjoyed pizza and pop - always a good combination.

Ashley bought this funny pacifier that flashes neon lights the whole time.

You can't go skating without the limbo...

Ashley was done after 2 rounds.

Then of course cake with a...

firecracker candle.

and super fun and cute presents.

Money is the gift that keeps on giving.

Some yummy lotion.

A very true sign.

And of course, the money machine. All the birthday kids get to take a turn trying to catch money that is flying all over inside this machine. Ashley was able to collect...

$15.00

We had such a fun time. A memorable birthday for sure.

CT results

2011-06-24T16:50:00.003-06:00

We had Kristoffer's follow up appointment yesterday. The results...Kristoffer is still cancer free. There are several lymph nodes in his abdomen that are swollen again and 1 swollen lymph node in front of his spine but the Doctor said that lymph nodes change sizes all the time to fight off different viruses and infections, so I am determined not to worry this time. His labs are great. His remaining kidney is doing great and he drinks like a camel. He probably drinks twice as much as the rest of my kids.

Kristoffer will hit his 2 years in remission mark in October. I have really avoided reminders about Kristoffer's cancer since diagnosis. They do so many fun things for kids that have had or have cancer (like cancer day at the amusement park, camps for kids with cancer and their siblings, days at the museum) and I have avoided them all. It brings back heartache but I am going to try harder to help Kristoffer be more involved in these things. So having said that...

they are having a cancer walk-a-thon in Albuquerque that benefits the Children's Oncology Group (COG). This is the group that saved Kristoffer. The walk-a-thon is October 15th and our family is going to walk for "Team Kristoffer." If anybody wants to walk with us, we would love to have you. It will be fun and at the same time support the people that saved my little peanut. I will post a link to the website soon.

Memorial Day Camping

2011-06-19T20:49:00.008-06:00

We had so much fun on our camping trip. We went with my Mom and Larry. Larry had picked out a perfect spot in Pagosa Springs, CO. It was very private and there was a meadow behind our camper that we could play softball in.

I get a little claustrophobic just looking at this picture. Sibling bonding.

Everyone enjoyed hiking. Connor even found dinosaur bones (aka deer bones).

Ashley and Katelynn

We hiked up to a waterfall.

And got soaked while we waited for Larry to take our picture. (I think he was doing it on purpose).

Connor and Ashley

That is some bright sun!

Katelynn and Kristoffer

The man I love.

Ashley enjoying some relaxing hammock time.

My sweet boy!

Notice the meadow behind Katelynn. It was so beautiful! We had such a great time.

Ashley's final band performance

2011-06-19T20:44:00.004-06:00

Ashley has been doing band since 5th grade. She plays the Saxophone and has really had fun. The problem this year was that her performances kept conflicting with her sports. She was getting worn out trying to balance the two.

Where's Ashley?

We are grateful for a patient teacher cause I stopped by a couple of times during practice and it really takes a special person to teach band.

Katelynn's softball banquet

2011-06-19T20:27:00.004-06:00

Katelynn is finally done with high school softball. It was a long season full of lots of drama among the team members and coaches. They really struggled to come together as a team this year. The coaches seemed like they didn't want to be there which then reflected on the girls performance. It was unfortunate. Katelynn played starting left fielder. She did great at her position but struggled a little with her batting. She is playing recreational softball now and trying to improve her batting.

Katelynn and Coach Johnson

Connor's Kindergarten celebration!!!

2011-06-19T20:18:00.006-06:00

My little peanut Connor had his Kindergarten "celebration" the end of May. We cannot call it a graduation cause some parent complained. Really? I guess I just don't really care what you call it.

Connor traced his body and I think it bears a striking resemblance to my little peanut.

We absolutely love, love, love his teacher Mrs. Gillen. She loves her job and it shows. She is a great kindergarten teacher! Mrs. Gillen said she thinks Connor will be a future dinosaur scientist cause this kid absolutely loves dinosaurs.

Now I just want you all to know that Connor is a ham but he does not perform on command as you can tell by the picture below. He was not happy to be singing and dancing.

One other note. I did have that shirt tucked in at one point and it bothered me until I could get my hands on him and tuck it back in. But it really does fit his personality.

Updates...

2011-06-05T13:26:00.002-06:00

I have been a blog slacker the last few months. I finally sat down last night and started to update but I am too retarded to actually put them in the right order. I will continue to do a couple more updates but there are several I did finish, so keep scrolling down.

Easter Fashion Show

2011-06-05T12:48:00.005-06:00

This was a painful picture for Kristoffer obviously! He so did not want to put this suit on and it shows. He has since gotten used to being a little stud but all my other kids loved their new clothes.

Katelynn is sporting a lovely yellow number!

Ashley is sporting a lovely white dress with black flowers.

Now this little boy was sooo excited to throw on this cute little suit. Who would have thought he would be such a preppy little thing.

That poor forced smile is almost painful to look at! He tried! Bless him!

A good looking bunch if I do say so myself!

Handsome boys!!

Easter morning!!!

2011-06-04T22:56:00.004-06:00

This is a rough looking bunch!
Katelynn
Ashley
Connor

and Kristoffer

The Flack Easter Egg Hunt

2011-06-04T22:30:00.004-06:00

It was another great Easter Egg Hunt this year. The kids found eggs and the adults found doughnuts. It was great!!
This is the look of determination. He is planning his attack.
Gotta love cousins! The kids look forward to this every year.
Score!!

I'll send his Grams his dental bill! I think we will get some new cavities from this loot!

Kristoffer's Baptism

2011-06-04T22:24:00.006-06:00

Kristoffer was baptized on May 7th. It was an exciting day for him. We didn't know if he was really going to be baptized because he just really thought there were sharks in the baptismal font. But in the end he chose to be baptized and we are so proud of him.
His friend Katie and cousin Abbie were also baptized.
They all looked so cute in their fancy clothes.

This is Kristoffer's GQ pose! He was so handsome in his suit.

My sister's keeper...

2011-06-02T21:48:00.002-06:00

So I finally watched My Sister's Keeper against my husband's better judgement. First of all don't ever watch a tear jerker when you are trying to work out on the eliptical. It makes it very hard to breathe. The ugly cry was ever present and I did have to turn it off several times to give my heart a break. But in the end I made it through it and found it strangely comforting to see that maybe my craziness was normal, to see that sometimes death can be better than poor quality of life and to see that life can go on even when you lose a child. Don't get me wrong though, I desperately hope that I never have to face the horrible task of burying my child. On a funnier note though...Kristoffer asked why this girl was bald. I told him that she had cancer like he did. And the conversation went like this...

Kristoffer: "I didn't have cancer."
Me: "Yes you did."
Kristoffer: "No I didn't."
Me: "Look in your journal." He looked and said...
Kristoffer: "That's not me, that's Connor."
Me: "OK"

How do you argue with that logic? Not sure if he was just being a stinker or just wishing that this never happened to him. Either way, it caught me a little off guard. Our next CT scan will be next Thursday. Probably should not have watched this movie so close to more scans but we are hoping that our journey through cancer is over and we won't have to hear the word relapse...ever.

Pine Wood Derby

2011-04-23T17:23:00.007-06:00

Kristoffer and his buddy Jacob at the pine wood derby!! Jacob won the whole thing!

Patiently waiting for his car to get to the finish line!

Making sure his car is ready to go!

Took some effort but we finally got the weight right!

It's Great to be 8!!

2011-03-13T22:27:00.003-06:00

For Kristoffer's birthday party we took the kids to the pool! We had such a good time and appreciate all those that came and supported this little guy. He was smiling ear to ear the whole time! Here are some pictures of our fun time...

The Doctor scared us today!

2011-03-11T19:50:00.002-07:00

So we went to UNM today for Kristoffer's CT results and the Doctor comes in and does not look like he has good news. Then he keeps talking to Kristoffer and doesn't really make eye contact with us. My stomach started to drop down into my shoes. Jonathon and I just kept looking at each other with that "Oh no" look on our faces. Then he hands the results to me and says everything looked fine but we were REALLY worried about the lymph nodes in his abdomen (which were swollen several scans ago) and...they have shrunk so now we know that they are not cancerous!! So everything is great!! Surely the Doctor could have come in and said things a whole lot differently to keep me from having chest pain. I guess when you have never been the one on the receiving end of that news you don't realize how much we are watching everything you do, including body language!!

One other thing that was great about today was...originally they had told us that Kristoffer would need to be re-immunized after treatment. They did labs to check and see if he was still immune to any of these viruses and he was!! Yeah!! Now we don't have to give him a million shots that he has already had! Makes me one happy Mama!

Plus this little peanut turned 8 on Monday! When they first diagnosed him I thought I would not see him turn 8. He went to scouts on Wednesday! So cute in his little uniform! He loved being a part of that! I took pictures at his birthday and I will post those later cause I'm tired and gonna relax and enjoy my healthy children for a while!!

Several updates....

2011-02-18T09:57:00.002-07:00

POOR BABY...

My poor little Connor woke up yesterday with a nasty stomach bug and fever. He has been curled up in a ball like this most of the day. He is feeling a little better today and has passed it on to Ashley! Luckily he didn't get sick until after we went to ABQ for Kristoffer's scans. That would have been a miserable trip. We don't know any results yet but he did not have to drink the contrast which we were very grateful for. It gives him a good week of stomach problems. So we will wait and hope for the best.

Basketball Champs!!

2011-02-18T09:47:00.002-07:00

Kristoffer played basketball this year! He had so much fun. I know that he is not the best player by far but he smiles the whole time he is out there. It warms my heart! His team won the tournament this year. They did really good and only lost one game all season. Kristoffer said "we were having a bad day that day." He is a funny kid.

We appreciate coaches who show patience for him.

I know what your thinking with this picture. A little size difference. You should have seen Kristoffer trying to guard this guy. Too funny!

Just happy to get to be healthy and play!! Playing basketball in a hospital bed just isn't the same. He is precious!

Circus Circus

2011-02-18T09:39:00.003-07:00

The circus came to town. We have never taken our kids before but we decided this would be a fun family activity. The kids loved it!

If you know my little peanut Connor, then you know he loves animals. This was the highlight of his night. These elephants were so funny and they were so much fun to watch. He just had to ride one.

Connor and Katelynn

Ashley & Connor

Kristoffer, me & Jonathon

Katelynn & Kristoffer

The secret post office

2011-02-18T09:29:00.002-07:00

I saw these cute little post offices on a blog and thought they would be fun to make for my family. My kids loved them. The 10 days before Valentine's day I put a little something in each of their boxes. This is how we got Connor out of bed in the morning. We just said "Connor you've got mail" and he would come sprinting out of his room to check his box. Such a fun idea.

Next trip to Albuquerque

2011-02-05T09:38:00.002-07:00

Kristoffer's next CT scan will be February 16th. Unfortunately they could not schedule an appointment with the oncologist until March 11th. So we have to wait almost a month for the results of his scan. I would hope that if there is something wrong with his scans they would let us know before that. He will also get an echo of his heart on March 11th to make sure the chemo did not cause any permanent damage. As always we are praying for clear scans!! A little girl that is Kristoffer's age was diagnosed at the same time as Kristoffer and she just relapsed!! That scares me to death. I can't imagine this again. We are hoping for the best!!

Two years ago...

2011-01-21T12:45:00.004-07:00

Two years ago today Kristoffer was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer. I have thought about this day for the past few days. What a horrible day! I remember being flown to Phoenix Childrens Hospital. I remember trying to sleep that first night and all I could picture was his funeral. I remember after the biopsy, the Doctor told us just to enjoy the time we have left with him! No parent should ever have to hear those words. I remember the intern telling us the results of the biopsy and it was the more curable type of cancer. An answer to so many prayers!!! I remember thinking that I know this boy is so special - does Heavenly Father want him back because he is too good to be here? I remember going to UNM at least 28 times and being admitted to SJRMC 8 times! Countless units of blood and platelets and 5 surgeries!! When I asked Kristoffer if he remembered when they told him he had cancer - all he said was "yeah I didn't really like that much!" So resilient! Such a sweet and perfect spirit! I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for granting us more time with him! He brightens our lives and we are so grateful for him! Looking at him now you would never know the battle he had to win!!

Christmas morning!!!

2011-01-02T22:36:00.005-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! We enjoyed all of our time with our family and all of the thoughtfulness of our family and friends. We do live in an amazing community!! Here are some pictures of our fun day....Christmas morning! Thank heavens for make-up, blow dryers, showers, shampoo, etc.....

I didn't get a picture of Connor with his gun but we had a good time (and a few bullets to the head) with it later in the day.

Garth Brooks!!

Why is my stocking ringing?

??????????????????

A cellular phone!!!

An ipod docking station!

Reindeers love carrotts and this Santa loves cookies and chocolate milk!

"All my ex's live in Texas" (with a twang)

The dinosaur robe. Notice the hood!!

Despicable Me!!

A new pair of super cute boots!

A special journal I made for Kristoffer with all of his pictures and all of my posts from my blog about his cancer and all of his experiences throughout that year! I can't even look at it but maybe someday! I hope he will be able to look back at that year and see how strong he is!

Ashley made Granddad coasters in wood shop. She was pretty proud of her handy work!!

Forgot to remove the red eyes from this picture but somehow it fits the little stinker!!

Pinata Party

2010-12-26T10:34:00.004-07:00

For Christmas Eve the Flacks get together and we have dinner (sloppy joe's, tamales, clam chowder, shrimp), bubble gum blowing contest and pinatas for the kids to break open. The kids love it.

My little Connor was very focused.

Kristoffer couldn't hardly quit laughing. When he gets the giggles, he has a hard time focusing. It is pretty funny to watch.

Ashley got in her softball pose and let loose!

The best part is of course the candy in the end.

Flack/Guillory Christmas Party

2010-12-19T10:16:00.007-07:00

Every year we have this really fun party with our Guillory cousins. We have yummy Mexican food, read Twas the Night Before Christmas, sing Christmas songs and then Santa comes and brings presents for all of the kids.

Grams had reindeer antlers and Rudolph noses for everyone!

Of course we never leave home without our beloved football!

Then Jonathon reads...

While Jonathon reads, the kids have bags with gifts inside and every time they hear the word "the" they have to pass their bag. Jonathon adds a couple of extra "the"s to make it more fun!

Then we sing Christmas carols trying to encourage Santa to come. Grams and Shay were our choristers:

Connor and cousin J.T. sang a duet

Ashley was hoping she was not on the naughty list!

Katelynn knowing her chances of not being on the naughty list are slim!

Then Santa came...

As you can see, Santa was torn on which list to put my kids on.

In the end a good time was had by all. Especially this little guy who has a lot to celebrate this year. 14 months in remission!!!

Happy Birthday Katelynn!!

2010-12-15T09:18:00.003-07:00

Katelynn is 15 years old today! I can't believe it. We are going to get her permit to drive (with a licensed adult) today. Time is flying by! She had a great birthday party and got everything she wanted. Thanks for all the gifts and thoughtful cards! She loved them all! Even the butt crack cards! Actually those are usually her favorite! She is a fun kid and we love having her in our family!

Your thoughts...

2010-12-03T08:21:00.002-07:00

So I have been banned from this movie by my husband. I didn't know if I could handle this movie while Kristoffer was sick because even the previews would make me cry like a baby. Now my sister has watched it and said the mom reminds her of me. She must act like a crazy person. This has peaked my interest and now I want to watch the movie. I definitely don't want to peel the scabs off my wounds but it has been 2 years next month since he was diagnosed. Surely I can handle this now!! Your thoughts...

Where are you Christmas???

2010-12-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

So CUTE!! He is learning this song for his school program!

Connor's Funny Thought for the Week

2010-11-30T14:31:00.002-07:00

This kid keeps us laughing. This is his latest:

Connor: "Mom, what holidays come after Christmas?"

Me: "New Year's, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day..."

Connor: (Very excited) "you mean Sponge Bob and Patrick Day?"

Snow!!!

2010-11-24T16:24:00.003-07:00

These two boys are sooo excited for the snow! It is freezing outside and they don't care!! I love this weather when we can stay inside with some hot chocolate!! Mmmmmmm! Tis the season!

Happy Anniversary to me!!

2010-11-24T16:04:00.003-07:00

14 years and still going strong.

My kids found my journal from my senior year of high school! I know most of you are probably thinking "that can't be good" but I didn't write many bad things in it. I mostly wrote about Jonathon. I think I actually wrote about him in every entry. The girls have decided to call it The Jonathon Journal. Some of the things I wrote are hilarious. I was one love sick puppy. I am still a fool for this man. Let me give you a couple lines from my journal for laughs...

"This definately feels meant to be. He has my heart. I would do anything for him. If he wanted me to I would marry him right now." March 27th, 1994

Hahaha! My girls had some good laughs at my expense. I was laughing pretty hard myself. Jonathon said, "I wish I had known you loved me that much." I am pathetic!

Sick little guy!

2010-11-16T13:20:00.002-07:00

Poor Kristoffer! He caught some bug! He woke up with a fever and chills this morning. He said his throat hurt so I took him in and he now has some antibiotics. This could not have been better timing. If this would have happened while the port was still in, we would be in the ER. I hope he feels better soon.

Already looking forward to Christmas!!

2010-11-14T00:03:00.002-07:00

I know this is a bit premature but I cannot wait for Christmas this year. I was still a little out of it last year for Christmas. I think my nerves were still shot. Jonathon thinks I finally got back to my old self about 4 months ago. That poor man deserves a gold star!! That is a long time to put up with a wife that feels like she is losing it. So anyways I put Christmas music on my blog so that I can enjoy it while I am on the computer. I love Christmas! I hope you enjoy the music too!

Bye bye port!!!

2010-11-11T21:28:00.004-07:00

The results are in and there is no evidence of cancer!! Kristoffer's labs look good and his port is history. He was pretty mad at us for having to go through his 6th surgery in his short life but we know he will be really happy to have the port out. We will schedule a CT scan and labs for February. Then the Doctor thought we could go to every 6 months for his check-ups. Wow! What would that be like? Only having to go through all of this twice a year.

I should have posted a picture of the port a long time ago because most of you probably don't know what I am talking about. So I found this picture on the internet. The bottom part (the metal piece) is the actual port and it had a tube that connected to his vein. All of that was under Kristoffers skin. The funny looking thing on top is the huber needle that we would put into the port to get blood.

So when we had to access Kristoffer's port we would numb the skin over the port, clean the site really good and stick the needle in the rubber part in the middle of the port. Then tape it down. We would draw all of his labs from it and give all of the chemo through it. They are really nice because then you don't have to get poked over and over again! But there is always a risk for infection so whenever there was a fever we had to give heavy antibiotics to prevent the port from becoming infected. So although I appreciated the good port that Kristoffer had, we will not miss it! Bye bye!

Here We Go Again

2010-11-08T22:37:00.003-07:00

It is that time in our lives again. Another trip to UNM. Kristoffer will be having multiple tests run. Labs, x-rays, pre-op for surgery which will hopefully be Thursday if all goes well. I dread these tests and look forward to them at the same time. I know I'm weird. I dread them because they could possibly lead down a path I don't want to go down again. I look forward to them because I love to hear that he is healthy. Most of you will not understand what it feels like to hear the words, "your son has no evidence of cancer." It is music to my ears.

The surgery will be to remove the port that he has in his chest. A very minor procedure! We will post the results of all the tests when we have them.

Not for the faint of heart

2010-11-07T19:27:00.002-07:00

This is a funny story but if you don't like stories about body functions you should probably turn back now.

The following conversation took place between Jonathon and Connor. Connor was sitting on the toilet and:
Jonathon: "Do you need me to help you wipe?"
Connor: "I can wipe myself"

So Connor wipes and wipes and nothing is on the toilet paper. Then he looks at Jonathon and says, "I guess it was just white poop Dad"!!

This kid really is a funny little guy. Some of the things he says are soooo funny!!

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-31T22:01:00.003-06:00

Halloween was a lot of fun this year. Katelynn is "too mature" to dress up this year so she handed out candy while the other kids went to the "trunk or treat" at our church. They had fun and got a lot of candy!

Iron man, of course, never goes anywhere without his precious football. He did have some pretty impressive muscles though!!

Connor loved being a dragon. He wore the mask most of the night. He was super cute but I think he enjoyed handing out candy even more. It made him feel grown up I think.

Ashley was an 80's girl and you know how much I love the 80's. We had a good time getting her ready. I thought she looked really cute.

What we have been up to...

2010-10-17T08:10:00.005-06:00

Connor:

Connor is loving being in kindergarten. He is a funny kid. This is his first year of soccer and he has done great. He has scored every game and he has a smile on his face the whole time. It is fun to watch. He is in the primary program today and this is his line: "pwophets testify of Jesus Chwist." That is exactly how he says it. I know we need to work on how to say our r's but it is just so cute.

Kristoffer:

Has been loving playing soccer. He is fun to watch most days. He still gets winded pretty easily. We are finally at our 1 year mark since he has been done with chemo. The year that would never end has now been over for a year. The time is flying by. Why couldn't it go by that fast when he was sick? We have scheduled the surgery to remove his port for November 11th. He just loves life. He is just happy to be here. He is in the primary program at our church today and he has to give a talk on the miracle in his life. I am gonna need a tissue!

Ashley:

Went salmon snagging with her Uncle Bob and Aunt Gaylee. She had a great time. You haven't gone fishing until you have fished with Uncle Bob. He is a great teacher. She caught 2 fish. She said it is a lot harder than it looks. This is what she caught:

**Ashley also made the basketball team at the junior high. She was so excited. Basketball is a huge deal in our small town.

Katelynn:

Katelynn had an 80's dance at the church. She went with some friends and had a great time. I helped with the hair. We were listening to 80's music while she was getting ready. This was how our conversation went:
Me: "I don't think your hair is big enough!"
Katelynn: "I can't believe you guys looked like this!"
Me: "I love the 80's!"

I know you are all thinking, "i used to have an outfit just like this!"

Homecoming!!!

2010-10-09T20:24:00.004-06:00

I can't believe my little girl is old enough to go to Homecoming. She is so excited and looks beautiful!! She went with a group of good friends because she is not old enough to date yet! They look like they are having a blast.

Katelynn played a great game!!!

2010-09-22T12:53:00.001-06:00

Katelynn had her first district game last night. They won 3-0! It was so much fun to watch! There is a really nice article in the paper with her name mentioned! Follow this link:
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_16139652

CT Results...

2010-08-24T16:50:00.007-06:00

The CT scan showed no evidence of cancer!! The lymph nodes are the same size as they were on the last scan! The Doctor wants to just do an x-ray instead of a full CT scan in 3 months so Kristoffer will not be exposed to as much radiation! That is music to my ears! We will also schedule surgery to remove the port. That will be nice, so the next time Kristoffer is sick and runs a fever I can just give him some motrin instead of running him to the ER and having heavy antibiotics put in his port and paying for a hospital visit! Isn't life great? We appreciate all of the staff at UNM. They truly love these kids and they miss them when they haven't seen them for a while! It is so sweet! And of course we appreciate our wonderful family that helps juggle our children so we can run Kristoffer back and forth to his appointments. They are the best! They love this little guy almost as much as I do!

CT Scan Results Tomorrow!!

2010-08-23T14:54:00.002-06:00

Well it is finally here! Our appointment with the oncologist is tomorrow! We have been wanting this day to be here since the last scan. We are hoping to see normal sized lymph nodes in the abdomen. The last scan showed that they were larger than they had been. I always worry that the scans will show that the cancer has spread. I probably think about this possibility every day! This is the new normal for my life! I will post results tomorrow and if the scans are normal we will schedule the surgery to remove the port in Kristoffer's chest.

On a lighter note - Ashley made the volleyball team!! Yeah!! She was very nervous because there were almost 60 girls trying out and only 35 spots! She is very excited! And Katelynn scored her first goal on the varsity soccer team! She kicked it in off of a nice corner kick! One of my favorite things to do is watch my kids play sports!

I LOVE SCHOOL!!!!

2010-08-17T08:36:00.002-06:00

I really do love my kids but I love them even more when they are all in school! I now have all 4 kids in school. It is such a liberating feeling!!
Ashley is in 7th grade. This is her 1st year of Junior High!

Katelynn is in 9th grade! She is loving being in high school!

Connor is in kindergarten! His mom loves this!

...and Kristoffer is in 1st grade. He and Connors' classes are right next to each other. He loves his new teacher and school! His cousin Gentry is in there and she made him feel really welcome and showed him around!

How do they do it??

2010-08-10T08:48:00.003-06:00

How do people do it that have a lot of kids? I feel like I have been sooo busy all summer. Running kids to practices, going to softball and baseball games, taking Kristoffer to his appointments, getting the kids ready for the next school year, cleaning house, camping, birthday parties, etc. I am tired!! I need my kids to go to school so I can rest. And I only have 4 kids!! Wow! My hat is off to those with more kids. I still have a few more school supplies to buy and then we have Kristoffer's CT scan on Thursday! Then maybe I can relax! Of course then we have to start with soccer for Katelynn, Kristoffer and Connor and volleyball for Ashley! And of course HOMEWORK, more visits to specialists in Albuquerque for Kristoffer, etc... Well you get the picture!! Never a moment to relax and yet I love being a mom!! Crazy!

Happy Birthday Sweet Connor!!!

2010-08-07T14:52:00.006-06:00

For Connor's birthday we went to Bolack's to look at all the cool animals. Our tour guide was really mean. The kids had to watch their every move or she would jump all over them. Don't touch this, don't touch that, don't pick up a freakin' peacock feather!!! She was a treat! Too bad that alligator was dead. I would have liked to feed him the tour guide. I think she hates children! Luckily the kids still liked the museum! After the museum we took the kids to the Aquatic Center. They had a great time!!

Kristoffer is still learning how to swim but he absolutely loves the Aquatic Center!

Katelynn, Ashley and friends The birthday boy loved wearing a life jacket cause then he could go down the slide by himself. He is very independent these days!!
And of course there was my little neice Bella-boo! Such a cute little punkin'!!

A nice thought

2010-08-01T09:05:00.001-06:00

People are often unreasonable and self-centered.
FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.
BE KIND ANYWAY.
If you are honest, people may cheat you.
BE HONEST ANYWAY.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous.
BE HAPPY ANYWAY.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
DO GOOD ANYWAY.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
GIVE YOUR BEST ANYWAY.
For you see, in the end, it is between YOU and GOD.
IT NEVER WAS BETWEEN YOU AND THEM ANYWAY.
-Mother Teresa

Happy Birthday Ashley!!

2010-07-22T20:13:00.002-06:00

My little Ashley finally turned 12 years old! She thought this day would never come. She can FINALLY wear make-up. For her birthday we have been redecorating her room in pink and black. It looks really cute. I will post some pictures when we are all done! This is Ashley on her very first birthday. Man she had some big cheeks!!!!

We love our Yankees!!

2010-06-27T17:11:00.002-06:00

We went to Phoenix for the Yankees/Diamondbacks game.

We love our Yankees even when they stink it up and lose.

We were all decked out in our Yankees colors. I think

we saw more Yankees fans than Diamondbacks fans.

We definitely needed these binoculars as our seats were in the nosebleeds.
As you can see by my husbands face it was not a good game.

This was our view of the field! They all look like little ants down there!

And this is our boy Derek Jeter! Who unfortunately had a bad game. Better luck next time!!

So adorable!!

2010-06-10T23:03:00.002-06:00

Who would have thought goggles would be so fun? They had the best time in the tub. Maybe next time we will try them in the pool!

Kristoffer and Ashley's graduations

2010-06-10T08:32:00.004-06:00

Kristoffer had so much fun at his graduation. They sang songs for us and danced. It was really cute. He was all smiles.

He loves his teacher Mrs. Jaeger. She was his teacher when he got sick and she got him back once he was done with treatment. He will be switching schools next year which will be a big adjustment.

Ashley graduated from 6th grade. Now she is off to middle school. Scary!!

She wrote an essay on why her favorite teacher should get the "red apple" award. She had to read it in front of everyone. She was very nervous.

And the "red apple" award goes to her favorite teacher Mrs. Kennedy! Which is shocking since she is our cousin and one of our best friends! Ashley has loved being in her class.

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T08:49:00.006-06:00

We had a great Memorial Day!! First breakfast with the Flacks! Then horseback riding with our kids! To end our day we had family over for a BBQ! Here are some pictures of our horseback riding!

CT results--

2010-05-25T17:20:00.002-06:00

Well the results are in and I feel like I just got kicked in the stomach! The scan looked fine EXCEPT Kristoffer has some enlarged lymph nodes in his abdomen! The Doctor said the most likely cause for swollen lymph nodes is inflammation. If it is not inflammation then it could be more cancer! Someone please shoot me! We are seriously praying for inflammation. 3 days before his CT scan Kristoffer had the stomach flu which could be the cause of the swollen lymph nodes! The Doctor wants to give the lymph nodes some time for the "inflammation" to go down and then he will have another CT scan. Early August is when we are planning on that CT scan! Here comes that same sick feeling that came when the Doctor said "you should just enjoy the time you have with him." Seriously - I don't want him to have to go through chemo again. So for right now we are just going to wait and pray that they shrink before the next scan.

Nervous

2010-05-23T08:09:00.002-06:00

I am getting really nervous for our Doctor's appointment on Tuesday! The very thought of going down that road again makes me sick to my stomach. I am so thankful every day for being home with my kids and being "normal." I am looking forward to a summer of taking my kids to the park and swimming and movies and all of the normal things that we missed out on last summer. I love watching my kids play sports and being able to watch Kristoffer get up to bat with the biggest smile on his face. I am afraid that the Doctor is going to pull the rug out from under my feet. I bought tickets for the Yankees/Diamondbacks game in Phoenix with the hopes that Kristoffer's scans will be normal. I try not to live my life worrying that his scans will come back with more cancer but the closer they get the more I worry. I can feel myself become more stressed, impatient and easily annoyed as the appointment gets closer. I definitely become more hard to live with. Jonathon said that "God only gives us what we can handle and we can't handle that again right now." In my brain that makes sense but I still don't know how I handled it the first time. I just did it because I didn't have any other choices. There were days where I felt like I had been given more than I can handle! Well I guess we will just pray for the best and hope that the scans turn out good!

Softball Banquet

2010-05-19T12:21:00.001-06:00

Katelynn has had a great time being a part of the softball program. She has had great coaches and teammates. They placed 2nd in district! The banquet to honor these girls was held last night. You would think they would get sick of each other but they just love it!

Katelynn and Kayla

Katelynn and Amber

Getting her certificate and letter!

Kristoffer's CT scan

2010-05-16T21:33:00.003-06:00

We had Kristoffer's CT scan on Friday! We don't have the results yet but it was really cute while he was getting scanned they told him to hold his breath and he looked over at me and said "i'm holding my breath" with a huge smile on his face. Somebody needs to explain to this kid that if he is holding his breath, he can't talk at the same time!!

Change in the schedule

2010-05-08T08:02:00.003-06:00

Kristoffer's CT scan has been changed to May 14th! We will still get the results on May 25th. Jonathon Grandmother passed away yesterday and her funeral will be on Monday! She was a great lady!!

Women's Conference

2010-05-06T09:29:00.005-06:00

Maggie and I had the best time at Women's Conference. I have gone for the past 4 years and I have loved it every time. We try to go to yummy restaurants that we do not have here. This time we went to the Olive Garden, P.F. Changs and Bajios! Of course we save all year to go to the Quilted Bear (aka the mother ship). The talks are also great. It is just an uplifting time and the best part is no kids!!

This year we were lucky enough to meet up with our aunt Kathy (taking the pic) and cousins Amy and Jill. They came from Vegas.

We also went to dinner with our cousins that live in the area. We had such a great time visiting with everyone and loving on the babies.

Elder Oaks and his wife were the concluding speakers at conference. They were really good. We had a great time and learned alot.

Next CT scan

2010-04-25T08:14:00.002-06:00

Kristoffer's 6 month post treatment scan is scheduled for May 10th. We won't get the results for 2 weeks but if they are all clear he can have his port out. He does have to go through minor surgery to have it removed. May 11th will be his 1 year anniversary of when his tumor and kidney were removed. Life has improved alot since that time. It seems like a lifetime ago. He is loving baseball and soccer. If they cancel practice he cries. Being a normal little boy means alot more to him now. We take nothing for granted.

2010-04-11T16:35:00.002-06:00

The kids wore their new Easter clothes today! I know I am a little bit biased but what a good looking bunch!!

Easter!!

2010-04-07T20:12:00.002-06:00

Sleepy kids on Easter morning!!

They had a hard time looking at the camera because they were enjoying their new movies that were in their Easter baskets!

Kristoffer looked in his Easter basket and said "where are all my presents?" He is a little spoiled these days!! I think he was actually expecting them to be wrapped!

The girls enjoying their stash!

Annual Flack Easter Egg Hunt!!

2010-04-03T18:21:00.003-06:00

Every year the Flacks have an Easter egg hunt. It is sooo fun! Practically the whole community is invited and the kids get to hunt for eggs while the adults visit and have doughnuts, hot chocolate and juice!! It was a little chilly! Fun was still had by all!!

Bella-boo and Maggie

My little ham Connor!! He would get excited each time he found an egg!

Me and my sweet little boys! I just love these guys!

Kristoffer had a hard time picking up very many eggs because he didn't want to put his football down.

Look who is 7!!

2010-03-07T21:15:00.007-07:00

This is his special hat he was given at school on Friday. He felt very special.

We had a little family party for him. He loves having his cousins come play!

CT Scan!!

2010-02-23T18:52:00.002-07:00

Kristoffer's CT scan was normal! Yeah! We need to go out and celebrate! He will have another one in 3 months. So we can breath a sigh of relief for a while. Kristoffer gets to start soccer this week. He is so excited!

Heading to Albuquerque

2010-02-07T09:43:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow is Kristoffer's first post-treatment CT scan. We are a little nervous. Hoping that it looks just like his last CT scan with NO cancer. We won't know the results for a couple of weeks. Just hoping and praying for the best.

Snow Day!!

2010-01-21T10:33:00.005-07:00

The kids were so happy to have a day off today!! I was not quite as thrilled as they were but it was fun to watch them play in the snow!!

Snow angels!!!

One year anniversary!!

2010-01-21T08:52:00.003-07:00

Today is the one year anniversary of Kristoffer being diagnosed with cancer. What a long year it has been. Kristoffer has been such a trooper throughout all of this. It has definitely been a life-changing experience for our family. Hopefully we will never have to go through this again. His first post-treatment CAT scan is on February 8th. Praying for good results.

Christmas

2010-01-04T08:44:00.010-07:00

The best present of all is my new cricut expression machine!

Sleepy kids on Christmas morning!

Ashley and her Grams made this cute train!

I can't believe she is 14!!

2009-12-15T08:24:00.005-07:00

Katelynn turned 14 years old today! She is growing up so fast. We had a party for her on Sunday!

This is my first fondant cake. It was fun but a lot more work than a regular cake but the end result is much better!

She did get a phone for her birthday. She was so excited! I hid her phone behind our Christmas tree and after she was all done opening presents she looked a little disappointed (cause she thought she might get a phone). So Jonathon called her phone and it started ringing. I thought she was going to knock over the Christmas tree trying to get to it. It was so funny!

Decorating the Christmas tree

2009-12-07T21:34:00.002-07:00

For family home evening tonight we decorated the Christmas tree. I think the kids did a good job and only 1 broken ornament this year. I think that is a record.

1st Day of School!!!

2009-12-03T08:44:00.005-07:00

Kristoffer is so excited to go to school! He was very nervous (so was his mother). It is very hard to leave him after we have been trying to protect him from germs for so long! So I just had to take a deep breath and go!

Our trip to Disney World!!

2009-11-24T10:50:00.001-07:00

We had an amazing time on our trip. It was so nice just to relax and have fun and not even think about cancer! All of the kids loved it. I have posted a slide show to show some of our fun times!

Bye Cancer, We Won't Miss You!!

2009-11-10T09:08:00.004-07:00

So the CAT scan came back with great results. No sign of cancer!! So what do we do now...we are going to Disney World!! Now I know how all those athletes feel after working so hard for what they want and then they are asked that question! What are you going to do now? Kristoffer does still has some spots on his liver that look like scar tissue from when the tumors were shrinking! We will monitor those spots closely to make sure they do not start growing but the doctor feels like they will be fine! In 3 months we will have another CAT scan to check these spots.

I don't know how to thank my family and friends enough for all that they have done for us! We couldn't have made it without them. I have the best in-laws, the best parents, the best sister and brothers, the best cousins, the best aunts and uncles, and the best friends. So many people have donated money, time, food, babysitting, cleaning my house, toys for Kristoffer, tutoring for Kristoffer, rides for my kids to school and sporting events. Many family members stayed the night at the hospital with Kristoffer so that I could spend time with my other kids. They were able to have fairly normal lives thanks to all our family and friends. Connor is probably not sure if I am his mom or if it is my sister in law Kristi! Kristoffer thinks Aunt Becky can hike the ball the best. Everybody has helped in so many different ways and we definitely could not have made it through this without all of the help!

This has changed our outlook on life. Sometimes we just get caught up in our own world and need to remember others as they go through difficult times. We have a whole new look at the world and we need to be more giving and more productive members of society. That is my new years resolution (a little premature). Usually it is to be more organized but this year I will have to have more than one!

Precious moment

2009-11-08T14:27:00.003-07:00

This is a rare moment in our house. Usually our boys are wrestling. They were so sweet and very engrossed in their movie! They didn't even know I was taking pictures! I wish we saw more of these quiet moments! I love them!

Pumpkin carving

2009-11-02T08:25:00.005-07:00

Ashley and Connor had a great time carving their pumpkins on Halloween. Kristoffer was bored after about 10 minutes. So he never finished his pumpkin!

Trunk or Treat

2009-10-29T10:41:00.009-06:00

My kids dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime and Katelynn went as a naughty teenager. We went to the churches "trunk or treat." It was freezing but the kids had a good time!!

Snow!!!

2009-10-28T16:05:00.002-06:00

We got up really early this morning to be at UNM by 9:30. We got about 20 minutes away from home and decided to turn back around because we didn't want to die on the snow packed roads. So we rescheduled the CAT scan for next Wednesday!!

We are finally done!!!!

2009-10-20T21:59:00.004-06:00

This is Kristoffer getting his last dose of chemo!!! He was so excited. His counts even came up enough today that we could have brought him home but Connor has a flu bug so we did not want him getting it. We will hopefully bring him home tomorrow.

The doctor and nurses were so sweet and had a little party for Kristoffer with pizza and cupcakes and of course presents! He was all smiles! We have loved the staff. They have helped make our roller coaster ride a little more tolerable.

What's next??

2009-10-18T20:55:00.002-06:00

After Kristoffer recovers from this round of chemo, we will have a final CAT scan on the 28th. Then he will have his heart checked to make sure no damage was done during chemo. He had it checked halfway thru and it was normal. Then we will have our final appointment with the doctor on November 9th. We will find out the results of all the tests at this appointment. Then we will be done!! Yeah!! They will do a CAT scan every 3 months for the first year to make sure nothing is coming back! After that I think they do a CAT scan annually. These scans will all be compared to the scan he gets on the 28th. I will be a nervous wreck each time he gets a new scan. The one on the 28th should be normal.

Our last visit to the hospital!

2009-10-16T18:09:00.002-06:00

Well we are back in the hospital with low counts for what I hope will be the last time. Kristoffer came in for blood and platelets and wouldn't you know it his temperature was right at the 100.4 cut off for being admitted. So what was supposed to be outpatient is now inpatient. I knew it was coming, I just hoped it wouldn't. The skin around his poor feeding tube starts to break down when he has no immune system. It is painful for him. I hope he rebounds quickly! Poor baby is sick of this roller coaster. His mom is too!

Random pictures

2009-10-11T12:22:00.005-06:00

Kristoffer has a little cold right now which we are praying goes away before his immune system goes down this coming weekend. He is watching Connor play the Nintendo DS! This DS has been a great source of entertainment for the many long stays in the hospital.

Kristoffer loves his cousin Bella!! He just lights up when she is around!

Button, button who has the button

2009-10-08T13:13:00.002-06:00

Kristoffer does!! Today we are having the GI doctor remove Kristoffer's feeding tube and replace it with a button that is just flat against the stomach. You can open it up and put food in and close it when you don't need to use it. It will be much nicer for him. Better than a 6 inch tube hanging out his stomach! We are officially done with the worst chemo drugs. No nausea or vomiting! But it can take 6-9 months for his appetite to be back to normal so we will leave the "button" in until we feel he will be fine without it. So maybe when he is 18 we will take it out. Just kidding!

Is this really the last round of chemo?

2009-10-06T19:45:00.002-06:00

Kristoffer's counts came up enough for chemo this week. We are at UNM today and tomorrow to begin the last round of chemo. His red blood cells were low so he also had to have a blood transfusion. I hope he doesn't have any nausea or vomiting. They lowered the dose 25% again because his body is just so tired! I am hoping this will keep him from running a fever and getting too low again. It has been a long 9+ months. What was life like before the C word came into it?

Counts are too low!!

2009-09-30T19:32:00.002-06:00

Well we had labs drawn on Monday and Kristoffer's platelet counts are too low to have chemo this week. We are aiming for next Tuesday for chemo if his counts are high enough. This is the first time the platelets have struggled this hard to come back up. His body is getting tired. I am so glad this is his last round of chemo.

Long week

2009-09-27T08:14:00.003-06:00

Well it was a long week in the hospital. We went in last Saturday and came home on Friday! He is supposed to get chemo again on Tuesday but I don't know if his counts will be high enough! We will find out on Monday. He just seems so weak! He doesn't really want to eat much. Thank goodness for the feeding tube. We really need to be done. On a lighter note, Jonathon was trying to help me out and gave Connor a desperately needed haircut. There were a few mishaps and Connor didn't help things when he got a hold of the clippers later and gave himself a trim. Needless to say he now has very short hair. He is so blonde, he almost looks bald. Now I have two bald boys. He was pretty proud of himself as you can see from this picture.

Low counts

2009-09-20T00:07:00.002-06:00

Well surprisingly we are back at the hospital with low counts again today. Kristoffer was running a fever so we brought him in for platelets, blood and antibiotics to prevent infection since he can't fight it off himself. I know we are almost done with his treatments but it sure didn't make it any easier to bring him in today. His counts keep coming up slower and slower which means he has to stay longer and longer!! It just stinks!! We miss our lives.

UNM

2009-09-10T21:37:00.002-06:00

Kristoffer is doing really good with this round of chemo. No nausea or vomiting and only two days to go. The feeding tube looks really good and is no longer causing pain. Kristoffer also has a really big appetite which is rare. He is loving the pancakes and apple jacks. Of course the hard part comes when his immune system hits the floor and then he is just weak and won't eat. So we should be going home on Saturday as long as he doesn't have any nausea or vomiting. I am in countdown mode now. Each day I think to myself, that will be the last time you have to get that drug or do this test or whatever it is. After he recovers from this round of chemo he will get one more 2 day round which is a little easier on him. Once he recovers from that, HE IS DONE. I cannot believe this nightmare is almost over. I can't remember what a normal life feels like. I know I will probably always be holding my breath every time he gets a check-up which will be frequently at first and then every year after the first year.