Christmas is over and we made it through without any emergencies! My daycare party was a success. All my clients were very happy with all the projects that the children made for them---angels with their hands as wings, feet for the body, glued their own picture and topped with a halo! I have a child who has curly, blonde hair and I had to cut around his curl and it looked like a horn. He was so cute. It was a fun conversation piece! We made more handprints projects and I gave each parents a jar of Oatmeal Cookie mixed, to which I used up most of my time cutting and glueing the recipe like in scrapbooking. (It turned out that 3 of my daycare moms do scrapbook! ) But I had fun doing it. Haven't had done any scrapbooking for the last 2 years.
Dave was able to spend some time with us, then went into hiding until our preacher dropped by. Aileen, a friend of my mine who has been cancer free for several months now stayed until 10 PM. Dave talked to her for a while, asking her why she is always so happy. They had a heart to heart talk and she asked, "Dave, what makes you laugh?"
Thursday, Dave went to his dental appointment at the VA hospital feeling lousy. Everytime that he gets cold, it turns into bronchitis. Had to call his oncologist to prescribe him a Z-pack. She gave me some instructions---take him to the ER if his temperature reaches 100.4 and don't give him tylenol or anything to make his temp go down. We drove down to Va last Friday, telling me that if he would have temp, we had to go back to Maryland because he doesn't like the hospital close to where his family lives. That's a 5 hour drive! Friday night, still sick, he went to play poker until 3 AM. He called to pick him up and half awake, I went by myself to pick him up. It was so foggy, dark, couldn't see where I was going and made a turn into somebody else's driveway, couldn't turn around fast enough. I was so scared that somebody would start shooting. I was in the middle of nowhere at 3:00 in the morning!
Saturday, I did some last minute shopping with Dave's mom after her MRI appt. Her knee has been bothering her since she fell down the stairs a few weeks ago. Dave went squirrel hunting while we're gone and brought home 2 of them, rodents! He needed help to skin them so I had to, which was the most disgusting thing to do. Saturday night, we were playing cards when he decided to go with John and Brandon to some Blue Grass Honky Tonk and didn't come home 'till midnight. He likes the music so he decided that he will take Danica and Melissa next weekend.
Sunday morning, while we were at church, he went hunting again with Brandon, came back home and asked me to go with him fishing in his pond deep in the woods. He needed me to help him climb back up! He was out of his mind! He came back home 2 hrs. before the family Christmas' Eve dinner, wiped out.
All of his family gathers at his Mom's house for Christmas' Eve Dinner and then everybody comes back on Christmas morning for the kids to open their presents from all of us, the adults play "dirty santa", then breakfast. Light Christmas dinner was at Delta and Jay's house this year, we had oyster stew.
What would I do without my 3 silly sisters-in-law to cheer me up? Last year, they were able to pull together a surprise b-day party right in my own house. Last night, when we got to Delta's house, Angie and Delta were icing a cake but I didn't have any clue that it was for me. After dinner, they started singing "Happy Birthday", giving me a cake with 1 candle! I even got a present! I am so blessed to be a part of their family. Thanks Guys! I love you all the "mostest" :)
We had a very nice Christmas this year. I got a sweat shirt from Danica. Dave and I didn't give each other presents this year. We decided to have our kitchen re-modeled so I just went shopping for myself and bought Dave a pair of shoes and a sweat shirt with "Top Notch Fisherman" on and just gave it to him. We went to the NEX and he picked a watch that Danica was supposed to to buy it for him for Christmas. So she ended giving him cash.
We drove back home this afternoon because Dave has chemo tomorrow. Then we will drive back to Va on Friday for the new year. Barbie and Robert will have a get together at their house on Friday night. They will be playing music so hoping that Dave will be feeling well to play his banjo.
Just want to say "Hi" to all of our friends in California. Our plan is go to Lake Martinez in Yuma, during the spring vacation. Just want to let Dave Morris know that Dave lost his a--off last Friday night, playing poker! "Give him a break, he's sick!" Hi Rebecca, got Karina's picture. She's beautiful! Hi Jocelyn, where's my scarf! It's getting cold here. Hi Kim Vincent! Hi Laura and Gerwin and girls. Miss you all!
WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We are having a birthday party for one of my daycare kids on Wednesday afternoon and then dinner for all my daycare families. I will be preparing Filipino foods so that they can try what the kids eat while in my care. I am so busy that I don't know where to start, haven't wrap the kids presents and all the projects that me and the kids made for their parents. Will Dave be able to socialize? Are we going to have an emergency before Wednesday?

Last year, on Dec. 22, a day before my last day of work for the holidays, Dave was so sick. He passed out in the bathroom/ laundry room. There are times that I am grateful of having a teenager who waits to bring her laundry downstairs until I start yelling. That night Danica brought her basket full of laundry which saved Dave from hitting his head on the floor. When he came through, I was trying to help him get up but he told me to call 911. Shouldn't I know that since I take First Aid and CPR class once a year?
He had GI bleed and was given 12 units of blood, stayed at the ICU for 2 days and came home on the night of Dec. 24, so that we could be home on Christmas morning with the girls. Our family (Grandma, 4 sisters and their husbands with 2 kids each, brother Mike with wife Cherryl) in Va brought Christmas here in Maryland. That was a night of fun and good food but we want to go back home this Christmas!
Dave has been feeling good lately. He experiences some pain once in a while but he said that he just shakes it off and keep on going. For the first time since his accident, he was able to drive all the way to Va. last Friday. He went hunting last Saturday and got 2 bucks and a big doe which makes it 8 for this season. I had to help load them in his truck. I didn't like the job but I had to. He called after dragging all the deers where his truck was park, gasping for air. Had to give him a few puffs of albuterol inhaler! After giving away his catch? I dropped him off to play cards and didn't come 'till 2 AM.
He went for a long walk this afternoon, about 2-3 miles. He came home with 2 sticks that he found along his way, used them as his walking sticks. He was going to sand them for future use but he remembered that he has a Mt. Fuji stick and used that instead ( We climbed up Mt. Fuji in 1988).
He told me and his mom last Sunday morning not to make any plans for him on Friday night because he was going to have a poker tournament. Saturday afternoon, he has to take Robbie hunting and Sunday night is Christmas Dinner at the Hoskins!
He has a lot to live for. He just made a promised to Ryan, ( his 4 year old nephew ) that he will take him fishing in the spring because he already had covered his boat, getting ready to sleep for the winter.
Dave is going for his chemo treatment tomorrow morning and after school, Danica will take the shuttle from the Naval Academy going to hospital. She will drive him home. She is still working at Pizza Hut and doesn't have a boyfriend yet so I can't complain. She has been a tremendous help for me and Dave. We were just talking about her tonight on our way home from the NEX that next year when she goes to college, he will have to drive himself.
Dave is scheduled for CT/PET scan on the first week of January. Please continue to hold him in your thoughts and prayers. Pray for continued strength physically and mentally to fight the good fight!
FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!