"All I Want for Christmas is MyTwo Front Teeth!"

Abigail can sing that song "for real" this year! I was talking to Kathy on the phone when Abigail announced excitedly that her tooth had finally come out (it had been hanging for several days!). It wasn't long till our doorbell rang and three little Dorrell's bounced in to show off Abigail's new smile. I ran upstairs and brought down one of the Cd's that I had bought recently...appropriately named... "All I Want for Christmas" and handed it to her. She needs to learn that song!

This is a respite day for Woody, as yesterday finished his fifth cycle on the chemo drug study. We will head to Vanderbilt dark and early in the morning. Hopefully tomorrow will be day 1 of Cycle 6. Will let you know on the blog tomorrow night. We will be stopping at Melany's on our way home tomorrow to pick up a book that she has for Woody and we will get to see their Christmas decorations.

Today Woody got up early, went to work, walked at lunch, worked some more, on his way home he stopped at the Post Office and stood in a long line with a sick child in front of him, came home and washed his hands, went next door and babysat the neighbor grandchildren for a short time, then came home and has been relaxing...watching TV and reading. I have been busy in my Grammy workshop (sewing room)...lots to do and the deadline is getting closer! UPS delivered one more package tonight...so we are a bit closer to being finished with Christmas gifts for this year.

Oops...just realized that I went downstairs to ask Woody something about the blog...and...I asked...but forgot to come back upstairs to post the blog, as my cutting table for one of my sewing projects caught my attention and I began cutting again...(also got intrigued by Antiques Roadshow)...so posting a bit later than I meant!

What's a tutu?

I just asked Joy (4) if she could have a tutu what color would she like. She shrugged her shoulders. Goosey (Woody) said that maybe she didn't know what a tutu was. So I asked her what a tutu was and her answer...(drum roll, please)..."four!" We were watching The Nutcracker movie and that is the reason that the question came up. The above picture isn't that great tonight as I took a picture of the TV screen...but it definitely illustrates our question of the night! "Kids say the darndest things," as Art Linkletter used to say. We did tell her what a tutu was. She now says that she would like a pink one!

We got up and went to Sunday School. Woody taught Sunday School. We came home ate lunch and then Joy came over to spend the afternoon and evening with us. Nathan and family had a gig in Smyrna, TN and Joy is sick so she came over to be with us while they went to do a juggling program. Since Woody took care of her yesterday, before we knew that she was sick, we figured that he had already been exposed to whatever. She really doesn't feel well. She has spent most of her time on the couch in our family room resting and watching movies...Cinderella and The Nutcracker. She has now come up to check to see what I am doing and has crawled up in my lap...she feels rather warm...we don't like our little Joy Bug to be sick!

Winter Wonderland

Look what we woke up to today. The neighbor grandchildren really had fun. I stepped out the front door and took two pictures and then went to the back door and Woody swept the steps off and I stood there and took several pictures of the kids throwing snowballs and of them sledding. We haven't had much snow in the last couple of years so they were really excited to have even this small amount.

Woody went to the Post Office and the library this morning. Then he took care of Joy and Esther-Noel while Nathan, Kathy, Graham, Abigail and Elijah went Christmas shopping. He made Tahitian Treats (a yummy no-bake confection made with dried apricots, coconut, sweetened condensed milk and then rolled in confectioners sugar) to take to Sunday School in the morning. He has started working "the puzzle" of putting all the boxes back in our Christmas closet. We are both having sinus/allergy problems (at least that is what we hope it is). He has been taking Benadryl...I woke up in the middle of the night with an allergic reaction to something...so took some Benadryl...so that makes for a bit of a "sleepy day." Woody has also read and watched football this afternoon and evening. I have been trying to get going in my sewing room (which included some shopping this aftenoon for some needed items)...Grammy's workshop needs to gear up for several items that are needed by the time that our family celebrates Christmas together. I got a bit of a reprieve tonight as we were going to have our family Christmas on December 19...but we had forgotten the practice for the children's musical that Graham and Abigail have to attend...so now we are having it on December 24...a few more days to "create" and get ready!

O Tannenbaum

Decorating is finished...and I am about finished too! Here's our tree. Last night I showed you the first ornament that I put on the tree yesterday and here it is about 699 ornaments later...what a job! The sides and back are just as full as the front. We have no lights on the tree...the ornaments are our lights! I enjoy putting them on (despite the back ache!) because each one is a memory. Yesterday and today while I trimmed the tree I thought of each family member and friend who gave them to us.

Woody has had a busy day...he got up early, went to work, walked at lunch, came home, and almost immediately headed out to do the grocery shopping. We had so many errands to run that we decided to split them up...but I fell down on my part...I was just too tired to run errands today. Woody ended up going to Kroger, WalMart, Office Max, and Lowes! So he had a major outing! This evening Joy came over after they returned from being away this week. Nathan is working on winterizing their motor home and he came over to borrow a certain size wrench and left Joy till he brings the wrench back...he's not back yet. Joy thought that maybe they had forgotten about her! She said that she could just sleep over here...which would be a possibility...BUT all extra beds are covered with Christmas related items. Oh...Nathan just came to get her...he said that he thought about just keeping the wrench for a while and letting us take care of Joy till he brought it back! As soon as Woody came in from shopping, I got started on our turkey soup...Thanksgiving leftovers are about over...they certainly have been a life saver for me this week...I didn't have to think about cooking while I decorated. By the way, all decorating is done...now the big job putting ALL the boxes back in the Christmas closet...Woody's job to work that puzzle! We're both looking forward to the weekend...Woody will be babysitting for Joy and Esther in the morning...and I have to get busy in Grammy's workshop (sewing room).

First ornament on the tree for 2009

Melany made this ornament for us for last Christmas (2008). She used pictures of Erin and Alex (our two oldest grandchildren). She has a program on her computer that turns pictures into a kaleidoscope-type picture...then she came up with a way to make them into an ornament. Since we didn't put up a tree last year, this is the first year that it has been on our tree...so I put it on first. It shows things that they had done during 2008. The most important thing that they did that year was to make a decision to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They were both baptized on the same Sunday...a doubly special day!

Woody got up early, went to work, took a cold walk at lunch, came home to eat and rest. I am still in the throes of decorating...starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The main thing left is the tree...but...what a job...you will understand when I share a picture of it after it is decorated. We just got an automated call from Vanderbilt to confirm Woody's appointments this coming Tuesday.

Cycle 5, Day 24

It has been a rainy, windy Wednesday here in Middle Tennessee. Woody has had pretty much a same ol', same ol' day...he got up early, went to work, walked at lunch, worked some more, came home, and has been relaxing most of the evening. He is having remote control problems...but figured out a way around it and is now watching a DVD.

One year ago...

One year ago, a little after 8pm on December 1, 2008, Dr. Aiken called with the news that the place that he had removed behind Woody's ear was melanoma. It put us in a tail spin of absorbing the news and then finding out what we would do next...and then next...and we continue to be in that "what is next" phase. There haven't been many dull moments in the past year! I can't believe all that Woody has been through in this span of a year's time...a ton of lab work, tests, scans, surgery, IL-2 (two rounds), radiation, kidney stones (2 bouts), chemo drug study...and the list goes on. I'm very thankful for all the doctors that we have had and the way things have sort of fallen into place all along the way. God saw us through this past year and I know that he will continue to lead us forward...guiding and directing our decisions and doctors' decisions. This coming week Woody will be starting on his sixth cycle (month) of the chemo drug study, if all is okay with his lab work. I will say that a lot of the past year has been pretty much a blur for me. I am so thankful that the chemo drug study seems to be stopping, or at least slowing, the progression of Woody's melanoma.