Sleep problems....

I think my sleep problems would work themselves out if the family would just get healthy and stay healthy. So a little update:
Jesse is doing good with the chemo. He did end up shaving his head before the second round and let me tell you he is not the kind of guy that looks good bald. He does say that the lump feels smaller and that he is getting the full use of his arm back with little to no pain. Very good news. We are hopeful that his next ct scan will show that the lump is smaller or even better nonexistent.

And now some not so good news:
Austin's grandma Elaine is going back to the doctor for more test. She had a reproductive tract type cancer several years ago and she is starting to feel the same symptoms. We should know more next week.

Now for the update I have been dreading. Well I guess it can't really be an update if I am as of yet to actually write anything about it so here goes:
Friday the 13th my brother Darin was in Shenandoah and got hit with a tire iron in the face a couple of times. The details are a little sketchy still. He was drunk and doesn't remember a whole lot, as you can imagine. After a fight to even get him to go to the doctor at all he went to another doctor Monday and is now set up for reconstructive surgery on Friday. I have yet to find out he exact extent of his injuries partly because Mom doesn't want to tell me but I will be seeing photos on Saturday. From what I have gathered his jaw, nose and eyebrow are broken and something about his cheek bone. I don't even know what side. I will get clearer explanations when I can corner Mom or Cameron and they can't say they have to get off the phone and hang up on me.
Darin has changed in the last several years and has done somethings that he regrets and hasn't been an angel in the least. He has also done some really good things that seem to be overlooked by a lot of people. As he was sitting in the hospital talking to my mom he said "I'm sure I deserved this for something or another at some point in time." Darin is not my true brother but he is my brother all the same. It just gives me a chill to think that he could actually believe he deserved to be beat that way. No one ever deserves that. No matter how much of a butt head they are;) We are just so thankful he isn't hurt anymore than he is. Things could have turned out a lot differently.

Photo Day

This last weekend my family all got together to get photos taken for my mother as a surprise christmas present. This presented a little problem in that she knew I was coming down to do a PartyLite show but that I wasn't coming down to see her. Not good. She also knew that Mason and Austin were going to be with me. Then she found out that Cameron and Darin were coming up to Council Bluffs and that Donnie Guy and his family were coming in from Fremont. Not a huge deal because it is close to the holidays and we could all be shopping at the same time. Then she found out that Marianne and her family were going to be meeting us at the mall and that Cameron would be taking Morgan home. She knew something was up so she decided that her and Dad would just go to Grandma Shirley's for the evening. Since they were "kid free".



So there we are taking our huge 19 person family photo and mom peeks her head around the corner. I was honestly surprised that we could keep it secret that long. No one slipping. Her figuring it out on her own. We all did really good. She usually ends up cornering one of us. Then again the only one close enough for her to corner is Cameron and she isn't always the nicest person so mom probably couldn't tell if she would be lying or not.





Me - Marianne - Cameron
Darin - Donnie Guy

We are all starting to look older. It is about time. Maybe one of these days they will stop ID'ing me when I buy minor prohibited stuff. I don't think I will list all the ages. Way too depressing.




Jesse - Donnie - Racheale - Jesse (younger)
Darin - Courtney - me holding Mason - Austin holding Daniel - Morgan - Ricky
Marianne holding Hunter - Major - Cameron holding Breanna and Isaac - Faith

I know all the kids just look thrilled. To get that many to smile at the same time we settled on all the adults smiling and the baby not crying. Darin is hiding the bottle and burp rag. You can barely see the bottle in his one hand.

We have really exploded in the last 10 years. For those of you who don't know I will give the break down.

Morgan 10
*Emily 8
Major 7
Daniel 6
Isaac 4
Breanna 3
Hunter 2
*Qwentyn 1
Mason 6 months

*Darin's two aren't pictured. Stupid ex-wives. He wouldn't have this problem if he could just stay married.


I know those of you that counted the number of people actually in the photo know that there were more kids than what is listed. Donnie Guy's girlfriend, Rachaele, had her three kids there. Jesse, Courtney and Faith. I have no idea how old they all are. I do know that Courtney is the same age as Morgan. I believe they share the same birthday.

After photos we went to Grandma Shirley's for pizza. We only ended up going through 5 larges. Not bad for that many people. All in all the day only ended up costing us I think about 40 dollars. Photos and pizza. I won't count the gas to go down and back because I can take that off my taxes as a business expense. Remember originally I went down for a PartyLite party.

We ended up getting home really late and Austin had to work the next day. It was good. I don't get to see them that often anymore. We talk all the time but that isn't the same. Sometimes it is nice to see their face when they realize you have just insulted them. Most of the time the translation is lost over the phone. The only bad thing about getting together is that one of usually ends up with a sick kid the next day. I won the lottery this time. Mason got pink-eye. So we have had a fun week. But that is a whole nother post.
Until next time.