Happy days and looking ahead...

My intention when I started this blog was to write down weekly updates on our family and Jeff, but writing in a journal (or blogging) has never been a strength of mine.

So first, an update on Jeff! He is doing great! He finished chemo on June 16. He feels completely normal and we have had a fun and active summer swimming, biking playing at the park with Emma and playing tennis. His neuropathy is completely gone and even though the doctor said we may see some long term effects from the chemo, we are not seeing any right now. We set a surgery date to reverse the ileostomy for August 4. We have high hopes that recovery will go better than last time, and we are very excited to finish this last step of treatment! I guess he has finished treatment, but we are tying up loose ends. :)

Emma has been sick this week. She hasn't been acting all that sick, but we took her in because she had been having consistent low grade fevers for a couple days and surprise! She has hand foot and mouth disease... Ugh. The good news is she has had a really mild case and hasn't been acting all that sick. We were also told she was probably well into it, but the bad news is she will be very contagious for a couple days. It is kind of weird to have a sick baby that is not acting sick at all. So we have been staying home and playing a lot and watching movies. 

Emma has started singing and dancing a lot more this week which I think may be one of my very favorite things. She loves singing songs from Tangled and Frozen and loves dancing to anything with a beat. She is talking a lot more, just little phrases here and there that mainly just Jeff and I understand, and she loves to be chased and tickled.

I have been trying to get into shape this summer and so far have lost about 20 lbs. I am feeling a lot healthier. Jeff is a huge help and is very supportive with watching Emma while I exercise, or changing our diet a bit. I'm hoping to continue with my goal of getting into shape and being healthier.

As Jeff finishes up treatment we are starting to make plans for the fall and winter. We are hoping for Jeff to start school again in January and to find an apartment in Provo probably in the next few months. It will be a huge adjustment living just the 3 of us again, but we are very excited! 

I think that is about all that is happening with us right now, please keep us in your prayers as Jeff gets ready got surgery. :) 

Below are a few fun pictures from the last little while.

-Katie 

I approve of this message.  

-Jeff

Here is Emma's "squish face".

This is us making a funny face for the camera.

This is Emma and Trygve one day when we went to see Kim and Trygve. 

This bowl entertained Emma for a whole afternoon.  She would run around with it on her head and play peek a boo from under it.

We took trax down to city creek on my birthday, and it was the first time for Emma and me! This is Emma and Jeff watching a movie of her swinging at the park.  She thought it was very funny.