6 weeks on Monday!!

Yes, it will be 6 weeks ago on Monday, Nov. 16th that my mom's kidney transplant took place. My mom and Matt are both doing well. I am very excited to have Matt be able to get back to exercising and riding his bike for his sake, he has missed biking and exercising. I am happy he will be able to help with the kids more, he has done an amazing job the last 6 weeks following the Dr. orders, which included: no biking, exercising, lifting more than 10 pounds. So, he was unable to really lift the kids or let them climb on him, which they love. It will take time for him to build up his energy level to where it was pre-transplant, but at least we hit the mile mark. He has done really well and his body is adjusting well to one kidney.

My mom is also doing well and her body is accepting her new kidney and her lab values reflect that things are going well. I am so happy for both my mom and Matt.

As for the rest of the family, Tristyn is doing very well in school and has been moved up to the higher reading level group. It is so fun to see how much she is learning and her desire to do homework. Matt said they day she got homework to do she came running out of class with a big smile saying "Look I get to do homework now!!!"

Maia and Isaac are really learning to speak better, even though I still think Maia has her own language, Isaac is putting words together to make phrases and some sentences.

Lance is just a good baby and we love him to peaces, he is so happy, and we probably have another "Guy Smiley" on our hands.

The Halloween season has come and gone. We had so much fun with Corn Mazes, train rides, Halloween parties, trick-or-treating, and being together. The kids loved all the activities and now I think Isaac's favorite holiday is Halloween. Matt now has someone to share in his favorite holiday. Tristyn was Cleo Patra, her costume made by Yaya, Maia was Dorothy, Isaac was a pirate, arrrg, and Lance was Tigger. We had a pizza party with my brothers and their families, and my parents, then the kids went trick-or-treating.

As for myself, I have made it through the 6 weeks and I am still here. I was nervous how things were going to go, but we made it. After a brief episode of Swine Flu with Tristyn and Hand Foot and Mouth with Maia, we did make it. Yes, we did have Swine Flu, but we made Tristyn stay in her room for 3 days to get over the fever and then wear a mask the 4th day and no one else got it. Thanks to the help of wonderful family and friends we made it this far. My mother-in-law was a complete life saver, she spent every night with Matt in the hospital and was here while Tristyn got Swine Flu, if it had not been for her those 1st two weeks, I think I would have been in a Loony Bin. Then the ward members helped by babysitting and bringing in meals for 3 weeks after the surgery, we were very well taken care of. It is a huge blessing to have so many Christ like people in our lives. Not to mention our ward members also brought in meals for my parents for 3 weeks too and Uncle George who has let my parents live with him for the last 4 weeks. Yes, we are living with my parents in their home because of unemployment not the surgery, it just happened that way. Isn't it amazing the Lord know what he is doing!! However, we are still here because we are still looking for employment, Matt is working hard to find something. However, we are still in my parents home and they haven't come home yet because we were sick, but now we are healthy and they are still at my Uncle George's home. I do feel bad that we are still here, it has been a great experience being here and humbling the way everything has happened, but it would be nice to have a place we could call our own, thank goodness for such a loving family.

Until next time!!