Kindergarten and 3rd grade

I kept meaning to post about Jacob and Kaelyn's first day of school, but then get distracted. So here is my attempt at finishing that goal!

Jacob started third, yup that's what I said, third grade this year! Argh! I can't believe that I have a 3rd grader. The first day of school was on his 8th birthday this year. Poor kid...but I brought doughnuts to class that day and his teacher let him go home early as her birthday present. I don't think it turned out to be too bad of a day. He really likes his teacher and has a few friends from last year in his class. Everyday he comes home and tells me that he learned a new letter in cursive today and that he is learning multiplication. He loves school (boy, am I glad!) Another big milestone for Jacob was his baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints last saturday. It was quite a special day. He was so excited. I was pretty darn proud of him for making that decision. I think I cried a lot that day! Happy tears though. I am still in shock that I have an eight year old. He should be a toddler!

Kaelyn started Kindergarten this year. She really loves it. It's fun to see her in her way-too-big for her backpack walking to class. She is learning sight words, the prospect of reading is really exciting to her, and having a blast meeting new friends. She,unfortunately, has already missed a few days of school due to illnesses. Her immunosuppression is getting her down while her body gets used to all those new germs. I think things will be better as the year goes by. She is still liver healthy and cancer-free. What a joy!

I have started up school too. I am going to the Utah State University Extension pre-Nursing program here in Tooele. Right now I am taking generals and pre-req's for the course online. I am really enjoying it. I get most of my school work done while the kids are in school. It took me a few days to blow the cobwebs out of my brain and get into the swing of things. I have always loved school, and it feels really good to get out there and work toward my goals.

Wade is working really hard to support me in this and has taken a second job. He has always wanted me to go back to school, but circumstances prevented it until now. What a wonderful husband I have. He is doing all he can to help me succeed. I am so thankful for that. I am also so thankful that we are blessed with health and time to be able to do these things.

A joyful life....

Love,

Angie

Happy ER visit?

Kaelyn, the Olympic Diver, landed in the ER last night. She has loved watching the Olympics, especially the divers. She gets up on her little Dora stool and dives her fancy dive into a pool of blankets with little to no splash. She's been getting tremendous scores from the panel of judges (who may be a little biased, seeings how it is comprised of Mom, Dad and brother...) But last night she was using a prop, a wooden dowel (oops on mom's part). Maybe you can see where I'm going with this. She dived with dowel in hand and the dowel ended up poking her in her eye.....it was not fun. She was bleeding from her eye and she said she couldn't see. So, we rushed her into the ER here in Tooele. The doc looked at her eye through the fancy eye microscope and then dyed her eye yellow and looked at it with a black light. Happily, no cornea damage or scratches. Just a big bruise and some burst blood vessels. Jacob thought all of the scientific stuff was way cool and had Kaelyn interested by the end too. Happily ever after.....

A normal kid ER visit! Wow, we really are progressing into 'normalcy'.

In other news...school starts this week. Jacob will be in third grade and Kaelyn starts Kindergarten next week. I can't believe my eyes when I look at these two. They just grow so fast.

Jacob also has his 8th birthday on thursday, consequently the same day school starts. What a present, the first day of school!

I also added some more pics to the flickr account. It has some from Jacob's birthday party and a few extras.

love,

Angie

Kaelyn Repeat CT

Kaelyn had a repeat CT scan done on Monday to check the inflammation that they saw in the intestines during the last scan done in June. I haven't heard back from them yet, but wanted to post an update anyway! She, of course, amazed all of the CT techs at Primary Children's. They told her that she is their best patient and that she does better than the teenagers! They had to poke her three times before they could get the IV in, and she didn't even cry. She just told them that she doesn't like it when she has to get poked. And then went on to talk about how she gets to start kindergarten this year (while they are poking her!). Brave little girlie.

We just got back a few days ago from a Perry family reunion. We all had such a great time. The kids had so much fun playing with all of their cousins! I really miss that WA clan. All of the kids got to ride Wade, Jacob, and Uncle Jim's dirt bikes and I think they all had a blast. Wade did a head dive over the handle bars and got bruised up pretty good, but overall they all had fun (he's fine, honestly). Lots of good times.

Kaelyn and Jacob start school in three weeks (the first day of school just happens to land on Jacob's 8th birthday - he's a little bummed about that). Kaelyn is so excited, she keeps asking me when she can go to kindergarten. I am just amazed and so thankful that she is making it to this milestone, healthy and well. What a humongous blessing. And Jacob starts 3rd grade! I remember 3rd grade...he also is going to be baptized soon after his birthday. I am so proud of him. He is growing up faster that I can stop him!

Well, I will update more as I hear about the scans.

Love,
Angie

Kaelyn and Jacob

Kaelyn and Jacob, originally uploaded by perryupdate.

I had to put this picture up on the blog. Too cute! I love these kids....I also added a whole bunch of pictures, including Kaelyn's birthday, onto flickr. Just click on the link to the right. Enjoy!

CT Scan Results

Kaelyn's CT Scans went very well last week. There is no evidence of disease! Hip Hip Hurray! The only thing that was a little concerning was that there is some inflammation in her intestines. We are not sure what is causing this. So, at the end of the month we will talk with her liver docs about that. She may have to have another CT scan in 3 months to see if the inflammation as gone down. But over all, we are ecstatic with the results!

Love,
Angie