Arizona (Part 1)

We drove to Arizona to visit family and enjoy a much-needed break from the cold. Sam found a great park to stop at along the way, in St. George. Here she is with Diana and Penny.

Doogles, Penny, Sam, and Diana on a little train ride.

We spent the night at a hotel on the Las Vegas strip. Diana quickly found the remote to the TV. A while back, Douglas built a Las Vegas Strip LEGO set and he was excited to see the real thing.

The view from our hotel room on the 25th floor.

We checked in to the hotel one hour before the pool closed, so we changed and went straight to the water.

Douglas, Diana, and Penny watching cartoons.

The hotel has a large display for the Chinese New Year - the year of the rat.

Diana on the swings at a really cool park in the Phoenix area.

 Pushing the kids around and around.

This morning we attended Krew's basketball game.

Jarren, Douglas, Krew, and Penny

Krew and Douglas

With a group of Sam's extended family members at a little amusement park in Phoenix.

Chase, Krew, and baby Owen.

Douglas, Charly, and Penny

Jarren, Douglas, and Seth

Chase, Douglas, and Krew

Krew and Douglas

Penny

Douglas

Krew, Hudson, Charly, Seth, Chase, Jarren, McCall

Baby Owen, Rob, Richard, Diana

Doogles, Harper, Jen, Will, and Aleesha

With Douglas

A sign in the bathroom at the diner we visited for ice cream after the amusement park.

Penny's battle scars. She fell and scraped her knees at the amusement park. She cried so hard that she stopped breathing for a few seconds and passed out, at which point she fell over and hit her head on the pavement.

Sam reading to Diana and Charly.

I played Nephi for tonight's scripture study. My brothers, Laman and Lemuel, are tying me up.

Krew wanted a turn playing Nephi.

This is Douglas on the zipline at the park in St. George. I include this video because last summer, when we visited Stacie (Sam's sister) in Washington State, it took Douglas quite a while to work up the courage to try a zipline. This time he jumped right on and loved it.

Chemo Treatment #15 (final weekly treatment!)

 This is one of the bells you can ring at the Huntsman Cancer Institute's satellite building when you finish your chemo treatments. The satellite building is located five minutes from our home and is the building where Sam will receive her maintenance treatments once every three weeks for the foreseeable future.

Kate (Sam's sister) and Margaret (Sam's mother) joined us to celebrate the final chemo treatment.

With my beautiful Sam

The nurses at the satellite building gave Sam an envelope with this paper and keychain inside. I love the words of this poem.

 This is another bell you can ring at the Huntsman Cancer Institute's satellite building when you finish your chemo treatments.

This is the gong you get to ring at the main Huntsman Cancer Institute building in Salt Lake City when you finish the chemo treatments.

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Shopping with Doogles and Penny

The sun warms Diana's room through a large window. I have been craving sunshine during this dreary winter week. One day this week the sun came out and I told the children that I was going to get some vitamin D in Diana's room. They laughed as I stretched out on the floor, lifted my shirt up to my neck, and let the sun shine onto my pale chest. Since then, Douglas and Penny frequently ask when I'm going to get my vitamin D. Sam captured the above photo when Douglas decided to get some vitamin D.

Douglas asked me to build a foam house around him.

We visited the home of Granny and Grandpa Ogden yesterday. We decided to build a tower up to the ceiling in the basement.

Feeding Diana

Penny making biscuits with Granny. Penny loves to cook.

Chemo Treatment #14

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 I took Penny and Douglas to Chuck E. Cheese this week.

 Douglas loved the bowling.

 The children and I also visited their Granny's house this week. Granny played air hockey with Douglas, and Diana was fascinated with the puck moving back and forth.

 Our happy Diana

Denali and Ari (my sister's children) visited our home yesterday. Here Penny and Douglas are having a tea party with Denali.

Chemo Treatment #13

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 Penny and Diana in their pajamas

 Diana

 Last Friday's visit to the Huntsman Cancer Institute was a long one. In addition to her regular visit with the oncologist and the usual hours spent in the infusion center receiving the chemo drugs, Sam also had to receive one of her periodic echocardiograms to make sure the chemo is not adversely affecting her heart. Douglas, Penny, and Diana thoroughly enjoyed the day at our neighbor's house doing Perler beads and other fun things.

 Penny loves purple.

 Diana getting ready to eat.

 Sam tried on two more wigs as we were leaving the treatment center.

Chemo Treatment #12 (Welcome, 2020!)

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 Ending the year as we always do, with Grandma's birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandma! Another 47 years and we get to celebrate the big 1 0 0. I'm looking forward to it.

 Sam and Diana are sporting the same hairdo these days. Aren't they cute!

 New Year's Eve celebrations.

 I think Penny was sad to leave 2019 behind. Or she stayed up too late. Or it's just Penny 90% of the time - emotions.

 The first day of 2020 brought a bit of snow with it. Grandma made a snowman with Doogles and Penny. When they finished, Penny asked Grandma if the snowman was a boy or girl. Grandma asked Penny what she wanted it to be. Penny said it should be a boy. "Then it's a boy," said Grandma. "Where does the penis go?" Penny asked. 😳 I don't know how Grandma got out of that one, but thank you, Grandma, for not allowing us to be forever known as the neighborhood family who put a penis on their snowman.

 Doogles, Penny, and Diana had the pleasure of playing at our neighbor's house yesterday while Sam went to her acupuncture appointment.

Mother and baby