October

I love October.  I love when the weather starts to turn cool.  I love the Fall colors of orange, red, yellow, and brown.  And. . . it is Woody's birthday. . . what more can I say.  :)   The last few weeks have been rugged, or ragged, or maybe both.  I don't know exactly what makes one day harder than the day before, or why the next day isn't as hard as yesterday.  A friend reminded me today that we just need to keep being thankful. 

A year ago this weekend I flew to Salem to spend the weekend with Kari & Brett (and of course Wyatt), and Sara.  Then Sara and I flew to San Francisco on Sunday night, and Woody met us there.  On Monday morning Sara had her first set of follow up scans since going back to college and her "new normal" life.  We were just enjoying the time together, pretty confident that all would be fine.  I still remember the intense heaviness that settled over us when we learned that Sara had a new spot in her lung.  The oncologist said. . . . another surgery, maybe more chemo. . . . and all Sara wanted was to get it over with and go back to school.  On one hand, I hate it that she only had that two months before the cancer returned. But on the other hand, we are also so thankful for those two months.  I look back at pictures from that time and the joy just shines right out of her.  So, I am thankful.