RockingJuJu

At times I feel bad that I don’t update much anymore. I have to say that it is nice that I find I have very little to say these days. Everything has become very routine with the few medical problems she does have.

Today was a day that got me to thinking about how everything has changed for us. I know I have said some of this before. I am not sure if it was here or over on her caringbridge site. Either way I am going to say it again because today I added something to my list.

Cancer took so many things from us. It robbed Jacey of her youth. It denied her the chance of continued innocence to the world at such a young age. She has stared death in the eye more than one time and overcome more things than most people will in a full lifetime. Today I found myself recalling how she innocently asked if I thought we would be invited to the funeral when her first cancer friend passed.

Cancer did however give me an unexpected gift. I have gotten to relive many once in a lifetime moments with her. They meant so much more the second time. Seeing her eyes for the first time, watching her take her first breaths, hearing her speak her first words, and watching her take her first steps. Today we added one I never thought I would get again. Well it hasn’t happened yet but Thursday will be her first day of school.

Online schooling has been horrible for her. She has such a need for the social interaction with her peers. It was not part of the plan to have to her return until High School. She has just been so down and depressed lately that I could not put this off any longer for her. She is so excited and I am so very happy for her. I know I will miss her deeply. I have gotten soused to her always being here at my side. This is the best thing for her though and I know that. She does not have a peer group in our neighborhood and her face just lit up today as we were visiting the school.

Other news is Justin did have what we hope to be his final surgery. It was canceled and rescheduled a few times but it finally happened about two weeks ago. He has recovered well and is getting the last of his stitches out tomorrow. This has been a hectic school year for him. He decided that he wanted to do online schooling for his senior year. It has been a rough start between his surgery and his grandfather having a sudden illness and passing away. He is working through it all and might pass a class or two. He is very much like his father and my brother when it comes to school work though. I take a lot of deep breaths before I yell these days.

I am also thinking it might be time to update her website a bit so I am working on that. I added her pictures from Camp Quality to the galleries. The rest I will need to talk to my brother about as I have not much of an idea as to how to do it.

It has been a long time since I have updated this site. I find thatI write an entry while we sit at an appointment but it never seems tomake it off of my phone. Then it would seem when I do sit down to writeone here it never saves right and gets lost in cyber space.

Wow alot has happened since I last updated. Jacey has now been in remissionfor over 3 yrs! I am so glad to be able to say that. I can hardly waitfor the big 5 year mark to come. We are offically down to just 3doctors! I hardly know what to dowithout all the appointments. They are all just once a year now. Nochange in her heart or her eye. She still has the whole in her heartbut it has not changed and she still has no sight in her eye but oddspot has not grown. She has really started to dislike going to thedoctors as she finds this to be a huge waste of time. She says theyalways say the same thing so why go. You have to love it!

Shehas really become herself again but has changed so much at the sametime. She is pushing being a teenager and I can hardly believe she isgoing to be 13 soon.

We are just wrapping up our 1st year ofonline/homeschooling. It has been a rough year with that. She does notreally care for it at all. For now the plan is to continue on with itfor at least another year. She is still struggling to catch up. We areso much alike we butt heads all the time.

Jacey's Jesse finallymade it to Ohio. Jacey was just in heaven as she got to see him 2nights in a row. I was lost not having to drive 6hrs or more for her tosee him. Yes Jesse is still huge in this house...lol. He had a new cdcome out and we all fight for who gets to have it in their car. Inormally just buy 5 so we do not have to fight for it. I clearly needto get back to the Walmart soon. Jacey's new favorite song is BodyLanguage and I have to say I am just in love with it as she is. Jesseis heading back out on the road this summer and Jacey can hardly wait.

She will be returning to Camp Quality again this summer and shecouldn't be more excited about getting to go. It is a very wonderfulthing they do for these kids and I am so glad that Jacey enjoys it somuch.

Justin is nearly grown. I really don't know where theyears have went. He will be 18 any day now. He still has one year ofhigh school left so I get to keep him. He has what should be his finalsurgery scheduled for a few days after his birthday. What a present Iknow. It has been a long road with him and I have honestly just lostcount of how many he has had, I am sure he knows. This should be a funone. They are going to do his nose again and try to give him a cupidsbow on his lip. He finally got his braces off. He has had them on forso long I can hardly remember him without them.

Over all we are just a bunch of lucky people. It has been a rough few years but it has all somehow worked out in the end.