A New Year!

It has been a long time since I wrote on our blog.  We have been all doing good and have been bed bug free for four months!!!

The girls were picked to be part of the Bear Hugs program.  They got to meet the Utah Jazz Grizzly Bear mascot and were taken to Wal-mart and given money to shop for Christmas gifts.  This was something that was hard for them to do since we weren't planning on spending money for Christmas.  After Steven explained it was okay, that someone wanted to be a blessing to them.  They had fun shopping for our family!

Utah Grizzly Mascot, Elyssa & Steven

The girls with this gentleman who helped them select gifts.

We made it to Grand Junction for Christmas!  It was so nice to sit back relax and visit family!  We even got to have some fun with cross country skiing.  I was so proud of Steven!  Despite having really no feeling in his toes and feet he went with us and enjoyed himself.  Wish I would have got some pictures!  It was the girls first time out and they had some discouragements, but overall enjoyed it.

Our start of the year has been more focused than ever about being healthy!  We have been changing our eating habits, but more determined.  Also exercise which we have badly neglected is now become a new focus.  God has been speaking to us and convicting us to be more healthy, finally we are ready to do it.

Just praying for the inversion to clear up, because the air is so bad here.  I hate to even think of what we are breathing in when it is red alert days.  You go outside and get a headache or a sore throat and start feeling awful.  I've been thinking it would be nice to move out of this state, so we can live healthy and breath fresh air.  My allergies are so bad here in Utah and are really affected by all the inversions.  I feel trapped indoors!

Keep praying for Steven's feeling in his hands and feet to come back.  I think his feet our most affected by it and I try to give him foot messages to help out.  Some times he thinks his feet are waking up other times he feels like they are decaying off his body.  Also his ringing in his ears that seems to be constant since chemo.  I'm just thankful that he has been able to go to work a couple weeks after his last surgery in August.

Steven has a CT scan in February on Valentine's Day.  It is a routine evaluation that he will have to go through every six months and I forgot how often for the blood.

Steven is growing is hair out and he is getting teased by some, until he shares why he is doing it.  Even though being bald wasn't his favorite, while going through chemo.  He has wanted to grow his out, so that he can donate it to someone who is going through chemo. 

Thank you to all those who helped us raise money for Christmas in Asia!  The girls raised all their funds to help Street Children and we raised funds buy one sewing machine for someone!  

Thank you for your prayers!!!