Days With the Duerksens

It was a treat to be able to watch Cambry at her last gymnastics class yesterday!  This wrapped up a 10-week fall session, and there will be another session in Spring.  I've been amazed at how much she has learned.  When she started, she couldn't do a handstand (on the wall), couldn't imagine doing a cartwheel, and she didn't know how to point her toes!  Yesterday, I was impressed with how far she's come.  And I also realized that this girl is extremely flexible!! This was a great activity for her, and it was so convenient.  Her teacher does the classes in her basement, and she only lives a mile down the road!  I don't know if we'll continue on next year or move into dance, but I know we can't do both.  We'll just have to see what happens! Miss Cheri helps her do a handstand Arch-Ups with her friend, Jasmine A "bridge"   The gymnastics continue at home - this is her newest stunt!

Delaney and I visited the ENT again yesterday.   The news wasn't exactly what we were hoping for - the lymph node on her neck has gotten smaller, but it's not small enough yet.  The next step?  A C/T scan and a biopsy.  2 separate procedures in Wichita.  We have sort of been anticipating this, but it was hard to actually hear it from the doctor.  The C/T scan is supposed to show if the lymph node has abscessed anywhere and the biopsy will show what kind of infection we're dealing with.  3 rounds of antibiotics have not gotten rid of it.  I hate to have Delaney go through all this, but I do hope we get some answers about what has caused her lymph node to grow. For the most part, I'm okay with Delaney having the surgery.  But, my mind wanders sometimes to the "what-ifs!"  I know this surgery is probably pretty routine, but I also know that all surgeries have risks.  That's where the "what-ifs" come in.  So, I try to stay a...

Normally, our Thanksgiving is pretty low-key.  This year, however, Chelan's brother and family were here from California.  And when they're here, it feels like we're on vacation, too!  They were here for a whole week, and during that week there was plenty of eating (too much, probably), plenty of projects, plenty of football, plenty of catching up, and plenty of laughter.  I didn't do a very good job of taking pictures, but I did get some good ones of the big football game on Wednesday afternoon! Chayce is 4 years old and really wants to keep up with the "big boys!"  Looks like Chayce is going to get away!   The onlookers - Grandpa and Delaney  The little kids decided it would be more fun to watch cows than to watch a football game! During the football game, Uncle Matt zoomed down the driveway with a go-cart - a surprise for all the boys!  They spent the rest of the afternoon taking turns at riding and driving!  I think Caiden was ...

Sorry to post about "G" again, but I found her feeding him at snacktime - I just had to video.  It takes a while for her to get into it, but if you keep watching, you'll see her feeding him some raisins!

Last Sunday, Caiden had a skating party in Newton - a reward for good praticing from his piano teacher!  So, our family joined the other "piano families" for a fun evening.  I had not been to the skating rink since middle school, but the place has not changed one bit - same carpet, same lighting, same warps in the floor - it was great!!  They even had the "couple skate" where the lights turn red and the disco ball starts turning, and the song is slow.  It brought back memories from grade school when I wanted so badly to skate with a boy during that one song.  This time, I got to skate with Caiden - he even held my hand!  :) Cambry started out pretty slowly, but she caught on by the end and didn't need us to hold her hand!  Caiden was off and skating right away, despite falling a few times (which resulted in a few tears).  He got back out there, though!  This was a fun family outing, and Cambry was already asking when we could go back! ...

I've put off posting about this for a while, but finally decided to.  It's been about 7 weeks since we first noticed a swollen lump on Delaney's neck.  In those 7 weeks, I have been to the doctor with her 4 times - 4 times with the same issue, and another visit to come! 1st Appt. - Dr. Patron diagnosed it as Cat Scratch and prescribed 5 days of antibiotics.  I asked him if he was pretty sure about that, and he replied, "We'll start with the easiest thing to fix first!"  It made sense because she had been scratched by a kitten after trying to dunk it in the water tank! 2nd Appt. -- Lump was still there, but looked a little different.  He ordered a blood test and a visit to the ENT.  Blood test came back normal. 3rd Appt. - The lump got bigger before this visit with the ENT - ordered 10 days of antibiotics and to come back in 10 days.  He diagnosed it as a reactive lymph node that had been infected.  If it didn't change during those 10 da...

Delaney's new best friend happens to be her giraffe!  She got him for her birthday from Chelan's sister and family.  Within the last month, this giraffe, affectionately known as "G", has gone everywhere with her!  I didn't realize how much she liked him until yesterday's nap.  When I put Delaney in her crib, she started rummaging through her books and blankets saying, "uh-oh!"  I could tell who she was looking for!  I had washed "G" in the morning, but luckily, he was dry and I went to get him.  When I returned, she hugged him tight and went right to sleep!  I'm so glad she has found something (along with her blanket) that makes her feel safe and secure.  In fact, when she gets upset, she'll often traipse upstairs to find him and bring him down with her!  I was just getting ready to write, "Wouldn't it be great if we all had a "G" to help us feel better?"  And as I wrote, I realized that we all do!  He may ...

Halloween - I don't get very excited about this holiday and generally want to see it just slip on by.  This year, I hadn't even given costumes much thought.  Luckily, Caiden wasn't overly excited about dressing up, so he was what he was last year:  a farmer.  Thanks to our Flaming friends, Cambry wore a fairy costume.  And, last but not least, I found the 18 month kitty costume I had put together for Cambry 4 years ago so Delaney could wear it.  I have to admit, it is fun to see them all dressed up!  We did have fun trick-or-treating, which is "tricky" in the country.  If you don't make arrangements ahead of time with neighbors, you can't count on them being ready for trick-or-treaters!  Delaney caught on quickly to picking out a piece of candy from the basket that was presented at each door.  And, at the places she knew very well (grandparents' houses), she wasn't satisfied with leaving right away!  It was a beautiful n...

Last night after trick-or-treating, Delaney finally figured out how to blow kisses - although she generally clicks her tongue instead of actually kissing her hand!