My Brother

Rick is currently in Officer Training Camp for the Army as part of a military repayment program for medical school. I am so proud of him. He is a wonderful husband, brother, son and patriot. I love you and God bless!!

Wisconsin Vacation

We had the most wonderful family vacation last week!! We flew to Wisconsin on a non-stop flight (major bonus) and spent 7 days seeing the sights and spending time as a family. It was great to be able to show Bruce and the boys were I grew up and also spend time with family and friends. I am so grateful for the energy I enjoyed while on vacation and for the memories we made. It was truly a dream trip for us! Here are some photos from our trip.


Xander and Ryker fighting over who gets to drive
Landon dreaming of freedom in the distant future.
The Scully Family
The boys and the scary bear at the resort.
Landon playing in the water. (Hopefully his last time with a life vest.)
Xander is a fish!
Ryker took a while to warm up.
My boys in the wave pool.
Getting ready for our first day in the water park. Ryker didn't understand the need for a swimming suit.
Bruce and I were able to attend my friend Jason's beautiful wedding and meet his wonderful wife, Paula.
The family outside Miller Park before the Brewer's game.
Landon loved the game!!
Jerry and I at the park.
We had a great time at the Milwaukee County Zoo!
We went with Katrina and kids.
It was great to spend the day with Katrina catching up.
We found a quiet beach on Lake Michigan. The only challenge was getting there...
Bruce and I had a great time watching the boys play on the beach.
Landon and Xander collected shells and Ryker collected rocks.
The boys resting on a bench after climbing half-way up the 8 flights of stairs. It was well worth the climb!

To B or To C

The day has finally arrived...
I decided the cup was full at B.
It has been liberating not to have to wear a bra for 9 months, but at least I can still put them in the closet!

PET Scan Results

Before heading out to North Carolina I had my 3rd PET Scan. Needless to say, I was worried about the test results and didn't want them to ruin my trip, but I couldn't resist knowing. The reading was not in before I left Salt Lake, so I checked in with Bruce during my layover in Detroit.
Great news! There is NO evidence of disease. However, there is an area of inflammation on my chest wall, which may be problematic, but at this point we don't have any reason to believe that is due to something other than the high dose of radiation I received.
I am cautiously optimistic and very grateful! I am looking forward to a wonderful summer with my family. I will have my tumor markers checked every month and will have another PET scan in 3-4 months.
My heart is so grateful, but at the same time I am very afraid to hope too much. Please keep praying for me and my family. I know it is because of the faith of those around me that I have been blessed with so many miracles. Thank you!
love, Jeanel

A Visit to North Carolina

Last week Suzette and I went to North Carolina to visit our brother and his family. Rick has just completed his first year of medical school at Wake Forest and he and his wife have just added a new bundle of joy to their family. We had a great time!! Everett is an an incredibly sweet and very cute baby! We also really enjoyed playing with their 18 month old, Carson. He is a whiz kid and already knows his colors and letters.
We enjoyed our time in Winston-Salem and were able to visit Old Salem, a shopping village, and an antique mall. We also enjoyed some late night games of cards and speed scrabble.

Suzette and I also road tripped to Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington for a little sister time. We had a great time at the beach (I was the only one with an umbrella because the chemo intensifies the sun) and enjoyed a long walk while finding shells for the boys. We also found an antique furniture store with already refurbished furniture and amazing shipping rates. Suzette scored some great finds and I chickened out....
A special thanks to RIck and Page for being such wonderful hosts and to my parents for watching the boys so that Suzette and I could get away!!

Happy 4th Birthday Xander

We recently celebrated Xander's 4th birthday with a small family party and a homemade Lego Star Wars cake. I can't believe how big Xander has gotten. It has been so fun watching him grow over the past year. He is has a happy, fun loving spirit and is a very sweet little boy! He gives big hugs and juicy kisses... He loves to ride his bike and scooter, play outside with his brothers, do puzzles, and sing/talk himself to sleep at night. This year he has come up with every excuse for coming out of his room at bedtime and has mastered his colors, letters, numbers. He also loves to sing The FIfty Nifty United States song (I just wish I could get it out of my head!) I am so grateful to be his mom! I l love you Xander!

My Sister, My Best Friend

The Race for the Cure
The First Thank Your Project. I'm sad I don't have pictures of the cookies!

I want you all to know that I have the best sister in the whole world! She is beautiful, talented, creative, funny, kind, thoughtful, faithful, hardworking, friendly, outgoing, and has a real knack for being of down-to-earth, yet sophisticated. She is my best friend and confidant. Time and time again, she serves me and those around her with love and selflessness.
Last week I called her for ideas to make 'thank you gifts' for my friends and family that live close by and have been taking care of us. We made plans to get together this past weekend to put something together. When I got to her house she had already baked 288 gourmet cookies by herself and she was ready to work on assembling the gifts. (For those who don't know, she has 6 kids at home, 5 of whom are in sports, dance, and piano!) I am constantly amazed at the amount of work she fits into her day. She is always on the go, ready to serve. She somehow not only survives, but thrives on less than 5 hours of sleep. (We do not share that gene!)
My sister has always been amazing. For some reason she has always found it in her job description to take care of me. When I was little, she would drag me out of my crib and put me in her bed at night. While our mom was in the work force, Suzette made dinner for our family at a very young age. She was always the peace maker in our family, so she was a great person to find if one of my brothers felt like pummeling me. When I got older (and she wasn't busy with boys), she made herself available to give high school counsel to her middle school sister, which continued while she was in college and I had moved on to high school.
One my funniest memories was when I was trying to decide whether to get married or to go on an LDS mission for 18-months. She was going to help me with wedding plans or with making some jumpers for the hot weather in the Dominican Republic. She helped me with her classic whit when she said something to the effect of, "I don't know what the answer is, but you better go up to your room and don't come down until you've figured it out. Either way, we've got work to do."
One of my most memorable times with my sister was when she left her 6 kids (and was pregnant with #7) in Utah and came to Kansas to help me drive back home to Wisconsin when I was going through my divorce.
In addition to being a rock in daily life and life's tough spots, she has always been my model for all things social, fashionable, beautiful, and tasty. For those who know me, you know that those are not my strong points, but she loves me anyway.
I love my sister very much. She is one of my life's most treasured blessings. She loves me for who I am, she is on my side, and she is cheering for me every day. Last year she ran the St. George Marathon. When she got home she told me that she ran the marathon one mile at a time and gave me her medal to help me fight my cancer one day at a time.
Suzette, I love you with all my heart! God gave me the perfect flower to help me run this race. And we will win the race. We live, laugh, cry, learn, love, and grow together. Whether I live or not, I will survive because of you. Thanks for being my sister and my best friend!
Love, Your Lil Sister