Thanks to our friends M&C who bravely took our kids out for a while Friday. They took our 3 and their 2 kids for pizza and bowling. I'm told M was thrilled to have new shoes!

Happy Easter!

You will not believe this!! Joe was sleeping on the couch the night the Easter Bunny came into the living room and hid the baskets for the kids! Joe did not wake up but was a little creeped out he was in the room with the Easter Bunny.

Sunday was a big day. We all went to Easter Mass Sunday morning after the kids ate a sugar breakfast of Easter candy and waffles with M&Ms. Joe's parents joined us at Mass to help with the kids and I was thankful to actually hear part of Mass instead of drawing robots at the request of a certain 2 year old. Once we got home Joe was ready for a nap so the kids and I went to see HOP. The sign over the pictures on the wall is a Thank You note E made for the Easter Bunny.

Monday was another big day for Joe. Our friend Heather (who should start a personal shopper business) took Joe shopping for a suit. The last suit he had was 1999- 12 years and -50 pounds ago. He found what size he needs but were not able to find what he wanted. They were limited to just Elder Beerman in BG. Joe and I will look again when he is up for longer drives.

The staples came out today and we did not have to travel to the Cleveland Clinic! The urologist who first saw Joe at Wood County Hospital was able to take them out. They cleaned the area with some betadine swabs then went after all the staples. The tool crimps the staples as they are removed- not what I remember when my Mom had her back surgery in the mid 90s. It was not as painful as Joe feared. They cleaned him with some betadine swabs again, applied some steri strips and a gauze pad over the small area that seeps from time to time and we were on our way.

Joe has been able to reduce his pain pills and even take care of himself during the day (I'm still working shorter days). He even fixed his own lunch (and left the dishes for me to do!). We have not heard from the drug trail people- they are suppose to contact us. I did speak with Dr. K's PA last week and he was going to check that process. The drugs (as much as I know now) will target the renal cell carcinoma cells that may still be else where in the body. While all 10 lymph nodes removed were all clean there is still a chance some little part is trying to set up home someplace else in the body (but we are thinking positive!)

Until Joe's driving restriction is lifted (2 more weeks) he will not be doing much other than watching baseball, watching movies and reading books for his National History Day Normandy Institute. On a good day he might walk up and down the drive way some.

No easy way to say this so just going to say it. We have not used the word "cancer" when talking to the kids about this and ask others to respect that. We have just told them there was something "icky in Daddy and the doctor had to take it out". M knows that Daddy has a boo boo and he needs to be careful when sitting with him. I even feel weird using the word "cancer" because we did not know it was renal cell carcinoma until it was all removed during surgery. Yes we knew it was possible but I'm thinking positive. I see someone who has cancer as one who has to endure chemo and radiation and all the negative side effects of it. I think we got off with much less than that. I hope to just have to deal with be married to someone with one kidney and the extra caution that is with it.

Thursday J2 turns 6! SIX! VI Hard to believe it has been 6 years since our bathroom became a birthing room. Those new to our stories just know that J2 was born at home in our bathroom. I would need a whole blog to tell that story.

Sunday E has her First Communion. We are looking forward to her special day.