First and foremost we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!  May this special time of year be filled with wonderful moments together with those you love.  Cherish each second, and treasure every memory, as the precious gifts that they are!   
We would also like to take this time to thank each and every one of you for helping us through this past year.  Through your love, support and prayers, meals and treats, messages and cards, phone calls and visits, envelopes [and jars!] - we have been held up and sustained throughout this eventful year.

     It seems hard to believe that it was just a year ago that our world was turned upside down - so much has happened and changed this year, it feels like forever ago!  Yet it is now almost a year later, and we are still here together - we are soooo very thankful for this!!!  Even though this year has had its challenges, we have also been blessed by the opportunities and memories made.  We think of the amazing medical professionals who have been there for us - from emerg., to admissions, to outpatient tests, to frequent Dr. appointments and oncology visits - everyone has been so supportive to us and we are so thankful for them.  We had the blessing to witness "a little piece of heaven" here when so many of our friends and family came out on one beautiful day in June for our 'Family Fun-raiser'!  Words cannot describe that day for us, we are so grateful to those who organized it and helped out, to all those who came and supported it - we have so many wonderful memories from that day.  Thinking back on it has lifted our spirits many times over!   Later in June we were able to make happen the one thing Wayne had really wanted to do - a trip with Brian to Alberta.  It was nothing short of a miracle how well that went, and we are so thankful for the opportunity to do that.  A huge thank you to Derek and Tracey and Ryan for going with us, and helping to make it all go so smoothly!  This summer was highlighted by the arrival of Wayne's 1969 Valiant - completely finished.  Having his 'first car' here and looking and running so amazingly, has helped brighten many rough days this summer.  Again, we are so thankful for the awesome group of friends who helped to make this happen!  This fall Wayne chose to become involved in the Movember Fundraiser.  He was supported by so many, it was overwhelming!  There was a lot of extra facial hair around, it was fun to see and compare how everyone was doing.  Through everyone's efforts and support Wayne raised just under $3000 for the Movember Foundation.  I have to put out an extra special mention here to Brian's Grade 5/6 boys club at school and his class for their amazing fundraising efforts to support Wayne's Movember cause -  they raised $777!!!

    There have been so many other precious everyday memories that we have been able to share together - too many to list, but thankful for each moment!  Wayne and I are now able to spend so much time together - we call it our "early retirement and 'semi' - retirement" time [I am working, but much less than I used to!].   We are so thankful to be able to have this time together!!  People often think or comment that we should "go somewhere/ do something big together", but home and routine is really the best for Wayne, which makes it the best for all of us!!  This is a new 'reality' for us, and at times we do miss our adventures together, and "the way things used to be"- but in those times we are reminded how blessed we have been!  We were able to do so many wonderful trips with our children and friends - so many great times and treasured memories!  That most definitely helps us now, as we are learning to cherish and enjoy just 'being'!! 

     Guess we better get a Wayne update in too!  I believe our last blog was September, letting you know he had started a new medication - it had made him feel so much better and managed to drop his PSA.  A repeat blood test in Nov. showed the PSA to be starting to increase again.  His oncologist increased the medication, hoping that would be enough to control the PSA again.  We were back this week for more blood work and another appointment - his level remained essentially the same [yayy!].  Yet there is still concern, since it has been such an aggressive beast, and there already has been an increase in PSA so soon; so he is having another round of bone and CT scans in the next couple weeks.  We will meet with the Dr. early Jan to review the results.  Really, really praying hard for positive results!

    So that brings us to now, getting ready to celebrate another milestone together!  We praise God for the miracle of Christmas, and for the miracle He has given us of another Christmas together!!

Merry Christmas to you all, and wishing you God's richest blessings in the year to come!