A Nice Ending to the Year

These days have been packed full it seems. Christmas and New Year were wonderful. After a decorating project and organizing the entire house, I am ready to sit down and enter my last entry for 2002 and for the "Kelby Update Website."

Let's see. There's so much that has gone on these days since Christmas. My mom and dad were here for about 4 days after Christmas. The girls kept them busy the whole time playing with their new toys...and being their toys. My dad was Kelby's horse the whole time he was here. She also made him build towers with her blocks so she could knock them down. Mom and Dad both played with the girls new playdoh for hours. It is neat stuff that smells like chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream. Needless to say the girls were happy! After my parents had to leave we got busy re-decorating Michael's office. We painted all the walls a bright blue. It turned out so great. It is an inspiring place to work on the computer now. Also, it is a "media room" for watching surround sound DVDs! After that project was finished, I got the whole house organized...including the garage! Wow...it feels so good. I always go on an organizing/decorating kick at the beginning of the new year! I'm a little bit tired out now, so it is time to relax.

Mike got me a domain name for Christmas, so I have to work on a website for that now. I'm not sure yet what I am going to do with it, but it is www.smileonmyheart.com. I think I might be selling a few of my hand-made cards there...and who knows what else. Tune in to see what it becomes. The "Smile On My Heart" name is one that I've been thinking of for a long time. I want my stuff to be called "Smile on My Heart Art." It comes from a theory I've had since high school that no matter how tough things are, if you have Jesus in your heart, you have a smile there...even if you don't always have a smile on your face.

We have another website called "The Wright Site" for our family. It is a great way to keep everyone updated without it being focused on just Kelby and cancer. Hopefully I'll never have to update this website again. If something does come up, I will be sure to let you know through this website. I am also keeping a current email list of people that want to receive a copy of these Kelby Updates. If you don't already receive these, you can email me at mommy@mikrowiz.com and ask to be added to my Website Updates list. This way you'd be the first to know if anything should happen. Otherwise, if you want to check out the rest of our day-to-day family stuff, check www.mikrowiz.com/thewrightsite as often as you like. We will be checking the guestbooks from both sites, so please feel free to write there or send us an email using the contacts page if you'd like a direct response. We like to leave this site active for anybody that is newly going through any kind of cancer experience in hopes that it might give them hope. Feel free to pass this site on to anyone that might like to read Kelby's story.

Now check out all the great pictures from Christmas time and the end of the year.

Great Scans!!

I'm just so sorry that I haven't updated the website yet. Scans on Monday gave us wonderful news. Kelby's scans look great according to her doctor. We are so happy...we couldn't help but enjoy our Christmas holiday to the max...that's why I forgot to write. Thank you for your prayers of love and support.

We just had a lovely Christmas dinner of clam chower, sandwiches and ham balls...I'm stuffed. Yesterday we had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner at our house. I fixed a "fancy dinner" of Prime Rib, sauted mushrooms, twice baked potatoes, etc! It was so much fun. The cousins were all here. It was a wonderful evening.

This morning was magical with mounds of Christmas presents. Mike and I realized our mistake of buying too many things with lots of pieces just a little too late. Santa brought the girls a great doll house and the black plastic ponies that Kelby wanted so badly. My mom and dad made it in at about a quarter to 10:00am...just in time for breakfast and more presents. Then we all got to go over to Gramma Debbie and Grampa George Wright's house for a few more presents and lots more good food and company. It was all so wonderful. Now the girls are playing with all the toys and getting sick on the goodies.

We are so thankful for this wonderful Christmas and the good news that helped us to enjoy it. It will be another 4 months before the next scans. Hopefully it will be as stress-free as the last 3 months have been. God bless you all this Christmas season. I think with the coming of 2003 we might stop updating this website and go back to the "Wright Site" for regular family news since there hasn't been new cancer news in so long. We couldn't be more thankful for that! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (in case I don't get another chance to write.)

Forgot to Mention

I forgot to mention our little adventure this week in my last message. Kelby managed to stick a bead in her ear the other day. I couldn't get it out and neither could her primary physician. He thought she might have to get anestesia for it, so we were pretty bummed. She slept on it that night and then the next day we went to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. He had the right tools though and got it out fairly easily without knocking her out. We were very thankful that it didn't end up being a big deal. I think Kelby knows better than to put anything in her ear from now on.

We had a wonderful time last night at the Festival of Lights. Kelby even got to go on a pony ride. She sat on Santa's lap without any tears. Tegan was too afraid to do it though. I'll post some pictures from the evening later. Then we got to see the whole Lohman family together last night. It was really wonderful. Kelby and Tegan stayed up until 9:30 last night and were happy the whole time. I was so proud of them.

This morning Kelby "sang" carols in front of the church for their Christmas program. Really she just stood there and waved, but the sight of her up there in her beautiful new Christmas dress brought tears to my eyes. It was so sweet.

I'll write again tomorrow if we learn anything from her scans by then. God bless you all!

Christmas Time!

Here in the Wright household, the elves have been busy. Momma elf has been cooking and crafting as much as possible. These days are so exciting...packed with anticipation for the little girlie elves. Daddy elf has been smoking things out in the backyard...things like salmon, almonds, cheese, and beef. It's going to be a tasty Christmas this year.

We had a wonderful time in Billings for Thanksgiving. We played and had fun and ate a lot of pie. The girls loved visiting Gramma and Grampa's house...even if it was the last time at the house with the pool...Gramma and Grampa moved the very next week. I posted some pictures of our trip. As soon as we got home, we put up the Christmas tree and decorations. Kelby keeps asking each day, "Is it still Christmas time?" and then in the very next breath, "Can I open the presents?" Then, I point to the advent calendar and gently explain that she has "this many days" to wait. Every once in a while, with no prompting, she says, "I love your decorations Mommy." She makes me turn on Christmas music and put her in her pretty dress-up wedding dress so she can dance. Both girls love the train around the tree. The flat-bed car holds M&Ms and Daddy lets them take one each time he starts up the train. There is a battle going with the constant nagging for the candy canes from the tree. We built a gingerbread house together last week. Too bad we already ate it!

We are looking forward to the rest of the season. I love this time of year. It is a time for me to craft and cook with a greater purpose of giving them as gifts. Each little gift comes straight from my heart. I also love to entertain friends and family. It looks like Gramma and Grampa Morrow are going to get to be here for Christmas Day! The girls will be really excited to have them here.

There is only one thing to think about right now. Kelby's next set of scans are on the 23rd of this month. This is a regular scheduled set of scans (3 months from her last set). We are praying with hope it will be good news as a great Christmas present! Please just keep Kelby in your prayers these next few weeks. I haven't even been worrying about it this time. She seems like she is doing 100%, so I have no reason to think her scans won't look fine. She is an amazing girl! Really, in March of this year, we didn't think we'd be seeing another Christmas with Kelby, so praise God for every miraculous day! This is going to be a really fun Christmas with both girls old enough to have a great time this season. I'll be sure to let everyone know the results of the scans as soon as we know anything. Thank you all for caring so much for our family. God bless and Merry Christmas to all!