Kids School programs

Its always fun to go to the kids class performances and see them in their class setting.  Stetsons class did several Christmas songs and then little Christmas poems.  You could tell he was really enjoying himself. 

Tenlies first grade put on a program about Christmas around the world and told us how other countries celebrate Christmas.  Its so fun to see how much she is learning.

The Nativity

December 10

So Cody's Uncle puts on a live Nativity in Alpine every year and this is not just a nativity this is one they have put much much effort into.  It is as if you were reliving the entire thing.  If you have not seen this I highly recommend you putting it on your calendar for this year.  They have it in one of his neighbors yards which it contains several acers.  You feel like you are walking through Bethlehem. We tarted off riding in a horse trailer to get to the nativity.

Then you took the path up to the Camels.

There was roman soldiers on their horses and donkeys along the path also.  The kids took a minute to feed one of the donkeys.

Then you entered a barn which was set up like the old town of Bethlehem.  In here they had different places along the way.  Women weaving with wool the men sawing logs and a bakery where they were baking their bread.

I didn't get a picture of Mary Joseph and baby Jesus. 

We were then off to the hot chocolate and visit around the warm fires.  I believe this will become a family tradition for the kids really got a lot out of it.

First sign of the side affects

Well the side affects have started to begin.  As you will see in the photos his skin has taken on the rash to its fullest.  His feet are in lots of pain for the bottoms of them keep peeling away.  They are cracking and sometimes bleeding.  We keep coconut oil, lotions on them all the time.  His favorite time now is just soaking in a tub with coconut oil.  for most of us we would come out feeling like we are caked in grease, but for Cody he comes out still felling dry.  His skin flakes off all the time like you you would after a really bad sunburn.  Hes very sensitive to even people touching him.

As you can see in these pictures his face was to no exception.  It was one of the worse places that was affected.  It looked like he was a teenager again with extreme acne.  He has been extremely self conscious with his looks.  He hates when people look at him and he can see the reaction on their face.  Its little white blisters that look like pimples all over and they can pop by just touching them.  They are very sensitive and when they do pop they start to bleed. 

His chest and back were covered with the same white blisters all over along with cracking skin that can be very sensitive.

Starting chemo at Huntsmans

December 7

Well today is the day Cody starts the Trial drug.  As much as we are going to miss the group down in Provo we hope and pray that this drug will help him in his journey.  Cody is the first patient to enter this trial not just here at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital, but around the country.  They have a possible second candidate in another facility, but as of right now he is the only one.  I guess we can look at this several ways. 1. He will have everyone attention focused on him or 2. Are we just nuts going into this will out knowing the true side affects. 

The one thing we do know is the facility up here is very nice.  As you can see every patient gets their own recliner chair with their own T.V.  

We were so grateful to get started on something this past month Cody was driving us all nuts.  I think the not doing anything to treat his Cancer was driving him nuts.  He knew we had to do the wash out time, but he was going crazy.  I was about to tell the Dr. that if we didn't get started with something soon then hook him up to just saline and tell him that its chemo haha.  No I couldn't even imagine what he is going through. 

Well now the journey begins.  fingers crossed that things go well and this will help the journey along.

Family Pictures

November 23

So this year we decided that it had been a long time since we had a family picture done on the Jones side and we felt that this was going to be the best time to try and get one done with Corie and her family moving to Nebraska and Cody was feeling and looking really good.  I was pleased on how they turned out.  Even if Cody and his Dad don't care to have there pictures taken.  if we can get a smile out of these two its a miracle.

We were able to get a couple cute ones of our little family.

Tenlie had several good ones it was hard to choose from.

Stetson is my little character.  He loves to pull faces and you just hope you catch it at the right time.  He definitely is the boy with many expressions.

This is the Jones clan.

Then all the grandkids with Grandma and Grandpa.

Cody with his parents and Sisters.

Codys fishing trip

So earlier in the month of November Cody was able to go and do one of his most favorite things.  If he can't make it to Alaska to go Salmon fishing the next best was Idaho.  My brother-in-law Tony had chartered a boat to take him and his sales guys out for the day Salmon fishing.  He called Cody and invited him and his dad to join their group.  Cody was so excited since he had been up there twice now and had no luck.  So I guess third times the charm.  As you can see on his face he was in the height of his glory.

Cody was having quite the luck.  He was catching them right and left.  He finally took a break and took a 2hr nap.  It still happened that he caught the most out of the guys and the biggest.

I'm so grateful he was able to get out and take this fishing trip. Since we were in the waiting period to start the trial drug this gave him something to take his mind off things and just enjoy himself.  Thanks Tony for inviting him along.

Damons IronMan

November 20

So my brother Damon was insane enough to do the Arizona Ironman. When he first told us about it I knew I wanted to go and support him in this big event.  The commitment and training this takes so you can just finish is more than I could comprehend.  

The closer it got to the race we knew there was no way my family could all go for one Cody's sister was leaving that next weekend to move to Nebraska and the money to fly us all out would have been way to much.  So we kept watching and came across a great price on air fair for I was able to fly out for the weekend.

The Saturday before the race they had the racers check in all their drop bags and bikes. He was able to do a practice swim in the canal to test the temp of the water and expo we were able to enjoy.

This is under the finish line the day before the race.

The practice swim to test out the temp of the water and get a feel for it. I say man wet suits are so attractive and easy to spot your swimmer. haha

Then it was off to bag drop and wrack your bike.  I believe my nerves would have been getting the best of me at this point, but no he was extremely calm.

Morning of the big day. This is where they left him to start off the day.  The swim started at 6:00am

The girls were such great sports that morning since they had to be up around 4:30am

And this was about all you could see during the swim.  We new he was somewhere out there.  I kept saying hes the one in the green cap and black wet suit you just decide which one. He did do really awesome in the swim though. Swim was 2.4 miles he finished that in 1:15:49 rank 883 division 140

Then off on the bike he goes.  This was set up very spectator friendly we were able to see him on all 3 of his laps which was really fun. Again he was doing extremely well in his bike which is 112 miles his time was 5:59:49 rank: 887 Division 143

And this is what we did in our spare time waiting in between laps of the bike.

Once he had completed his bike off to a marathon he will run.  He was looking really good and again very spectator friendly.  We could have seen him 3 times before the finish line, but didn't know where he was in mileage so we scooted out one lap early.  This way we wouldn't miss him finishing and we that we could get good seats.  The run was 26.2 miles and his time was 4:45:56 rank: 868 Division:141

And of course we were all so excited to see him coming up the finishing stretch we forgot all about the cameras cause we were cheering so hard for him oops no finishing picture. Good thing for camera men along the course to insure you get a picture if your family forgets. haha  He looked so good coming across the finishing line I was such a proud sister.  What an accomplishment and to do it in such great time on his first.  Finishing time 12:10:20 rank:868 Division:141

Way to go this was so worth flying out for the weekend to see only it kind of gave me the bug to want to do one. 

I made him this fun little candy bar poster to just let him know I was behind him 100% and knew he could do anything he put his mind too.