Sorry, Little Blog

I didn't realize until today that I haven't posted since MARCH! Yikes. I'm so sorry little blog. So much has happened and I just got sidetracked by life. 
Starting with Spring Break, I was busy. My hubby wants to make sure we use our RV so he had scheduled many camping trips throughout the spring and summer. We even got to go to the Oregon Coast for our anniversary in June--just the two of us in the RV! It was wonderful. I felt well enough this year to spend a week camping with the kids and friends at our favorite park: Metzler County Park. That was a huge improvement from the previous year when just a couple of nights wiped me out. We traveled to Yellowstone and met my parents. We spent several days exploring the park and visiting the Grand Tetons. I got to take my kids to Craters of the Moon National Park (a favorite spot when I was a kid). We even camped "on the moon." That place is incredible and it's a surreal environment to be camping amongst the slag heaps of lava. It reminded me of Frodo and Sam's time approaching the mountain in "The Return of the King" by Tolkien. 
Over Labor Day weekend, we camped with my hubby's brother and his family. We spent all of one day visiting a Civil War reenactment. I'd love to be a part of something like that. On our last camping trip (in September), we even tried Paddleboarding for the first time. The fact that I could do that was, I felt, a miracle. I'm not healed but at least I'm at a place where I can have adventures and enjoy life with my family as a mom and wife. I'm grateful.
I started a new adventure with my son this fall. We enrolled him in an online charter school. There has been a learning curve for both he and I as we learned how to do this kind of homeschooling. I've seen a lot of growth on his part and it's helped me to preserve my energy for other things--rather than spending all my time planning and researching curriculum and such. I get to actually just teach and guide his learning and that's what was needed for us all.
We hosted Christmas for hubby's family this year and it was fun. I had fun planning and making a "tapas" Christmas Eve meal so the kids could experience something that they've been learning about in their language classes. Everyone was tentative but then loved the dishes and we sat around the table snacking and chatting for a long time. Maybe we have a new tradition?
Doctors are pleased with my progress so far. They think that I'm in a holding pattern but aren't going to rush into surgery to remove the wounded area. If I'm living life and maintaining general good health, they're pleased. If they leave the rectum alone, it might heal--probably not, but it might. If they remove it, I could suffer some bad side effects and it also closes the door if any new treatments come up. So, status quo for now and I'll just keep guard over my health and energy and enjoy my family and friends. God is with me and he has blessed me with an amazing life. I'm good.