Hi everyone,

Things continue to go very well here. Joey is past the low blood cell count for this cycle and is entering his "good" week. He had his last chemo of this cycle last Monday but wound up back at the hospital for some breathing difficulties on Wednesday. He apparently was extremely dehydrated (who knew!) and having some reactions to the Monday chemo that he hadn't experienced before. No worries, a quart of Gatorade and some sprite and he was much better! I think this is the only time besides "having" to eat all the steak that he has really enjoyed the remedy. Anyway he is back to his happy go lucky self. He had a great birthday and is planning on a lot of "pretty weather golf" this coming week. Next and FINAL chemo cycle starts day after Christmas - we'll check back with you after that.

Thanks to all of you who donated and/or tried to donate to M.D. Anderson today and on Dec. 7. With all the kids at Elkins High School and several of you showing up there were 230 attempts to donate and 180-ish actual draws. There were an additional 60-ish attempts and 55 actual draws given at the church today. You all are WONDERFUL - you'll never know how much this means to us. Most of all I'd like to thank the whole Font family for coordinating both of these drives, putting flyers around town, checking people in, feeding the phlebotomist, working behind the scenes, walking us through the process and knowing how much it matters - Mary, Jorge, Michael (home from Wake Forest) and Stephen, thank you and God bless.

We here in Rippeldom wish each of you the very best holiday season. We have already received the most wonderful gifts of hope, health, family and many, many friends both those we have met and those we haven't meet. Our Christmas wish for you is that you too receive these gifts and that you feel the same love that we have experienced over the last 2 1/2 months.

Hope, health, and love,
Cindy