Even with all of the doctor's visits, pokes and biopsies, surgeries, and dressing changes he has remained in good spirits.
A year ago he had a cancer on his cheek - this was taken care of and a graft of skin was taken from his thigh. He healed well and went on with life.
Then they found more.
One on his neck, one on the chest and one on the side of his nose.
Now Dad was never a sun worshipper. He did not hang out at the beach or go to tanning salons. He only had normal sun exposure. He did grow up on a farm where he spent time out in the sun while he did the farming. He also did not wear sunscreen. Would this have made a difference? Who knows, but it does make me think twice before I head out the door. I don't typically use sunscreen either unless I plan to be out in the sun for long periods of time. Yet, watching my dad struggle through all of this has given me pause.
His most recent cancer was found on the right side of his nose. They were able to remove most of the bad cells, then did a forehead flap nasal reconstruction. So far he has had two surgeries, with one more scheduled to remove the flap. It has been an interesting procedure to see. They take a flap of skin off of the forehead ~ flip it around (leaving it attached right by the eyebrow) and attach the other end to the nostril area of the nose. If you are really interested in the procedure you can read about it by clicking here.
The first surgery so far was the longest and hardest.
And it does look pretty weird.
But we still love him.
I promised I wouldn't post actual pictures of him. I found some pretty good examples on line though (they are a bit graphic so beware if you are sensitive to medical photos)
We will all be glad when this fight is over.
And we are ever so thankful for the wonderful doctors and nurses who have cared for him. He gets to request the same anesthesiologist each time and the same staff care for him when he comes in...they have all become like family.
One more surgery to go and the flap will be gone! Whoo Hoo!
I've always loved this house ~ it has a huge round window on the side of it. Would love to go in it one day....
It always feels like 'coming home' to me. I used to spend my summers there growing up. I spent time on the farm and made good friends. We still have relatives in Ohio and sometimes I dream of moving there (just not sure I could stand the winters...). I love the smell of the earth, and the green landscaping. I don't like all of the bugs! 
One can not go home without going to the local Dairy Freeze - YUM!
Michelle would love to live here too ~ mostly because she could have all of the animals that she wanted. You can tell that she was quite happy wandering around taking pictures of my cousins pets :)
The goat who acts like a dog. She follows you where ever you go and always wants to be petted.
We didn't have time to ride, we only got to play with the horse for a bit.
My Uncle's house is in the woods. He took us on an informative walking tour around his property. I have so many fond memories here. I spent many a summer day swimming in the pond, exploring and playing in the cool treehouse that he built for us.
You can't see it real well but there was a momma raccoon and her baby hiding in the tree. Such cute little noises they made.
A view of the pond.
And the pet raccoon.
Some crazy prehistoric looking, snapping turtle that was wandering through the grass. We think it was trying to get to the pond. 
And there were tame cats to play with too. Doesn't Michelle look like she is having a good time.
On Memorial Day we went by the cemetery where my grandfather is buried. All of the veterans had flags by their headstones. It was pretty awe inspiring
We ended our trip with an afternoon visiting our long time friends - the Sullivans. They all just make me laugh and I know we would hang out if I did live back there. We didn't get any pictures of them - but the are featured in Michelle's video below. Hated coming back to busy California!
Natasha is a multi-event competitor. She runs the 800, some hurdles, competes in the pentathlon, long jumps and high jumps. She sort of does what coach has her do...but she shines in the jumps and the pentathlon.
Natasha and Erika have been room-mates since their freshman year of college. They have spent lots of time together and have gotten to know each other well. Natasha is an incredible athlete ~ yet what I like about her is that she is so humble. She never brags about her success nor talks highly of herself. 
She cares about others and wants to see others succeed also.
I love watching her do the high jump - I think she can jump over me...!
Coach and Natasha. He told me once that an athlete like this only comes along once in a blue moon. 
She won the high jump and the pentathlon (3rd time in a row). I told you she was awesome! You go girl!