We Blinked & It's March !!!

Dear Ones,
How the time flies. Several of you have mentioned that you checked the blog and there is nothing new posted. I KNOW!! I will say that with Marty, nothing new is pretty good news. We are so grateful that with each Oncology checkup (they ARE keeping a very close watch on him), he gets the thumbs up. The last set of appointments, complete with an MRI with special dye was on February 3rd. Dr. Promad Sharma is pretty impressed with this patient of his.......remarkable, tough and ALIVE.
When we really think about how close things were to this cancer being a death sentence for him, we know we have truely been blessed. Our trials and challenges make us stronger....we hear it often because it is a FACT OF LIFE. That is why they are given to us and they will either break us down or build us up. It doesn't take long to know which it did for Marty! I am so proud of him! No, I am so proud of US. The US is all oof YOU. Our children, grandchildren, siblings, inlaws, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neices and nephews, friends and employers (past and present) ---who all prayed with us and believed. Each of you have helped us in the way you could and have been willing to stretch and grow and learn and do and listen--sometimes more than you knew you could. Thank you, again.
We are officially looking hopefully toward spring and summer and WARM.
I feel certain that Marty is going to have a greener thumb than ever and enjoy our yard and garden more than he was ever able to when he was working those LONG 15 hour days. The fact is that the entire back yard looks like an "earthquake site" due to the autumn problems with our sewer system and leach lines and Don Burdicks" back hoe having to dig up the back yard. Those naughty tree roots! Now, we have the opportunity to do "something" to make it look perhaps even better than normal/the way it was. We shall see.
Today finds us in Pocatello on other business and we have so enjoyed our stay here at the Towne Place Suites---which we would highly recommend to anyone needing a motel in Pocatello. They have been wonderful.
Love to all, LaRee and of course, Marty

Christmas Eve

Dear Friends and Family,
Just a quick hello to tell you all Merry Christmas. It is Christmas Eve and ready or not, Christmas will be here tomorrow. We will be having a White Christmas and are happy about that. It is just sort of "expected" in Bear Lake.
We love you all and love to hear from you. If you do not want to post a comment, but would rather email us, Marty is martybaker@dcdi.net
and I am glcb@dcdi.net
Merry Christmas. Love, Marty and LaRee

Dear Family & Friends,
Thank you (you know who you are!) for all the kindnesses extended to Marty and I as this Christmas season rolls around again. We are grateful,

Love Marty & LaRee

December 8th, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,
Wow, this is a neat date---12/08/08. Today is the "sandwich day" between Holly's Birthday on the 7th and Brandon's Birthday on the 9th. How can it be that our little Bicentenial babies will be turning 32 this year???
Tomorrow marks our 36th Wedding Anniversary, also. I am so grateful to get to celebrate this day with him. I have meetings followed by more meetings, but we will be able to spend the evening together.
We have really been trying to have Sunday dinners every other Sunday. It does take work and planning, but we have both really enjoyed it and I think we are getting a little better at the getting out and putting everything away game. It was fun this Sunday, as we had the tree and decorations up and everyone got to see them. We had a mini program put on by the Grandkids and it was fun. Marty was the cook and I was mainly the helper. When everyone left, we were tired, but both felt it was a wonderful day. We thought alot about the Boltons----having their fun adventure at Disneyland.
We feel very unready for Christmas, but that will be our focus for the next while and as usual, ready or not, Christmas will be here before we know it.
Marty thought of 2 homemade gifts that he could do and hopefully can have the energy to accomplish his plans. I am rooting for him to do them. I always feel people appreciate homemade gifts and coming from him will make them very special. I, as usual, have some pretty fun ideas, but money and time (2 very endangered resources) may make them ideas for "next" year.
No matter how much I may whine if you see me in person or talk to me on the phone, please KNOW that I have a very grateful heart for all the wonderful people in my life, all that I have been blessed with and the knowledge that I have about the purpose of our time here on earth.
We are so grateful that Esther has done as well as she had going through surgery on Marty's birthday. She is a good patient and although she cannot return to work yet, she is healing and getting stronger. Marty made a comment after all the kids left yesterday that his boys are just like him in that they all chose beautiful women to marry. I thought it was a very sweet comment. And, it is no secret that we agree that our own daughers are beautiful women as well.
We hope all is going well in your world. Thank you so for checking in on us and for all you have done in any way to help us, be kind to us or entertain us.
Love, LaRee, and of course, Marty

December GOOD News

Dear Family and Friends,
Well, after another day at the Huntman Cancer Hospital, we have the good news that Marty has passed another check up with no new cancer. We still need to schedule some further tests at U of U hospital for hearing and fitting for hearing aides and then the scheduled MRI and Chest X-ray with his next visit to Dr. Sharma. Dr. Hitchcock was not at all concerned with the new black lesion on his neck and said she felt it had "nothing to do with the surgery or radiation". Oh, my.
We are so grateful for how things are in 2008 compared to this time last year. Our prayer is that things stay this good or get even better as Marty figures out how to get around and through the many physical obstacles he faces every day. He is amazing and strong and courageous------oh, and SIXTY !!
This is a fun time to be in Salt Lake City. Everything is all lit up and beautiful for Christmas. We will stay tonight at the new Hampton Inn in South Jordon. It is only 6 months old and I have to say, it is one of the nicest Hampton Inn's we have ever seen.......and that's alot of Hampton Inn's!!!
Last night we attended a wonderful Christmas program and dinner with many of our Baker relatives at the Desert Star Theater and that was really fun. Tonight we will go to a belated Birthday Party for him with the Baker side at Doug and Carolyn's. We will show the DVD that was made for the party at home.....and have dinner and cake. I think he feels sufficiently "Birthday'd" for this milestone 60th birthday.
We are starting to get the Christmas Spirit now and hope to have the time and energy to follow through with getting ready before the big day arrives. I have to work Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas, but will have Christmas Day off. We will have a dinner and get together at our house on Christmas Eve with all the kids and grandkids that can come and hopefully get out and do some visiting / and have some visitors-----on Christmas Day. It is time to get my Christmas Cards with a yearly newsletter in the mail. I haven't even composed it yet. I may compose it on this blog and see how that goes-- but, later. For now, my mind is too tired to sum up the year and spell words correctly. Marty is back in the room taking a rest so he can enjoy tonight.
Love and Happy Holidays to all of you,
LaRee and, of course, Marty

November 28th, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,
Well, I can safely tell you now what we have been up to here in Bear Lake. If I had successfully posted the "wonderful" update I wrote and somehow lost, you would not get the following information......because I did not know all the facts on that date.
Now, the s u r p r i s e party for Marty's 60th birthday is over, Thanksgiving is over and now we know that Esther had to have emergency surgery for appendicitis and adhesions.....and she missed both big events.
Marty really was surprised. On his actual birthday, he thought we were preparing for Thanksgiving at our house and then in the eary evening, I was taking him out to dinner. As we left for dinner, Deidra called with a "fake" emergency at the Oregon Trail Museum. He was SURPRISEd! It is a miracle he was, though, because I said several things that may have tipped him off---his deafness came in handy this time. The kids(minus Esther, Chris and Misti) the grandkids (minus Dakota and Christopher), Grandpa Jack , Kristi & Karl, Steve & Charlotte and Elaine were the group waiting to surprise him. Because he does not listen to me, he took one route and I took another. Anyway, there was a quiet little "surprise" from Andrew, who spotted him first coming from the different direction. Anyway, there were 26 guests who ate dinner in the wagons and then enjoyed singing Kareoke in the Theatre. Probably the biggest hit of the day was the slide show of pictures that was shown to music and it was wonderful. He got presents, had a HUGE cake and it was alot of fun. Keep us in your prayers for Marty's next appointment with Dr. Hitchcock at the Huntsman Center. Love to all, Marty and LaRee

Greatful Hearts in Bennington