No Place Like Home

We had toasted ravioli, family and friends, a constant supply of Budweiser, and the St. Louis Cardinals.  Why would we ever want to leave? This was all that me, Bobby, and Mary could think and say when we packed our bags and left the midwest for our new home in Whitefish, MT.  I'm pretty sure my mom had some other, less PG-13 words to say, but it's hard to hear great when you are eavesdropping from the upstairs balcony.  Well at least we would have something to write our most traumatic moment college essays about as we made out way to the frozen tundra, although leaving grandma and grandpa Whitey's house hanging out the back of the Explorer crying may have been a little overboard.  Nonetheless we were going because even the people in Montana needed Budweiser to drink.  We all decided that we at least had each other, the five Dulle's, and we would figure it out.

Over the last 15 years a lot has changed.  I've lost a significant amount of hair without even having cancer, my brother has been kicked out of more sporting events than he can count and a funny thing happened, it made him a grown up (mostly), Mary moved all the way to Arizona only to find out that she loves Montana, and mom and dad have traveled around the country chasing us kids with more laughs and good times than we could ever count.  We made it through with each other so I think Big Don just decided he wanted us to come back this summer.  It's a good thing all of the college essays were already done because as of August, we all have a new most traumatic event in our lives.  So while we skipped the hanging out of the back of Explorer part, one thing did not change we had each other and we would figure it out.

So here we are 6 months post Cancer diagnosis and going strong.  Big Don has finished his radiation and he is back onto chemotherapy.  They will continue to monitor his tumor markers and take CAT scans to determine what the tumor is doing, and Big Don will keep busy living.  Now most of us would think that this means traveling around the world or taking a cruise or sitting on a beach, but for Big Don it means going to work.  So if your in the Flathead Valley and you think you may have seen the Bud man you would be right.  Big Don, Kay, and Candy drove back to Whitefish last week and mom and dad will fly down to Phoenix three times a month for chemo and be where they want to be, home.  I have not heard mom and dad so happy in the last six months as I have since they got to Montana, and this is despite the freezing temperatures and snow.

They are still looking for the toasted ravioli but they certainly have found their home, adding memories and friends.  What I didn't know when we moved 15 years ago is that we had way more support and love than just the five of us and that's why we thrived in Montana.  And it's exactly the same reason Big Don will thrive in this, most traumatic experience of his life moment, not because of the five Dulle's but because of the many of you who continue to help us figure it out.