CHAPTER 21 - THE FIRST YEAR AND THE BIOPSY

After returning home from a wonderful week together on the Oregon Coast, we stopped in Blackfoot to pack, unwrap presents, and then made our way to Rexburg. We moved into our little one bedroom apartment in Cambridge Court with a bed, nightstands, lamps, a folding table, folding chairs, and a lazy boy chair. We didn't have much, but we were just so happy to finally be together after years of waiting. 

Just a few weeks after we moved in, we took a trip to St George to see our good friends, the Durham's, get married. Raymond was Thomas' mission companion and his wife Jillian was ironically the niece of my young women leader. We were instant friends. I also enjoyed meeting a few of Thomas' buddies from the mission that also came for the wedding. 

I went back to school that fall semester and Thomas insisted on capturing my new "back to school" outfit. He wasn't starting school until January, but I made him jump into the second picture anyway.

Halloween came and we got a last minute invite to a party, so we quickly threw something together...and gangsters it was...

Our first Thanksgiving was spent in Blackfoot with Thomas' family. Christmas morning was spent together and that afternoon we drove home to see both of our families. A few days later we headed to Coalville for the annual Judd Christmas party. That next morning, December 30th, my dad knocked on our door in my grandparent's basement and with a solemn voice told us that his father, my grandfather, had passed away. 

Grandpa had battled with cancer off and on for eight years. He was a wonderful man. He babysat me for many years when I was young. Every day we would go to the park across the street and then end the play date with an ice cream cone. I was his and he was mine. Being the oldest grandkid has wonderful perks like that. The only regret I have is not getting a chance to say goodbye. He was too sick to make it to the wedding and I found myself too busy to visit him before he left us. 

I tried to get myself to mourn after my dad told me the news. I felt sad and empty inside, but I couldn't get the tears to come. The viewing was beautiful and finally, the tears came. I secluded myself from everyone and just let it out. It was the release I had been waiting for. I felt honored to have been requested by him to play his favorite song, "Have I Done Any Good in the World Today" at his funeral. He was a great example of love, hard work, service, and friendship. He his still very missed. 

Thomas and I both started school in January and boy, did that make time fly. That summer we celebrated our first anniversary with a little four-wheeling trip up to Pace's pond and a day trip to Lagoon (the trip that Thomas owed me for not being married when he got back from his mission).

Thomas' sister, Veronica, was engaged on our one year anniversary. They were married that fall in the  Idaho Falls temple. It was a gorgeous day and it was so neat to be with his family in the temple.

That December, as the semester ended, Thomas' lingering cold would not go away. He stopped in at the student health center after his last final to have them look at his cold symptoms, a nasty in-grown toenail, and a bump on his neck. Because the bump didn't hurt him, they delayed treating the other issues until after the bump had been biopsied. The surgery was a couple of days before Christmas, and like the kind, trouper he is, he drove us to the annual Judd Christmas party in Utah. I was selfish in asking him to do such a thing, but I also didn't want to think about what could be...so we went and tried to enjoy ourselves.

December 30th, we headed home to Idaho for his follow-up appointment and picked up our friend Chris along the way to Rexburg. Thomas and I were called into the doctor's office where we were given the news that completely changed everything...