I cannot believe I forgot to tell you....

.....that yesterday Kate had her broviac (central line) removed!!!

For me, that was one of the final reminders that "held" us to cancer.

Praise the Lord that the procedure went perfectly and all she has left now is a small square of gauze and adhesive.  On Friday, she will have her first bath in the bathtub since April 2013.  Moving forward feels so good!

In Him,

E

Done.

April 22, 2013.  A day that will forever be engrained in my mind and heart.  It was a Monday.  I awoke that morning with a heaviness that had settled into my heart.  God had prepared me, and I knew what the results of Kate's bloodwork would be.  (You can read more about that day and what lead us to Kate's diagnosis here.)

Over the course of the next 7 months, Kate would undergo rigorous chemotherapy to rid her body of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  In late November, just a week before Thanksgiving, 

KATE COMPLETED CHEMOTHERAPY!!!!

This is a picture of Kate and I leaving the cancer unit after completion of her last 168 hours of chemotherapy.  PRAISE THE LORD!!

I cannot put in to accurate words what this girl is and means to our family.  

She faced and fought through every single round.  Rarely was even a tear shed as poison was pumped through her tiny body.  She played and giggled and spread her JOY to all she met.

She returned home time after time and jumped right back into the excitement.  Of course, there were days when she didn't feel 100% but those days were so few and far between that when they happened we wondered what was wrong!:)

God has used Kate's cancer journey to grow and stretch her siblings.  They stepped up to help with grace and brought me to tears over and over with their selflessness.

During the course of Kate's treatment, she and I were inpatient for almost 80 days total.  The celebration that ensued each time she arrived over brought me to my knees!!!

She is simply adored.

Month after month, Kate would have to have bone marrow aspirations to find out if her course of treatment was killing the AML cells.  And on August 2, we heard the news- 

KATE IS IN REMISSION!!!!

What does this mean for Kate now.  The chance of relapse is very, very small.  For now, she does have quick monthly cancer clinic visits to check her bloodwork and so that the cancer team can lay eyes on her.  Her last CBC was completely normal.  PRAISE JESUS!!!!  In the next few months, her monthly visits will change to every few months.  Quickly after that she will have a 6 month visit then…..she will only need to visit the cancer clinic yearly!!!  Our God is SO GOOD!!

We've been asked how we can be so thankful to Our Father for this journey.  Until you walk in the shoes of parenting a child with leukemia (or any other childhood cancer), you will not understand.  We still stand behind the truth that God's plan is always perfect.  We rest in Him.  Nothing else was ever an option, really.  His hands held Kate on the good days and the bad.  He held us when our hearts could take no more.  

HE RESTORED HER HEALTH AND BROUGHT HER BACK TO US.

This treasure is loved.

She is adored.

She is strong.

She is determined.

She is very smart.

Her life is worthy, and she is celebrated!!

She is funny!

She works so hard.

Her joy is contagious and FILLS our life!!

  I'd like to say that now we don't take anything for granted, but we are human and fall back into that trap.  Yet, as we move through 2014, we are stronger.  Just as my last post stated, we are intentional.  We are thankful for so many things that often went unnoticed before.  Time is so valuable.  We say "no" very often to things that would take us away from our family.  Our focus is here.  We are better, and we are so thankful.  We are deeply in love with our Heavenly Father and are humbled at the blessings He continues to pour over us.  

I will continue to occasionally write on Kate's Facebook page here.   I have found, though, that since Kate is home and well, I don't visit her page very often.  

THANK YOU for continually lifting our family up!!  

In Him,

E

Intentional

We try to be very intentional about spending individual time with each of our children.  It's hard sometimes when two of our big girls are playing volleyball, participating in Bible study and homeschooling.  These two and I were able to break away late one evening for some frozen yogurt.

The picture quality is terrible, but memories were made and captured.

They are both so silly and a blast to be with.   They fill my heart to overflowing!

Intentional.  It's one of the things God has laid on my heart over the past few months.  Phone calls will be missed, texts may never be read, emails have now reached the 6,000s (please, don't get your feelings hurt if you don't hear back from me).....but my husband and children know that they are the most important things to me next to my Heavenly Father and that I am available to them and for them.  We are making memories and filing their tanks, and that is exactly where God wants us to be.  

In Him,

E

Snow!!

It's been a wonderful winter here in North Georgia!!  I've heard from others that they are ready for the snow/ice/cold precipitation to be over, but we are soaking in every moment that keeps us close by the fire and eating snow cream!!

Not everyone was allowed to venture out in the first round of snow.  Celia was not feeling well and Kate just wasn't allowed.:)  I do have a Kate update (trust me, it's GOOD!!) and will work on that tonight!!

But this boy... this was his first real snow, and oh was he in HEAVEN playing in the cold!!!!!!

Two certain incredible sisters ventured out with him to play and eat for an entire 7 1/3 minutes.:)

And after a long day of snowball making, fire burning, marshmallow roasting and hot chocolate drinking, it was time for.....

SNOW CREAM!!!!

Today we watch more snowflakes fall as we brace for a significant ice storm headed our way.

Thanks for bearing with me and continuing to check on our family.  Last year was not at all what we would have expected or ever dreamed but our Heavenly Father was glorified and we were blessed!!!!

In Him,

E

Goodness Gracious

Again, it has been ages since I wrote on these pages.  I think about it daily...I really do, but it just seems much easier to post a quick update on FB than to actually have to pull words from the depths of my brain that is quite mushy these days.  I will regret that one day.  Actually, I regret it today.  I have missed chronically so much because of my laziness.

I have made a pact with myself and promised to carve out time every Monday evening to write.  Until next Monday, consider these pictures an update.:)

We are all doing so extremely well.  The big girls keep growing up and maturing despite our best efforts at telling them it's not allowed.  And the "littles", as they are so lovingly referred to, are doing the same.  Growing, walking, talking, counting, singing, emptying potties into my kitchen sink, putting all recyclables in my washing machine, trying on every pair of shoes in this house, "assisting" each other down the slide (you know what I mean), eating crayons, opening every ziploc bag in our entire home that is meant to hold small toys....you get my drift.:)

Kate.  I know you are all interested in Kate's health.  Truly, she is great!!!  She feels good, she looks fantastic and she is gaining strength and endurance by the day.  Just yesterday she walked with assistance along our parallel bars here at home.  GO CAKIE GIRL!!  Her last round of chemo is still pending.  We are waiting for her counts to come back to see where she stands.  I will write a separate post on our girl and cancer.  I don't have my emotions under control right now.

Once again, few words with lots of pictures.  Just know that we LOVE BIG and are taking time away from the other "stuff" to do just that.

In Him,

E