LOVE is not just a Valentine's Day delight!!!

We know something of love....


Love has decided to show up on our doorstep with baskets of treats for the kids. Love decided that we would need meals to make our lives easier. Love hopped on an airplane and shared physically and emotionally taxing days with us. Love held us close in the hospital when the news was more than we could bear. Love picked Tanner up from school when Grace was too sick to get out of bed. Love prayed for us. Love cried for us. Love ached with us. Love continuously made visits to our house with kind cards or care baskets. Love shaved their head in the dead of winter. Love mailed a little "thinking of you" note. Love planned surprises that would make us smile. Love sat with me in the hospital so the nights wouldn't feel so long. Love was all we could give when her body ached so badly that nothing else could cure it. Love was what her brother gave as he smiled through the fear...as his life was unalterably changed...as he watched her given gifts and he was happy for her instead of jelous...as he picked her up and carried her up the stairs because she was too weak to make it on her own...as he patiently stood by while his parents were too busy. Love was what her tiny baby sister could give as she pats her back when Gracie cries or when she says "luv loo Gacie." Love is all we can offer to them...these precious gifts from Heavenly Father. That feeling is too much...it seems so meager, and yet it is the only thing that really counts. Love is what gets us on our knees at night, thanking God that we have another day with them and that we're making it through. Love is what gets us off our knees and forces us to act, to help, to hope that we can offer more. Love is anything and everything that is good. Love is stillness, a stolen, quiet moment peering at your children's faces when they don't suspect you're watching them. Love is when you are sure you can't make it through, but love stirs in your heart and you have to...you love so much that you can't stop until you've done enough to make it alright. Love is what makes the bad bearable, the difficult- refining, and the good-even better.



"The love we give away is the only love we keep." -Elbert Hubbard



Painting toenails the color of love!We walked into the front room to find Eva had pulled out the candlestick holder and was busy training to be a rock star!


Wow...what more can we say?
Wow?

WOW!

Grace had her checkup on Wednesday and we were happily surprised! Her blood counts were at three hundred the week before, and the doctor expected them to continue to plumet. But, guess what? They were at 2,200 this week (or 2.2)!!! We cannot underestimate the power of prayer and we're so grateful that they are back up a bit.

This week we were fortunate to have Omi come visit us! JR's grandmother is an amazing woman and really helped us out. From meals, to watching the kids so we could get things done, to crocheting beautiful hats for Grace and Doernbecher children-we were grateful for the help! We miss you Omi!
JR's sweet brother is a guy unlike any other. He's handsome and hilarious, a wickedly good dancer and has a heart that is SO tender. He is also totally adored in our household. In fact, Max was one of the first words each of our children could say. We love you Max! Thanks for the wonderful new hair do for Grace face. We love it, but more importantly, Grace LOVES it!

Brok is JR's sweet cousin. He is the sweetest kid and we adore him. This week, he decided to chop off his really awesome hair and trade it in for another fabulous hair cut in honor of Grace. Grace LOVED it! We're amazed at the supportive gesture. In fact, we think there are a lot of amazing, supportive people to do that for Grace!

Dysfunctionally functioning...

It has been a busy week, but a good one. We can say this, though...after 3 sore throats, 3 runny noses, a few nauseated tummies, one out of order hand, several times catching Eva with marker on her face (only later to find that she had opened the zipper of her jammies and shoved markers in and pulled them out when "convenient", countless sleepless nights with musical beds, one giant cold sore, one VERY low blood count on our little girl, and countless disinfectings of the house to keep Grace healthy...we look the picture of dysfunction. But, we're pretty happy-all in all. It's humorous to see us in all our craziness! It would make for a good comedy show.
Grace had her doctor's appointment on Wednesday and her counts are clear down to 300, from 1, 400 last week, so we'll be around house still until they climb again. Her doctor thinks they could just bottom out, so we're praying that all the sickness that has been entangling our household doesn't get to Gracie or she'll end up back in the hospital. But, so far so good. On a VERY VERY happy note-she has almost made it through Delayed Intensification (only 2 weeks left and those two weeks won't see any chemo because it would send her to the hospital-her counts are just too low). We are so proud of her through all this struggle! It was a VERY hard 8 weeks, but we've almost made it. Now on to Interim Maintenance (8 weeks) and into Maintenance (2 years).

As far as the kids, well-they're funny, resilient, and keeping us very busy. Grace is currently into singing funny songs all over the house. She makes up her own lyrics to random tunes. We also caught her telling Tanner to "just grow up" tonight when he got grossed out looking at JR's finger stitches. I guess Cancer can really toughen the spirit! Tanner is very into setting up lego battles and SO into drawing Star Wars scenes. He is LOVING basketball and acting as JR's other arm lately. Eva has, well, got way too much planning going on in her head. She is dangerously perceptive. She can count to 20, sing the alphabet, say many of her shapes, and actually screams out "WAIT!" when she "borrows" my cell phone and I want it back. It's kind of got us scared for the future!

Crop A Cop article

Here is the link in the paper for Gracie's Crop a Cop experience! It was marvelous!
http://www.eastpdxnews.com/index.php?mod=article_detail&id_art=1112