I wish I had a good excuse for not updating Kennedy’s site but I really don’t. After receiving her last dose of Methotrexate on February 24th we were blessed with a two week break! She still had to go to physical therapy on the 31st and a counts check in the clinic on March 3rd but otherwise we had a taste of normal life again. Oh, and thanks to my cousin, Amanda, in beautiful Calgary, Canada! My hands are back to normal and feel so much better! I love all the products! Thanks to those who have ordered wrist bands and T-shirts! We could not do all that we do for our family and especially Kennedy without your support.

Did I mention we have a queen in our midst?? It’s true. Kennedy is the Coos County 2006 Honorary Fair and Rodeo Court Queen! Queen Alyssa, Princess Rachelle and Princess Jenny blessed Kennedy with this incredible honor! Alyssa and Rachelle (and in spirit, Jenny) arrived with their entourage in tow to crown our girl with gifts that included 2 pairs of Wrangler jeans, rodeo tops, 2 sashes and a pin, boots, belt and buckle, hat and crown, picture of the court, honorary plaque and her very own stuffed horse. She loved it and could hardly speak!! It was a wonderful surprise and she stripped right down to change in to her new gear! These girls traveled over 4 hours one way to crown their queen and invited her to the Coos County Fair and Rodeo in July but also to attend other events with them in her “queenly� clothes. She is looking forward to a fun filled summer! She carries the picture and won’t even let us put it on her wall. That night we went to pizza with our family and she had to have all her get up on! She felt like a star! Thank you, girls for making our little princess part of your court this year and we can’t wait to see you again!!

One fun thing we did was go to Soft Star Shoes in Corvallis on the 28th. The team of “elvesâ€? were awesome! They absolutely spoiled us! Austin was able to pick out the colors and style he wanted and even helped them make his new moccasins. He was very interested in how they were put together and even came home and made his own shoes for us out of construction paper. What a creative mind! They worked, measured and came up with 2 styles that work well for Kennedy. They fit snug over her brace and yet are easy to get on and off. She also picked the colors (pink…no surprise there) and was able to help in their production. Or at least sort of…she really liked the play area they have set up and found the play food to be the best part of her day. So we spent a few hours there learning how they do what they do and they even showed us some new styles they are working on! They are adorable and everyone should check out their website soon to see them. The kids were hungry and exhausted but the elves even wanted mom to have a pair of her own. They are absolute heaven! Did I mention that all 4 pairs were donated by Soft Star Shoes? I keep trying to tell them that they are angels disguised as elves! They are a wonderful and make beautiful shoes for kids and moccasins for kids and adults. Everyone should take the time to check out their work and support local businesses in Oregon. They have been in business for over 20 years and are only 2 hours from Portland. Their link is on our site and we are even quoted there…twice! I also have catalogs so feel free to ask me too.

On our way home, we stopped at Willamette in Salem and saw some of my professors and friends. That was so much fun as most people haven’t seen Kennedy since this past summer or when she was first diagnosed. We spent more time than we had planned there but it was worth it. It made me realize how much I miss my “community� there and that returning even for 1 or 2 classes in the fall will be rejuvenating for me. They all invited me to bring Kennedy and Austin if I need to and I will appreciate the ability to work with them even when I can’t be in class because of the kids. We also stopped by the Willamette Store and I made the mistake of telling the kids to just put their stuff on the counter and have her start ringing it up because I was visiting. It wasn’t bad but I wondered where the pens, notepads and bouncy balls came from. What??? I didn’t remember any of those!

Kennedy did well in physical therapy. She has returned to her pre-PICU status so that is good and now she will only be going 2x per month for now. Part of this is how well she is doing and part of it is 3 weeks of steroids coming up. There is really nothing they can do with 3 weeks of Vincristine or steroids until it is all over and we see what damage has been done. It’s not like we can really even maintain her abilities just because of how the drugs work. As we have all along…we hope for the best and prepare for the worst. She does love her new braces and shoes and she is walking so much better.

Tuesday we went to lunch with Athena, Breanna and Mackenzie at Papa’s Pizza (check out the page under fundraisers that Papa’s Pizza is doing to honor Kennedy) That was so much fun for Kennedy. Just to run and play with her pals. The play area is deserted at lunch so she had a real blast. Her ANC was high and I just wanted her to have a good time. I had fun just hanging out and having adult conversation about something other than Kennedy’s cancer. I love all of the incredible families we have met but I know they will agree that feeling “normalâ€? and talking about everyday things once in a while is one of the best things we can do for our spirits. We picked Austin up from school and then headed out to Auntie’s to get the girls for a couple of days. My sister had to have surgery on Wednesday and I knew she would need that night and the next morning to put all the pieces in place. The girls were raring to go and so we packed my car with car seats, bags, pillows, blankies and babies and away we went. I told Grammie and Papa that I found these two little sad girls on the side of the road with no families. They just laughed! Emily thinks that is the funniest thing when I say that. Wednesday was an early day but we all survived and had a lot of fun. Thursday I went to see my sissy and got a reprieve, thanks to Grammie, and headed to the grocery store.

Our weekend was pretty quiet. We had Amber Saturday night and stopped by Auntie and Uncle Jeff’s on Sunday. Keith treated us and Grammie to Chang’s as we know that soon Kennedy’s ANC will be shot and there will be no more eating out for us. It was delicious and we felt ready to start the week. Oh, I forgot to mention that on Friday Kennedy had her counts check. Her ammonia levels were still above normal but everything looked really good and ready to roll on Tuesday with chemo.

Monday was uneventful as usual. Oh, how could I forget??? Many thanks to the kids at Oregon City High School for fundraising this past month (thanks, Tiffany for all of your hard work in getting it started) and for the youth at Mountain View Community Church (especially Becky) for the benefit concert this past Saturday. You guys are all so wonderful!! I don’t have all the numbers yet but hope to soon and will post them when I do. Tiffany is doing a presentation on Thursday about ALL and Kennedy and I are hoping to make it. Also, the drawing has been done for the Timberline packages raffled off at the Indoor Garage Sale and I will post those winners ASAP.

Okay…today. Kennedy’s counts were perfect for starting chemo (we knew that they would be) and even her liver was looking good. Her enzyme levels are still up but her ammonia was in the normal range. Does this mean we are free and clear? Sorry, no. Tricia, the nurse practitioner, reminded me that those numbers are with her supportive care meds and she has had no chemo for 2 weeks. They do not expect them to remain that great over the next 2 months while she is getting Delayed Intensification 2 but it was certainly the best place we could be going in. She had her LP and intrathecal chemo, her IV Vincristine and Doxorubicin. She was scheduled to start 3 weeks of steroids (run…run for the hills!!!) but there was a problem with the pharmacy and prescription so we had to have the oncologist straighten it out and she will start tomorrow. Whooo…one more day before the nightmare begins. We do have dates for radiation and a full-plan now so check the DI2 page under her treatment schedule. Because she is scheduled for full cranial radiation, she would not have gotten the 6TG anyway so they are doing nothing to replace it. Kennedy is having some problems with runny, crusty eyes and nose but the NP thinks it is because she has very few eyelashes or nose hairs to keep the dust, germs, etc out and therefore, more fluid is needed to keep them clean and clear. She also has a rash under her tape on her NG tube so we switched to one that is more hypoallergenic. Her skin is so sensitive that it begins to break down from the constant wearing of tapes and bandages. Overall, she is doing well and is in the best place for starting a re-induction type therapy. She is doing absolutely fantastic compared to where she was a few months ago. They are finally breathing a sigh of relief and sharing how close she really was to dying at Christmas. They have collectively agreed that telling us would not have helped and they were holding on the slim hope as much as we were. I’m really struggling emotionally with this. I absolutely trust that God is in control and has a plan but losing Kennedy is not my plan. I am amazed at how close we can come to death’s door and still be pulled back. Kennedy is suffering post traumatic stress from the experience so emotions are constantly being scrutinized and in our face lately. When does the horror of cancer ever end?? Isn’t it enough that we have to deal with the whole cancer thing? Why are there more effects that just keep hanging on? And guess what?? We still have 1 year, 5 months and 12 days left of treatment if things go “according to plan.� We may be almost to the end of the worse part, but we aren’t even half way through! Then we have another 5 years of frequent doctor’s visits (every month the 1st year, every 2 months the 2nd year, every 3 months the 3rd year and then every 6 months for years 4 and 5) before she will only need to go every year. 6 ½ years before they will say she is “cured� if she has no relapses. She will be almost a teenager!! Sorry, this is not my cheeriest entry…it must be the day.

This is supposed to be a place to write about my feelings and by the time I write about what we have been up to I’m ready to be done. Maybe tomorrow…tonight I’m exhausted and I know I have a busy day planned playing with my nieces and taking care of my sissy. It will be a nice reprieve and a chance to regroup and think about where I’m at and where I’m going. If I wouldn’t let so much time pass…I wouldn’t have quite so much to write…I would have more time to write about where I’m at. Today…I’m struggling to get my footing. I know that the ground I walk on is solid, but my feet are tired and slick. Today is just not my best day. Please don’t tell me that I am taking on too much, you know exactly how I feel (unless you possibly can) or that I should “lighten my load.� I know that I am doing exactly the things that God would have me to do in this moment but I have a right to sometimes feel like the burdens I am carrying are heavy. God will bless us for our faithfulness in this walk but as we are refined in the fires, it can be painful and difficult to bend. After all, He could never call us to work HIS miracles if we could do it all on our own and of our own power. We are NOT miracle workers except by His hand working through us. It doesn’t mean it is easy or fun or painless but the rewards are greater than all the monetary riches everywhere. Today is just not as pleasant as I would like.

Love-Hope-Faith
For without these we would have Hate-Despair-Darkness

Mel