It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

The countdown is on and we are still here.

Still at home.

And for once there has been no drama.

Well, very little anyway.

Reese woke up with a sore throat and a slight fever.

But so far, so good. Kean seems happy and healthy.

We went over to my parents house for our regular Sunday night get-together.

While there, we were all serenaded with a couple of families out Christmas caroling...

including, my dear friend, Angie Stephensen and her family.

Angie, has been one of my rocks through all this-- even taking a few night

shifts at the hospital.  She has a son, Luke, who has Down syndrome.

It was fun to watch Luke and Kean together tonight.



I can't remember what day it was when we were in the hospital over the past two weeks, but

one night, a new family came into the Pediatric Oncology Unit.  That is always

a heart breaker-- I feel so sorry for them because I now know exactly what they

are going through and I can think of few things that would be worse in this life.

This family, in particular, hit home.  Their child is a little girl with Down syndrome.

Just like Kean, she was diagnosed with A.L.L. a month before her 3rd birthday.

She's not sleeping, not eating, and in obvious pain.

Her parents looked so shell shocked.  I'm certain, Byron and I, looked just as bad in those early weeks.

To make things even more difficult for them, their home is at least two hours away.

I find it hard enough to drive the 35 minutes each week for Chemo.  I can't imagine

stretching that to two hours with a grouchy, often fasting, sick child.

I talked to the family yesterday and today.  The docs have let them leave the hospital

but they can't leave town-- so are staying in the Ronald McDonald house across from St. Luke's.

They have five girls (ages 2 to 14) and the sisters will be arriving tomorrow for Christmas to spend the next few days

together in their room at the Ronald McDonald house.

My friend, Pam and I are orchestrating a visit from the older gentleman from the North

 to deliver their gifts to their little room on Christmas Eve.

I am so excited for them.  And what a healing experience it is to put the focus on someone other than us.

We have it so good.

I was already so very thankful to be home as a family but this just reminds me how blessed we are.