The Favorite Gift

Yuk.

Today was Chemo day.

Kean did remarkably well--

he screamed, bucked and fought like an alley cat

when I numbed him up this morning but was fine once we got to the hospital.

Just look at our big boy getting his vitals all by himself.

 Amy Heidemann was our Chemo date for the day

and thank goodness.

Kean, while happy for most of the day, was a bucking bronco

when it came time for Doctor Camilo to check his body

over for any swollen lymph nodes.

Let me just say, Amy is very talented at helping to hold Kean down,

keep him distracted and lead in the singing of all kinds of kid's music.

 One other highlight... a middle school's bell choir

serenaded in the hospital lobby today.

 That bonus entertainment sure made the waiting for Kean's

weekly meds go by much faster.

For all of his trouble today, Kean was rewarded

with, yup, you guessed it, a wonderful motorcycle ride.

 Jeff even stayed after for dinner which was a treat for all of us.

 Especially since today was Greer's 11th birthday.

 This wacky but wonderful girl keeps us singing, laughing

and smiling pretty much around the clock.

 She is almost always pure joy.

(Of course, I say that now before she hits those teen years).

Her favorite birthday gift of the night?

Dad's homemade slip 'n slide.

 We've all gotten tired of the slides from the store

that only last a handful of runs before they are ripped.

 So Byron bought a hundred foot, thick piece of plastic

and voila'  (with some dish soap) the girls rocket down the hill.

This is gonna be a popular fixture in our yard for the next few months.