Well, Abby went in for outpatient surgery Monday.  The procedure took about an hour and we were home that afternoon.  She is a tough little girl and was begging to hang on the swingset that very evening.  Outside of a little Tylenol here and there, one wouldn't know that anything out of the ordinary happen.  So, we have no infusa port in this house anymore!  She is a kid just like any other now!  (Well, from the outside view anyway.  My opinion is that she's one of the toughest people that I have ever met!)

She starts 1st Grade tomorrow!  Hannah begins 4 year Pre-School in about a week depending on which place I decide to enroll her.  (Way to go me, waiting until the last minute to make a decision like that.  Seems the way I operate though.)  I've just recently taken over one of the local Real Estate Brokerages here in town after passing my exam early this Spring.  Took a little time making sure it was the right move.  So.....onward we go toward a NORMAL life!

Abby will continue to have check-ups once a month until Feb after that we will go to quarterly.  Thanks again for all your support over that last (almost three) years!  Words cannot express what all the prayers, encouraging words, cards, flowers, financial help etc.... has meant to us.  Please continue to pray that Abby is completely healed!

Abby is scheduled for surgery at 9:30 to remove the infusa port.  If all goes well and she responds good, it will be outpatient and should be home tomorrow afternoon.  Please remember her in your prayers.

Congrats Eric and Julie on your precious baby girl, Vivian Elizabeth!!!!  We love you all!  Can't wait to hold her!

I can't believe how fast this summer has gone by.  I think we have had a good one.  The girls have done lots of playing etc..

Abby is scheduled for her 6 month check up on August 7th and will have her port taken out on the 11th.  She is very worked up about this and isn't understanding that it is an out patient procedure and will be home that same day.  Please pray that all goes well, that it comes out without any problems.  Also please pray that her 6 month appointment checks out great! 

Well, that's all for now.  Back to work with me.

Carrie

Abby is doing great.  Spending lots of time outside being a normal 6 year old.  She has lost another tooth for a grand total of four now.  We found out that the tooth fairy pays more in Kentucky that she does in Iowa!

On a very serious note, a real estate agent from another office here in town has just found out that her son has leukemia.  Please remember the Daters family in your prayers.  It will be a very long haul for them.  He has been admitted to one of the hospitals in Iowa City and will be there for a month.  As soon as they have his Caring Bridges page ready, I will post the link. 

Carrie

Abby had her 5 month check this morning after finishing chemo therapy.  So far, so good.  Blood work was excellent.  Everything is slowly climbing to a normal range!!!

We've been pretty busy around here lately.  The girls and I just took a trip to KY to see my family.  Had a great trip and as usual the girls were fantastic travel buddies!

Hannah turned 4 on Tuesday.  We had her birthday party at mom and dad's Sunday and will have the one here this coming Sunday.  She is happy to FINALLY be four.  Now she wants to know when she will be 4 1/2.  Lets not speed up time any faster than it already is.

Well, guess that's about it.

Carrie

Abby's great, her and Hannah are REALLY looking forward to the fireworks tonite.  You all go blow something up, or scorch it on the grill or somethin in honor of the birthday of the greatest country on earth.  That is all.

James

Well, the summer is flying by.  I'm enjoying spending the days with the girls going for walks, to the park, playing in the back yard, reading, etc...  All those things that you do with kids that are not undergoing chemotherapy.  Not worrying about all the sun screen, the bug bites and falls when platelets are too low.  Right now, the biggest thing is Abby and Hannah being in eachother's faces too much.  I think I can handle this!

I am so proud of my girls.  Today, they got to go get something with their allowance that they have saved up.  And yes, they work for it.  They get $2 a piece every Friday for unloading the dishwasher, setting and helping clear the dinner table, helping clean their rooms, making their own beds, helping take out the trash and putting their clean clothes away.  You know, maybe they need a raise (but then again, efficiency rate sometimes leaves something to be desired.)  They don't really care though.  $2 is a lot of money for a 6 and 3 year old. 

 While we were at the mall, I had 2 different women stop to ask if they were REALLY spending their allowance.  They couldn't believe how much they help out and one said Abby and Hannah should have a talk with her teenagers.  Lots of "pleases" and "thank yous" to the clerk as well.  The cool part is that they do all these things many times without being asked and very rarely do they argue with me or James about it.

I have to say, we are enjoying having a normal family.  We don't really have any summer plans, just enjoying time together.  Hannah begins 4 year old preschool this year and Abby will be starting 1st grade.  I only have one more year with a baby at home (that's only part time this year) and then I will be alone during the day.  I'm not sure what I will do with myself, but I'm sure for the first week there will be lots of tears.  After that, I guess I'll be going back to work full time.  If there's no one here, I guess I should pull some weight financially.  Start saving to send the two future doctors to school, since that are THEIR plans at this time!  Who knows, maybe the two of them can help discover a cure for Leukemia!

Well, time to clean up my mess I made cooking dinner and after I have a babysitting job to do for Abigail and Hannah.  Those baby dolls of theirs sure do require a lot of attention.

Carrie

Took Abby for her 4 month check today since ending chemotherapy.  Blood counts are great and everything is in a normal range.  Low normal, but normal.

I'll be calling tomorrow to make the appointment to have her infusa port taken out.  I believe that there is beginning to be concern about it getting infected.  Better not push our luck with it.  Probably with in the next month it will go.  Abby's not happy about the matter, but doesn't have much choice.

She lost one of her front teeth a couple days ago.  I can't believe that the tooth fairy now brings $2 for one tooth!  Talk about inflation!  There's a couple new pictures in the photo album.

Carrie

Sorry I haven't updated much lately.  Guess there's not too much to update.  Abby is doing great.  She finished Kindergarten last week.  I can't believe my baby girl is a first grader now.  (She keeps reminding me that she's not a baby anymore and I keep reminder her that even when she is 50, she will be my baby girl.  Hannah as well!)

We've been doing a lot of playing outside and catching up on time that it feels like I missed while she was in school.  Both the girls are catching up on their fighting as well.  I'm not sure how many fights I broke up today.

Abby is just about to lose another tooth.  Her top front tooth is just hanging on.  She's been afraid that she will swallow it, but I can't get her to let me pull it.  Hannah would pull it for her too, if she would just let her.

Not too much else going on.  We've had one thunderstorm, after a tornado watch, after tornado warnings here lately.  That's all it's done for about a week now and I have to say, my nerves are about shot from it!  I know if we are all asleep that we will never hear the tornado sirens, so I just stay up until the radar is clear.  It's starting to wear me down!  It's 1:20 in the morning right now and I'm trying to occupy myself until this one gets by.

Abby goes back for her 4th check up after finishing chemo therapy on Thursday.  Please pray that all is well.  I've noticed now that there is down time and that I no longer have to be as strong, that I'm having such a hard time with all of this.  Honestly, I don't understand why kids, or anyone for that matter, has to go through this.  I know that God has a reason for everything, but the memories of my baby being so sick is hard for me to handle these days. 

Hannah was only 1 1/2 years old and I have a hard time remembering her at that age because there was so much going on. (I am embarassed about this, but I guess we did what we had to do at the time.)  I love my girls so much and I would do anything for them!  Maybe what I am feeling is normal, I don't know, I just wish that we could get on with our lives and be normal.  I wish that when the quiet time comes that I didn't sit and think about how sick she was, or how terrified that I am that it will come back.  I wish that I could know that all was going to be ok and enjoy every moment of life.  No worries...

Maybe I'm beginning to be a little human again.  Seems like I had lost feeling and just took each moment as it came and removed myself emotionally.  I guess eventually it catches up, right?  I normally don't ask people to pray for me, because I'm suppose to be tough and have faith in God to take my worries and give me peace, but I need prayers.  I feel like I've not been a very good mommy lately because I'm so bummed all the time.  So please, continue to remember me and James in your prayers as well.

Also, continue to pray for healing for Brooke and Melissa who are both having relapses with leukemia.  Abby's school secretary who is having a relapse with a very rare type of cancer and has 3 children, and a good friend of our family that has recently been diagnosed with Lymphoma.  He is a single father of a teenaged daughter.

Sincerely,

Carrie

Been very busy around here.  Quite the normal life we've been living....rather strange.  Not to much to say actually other than all is well.  Abby is still upset that school is almost over.  I think it is incredible how much she loves learning and school.  I hope it stays that way.

 Well, gotta get Hannah to the eye doctor to make sure her peepers are working the way they are suppose to.

Continue to remember Brooklyn and Melissa in your prayers as they are fighting Leukemia again.

Carrie