Whew!! What a full day we had yesterday. We went to the air show at the Air Force Base with Happy Days and Courageous Kidz and had a ball!! We watched the Thunderbirds perform and even got to meet all of the pilots and get autographs. It was really cool. Aunt Judi even met us there and got to spend a little time with us on the flight line.

We got home around 5:00 or so and then at 6 we were off to the Relay for Life in Mt. P. We saw lots of friends and got to walk the survivor lap with Kinsey and Ryan, our friends from clinic. All three of these children are doing wonderfully....which is such a blessing. We finally got home around 8:30 and promptly went to bed....

Hope your spring is going well. Ours is!! Thanks for checking in.

Maria

I am thankful to get the opportunity to meet other families affected by cancer and watch as these kids overcome these amazing challenges....it is truly inspirational!!!

Again, I have nothing interesting to say today...but I was looking through photos of last year and was amazed at the difference in Eli!! What a difference a year makes..

Thanks for checking in.

Maria

This is what I am sooo thankful for today and every day!!!

Today Rachel Harvin came and gave Eli his finger poke at home so we didn't have to go into the clinic. We are trying this to see how it works so we will only have to go into the clinic every other week. We have had some small glitches the past month, but today went beautifully. Eli got his poke while watching Spiderman and it didn't bother him at all!! His counts are still good:

ANC 1016
Platelets 177
Hemoglobin 12.2

All the numbers are where we want them to be and Eli continues to be in a fantastic mood. He is wanting to go to the pool everyday, and with the chilly weather this week, we weren't able to go. But now we are supposed to see the 80's for the next week, so I am sure we will be pool bound!!

Jacob and Sam continue to do well at school. John is traveling, but we find our "rythm" when he is gone and mangage OK.

Hope all is well in your world. Please pray for Samuel, a little boy battling for his life. As I have said many, many times on this site....I am reminded daily of how lucky and blessed we are to have everything that we do!!

Thanks for checking in.

Maria

I am thankful for my friends who have been there for me!!

I do not have anything to report...just wanted to share this amazing photo taken by Sarah Hyslop, a Team in Training participant who is doing the Philly Triathalon in honor of Eli.....I ask you, does this look like a kid with Leukemia to you?! Thank you God!!!!!


Maria

Again, I have been soooo slack.....but the funny thing is that I give thanks to God that I have had no news to tell everyone!!!!

Things here are going really well. Eli got his Spinal Tap last week and everything went OK. There was a little glitch with his Oxygen Saturation Rate (It got down to 85 for a minute or so...), but it came back up and everything went OK. The steroid week went OK. Cher came from Atlanta with Alan and Abrielle and that was a blast. Cher got to see a couple of steroid induced parties, but for the most part Eli was really good.

Today we went in just for blood work and I really wanted them to listen to Eli's chest. He has had a cough for about two weeks now, it seems to just be allergies, but it keeps me worried all the same. Counts were amazing:

ANC 2950
Hemo 11.4
Platelets 177

The ANC is always elevated right after steroids, but we will take it!!! WE are taking the boys to see the "Walking with the Dinosaurs" show at the coliseum this Saturday and I feel much better knowing his counts look like this....

We took the little ones to the pool on Sunday and they both had a blast. I am so going to enjoy taking my boys to the pool this summer. Last summer we were so limited in what we could do with Eli... the boys had the summer of camps because I couldn't really go anywhere...this summer should really be great. We are already looking forward to the beach in June with the Hucks family....

Jacob made all A's again this nine weeks....we are so proud...and he is so happy. When he makes all A's he gets $70 ($5 per A and $20 for all A's) Sam didn't get a report card this go round, but it looks like he may do as well as Jacob.

I hope all is well with all of you. Please keep us in your prayers....we know this is what keeps us in this good place.

Thanks for checking in.

Maria

I am thankful that we will get a "normal" summer this year....