Everything Is Great!

I haven't been keeping you all updated as well lately, but that is because I am to busy enjoying our happy life right now! Everything is going great. Kelby is as normal as can be...and nobody has so much as a virus...knock on wood. :) The most exciting thing that happened was on my birthday Friday night. My wonderful friends had a surprise birthday party for me! I wasn't expecting anything. It was a really great time. The kids were all playing when Kelby came up to me and lifted up her shirt and said, "My tube broke." I looked down to see it was completely out of her little body. The "tube" was her catheter that she got medicine through and where they could easily take her blood. At first I was really worried, but after a little talk with the doctor, I relaxed and realized how great it was that it came out on it's own. Whenever Kelby took a bath or got wet with the tube in, I had to do an extensive, annoying job of cleaning it up and re-dressing it. Now I won't have to do that anymore! Since her scans came back clear, that tube was the one thing that still made her "different" from a normal kid. Now there's nothing sick about her. What great timing too...because our trip to Disneyland is coming up next week. She'll be able to play in the pool, beach and fountains with no problem if she wants! I think it was a little birthday gift from God saying, "Look Shawna, she's a normal kid." We didn't ask them to take out the tube this time because there was such a great likelyhood that we'd need it again. It kept her from having pokes when it was time to have scans, but that's not for another 3 months now. It's strange, but all of a sudden I feel like I can live like Kelby is a normal kid. I haven't been doing that. Life has been on hold until we know the final outcome of Kelby's cancer...but I don't need to know right now. It really is all in God's hands and all I can do is live in the hope that she is cured instead of living in the dread that she is not. God will get me through whatever is to come, but right now I have to live in the present and appreciate all the goodness! I am remember a quote that I found a while back, "One is given the strength to bear what happens to one, but not the one hundred and one different things that might happen." ~ C.S. Lewis. So I'll take all the strength that I can get right now and run with it.

Okay, so what else have we been up to lately? Wow, we just have so much fun when we can. My parents came two weekends ago. I can't believe I haven't even written about that yet. We had a wonderful time. Kelby was finally getting over her sore tongue issues, so she was ready to have fun with Gramma and Grampa. We went out to the beach on Saturday night. I took my parents to find a letterbox out at Deception Pass. Kelby just loves being out at the beach. Then we did a lot of shopping on Sunday..it was, after all, Labor Day weekend, so there were lots of sales to be had. Grampa took care of Kelby the whole time and throughly spoiled her. Mike and I learned how to play Pinocule from my parents. That is a hard game! I'm not too good at it, but it was fun to play together. After a relaxing weekend, my parents headed home on Monday morning. The girls had so much fun while they were here.

After the long weekend, it was a short week leading into the scans that Thursday. The news was great, so we had a great week! My birthday was the next day. I had a great day. We went out to dinner and I got to visit a scrapbooking store. Then we went over to our friends house under the guise of playing Pinocule with them, but there was a surprise party for me instead! We stayed up way too late, but had a great time.

Then, on Saturday morning, we packed up for a one night camping trip. It was the last chance for this summer. We met up with Gramma Debbie and Grampa George up at Newhalem. Mike and his Daddy got some fishing in and Gramma Debbie and I got some relaxing done. Kelby and Tegan had a great time. They are such good campers...you wouldn't believe it, them being girls and all. So, with the hiking, smores, fishing, and relaxing, it was another great weekend under our belts.

Now on to real life again. What is it like? I am working on my scrapbooking and stamping. The girls are playing so well together. We have friends come over and we got out to shop. Next month our MOPS group starts up again, so I am getting ready for that. I am the creative activity lady (crafts) this year!!! I can't wait.

Thanks again for keeping track of what we are doing. God bless you all. Take a look at the virtual "Smile Quilt" built just for Kelby at . There is a group of people that make these quilts to love and encourage kids that have terminal illnesses. They have kind hearts.