9.15.13: 8:40 PM
I never thought I would see the day when our lives were "normal", but here we are.
Davis started middle school, and it's a good fit. He is loving it. His teachers are super supportive and he lucked out and ended up with quite a few of his friends on his team. (Middle school is broken up into teams of 100 kids or so.) He was looking pretty good on the first day of school.
Annakate wasn't looking so hot for the first day of school. She actually missed the first week (two days really). After two weeks and three doctors appointments, a chest x-ray revealed pneumonia. To top it off, she also tested positive for having mono over the past six weeks. She had to get a couple of shots in her legs, and she was given lots of medicine. Poor thing. Just as she was on the mend, this past week, she had to go back to the doctor for a sinus infection. More medicine. We can't seem to get her well for long.
Despite the pneumonia, she was able to run the Ashmore Day kids run. She did a fantastic job. She ended up placing first for the girls and third overall.
Ashmore Day, our village festival, brought family to town. I was so blessed to get to spend some time with my youngest nephew. I couldn't help but get nostalgic when I realized that I held my niece, Cora, through the Ashmore Day parade and now I was holding my nephew. . . fourteen years later! Where does time go?
Davis's buddies joined him for Friends Sunday at our church. It was a scorcher of a day, so after the boys had sweat through their clothes, we headed home so they could swim.
One of the highlights to Friends Day was the monster truck. The boys can now say that they have ridden in a monster truck.
If you look hard enough smack dab in the middle of the choir on the front row, you will see the newest youth choir member. Yep, Davis is officially old enough to be in the youth choir. He has joined a fine group of young men and women, who seem to look after him. They are truly a family of sorts.
Last weekend, we were able to sneak in some family time before Kyle gets into the fields. We took the kids fishing over at Lake Shelbyville. The fishing itself was uneventful, but the time spent together was amazing. Davis caught this tiny striped bass. Kyle caught one too. Annakate found a dead alligator gar. Me? Nothing.
Yesterday, Davis was fortunate to judge his first car show. He knows nothing about cars. The Lakewood Village sponsored a car show to benefit St. Jude's Children Hospital. Davis was asked to be the guest judge.
I was very proud of Davis because he gave an account of his experience/diagnosis on the fly. I could have never had the courage to speak to a group of people off the cuff - or at all - when I was his age.
Anyway, his top pick was an Oldsmobile. It had swivel seats.
We had a blast and made a lot of new friends. Several people offered up encouragements and prayers for Davis, which we are always grateful for.
Davis has been feeling amazing. He had another chemo treatment at the end of August. His counts were good; his immune system is healthy. The only part of chemo that throws him off is his round (10 doses over five days) of oral prednisone. He is moody and his stomach is always upset. We all remind him and ourselves that it was pass.
We will keep on keeping on. We appreciate all of the prayers and support that keeps rolling in. Thank you a thousand times over. God is truly great, and I don't take for granted one day knowing that each one of them is a gift.
September is childhood cancer awareness month; if I may, I would like to ask you to lift up prayers and thoughts on behalf of all of the children afflicted with such a horrible sickness. In a perfect world, no child would suffer from cancer.
We will keep you posted.
