Happy Birthday Carly!

Check out her shoes!

Man....I have a lot I want to write about, that I can't even write that much today. It would be too much to read. I guess I can spread it out.

First and foremost, the medical information...Ally went back to clinic on Friday and had more bloodwork. Her bilirubin level continued to go down (thank you God) which means that her liver is recovering from what they think was a horrible virus. Horrible in that it lasted for about 2 weeks and took so much from her. And also horrible that Jerad and I were fearing the worst. She goes back in for her monthly chemo on Thursday, so we will again get her bloodwork looked at. It makes me feel so much better to look at everything.

As promised before...Jerad's birthday story. Jerad wanted to celebrate his birthday this year with a couples sporting event type contest. Last year, his birthday consisted of trying to survive on weeks without sleep and I believe we also had a chemo taking contest. So this year, I hoped he would get to have a little more fun. All the couples were going to take turns doing events (putting contest, golf drive, football throw, trivia, even riding the bull...to name a few events). We were using my Dad's limobus to get us from place to place. We had started out having a few drinks at the Greene and were headed to the Bellbrook Driving Range. As we were slowing to a stoplight, and oblivious to all 13 people on the bus, a car slammed into the side of our bus. And noone wears seat belts when on such a bus. People went flying, tables were flying, food and drinks were spilled everywhere, but for the most part we were stunned but okay. We looked out the window to see the car that T-boned into the side of our bus, and also a car turned over on its roof. The impact had punctured our gas tank, and the smell of gas was quite extreme. We were hurried off the bus quite quickly due to the danger of it.

Little did we know, until we saw the police surrounded the overturned car with guns drawn, that we had just somehow helped to catch a murderer. The man in the car was named Jeff Bedinger...he had killed his 22 year old stepson just the day before and also kidnapped his 7 year old boy. There was a huge manhunt for him (supposedly nationwide) and an Amber alert had been posted on him. His car was flipped over and the gun he used to commit the murder was laying in the street....feet from our limobus. The police had been chasing him at speeds of over 70 mph and the end result was our accident.
Since it was a police chase, the whole thing was captured on the cruiser cam. You can watch the accident here, if you like, and the abrupt end to Jerad's birthday. My friend Nicki had to go to the ER as she got hit in the face we believe by her husband. Luckily, she was okay but still has a black eye even 10 days later.
http://www.whiotv.com/video/24210880/index.html

So I guess I can add being in the wrong place at the wrong time during a police chase to my life's list. Quite honestly, being in that huge bus, we probably helped spare someone's life. If it would have been a car, I am not sure the result would not have been good. I was quite sad about the whole thing, and felt horrible that my Dad's bus was (possibly) totaled as a result. The whole time I was so worried about my daughter too...I would like to erase it all from my memory.

Today is my baby girl Car-Car's birthday. My sweet little girl is 3! It is very hard to believe and I always feel as if I have missed out on much of her life. Mom got sick when she was six months old, so most of her life I have been preoccupied caring for other people. I do my best with her.

She had the ultimate birthday treat....she got to have a sleepover at her Pa's house last night (Jerad and I went to my high school reunion, more on that at later date). She woke up to a "Hello Kitty Pancake Party" complete with special table decorations, plates, cups, etc....and the special treat of silly bands for all three kids. Miss Barbara knows whats up with kids loving those. Thank you Dad for keeping the kiddlings all night...it was such a treat for them all! (first time since Ally was diagnosed) Thank you Barbara for making her party so special and for my "mommy" hello kitty pajamas. Jerad loves when I wear Hello Kitty pjs.

She was treated like a royal princess all day, and had some buddies over for more cake after dinner. She spent the whole day in her special skirt and birthday shirt and her "princess" shoes.

All Hello Kittied out....

cupcakes right after pancakes....whoa

With her Pa....

special outfit..

I have even more stories I would like to share and remember, but must end it now before I lose everybody.

Ally is throwing out the first pitch at the Reds game tomorrow night. I will get some video I hope. It is on Foxsports Ohio at 7pm but I am guessing they won't show the pitch on TV. We have 50 Ally's Army people going with us!

I do have two special prayer requests that I would ask of everyone. My brother in law Mike has a family member that just found out she has cancer. And it is all over her body and they are not sure how much time she has left. My sister in law, Amanda, asked if the army could say a few extra prayers for them.

And one of Ally's fellow ALL fighters, Tori, from New Jersey, was in the middle of her Maintenance phase. Upon doing a routine spinal tap, they discovered leukemia cells had returned. I have become friends with them online, and had just talked to her Mom earlier in the week when I was so upset. (we help each other out) I am sickened by it, and ask for prayers for their whole family as their battle intensifies.