Last Friday of Summer

Today is the last Friday of the summer. The first summer that my kids are finally old enough that they don't wake me one second after they get out of bed. Which is really nice, by the way. We have really done nothing these last two weeks of summer. Well nothing in my book = lots of fun times with the kids. I have spent some time with my sister...who is due to give birth to her third child any day! Here are a few pictures from the day we spent together at the Children's Garden at Wegerzyn.

And my very cute, but about ready to pop sister: Melissa.
And my sweet little boy turned 7! As he was going to bed, the last night that he was 6, I told him that I just wished he could stay 6 forever. And the weirdest thing is....he agreed! Usually he always wants to get older, but for that one blink in time it was as if he knew how good he has it. He had the most awesome birthday party with a few of his friends at Fox Hill pool. I wanted to surprise him with a dunk tank...but got back from vacation and all the rentals were gone. Enter in Evan's Pa to the equation.....who is now the proud owner of a dunk tank. We now have a dunk tank to add to the arsenal of fun at Fox Hill. SEE?!? He is a very lucky boy.

He's Up!

And he's down.
Ally girl takes the fall.....
My very awesome concession stand workers.....the best!

He even had a dunk tank cake (shared with my Dad who has the same birthday as Evan!)

And this is just the coolest mid-air shot I got of my nephew Owen.Really I have so many good memories from this summer and like a lot of Mom's I don't want it to end. But I also know that it has to because my kids have gotten super lazy and they need a little more structure to their days.

For me, as everyone is gearing up for school and buying this and that and fretting over tiny details like clothes and school supplies and lunch boxes.....well, I find myself only focusing on one thing: the end of treatment for Ally. It is first and foremost in my mind when I wake up and also fills my prayers when I lay down at night. The day I have waited for for so long is rapidly approaching.

I am scared. I will say it now and get it out there. A week from today Ally will have her last spinal tap. Her last push of methotrexate will travel up her spinal cord and envelop her brain. She will lay "upside down" for an hour one last time and let the chemo do its job. But the scariest part for me, is that Dr B will stick a giant needle in her hip bone next Friday and pull out a sample of her bone marrow. We have not done this for almost two years. No scientist has looked at her marrow under a microscope and checked for leukemic cells in a very long time. (they check her spinal fluid, but not the bone marrow) I keep telling myself all will be good, but I also know that this is the closest I will get to receiving yet another phone call that could bring me to my knees in my instant. So I am just asking for extra extra extra prayers from my Army and my friends and my family who have carried us this far. We are on mile 25 of 26 of our marathon, but we must cross the finish line with all the strength that we have.

And finally I will again ask, if you can, that you walk with us (and all the kids battling cancer) on the morning of Sept 17. It will be a monumental day for us. The exact last day that Ally will take her chemo at home. The information on the 1st annual Curesearch walk is here:

http://www.curesearchwalk.org/dayton/allysarmy

I am also closing out the Ally's Army shirt order this weekend. I already have about 50 shirts to order, but if you would like one send me a quick note at janelbcpa@aol.com. They are $5 each.

Thanks as always for following our story and praying for our family!