Ups and Downs

 This has been a week of ups and downs. I continue to be so grateful for the people around us and the amount of love that surrounds my kids on a daily basis. Mimi and PopPop are settled in and we get to see them several times a week. It is so nice to have them here to share in the everyday moments of life and the special events. 

This week I spoke at two separate events and after six months if felt good to be back to sharing our story to try and help others. The first was for a safety board at the hospital and the second was a fundraiser for Maddy's therapy center. 

The kids are doing pretty well. Alex went to the dentist this week. He would really like to try and get braces, but is worried about his ability to handle the initial placement. Please pray for him as this is something he really wants and needs to feel better about himself. 

Bruce is about to start another round of Chemo. He has done pretty well so far, but did experience fatigue and some GI issues. He also has some labs that are off so they are watching those. WE are still waiting on results from the MRI of his kidney. We are praying that the spot they saw is not cancer. 

I am hanging in there. I am just incredibly tired and busy. It is exhausting to physically and emotionally make sure everyone is cared for. I am also such a people person and the isolation of coronavirus after all these months takes its toll. I am also struggling to offer grace to all the people complaining about the activities they are missing. Alex has missed out on almost every right of passage of childhood due to his disease. We have friends who lost their children at young ages. Watching constant complaining about a few weeks of quarantine from school and how "unfair" it is has been hard for me. 

For most of the kids lives I have tried to instill in them a spirit of generosity and serving others. Most often it has come in the form of giving back to the hospitals and organizations that have been so kind to us and been such a huge part of our lives. Alex has taken that spirit to heart and works hard year after year to Fundraise for Cook Children's Hospital. His favorite event of the year is a 24 hour gaming marathon. Extra Life is on November 7th. Typically Alex spends close to 12 hours gaming with two different groups who are committed to raising money for Cooks. It is a day he looks forward to all year. This year there will be no event to attend, but that hasn't stopped Alex from setting his goals and still trying to raise Money. If you are interested in helping him reach his goal to make life in the hospital easier for other kids, please visit his page:

Alex's Extra Life Page

Thank you to those of you who continue to check in on us and share in our life.

Ali