Happy 8th Birthday Kaylee!

Yesterday was Kaylee’s 8th birthday! And to celebrate in style, she threw a pajama sleepover party with several friends from school, with an Ariel under the sea theme (and few other twists.) They had a fun evening of crafts, pinata, cake and dirt cups (pudding), dancing under the lights, roasting marshmallows by the campfire, and ending with a night out in a tent in our backyard. They are now hanging out in the tent, playing board games, and just enjoying their time together 🙂 Kaylee even had a few visits from Grandma and Papa through the Woods, Grandma and Papa with the Trailer, Unlce Tom, and The Henry’s too 🙂 I truly think she had a fun day, full of smiles, laughter, and friendship 🙂

It has been quite a while since the last post, and we have been very busy these last 5 months! The highlight of our summer was a trip to Disney, with side trips to Lego Land and Cocoa Beach! We all had a fun time and enjoyed the distraction from the daily hustle and bustle at home. We all thoroughly enjoyed Disney, but one of the favorite days was at the beach, building sand castles, jumping the waves, and being in the ocean. That was the first trip to the ocean for both Kyle and Kaylee, and they really enjoyed it!

Our summer was filled with many trips to the baseball fields, Kyle playing baseball, and Kaylee playing softball for the first time. It was fun to watch both of them improve over the season. Kaylee was very hesitant to even swing the bat, but by the end of the season, she was swinging away! Kyle had a great defensive year, and really improved his hitting over the season. We truly enjoy watching them play and watching Kaylee have fun with all her friends, cheering them on and learning the game.

The rest of the summer has just flown by…school starts again next Wed., Aug 21, so there are only a few more days left. Kaylee will be starting 3rd grade (she was just starting 4 year-old preschool when she was diagnosed), and Kyle will be starting 7th grade (he was just starting 3rd grade.) Jamie has done a great job with the kids at home, while I am at work. His photography business is starting to really take off, and we truly appreciate all the friends and family that have supported him and allowed him to photograph them to gain some more experience and build his portfolio. His pictures are amazing, especially with his artistic background and artistic vision.

Kaylee is feeling great and is a happy and healthy 8 year old. I took her last week to see her normal pediatrician for her annual check-up. Her only concern was the possibility of scoliosis, curvature of the spine, so we took her to the Cleveland Clinic center for a series of x-rays. We are awaiting the outcome of the x-rays and will determine a plan of action from there, if any. I actually had scoliosis as a child and simply grew out of it, without the need for a brace, surgery, or physical therapy. We are hoping the same will ring true for Kaylee, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

And as always, thank you for all the continued support and love and prayers. I am still amazed at how many people stop and ask me how Kaylee is doing. It is a blessing to be able to say that she is almost 2 1/2 years in remission and feeling great! She is thriving and happy and just how a little 8 year old girl should be 🙂 Thank you, thank you for your love and support – we truly appreciate it! We are sending lots of love and prayers to all of you too!