The writings on the cake!

Praise God! All tests show that Joel is cancer free and hopefully this will always be something in our past. Once again, thanks to everyone for the continued thoughts, prayers, support and love - we couldn't have stayed strong without you!
Here are some pictures of the fun we've been having lately.

Empty house

With Joel back at work and the kids at school (2 days a week) I find myself in a quiet, clean, empty house. That only lasts for the day, but it's still a little weird for me. This week was the kids 2nd week at school and they are loving it. I didn't get a hug, kiss or even a goodbye the 1st day of school and 2 days later Jace was crying for Mrs. Wendy. I'm glad they enjoy going and don't make it hard on me leaving them.
We signed J.J. up for soccer and he had his 1st practice last night. It was 95' at 5:45pm and as we're walking on the field he whines, "it's too hot and I don't want to practice....". I felt like one of those moms who pushes her kids to play sports even though they don't want to, but come on - it was the 1st practice!! He got into it about 30min into practice when the sun started going down. It's only a 6 week thing, so if he really doesn't like it then we won't do it again. (but, we will try basketball and baseball ;) )
Joel is feeling great and pretty much back to normal. He's finally back at the gym and enjoying that. He has an appointment the end of this month with his oncologist here and then his appointment at MD Anderson the middle of October. We are expecting everything to be normal and to put this all behind us.

Chemo complete!

We are officially chemo complete! Joel had his 46hr dosage stopped yesterday and happily handed over the fanny pack. He took these past 3 treatments better since one of the doses was cut in half, and should continually feel better from here on out without any setbacks. I was greeted with a big hug yesterday when I returned from the gym and him saying, "it's all over!" These past 7 months have really gone by fast considering everything we've been through. I have an amazing family that I love more than anything and I thank God he has delivered us through this storm. I have enjoyed having Joel home this summer and it will definitely be an adjustment for us all when he goes back to work. J.J. and Jace love their mornings with daddy on the couch and mid afternoon movie time, but now it's back to running all over town with mommy :) No time frame yet on Joel getting back into the jet, but I know he can't wait. We have another follow-up at MD Anderson in September/October and after that he should start checking the boxes to allow him up in the air again. I'll try and download some pictures from the camera and get them up when I can. Thanks again to everyone for all the love and support you've given us!

Our baby is 2!

Wow - I can't believe 2 years have already gone by. What's even harder to think about is J.J. was Jace's age when Jace was born. Our little boys are growing up so fast. Jace doesn't say he's 2, but instead 4, just like J.J. It's so cute to hear them talk back and forth to each other. J.J. will say something and Jace will ask "why" and J.J. will have to explain and then get another "why" thrown at him. Their innocence is priceless. J.J. really enjoyed fireworks this year while Jace was pretty scared. We did a couple at home and he was better with those. We had my family over for Jace's party and he seemed to kind of understand the day was all about him. With J.J.'s being a couple of weeks earlier I think he remembered all the "traditions". We forgot to use our digital camera, so some pictures are from the TV while being played through our video camera :)







Joel is down to 3 more treatments and took this last one a lot better. They didn't give him the drug that causes neuropathy/cold aversions because he wasn't quite over it from the last treatment. They're being really careful with this one since it's side effects can be long term. For the first time he was able to actually have an iced drink the same day as chemo versus a week later and enjoy ice cream without even thinking twice about it :) things most of us take for granted.

Good news and pressing forward

Once again, I apologize to those who rely solely on our blog for the latest on what's been going on. I can say we've been very busy and I have a lot to share this post.
Two weeks ago during Joel's pre-chemo blood work we found out that his cancer markers were still going up. They should fluctuate up and down between treatments, but they had been steadily rising. These numbers are no where near what they were before surgery, but to play it safe M.D. Anderson wanted to run some scans and do more blood work on him. So, we packed up and spent the next week in Houston. We were unable to get reservations at the Rotary House (the hotel connecting to M.D. Anderson), but I did manage to find a room at the Westin Galleria. It was a 20 min drive for Joel to his doctor appointments, but a life saver for me :) After long and stressful days, we were ecstatic to hear that his scans were better than his post-op ones and his cancer markers were the lowest thus far. I know, it's crazy, and I asked the oncologist why the discrepancies were present in two different labs and he couldn't answer me. At this point I don't care, I just thank God for His amazing healing hands!! Joel had chemo treatment #8 this past Wednesday and is his most tired today (Saturday).
Yes, that's Starbucks IN MY ROOM!!
We took the boys with us because J.J. turned 4 on Wednesday of that week. It's so hard to believe how fast time has flown by. Just yesterday I was holding this quiet little baby who couldn't take his eyes off of me and was totally dependant on me. We took him to the Houston zoo that morning and ice skating that evening. There was a Nestle cookie shop in the mall so we surprised him with a cookie cake for his birthday. He was so excited, but kept asking me why I didn't make him a cake and where all of his presents were. We had his birthday party last Saturday where he got his REAL birthday cake and opened his gifts.
J.J.'s birthday breakfast






I can't usually find cards that say what I'm feeling, but I had no problem this time. Maybe I'm just on an emotional roller coaster, but almost every card I read brought tears to my eyes. Today is our 6 year anniversary and I can't help but think how lucky I am to still have Joel with me. A lot of the cards were about how having each other is all we need and no matter what we go through it's enough to just have one another. I can't think of a better time in my life to read those words. Life is full of ups and downs, some bigger than others, but when you have a bond that no one can tear apart it just makes those times a little easier. Granted we've had more than enough, but I can't imagine going through it without him by my side......
Thanks again for all the kind words and support you've all given - it really keeps us positive and strong when we need it the most!

As the days go by...

I know it's been a while since my last blog, but not too much has happened that you would really want to know about. We are down 2 more treatments and the week after next Joel will be 1/2 way done! He knows what to expect after each treatment and just deals with the fatigue and nausea as best he can. He still has most of his hair, but it is becoming obvious that no new growth is coming in. Not a big deal with the amount he started with and who cares about hair anyway when you could be puking your guts up, right??!! All in all he is doing great and still amazes me that after all this he's still upbeat and high on life - thank you God!
The boys and I went up to Dallas for Mother's day and spent a few days with my mom as well as going to my nephew's 3rd birthday party. The boys hadn't been to Nana's in a very long time and enjoyed our stay. We "camped out" up in the bonus room and surprisingly all managed to sleep well. As with every time we travel.....the kids and I did get a horrible stomach virus. It started with J.J. throwing up the afternoon we got there while trying to fish and Jace and I having it the next day. Luckily we were all better by Saturdays party.


J.J. was re-tested for swimming last week and will be going back to the same level he left off at last spring. I have to admit that I was a little surprised at how much he remembered and was able to do since his surgery....Go J.J.! He has become mommy's big helper lately and will do pretty much everything I ask of him and with a smile. He's started spelling 3-5 letter words and can write the alphabet without any help. His favorite game to play with Joel is super heroes where they have to spell out words that will give them a certain power like lava, ice, glass, cape and shark. It's amusing to watch him use his imagination like he really has the power.
Jace continues to do more and more things like J.J., both good and bad, and has quite the little attitude. He refuses to say "sorry" and had rather go to his room than apologize. He's very stubborn and persistent which I'm sure will pay off in life as he gets older. Swimming is still exciting for him and every class he completes one more task.
We are exploring vacations for once chemo is over and are thinking about Disney world. I'm pushing for the Disney cruise as well, but we'll see.... Any advice on where to stay or special packages that are a must??

1/4 the way done!!

Treatment #3 down with 9 more to go! This treatment made Joel his sickest so far and has really kept him in bed a lot. They gave him some anti-nausea medicine before and during his treatment which may have contributed to more nausea this time. When I read the side effects (once we were home)they were: nausea, vomiting, loopiness and exhaustion. REALLY, I thought......and this is supposed to help him. He is starting to feel better today and since it has finally stopped raining we are going to try and go for a walk later on. He's found that if he gets outside in the evenings he sleeps better and therefore has better days.

J.J. is 100% back to normal and doing great. We just started Jace in swimming lessons and J.J. asked why he couldn't go. Earlier in the year when I asked him he said he didn't want to swim anymore, so I just dropped it. Maybe in a couple of weeks when he has a little less "sensitivity" on his side we'll start him up again.

Jace is growing to be more and more like J.J. in every way possible. He is outgoing, loud, funny and never meets a stranger. He did awesome in his first swimming lesson and wasn't scared of anything. I think he'll be swimming on his own by the end of summer...:)


We continue to get support from all angles and couldn't be more appreciative. As hard and crazy as this all has been, it's been a huge relief to know the support behind us - God bless all of you!!

Recent pictures

joel and I headed out for some time alone
starting to play again
our Easter cake
1st weekend home from hospital

Happy Easter!

Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross so we may spend eternity with you!

I can't begin to imagine how hard it was for God to send his only son to the cross to die....... It has been an emotional roller coaster for me as I've dealt with J.J.'s tumor and yet he's still alive and with me today. Thank you God for all your mercy and giving me the strength to keep my faith in you.

2 down - 10 to go. Joel had his second round of chemo this past Wednesday and is finally starting to feel better and a lot less tired. It was definitely more tiring and sick feeling this time than before, but all together way better than some have it :)

J.J.'s follow-up with his surgeon went well and his incisions are healing quickly. We aren't allowed to pick him up under his arms for 6 more weeks and sometimes he has to scream for us to remember. I'm sure you're wondering why would we need to pick up an almost 4yr old, well you'd be surprised. Anyways, all in all he's back to being our sweet, crazy, energetic, monkey.

We had a wonderful day hunting for eggs, finding kisses everywhere and playing with the boys new bucket o' soldiers the Easter bunny left......... Gotta head outside with the kids to burn off more energy before bedtime - love and miss you all!!

Surprise - WE'RE HOME!!

J.J. and I had a great morning blowing lots of bubbles(to help him expand his lungs) and playing with play-doh. We had a good breakfast and had been playing and walking all morning and were finally ready for our morning nap. That is until the doctor came to see us around noon. After pulling J.J.'s chest tube, he said we were cleared to go home. Once again, J.J. was such a trooper when they pulled the tube out. He has been the happiest little guy since we've been home and already getting back into his own routine. I was really having to work on eating/drinking with him in the hospital, but tonight he ate all his dinner and drank a ton of water. The boys were so excited to see each other, and were back to playing trains in no time. J.J.'s follow-up is next Thursday and our goal for the week is to keep him from breaking his neck now :)

Feeling great and R-O-A-R-I-N-G!!

WOW, God is great!! J.J. is doing wonderful this morning and feeling ready to head down to the playroom to play (at least for now.... :) ). Yesterday was a little hard on him and he was very sore and tired for most of the day. We were moved out of ICU yesterday evening and were able to get a decent night's rest.....you know, two good 5 hour shifts. The doctor said his lung x-ray from this morning looked perfect, and that for all practical purposes the inner wounds are closed. His chest drain is off suction, but will remain in for at least another 24 hours to continue to drain unassisted. Provided his progress with the tube continues it should come out tomorrow or Sunday, and then he will be monitored for another 24 hours before we can head home. As I was just typing the nurse came in to remove his last IV and take all breathing/heart monitors off - yippee, we are almost totally unhooked!! Since he's more mobile and will be awake more we'd love to see visitors who want to come up starting this afternoon. You can call/text me to make sure the timing is ok.

Thanks again for all the prayers, comments, care packages and support - we love you all!!

Superman is healing!

Here is a picture of our little guy just hours after his surgery - as you can tell he is doing great! Surgery lasted about 1 1/2 hrs and everything went as planned. The dr. removed the upper lung lobe with the mass through an incision smaller than 1 1/2 inches. We won't know the pathology report for several days, but the dr. isn't expecting any surprises. J.J. and I have spent most of the day relaxing in his big bed talking about his owwie being gone and when he can take his diaper off......that is his ONLY complaint. We are SO proud of him for being so tough and know he will be our crazy monkey again in a couple of days.

Joel was up here this morning for the surgery and then came back this evening to visit. He is feeling great except for being frequently tired. I know it was hard for him to leave us up here today, but we have to make sure he stays healthy and doesn't catch anything during these next months of chemo. I keep thinking if it wasn't for his positive attitude and smiley face through his surgery, J.J. wouldn't have been able to stay tough. Gotta love my strong boys!!