Phoebe is doing great. She has handled this last round of chemo very well so far and her counts were still up at her clinic visit this morning.

One of the most exciting things going on with this sweet girl right now, is that she is fast on her way to WALKING again! Phoebe LOVES her physical therapist and has been so motivated to get back on her feet. Today she took four steps from her stool to the couch bearing her own weight which is just incredible for her, and was absolutely stunning to witness. When she finally receives her orthotics I think she will be walking in no time. She has had some trouble bending her knees in order to sit back down because her muscles are so tight from lack of use. Please pray for that as she moves forward and works hard to get back on her feet.

Here she is with her big brothers helping her during a recent session:

Nathan’s Dad has been with us for the past couple of weeks and he has been a huge help. Phoebe and her Grandad go for long drives when she is feeling emotional and that usually calms her down. He has also done his time at the roller rink with the boys, taken them to the movies and played more than his fair share of board games. This Texas summer heat is obnoxious and I am thankful to have the extra help to keep the boys from bouncing off the walls. I think we will all be glad to get back to the country one of these days so that the boys will have some useful work to put their hands to on the farm. Last year their lives were full of farm chores; collecting eggs, milking goats and cleaning the goat dairy, taking care of pigs, slaughtering chickens and turkeys, harvesting vegetables and working the farm stand drop-off sight. They are ready to get to back to work and I think we are too.

I always joke that Nathan is a frustrated farmer. He lives, eats and breathes aquaponics, ie: the simultaneous raising of fish and vegetables in a  closed system. He has a small system set up in our back yard and we are enjoying the tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers it has produced lately, but he is so ready to expand and set up a large scale system. We are itching for dirt of our own, soil to amend and prep, a garden…chickens and fresh eggs etc. We are praying about our next step and if and when God would have us move while Phoebe is in treatment. Mostly, we are realizing that this could be a very long road, and that we need roots and our kids needs roots and community and support beyond what is possible here in Dallas. Plese pray for us, that God would give us discernment. It’s always said that one should never make big decisions in the midst of crisis, but that is a luxury we do not have.

On August 13th Phoebe will have her next MRI and she will also receive her spinal chemotherapy. Three days later she will turn 3! On August 21st she will go in-patient and begin this next round of chemotherapy. She will be receiving some of the harsher medicines this round so please pray for her.

I am feeling better today than when I last poured out my heart on here. Of course that all changes depending on the day. Such is life going through cancer treatment. I am cherishing Phoebe’s good days and trying to live in the moment. I am leraning that living completely in the moment is a discipline that must be learned. I have to be very purposeful to bring my thoughts captive or else I can be carried away on a wave of grief at any moment. I can get way ahead of God and imagine a future without the grace to bear it all. I have to “cast down foolish imaginations” and be fully present. This is hard work. Some days I fail miserably and am easily overwhelmed. Other days, joy is palpable.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement, words of permission, prayers, love…