Week 13 – Take II

Alice made counts today! Her overall number more than doubled from last week – which is amazing! 

So she she got chemo and is home now. 

We are, little by little, learning to let go of the “schedule” for her treatment and take it week by week… realizing that some weeks things will go according to plan, and some weeks they won’t. As frustrating as it was last week for her to not make counts and have to delay chemo… it makes me that much more thankful when things go “correctly”!

This week we got to have some sweet moments as a family. We did our annual tradition of a local drive-through nativity which the girls love. This year it brought me to tears because of what a gift it was for us to have a Christmas activity we could all do together that was safe for Alice to do (no outside germs when you are staying in your car!). Most of the time now we are splitting the family when we do activities because Alice can’t do them. So this activity was extra special this year. 

Since the girls and I basically don’t leave the house during the week we’ve gotten creative… this week we pulled down the fancy tea cups and had a tea party, we did lots of dancing to Christmas music, made bread, wrote thank you notes, delivered blankets to one of our favorite local ministries, colored a LOT of pictures, read a lot of books, and did a number of puzzles, and built many princess castles with legos. 

We also got to see the Lord answer prayers and demonstrate His power. On Wednesday afternoon Alice began to run a fever (if her temp gets to 100.4 I have to take her to the hospital)… so I was watching her carefully. Some dear friends started praying for her protection and immediately her temperature started going back down and within just a few hours we went from having hospital bags packed to tucking our sweet, comfortable, non-fevered girl into her own bed for the night.

 Job 38:8-11 “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?”

We believe God declared exactly how high her fever could get and no further. And we are so thankful that we serve such a mighty, and compassionate God.

Thank you, as always, for journeying with us. Keep praying for God’s protection over Alice from fevers and illnesses that her body can’t handle. Pray for the chemo to do it’s job and get rid of any cancer cells still roaming her body. Pray for us to be an encouragement to others. Pray for our girls to see God’s goodness through this and not grow bitter or resentful of their trials. Pray for joyful and thankful hearts for each of us! 

As I type this – all three girls are giggling and chasing each other around the house. 🙂 

Love, m