Here comes the sun

Even though I haven't posted anything for awhile, I feel like we have slowed things down a little lately, so it seems like I would've had time to write doesn't it? I don't know, the days seem to fly by lately, which is good because it means that we are closer and closer to Brooklyn getting cured and finishing her treatment. A couple days after the Pettigrews left, Mike's parent's came to town for the weekend. It was so good to see them and the kids were thrilled to have them here. We stayed home for the most part and it was nice to slow down a little. Diane is feeling pretty good and the kids loved playing with Grandpa and Grandma all weekend. She starts chemo tomorrow so I know she would appreciate your prayers to help her through her treatments. Brooklyn has had an easier week this week. Monday night we gave her her last chemo pill for this round and she woke up super excited Tuesday morning that she didn't have to take any medicine for the rest of the week. Wednesday, Mike's cousin Rachel came to town to help us out for the week. It is so awesome to have her here, the kids are loving to wake her up every morning and having her around to play with them all day. I got to go to Costco and the grocery store without any kids with me one day, and that was like a little vacation in itself!! Mike and I even went out on a date Friday night, it was great to have some time to just hang out together without all the kids around. I have been thinking a lot lately about how much this process has changed our lives and our view of things. I would have never ever chosen for Brooklyn to get Leukemia. There are a lot of things that have happened in my life that I would not have chosen to happen. But I realize that God has allowed them to happen for a reason, and in a strange way, I am thankful. I really never have considered myself to be a judgemental person. I know it's not my place to judge others, but in reality, we all do it to some extent at some point. While Mike and I were out the other night, I realized how it is just something that I don't want to do anymore. I was looking around at other people, thinking "what's their story? or they look weird..." and then as Mike and I were talking, we talked about how we really don't know anyone's story. I thought about my friend whose husband was killed unexpectedly and how heartbreaking it was and still is for her and that I wouldn't want anyone to judge her if she was out one night with some friends. And I thought about our friend whose husband is on life support and how just a few months before they would go out on dates every week, and how drastically her life has changed in such a short time. And I thought about people looking at us, and that they had no idea what we are going through every day and that we need a little break every once in a while. I thought about my friend who just found out her son has some health problems. It all gets to be a little too much sometimes. What a fun date I am huh? Geez! Next time maybe we'll go to a movie so I stop thinking so much!! The only thing that gets us through is our faith and confidence that God's hand is on us every day. This part of our life is not easy, but we do have such joys along the way. Brooklyn has been learning to swim without her "woaties" and is so cute because I have to keep reminding her to close her mouth while she swims because she is smiling the whole time she is under water. She is just like her brother and wants to make sure everyone is watching her before she goes. We also got the great news this week that our nurse's son Zach's tumor is 99% gone! Such awesome news! And my cousin Nate is cancer free! So wonderful!! I really never knew very much about cancer before this year, and it has descended upon us like a black cloud; but the cloud is lifting and we are starting to see the sun again. We meet with the oncologist tomorrow morning to get our next schedule of treatment and then meet with the pediatric surgeons in the afternoon to discuss Brooklyn's port surgery this week. Good times are heading our way and we are learning to enjoy every little one.