Our champion
With every special occasion, holiday, season change, or milestone, we remember where we were 3 years, 2 years, and 1 year ago. We experience a vivid flash back. And for the last 3 years, we thought we were winning. We believed it. When her June scans revealed her cancer had returned, everything turned upside down. Even though we knew the relapse rates, understood the importance of continuing to monitor her scans every few months, we believed she had beaten it. That her cancer was gone. That she had won. We claimed this victory and thanked God for it every single day. We were ready to spread hope and help others. We were ready for anything else except for what we saw on that scan. She hadn't won. It wasn't over. Brian and I are in agreement that finding out her cancer was back was harder on us then the initial diagnosis. Now we knew more, we saw what she had been through, what we understood and witnessed....it changed everything. And if I'm being honest, we are still trying to pick up the pieces of our broken hearts. But in the midst, amid IT ALL, Charlotte is THRIVING.
She IS winning. Of course, we could never begin to imagine the invisible battle that is occurring inside of her. We visualize her healthy cells growing and helping her heal, the diseased cells dying and being crowded out by the healthy and strong ones. I visualize this every single day and when you are in her presence, it is not hard to do. She exudes LIFE and joy and energy and hope. She overflows with such a spirit, that it seems impossible that she has to fight every single day just to be here among us all. It seems impossible she could be anything but healthy. We just have to keep visualizing and believing it. She is winning because she is here and she is making all of our lives better.
We received confirmatory blood work results that she can begin the next round of 3F8 on Nov 4. Until then it's pumpkins, Halloween, and friends and family. Until then she gets these beautiful fall days to just BE. And Taylor and Parker get their family, together and intact. They get the comfort of each other. You can often find them playing together in some imaginary world they create all together. It is a daily event. And last night, after we carved our pumpkins, Taylor and Charlotte were making a dance routine barefoot in the moonlight in the grass of our front yard. Hours before, we found Charlotte and Parker up in the backyard tree fort Brian had finished enough that they could safely play up there. The two of them playing some game, giggling. Even when the siblings bicker and get on each others last nerve, we are reminded this is sweet music too. These are gifts that come from God giving you a second look at the world.
And so amid it all, Charlotte is going to Kindergarten, singing in her K-1 church choir, just started back up taking gymnastics, went on her first school field trip, carved her first pumpkin all by herself, went to our church's Trunk or Treat, is a backyard ziplining enthusiast, is learning to read and write, spent a day with her siblings dragging us all around the NC State Fair and enjoying all it has to offer, and is about to participate in her school's Boosterathon Fun Run this afternoon. How could she be anything but winning. She is a champion. She is our champion. And we will keep doing whatever it takes to keep her here always. Thank you all for continuing to love our baby girl and our family. And thank you GOD, for every single day.
#Charlottestrong #Familystrong #Charlotterocks
(I mean, I tried to slim down the pictures to share, but look at this girl GO! Here is some of the fun (having technical difficulties so they are jumbled but oh well): gymnastic birthday party, school farm trip, state fair, pumpkins and trunk or treat... she is thriving amid it all
She IS winning. Of course, we could never begin to imagine the invisible battle that is occurring inside of her. We visualize her healthy cells growing and helping her heal, the diseased cells dying and being crowded out by the healthy and strong ones. I visualize this every single day and when you are in her presence, it is not hard to do. She exudes LIFE and joy and energy and hope. She overflows with such a spirit, that it seems impossible that she has to fight every single day just to be here among us all. It seems impossible she could be anything but healthy. We just have to keep visualizing and believing it. She is winning because she is here and she is making all of our lives better.
We received confirmatory blood work results that she can begin the next round of 3F8 on Nov 4. Until then it's pumpkins, Halloween, and friends and family. Until then she gets these beautiful fall days to just BE. And Taylor and Parker get their family, together and intact. They get the comfort of each other. You can often find them playing together in some imaginary world they create all together. It is a daily event. And last night, after we carved our pumpkins, Taylor and Charlotte were making a dance routine barefoot in the moonlight in the grass of our front yard. Hours before, we found Charlotte and Parker up in the backyard tree fort Brian had finished enough that they could safely play up there. The two of them playing some game, giggling. Even when the siblings bicker and get on each others last nerve, we are reminded this is sweet music too. These are gifts that come from God giving you a second look at the world.
And so amid it all, Charlotte is going to Kindergarten, singing in her K-1 church choir, just started back up taking gymnastics, went on her first school field trip, carved her first pumpkin all by herself, went to our church's Trunk or Treat, is a backyard ziplining enthusiast, is learning to read and write, spent a day with her siblings dragging us all around the NC State Fair and enjoying all it has to offer, and is about to participate in her school's Boosterathon Fun Run this afternoon. How could she be anything but winning. She is a champion. She is our champion. And we will keep doing whatever it takes to keep her here always. Thank you all for continuing to love our baby girl and our family. And thank you GOD, for every single day.
#Charlottestrong #Familystrong #Charlotterocks
(I mean, I tried to slim down the pictures to share, but look at this girl GO! Here is some of the fun (having technical difficulties so they are jumbled but oh well): gymnastic birthday party, school farm trip, state fair, pumpkins and trunk or treat... she is thriving amid it all
Trunk or Treat!
Community helper day in Kindergarten. Instead of being afraid of doctors and nurses, they are her heros!
First Choir Performance. She was feeling so shy and uncertain, but she did it and was then proud
Oogie and Nana, along with Nana Schuey and Poppy at her birthday celebration
first field trip!
This picture says it all
bumper cars! mom's favorite but this time Charlotte drove
Fair food
Thanks to my dad's extended family member Jacque, Charlotte is the cutest spider in town! She just loves her costume and we are so grateful for Jacque making it for her!
This child actually LOVES to rake
Off to Trunk or Treat at church!
I think she looks proud to be 6
end of birthday party bungee fun for birthday girl
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