Pardon my Absence

Has it really been 4 months since my last post? I'd like to think it was because time was flying. Rather, it was because life turned into pure chaos. The sale of our house fell through at the last minute, we re-listed and averaged showings every day, and the house we want hit some roadblocks. It's been crazy! We sold again and are temporarily with my parents. We are pretty tired and out of sync with all the changes and chaos. We will be moving into our new home next week. Based on the rare circumstances of how everything has played out, we have no doubt that this new home is where we are meant to be. Amanda is having a hard time understanding and adjusting. She will pull through just like she has with everything else she's had to deal with.

Aside from the stress of moving, Amanda really is doing remarkably well. I can hardly believe how healthy she is. I told her doctor that after 3 years I finally have my daughter back. To see her now you couldn't tell what she has been through. She has been in remission for 8 months. Every month gets us closer to the one year mark and greatly increases her odds of a full recovery. Personally, I believe she is cured. I can see such a bright future ahead of her. The fatigue and emotional setbacks are getting better each day. She is so resilient and I am so proud of her for it. We are so blessed to have our children healthy again. I have no doubt that they are a blessing from God and each day I cherish them. It is God's will when we come and when we go. I understand this and know that they are here for a reason. My job now is to better understand the purpose that they have and help them live up to their God given potential. I stand in awe at the blessings God has given me.

The picture at the top is inside the wishing room at Make A Wish. I am convinced that Make A Wish is one of the greatest charitable organizations in existence. I cannot believe the different it is making for Amanda. We went down to their facility and she made her wish for a Phineas and Ferb day. For those of you unfamiliar with the Disney cartoon I highly recommend you watch a few episodes and you will quickly fall in love with Perry the Platypus as she has. This show was our saving grace throughout treatment. She has just about memorized every episode. Even when she was at her worst, Perry would captivate her attention and bring a much needed smile to her face. She has been approved to go down to the Disney studios and it will be up to them how they create her day. If she has her way, they will animate her into the show. When we go is up to Disney, Make A Wish and ultimately funding. Since she started getting involved with the organization I've noticed such a difference with her. She is adjusting to the changes and accepting the past difficulties of her life with much greater ease. Having something to get excited about and getting such special attention has made a big difference for her. Amanda recently met another wish kid, Lizzy, with the same diagnosis and same age. They hit it off instantly. Lizzy had made a wish to have a new bedroom. She appreciated her gift so much that she wanted to give back. So for her birthday, she asked to have a party where everybody donated money for her to give a gift to another wish kid. Amanda was selected as that child. Lizzy purchased over $400.00 of Phineas and Ferb merchandise to give to Amanda. It was a touching experience and Amanda has just cherished the gifts, attention, and feeling that she is cared about. She is handling the current changes in her life so much better because of Make A Wish.