Sweet Endings

This week marks the end of Calleigh's K4 year.  The last few weeks of school have been very difficult.  Calleigh was hospitalized for eight days with two respiratory viral infections and one bacterial infection in her port.  We were able to come home last Wednesday, but I had to continue to administer IV antibiotics through her port 3 times a day.  Glad that's done.  She was so sick and felt so bad.  We were trapped in the room with precautions.  She lost a lot of strength just sitting in the bed for over a week.  Thankfully she has felt well this week and seems to be getting her strength back....just in time to go back in the hospital Monday for another round of chemo...round 7 of 9.  We are in the last 3rd of her chemo treatment.  It's getting weary for all of us.  Her body is tired and it takes it longer to heal after each treatment making her more susceptible to illness.  I'm glad it will be summer and my schedule will be more flexible with what has to be done.
K4 Graduation was Tuesday and it was perfect.  My heart hurt so bad this year watching other students do the things she was "supposed" to do and what I had planned.  Her graduation was a victory for us as a family that we have not postponed our lives or hid from the world during all of this.  I flat out ugly cried all through graduation....at my place of employment which was something I have tried not to do this year.  I have tried to be very upbeat and professional all year long and not show emotions in front of others, but Tuesday was not that day.   I also realized we made the right choice bringing her to HSM.  As some of the teachers were emotional with her during the ceremony, I thought to myself, "She is really important to them and they care so deeply for her."  I was so very grateful in that moment and cried harder.  Thank you to Jessica Westmoreland and Beth Kennerly for all they have done for her this year.  You will never know how grateful I am.
Her graduation ceremony is posted on YouTube for any who would like to view.
K4 Graduation

 Diploma

 Receiving her PE Award

My butterfly

We survived the school year!  The social worker at the hospital tells me she will never forget the first thing I asked her after Calleigh's diagnosis...I asked the doctors plenty of medical questions, but my question for Amy was "Please tell me I don't have to quit work!" School has been my outlet and kept me sane.  Friends and colleagues, thank you for bearing with me this year.
Another sweet ending for us is the sale of our house.  We started praying about selling our house after Christmas and tossed around the idea for a while.  In early Spring, God placed some people in our path to lead us to feel we should list our house.  We worked with a wonderful realtor and the house sold in 3 weeks.  We should close next week.  We have found another house and we are just moving up the road but it will not be done for a couple of months so we will be staying with family.  We are blessed and feel like we are getting a fresh start and a new beginning.
Finally, this week marks the end of May and the end of Brain Tumor Awareness month.  I wish it ended for me June 1, but we'll be in the hospital receiving chemo.  Please remember those who suffer from cancer all year long and if you are able, donate to raise funds for pediatric cancer research to help us find safer treatments for our kids.
As always thank you for your prayers and support.  We literally would not have survived this almost year long journey without you.  Pray for us as we look forward to our fresh start and the end of treatment.