Lots of praises!

This is David again, I was trying to figure out where to begin the blog and the first thing coming to my mind is that we received great news from Andrew's scan results before he began his 3rd PRRT treatment on Friday.  The tumors have not really changed in size (maybe only .02cm total across about five of the larger tumors they are monitoring for each scan); however, the good news is that on Andrew's FDG PET scan, there is about 50% less uptake of glucose unilaterally across all tumors throughout Andrew's body.  Andrew's cancer tumors require glucose in order to multiply, therefore, this demonstrates the tumors slowly dying and having less of an ability to reproduce (at least, that is my interpretation and could be very far from an accurate medical description of what is happening).  The doctors at Excel Diagnostics also stated that, while the tumors have not reduced in size yet, if this trend continues, then after his 4th PRRT treatment the hope will be that the tumors collapse on themselves and will cause shrinkage of the tumors.  We are praying and hoping tumor shrinkage will lead to pain shrinkage and an ability to get Andrew off all these pain meds (he's still on about 8 heavy duty pain meds).  No matter what, we are excited about how this treatment is working thus far and praise God for His continued work in Andrew's body.  Although, to be honest, if nothing was working at all, we would still be praising God for his continued work in Andrew's life and body.

PRRT round 3!

Andrew's sleeping arrangements for his 6 days of quarantine  He's got his snuggle buddies (a bear to represent every member of the family with some of our clothing on)

During PRRT, Andrew and I did our usual night of camping.  At 38 years old, you would think I would be wise enough to pay attention to the weather and plan better for myself; however, I did not learn my lesson from last time and spent the night shivering in my sleeping bag.  At home, Kristi usually makes me feel like I'm roasting with the temperature in the house and I sleep in the bare minimum; therefore, I did not plan well for sleeping in 38 degree weather.  Oh yeah, my sleeping bag lies as well, it states that it'll keep you warm down to 35 degrees.

Anytime I have to be away from the house I have a talk with Emme and remind her of the important role she has in keeping the girls safe.  Emme keeps eye contact when I tell her this, therefore, I assume she gets the message.  This is a picture of Emme going above and beyond the call of duty.  Good job, Emme!

We had a great time at Abigail's 3v3 soccer tournament in Orlando.  We enjoyed getting to spend time with Abigail's teammates and their families.  The team did great, finishing in third place at the tournament.  Most of the other teams in Abigail's bracket were from somewhere in the Northeast, where they play a lot more soccer inside during the Winter and frequently practice and play these small sided games.  The fact that our girls finished third, with this only being their second tournament of them all playing together was fantastic.  The team that won the tournament only beat us by one goal in the semifinals, in a game where our girls dominated the game in possession and shots, we just didn't get enough in the goal.  Overall, it was a great experience and one our kids will never forget.  We also had the opportunity to go to Universal Studios (with most of our time spent in Harry Potter areas) and Disney World (Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom).  Grace especially loved Disney and one of our highlights of the whole trip was when Andrew and Grace were selected during the Lion King show to go onto the stage and perform with cast for one of the songs.  I will attempt to post the video of this (Grace was amazing)!

A well deserved 3rd place in the Nation for this great group of girls!

Team and their siblings (minus Grace since she didn't want to get close to Minnie)

Andrew got to be the team captain for the semi-final game and the game for 3rd place.  The ref gave him the coin he flipped and Abby's coach gave him a trophy too! So cool!

Harry Potter world (not official name) was awesome! 

Hogwarts Express was so well done!

 More Hogwarts Express...

I want one of these...

Magic Kingdom fun while waiting for the creepy Winnie the Pooh ride

A glimpse of Abigail's rarely seen (by the general public) silly side!

Zebra Minnie ears.... how awesome is that!

Buzz and Woody were a huge part of Andrew's life for many years, we couldn't resist having him take a picture with them (just not in the 45 minute long line)

Lovin on their Bubba with a sneak attack!

Tea cups with this cutie.  We knew Grace couldn't spin it too fast so we agreed to go on the ride with her verses the big kids ;-)

More Buzz!  We can't get enough of that dude, he's like a part of our family!

Dumbo ride buddies!

We've noticed Andrew's many pain meds make everything more vivid in life (even the 3D "Bugs Life" movie/ride was a little much for him), scary Yeti monsters included, so we were so proud of him for going on the Everest roller coaster

Andrew got to do Jedi training!

Grace and Andrew participating in the Lion King Show at Animal Kingdom!

At the end of our trip at Animal Kingdom the kids went to use the Disney gift card they got for Christmas...  Andrew had his heart set on this lion stuffed animal he saw, so you can imagine what Abby was determined to use her money for, that lion for Andrew.  While David and Abby rode the Everest ride (we did a parent swap), Andrew, Grace and I looked around the gift shop.  Andrew saw the jewelry section and immediately said "I want to get a ring for Abby with my money."  I couldn't believe it since he had been REALLY excited about getting that lion he wanted.  I helped him pick out the right size ring for Abby and he went to pay for it with his gift card.  I could see the wheels turning in his head as he waited for the cashier to ring him up...  "if I buy this for Abby, I won't get my lion, but it's ok...."  He bought the ring and gave it to Abby,  She loved it!  I was so proud of him for loving so sacrificially.  A few minutes later I asked Abby what she wanted to buy with her gift card (already knowing the answer).  She replied "I want to buy Bubba the lion!"  His eyes lit up with such gratitude.  It was a pretty amazing teachable moment!

Abigail had her first basketball game of the season and her team had a big win in a hard fought game... and Abby only fouled once.  She had played soccer all weekend at ODP (Olympic Development Program) training, so it’s all too easy to bring some of the aggressiveness of soccer to the basketball court, but she did a great job of going hard and minimizing fouls. ;-)

Abby's cheering section!

Grace continues to provide constant comedic relief with her hilarious and witty antics. Her favorite song these days is the Seagulls bad lip reading song from Star Wars. Hearing her sing it and act it out is the best!  In case you haven't had the opportunity to hear this gem, here it is for your listening and viewing pleasure.

Kristi and I have been praying a lot about her job and if she should consider moving to the Oncology division within Pfizer (since she obviously has a new found passion for the Oncology world).  In December, a position became available in the Houston area (in the Medical Center- same hospitals she has been calling on for the last 12 years), so we prayed about it and Kristi applied for this position.  After having had a few interviews for the position, Kristi was offered the job this past Friday (same day we got good news about Andrew’s scans) and she accepted.  She is looking forward to moving into this division and having the opportunity to grow in her knowledge of the oncology landscape, but above all, she's excited to help patients in their battle against this dreadful disease . Anyone who knows Kristi knows she doesn't do anything half-a*#, so the next few months of home study and training are going to be intense for her, but I know she will love it.

***I (Kristi) am back- We were all reunited (after our six days of quarantine from prrt) and it feels SO good!

Grace's first comment when she got off the bus and after she gave David and Andrew a hug, "Family hug...oh, oh, picture!"

We are rejoicing over good news, great memories, and new opportunities!  Therefore we shouldn't be surprised that the enemy is busy trying to crush our hope and cause us to fear the future instead of rejoicing in the present (especially when we get good news about Andrew’s treatment, the enemy's motive is to squelch our praise by reminding us of what statistics say, etc), but we will continue to hope on and hold on to the One who holds our future in His hands. The One who can do exceedingly, abundantly beyond what we can even imagine!  We serve a big God, who I’m certain has big plans for our family and yours. Let’s not grow weary in asking God for that miracle for Andrew and for what ever is burdening your heart!

We sang this song in church on Sunday and I haven’t stopped thinking about the power and truth behind these words...  I’m praying this song over our family and yours!

“Let faith arise in spite of
what I see Lord I believe
But help my unbelief
I choose to trust You
No matter what I feel, let faith arise
Let faith arise
For my champion's not dead, He is alive!
Oh, and He already knows my every need
Surely He will come and rescue me

Chorus
God of miracles come
We need Your supernatural
love to break through
Nothing's impossible
You're the God of miracles

Let faith arise and see the kingdom come
I lift my eyes, oh
for the battle has been won
My God is faithful, oh
and every single word
He said is true, oh

Bridge
This world is shaking
but You cannot be shaken
My heart is breaking
but I'm not broken yet
Your love is fearless
Help me to be courageous too
Oh there is nothing impossible

Chorus
For the God of miracles
We need Your supernatural love
To break through, nothing's impossible
You're the God of miracles”


What is the enemy using in your life to steal your joy and hope? Let’s choose joy because our God is bigger (than anyone or anything), He is worthy, He will never let go of you, He is already where you are going!  Let faith arise!  #hopeon #Heisbigger #butGod

ANDREW'S ARMY, you continue to carry us with your prayers, encouragement, acts of service, and so much more! I will never stop thanking God for you and praying over you and your family!

Merry Belated Christmas

We pray that you and your family had the Merriest of Christmases!  We have spent this Christmas contemplating "what if God never chose to put on human skin and come to this earth as a baby 2,000 years ago?"  It would have changed EVERYTHING!  How would we endure suffering with peace and hope if Jesus was never born to live the perfect life we could never live and die the death we deserve to die?  Jesus' birth IS the ultimate gift!  I pray we never lose the awe of this truth!

For so many reasons, this Christmas has been one we will never forget...  It is a time for us to reflect on HOW much our lives have changed in just a years time.  A year ago, we knew Andrew had tummy pain that we were working hard to find a solution to, assuming it was a more common cause for tummy pain in a child (food allergies, acid reflux, IBS, etc).  We never dreamed we would hear the "c" word just two months later.  Also, in the midst of a new cancer diagnosis, Grace's heart would require another emergent open heart surgery.  This year has tested our faith like never before and forced us to answer deep questions and with more than our words (that's the easy part), but with our hearts, minds, and ultimately our daily living.  "Is God enough (no matter what happens to us, even if that means losing a child)?" "What do I do with hope when everything around me says there is no hope for my hearts desire to be accomplished (my son to beat cancer)?" "Do I trust God to make a way where there is no way?"  We all know how we are suppose to answer these questions, but when you have to live that answer out, it requires a whole other level of faith and dying to our self.

This Christmas God reminded us once again that He has the details figured out before we even know there is a problem.  You see, we had to have our shower redone a year and a half ago because there was a leak, which caused mold to grow in the walls.  This was an unexpected cost at the time, but we knew it was necessary.  Everything looked great until I noticed the drywall along the pony wall near our shower was soft.  Eeeek!  We had it looked at and repaired, until one day I noticed mold coming through the paint on that same wall.  Long story short, we learned the shower wasn't replaced properly and now we had mold worse than when we started.  We had to get a new person to redo the shower that had just been replaced (meaning we got to pay for our shower to be fixed twice) and at the same time we found out David's car needed $1,000 worth of repairs.  While these unexpected expenditures were frustrating, especially at this time of the year (Christmas), just before these expenditures reared their head, I had a sweet friend from the big kids school ask if I would be ok if she did Christmas for our family (with the help of our absolutely, positively, amazing community.... and even a new community that I didn't even know existed) all because the Lord had put it on her heart.  In addition to the amazing Christmas blessing from our friends and community, we were also blessed with some wonderful gifts for the whole family from Candlelighters (an organization providing emotional, physical, and financial support to families of children with cancer).  We can't say enough words of thanks to everyone who was willing to give on our behalf!  Our family was overwhelmed with everyone's generosity!  Only God could have known how desperately we could use these blessings.  Still brings me to tears every time I think about it, look at, or use the gifts we were given.

Let's pretend this is our Christmas Card :-).  Once again we didn't get Christmas cards out this year, but please know that each Christmas card we received has not gone to waste.  We take one family/card and pray for that family for a whole week.  Please know if you sent us a card, we are committed to praying over y'all. 

We got to spend Christmas Eve with Lu Lu and the kids' Besties (Mrs. Kathy and Mr. Alan).  Check out these cool shirts our super talented friend, Jenny James, made for them.  In case you can't see it, it has a drawing of "Scar Neck the Encourager," which is Mr. Alan, and "Scar Belly the Brave," which is Andrew.  

**Quick bit of information, Kristi had started this blog post right after Christmas and then our life got really busy and it doesn't look like we will have a break anytime soon; therefore, I (David) am taking over and will give you a quick snapshot for the rest of this post.

On December 30th, we had the opportunity to run in the Snowdrop Foundation Ultra 55 Hour Race & Relay.  We have run in marathons, half marathons, spartan races, etc, but none of those come anywhere close to how amazing the Snowdrop Ultra 55 hour was for us and our team.  Our good friends, who are part owners of some amazing restaurants in Sugar Land (Japaneiro's, Jupiter, Guru Burgers, and Kilo), sponsored us to form two teams, Andrew's Army and Andrew's Army, Jr (which was mostly a kids team).  Kristi will be able to better express how amazing this race was, but in my own words I can say that I have never walked away from a half marathon or marathon and thought, "I can't wait to run that race again," however, with the Snowdrop Ultra 55 I actually can't wait to run it again next year.  The willingness of so many people to run at all hours of day and night for 55 hours straight, all to support childhood cancer, was inspiring and heartwarming.  Thank you to everyone who supported us and ran with us! This is Kristi...  David did a great job, but there are SO many amazing moments and details I have to share with y'all later about this race ;-)!  It was truly AMAZING, so stay tuned!!!

The whole crew!

Andrew's Army Jr. team (the kids were lucky to have some rockstar adults to help them out)!

Andrew's Army team!

My people!

These 3 girls combined put in about 85 miles!

So proud of my running side kick for logging 30 miles in 55 hours!

Our favorite shift of all was running from 2- 3:30 am!  Every time we passed Bubba's pictures (he had two, since he had two teams) we would give him a high five!

These awesome running shirts were also created by the amazing Jenny James!

This dude ran 20 miles in the middle of the night on New Years Eve/New Years Day!

So proud of him!!!

These two kicked off the race!

Grace getting to participate a bit too!  The crosses in the back of the picture are a representation of the number of children that would lose their life to cancer in the 55 hours we were running.

Later this week, we are headed to Orlando for the 3v3 soccer championships.  Abigail and four of her teammates (and great friends) qualified for this tournament over the Summer when they won the regional tournament.  While there, the kids are thrilled to also head to Universal and Disney.  Andrew has been praying at night for Abigail's team to do well and that he'll remember the reason we are going to Florida and to not be too eager to get to the parks after Abigail's team is done playing their games each day.  Good job, buddy!  Oh yeah, Grace has woken up every day since Christmas asking if we are going to Disney today.

Then, we get home from Orlando on the 16th and Andrew has scans on the 17th and 18th, followed by his 3rd round of PRRT on the 19th.  So far, Andrew's pain has been much better.  He is still on tons of pain meds, but he is not having the breakthrough pain he used to have all the time, praise God!  Let's pray his pain continues to subside, and even more, that this hopefully means the tumors are shrinking, there is no progression, and we get the green light to move forward with the 3rd round of PRRT!

THANK YOU faithful prayer warriors!!!

#butGod #fightlikeaross #hopeon