Anniversary...

Dad is back home from his business trip up to Canada (Toronto). Elizabeth was actually very happy to see him, instead of her usual "leave me alone" (which reads YEAVE ME A-YONE!) on day 1 of chemo. Today was day 2 of getting chemo at CHLA. Tuesday we saw Dr. Marcio, who thinks that maybe we should add a couple of other chemo agents to her regimen to try to get rid of this thing for good. And tomorrow we see Dr. Stein for another surgical follow-up. So we will have spent 4 consecutive days at the hospital. Ick.

We had a great time at Mountasia with our friends at the Michael Hoefflin Foundation on Monday night, even without Dad. Mom was really tired from hiking up and down the hillside (so THAT's why it's called MOUNT-asia) with Matt and Elizabeth playing mini-golf, and Danny in the snuggli baby carrier. Mike had a lot of fun playing golf with his favorite Miss Lisa and Jojo.

Mike has been a GRRRRRR-reat lion (see what I did there?) in his Wizard of Oz play. We are so proud of him. He also received TWO awards at graduation yesterday... the Presidential Academic Achievement Award and the Canterbury Performing Arts Award. He gives us reasons all the time to be proud.

Today is our 1 year anniversary. One year since our world was turned upside down. One year of heartache, trial, and triumph. One year of being knocked down, getting back up, getting knocked down again, and starting to get back up again. One year of learning to appreciate--truly appreciate--each second, and fully realizing that every fingerpainting and trip to Disneyland and bubble bath gets us closer to what could be our last months, weeks, days, moments together. One year since we heard the word "malignancy." Dr. Bahar couldn't even say the word cancer to me on the phone. But I knew. Dad was arriving home from a cross-country business trip that day and Mom got the call. I bet Dad was a little nervous flying home last night cross-country again. That day rocked our world... and not in a good way.

One of the biggest eye-openers has been just how many families deal with just this sort of thing. But we made it one full year out... and knowing how bad it was, we are really blessed to still have our Princess a year later. I look forward to our 2 year anniversary celebration (when we prove to a certain doc that he was wrong about her not making it past September) with Elizabeth dancing in the front yard, picking all the roses.

Things are still scary. Her last surgery may not have been theeeeeee last. She has a huge likelihood of more tumors cropping up. There isn't much more to do except have faith that she will remain strong and we will find a way to fight and win. Keep praying! We're one step closer to a cure!