Home For The Holidays

I know it's been a few days since I've updated everyone, so I wanted to let you know that Kendall and I drove back in to Gardendale on Friday night. We got home around 3:30am in the morning. This drive was really hard to do. Traffic was terrible. We had a Christmas party at 10:00am so there wasn't much room for sleep.

Kendall is feeling really good right now. Her levels are up and she should be able to enjoy Christmas and her birthday. We have to leave on December 30 to go back to Houston. We all are going to go to experience a New Year together. Not too much going on the rest of the week. I will give some updates if anything should change and post again in a few days. I have to get ready to go back to work today. God Bless each one of you.

Thy Neighbor

There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about Kendall and her journey. How much it has affected her life...our lives...the life of others. And...life...is what it affects.

Kendall's doctor appointments this week have all been good reports. The MRI reports that the tumors are 99% gone. Her blast cells are at 3%, still good enough to be considered in remission. And the physical pain is almost all but gone, with the exception of certain procedures she is still having. Kendall's doctor said she can home this weekend and not have to return until December 30. So Kendall will be able to spend Christmas and her birthday at HOME...with family and friends. That leaves her with just two more treatment cycles to go...January and February. Hopefully after that, Kendall will be healthy enough to come home for good....minus the repeated trips back out to Houston for follow-up testing. But Kendall is ready to move forward and finish strong.

The last couple of months have been very hard, physically and emotionally for Kendall. Still she remains dedicated to get through this. Don't get me wrong, there have been some MOMENTS to where I didn't know how we were going to get through it. But we have. And we continue to fight as long as it may take.

I read some literature at the hospital over the last couple of weeks and there was one certain question that kept coming up. The question was, "Where is God in all of this?" I read the the responses in their literature but have come up with my own version of where He is. I have heard about God for my entire life. I have been to church. I have been to Sunday school. I have been to all the programs that the church has to get one acquainted with God. I have been Saved. I have been Baptised. But for some reason, God has always been to me....more like the next door neighbor that you occasionally see. They're always there, but you don't always acknowledge it like you should. Since Kendall's journey has begun, it has helped me to start a new renewed relationship with God. I have opened my doors to the neighbor. I have invited Him into my home...into my life. It's a relationship that I have wanted for a long time. Everyone deals with it in their own way and I don't know that any one way is better than another. But I for one am excited about my neighbor. Am I the perfect neighbor? Well, no. But I do enjoy trying to be better every day.

What does that have to do with Kendall's journey, well I don't know. But when I look at her, knowing what she has to go through and face every day, it helps to give me strength to be the person...the Godly person...that God wants me to be. It helps me be the better person that Kendall may want me to be.

Kendall has one more appointment this week and that is on Friday. She has blood work and a lumbar puncture that afternoon. After that, we plan on driving home for the holidays. Can't wait to see everyone and enjoy your company.

Luke 10:27
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself."

Adventure's In Houston

Well those two days sure did go by fast. Kendall has been feeling really good. I've had her up and moving around and even took an exploration around Houston. I wouldn't dare say it but Kendall says we were lost. But we ended up at the Bass Pro Shops and I told her that was exactly where I was taking her. Somehow I don't think she believed me. But we had a good couple of off days anyway.

Kendall has a doctors appointment tomorrow for blood work and a checkup. I'm hoping that since her energy level has increased some over the last couple of days that she won't need any platelets. I even told her that since she doesn't have another appointment until Tuesday, that I would bring her home for the weekend. So we will be driving in late tomorrow night or by Friday, as long as everything goes well at the doctor. We meet the doctor again next week to find out our Christmas schedule and how long she can stay home for the holidays, before she starts the next round.


Psalm 105:4
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Monday Can Be A Good Day

Who said Monday's aren't good days. Today was a really good day for Kendall. We went to the doctor first thing this morning for blood work. We even got the results back really fast. Her counts are on the way up. Her white blood cells are coming up the fastest. She still needed platelets, but even they were beginning to improve. Kendall had a lumbar puncture scheduled for tomorrow but the doctor said she could have it done today so we can have a free day tomorrow. The procedure went really smooth and no pain. So now we don't have to go back to the doctor until Thursday. After that, if all is still good, Kendall and me are going to take a weekend trip. We thought we would pop in on Gardendale for the weekend and surprise everyone but Kendall let that out of the bag last night. But we are still excited to get a weekend trip. I know its a lot of driving for the weekend, but Kendall has had a hard week and I told her we could do whatever she wanted to do.

We didn't do much over the weekend. Kendall hasn't been sleeping well, which causes me not to sleep well. We stayed around the apartment, watched Alabama play football on Saturday and managed to clean up a little. Wow! What excitement. Who am I kidding, we had fun. We even made it to a movie.

....Somethings go without being said, but sometimes things need to be said. No matter how hard they are to say. Both parties share an equal hurt and pain. Pain that comes from having to hear the truth. Why does the truth hurt sometimes. Nobody wants to be hurt. Whether your on the giving or receiving end of it. But it doesn't mean that love is gone. It means that love is stronger, stronger than it has ever been. Some of the hardest times we are having to go through are having to say the truth. Truth knowing that it brings pain. Pain knowing that it hurts someone I love. And love....love knowing that it will always be there.

John 14:26
The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Snow Is Falling

Thursday came and went so fast, I don't know what happened. We went to the doctor first thing Thursday for blood work. Kendall's counts were improving a little but still not as fast as they have been. Her white blood cells doubled to .6 which is still not very good but at least it's on the way up. Kendall had to have platelets so we were able to spend the day at the hospital. So much fun!!! Hopefully this should be the last time she receives blood for this cycle. We went back to the apartment and Kendall took a nap. She has been having some pain over the last couple of days. Kendall stayed in bed the rest of the night except when I had her watch the Gardendale Christmas Parade with me on the internet. Someone had posted a live internet feed to watch it. I really missed being there this year. This is the first parade I have ever missed. I'm usually working the parade at an intersection. I love the parades but am glad I got to see it.

So I wake up this morning to snow falling. Can you believe it, snow in Houston? Been snowing all morning and still snowing hard right now. Don't think it's sticking though, the ground is too warm. I ran and got Kendall out of bed and she was excited for about 3 minutes and then went back to bed. Maybe the snow will work its way to Birmingham. I know Dylan wants to see some snow really bad.

The doctor called this morning and we talked about Kendall's schedule for the holidays. They don't want to postpone her treatment for too long but it looks like we will be home for Christmas and most likely for her birthday. That's of course still under draft but that's what we're hoping for. Kendall is very excited about that but then she will probably be receiving chemo during the New Years holiday.

I'm gonna get Kendall out to the grocery store after while and maybe a trip to Walmart to walk around. Nothing other than that so she can be rested for the big game tomorrow.


John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

Plans Are MadeTo Be Broken

One thing is for sure, that if we try and make plans....they always change. Kendall had a plan yesterday to be in and out at the doctors office and then to do some things around the apartment. Well, after spending all morning checking her blood, she was a few quarts low again. Back to the infusion center where she received another 2 units of blood and 6 units of platelets. I think everyone had the same idea....because the hospital was packed. After it was all said and done, it was about 1:30am when we got back to the apartment. We did watch a movie while we were there, but mostly listened to the tv from the other room because it was so loud. It wasn't so bad except that it was in a foreign language and we couldn't understand it.

Kendall has slept most of the day today. She has eaten a little but not much. Me, I haven't done to much except clean up. I can't stop cleaning. I know, Tammy probably wishes I was home while I'm in cleaning mode. Who knows, it may carry over a few weeks.


2 Corinthians 1:12
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace.

As I continue to learn about my growing relationship with God, I strongly believe that with His help, my plans will always be changing...... for God's grace.

A Better Day

Today was an amazing show of strength by Kendall as she continued that good feeling towards the journey's end. Kendall went from not having strength enough to walk or hold her head up to defying to get in the wheelchair and proudly displaying her smile no matter where we went today.

We started off by a doctors visit for blood work. Her levels were better with the help of all the blood she received the day before. And being the Monday after the holiday, it was very crowded. We spent 4 hours there today. After that, Kendall wanted to go to Hobby Lobby to look around. So off we went. She looked at scrap booking stuff while I shopped for a Christmas tree. I told her we might as well put a tree up to enjoy while we're here. It's only a 3 foot table top tree but it has lights and Kendall found us some ornaments to paint and put together for it. It should make for a nice little addition to the apartment. Tammy and I put up our Christmas tree at the house after Thanksgiving and her and Dylan put on the ornaments last night.

We went back to the apartment after our Hobby Lobby trip and decided to take a nap. Kendall did anyway. She was beginning to look a little tired and besides, I don't want her to use all that blood at once. She needs to save a little to spread out over the next couple of days. Other than that, we spent the rest of the night inside watching tv or movies.

We have to go back to the doctor again in the morning to check her blood. Then we should get a break until Thursday. She sure was ready to start the day today after she got up.

Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Holiday Blues

Kendall and I arrived back in Houston on Saturday night. It was after 9pm before we got back to the apartment. Kendall was tired and went straight to bed. I stayed up a little while to try and familiarize myself with the apartment again. I know I haven't been gone too long but still, I wanted to make sure everything was where I had left it. I knew I wouldn't have much of a chance for the next day or so. Kendall had to be at the doctor first thing Saturday morning.

Saturday morning, around 7:30am, I pulled into the parking lot of MD Anderson hospital. I was hoping that we never had to see it again. But Kendall's almost through with only two more treatments to go. We went to the lab for them to draw Kendall's blood. I felt like the results were going to be low and that she was assured to get a blood transfusion. After 2 long hours and the lab having to run the blood twice, I was right. The lab said they ran the blood work again to make sure the numbers were not an error because they were so low. Her platelets were at a 3. Normal range according to the lab are in the 150's. So they whisked us to the transfusion room where we began the long day of Kendall receiving blood. She received 6 units of platelets and 3 units of whole blood. I then watched Kendall slowly rejuvenate as the blood went into her body. Her color began to show, her conversation become longer than yeah or whatever and her appetite increased. I knew she was better when she began asking me to go get her something to eat.

While all of these improvements were being made, her temperature also started to increase. It came very close to that magic number of 101. It actually got to 100.8 for a couple of hours. I started making sure she was drinking more water and it also began to drop. An ER trip was all she needed now. Well, for now we have avoided that. As we were leaving the hospital, she asked if we could go to Burger King to get something to eat. Appetite is good! Very Good! She always does real good when she has an appetite.

So another 14 hour day at the hospital in the books. Kendall sure did break me in quick. No time to settle in or anything. The only thing I need to do is straighten out the stuff at the apartment that Tammy moved on me. I'll have it straight by tomorrow. Not sure of a coming home time yet. Surely over the next week it will lay itself out so we can plan on her next trip home.

I have said it before and I will say it again, patience is a constant struggle with me. I am continually working to improve it. Sometimes God shows us the time table he is working with and it doesn't always have the same time as my watch shows. I continue to go through the bible, looking for ways to deal with somebody else's time table. It's always there, I always find something......it's just up to me to look.

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Internet Down!

What did we ever do without the Internet? How lifestyles have changed over the years. I have felt so helpless with the internet down, I have had to find things to do. Anyway.....

Kendall has finished her next round of chemo and so far, things have been well for her. No fevers and mild sickness. Tammy has been doing really well out there, except for missing me. I'm proud of both of them, they have done really good.

As Kendall continues her journey, she must again endure another hurdle. Her father, Keith passed away this week. She will be flying home on Thursday so that she can attend his funeral. Unfortunately, she will have to fly back on Saturday after the funeral. She is right in the middle of her lowest point during treatment and will need a blood transfusion by the end of the week. I will be going back with her this time for the remainder of her treatment. If all goes well, we should be back before Christmas.

As this week has began to unfold, I can't imagine how Kendall begins to find the strength to finish the treatments. Yet, she does. Not only Kendall, but Whitney and Bragan and the rest of Keith's family. All of this has been so hard to deal with for everyone. I know that God is out there and that he loves us. No one said that life was going to be easy, and if they did, they were wrong. But we all continue to move in a direction that will give us grace...that will give us peace...and that will give us mercy.


Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Here We Go Again

I took Kendall and Tammy to the airport on Monday and had to watch them leave again. I was going to post on Monday but I figured I would wait until tonight to let you know how her blood tests went. Kendall is ready to get started with her next round of chemo. The doctors said that Kendall can start so they're going to start Wednesday. Kendall's liver enzymes are still are little high and they're going to have to watch them alot closer but they feel like they can control them. As far as Kendall, she is feeling alright. A little tired but doing rather well and ready to continue her journey. I hope that this round goes smoother than the last one. With Tammy being there it will probably go without any setbacks. I'm gonna keep it short tonight but will try and keep you updated a little better now that I have settled in to work. I didn't know that you could pile up so much on a desk. Anyway....thank you for continuing to think about Kendall during her journey and as always...you are in our thoughts and prayers as well.....


1 Corinthians 3:16
"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"

Is Normal Back?

What a week! And it's only Tuesday. Kendall and Tammy came home today from MD Anderson. I couldn't wait to pick them up from the airport. It's like I haven't seen them in months, when in reality it's only been a little over a week. Kendall came home because her body is not ready to handle another treatment yet. The doctors feel like some extended rest at home for a week will allow her to rebuild her blood cells.

This past week has been more difficult for me than I thought it would be. I went back to work and did I have so much to catch up on. It was good to see everybody at work. But I do admit, my mind wasn't there for the first couple of days. I would often find myself wondering what Kendall and Tammy were doing. How was she feeling, was anything wrong, is there something I need to be doing. As the week passed and this week began, I found myself falling back into my routine, Me and Dylan were bonding. Hasso began to remember me. But I still had an empty feeling and became sad every time I talked to Kendall or Tammy. Of course I couldn't let them know how bad I felt, but now that they're at home, I guess it's ok. I'm tired of changing life styles and want normal again. Knowing that it won't be normal for a long time.

In many of my conversations with Kendall, I did begin to notice a stronger Kendall emerging from the bad month we had with the last treatment. Kendall began to want to do the treatment and was ready to go. Much like she was at the beginning of her journey. Her positive attitude helped me get through some tough nights without them. And Dylan was very "mature" with me as I noticed how much he has grown over the last few months. I hate to think that I have missed the last few months of his young childlike demeanor. He's a teenager now and I seemed to have missed the transition. We have spent a lot of time together though this week and it has been nice. He still does love me. My little boy is so grown up.

I don't know what the next few days will have in store for Kendall or us, but I will enjoy every minute that I have to spend with my family. If it's one thing I've learned, it's to really enjoy the time you spend with loved ones. The week will go by fast and I once again will be without Kendall and Tammy as they make their way back to Houston to finish Kendall's treatment.

During this past week since Kendall and Tammy has left, I find myself somewhat lost and confused. The emotions I feel have been turning over so fast and I get that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I need some guidance and direction and I feel my heart race. So...I listen.....

Job 37:1-2
At this my heart pounds
and leaps from its place.
Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

There Will Be Rain Delays

Writing tonight doesn't seem the same because I can only tell you what Tammy tells me. I know she probably tells me everything but it's not the same. Well, here goes. Kendall won't be getting her next round of chemotherapy right now. Her blood levels are still too low and her body is not ready to handle it yet. She's having a few other minor problems but the doctors feel like she needs a little longer break. She has a few more tests to go through on Monday and we are looking for her to come back home on Tuesday. We will know more next week but as of now, thats the plan. But we all know how plans can change.

Tammy assured me that this is not a bad thing. Kendall will get a chance to get some more rest and we will get a chance to bring our family closer together by being together. Even the doctors said it would be good for Kendall to get some more rest. I still can't help but think about how this may knock us around a little bit more. It makes me dig even deeper into the words, wisdom and comfort of God. I myself feel as if I was knocked around this last time and need to do more to trust...to follow..to guide..to lead...and to love.

Matthew 7:24-25
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock."

A Lot to Catch Up On

I begin to think about what I was going to tell you tonight and realized that it has been several days since my last post. To start with, we did make the trip to Gardendale and have had a wonderful time visiting with all of our family and friends. Kendall was really energized about the visit. I hope it will last her enough to make it until the next trip home.

As you know, this past month was a really hard month for Kendall. She struggled more this last treatment than most of all the treatments. She fought through it and is now back in Houston ready for another round. I am staying in Gardendale this treatment to catch up on things as Tammy will continue with Kendall in Houston

Kendall and Tammy flew back into Houston today. I took them to the airport this morning to catch an early flight. Kendall has several appointments today before she meets with the doctor on Thursday. As we got out of the car today at the airport..it really hit me that I wasn't going with her. I have not left her side since the beginning, so today has been very hard for me. I know Tammy will do a wonderful job taking care of her...but still...it was a hard day for me. I hugged and kissed them both by..and then had to get in the car to leave so they wouldn't see me cry. I know, I know...I cry alot...alot! I kept looking at my phone all day thinking that I missed a call from them. Wondering what they were doing. Then Tammy called to tell me they landed in Houston. TWO HOURS...two hours is all they have been gone. I can't stand it.

I went to work and tried to stay bust to keep my mind off of what they were doing next. Tammy then called to tell me that the blood results were in. They were low. Not at all what we thought they were going to be. Her platelets had actually dropped from what they were on Friday. Still, they were ok enough for Kendall to have her Bone Marrow Aspiration. Don't know the results of that until Thursday. Now will be just waiting... where to go and what to do next.

I took an online bible quiz tonight to help me find a suitable verse for the day. You'll never guess which one they recommended.
Only our favorite:

Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

This next treatment cycle is going to be hard for Kendall. Probably going to get harder from here on out. But I know that God gives us the strength and I know that Kendall has God on her side. I really do like that verse!

I Gotta Feeling

I gotta feeling that tomorrow we will be on a plane headed home. That's the plan anyway. Kendall has a doctors appointment in the morning to check her blood levels. If all goes as expected, we should be back that afternoon. Kendall has felt better today which is, I hope, a sign that her blood is recovering. This has been a rough month for her. In the hospital, twice, and her body taking a big hit by not recovering as easy as she has in the past. She still is very tired and there probably won't be a lot of activity this weekend but it is a much needed trip home.

There's so much more I want to say but right now I'm just going to leave it at this. We do thank all of our friends and family for keeping us in your prayers and thoughts. It's nice to feel the warmth of love pouring over us as we struggle to make the best out of all of this.

2 Tim 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,


To this date, I continue to believe in this. For this is where I need to be....

The Path Is Still Here

How things change every day. Kendall was able to leave the hospital today and was she glad. Tammy and me too. They had to put her on some IV antibiotics so I'll be hooking her up for the next 8 days. We all should rest a little easier now that we're out of there. Kendall was also able to have a little recovery of her white blood cells. They are at 0.1 now instead of zero. Not a lot but it is a start. The rest of her levels are still really low and it may delay our trip home by a few days until they can recover more. But she is still looking forward to a few days at the house before the next cycle.

While Kendall's journey to me is very close at heart, I realize that she is not the only one having to go through this. There have been people before her that have faced the same journey. And that there will be people after her that will also face a journey similar to hers. At times, this journey that I watch is almost too much to handle. I often tell myself how can people go through this and make it out ok. I have talked to people that have lived through a journey and are now living a miracle. One of these people was BJ Green. I have not personally talked to BJ but I have read his journey and have spoken to his dad about things. Remarkable. It gives me hope that they are still able to talk passionately about their experiences and share them not only with Kendall but also with me. I pray that I may be strong through this and share with you as well.

At the very beginning of Kendall's journey, I could not tell you hardly anything about Leukemia, much less AML t8;21, Kendall's diagnosis. But only 3 months in...frankly I know more than I would normally care to know about. Every day is a training day and it keeps getting worse. There are lights shining at the end of some of the tunnels, but just the knowledge of this has brought me sorrow...grief...pain. It's also brought me love...family strength...and closer to God.


Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:18
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief.

HE Continues To Amaze Me

Day by day, hour by hour, we can see the improvements that Kendall's body is making. She had an amazing day today as she slowly recovers from her infection. I can tell you, that these last few days have been a continued struggle to watch Kendall. One by one, I watched as the doctors and nurses attacked each symptom Kendall had. It was a coordinated effort to bring back the smile and laughter that Kendall displays. Having Tammy here has surely helped make this happen.

Kendall still has the infection but is healing up nicely. She is almost back to her normal self. We're still not sure how long she is going to have to stay in the hospital. The doctor said that she is going to slowly reduce the medication to Kendall as she recovers. Once she is at a safe level, she will get to leave. Kendall received another blood transfusion and platelets today as her counts are not recovering as fast as they have in the previous treatments. Kendall has not had a fever all day today which was very good news considering how high it was the last few days.

I've had a chance this afternoon to reflect back over the last couple of days and realize how scared I was going through this. So scared to the point where I didn't sleep for several days wondering what was going to happen next. I was becoming angry at the very people that were trying to help us because I didn't think it was enough. I didn't feel like they were doing everything possible to help Kendall. But they are. They have taken good care of her and continue to do so. God continues to show me how good HE can be. He shows me through the care of the doctors and nurses. He shows me through the love and support of family and friends. And He shows me through the smile and laughter that Kendall brings.

Psalm 68:9
You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.

Grace......

Making our way through each day has become filled with so much emotion, there is not any more room to do anything else. Sitting here not knowing what is causing Kendall's fever and why it remains high has become the new mystery novel of the day. Kendall is still in the hospital with a high fever. The pain is very evident in her face that things are not as they should be. We were able to find out that the blood cultures are positive for an infection. Not sure what type yet. We think we've narrowed it down to last week when her platelets dropped so low that we had to go to the emergency room. She has become consistently worse since we arrived to the apartment after that trip.

Kendall has slept almost the entire time we have been here. She hasn't eaten or drank anything very much. Kendall has times when she is up for a little while but is still really tired. Tammy flew out last night to be with us. I know she was glad to see Kendall, just not in this shape. Tammy stayed with Kendall overnight at the hospital and they told me to go back to the apartment to rest. I didn't get much rest. Actually I think I rested better at the hospital. At least I could keep an eye on Kendall.

Kendall is on antibiotics and other kinds of medication. The doctors are keeping a close watch on her. For now, that's all we can do is be patient with the doctors. I have tried to be good with them but you know I don't have any patience when it comes to Kendall's care. This is really the first time Kendall has become really sick. She has had a few bad days but nothing like this. For now, we will wait on the medicine to take effect and hope that Kendall's body adjusts.

Luke 2:40
And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

Roller Coaster Returns

Ok..Ok..Ok..back on that dreaded roller coaster ride we go. Any more than one day at a time would really be more than anyone could handle. As quick as Kendall climbed up from the last hospital trip, the faster she landed back in the emergency room. Wednesday night, Kendall's fever went to 102.2 degrees F. She started feeling bad after she had her lumbar puncture. Kendall's eyes told me the rest of the story. They were watery and red, her face was real flush and her skin was hot to the touch. Around 10:30pm, I took her to the emergency room. The official temperature of the ER was also 102.2. That bought her a bed. The doctor came in and the tests began. Blood work, chest x-rays and blood pressure. Kendall was so tired she layed down and slept most of the night. Her fever at one point rose to just over 103F. Thursday morning was filled with the same excitement as the night before. Kendall tried to sleep as her fever bounced around between 100 to 104 all morning. I nervously sat there watching her struggle with the fever. I know the nurses were probably glad to see me go today as I was dragging them back to Kendall's room every 15 minutes to check on her. That was all I could do is make sure they were there to help her. I know they were patient with me and would always tell me that they would take care of her.

They were able to get us into a room on the Leukemia floor. You have to wear the bootys and the gown to enter the floor. Yellow is not my color. Kendall continues with the fever as they put antibiotics and fluids in her. I imagine tonight will be as eventful as last night. Maybe the both of us can get some rest tonight.

Tomorrow, hopefully the doctor can give us some better news about Kendall. Until then, we will just be quiet and stay cool.

New Slideshow

Finally posted the new slideshow of Kendall's 1st Trip Home. Hope you like it.

Back On Course

Ecclesiastes 1:6
The wind blows to the south
and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.

Back on course is where we're at. The last couple of days have been really rough. I last wrote when we were in the emergency room with Kendall. We finally made it back to the apartment about 6:30am that morning. We then had to turn around and go back for another appointment and was there most of that day. Kendall is doing a lot better. I guess you really do need blood, huh. Kendall returned to normal as the blood worked itself back into her body. She has been really tired but has managed to make all the appointments that they have scheduled for her. We go back in the morning to check her blood work and will probably end up having to get blood one more time. She's also scheduled to have a lumbar puncture with chemo. She was able to sleep alot today and I feel like she has almost caught up with it. Her appetite is also getting better as she wanted me to cook tonight, so I did. Taco salad.

We met with a stem cell transplant team today. It was an Introduction to Stem Cell. Kendall thought, great...I feel like we're going to class. And, that's about what it was, several people gave a presentation on stem cell transplant. Wow, there's really a lot there to learn. As of right now, Kendall is not having stem cell transplant but the doctor's felt like we needed to understand a little about it in case Kendall were to have a relapse. It's a long process and takes several months to prepare for it. Better to be ahead in the game so we don't get caught up in a rush again like we did the first time. They gave us a lot of reading material and I'll have to say that I have been doing a little reading on it already.

These last few days have really been hard on Kendall. They've been hard on me. I know they have been hard on Tammy and the rest of the family. But know, we are very thankful to our family and friends who have been supporting us. You really do mean a lot to us and it feels good to know that you are there. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers and all that you have done for Kendall. God Bless You, God Bless All Of You.

Happy Birthday Tammy

The atmosphere here in the emergency room is not the same at the apartment. Yes, the emergency room. Kendall had some problems today with bleeding. She also started showing some blood spots on her arms and face. I made a call to the doctor and she said that Kendall's platelet counts were probably really low and that she possibly needed some blood and platelets. She advised us to go to the emergency room at MD Anderson to get treated. So that's what we did. And...the doctor was right. Kendall's platelet count was very low. The lowest they have ever been. I wasn't expecting them to drop again until sometime this next week, especially since Kendall just received blood and platelets on Friday. The nurse at the emergency room hooked Kendall up to an iv and told her that she will be getting 6 units of platelets and 2 units of blood. They didn't admit her in the hospital but they did tell us that it will be early in the morning before she is through receiving all the blood. Kendall curled up on the bed as I tried to get comfortable in the chair. Going to be a long night...or morning. Other than all of this, Kendall is doing fine. She has been tired most of the day.

On a brighter note...I want to tell Tammy Happy Birthday! I know I'm not with you but I miss you and wish you were with us. I Love You, Tammy....HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Something Committed

The low numbers are in. Kendall's doctor appointment Friday went as planned that morning. Blood work went smooth and the results came back as expected, LOW. Everything really low. Her white blood cells dropped to 0.1, lower than we thought they would go for day 8 after treatment. The lab actually thought the first tests were wrong so they ran them again. Same number. So Kendall had to get some blood and platelets so she could have a little energy this weekend. Friday night at the hospital. What else would you expect. Not like we had so many other things to do.

Kendall is still sleeping alot. This round has made her really tired. I'm pouring on the pampering, but it's not doing much for her mood. I was able to get her to go out for a little bit today while I ran some errands. I think she was glad as well to get out. Somewhere other than the hospital. After that we settled in, ordered a pizza and watched football.

I know I feel like night after night I talk about the same things as far as how I'm feeling. I've talked about the pain that I see in Kendall but how strong she is to be handling this the way she has. I also talk about how much Faith and Trust in God are important, not only in times like this but also in everyday life. Even in my job as a policeman, there are things that happen that no matter how much you train, it's hard to do. But they have to be done. Looking into your childs face.....tears rolling down their cheeks.....fear in their eyes...and pain..pain all around wondering why she has been chosen to go through this. How do I do it. I'm a physically strong person and can take a lot. But I can not prepare myself for the emotional strain that I feel right now from watching my child feel this way. How do I answer her and how do I know it's the right answer. Fighting off my own tears, I grab her and place my arms around her. I tell her that she has made the first half of her journey. I tell her that we are going to get to go home again for a few days. I then tell her that I love her, her family loves her and her friends love her. I can only tell her things that I know will make her feel better. I tell her to trust..to believe..


Exodus 4:4
Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.

...trust can hurt, trust can heal, trust can be given, trust can be earned..no matter what part of trust I am at, it is a part of me. I do place my trust in Him, no matter how bad the pain gets...I trust that the healing comes..I trust that the love will remain..I trust that the laughter will stay.

Doctors Orders

Rest..relaxing...and plenty of pampering was the doctors prescription today for Kendall. Kendall followed it word for word today. The pampering part was something I threw on the prescription just for good measure. Kendall did well today. She slept for the most part of the day but her smile had its motor running today. Well...only when Chase called. All I can say is keep doing what your doing Chase, it seems to be working. Kendall would be laying on the couch today, very quite as we watched tv and then I could hear her giggle or see the shine from her smile. I would ask her if it was Chase and she would just grin. She ate a little better tonight, probably because I opened up Chef Sutton's kitchen. She couldn't resist the cooking. No fevers today and so far the prescription has held up.

I called Tammy last night only to find out about the party they were having without us. Whitney, Chad and Karsyn; Brett and Bragan; Dylan; Chase and Emily all had dinner last night. They were all laughing and cutting up when I called. I hated to drag Tammy away from all of that with my phone call. But I am glad that they are looking after Tammy, I know she is having a hard time not being here with us. I feel like the more time that passes the harder it gets for her. I will find that out next month as I stay home and Tammy comes out here. I probably won't be very happy either from missing them. The most important thing right now is keeping the family strong and together.

I've discovered that there is so much to life and that people are important. I know sometimes I feel like I need to be alone to just work through it but it sure feels good to come out from that with the love, care and support from friends and family. And the confidence knowing that God has His arms wrapped around me so tight that it takes my breath away sometimes. I've always heard that maybe tomorrow will be better. Sometimes they are. But what if I don't have a tomorrow. I want that person to know today that I love them today..I want God to know that I love Him today...I'm going to work with what I have today and make the most of it. Each day I find myself asking God if I am pleasing Him today.

I challenge myself to be a loving husband...a caring father...a good son...a giving neighbor and a faithful servant to Him. Kendall's life has forever changed and the challenges she now faces throughout her life will test her strength and her love. I know she will face each of them with courage and attitude. As she fights through her journey, the good and the bad, I pray that she always keeps HIM close.

Let's Make It Manageable

Having a child become sick is hard for any parent. How much time and attention we take to make sure everything is alright for them and that they have everything they need. We make them comfortable to try and help ease the pain that they are having to endure. Today was one of those days. Kendall didn't feel well today. She has not felt well all day. It started early this morning at the doctors office. I really saw it this morning when she woke up. As beautiful as her eyes are...they were sad today. She could tell a story with those eyes. I tried to do what I could to help her but there really wasn't anything more I could do than to be there for her if she needed me. Even the doctors and nurses were commenting to me about how they hoped that Kendall would start feeling better. Kendall is usually the life of the party around the hospital. They always talk about how much she smiles. Her smile was worn down today as the chemotherapy has taken its toll on her. Her blood levels were really low, low enough that she started wearing the mask again. They dropped really low, really fast this time. And she has been feeling the effects the last few days.

Tomorrow, Kendall has an off day. No appointments, nothing to do and no where to go. I rented some movies so we could watch them as I feel that she won't be far from the couch. I figured that she would be in the bed most of the day, but no...she was in the living room talking to me when she could. A day of rest tomorrow will hopefully help her feel better. She still is not eating very much but is making an effort to eat a little.

The doctor said that if her levels are doing ok that it would be ok for us to make another trip home possibly on the 29th. That would be a good day because it's mine and Tammy's anniversary. It will be good to see Tammy then since I'm going to miss her birthday this month. I'm excited about the neighborhood Halloween party. It sounds like it is shaping up to be quite a gathering.

I know Kendall has had a lot of good days during her journey and we knew that there would possibly be some days that were going to be hard. Taking them one day at a time hopefully will make them be a little more manageable. Even on the hard days I know that God is watching over her and will make sure that she has the strength to get through the day. While Kendall may change from day to day, I realize that the one thing that will remain with us on everyday...that will treat us the same each day...that will always be here for us....is God.

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

....Amen

Little Debbie is Our Friend

We are approaching the half way point in Kendall's journey. We finished up her chemotherapy this morning around 1am. We now, again, begin the period of blood monitoring. Hard to believe Kendall has already had three rounds of chemo. Not that I will ever know everything about Leukemia, but I often find myself reading about other people that have had Leukemia and their experiences. I compare how different everyones experience has been. I know about medical issues that I never dreamed of having to know about. I don't know what healthy levels for blood is supposed to be. I didn't know how chemotherapy worked. I can say that at least now when the doctor is talking to me, I at least can understand what they are talking about. Scary, huh? And yet, the learning still continues. We are scheduled to meet with some doctors from Stem Cell Transplant next week and start learning about that. Not that Kendall is having that. But the doctor wants us to know about what is involved with it in case we ever have to go that direction. The more we know now, the better we will be able to help the doctor take care of Kendall.

Kendall has been sleeping alot this past week with her chemo. Except at night when I'm having to change the bag or check her lines to make sure they are working. The visits to Kendall's room all through out the night for the past four days have been really hard. Because we usually had to be at the doctor the next day. Sleep deprivation. Kendall has not had any fevers this week. She hasn't been eating as much as I would like her too but she has been eating a little. I haven't been able to get her back to the gym although she did promise to go walking with me. Gotta start somewhere. It's funny, when I leave to go the gym, she always tells me to be careful and don't get hurt. That she is going to stay behind and keep the couch company. And then what's really funny is her laughing at me when I come back from the gym and the first place I go is the cabinet to get myself a Little Debbie snack cake. I tell her its protein. She rolls her eyes at me and says "Whatever".

At night, I lay in the bed wondering about how tomorrow is going to be. Is it going to be the day that Kendall gets a fever...or gets sick...or has a bad day. I play all this through my head for hours and then something reminds me to say a little prayer or read something out of the bible. After that I can finally go to sleep. One of the verses I read the other night was this....


Deuteronomy 1:29-30
Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes

Let Me Carry It

JOB 32:8
But it is the spirit in a man,
the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.

Understanding that Kendall's chemotherapy went well today. Understanding that we miss our family and friends. Understanding that God's breath gives us life. Not understanding why Kendall should have to bear the pain. Give it to me...I'm ready to receive.

Placing Trust Where It Belongs

Today wasn't so bad. Kendall slept late today from me checking on her through most of the night. She hasn't had much of an appetite either. We watched Auburn today...I was very disappointed by the way...and then got ready to go to the hospital. We went a little early today with the hopes that she may actually get seen on time. And she did. We didn't have to wait today very long before they called her. We did however had to wait after she got in her room. They were about an hour and a half late starting her chemo so that means I have to stay up even later tonight to make sure the chemo pump runs ok. We were only there today for about 4 hours. A lot better than yesterday. We made it back in time to watch more football. I was excited, I'm not so sure Kendall was. But we did watch the Florida / LSU game. I think she has watched about all the football she wanted to today. I think she only watched it because I wanted to. Kendall did eat a little bit more tonight and hasn't been asleep in the last 3-4 hours. She has felt ok tonight as she was a little nauseous this morning. But overall, it has been a good day for her.

I spoke to Dylan several times today and he was still really excited that Gardendale won their football game last night. That's all he talked about. I talked to Tammy today as well and she said she really misses me. I hope so. It has been hard without her here but I know Dylan is glad to have one of us home for a little while. Tammy talked to Kendall today for a while and I think she got upset a little. Don't worry baby, I'm taking care of her and we will hopefully be home in a few weeks. I can't wait and Kendall is already working out a schedule to come home. We will have to wait until the end of this treatment before we can plan anything but hope that all goes well. We have a couple of dates in mind but will see how things work out for her.

Sometimes I forget that Kendall is 19 and very capable of making her on decisions. I still want to jump in and handle everything for her. As a parent, I will always want to express my feelings about what I think is best for her. I always will. But I do want her to make decisions and I trust that the decisions she will make will be right...for her. As I have grown in my relationship with God, especially over the last couple of months...I now place importance on trying to know and understand God. I will never know or understand everything that God does but can only place my faithfulness in Him as I place it in Kendall. All I want is what is best for Kendall...for my family...for my friends...and for God.

Philippians 1:9-10
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,

Patience, again........

A new record was set today as an out patient for the hospital. Kendall and I arrived at 8am for lab work and to start chemotherapy at 10am. Well...it got started a little late. We got back to the apartment tonight at about 10pm. 14 hours long. That kind of put a whole new meaning to the word patience. What seems to happen on Fridays is that everyone apparently shows up early, whether or not they have an appointment, to get through for the weekend. There were people there at 8am that were telling me that their appointment was not until 3:30, 4:30 or even Saturday, but they wanted to get it over with. So....we waited...for a long time...and some other things happened but...now we are through...until tomorrow. Have to do it all over again. Hopefully it will not be as long tomorrow. I'm just glad we don't have to go while Auburn is playing...

Kendall didn't sleep well last night. She said she couldn't get comfortable. She slept a little while we were at the hospital but I'm sure it wasn't very restful to her. Even though she has been sleeping a lot during the day, she still looks tired. I was able to get her down to the exercise room for a walk on the treadmill yesterday. The doctor said it would be good to get her strength built back up. We'll do it a little at a time until she is able to actually do some jogging or running. You know how much she likes to run. I have to tell her I'll take her to Dairy Queen if she goes for a walk, even if it's on the other side of town.

Kendall still has one more dose of chemo running in a take home bag until about midnight. They said she might start running a fever with this or even have chills or sweating. I will keep a close check on her every hour through the night just to be sure. I can get some sleep tomorrow while she is back at the hospital.

While in the hospital, I was not very patient. I did some reading to help pass the time. I know this verse is describing something other than what I am saying...but it had some meaning behind it that I had to apply to myself today.

Job 33
But if not, then listen to me.
Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!

What's A Good Example

I didn't expect that being out here with Kendall would be so hard without Tammy. I can handle just about anything that comes up with her. I am more familiar and comfortable with dealing with the issues that may arise during her treatment. I am prepared to get that right. However, I didn't realize that I would be so lonely.

Kendall slept really late today and only got up close to time to go to the doctor. When we got back to the apartment, she went back to sleep. I know she was tired. Maybe she is just catching up on all the sleep she didn't get while we were home. Her fever went up a little tonight, but nothing to really worry about. It went back down as quick as it went up. She hasn't ate much today and was a little sick tonight. But she was better in about an hour. Like nothing was ever wrong. She went back to sleep kind of early because we have to be back at the doctor at 8am. The schedule is going to be really busy this week.

So while Kendall was asleep, I tried to catch up on some reading. Watched a little tv. Then called Tammy to let her know that I was bored and had nobody to talk to. Of course she couldn't talk because she was at work. So I was quite most of the day today. Kendall told me that she would let me go walk around Walmart tomorrow if she was feeling better. That's ok...I'm good as long as she is feeling alright.

I had a hard time trying to find a verse today that fit. So I went with a good example.

Ephesians 5:1
Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children.


Sometimes following a good example is harder than it seems. It just takes practice and focus.

What Is My Reason

....as the sun shines through the window this morning, I slowly awake to the life of Houston. Realizing that I am no longer in Gardendale or that my wife is not with me. I am attempting to take care of Kendall during her journey by myself. We joked about me taking care of all of Kendall's needs but it was Tammy that kept everything together. I think she really sat back and watched me to make sure that I knew what I was doing. I'll admit..I didn't catch on until now. Tammy was really training me. Not that Kendall needs my help...she is so independent and could probably do this all by herself, showing no fear. I also think Kendall is letting me take care of her so I don't lose my mind.

We went to the doctor today and are expecting to start round three of chemotherapy treatment by Friday. The doctor confirmed that the masses in and around her spinal cord are "dramatically" shrinking. Dramatically was the word the doctor used, not mine. We will continue with the lumbar punctures (chemo in the spinal cord) weekly. Her blood has recovered as well, not as quick as it did the first couple of times, but it still recovered enough in less than a month. All the doctors were pleased that Kendall is having a speedy recovery. Kendall has still not had hardly any bad side effects thus far. The doctors were very pleased with this as well. It appears that we will be visiting the hospital every day this week and Friday is shaping up to be an all day affair. We are already mapping out our next trip home hopefully by the end of the month. I know everything can change still very quickly, but we are wanting to have something to work towards.

Kendall was very tired today and has slept most of the day. She took a long nap when we got home from the doctor. She will have plenty of time to rest to get ready for the next trip home. I'll make sure of it. We started the same routine as before...I ordered a pizza and we watched a movie tonight. I did miss seeing Dylan and Tammy for the movie though. Dylan called me about 10 times today to make sure I knew that he was taking care of the house and Tammy and the dogs. I just hope that he doesn't grow up to fast and don't need me anymore.

There have been alot of people that have expressed their love to Kendall and to us since the beginning of her journey. I want you all to know that your expressions have enlightened us when we were sad, kept us warm when we were cold and picked us up when we fall. And most of all...have shown Kendall how great love can be. People say that they don't see God but do believe in Him. I say that I see Him everyday. Everyday in the things that we do.... and in the things that we say.... and in the things that we show.......everyday. To me, that's God working and being visible to me...everyday.


Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Back to Houston

What can I say? Refreshed! Renewed! Energized! That's how I feel after a few days at home. Kendall is much better now that we have completed a successful trip home. We flew into Birmingham on Wednesday afternoon and spend the next 5 nights soaking up as much as we could. The weekend was filled with many many visitors and we enjoyed all of you. Kendall enjoyed all of you.

Where to begin. Arriving home for the first time in almost two months was exciting. I forgot where everything was. Tammy's brother, Ronnie, picked us up at the airport. Our first stop was to Tammy's mother and daddy's house. They had fixed spaghetti for lunch and we all were hungry. This is where all the crying begins. The first of many crying sessions for the home reunion. We visited there for a while and then it was off to the house. Our neighbors had decorated the yard with balloons and signs and it was a very warm welcome home. We were met with screams, hugs and tears all the way around. It was amazing. Thank you! Kendall's friends and family members slowly made their way to the house to welcome her home. We couldn't wait to see all the kids. Our little family was having a reunion.

The first night we were able to sleep in our bed, I sort of felt like I was a stranger. I have been away so long it felt different. But it didn't take long to feel at home. Life seemed to pick up where it left off. I awoke the next morning to help Dylan get ready for school and to get ready myself to go to work. Had this all been an awful dream. Was someone playing a trick on us. I quickly realized that it was not a dream as I saw Kendall's folder on the dresser. I have a folder that keeps up with all of her medical records, doctors appointments and names to MD Anderson Hospital. I began to look through it to remind myself of what we have to do next.

The next couple of days seemed to go by really fast. I hope that's a good sign that we are going to fly through the next round of treatment.

We all went to church Sunday and no, Kendall did not wear her wig. She now says that hair gets in her way. Or that she doesn't look right with hair. The service and all the singing was so inspiring and helped all of us get a better grip on this journey. I felt so much better about my changes after listening to Pastor Kevin preach. He made me feel like I'm on the right path and to keep going.

So here we are, me and Kendall, in Houston. Tammy stayed at home this time to take care of things there. I'm going to be with Kendall through this next treatment and then we will see where we go from there. We met with the doctor tomorrow and will get Kendall's schedule for the next month. Hopefully we can start to come home at the end of her next treatments. Coming home every 2-3 weeks instead of every 2 months is a much better idea. We will continue to pray and do what's best for Kendall.

Being at home, I had a chance to catch up on our life that was suddenly interrupted. Things that I always say I'm going to do, or I'll do it tomorrow. Spend time with my family and friends. Telling them that I love them and I'll miss them when I'm gone. Apologizing for the things that I have done. And most important...taking time for God.

Proverbs 6:4
Don't put it off, Do it now! Don't rest until you do.

Finally Home

Finally Home! This is a song by Mercy Me that I have listened to daily since we left Birmingham. I told Kendall and Dylan that I was going to play this song every day until we were able to return home. Even so much as I downloaded it to my cell phone and made it my ring tone. Something to give me extra incentive to bring Kendall home. And as of this writing, we will be coming home on Wednesday. Although it will be just for the weekend, it's still a much needed trip home. Kendall is doing well enough that the doctor said to go. Kendall is still really tired but I don't think I could keep her here any longer. She is ready to see her family and friends and of course...Chase. Her blood counts are still low but they are starting to climb slowly.

Looking forward to the rest of this week...I can already see that the week is going to be nonstop. It's something Tammy and I can't wait to tackle. A little break from the daily trips to the hospital, especially for Kendall. I just hope that she is able to enjoy the next few days without any complications or any fever. We are going to try and leave all of that here in Houston.

We are so thankful and blessed to all of our family and friends who have taken time out of their life to think of Kendall and greatly appreciate everything you have done for us. Tonight I wanted to give a special thank you to all of Kendall's friends. People that she goes to school with, grew up with and shares her lifes experiences with. I read through the bible looking for something to lift you up....to remind you that someone is always there for you....and to renew your strength and faith , just as you have done for Kendall. The verse tonight is for you and I pray that it finds a place in your heart...........


Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

A Child' s Eye

No one can mistake the love in a child's eyes. Children are no doubt the work of God. No matter what they do, we will always love them. No matter how old the children become, we are all children of God and I can only imagine what He sees when he looks at us. As tired as I may become. As homesick as I may get. As depressed and sad as I am that this is happening to Kendall.....I see so much love in her eyes every time I look at her. Her eyes tell the whole story. And that is the reason I believe has changed my life. I can see God through her. Shining and smiling so brite that I believe children are Gods greatest treasure.

As we sat in the living room of the apartment today we talked about what we were going to do when we get home. Hug family and friends...and the dogs and catch up on the past 6-8 weeks of their lifes. Of course this all depends on good reports tomorrow from the doctor. Kendall said she wasn't going to even start packing until she was cleared. We are all trying to down play a little bit. Don't won't to seem too anxious...but we are all ready.

Kendall's fever stayed down today and she has felt ok. We didn't want to do anything to chance making her fever going up. Me and Tammy sanitized the apartment one last time before the weekend trip home and washed up all the clothes...you know just in case.

Reading tonight, I came across this prayer. I took these two verses out to share as they seemed to make me think more about things. To be... "filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" is where I want to be. I have never been the man of God that I have wanted to be. I can tell the confidence in a man that has "that fullness". It is something that I want to fill up on.

The other part... "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" is such a blessing to know that God is here to answer our prayers...all our prayers. We just need to pray.


Ephesians 3:19-20
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

What Do You Think About

Thinking good thoughts, thinking about what is the right thing to do and thanking God for the chance to do all of this. Trying to be a little upbeat tonight as I write this. Another day in the journey with Kendall almost complete. We were a little sad today as we had to take Emily to the airport. We so enjoyed her being able to spend time with Kendall. They had such a good time but it seemed to go by really fast. But just a few more days until we are able to spend time at our home. Kendall is still trying to catch a fever. I'm just glad it's not getting to high. I spring into action when it goes above 99 degrees . Call it paranoid, but now is not the time to get a fever. We don't have to go to the doctor until Tuesday, so not much planned for tomorrow.

We talked to Dylan today and he was in better spirits about his arm. We will have to take him to the doctor this week to find out whether or not his arm is broke.

I hope this verse finds its way into your day tomorrow. Not only does it have 4:8 in it, it also has "whatever" in it. Everywhere I look, I find verses that seem to put meaning into my life. Hard to imagine that so few words have such an impact on my life.
Word of God, I hear you.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Pile It On

These last couple of days, I have struggled to not think about the past 6 weeks or so. Kendall has done good for the most part. There were a couple of times that her fever went up and we were on pins and needles. Kendall still seems really tired to me but she doesn't want us to think she is. Her and Emily and Tammy have laughed and talked all week. I kinda feel left out because I often find myself being on the tail end of a conversation. And then we received a call Friday night that Dylan may have broke his arm at the football game. Dylan helps out Coach Myric on the sidelines during the High School football game and this happened right before the game. My mother ended up taking him to Childrens Hospital emergency room. The doctors couldn't say whether or not it was broken because of the swelling. But they put him in a cast so he couldn't move it. It is the same arm that he broke last year when he played youth football at Gardendale.

With all of this going on and several other issues, not pertaining to Kendall, I once again become overwhelmed. I have spread my arms as far as they can go. I will continue to stand my ground and fight this as long as I can. But how much can I accomplish from so far away. At times I feel so vulnerable to the surroundings. Today, even though things seemed to be going smooth, I looked into the bible to find help to accomplish all these things. To give me guidance to make it through each and every day.

Kendall is so looking forward to her trip home next week. She has already been planning what to do each day. Hopefully this can renew her already amazing strength to finish the treatments without any problems.


Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn [a] of my salvation, my stronghold.

How Great Is Your Love

Fever comes and fever goes. Well, we did not have to go to the emergency room today. Kendall's fever dropped about 3:00am this morning. Although it did go up and down all day but never reach the bad temperature. She was a little more upbeat today. We tried to get her to do something to get her moving around a little bit. So the girls went to get a pedicure. Tammy said Kendall had a good time. I did not go, I let that be a girls day out. They all came back feeling refreshed and smiling. That was our only outing for the day. Kendall's temperature starting to rise again so we made it watching tv and resting in the apartment. We managed to drop the temperature one more time and it hasn't been back. Let's hope it stays away.

It seemed like any show we watched today was dealing with some type of cancer. I don't know if it is that we are more aware of it now or what. Some times we can watch them and other times we change the channel. This far into her treatment and I still have tears pouring out of my eyes when I think about what is going on with her. How much it has affected her, our family, our friends. I'm supposed to be tough. Doesn't take much to bring me to my knees. I look around my new, temporary housing and I do mean temporary, and see so many people dealing with the same issues that I today deal with. How do they do it every day. How can I do it every day. I am beginning to realize your life is what you make of it and the choices that you make....now. The choices made now will forever change my life. I just pray that they are the right choices. The choices that will give me the strength to care for my family and keep us together.

I've been working on some new pictures to post. These pictures are very hard for me to post but Kendall wanted me to post them. She has so much courage and strength in herself and her faith that I feel like she also wants to share with you. Her smile is the only contagious thing about her. When you look at these pictures you will see the smile of angel. So bright that it would light up Gardendale and beyond.


Job 29:24
When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them.

The Number "48"

It's funny how sometimes people become attached to different things throughout their lifetime. One of them I want to tell you about today is the number 48. To some, it's just another number. But to me it has special meaning. I first came across the number almost twenty years ago when I was hired at Gardendale Police Department. My "call" number, is 48. From there it kind of took off and began to pop up everywhere. Part of the number in our address is 48. And Kendall's softball number is 48. She took that number very earlier in her softball years. She carried it all through little league, high school and now in college . I feel like at least a part of me is always with her to protect her. And now I also look at it as the 4th day of the 8th month when we found out something was wrong with her. Go figure.

Kendall hasn't felt good today. I could tell it in her eyes this morning. I went to take her temperature and we talked as we usually do but she kept taking the thermometer out of her mouth. After a couple of times I finally got a good reading. It was 99.1. Not to bad but it steadily made a climb up throughout the day. She has taken it easy today and making sure she is drinking plenty of water. But now it's high enough that we may have to make an emergency trip run. Anytime it gets to 101, they advised us to go to the ER because of her blood counts being so low. It's not there yet and I hope that it will start to go down now. But we are close. I will keep a check on her all night to make sure the fever stays down.

So tonight while I'm looking through bible verses I found one that seemed to apply for today. Then I happened to look at the number. 48. Go figure.


Luke 8:48
Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

What's Around This Corner

A day of healthcare at its best. Sometimes you just know what to expect...but you just hope for it not to happen. Another 12 hour day in the books. First thing this morning, 8:00am, Kendall was having blood taken at the hospital. We assumed her counts were going to be low...but they were REALLY low. The doctor ordered platelets as well as 2 units of blood. And we had a Lumbar Puncture to go. Emily wanted to see first hand Kendall's fun filled day of excitement at the hospital. Me and Tammy let Emily hang out with Kendall while we went to the big lobby to sit in the big comfortable chairs. I'll give you one guess what they were doing when I went to check on them. That's right...sleeping. Both of them sound asleep with a blanket pulled over their heads. I don't think the day phased Emily any. Not much excitement at all. Just laying around in the bed.

We talked to the physician's assistant about Kendall's treatment and still everything is going as scheduled. She was a little surprised that Kendall hasn't been more tired than she has due to her blood counts being low. Other than that, we are trying to stay calm about making our brief trip home next week. Just to be sure everything goes well.

With all of that being said, I'm going to turn in early to get a good nights sleep. Neither me or Tammy slept any last night. We both were just thinking about the upcoming events with Kendall and her treatment. What to expect next and trying to explore and research all the possibilities of the next big step. Sounds alot like homework. I'm expecting to make an A.



Ephesians 3:12
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Standing Still

One day at a time is what we said we would do. This is how we are going to fight this. To date, Kendall is winning all the rounds in my opinion. She continues to improve and perform like a winner. Her strength has given her so much determination to accomplish this journey. And I have no doubt that she will.

Emily arrived Sunday and the two of them have not been separated since. The laughter and excitement going on around the apartment yesterday was loud. I can expect more of this to happen all week. We have a doctors appointment tomorrow for blood work and a Lumbar Puncture. I hope tomorrow goes smoother than this past Friday did. You never seem to know what to expect when we go. That's all the more reason to go one day at a time. Everything can change so quickly now.

Being still is where I feel I am right now. The last few days for me have been....odd. Several "fights" I have been in lately have left me feeling almost helpless. No matter what I seem to do...I can't seem to put the pieces together. So I'm going to just be still and let God work on a few things for me. Never before have I felt that prayer has worked more for me than this past couple of months. Tomorrow is another day and I'm going to finish enjoying today and not worry anymore about tomorrow. My faith, family and friends have become the biggest part of me....so....let's get to it.

Exodus 14:14
The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.


Lord...I'm still....I lay this before you only to pick it up tomorrow with your blessing. Your love for Kendall is shinning so bright..I can see the way. Thank you..Amen

Continued Healing

Sitting here tonight watching football, Kendall working on her scrapbook and Tammy working on a a puzzle....thinking about how much we miss being home. I didn't post Friday as we were at the hospital all day. What was supposed to be a routine blood work turned in to a 12 hour visit. Friday started off good with the nurses drawing the blood and even getting the lab work back fairly quick. Then we meet with the physician assistant. She told us Kendall's counts were low, which we expected and that she wanted Kendall to get 2 pints of blood. From that point on, confusion set in. The orders were wrote wrong and the communication between the lab and doctor just shut down. For about 3 hours, no one could tell us what we needed to do. Not to mention that it was Friday, the busiest day for the lab. after I got upset at the lab nurses, they figured out where the problem was and apologized to Kendall for the delay. From that point forward it went better but there was so many people. So about 9:30pm, we walked out of the hospital to go to the apartment. They said Kendall should be fine for the weekend but to watch her close due to the low counts. As soon as we got back, Kendall went to sleep. I stayed up and browsed through the Internet on AML and related research. I also started reading a book. I know...me reading a book, knitting...what else will happen to me. But the book is really good and keep me occupied while we were at the hospital.

Today, we sanitized the apartment...again. Me and Tammy went to the grocery store while Kendall rested quietly for her "alone time". We wasn't gone long, the grocery store is across the street. Back in time for the Auburn game. It was a nail biter for a little bit, but the best team won....of course. War Eagle!!!

Its getting late so I'll go but just to let you know, Kendall is doing amazingly well and getting plenty of rest. She did mention today that she is going to start getting back in the gym with me. I was glad to hear that. I have been looking for a batting cage to take her to, can't let her skills get down. She just smiled and said whatever.


Psalm 25:4-5
Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

Home???

I began to realize today that whenever any one of us refer to where we are staying...we call it "the apartment" and not home. But the apartment is slowly becoming a home away from home due to the amount of time being spent here. But I don't want to recognize it as being home. I have a home and we all want to go there. Even though I have been taking this a day at a time, when I look back...there have been a lot of days gone by. Little by little the things that all of us have done on a daily basis are becoming lost in time. A few examples are with Dylan. We called each other a dozen times or so every day between us. Talking about our day and about Kendall. The phone calls haven't stopped...but have decreased on both sides. Seeing my K9 partner Hasso every day for the last 4 years to not at all. Small things like this go on and I know I shouldn't worry about them too much but I still think about them. But no matter where I am, at home in Gardendale or in Houston, I am at home with God. I have made him a daily concern in my life and that change has been good. There is a need to pray to Him every day for something or somebody and I will continue to do that on a daily basis.

Kendall has been "normal" today if you want to call it that. She has not been too tired or complained of any pain or discomfort...other than having Leukemia. Bragan and Candice left today so we were all a little sad. Kendall as well as Tammy and me enjoyed their company but the time went by so fast. Time spent with family and friends has really took on a new look. Everything is appreciated a little more.

Kendall has to have blood work done tomorrow to see where her counts are. I expect them to be really low, but Kendall has done so well the last few days they may surprise me. We are looking to make a trip home on September 30 if all goes as planed. So far we are on track for the trip. We will only be there through the weekend but I think it will do Kendall some good to be HOME for a few days.

I looked at this verse today that talked about being at home. Home seemed to take on another meaning instead of "the apartment". I think being Home with God is my choice no matter where I am.

Corinthians 5:8-9
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

Beach Trip

Pressing forward through another day of Kendall's journey continues to take us all on a new journey. We receive calls, letters, text messages and emails from people that are saying prayers for Kendall every day. Some of these people are sharing their own personal experiences dealing with Cancer or any other journey going on in their life. Let me tell you, Kendall as well as Tammy and me enjoy every bit of it. The encouragement and uplifting that people can give is unbelievable. This is by itself a "healing" that should be done more often by one another. The last 20 years of my life, I have been working as a police officer. I have worked in many areas of police work. I, more often than not, usually am dealing with people that are going through very difficult times and are at their worst. I guess what I'm trying to say is that everyone has troubled times, no matter who you are. And it is such a blessing for people to "lift you up" during those times. People we don't even know are praying for Kendall and sending her words of encouragement as well as me and Tammy. This is what is such a blessing to witness. As hard as this journey is for Kendall and myself, people have been carrying us through it. Not to mention my new energy for reading the bible and trying to apply scripture to everything I do.


2 Tim 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We took Kendall to Galveston Island today. It was cloudy but that was probably better for her anyway. We drove the car out onto the beach and parked right in front of the water. Kendall and Tammy sat on a blanket while I waded in the Gulf. Bragan and Candice attempted to come out in the ocean until Candice said she stepped on something and it moved out from under her feet. That was all it took and I was alone in the ocean. The girls all laid on the blanket for a while why I just stared at the water. The beach there is not as beautiful as the Alabama coast, no sandy white beaches, but given the circumstance...it was an afternoon at the beach. We stayed for a few hours and then packed up and went to eat. We found a local restaurant to cool off.

Back to Houston we went, traffic by now was getting heavy so it took us a little longer to get back. But we made it, just in time to get a nap. Kendall laid down and rested while Tammy, Bragan and Candice dove into a puzzle. They had it out all over the table. All of them are so intense and determined to finish it before Bragan and Candice go home tomorrow. I read up on current events from the computer and listened to them laugh.

As things wind down, we prepare for tomorrow. Nothing really to do, no hospital, blood work or anything. Just have to be here for Kendall. Her medication has increased as well as me taking her temperature 4-5 times a day. I am beginning to watch her more closely as her counts start to drop lower. We will continue to handle things like we did the first round and hope that we do as good a job.

I really find this verse tonight to be my new drive. I find myself applying scripture to everything I do. And for me, that's a good thing. I had misplaced that part of me for too long.

I Love You Today

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

The things you do for your children are not always the popular choice. Sometimes the decisions are made based on what is better for them in the long road ahead. They may not see that far ahead and want to choose the shorter route. By choosing the longer road for them, our children often become mad because they don't understand. We all know how hard it is when our children are mad at us. I have done my share of giving in but sometimes I have to stay the coarse that I am on and weather the storm. My actions will hopefully come to a peaceful resolution during this journey and allow Kendall to once again have a normal life.

Kendall had some blood work done today and it showed that her counts are dropping. This is normal and we have been expecting them to start dropping really low over the next 4 days. A preliminary report on the last MRI Kendall had came back. A lot of medical language that I really don't understand but the doctor translated it to mean that the mass (tumor, lesion..whatever it's called) is almost resolved. Kendall does not have any more leg or lower back pain. Continued good reports. We were at the doctor for a long time today so when we came back to the apartment, Kendall took a nap. Me and Tammy cooked dinner and we all ate together. We settled into the night watching tv and talking. We talked about driving down to Galveston tomorrow to go to the beach. It's only about an hour away and it will get us out of the apartment for some recreational fun.

Today has been hard. I knew there would be days like this that we would experience and it doesn't make them a good day or a bad day...just a hard day.
Kendall, when you read this...know that I love you today!

Who's Teaching Who?

Monday night comes to a close as does the finishing of the second chemotherapy treatment. I am beginning to see Kendall's fight stretch out toward what I feel is going to be her toughest battle. The fight is leaving her tired for the fourth day in a row. But I do believe that Kendall is pushing this fight beyond all limits. Her smile still shines even though I can see in her eyes how tired she has become. I want to push her like I did when I coached her in softball when she was little. Give her that extra word of encouragement that I know she can do it. Tell her that she CAN do ALL things through CHRIST , which strengthen her. All these things....I do, but it upsets me that I can not do any of them for her. All I have are words. This fight...she must accomplish with God at her side. I pray that I have given her all the training necessary that she needs to complete this. Kendall is very determined to complete this and I will be here with her throughout her journey.

Today after we finished her treatment, we took her for a surprise. Bragan and Candice had flown out here to see her. Kendall did not know they were coming. Even as I am pulling into the airport to pick them up, we didn't tell her who was coming. Bragan has not been able to see Kendall since her wedding. Hugs and kisses and tears were coming from everyone when we met up. We went back to the car and then to lunch.
Bragan had to work last night and has not been to sleep yet. We went back to the apartment where I was sure Bragan was going to take a nap. Didn't happen. We all sat in the living room and talked for hours. About 5:30pm, Kendall as well as Bragan, decided to take a nap and that's exactly what they both did. The rest of us stayed awake and flipped through the tv channels.

Kendall woke up long enough to eat something and then went back to bed. Probably for the night. We go to the hospital tomorrow for a lumbar puncture and to get some blood lab work done. It's not until 12:30pm, so we may get to sleep in a little late. Bragan and Candace will be here through the week so I'm sure Kendall will not be bored.


I talked tonight about whether or not I have given Kendall all the "necessary training" that she needs. I look back over the last 15 years of my life. Time that I have had with Kendall to teach her these things. I know that my relationship with God hasn't always been where I wanted it to be. Especially now looking back, there was always things that I could have done differently or applied a bible verse to a particular decision that I may have been struggling with. This is the one thing, even now, that I so desperately want to give to Kendall....and that is a relationship with God. God gives us choices and it is up to us to make the right choices in what we believe to be right...in Gods eyes. We talked about God the other night and Kendall told us that she has a relationship with HIM. That relationship is hers and I do believe she has the "necessary training" to deal with this in her own way. This bible verse I try and apply even now...no matter how old our children are.


Deuteronomy 4:9
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Patience, we all have it in us.

Coming to the end of Kendall's second chemotherapy treatment brings us one step closer to being able to bring her home. I can't say that this has been easy. I feel as if everything has stopped with us and the world continues to turn. I want to try and find a way to jump back into the main stream of things. Kendall is becoming more homesick every day. She has been real tired the last couple of days which we knew was going to happen. Tomorrow is the last treatment and we should find out where her blood levels are at. This treatment has been so different compared to the first one. I don't know if she is more tired because she walks around more or if her body is more tired. Either way, she has slept alot this weekend.

She was able to spend some time with Jessica and Sierra who were out here visiting. They went to the mall one day and walked around for a while. Mostly, we just stayed inside and watched tv. We were able to watch the Auburn and Alabama games Saturday. I was able to pull them up on the Internet. Kendall watched some of the Alabama game but really wasn't interested in football. We went to treatment again this morning and it all seems to be nothing more than routine now. Seeing a lot of the same nurses and other patients almost on a daily basis now. I cooked lunch today for everybody and as far as I know everyone liked it. Cooking at the apartment is better than having to eat out all the time. Now that we have settled in enough, me and Tammy are trying to cook more. Tammy talked to all the kids and other family and friends today on the phone. Minus us not being in Gardendale, it was alot like our normal Sunday from home.


Colossians 1:11
being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father

Having read this verse, Kendall's Journey has started out very strong. All of us wanting it to be over, but knowing we must hang on. I didn't write about something the other night that happened between Kendall, Tammy and me. But now I want to share this. Kendall was having a rough time the other night about being out here. She wants to go home. Other than being a little tired and losing her hair, she hasn't experienced the immediate pain that she does when she has been physically hurt ...say...playing sports. Most of the pain is immediate and you know or rather Kendall knows what is wrong with her. This....this journey has not been like other injuries. It's been complicated, new, overwhelming and frankly, just don't understand it. This "injury" has affected all of us. I know Kendall is the one having to complete it. But we all are going through it. It has made this very emotionally painful on many levels. While Kendall has been extremely strong dealing with this, there comes a time when it is all going to get to her. She has had some little incidents along the way and will probably have a few more before we are done. But I feel that these little moments are helping to mold her to further understand what is happening with her and around her. This plan that God has for her....I know is the right plan. It has put me on a plan that I never expected either. That's why I pray for patience tonight to be with Kendall. SHE WILL be able to look back at this one day and appreciate Gods plan just as I do now for HIM allowing me to be in her life.

Act 2, Scene 1

Act 2, Scene 1. Successful! Just like the movies. The chemotherapy treatment went as scheduled yesterday. Except we were able to go home a little early. As the nurse was hooking Kendall up on the IV's she asked if we wanted to go home and do the treatment. What does that mean, Kendall asked. The nurse said that Kendall could receive the first doses at the hospital and then can carry a portable pump to receive the second dose. Well, that one didn't have to have any second thought. As Kendall was receiving the first dose, the nurse explained to me how to operate the pump for Kendall. It wasn't really hard to do. Push a button. I thought I had enough experience to handle that. When 11:30am rolled around, we were out of there. It's a good thing, I guess, the waiting room was extremely crowded.

Back at the apartment, me and Tammy cleaned a little bit more and sanitized everything. Jessica and Sierra were flying in tonight for a weekend visit.

Sorry there's not much today, the Internet was not working last night when I got ready to post. We are leaving to go to treatment but I wanted to let you know how the first day went.

Stepping Forward

Nobody really likes to go to the doctor, usually because there is something wrong. As much as we have been to the doctor with Kendall over the past month, I wouldn't have believed that we actually enjoyed the doctor visit today. This morning we took Kendall in early to have blood work done. The meeting after is what was the good part. Kendall is in "Bone Marrow Remission"!!!!! She has met every goal for the first part of the treatment that the doctors set for her. We are officially in part 2 of the treatment. CONSOLIDATION is what they call it. Kendall's bone marrow aspiration showed that the blasts were under 5. 5 was the magic number we were hoping for. Now, why this is very good news....we still have a long way to go to Complete Remission. She still has at least 5 more chemotherapy treatments to go spaced out over the next 4-5 months. Infection can still be very dangerous to her and we will still have to be careful with her when the counts are low. But still, it is exciting. The Physicians Assistant that was telling us this said that Kendall did extremely well and her counts recovered very fast. Kendall....I....we....owe this to God. I believe that God is with us for Kendall's Journey. To God be the glory.

It's hard for me to not get emotional over this...because I want to. But I know, it is still going to be a long road. It's like all the times I practiced with Kendall on pitching and hitting for softball. She kept working hard to improve herself to strive to be the best that she can be. I know that she believes in herself and is not going to quit "practicing" with this until she wins.

We were supposed to start the chemo today but the treatment was going to last about 6-7 hours, so the doctors changed it to tomorrow. We will start around 9:00am and go for the next 4 days. Then the repeat cleanliness begins. We've already sanitized the apartment.

I want to thank all of you again for your continued support and prayers for Kendall. You have meant more to us than you know. We owe alot of this success to you. It would not have been possible without you. At times I have struggled to write on here but I know that you have been as concerned for Kendall as we have been. I wanted to make all of you a part of this journey and hope that you continue with us. Kendall has expressed many times about how overwhelmed she has been for the love that you have shown her. I am praying for God to lay his hands on you and give you his blessings. That he continues to be with you at all times.


Deuteronomy 32:3
I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

Open Doors

Bone Marrow, bone marrow, bone marrow.....How many Bone Marrow Aspirations can a girl have, was Kendall's question today. Her lower back looks like a pin cushion from all the needles they are sticking in there. Kendall was really upset today thinking she was having a biopsy instead of an aspiration. A biopsy they would actually remove part of the bone. Aspiration is when they take out just the fluid. Both of them are painful and Kendall was not looking forward to either of them today. However, when we arrived at the hospital and the nurse asked her if she was ready for the aspiration, a sigh of relief went over Kendall's face. She said at least they won't be grinding in my bones. As me and Tammy were sitting there, we began to talk to a couple from Louisiana that were there for treatment as well. Maxine Pharr has been having treatment for 11 years at MD Anderson hospital and said she has been through all of it. Mrs. Pharr has Lymphoma and it has been off and on in her body all this time. She would smile as Kendall and me aggravated one another in the waiting room. Mrs. Pharr began to ask about Kendall and then she began to tell us about some of her experiences. She talked about her children and grandchildren as well as friends of hers. Kendall went back for her procedure and we continued to talk to our new friends. When Kendall came out, ready to go, Mrs. Pharr asked if we would mind her putting Kendall on her prayer request at their church. We exchanged names and told her we would do the same and ask people we know to pray for her...

We went straight to the apartment this afternoon, no walking or anything. Kendall had been very quite this morning and said that she didn't sleep good. So I said, dinner and a movie. And that's what we did. Tammy had started a roast this morning before we left and your sure could smell it when we walked in the apartment this afternoon. Another lazy afternoon as Kendall caught up on some rest and we .....did the same.

We think they are going to start her treatment tomorrow afternoon. Kendall is on the schedule for 5:00pm. We will find out in the morning when we go for blood work. Chemo treatments will probably last 4-5 hours tomorrow, which will make out for a long day at the hospital.

We got to see Karsyn on the webcam tonight. Whitney and Chad and Emily too. Karsyn sure has grown and is even starting to roll over now. Can't wait to be able to hold her again. Dylan called as well to update me on his turtle. I got to see him last night. I'm thinking the turtle is small but when I saw it, it's alot bigger than I thought. The turtle will make a nice addition to the animals we currently have.

An early day as well as a long day expected at the hospital tomorrow so I want leave you with a quick prayer and verse.


Revelation 3:8
I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.

Lord, I'm asking for an open door to heal. Please place healing on our new friend, Mrs. Maxine Pharr.

John 16:24
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Lord, I'm asking for an open door to heal. Please place healing on Kendall.