One month! Can you believe I updated again in 1 month! I don’t know how I ever had time to do it daily.
Its been a litle bit of a slow down since my last post. Taylor’s homecoming game was great! They won 20-8 and had the first ever 7th grade undefeated team! Awesome!!! I was so glad he was a part of that. Logan has had so many cool opportunities through baseball and I was glad to see Taylor get one too. They will soon have a football banquet and other than the dressing up, he is pumped about it!

Guh and I took the boys to the pumpkin patch. They had a good time. We ended up with 4 of the biggest pumpkins they had!

The boys and a group of their friends played in a charity kick ball game for a fellow cancer warrior. We had a blast and they brought home the 1st place trophy!

Taylor ended up with micoplasma and a sinus infection and had a rough time getting over that. He was so tired and had horrible headaches. Luckily, he seems to finally be over it. He still has headaches which sends me over the edge, but honestly, I think it s stress. This is a hard year. I knew the older he got the harder it would get, but geez!! His IEP hasn’t worked as it should and we have had to set a lot of things straight which has left him with bad grades, redoing things etc that have just stressed us all out. I don’t need him to get straight a’s, but I wont have f’s either. We are getting through it though!

Taylor got his cast off and was thrilled! it felt stiff, so he still wouldn’t use it at first, but he is fine now. Of course, a trip to Disney will cure anything!

Yes, we went back! We had a fabulous time because it was not crowded at all!! The boys also did the Mickey Mile. They ran a mile around the wide world of sports complex. Logan finished in 7:28 and Taylor finished in 7:53. I thought was good for a first try at something like that! They got medals and everything. It was a lot of fun!

We are gearing up for a winter ball tournament at the beach. Christmas holidays and some down time at home.

Please pray for all our cancer fiiends. Sweet Malaya went home to Jesus. Ollie and Charlie Jean are home from transplant. Kayla just finished MIBG therapy and is ready to head to transplant. Kelsey is feeling yuck. Jessica has Graph vs host and is not doing well. Carly is pain free and back in school. Alex got the “cured” word! Keep them all in prayer and pray that Taylor has no more cancer!!

Busy, busy, busy, that what we are and we love it!

August was very busy! Logan’s baseball team, Alabama Elite, went to Orlando Florida to play in the Elite World Series. You had to earn your way into this tournament. There were 35 teams from across the country and we came in 5th! The boys all did an amazing job in extreme heat and rain. They played great ball, kept a great attitude and had a great time!!! We played ball Saturday through Thursday, so it didn’t leave much time for Disney, but we managed to squeeze a little bit in. We tried a water park for the first time with the kids and they enjoyed it. Its always fun when yo uhave your ball buddies there too. It was an amazing experience for sure!!

We arrived home around 9:30 on a Sunday evening and Monday we all hit the ground running! I started a week of work meetings, jim started back to work, but the kids actually had a week of no practices and got to relax a little bit. We ended that week with meet the Jackets night at the school. It was so fun watching Taylor be a part of something like that. I know every mom and dad out there were beaming with pride for their son or daughter that was participating in football, band, cheer or whatever they were in, but to have a child with Taylor’s medical history to be alive and well enough to be playing football…..only a God thing!
We had late night Friday night, but had to be up very early to make it to camp SAM for family camp. Of course, we had an incredible time like always. I saw a side of Taylor I have not seen in public before. He was dancing his heart out, leading the pack and there was a time that he wouldn’t even go to the dance. I tell ya, camp is an amazing place where these kids can truly be themselves.
Monday morning started school. See, I told ya we were busy! Taylor has a pretty sweet schedule with all academics over by 5th period then its fun stuff. He will stay after school for football now, so no bus for him. He is in heaven being part of this. Logan has Mrs. Selph who is fun yet tough, he will be challenged. He got his best bud in his class, so he is set.
The first week of school was good. Hard to get in the routine, but we made it. I skipped on Friday, I know what kind of example is that!! I went with the girls to the beach for a rainy, weekend. It was still a lot of fun! We were home early sunday for baseball. Yes, a week later and we were back at it!
The following week started football games. Talk about exciing! To see Taylor bust through that banner and run onto the filed, awesome!!! They won 22-8 over Bottenfield.
Lucky me got to take a secong beach trip, this time with Guh and Nana. It was beautful and we had a nice, relaxing time. I came home with 4 stinky ole jhermit crabs that they begged for yet never touch!
September brought more ball and more long days. Taylor played Pelham (W 13-26), Erwin (W16-0), Rudd (W 8-6), Pleasant Grove (W14-0), Briarwood (W18-14) and Chelsea (W 30-16) They are 7-0 going tinto homecoming against Hueytown who is also 7-0. Should be a great game!

July was a bit slower for us. We had a few weeks off from playing and practice was a lot slower. It was a nice break, but you get bored when you are used to being on the go. You enjoy the first little bit of your off time then you get antsy. Well, we do anyway. We aren’t homebodys, for sure.

Taylor has continued with his summer work out program at school. Luckily, no more dehydration issues. He still doesn’t drink enough for my liking, but doing better. They had a 7 on 7 last week and he played QB. He is loving it!! I am loving that he loves it and I am a little excited about games and the school spirit and envolvment, but the actual thought of my kid playing…..vomit! I am so scared he will get hurt. He is not the smallest by far on his team, but it isn’t his team I am worried aout!

We have had some down time, but that is ending today. We are headed to Orlando for the Elite world series. There are 35 teams from all over even Mexico! We hope to get some Disney time in, but this is a baseball trip first. We come back in a week and have only one very busy week left until school starts. We have camp, meet the Jackets night, meet the teacher, a girls beach trip and the first game all in August.

I guess after the start of school madness is over we will leap back into fall ball and keep right on trucking!

I can’t believe I will have a 4th and 7th grader! I am hoping and praying for a good year with Taylor. He has always had good years, so I am not sure why I fret, just the unknown I guess. Plus, he is getting into the stuff that I cant help with!

Please be in prayer for the many who are still in this fight or just starting this fight. I am so blessed to be on the other side. Blessed to allow Taylor to show people that NB can be beaten. Blessed to have God on our side and still in the miracle business!!

I know, Shock of shocks, I am back within a reasonable time. Problem is, I don’t have much to say. I guess that is a pretty darn good problem to have! I remember thinking I would never get through the 100 days of isolation after his tranplant or he would never have the counts or imune system to do normal acrivities. Well, slowly those things started happening and here we are 3,000 plus days later and we do MANY normal activites.

June was about like May, busy! We started off with a week off of work. We went to the dentist where Taylor was the only one who escaped cavity free. We went to the BArons game at the historic Rickwood field. It was so hot that when I moved my hand from the pole I had been leaning on, I had paint on my hands!
Logan went to sibling camp at Camp SAM. He had a blast as usual. While he was gone Taylor had a fun weekend of only child bliss, lol. We went out to eat, grilled out and swam with friends and just played around. We picked up Logan on Sunday and came home to get T ready for his week stay at camp. He had an absolute blast!!! He dressed up as uncle Si for the dance and it was hilarious!
Logan played ball in Nashville, TN. the weekend that Taylor had to be picked up, so Guh picked him up and he spent the weekend with her. He had fun, but we were missing him.
As is the norm for this ball season, we were rained out, but crowned the champions. We ended up going by the Antique Archeology store from the show American Pickers. It was smaller than we imagined, but fun to see things we had seen them pick.
Once back at home and settled into a routine, Taylor has started his summer work outs for football. He does not drink enough and he ended up getting dehydrated and had a real rough patch. We went to the Dr and filled him with fluids and have stressed the importnace of water etc. Hopefully he will not do that again.

Logan has played ball in Nashville, Cullman, Calera, and Fultondale in June. July will be a little slower as we practice and gear up for Disney and the Elite 32.
Taylor will continue summer work outs until we go to Disney, when we return they will be having real practices in pads. I am not looking forward to it for many reasons, but it is what he wants to do.

Hopefully, I will be back with a more exciting update soon. However, I kind of like the boring ones!

I guess I am way way behind again! Just another sign that life is great!

January:
January was hard. My Pop passed away right after Christmas and we had his funeral in early January. I will miss that sweet, crazy man.
Taylor got braces on his teeth. He was so excited….for about 2 days. He has been very good about keeping them clean and not eating any of the foods listed as a no no.
LOgan played basketball this year. Its the first time that he has ventured away from baseball. He had a great time with it. He has a lot to learn, but he di pretty good. He says he will play it again, but baseball was his first choice.
Taylor turned 12! Wow, almost a teenager!! We had friends over for dinner and ice skating.
Taylor had his first episode of sleep walking! It was rather funny. I don’t think it was a true sleep walking episode. I think he was woken up when Jim and Logan came in from ball practice and thought it was time to get up because he came upstairs and went to the bathroom, got undressed and turned the shower on. That is his morning routine. It was pretty funny.
We had a snow day that led to us getting out of school early. Its the fist time we have had a day like this since both kids were not at the same school. I was a nervouls wreck when I beat Taylor’s bus home and I didn’t know where he was. He got home shortly after us safe and sound. The next day we were stuck until mid morning. Our house sits at the bottom of a huge hill and all the melted snow or rain drains down our driveway and it had refroze over night and we couldn’t get out.

February:
February brought sinus infections and strep to our house. That isn’t so unusual for us, but it is a lot harder to make up work in middle school, so I hope we are nearing the end of these type illnesses.
I took a girlst trip to Mardi gras in Mobile. We had a great time!!

March:
March started a very busy ball season for Logan and his team, Alabama Elite. We started in Biloxi, Ms.
The dryer died! Luckily, we know the best repairman in town and he fixed us right up!
We played more ball in Alabaster, Al. Atlanta, GA. and Huntsville, Al.
We went on a quick Orlando trip for spring break. I actually found Taylor’s tickets to Universal from his wish trip and they were still good! It wasn’t Disney, but it was still a fun trip.
We had a great Easter spent with family on a rainy day!!

April:
Taylor celebrated the 10 year anniversary of his stem cell transplant!!!
I fell and sprained my ankle and nearly 2 months later I am still delaing with some pain and swelling. Boo!!!
We went to Florence, Al, Montgomery, Al and Columbiana, Al for baseball.
I missed a lot of work this month with my ankle. That stunk!!
Taylor had his physical for school….football! Yikes, I may need meds, but he is so excited!! He also had 2 weeks of spring training. He loved every minute and was proud of every bruise!

May:
We have already been to Kingsport, Tn, Southhaven, Ms, and Auburn, Al for baseball. THe Alabama ELite 9u earned a berth to the Elite 32 world series in Disney World in August. Way to go boys!!
Taylor finished up 6th grade today. He has had A/B honor roll the past two 9 weeks. Way to go!!! He has had an overall good experience with the middle school.
Today Taylor had his yearly check up with Dr. Berkow. Everything looked great!! He will go back in June 2014. THe bad news was our Dr. B is moving! Yes, I cried! We will miss him very much!