Family, Zoo and Appointments Too!

Emma with her sisters and cousins

Each trip to LA I am reminded about the importance of family. Not just the people with whom you share a genetic connection or marriage but the greater family you created yourself. The people that were with you through bad hair years and plaid skirts, they stood next to you when you said your wedding vows, held your hand while you birthed your first baby and are always there for you in good times and bad. Cancer made these amazing individuals even more involved in our lives. With out these loved ones we could not stand. This trip was lovely because we saw almost all of our support network.

wagon for three sisters at the zoo

Emma had a fun time playing with her grandparents, we went to the LA Zoo with her Auntie Amber and her cousins, we had playdates with friends and we had our surgical follow up at UC Irvine. We had good news from that appointment. Emma is healed from her surgery in June and cleared to get glasses. She passed her eye exam but because she only sees with one eye it strains toward the end of the day and gives her headaches. She also struggles to see in darkness and is constantly asking to turn lights on. We are hoping that by fixing even just the little correction she needs that it will help with her eye strain. So on the 4th, a year later almost to the day,

Emma with her Grandpa

Any leaf can be a wishing leaf!

we will head back to the original doctor who found our tumor and started our journey. So odd how things go full circle that way sometimes. I just got of the phone with his office filling them in on the last year. It sounds really horrible when I say it all at once. How far we have come, how much further we have to go, it is all so much...almost unbearable. But we stay strong because it is the only choice we have. I am often asked how I cope and my answer is always, "One day at a time, one appointment at a time." I rarely look forward more then just to our next appointment.

This week Emma has a chemo break so we get to decorate for Halloween and play. Next week Emma has an MRI to see if the chemo is helping her tumors.

I am shooting the last picture for the calendar this week and finalizing all the financial end of everything. I am hoping that by the first of November calendars will be available to purchase. If you have a child fighting cancer please go to Emma's website, www.throughemmaseye.weebly.com and fill out the form so we can send you a calendar. I need to get the word out about the calendar so I will be posting photos this week with ordering information for you all to share on social media. Please

Emma and her twin Gracie

help us in finding cancer kids to inspire! Also, if you have a hospital you go to for oncology you can tell me where and who your cancer coordinator is and I will make sure a box of calendars is delivered to your oncology department before the holidays. If you have a business online or brick and mortar and you are willing to sell the calendars please contact me through the blog, Facebook or website.

Please surround us with prayer next week for the MRI, in an ideal world we would see the tumor shrinking. I want to kill that horrible beast forever and ever and let my child live a normal life. Die cancer die! It will be a hard day, time consuming and anxiety filled. Please remember to send us those thoughts and prayers on the 30th.

A huge thank you to the owners of Fitness Factor in Arcadia, Kevin and Maggie! They did a carwash for Emma to help pay some of her medical bills but more importantly they follow Emma's journey and surround us in love. We were so happy we got to stop in to see you all!