Gosh, I didn't realize how long it has been since I posted.  1.5 years!  I know that's good!  It meant that, despite cancer, cancer has not been the consuming fire it was before. We were coming out of trauma and have gotten back to living. 

An update on the fam:  Nick is a freshman and Ellie is a senior...again (by her choice...the beauty of homeschooling!).  They are both taking lots of great classes (college classes for Ellie).  Nick has tried several team sports this year, and ended a 5 year run with FLL with his team going to an international competition and winning an award!  He is giving FTC, the next level of robotics, a try, but it's just not the same at all.  We will see if he continues next year.  The kids are both heavily involved in CYT youth theater, and have 3 shows this season.  Mike and I have both jumped on board and work in various volunteer roles. CYT Milwaukee has truly become our family and show weekends are a family affair!   We just finished Great Amercan Tall Tales, auditions for Tarzan are next weekend (flying on stage will be involved for a few kids!!) and Godspell will round out the year and wrap up Ellie's CYT experence!  (I'm not crying!!)  She's also auditioning for another production called The Passion Prophesies next week as well...the Passion story of Christ.  If she gets a part, I have no doubt that will be a profound experience!

We were able to take a family trip this past summer...to Washington DC.  We walked SO much in that week...we did 32K steps on one day!  It was a lovely vacation.  Despite DC being the home of a lot of things I disagree with, there was also a sense of hope in seeing something that was created from the beginning of our country.  I didn't expect DC to be a hopeful place, so that was a surprise!  And man, they have good restaurants!!  I highly recommend going when your kids are older and they can stand the walking, and really GET some of what they see. :)  

We've been able to tackle, or finish, some house projects that have needed to be done, in some cases since we moved in 22 years ago.  We are almost done with a 22 year project of renovating and decorating the inside of our house!!!  It's a good thing I'm not trendy because when you go this slow the trends would be out before we even started!  This means we cannot move for a long time.  I have zero desire to ever have a fixer upper again, and I doubt we can afford something "fully updated"! 

The chemo drug Mike has been on now for about 2 years is working..it's either held it all at bay, or even caused some things to shrink a little.  And there are no obvious side effects.  Mike resumed working out AND eating whatever he wants, which, unfortunately, still includes zero vegetables (unless pizza sauce counts...and it doesn't in my book!).  **sigh**

But at this last CT scan they found one spot, right under where his trachea splits into his left and right bronchi, that has grown.  So the doctors have suggested radiation therapy for this spot.  You may remember the last time Mike had radiation, he was at the worst of his illness.  He wasn't driving, barely eating, was below 100 lbs. We now know it was done for pain reduction and not to actually kill the cancer.  He said the staff that remembered him was very surprised and happy to see him...they admitted they didn't think he'd still be here. The doctors have assured us that this experience should be vastly different, since he is now so much stronger.  The goal is to kill that spot.  They have told him he should have minimal side effects...perhaps a feeling of a sore throat, but lower down his trachea.

So Mike has decided to go ahead with the therapy.  Unfortunately, insurance is dragging it's feet.  The doctors are fighting with insurance to get it, or the specific kind of radiation the doctor wants to use, approved.  Insurance wants to use a different kind.   We understand the kind they want to use is a less focused approach, so it might have more risk of collateral damage,

Would you please pray for this situaton?
1) That whatever the BEST therapy is for Mike would get approved.  Not the easiest for the doc.  Not the cheapest for insurance.  The BEST one for Mike's health. 
2)   That side effects would be non-existant or nominal.  Doing this right before Chrstmas, and before we enter into a new show, and 6 months before we graduate Ellie, can bring some anxiety, if I let it.
3) That Jesus would continue to surround each member of my family, comfort us, protect us, heal us, and provide for our every need...the ones we know about and the ones we don't. 
4) That Jesus would protect us from OTHER challenges, provide in other areas, heal our bodies, minds and relatonships and draw us closer and closer to Him.  

I've realized that living with cancer is kind of like what I imagine living in a place where lions co-exist with humans might be like.  You know they are there and what they can do.  You know you are pretty much powerless against them in most situations. They are a mystery but hiding from them doesn't work for long.  At some point, you have to be willing to walk out your front door and take a walk with your kids, even knowing that a hungry lion could be stalking you at that very moment.  You don't forget it's there or what's possible, you learn to live with the awareness and learn how to not to get crippled by the fear that COULD take you out as fast as the lion could.  It's how Peter stepped out of the boat in the storm and walked on water...UNTIL he stopped looking at Jesus and looked at the storm.  Then, splash.  Thankfully, Jesus still came back and pulled him out...God is SO full of grace and mercy when we don't get it right!! (If you haven't watched The Chosen yet, I'd HIGHLY recommend it.  In Season 3, Episode 8 they do the walking on water scene and it.is. POWERFUL!!)

As a mom, I carry that awareness not only for myself, but for my kids.  I won't lie, THAT burden is heavy.  But I've learned what it means that God's yoke is light.  When I yoke myself to Him, HE carries those heavy worldly burdens for me.  Thank God, He can't be crushed by cancer, or fear, or any of Satan's tools for destruction.  So I have learned to stay right next to Him so I receive the blessing of Him continuing to make it light for me. I actually receive SO many other blessings by doing that...in the process of learning this, He has changed me into a whole new person. And walking away from Him means disconnecting from that, means carrying it by myself again.  I can't.  I never want to do that again.   I won't tell you that life doesn't make me weary many days...it stll does.  But I cannot imagine how it would feel to do it withOUT my Savior there to do the heaviest of the lifting.  I am so grateful!

I thank you for your prayers.  I will try to do better and keep you posted on how this goes.  Merry Christmas!  May your season be filled with the Love, Peace, Joy and provision that Jesus alone can provide!

And here's a few photos from DC.  :)