Hats off to GracieCourage Strength Inspiration

April 30, 2003Nearly two weeks late, we welcomed Gracie into the world at 5:27 PMShe was 8lbs 2oz, 21in long, and had lungs that could silence an earthquakeShe was our Greatest Gift, hence the name Grace

December 27, 2005Baby Jacob enters our worldvery hesitantlyHe was 8 lbs even, 20 in long, and quiet as a mouseHow blessed we are to have received two such perfect gifts

Back to Colorado At LastJuly 1, 2006 we left the arid desert of Tucson to follow our dreams of mountain living We were SO happy to be back in the fresh Colorado airOn July 14, 2006 Gracie had a fever

The NewsOn July 27, 2006 Dr. Sharp called with Gracies lab results We took Gracie to Memorial that night for further testing to rule out leukemiaThe next morning, a bone marrow biopsy confirmed our greatest fearsThree-year-old Gracie was diagnosed with Leukemia and needed to begin 27 months of chemotherapyin 2 days

Day 1 of ChemotherapyGracie was so happy to leave the hospitaland so confused about what was happening to her

One month laterChemotherapy has taken a toll on her

A Bit of a BreakHalloween offers some fun and some long awaited smilesWe step out as a family and stumble our way into a new normalFriends, Family, and Co-workers shower us with support and encouragementGrandma (Heathers mom) packs up her whole life and moves out here from Ohio to help in any way she canNana (Davids mom) makes several trips from New Mexico, also to help in any way she canChemo eases up a bit and doesnt start strong again until after Christmas

Delayed Intensification (DI)DI is an extremely difficult phase of treatment lasting at least 2 monthsSeveral different medicines are used in an attempt to keep any residual cancer cells from adapting to their environmentPatients who havent lost their hair yet will certainly lose it nowEven the simplest cold during this phase could land Gracie in the hospitalHeather and the kids were homebound for 10 weeks

Here Comes the SunAs spring approaches and Gracie recovers from DI, a trip to the zoo gets us some sunshineWe all take a deep breath as our new normal becomes slightly less restrictiveOnly 18 months to go

Make-A-WishGracies Wish was to see the Statue of LibertyWe were sent to NYC for 6 days---Every single expense paidWe sobbed with joy when the ferry pulled up to Lady LibertyEngle Homes in Denver held a Fun Run to sponsor Gracies and two other childrens wishesThey raised enough money to sponsor 2 additional children for next year

Another HalloweenWe came home from New York feeling closer, stronger, and resilientGracie was already a Superheroand for once, we all felt ready to face whatever challenges may followlike Superheroes

The DeckRight before our trip, I met a woman at the park whom I had never seen beforeWe became friends, and so did our kidsFeeling inspired to do something for our family, Laura orchestrated a life-changing projectShe and many, many others from the Woodland Park Community Church and across the country built us an enormous, beautiful deck so that Gracie and Jacob could play outside no matter how Gracie was feelingThey gave up their weekends, they dug deeply into their pockets, they gave us their hearts and they worked in the freezing cold dead of winterAll the while, they Thanked US for ALLOWING them to serve our family and our children

Thank You and Thank HeavensThe following months found us isolated several times due to immunity issues and yucky chemo side effectsThe deck was truly a Godsend

Compassionate Community

One Foot in Front of the OtherParades, Parties, and Playing on the deck carried us through the spring and summer leading up to the end of Gracies treatmentGracie celebrated her 5th birthday and a new organization called Domus Pacis granted us a retreat in Breckenridge

The Grand FinaleGracies last day at the Childhood Hematology Oncology Clinic was certainly bittersweetWe truly fell in love with all of the CHOA staff members and will miss seeing them as often as we didBut one of the most memorable and joyous moments of our lives will be the final day of chemoWe are so proud of Gracie and Jacob for toughing it out

Our Next AdventureGracie will be checked monthly for the next year to assure that all remains wellWe are home schooling the children and strengthening our ties within our family and our communityEternal Thanks to everyone playing a role in Gracies healing and in our heartsLife is good and God is brilliant