Hannah’s Journey

Happy Birthday, Hannah! Today is Hannah’s 15th birthday. It has been a busy birthday month for us, since 5 days ago, Colin turned 17. With each of our children, we thank God for each birthday. We went out to breakfast and dinner for Hannah’s birthday (I really didn’t feel like cooking), and opened presents. Otherwise, it was a pretty lazy day.

I am planning on taking Colin and Austin and driving out to Chicago for a week to visit my parents. My dad just got out of the hospital with pneumonia and is on the road to recovery, and I don’t get the opportunity to see my parents too often. Bill will be staying with Hannah since this will be the week that her blood counts drop and transfusions will be needed by next Monday. I will take Hannah into the city for chemo this Tuesday before I leave. It is difficult for Bill and I to be away at the same time, but we took advantage of last weekend when Hannah’s medical needs were being taken care of at camp and escaped to the Jersey shore for 2 nights. We vegged out on the beach for 2 days, close enough to Hannah if she needed us, but knowing that she was being well cared for by counselors and medical staff from Sloan. Speaking of camp, it ended on August 9th, and all of the sudden our house is very noisy again. I understand that I missed Nathan’s latest hair style when he shaved the initials to Happiness is Camping on his head. By the time I saw him, he was bald again. Austin’s hair is bleached very blonde from the sun, and he is loving that Colin can drive him wherever he wants. Colin just puts ear plugs in his ears and dreams of next summer when once again, he will be an only child for a few weeks.