Prayers for Isabella Joy: Pony Tails and Paper Plates

It's been a few weeks since I've posted on the blog....mainly because we've been just enjoying our family time together with this incredible weather that we've been having! We are soaking up the sun every chance we get, making memories.

Quite a few people have asked me how I manage to work full time with 3 little girls 5 and under, especially with everything we've had going on with Izzy. It's not easy, but one thing I've learned through this experience is how important it is to appreciate the things that really matter, and to let go of everything else. I'm also getting better at focusing on the present moment. Our time in the evening and weekends is precious, and we value it so much more now. Before it seemed like we were always on the go, life was constantly moving in a blur. We are still busy now, but it's different. We are more content just to be home, keeping life simple, watching the girls play. Really watching them...they are so funny and amazing and beautiful.

Be warned though, if you happen to drop in for a visit...be prepared to find a messy house, my hair in a pony tail and dinner on paper plates! :) Something's gotta give!

Izzy is doing so incredibly well, it almost seems as if everything that happened was some kind of dream. I look back through the photos and the blog, I remember every detail, yet it's as if we floated through it. No doubt we were actually carried through it. "I am with you always." Mathew 28:20 (Thank you Kelli for the reminder of this special verse that is so real for us).

To look at Izzy now, you wouldn't even know that she had been diagnosed with cancer just 3 months ago. You woudn't know she has a neurological disorder that occurs in only 1 out of 10 million people. You wouldn't know she had major surgery, except for the scar on her belly. She is a precocious, busy 2 year old silly girl who is loved by her mommy, daddy, sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles and friends more that she will ever be able to comprehend until she has her own children.

We still have things to keep a close eye on, we certainly don't know what lies ahead for Izzy's health, but we have faith that God will continue to be at our side. Izzy's treatments for OMS will continue throughout this year. We have her monthly IVIG treatment at the hospital coming up this Thursday, and the 3 day pulse of steroids at home through the weekend, which is very difficult for all of us. Izzy goes from being a happy little girl to being a complete emotional wreck for about 5 days. Hailey calls it Izzy's "grouchy medicine". She will have a CT scan in April to make sure her tumor is 100% gone. We appreciate the continued prayers for her.

It's hard to believe how sick she was just a few months ago

We are thankful for this experience, it has changed our lives forever. The gratitude we have for our children, and the compassion we have for others is something we will have as part of our life story forever. This experience will shape the choices we make for the future.

Tom and I talk about how nice it is that our life is somewhat boring right now. Nights hanging out at home, enjoying a margarita while the girls play in the yard may not sound too exciting to a lot of people, but to us...it's simply perfect.