**This post was written and originally posted on 7/16/08 but I deleted it by accident while trying to fix the pictures on 7/17/08. Sorry! Ellen, I deleted your comment by accident also. I am such a nerd!**
I start this post on a very sad note. Our hearts are very sad because tonight at the clinic we learned that a little girl that we have come to know and care about is losing her battle with cancer. Her name is Savannah and she is 7 years old. She has been given a couple of weeks to live. As I write this, I am struggling to hold it together. I spoke to her mom today and I am at a total loss.. Savannah's mom, Melissa, is such an amazing person. When I think of Savannah I think of all the times that we were in the hospital "together". She is nicknamed "Princess Savannah" because she loves princesses. I have to admit that we never really had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Savannah, it was just a few times that we would see her. Her mom and I clicked when we met.. It's hard to explain how it is when you meet other parents of children with cancer. It's like you have so much in common and you don't have to worry about what to say because they understand. Savannah had her hair colored pink the first time we met her. We would see her running around the hospital in her princess nightgown and sometimes the nurses would paint her nails for her. She is a little peanut and it breaks my heart that she is leaving this world before she has truly had the chance to experience life. I take comfort in the fact that she is surrounded by friends and family who love her. I also take EXTREME comfort in knowing that she will no longer be suffering and will be in a much better place. God must really miss her so that's why He's decided to take her home. The other thought I have is that it could be Brendon. All I can do is hold my son tight and praise God that he has chosen to heal him. Brendon is taking the news pretty hard, but he's also thinking of things that we can do for them. He has such an amazing heart! I am so proud of him. So, please keep Savannah and her family in your prayers. They are certainly in ours. Here is a link to read a story that was written about her in the paper in January of 2008. You can also google "Savannah Hurley". There are some great stories and even an interview with her mom via YouTube. What an amazing family!
Now to talk about what has been going on with Brendon lately..
Sorry it's been so long since my last post. It's been almost 2 months! Wow, where has the time gone?? Things have been good, just busy. Standard, everyday life. It seems wrong to post about all of the happy stuff after starting the post with such sad news. I want to share the good with the bad..
Brendon is awesome. There is no other word for him. He is turning into such a great young man! He is so polite and thoughtful. He seems to be growing up overnight. I love to listen to his ideas and his goals. I am realizing how little time I have left with him before he moves away. He informed me that he is almost 11 the other day. I had to stop and think, but he's right. He was exactly 10 1/2 on June 25th. Holy Cow! Where has the time gone? I'm sad, but so proud. He is so magnetic. We have several kids in the neighborhood who always want to play with Brendon and he is so good with them all, even though they vary in age from 5 to 14. He has an amazing spirit and a huge heart. I see him with other children and I am blown away by his unselfishness. Don't get me wrong, he is far from perfect. He has his meltdowns and temper tantrums like any other person. I still have them and I'm almost 30! Overall he is just a great guy! Again, we are so proud of him!
We all participated in the Relay for Life in Augusta on June 2oth. It was such an emotional time for all of us. We met so many great people and saw so many things! Brendon met a man named Jason who was just diagnosed with lymphoma at the end of April. My heart ached for him because he is married and has 2 small children and now is facing the unknown. All night long our thoughts kept going back to him and what he's going through. Brendon and Jason formed an instant bond. I can't explain it, but I left feeling like we had gained another family member. Even if we never see him again he will always hold a special place in our hearts. Brendon was talking to him about the different treatments and procedures he has been through and my eyes just welled up with tears. Jason was touched by Brendon's strength and told Brendon that he was inspired by him. Brendon is so strong! He doesn't even know how many lives he has touched. Or how many people he has inspired. Keep up the fight Jason and family! We are praying for you guys!
The first week of July Brendon and I babysat my friend Tricia's son. His name is Zander and he is the cutest kid ever! He just turned 6 months old the other day. He was so much fun. Brendon and I enjoyed spoiling him rotten and just playing with him. I miss the baby stage sometimes. Anyway, here is a picture of Brendon and Zander..
The Fourth of July was good. We didn't do too much. We had a cookout at Andy's parent's house which was a lot of fun. Brendon got to play with his cousins and a couple of other kids and the adults got to visit. Then we went to the fireworks in Auburn. They were quick, but it was still cool. Brendon met up with our neighbor in the parking lot so he had a friend to sit with during it. It was great because usually after the fireworks in Auburn there is a LONG, LONG wait to get out but this year because of where we parked we were able to get right out. 
Brendon has been going to summer day camp for almost 2 weeks now. He loves it! They go to the beach and do all kinds of activities. I was very nervous for him on his first day but he did great. He's made lots of new friends and is learning all kinds of new things. He learned what "OMG" in the texting world means the other day. He loves to come home and tell us things that he thinks we don't know. I love it when he asks me if I know what it means and when I tell him he gives me that shocked look. Like I'm so old that there's NO WAY I could know what he's talking about. It's pretty funny!Brendon's appointment at the clinic today went well. His counts are right where they should be. He is feeling good and looking good. He has 9 months of treatment left. That's it! It seems like the time has flown by. He is now able to stop taking 2 pills a day which he was pretty excited about. He still has quite a few so any amount taken away is a great thing! Tomorrow he starts the steroids for 5 days so it will be walking on egg shells until they are out of his system. His mood swings are pretty bad on days 2 and 3. I try not to give him meds unless he really needs them so we get to hug him when he's sad and stay clear when he's mad. It's lots of fun! Thankfully it's only 5 days out of the month for the next 9 months.
That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there is a lot of stuff I missed, but I'm just too tired to keep typing. I've started this post 3 times but I haven't had the time to finish it until now and it's now 11:30pm. I'll update again soon.
Much Love, Amber
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