Arizona Easter

How about an Easter Egg Hunt on the hot rocks and under cacti!

Working on Walking

We were cleared to go to parks in which we carried Josie around and helped her slide down the slides etc... Lilly was the best big sister! She was her number one cheerleader.

Crawling was hard work!

Playing with Dad is always fun!

We started PT in March to build back Josie's strength. She was on a new phase of the chemo which had no steroids involved. Which is a good thing! Smiles, singing, sleeping better, and the desire to play were back. Sitting up on the floor more than 5 Min's at a time was very difficult in the beginning and it would wear her right out. Tear at your heart strings. Crawling was out of the question. Therefore our two year old who had walked for a year was really debilitated and immobile. Laying in a bed for most of January and all of February did a number on her muscles. The week before we started PT we practiced crawling every where. She just wanted to scoot on her behind. Her legs hurt and she knew she could at least do that to get around. Her little arms would shake and then she would just lay down when she tried to crawl. But the little tiger in her was still there and she got moving, crawling and walking really quickly. We still cant do stairs but still are working on that!

Coming Home!

When we brought Josie home it was so exciting. Lilly and Josie had not seen each other for 14 Days.














Josie was so excited to sit in her high chair the first couple of days.
















Josie also had her 2 year old Birthday the same week.
She was pretty sick and I don't think she knew it was her party.

Josie was pretty much glued to my hip! We had 2 weeks of sharing a little bed in an hospital room and that had become pretty comfortable and safe for her.





When Dave and Lilly got home from church that first week; we threw a dress on Josie to take a picture. We didn't know what was going to happen at this point and wanted a family picture. She was not happy at all. It was a bust.











The chemo began to take its toll. Her hair started falling out. She became swollen. She couldn't sit up on her own. She stop talking or singing. She stopped smiling and it was heart breaking.

Polar Express

We had a great Christmas Break! We went up to Williams AZ and rode the Polar Express. (www.thetrain.com) It is the old Grand Canyon Railroad converted magically into the Polar Express. It is fantastic to be on an old train with dancing waiters, hot chocolate, and the story blaring from over head. Once you arrive at the North Pole, Santa Clause gets on the train and gives you a bell of Christmas. On the way back from the North Pole you sing christmas songs. I love it. We have done it with the Hancock's, but this year we did it our friends the Vanstee's. Lilly had so much fun eating dinner with her friend Audrey at the lodge infront of the big fire place. Audrey also lent her blanket, because Lilly left her coat at home. Yeah that is right. Someone is bound to leave the most important thing you need in a white out. Oh well. This year it was a real blizzard. It took a very long time to get home and we saw quite a few cars turned over on the sides of the road. It was so exciting to have snow in AZ and to ride a real train. Josie and Lilly had a great time.