charlaanne

Good morning friends,

I just thought I would give you a little health update this morning. We got Galin’s scan results back last month and realized his body had not responded to the treatments in Mexico like we hoped. Our doctor in Mexico said their future treatments would be really similar to what we would get here and he didn’t know if it made sense for us to come back. Because kidney failure is a big concern, we decided to seek treatment here instead. His second round of chemo is today. He will go in for more scans in a couple of weeks to see how the chemo is working.

He has lost over 60 pounds since May and has been weak since starting chemo but overall he is doing pretty good. Remember my post about God answering prayer and giving him relief from his suffering? Since then he has not had any unbearable pain! He has several tumors and he recently had a MRI to make sure the tumor on his head had not spread to his brain. After days of waiting we got the wonderful news that it had not! I give God all the praise for His amazing blessings.

Watching Galin go through this has made me fall even more in love with him if that is possible. He is my hero. He is the most optimistic person I know and an encouragement to everyone he meets.

Seeing God’s hand at work in this has been an amazing thing to witness. I stand in awe of a God who can use hurt and pain in people’s lives and turn it into something truly beautiful.

xox
Charla

Hello friends...Happy Halloween!

We are looking forward to spending the evening at my sister’s house. A few days ago I told Jaxson we could go over there if he obeys the first time and has a good attitude and he has been on his best behavior!

We usually take the kids trick or treating but this year it is supposed to be rainy and I don’t want them eating a bunch of candy. We are doing our best to eliminate sugar from our diet. The doctor said if the kids get a cold or get sick they shouldn’t be around Galin so I am trying to keep everyone as healthy as possible around here. 

xox
Charla

 

Jaxson is five

He is talkative, curious, and tenderhearted.
When he came to live with us, he threw a fit every time he had to eat something new. I gave him small amounts to get him used to eating healthier foods and now he is doing so great. He even asks for a green smoothie every morning.
His favorite color is red.
He said his best friend is Lily.
He enjoys riding his tricycle around the house.
He has the cutest smile.
He can hardly wait for Christmas.
He wants to be a farmer when he grows up.
He loves donuts, carrots, and applesauce.
He told me, “I love you to Japanese and back.”
He has been with us for 6 months now. We can’t imagine life without him. To know him is to love him.

 

Lily Grace

She lost another tooth last night and her tooth fairy (aka: me) forgot to put $1.00 under her pillow. Tonight before she went to bed she handed me a note to kindly remind me and let me know she would like $1.30 now. I guess I owe her interest!

She is a Daddy’s girl and has had a hard time since we found out he has cancer. She has always been our little worrier. She used to cry every time he had to go out of town for work because she was worried something would happen to him. I’m praying her giggly, happy go lucky personality comes back soon.

She is such a little momma. On Sunday mornings she packs a bag full of toys and snacks for Jaxson to have during church.

She is going to a new school this year and we are both missing our time together. Her favorite thing about school is the new friends she has made.

Last Saturday we got to spend the afternoon together. Just the two of us. We snuggled up and watched a movie, read several chapters of a new book, drew pictures, and made chocolate mousse. I sure love spending time with my little ten year old.

Kayla’s birthday was this week!

It has been a privilege to be this girl’s mom for 19 years. God gave us such a gift the day she was born. She is sweeter than sugar and I just love being her momma.

{ praise God from whom all blessings flow }

Even with the pain meds Galin's been taking he has had many pain filled days and sleepless nights recently. A few days ago he was having a particularly hard evening so I texted friends and family asking for prayer. They spread the word and hundreds of people started praying for him! God answered and gave him relief from his suffering. I am so grateful for this miracle! I know it is not a coincidence but a direct answer to prayer. 

We had a wonderful weekend together. It felt like life was normal again. Yesterday after church we gathered with friends and family and had a Thank You Jesus party!

Brittany took these photos in August just a few days after we found out about Galin's cancer.

Thank you, my friends, for your love, kind words, and prayers. I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for the many prayers that have been prayed on Galin's behalf. What a comfort it is to have a heavenly Father that hears our cries and lovingly cares for His children. 

xox 
Charla

He didn’t think kids went on dates but I told him mine did. This is where he chose to go for his first date. He sat there eating his donut and talked non stop. Later while saying his bedtime prayers he thanked Jesus that he got to go on a donut date and get a donut with chocolate and sprinkles.

Life has been hard, but each day has been full of blessings too. God has been so good to give me just what I need to make it through each day. 
Here are some photos that were taken several months ago when we got to spend a few fun filled weeks in Florida. 

I hope you are having a lovely weekend! xox