August Cats and Kids

 August 31-

Go Mustangs!

 August 27-

Kingston's freshman team had their first game against Timberline and it ended in a loss.  The boys were disappointed since their 8th grade team had won the championship, but hopefully it will push them to work harder and they will be ready for the next game. Keep an eye out for #10.

Go Colts!

 August 25-

Middle school football looks a little different for us this year because we are focused on the cheerleaders!!  It's fun to not worry about the game and just watch the sea of purple bows!  This game was hot!!!!!  I don't know how the girls did it standing out there in the heat, but they looked adorable.  

We also get a 2 for 1 at these events because Ryland plays on the JV team so we get to see him play, too.  At this game, Julienna cheered for Varsity, but next week she gets to cheer for his team.  The only bad part (besides the 100 degree weather) is that the cheerleaders face the field so we don't get to see their faces!

When it rains it pours

 August 25-

Joan had some tests and biopsies and she was diagnosed with Stage 2 triple negative breast cancer a few weeks ago.  It's already an aggressive type but her stem cell transplant and prior chemo make her an extra complicated case.  Because it's triple negative it doesn't respond to hormone therapy, she is limited in the type and amount of chemo because of the high doses she got to irradicate her cells 8 years ago, immunotherapy after having a stem cell transplant would cause her body to fight the transplant cells, making that not an option, and they took radiation off the table because of her bone density (I'm getting the information 3rd or 4th hand, so I just write what I hear, but I actually have never heard of not doing radiation because of that (and I have a lot of experience in that field)). So that leaves her with chemo and surgery options.  They actually scheduled surgery for a few days from now, but after meeting with the team, they thought chemo would be better to start so that they could assess the progress. Even that regimen has changed a few times, but she ended up getting her first dose today and will get 3 more treatments spaced 21 days apart.  At one point I heard that she would be getting a second type of chemo after that for 12 weeks, but again, things change all the time and I get different stories from different people, but regardless, after chemo they will schedule her for a double mastectomy.  

She has a great support system and family nearby, so we are grateful for those things!

McCall 12

 August 21-23

A quick trip to the cabin to get away. We floated the river but it's getting pretty shallow so Julienna and I decided it was our last time.  We are just to heavy together and have to get off and pull it through the low parts.  Saw a few deer and a heron.  Kids and I left Sunday morning to get things ready for the week and Jonathan got a few more things done without us bugging him.

Gridiron Gala

 August 14-

Highschool football is next level!  Not only have we had practices all summer long, but they also host a gala with food, drinks, and an auction so the parents will shell out even more money for the program!  Jonathan and I had a good night and I came home with a seat at a football moms bunco night and a mystery bottle of wine (which luckily turned out to be white).  We watched a ton of money get raised for the program so that was nice to see.  The boys have a Saturday practice tomorrow followed by a car wash! Phew, here we go again!  Go Mustangs !!! I even decorated the guest bath to reflect our lives for the next 2 months!

Round 4

 August 13-

Dad finished up round 4 of chemo this week.  It was pretty anticlimactic, which in the medical world is good!  He had blood work that showed a decrease in platelets, but not enough to hold the chemo, just enough to keep an extra eye out.  We met with the nurse practitioner, Alycn, and she was very helpful.  She gave the green light to finish out the chemo and even got him set up with a muscle relaxer for his back (which has helped a ton and has let him get more sleep). 

They couldn't talk him into ringing the bell on his last day, but I think he might have had some ice cream to celebrate. Even though chemo and all the appointments were hard on him, there is some ease in the act of doing something.  Waiting, truly is, the hardest part.  More lab work and a bone strengthening injection is scheduled for 2 1/2 weeks from now and then at 3 weeks there is another PET scan to evaluate things before starting immunotherapy. 

He still gets out golfing but does tire pretty easily.  Joel goes and has lunch with them during the week, I handle appointments, and they have friends bringing amazing BLT sandwiches on homemade bread, so for now things are good.

First Day of School

 August 12-

First official day of school was today, but the kids started official sports practices on Monday.  All the summer practices were "optional". :)

Kingston went first and started his freshman year at Eagle high.  He is on student council and the football team and is really looking forward to this year!

Julienna is much less excited about entering 6th grade at Eagle Middle, in fact, you could say she is dreading it. Word on the street is that she got stuck with a bummer of an English teacher and she got her for 2 periods (spoiler alert: she had a terrible first day of school and really really doesn't care for that teacher).  But she's got her locker all figured out and she has it decorated just how she likes it. She is trying cheerleading and got another sparkly bow to add to her collection and has a handful of really good girls that she hangs out with.  Wish us luck with this year!

McCall 11

 August 7-9

An uneventful weekend, but we got in some much needed relaxing.  We had a neighborhood HOA meeting and then the boys paddleboarded/fished the river while Julienna and I joined Jonathan's family for dinner and hanging out.  Sunday we played some board games and watched a movie before getting in the long line of traffic to make it home.