Soccer Tournament

We have had the coldest soccer season on record. Typically we start cold and get warmer every week. This year the cold stuck around. Having games at night time meant it was dark and with temps in the 30s and wind chills even lower, it was downright frigid! When the parents are all wearing ski caps, you know it's cold!!

The kids played hard despite the cold and were passionate competitors. Carter was not intimidated by the size of the kids (now that he's moved up a league) and jumped in to win the ball whenever he could...

At the end of season, Carter's team- the Silver Bullets- was ranked in the top of their division so they received a first round buy.

They ended up playing the reigning league champs in the finals. Both teams were intensely focused and played an hour ending in a 1-1 tie.  The boys played their hearts out.

Our goalie Aiden had a broken foot that couldn't be casted or repaired, but he still wanted to play. When he would run, his foot would drag behind him like it was asleep. It was heartbreaking to watch, but he was awesome in spite of it. They went into overtime, still ended in a tie. The game would be decided in a shootout. Each team chose 3 players to shoot. Aiden was still in goal *That's him wearing the yellow penny below). Leo scored our winning shot. He is an amazing little guy with a powerful left foot. His family moved here from Sweden and Leo and his brothers joined the soccer league. Leo is playing up a year so he is only 7 years old. This tiny little toe head was a force to be reckoned with. His speed and ball handling skills shocked every team we played. 

Division Champions- The Silver Bullets!! We are so proud of their dedication and teamwork this season. Way to go boys!!

EMMA Musical and Awards

We have loved being a part of EMMA this year (our homeschool co-op). The kids have made great friends and always look forward to their Friday classes. Their spring musical was Splash Kingdom. It told the path of salvation through the story of a group of kids visiting a water park- thus the bathing suits!

They all did a great job learning their lines, the music, dances, and motions

They also handed out the P.E. awards. Both kids earned Presidential Physical Fitness this year! So proud of both of them. I guess the pull ups they do in our doorways and shuttle run practice on the patio has been paying off.

We are so proud of Julia's perseverance. Doing the timed situps is tough and uncomfortable for her with the cecostomy tube in her abdomen. The week they did their pull up test was during the weeks when she was still having the pain in her ribs. When she got in the car that day and told me she had passed, I was surprised. When I asked about her rib pain, she said, "Mom it really hurts to do it, but I just do it anyway." She is one tough cookie!

Celebration yogurt...

Blessed by a beautiful sunset on the way home. Feeling so overwhelmed by God's goodness and the blessings of simple joys like these with our kids. Every day is such a gift.

Last day of school. We are going to miss EMMA Fridays until next September!

Friday Friends

We have been planning to have friends over on Friday nights for grilled pizzas and s'mores for such a long time. We finally had a free night and good weather to have our first one. It was so much fun! We set up a pizza bar so everyone could make their own pizzas...

There is nothing quite like pizza on the grill. If you don't have a grill stone, we highly recommend them. Yum! Then it was on to s'mores.

Mashmallows on a stick are a toddler's delight..

We also were treated to Shana's yummy chocolate lasagna- so good!

Looking forward to more fun nights in the backyard!

PEDS ONC Picnic

God gifted us with a perfect spring day for this year's annual PEDS Oncology picnic at...

 

Julia was immediately drawn to the animals, of course. She and Desi made friends with the miniature horses..

They were giving out lots of kisses, too...

She decided she might need one of these instead of a dog...

This was the year of the 6 year old girls. They were everywhere! Julia, Hope, and Leila were a trio to be reckoned with. They were all over camp having the time of their lives...

Off to the stables for some horseback riding...

Then they raced down to the lake for some fishing, canoeing, and exploring...

I can't helped but get choked up on days like this when I see these amazing kids enjoying the finer things in life and just being kids. It is such a treat for them to have fun together outside of the hospital. It is a gift to see how far they've come and how much they've grown. At the same time it is a reminder of the precious gift of grace we've been given to have healthy days like this as we remember those still fighting and the one's who have earned their wings. It is all so bittersweet. So many memories of kids that were with us in past years that aren't here today...

Cherish life. Be grateful for every day. Tell people you love them. And grab a pole and go fishing.

Thank you to all our amazing doctors, nurses, and staff who put this on for us every year- we love you!! Nurse Nancy and Nurse Diane waving to everyone as they left...

See you next year!!

LEGO Night

One of my favorite nights we host at the hospital is LEGO night. What could be better than 50 pounds of LEGO, fun with your family, yummy snacks, and some amazing kids?! Did I mention there is a Coldstone ice cream cart, too?! It is such a blessing to be able to bring this night of fun to the courageous kids battling cancer on the 9th floor (and their families, too!)

The stresses and burdens of cancer weigh heavily on everyone in the family. On nights like these kids can just block everything out and play. Parents have the chance to relax and do something that feels normal again. I love to see how quickly they jump in to play, too. It gives them a chance to decompress, reconnect with their kids, and bond with other cancer parents. The magic of LEGOs...

Brothers and sisters can play with their siblings and just feel like regular kids for a night...

The kids of course love the ice cream and eat bowl after bowl of fun flavor combinations. I love that we are able to bless our beloved doctors, nurses, and staff, too. Nurse Nancy...

and some excited residents getting in on the fun.

LEGO Night was born from the imagination of our lego-lover, Vinny. This is the first one we have had since he earned his wings. Carter really misses his best buddy. Their LEGO Nights were always full of fun- building, laughing, snacking, pranking, light saber battles, and chases. It was an emotional night for everyone, but it felt good to be carrying on his legacy. He built this in his honor...

Julia made a V-flyer to remember our little warrior...

There was so much energy in the room. Everyone's imaginations were flowing freely...

We had a special visit from LEGO Man! (Jeff is so creative.) I love Morgan's LEGO creation!

One of our LEGO masters even fixed the broken leg on the chair...

The building went on for hours, well into the night...

So many wonderful memories and fun creations...

A huge thanks to the LEGO Store in Concord Mills and Coldstone in Kernersville for volunteering their time and services to make these nights possible. And a huge thanks to everyone who supports Kids of Childhood Cancer Foundation to make nights like these happen for our courageous cancer kids! Want to help us do more? Visit our new online store HERE. Or join in support of our upcoming Walk 4 Our Kids.

Fighting childhood cancer with LEGO love...

one brick at a time.