May Fun and Craziness

The end of year craziness has set in here at the Tate house! This time of year is typically crazy for everyone - no matter what season you are in.

Here's are some of our highlights:

*Liv sang during the 7th inning stretch at a Gwinnett Braves game with her school choir.
*Liv enjoyed her last field day in elementary school.
*Elena enjoyed a great carnival at school for all the eighth graders.
*We celebrated Elena's 14th Birthday with a pool party (in the rain) at the home of our friends - all the girls had a fabulous time thanks to the Weavers!!
*We were able to volunteer with Family Promise for the first time in 17 months - we loved being with the families! The giggles and laughter from the children and our girls is priceless!
*We spent a wonderful Mother's Day afternoon on a picnic with friends.
*We sang along to the music of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s during Liv's spring chorus performance.
*We attended school meetings for both girls to put transitions plans in place for next school year. Praise God both meetings went great and we have wonderful plans in place for both girls.
*Both girls have had end of the year yearbook signing parties at school.
*We enjoyed Liv's dance recital.
*We had fun writing letters and making teacher appreciation gifts for the girls' amazing teachers!
*We attended Elena's eight grade graduation ceremony - so grateful Elena was there!
*We celebrated the girls passing all five areas of the state test (even succeeding in some areas!)
*We celebrated with friends as their high school seniors will be graduating this week. We held these seniors when they were babies!

So much going on! So much to be thankful for!
Thank you for still checking on us, even when we haven't updated!
Thank you for still caring, still praying!

Looking ahead:
This is the last week of school for us!
The girls finish up on Wednesday, Christy finishes on Friday.
We will attend Liv's fifth grade graduation on Tuesday. 

Friday, Elena has a clinic appointment at Scottish Rite at 1pm.  It will be her first time there since June of last year!  We are so very thankful to be returning "home"!!

Please pray for us this week:
For Christy and Liv's ear and sinus infections to quickly clear up, for renewed energy, and to feel 100% soon
For Elena as she has finals this week, for calm and for her to do her best
For Elena's counts to have risen when they are checked at Friday's appt

Please pray that we don't get lost in these crazy days and that we slow down to enjoy each moment, to breathe in the beauty and love that God has given us in this life and in each other.

Thank you!
In Him,
The Tates

" The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:18

Clinic Update

Sorry for the delay in updating!
Thank you for your prayers!

We are happy to say that Elena had a great appointment yesterday.
Praise God!

The BMT team at Egleston are very happy with Elena's progress. They have lifted all restrictions and officially transferred her back to her oncology team at Scottish Rite! Another HUGE step in Elena's road to recovery. Even though Elena's counts dropped some, her doctors are considering her counts stable. They think her counts went down because Elena is back on an antibiotic that helps prevent pneumonia, which can suppress counts.  Also, they noted no signs of GVHD. Another praise!

So, we will continue to enjoy the last days of school before summer is here. We will celebrate Elena completing eighth grade and Liv finishing up fifth grade. We will happily attend each field day, awards ceremony, and celebration walk, thanking God for bringing us to this point. God is good!

In Him,
The Tates

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  Romans 12:12

Prayers for tomorrow's appointment

Tomorrow, Elena will have her monthly appointment at Egleston. We can't believe it's been four weeks since Elena's last appointment at the BMT clinic! It's also been four weeks since Elena has been off all immune suppression drugs.

Please join us in praying for Elena.
Pray for Elena's counts to be fabulous!
Pray for there to be no signs or concerns about GVHD.

Thank you for your continued prayers! 
We'll update tomorrow after Elena's appointment.

In Him,
The Tates

"In the morning, I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." Psalm 5:3

Spring Break 2013

This a long overdue post - Spring Break 2013. Before this year, Elena had spent three of her last four Spring Breaks in the hospital. Which meant our family spent Spring Break in the hospital. Those stays were hard.  It seemed like cancer was completely taking over our lives. The girls deserved so much more.

This year, they were given more. We all were given much more. From Christy's parents, we were given the gift of flying from Atlanta to Tampa to enjoy a week at the beach. Siesta Key - a small, beautiful island in the Gulf of Mexico. Aunt Debbie and Uncle Michael gave us their house for a week of care free family fun. Something we haven't enjoyed since a wonderful Thanksgiving week in Louisiana in 2011, three months before Elena relapsed. 

Dear friends gave us getaways in March 2013, camping in the North Georgia mountains and in June 2013 to the beach. Even though those trips were filled with love, laughter, and rest, they were also filled with a heaviness and fear of what was ahead in Elena's treatment.

This trip was different. The heaviness is lifting, the days are brighter, the love is greater.

We are so grateful to be here at this point!

In Him,
The Tates

"..weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."
Psalm 30:5b

A free scrapbook design by Smilebox

First Day of School!

What a day!! Elena's first day at school as an eighth grader!!

Since August, Elena has had a wonderful homebound teacher who has been her cheerleader and instructor. Mrs. Jennifer has been with Elena every week.  From the hospital to the Ronald McDonald House and home. She has worked so hard to make sure Elena learned all the necessary information she would need in order to complete eighth grade and be able to go on to high school well prepared. Mrs. Jennifer has been an amazing blessing in all of this craziness!

Today was the 155th day at school for everyone else. Last night, as Elena was getting ready for today, it was just like getting ready for the first day of school. Picking out her clothes, gathering her school supplies, packing her backpack and all that butterflies that go along with it.

This morning, she was extremely excited and a little nervous.

During the day, we were so very fortunate to have one of Elena's teachers send us updates.  It was comforting to know that she was taking such great care of Elena and making sure her day was as smooth and happy as possible.

Here's the first glimpse of Elena's day: "Elena came to my room first this morning and I walked her up to homeroom. She looked so cute and had a big smile on her face. I could tell she was a little nervous and she said that she was. I went back up to homeroom once she settled in a bit and she seemed better with her friends around her."

Later that morning: "She is still doing okay. She did come down to my room after first period (due to the CRCT test next week, the schedule is a little different this week) She looked like she was about to cry :( I finally got out of her that she was confused about the schedule, so we worked it out and I walked with her up to her next class. In class, she was given a review packet to get started on. She had a very overwhelmed look on her face, so I brought her back down with me and we just talked for awhile before going up to her next class. I think that made her feel better. She told me all about your beach trip and your pizza and movie nights :) Her teacher was waiting at the door for us when we went back up and she helped Elena get settled in class. She is going to sit with her friends at lunch, they already planned it."

Elena told this teacher that she was glad she had her to come to. We are too!! We are so very grateful to her for giving us updates today! She is another huge blessing in our lives!

Seeing all of her friends was definitly the best part of her day! Everyone was so very welcoming, kind, and just as excited to she her as she was to see them!  She really likes all of her teachers and says she wants to go all day again tomorrow!!

I can't stop smiling when thinking about this day and the fact that Elena has made it to this day! Tears flow thinking about God's provision, grace, and blessings that He has showered upon out family in this storm.

Thank you for reading, for praying, and for loving us so!

In Him,
The Tates

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Prayers for Tomorrow

Well, tomorrow's the big day.

No, it's not another test, clinic appointment, or procedure. Tomorrow will be Elena's first day of school!!! She had her final home bound school session today and will join her friends at school tomorrow.

Elena is so very excited.  We think this is more exciting and scary than when we sent her to kindergarten! We even told one of her teachers that we might need hourly updates!

We do know Elena will be with amazing teachers and that there are so many people at NGMS who love her. This brings us great comfort about her returning there tomorrow.
We thank God daily for this blessing and are so very thankful and happy to be at this point! Praise God!!


Please continue to pray.
Pray for protection and strength for Elena.
Pray for Elena to only feel kindness and compassion tomorrow.
Pray for Elena's teachers. Pray that they will be able to get to know Elena quickly and know what she needs when she needs it. They are more than willing to do whatever it takes to make this transition a smooth and happy one for Elena. We are grateful for their understanding and kindness.
Pray for peace of mind and heart for us.

Thank you for continuing to be there for us!
We'll give you an update tomorrow about Elena's day.

In Him,
The Tates

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:22-23

It's Official!

Elena has been officially cleared to return to school!! Praise God!!
We received the medical release and paperwork on Tuesday and met with the teachers at Elena's school yesterday.

We can't even begin to describe what we are feeling.
This is such an enormous milestone for Elena!! Looking back to July 16, 2012, the day Elena was admitted into the hospital to today, 264 days later, is amazing!  We thank God daily for our blessings and His provision throughout this storm in our lives.  We are so very thankful and happy to be at this point!

Yesterday's meeting at the school was amazing! Elena's teachers, case manager, and homebound teacher spent so much time with us. They are more than willing to do whatever it takes to make this transition a smooth and happy one for Elena. We are grateful for their understanding and kindness. They even showed Elena their class lists so she could tell them who she would like to sit next to.

Elena is beyond excited about her return to school! We think this is more exciting and scary than when we sent her to kindergarten!

Her first official day will be on Wednesday, April 17th, after our Spring Break. She will begin attending half days and then work up to full days.  Please pray for Elena and this upcoming transition. It will be a huge one!

We are also so happy to be able to spend this Spring Break as a family!! As many of you know, Elena has spent three of her last four spring breaks in the hospital.  This year, we are ready for some much needed rest and relaxation! Thank you God for bringing us to today!

We are extremely thankful to be at this point in Elena's life and recovery.
Thank you for being a part of her journey!

In Him,
The Tates

"Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18