Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Michigan Bound

It is that time again... We are headed to Michigan, has it been three months already?!  
Addie will have her scan on Thursday at 10:30.  Please send up lots of prayers for our girl to once again be NED/All clear!!! We are taking the whole crew this trip, it should be interesting :)

Thank you Team Addie!  Please storm the heavens for our little lady!! 


Psalm 46:5. God is within her, she will not fall.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Another one...

Addie obviously doesn't know what I post but decided to make one more milestone happen today :)

Check this out... And she did it all by herself!!! She is so amazing!! 

I love you Addie Lynn Brenden!


Milestones

Another year of preschool begins today.  My girl gets to be just that, a little girl starting her second year of preschool.  To say that we are thankful for these special moments is an understatement.



I am always asked, How is Addie doing?  My most common answer to that question is that Addie does better than me most days :)  I am so thankful for that answer.
As many of you know (especially those of you that personally know me and are forced to deal with me on a regular basis), my Mommy worry-brain never stops.  I have days that are good and days that I literally feel like I might suffocate from the fear that is trying to consume me.  As hard as I try, there are some days that I just can't stop it.  With these milestones come great happiness but for me it also ignites worry... How much longer Lord?  How much longer do we get to live this wonderful life with a PERFECTLY HEALTHY Addie Bean?  How many more "normal" memories will my little girl have?  Can she survive and live a "normal" life?  These are questions I may never have answered and honestly my harsh reality is that I may not want to know the answers.

Here is my dilemma team and something that I can't get a grasp of...why can't I believe that YES is the answer to that last question, I get so mad at myself... is it because I am a pessimist?  Is it because I am in some way trying to prepare or ready myself for it?  Is it the devil??  WHY oh WHY must I constantly think she won't make it when it is very possible she WILL.  Please Lord help me to push out the worry and the fear, help me to trust in your promises.  All of us face futures that are unclear, no day is guaranteed and every day is a precious gift from God.  We have been so blessed and witnessed miracles through Addie's treatment and fight against Naughty Randall.  God has already answered our prayers.  SHE IS HERE RIGHT NOW.  We have been granted time with Addie that some Neuroblastoma families never get.  How inconsiderate and ignorant of me to worry about something that I may never have to face, how dare I place myself there?!  I want so desperately to believe that Addie will never have to fight cancer again, that is my greatest desire... for her to live a long, happy, and healthy life.  My struggle is real but I am not alone, every Mom is faced with worries and there are mothers that I follow that have faced realities I can't even bare to think about.  

THANKFULNESS is how I get through those suffocating moments (and some really good friends and family members)... I force my mind off of my worries and onto Jesus.   I open my eyes to the amazing blessings that I am faced with daily... I get to be a mother to three beautiful little girls.  My hope is to continue to live graciously, this is what I have found soothes my anxious Mommy heart.  There are so many things to be thankful for and today was one of those things, my girl started another year of preschool!!  My greatest prayer is that I will never know a life without my Addie girl.   My prayer will continue to be that my sweet baby gets to live cancer free for an eternity.  I pray that she will grow old, experience a wonderful life, and that her life will never again be plagued by cancer.  I am so thankful that we have a gracious God that never forsakes us and I am so thankful that He has blessed me with three amazing little girls.

Here is to MANY more milestones, like this one!!! I can't believe it... riding a big girl bike without training wheels!! That is my girl!!!

http://youtu.be/LQ-4CCNUxr8


Please pray a special prayer for Addie this week, we had a bit of a scare last week with a lymph node... I don't want to go into too many details but her painful lymph node appears to be better after taking some antibiotics and they are doing a blood test this Weds. to check her inflammatory markers.  Please pray that they have gone back to normal and that Addie just had a little bug that was causing things to go a bit haywire.  She also gets her hearing aids on Weds... We are excited about this :)  but I have been told they take some getting used to.  Please pray that they will be comfortable, helpful and that Addie will like them.
Thank you Team Addie.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

News is in...

She is ALL clear (and Lily-Mae is too)!!!!! Praise God!!!  NED!!! We are so happy and beyond thankful!!  Let's do this thing called summer and someone turns 5 next week :)


Scan is on

She is sleeping now and getting her scan... Prayers, prayers and more prayers!  Thanks to Helen DeVos, they do such a wonderful job for our girl. Thanks for all your wonderful and supportive comments.  I will say it again, Team Addie really is the best team in town!!

She was so happy and energetic this morning, being the life of the party as always!  We took a video of her this morning getting her IV.  She amazes us continually at how well she endures everything... She is so amazing, so strong and always brave.  This was her second IV in 24 hours, not a tear, not a flinch or a complaint!  Addie Lynn Brenden you are ONE tough cookie and I am so blessed to be your Mommy.

I will try and share the video later, my phone is not cooperating right now.



Wednesday, June 22, 2016

That time again...

Has it really been three months already?  Are we really back in Michigan for scans?!  Wow, time flies when your girl is feeling so good :). Addie has her scan tomorrow, please send up lots of prayers for our girl... Clear scans for an eternity!!! 

Also please say a special prayer for a sweet little girl from Ireland named Lily-Mae.  Lily-Mae completed the clinical trial Addie is now in.  She is fighting Neuroblastoma and WINNING, praise God.  She is having her 6 month post-DMFO treatment scans at the same time our Addie girl is having hers.  Their family is such an inspiration to us and we were so thankful to meet them in person today.  Prayers for you Lily-Mae, prayers for a long life filled with heath, happiness and CLEAR scans!!!

We are trying to have a little fun while we are here in Grand Rapids.  We are thankful big sister came along for the trip but we are missing our sweet little Emma.  Big thank yous to Grandpa, Aunt Rachael, Uncle David and Coral for taking care of Emma Sue while we are away.  

Here we go Team Addie... Please storm the heavens for our girl!! 


Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Preschool

Someone finished her first year of preschool today!!!  


This is a special milestone for any little one and a day that makes every parent's heart happy!  This Momma's heart is especially thankful!!  My girl was able to go to preschool and finish her first year... Just like a "normal" kid!!! "Normal" kid stuff is extra special when your child has had far from "normal" circumstances!!! 
Feeling incredibly blessed in too many ways to count!! Praise God!  Thank you Mrs. Blough and Mrs. Williams for a wonderful year full of learning, having fun, making friends, and making special memories. 



Way to go Addie Bean!! You have come such a long way... When you started preschool we couldn't get you to go without screaming and crying and at the end, you asked daily if you could go to school!  

I love you so much big girl!  I am so blessed to be your Mommy!