Day 198, Back to Church

This last Sunday, we got cleared to come back home.  We've been back in Abilene for a few months now, but Sunday we got to go to the place that feeds our souls and spent so many hours in prayer for Hunter's transplant.  It's not just church to us.  It's where we met in the high school youth group, where we found faith of our own in college, where we got married, and where we built our marriage as a newly married couple.  It's the place where we dedicated our babies to the Lord and where we walk side by side with other families to do our very best to raise our boys to be Godly men.  So, it was a big day for us.  It felt so awesome to get to see faces that have encouraged us all along the way the past 6 months.

Transplant has been much more difficult than what we ever could have prepared for or imagined.  But our Southern Hills family has stepped into our lives to help us carry our load.  We had fully prepared meals delivered for the better part of three months while mom and dad moved in our house.  Four freezers were completely filled with ready to bake food for nights when meals weren't delivered.  Kids classes even put together freezer meals for us.  A carnival party in our name involving families our class took place on the day Hunter had the terrible reaction to chemo and we were broken.  Video messages of encouragement were filmed and sent to us.  Cards arrived nearly every day of our 100+ days in Houston.  Homemade cookies, pastries, bread, gift cards, and various ways to pass the time arrived in our mailbox constantly.  Thousands of text messages, facebook comments, and phone calls came from Abilene to our hospital room in Houston.  My request for blood was passed along and spread like wildfire.  We were a WATS (we are the sermon) project for two different groups.  One ensured that our house was professionally cleaned from air ducts to curtains.  Another watched the kids so that my parents could enjoy a date night.  Our church has been in prayer for Hunter's transplant for years and never quit asking God to bless us.  I could just go on and on.  I don't know how people get through tough times without a church family like ours.  So yeah, it was an exciting day for us to walk through the doors.

 We went back to Houston for a checkup this past Thursday.  These last five weeks went by quickly!  From the moment Dr. Carrum walked in the door to the time we left, they could not get over how good he looked.  The nurses were all coming by and admiring.  Normally I'd get a little jealous about other women talking about how good Hunter looked and admiring his muscles, but these nurses had seen him when he was nothing but skin and bones.  Now he's two pounds over his pre-transplant weight.  After his blood test results, he no longer has to take steroids. His liver is also perfect, so he doesn't have to take his liver pill anymore.  He got switched to a less harsh antiviral, which should help his white blood count and platelet level recover back into the norm.  They were very pleased that Hunter has made it six months without any infections.  Normally you have at least a couple, so they said keep up whatever we've been doing!

We just had to have our favorite cupcakes while we were in Houston.  Maybe for breakfast too:)

We also got the go-ahead to go back to church.  Dr. Carrum just said "Don't let anyone touch him.  Keep your big mask on and keep people from hugging on him."  Ummm....that's a lot easier said then done.  So, if you see us out and about, give us an elbow bump.  We will have to be his bodyguards until everyone figures out to keep their distance a bit.  We snuck into our class but didn't attend service until we could get the word out not to touch him.  Handshakes and hugs are usually passed out a lot, but Hunter doesn't really need exposed to those things quite yet.  It will sure felt good down the road a bit!

While church was a definite yes, Benton going back to school was a big fat no.  As we enter flu and RSV season, we still have to be extremely careful.  We know that it's best for Hunter, but that doesn't make it any easier on a five year old boy who is missing his friends.  Benton, Caleb, and Clayton have all had to make a lot of sacrifices for our family, and I'm so proud that Benton especially does it with grace and love for his daddy.  We can see the end of this long process, finally!

Happy for good news at clinic!

 While we were in Houston, the boys went to Angel Fire for a few days.  There was snow for the first couple days, and they sledded and played in the snow for as long as Nana and G-Daddy would let them.  I was a little jealous of the snow fun and also that they got to see all the yellow trees.  They've all been non-stop chatter about their mountain adventures.  Hunter and I enjoyed our quiet kid free trip to Houston and Hunter took advantage to sit out in the deer stand a couple nights.

We are loving fall and being outside!

 As always, we have some requests for prayer.  We ask that you pray for us to endure.  To keep up our guard against sickness, and for Hunter's immune system to continue to get stronger.  We feel encouraged to have the opportunity to be back at church with so many that we love.  We give all the glory to God for Hunter's recovery!  We can't wait to catch up with lots of you {if you're healthy} and thank you in person for all you've done for us!