81

Hunter's platelets had a big jump today!  This morning they were up to 81.  He is still below normal (140-400) but hopefully his count will continue to rise.  He got an increased dose of his Nplate shot, so I'm hoping for even higher numbers Friday.  The high dose steroids are helping control his body killing off his platelets, but they are also wrecking his night's sleep.  Last night he finally went to bed at 12:30 and woke up wide awake at 3:52.  That makes it hard to function.  But his is, and this too will pass.  Because he his counts went in the right direction, he gets to cut back on his steroids to 50 mg a day.  Lots of answered prayers!

We are limping towards the end of summer at the Hanner house.  Maybe it's just my children, but if they are not occupied they are picking at each other.  We've had lots of togetherness over the last year, and I'm counting down the days until school starts {in the most loving way possible, of course}.  This time next week I will be picking Benton up from his first day of Kindergarten.  The following week the twins will start Mother's Day Out twice a week.  I love my boys, I promise, but in just two short weeks I will have 12 hours all to myself a week.  I think I can, I think I can!  

And have I mentioned that August is hot here in Texas?  As I uploaded pictures from this week, I remembered why I was so tired this weekend.  We've been to the zoo, the Albany pool, the park, library, and to Possum Kingdom Lake.  Saturday I did laundry and cleaned up the house from the whirlwind week.  We arrived back in Abilene from our 118 day separation one year ago Tuesday.  We truly feel blessed to get to experience this summer with our boys as opposed to in Houston missing them.  All sarcasm aside, we feel fortunate that Hunter's platelet counts are getting better and we can be together as a family, no matter how exhausting that may be.

Just wanted to see if they would still fit.  We've spend hours swinging like this in years past!

Hunter's Aunt DiDi came to stay with the boys while I went with Hunter for blood tests.  They sure love Diann!

Took all these monkey cousins to the zoo on a coolish overcast morning.  Cousins make the best friends!

It was feeding day in the reptile house.  Notice the hand holding observing the circle of life.

The hot weather was back the next day, and we made the 45 minute drive to the small town of Albany to meet some friends. Along the way, we found some delicious cupcakes.  The boys spend hours going down the slide.

                

This is how we spent the majority of our Friday....floating in the lake!  It was beautiful out, and we were soaking up the sun at PK:)

Benton and I are playing catch, C & C squirting the adults, Holden taking it all in, and Hudson jumping off the dock.  Perfection!

Erinn came too!

Does it get any better?

Surfer Caleb.  Pretty sure the boys had no idea all the work it took to keep this stable.  My arms and legs were sore the next day!

Surfer Clayton

Surfer Benton

Surfer Hudson

I convinced Benton to jump off the top of the dock.  Don't look down brother!

The boys decided the lake is a great place to be.  They were good and worn out by the time we made it home.  I found two of them passed out in our driveway.

Thank you for all your kind and encouraging words after my last post.  While the last several weeks have been challenging, we rest easy in the fact that we are not alone.  It may seem impossible, but we have truly felt the prayers of our friends and loved ones.  We ask for prayers that we be refreshed and renewed to face each day, whatever may come.  This last platelet drop may have caught us off guard, but it did not surprise the Lord.  More than anything, we want to live in a way that brings glory to his name.  I would have written our transplant story to be a little shorter, with less setbacks.  Please join me in praying for no infections on steroids, for rest and strength for Hunter, and for PLATELETS!  

Just keep peddling along, eventually we'll get there!