1 year since ringing the victory bell

Next Saturday marks the one year point from when Talitha completed her final bone marrow transplant cycle at Primary Children's Medical Center, rang the victory bell, and came home. I don't know that June 4, 2010 is any more significant than dozens of other miracle milestone days in Tali's journey. But it does mark a day of yet another new beginning, the point we returned home with changed, grateful, and exhausted hearts.

Tali's exuberance for life just keeps going. She lives with a houseful of older siblings who adore her and try to accommodate her voracious appetite for walks, books, playing, and music. She loves being around younger children and is delighted that her parents are finally letting her go to the full hour and a half of nursery at church on Sunday. She's in good health with a full head of hair again.

Tali has been getting MRI's, spinal taps, and other tests every 3 months as part of her post-cancer maintenance program. Her next two days of testing at the hospital are on June 7th and 8th. I believe that at the one year mark they move the maintenance procedures from quarterly to every 6 months. So I'm hoping there will soon be even fewer hospital visits and procedures. But whatever lies ahead, we hope to always look to Christ as our one true source for life and support. And as always, thank you for all the support and prayers and love over these many months.

It's always fun when Talitha gets lost in her own world and has more than a hospital room with which to imagine. The flower pots in front of our home are filled with water thanks to an abundance of moisture this spring. Tali would has stayed in this spot all day had we let her. How she enjoyed talking and playing with sticks in the water! Some days, I think she'd rather live outside. Can you blame her?