We're still here! (and a prayer request)

It's been nearly two months since we last posted any updates/photos of our family, and I apologize. It probably seemed liked we fell off the face of the Earth!

In some ways, we did. We've been in a state of limbo, traveling back and forth between Illinois and Wisconsin, ever since Daddy returned home from Fort Hood on June 18th. I looked at my calendar today and realized that the kids and I have not slept in our new house more than 12 consecutive nights, the longest stretch having been July 18-29. This is where we've slept recently:

June 21-30 - Wisconsin
July 1-3 - Illinois
July 4-5 - Wisconsin
July 6 - Illinois
July 7-9 - Texas (Hail and Farewell and marriage retreat at Horseshoe Bay)
July 10-17 - Illinois
July 18-29 - Wisconsin
July 30-31 - Illinois
August 1-3 - Wisconsin
August 4-9 - Illinois
August 10-? - Wisconsin

The reason we've been going back to Illinois so often is that Grandma Kay Ellen is very ill and has been in and out of the hospital throughout the past month. At the end of June, after suffering from several localized seizures in her leg, she learned that her breast cancer had spread to her brain. She underwent a type of brain surgery called a craniotomy on July 12th to remove the lima bean-sized tumor. Roughly 60-70% of the tumor was removed during the surgery, and she was waiting for a follow-up radiation treatment scheduled for mid-August to get what was left when some other health issues popped up.

These issues led to an emergency room visit and an 9-day hospital stay for her beginning on July 29th. Doctors found an obstruction in her intestine which was being caused by breast cancer that had spread to the outside of the organs in her abdomen. She had one treatment of two new types of chemo drugs and was supposed to have a second until her foot starting seizing again. At that point the doctors decided it would be better to finish off the brain tumor first with the radiation treatment (scheduled for August 15th) and then continue with the chemo beginning August 22nd.

We are so grateful that we now live so close to Grandma Kay Ellen. A huge factor in our decision to move to Milwaukee was its proximity to Lisle (only 105 miles from our door to hers). Please keep Grandma in your thoughts and prayers these next few weeks. She is a big believer in the power of prayer, as are we. We love you, Grandma!!!