Vacation at Last

(With apologies to those of you who are not on vacation this week...)

Katie continues to thrive. She plays hard, as if she is making up for lost time. She talks nonstop. She cracks jokes. She even runs.

The rest of continue to hang on. I'm feeling droopy for some reason today, and Joshua is struggling. Rick is napping. I don't think we realize how draining this process is when we are engaged in the struggle. We just keep moving. Katie is energetic and enthusiastic now. She is enjoying her treatment vacation. We have let down our guard, and because we have stopped moving, we realize how tired we are and how this process challenges us emotionally. Joshua is having tantrums again. I think that he is just exhausted. As much as I would like to tell you that we are gearing up to suck the life out of every precious minute of this vacation, I think what we really need is just some time to mend. It is so hard to be positive all the time. The great irony is that it is easier, now, to be positive and yet I feel less healthy. I do not feel less positive. I am prepared to count the minutes of Katie's healthy days as great blessings. I just feel tired and antsy--like I want to redecorate our whole house but I just can't quite settle down into any project just yet.

I shouldn't complain. Katie's health is remarkable. Those of you who have known her a long time would recognize Katie again. She has fat cheeks and fuzz for hair, but she is animated, bossy, affectionate and funny--ready to take on the world and win. I may simply need to borrow from her stores of energy for a few days. I think I may go to Newport to buy running shoes. Maybe I just need to get moving again.

Happy vacation to all of you. Think Spring!