BRIGHTER DAYS :)

 So, Calli & Mike are mostly all better now, just the coughing and running snot leftover!

 Since it had been so long since we had ventured to the Perkiomenville trail, we decided to take a nice little trip with 9 of some of our favorite little people and their Mama, and their dog, and our three dogs!  Wow.  We had a blast!  Calli walked without her walker, 2.6 miles, and up a 12% grade hill with just a little bit of support from  Jesse and me.  We had fun watching the dogs swim, the little ones work so hard to get up the hill, and we even got some great shots around an awesome tree with a huge boulder in the middle of it!  After that, we had a picnic lunch at the park.  We thought we were done our wonderful day, but as we walked back across the bridge to our cars, we heard a beep beep beep behind us!  It was our wonderful friend and "praisercise" instructor Mary Beth Bette!  What a wonderful surprise!  It was good to catch up and say hi since we had not seen her since May!

Can you see the huge boulder Calli is sitting on?  Aidan's right thigh is also resting on it! The tree grew around it!

We were invited by the CHOP oncology clinic to go to the Philadelphia zoo on Saturday night.  They closed the zoo to the public and opened it just for the Oncology kids and their family members.  Calli & Mike were feeling better, so we decided it would be fun- plus- we were never at the zoo at night!  It rained most of the day, and stopped just in time for us to get there in the evening.  Hatfield Quality Meats, was a huge sponsor, and treated all the kids and their family members to tons of food.  Rita's Water Ice was there as well.  We saw many familiar faces from Hatfield, as well as fellow fighters from Oncology.  It was actually nice to go and not be stared at :)  Everyone there has or had some sort of cancer.  We got some great pics!

Calli's lips are super red from her cherry water ice

I do not like little monkeys, but my family does :)

She was TIRED!  Got wheeled by Dad :) Smiley Dad :)

I like little frogs though!

Our Director!

Smile Aidan!

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty.....

HUGE snapping TURTLE!!!  I thought it was fake, then it moved :)

Cool Spider

This past Sunday evening, Calli was invited to meet Cole Hamels, a starting pitcher for the Phillies!  He was super nice, and we got a few pics!

Cole signed 4 cards for Calli

Uber smiles!

Thanks Kisses for Kyle and Cole!

Even though the game was rained out, she still got to see a Phillie :)

More exciting things to come!  I assured the kids, that we were still going to have a great summer, even if most of it was spent at the hospitals....and we are!  We are overwhelmed, and so grateful for the opportunities being placed before us from such willing, caring, & open hands & hearts.  We are thanking God today for the things He is doing and opportunities arising and for using you to put a smile on my 14 yr old's face!

We have but a few short weeks before I must start school with the children.  For those of you who don't know, I have been homeschooling my children for the last 6 years.  We will beginning our 7th year!  It is hard to believe how quickly time flies!   We have some field trips that we would still like to go on before our official start, and before we must be back at CHOP for her second round of treatments.  Still on the list : The Art Museum in Philadelphia, Franklin Institute, & Morris Arboretum.

On another note...We have a wonderful friend who makes these awesome fox hats!  He is only 14!  He lives on a farm, traps the fox himself, tans the hide, and when it is ready sews these hats!!!  TOO COOL!  Doesn't she look beautiful?  We are thinking of paying him to make her one for winter.  If you know someone who would like a REAL Fox Fur Hat like this, send me a message through the comments :)

Have a blessed week!