Good Evening,

Today was a fun day.  We went to gymnastics this morning, the girls played in the dirt before their naps, I read books to Chantel and tickled her while Sharmi slept, this afternoon we went shopping and I bought a new skirt for me and animal tanks for growing frogs, and we ended the day going to the Hall’s to catch tad poles.  Sharmi caught a lot of tad poles.  In addition, Emalyn put an egg sack in the tank, so we might have a plague after they all grow into frogs.

Sharmi still loves reading and one of her favorite stories right now is the story of Josephs coat of many colors and the famine in Egypt.   The other day at dinner she surprised me when she said, “I am glad I don’t live in Egypt. ”  I curiously asked her why and she said, “I don’t want to eat JUST corn… I like eating lots of different foods.”   I just laughed. 

I cannot believe how much Sharmi has grown.  We just had her 4th birthday party at my parents house last week.  It was a wonderful time.  She got a new bike that she rode on grandma and grandpa’s patio.  Chantel tried to ride the bike also, but she was happiest if she got sisters cool purple water bottle that goes in the bike.     Sharmi got lots of other great gifts, but she was very generous with Chantel.  She gave Chantel the gift bags that had cloths in them.  She said, “Chantel, you can open these.  They have clothes.  I like clothes, but they are not very fun to play with right now.”  Mom and I laughed at her selective generosity.

Chantel is really fun.  She is talking all the time.  When we drive around town and she spots cows and says, “moo, moo, cow…. moo cow.”  She loves her play ground in the back yard.  Whenever a door gets left open or she gets out of the car she runs for the swings.  I am really glad she enjoys outside so much.  I just wish it didn’t increase the number of baths and the amount of laundry. 

I can’t believe that there is only 9 more doses of Mercaptopurine and 2 more doses of Methatrexate to go.  Two years ago it didn’t feel like we could survive this.  But today was a great day.  It was not one of just surviving, it was one of REALLY LIVING!   The first two years of Sharmi’s life was consumed by rebuilding our house and life from the flood.  That last two years have been spent fiighting cancer.  I pray that the next two years will be really living!  (I am already sad about her going to school someday.) 

I hope our lives can remind you to “really live”,  it makes such a difference. Good night.

Cheris