Birthday Party

Kerstin and her sister had a combined birthday party this year, and this year they decided they wanted to have a movie theater party. They each got to invite five friends. The girls had ice cream and Barbie cake, opened presents, got a tour of the theater projection room, and then watched the movie "The Shaggy Dog". In addition to personal presents, each girl brought something to donate to the Children's Hospital arts and crafts room. (Thank you again everyone.)

Unfortunately, one of the invited girls was unable to make it to the party. Abby's (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/abbybridgewater) counts were not high enough for her to be able to join us at the theater. However, we were able to meet up with her and her mom for a quick present exchange while they were on their way back to Omaha.

To see all of the pictures from the day, click on the title "Birthday Party".

Uncle Phil's Diner

The youth at our church are doing a fundraiser this weekend called "Uncle Phil's Diner". Annie and 3 other gals get to sing a song as a part of the dinner theater. Kerstin, McKinsey and Annie had a blast dressing up in 50's costumes for the event. What a wonderful opportunity to wear those Halloween costumes from 2 years ago. Kerstin and McKinsey are quite the dancers! They even did the Hokey Pokey! It was a fun evening, and the girls are looking forward to bringing their uncle and cousin to the show tomorrow night. They are trying to talk Mom into bringing them every night. Is it the dancing, the sloppy joes, or the root beer floats??

Thanks for checking on us! Have a wonderful weekend!

Hair

Kerstin's hair is really starting to come back in. Not quite enough to use any hair accessories, but it's getting there.

Feeling better

We just wanted to let everyone know that Kerstin has felt much better the last two days. We are not sure whether she caught some sort of "bug" or whether it was the side effects of her medicines that were making her feel yucky. We will start her back on her meds tomorrow and hope for the best. We had a nice weekend hanging out a home. Annie and the girls even did a little bit of clothes shopping on Saturday. All of McKinsey's jeans have holes in the knees. I guess that is the new style??? Kerstin is looking forward to going back to school and gymnastics tomorrow. Thanks for your positive thoughts and prayers.

Home Sick Again

Kerstin stayed home sick again today. She was lethargic, no appetite, and just didn't look good. The about mid-morning she got sick to her stomach. She was not happy about missing another day of school, but we knew we had to keep her home. We contacted the clinic about her nausea (and four day headache). They advised us to take her off her meds for a few days to see if that helps. It all seems like trial and error. After a long nap she seemed to feel a lot better. She even ate TWO pieces of pizza for supper and looks to have plenty of energy. We're ready for the weekend and some R and R.

Just A Reminder

We've been having beautiful weather the past couple of days, so the kids have been spending a lot of time outside playing. Kerstin, of course, has to keep up with everyone else. After going to the park with Annie and playing with Jeff in the back yard this morning, Kerstin started complaining of a stomach ache, and she looked wiped out. She didn't have any appetite and really didn't seem herself. We ended up keeping her home from kindergarten where she slept most of the afternoon. Even though she is looking like any other cancer-free six year old (minus some hair), I guess it's just a reminder of the disease and chemo that is going on inside of her. No complaints though. We still count our blessings everyday.

Kerstin is 6!

It was a fun and busy day for the Leaf family! Kerstin turned 6 today! Actually, she isn't officially 6 until 11:58 tonight. She was 2 minutes away from being a Leap Year baby.

Annie made Kerstin a Barbie doll cake. Thanks for the idea, Sharon! She made one for McKinsey on her 4th birthday. Now she remembers why she waited 5 years to make another one! All I can say is you need LOTS of frosting! Kerstin and McKinsey were very pleased with how it turned out. We had cake tonight for our bedtime snack. Yummy!

Kerstin got to visit her friends at Annette's house this morning. We brought doughnuts to help celebrate. It was fun to see all the kids having a ball together again. Kerstin especially liked holding baby Porter. She loves babies. She told me that she likes babies the best when they are "real." She even got to feed him a bottle. I am sure he was ready for a nice nap by the time we left.


Of course birthdays are extra special when you are a kindergartener. Her friends made her a birthday book and she got to wear a birthday hat and sticker all day.

Kerstin opened a few gifts tonight. Her favorite was a toy electric guitar from her sister and parents. It even came with a built-in microphone. We were treated with quite a concert tonight. I am sure that there will be many more to come. Tickets anyone???

We can certainly count our blessings today and every day. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to celebrate the big and little things in life.

Wonderful Weekend

We have had lots of company lately, and we are loving it! Annie's cousin, Todd, got married at Sheridan this weekend. Uncle Brian, Brenna, Grandma Clarice and Grandpa Gene were able to come and stay at our house. We also got to chat with many other aunts, uncles, and cousins at the wedding. It was so nice to see everyone. Best wishes to the happy couple.

Brenna, and the girls got in quite a bit of play time in the new basement this weekend. They played house, polly pockets and prom (Yep, prom is a new one for me, too. It involves pretty dresses and Uncle Brian with a bow tie). Kerstin continues to feel great. She went in for lab work and a check up on Thursday. Her ANC is over 1,200 and everything looks great. Dr. G is very pleased with her progress, and we are too! She is taking her meds like a pro. Kerstin is also very excited for her big 6th birthday on Tuesday! Thanks for checking in on us and have a blessed week!

Early Birthday

Kerstin's grandparents from Colorado will not be able to come back for Kerstin's "birth day", so they held an early party for her complete with presents and an ice cream cake.

Fever...

Dance fever that is. Grandma and Grandpa from the mountains showed up Sunday evening to stay for a few days. The girls were very excited to have a new audience for their dance routines. The grandparents got quite a show.

Kerstin continues to stay healthy. We still get very nervous when someone coughs or sneezes around her. Her doctor has also cleared her to travel, so we are trying to make plans for spring break in March.

As Kerstin remains healthy, are thoughts and prayers are with all of our new friends who are fighting secondary illnesses in addition to their primary cancers. Please say a special prayer for them and all those who need the extra attention.

Thanks for checking in on us and we hope you have a blessed week.

Uncle Brian

Things kind of slowed down after Valentine's Day. The weather got really cold (single digits and below zero), so we basically just hibernated when the girls weren't in school.

Saturday Kerstin had the idea of going out to breakfast, so we bundled everyone up and headed to Perkins for "brunch". We braved the cold weather and the crowds and did some shopping after we ate. That afternoon Kerstin's Uncle Brian stopped by to play. He was actually in town to see his girlfriend, but knew he would be in trouble with the girls if he didn't come see them. They had a fun time using Uncle Brian as an indoor gymnasium.

Valentines Day

Kerstin had a great time at her Kindergarten Valentine's Day party. Her dad was also able to be at the party to help with the kids and read a story. See more pictures by clicking on the title "Valentines Day".

Spinoza Bear

Kerstin received a Spinoza Bear over the weekend. This is a great addition to her collection because this bear actually has a tape player built in and comes with several Spinoza audio tapes. She can also play regular music tapes in it as well. Thanks again Faye. If you would like more information on the Spinoza Bear, go to www.spinozabear.com .

Back to Gymnastics

Kerstin was thrilled to go back to gymnastics on Monday. It's great to see her getting back to a lot of her old activities. See more pictures of gymnastics by clicking on the title "Back to Gymnastics".

Visitors

We had visitors from the west today (Aurora, NE). Jeff's Aunt Shirley and Cousin Crystal made Kerstin and her sister each a blanket. Also pictured is Crysta's son Brian. Not pictured is Jeff's Uncle Max and Crystal's husband Jason. It was a very nice visit with some relatives that we haven't seen for quite a while.

Brownie Fun

McKinsey's Brownie troop got to celebrate a successful cookie sale by going to Paint Yourself Silly today. Kerstin and Annie got to got along to help supervise. This is a wonderful and generous troop. This group of girls sold popcorn for Kerstin a few months ago. We want to say a big "Thank you" to them for their kindness and generosity.

Kerstin continues to feel well and has been having a great time at school. She got to go to the lab at St. E's today for a finger poke(not fun in her book). Her ANC is 1558, right where they want it to be. Her hemoglobin and platelets were just fine, too. She will be able to continue with the same doses of her medicines she is currently taking.

Kerstin's friend, Abby is out of the hospital, but now has RSV. Another friend of ours from Children's, Hannah, is having surgery tomorrow to rid her body of her tumor. They are two very special little girls. Please add them to your prayers and visit their websites if you can. Tell them Kerstin sent you. www.caringbridge.org/visit/hannahknudsen and www.caringbridge.org/visit/abbybridgewater . Thanks for your words of hope and encouragment.

Super Sunday!

Today was a Super Fun day (not just because of the football game!) Kerstin, McKinsey, and Annie got to go to Omaha for Abby's birthday party at Build-A-Bear. It was fun to see Hannah, Elissa, and Emma, too. It took Kerstin a while to get rid of a case of the "shy's", but we all had a very nice time. Thank you Bridgewaters, and Happy Birthday, Abby!

We were also able to visit our friends the Holsteins while we were in Omaha. Joshua, Jonah and the girls had lots of fun playing and even put on a little music show (with dinner, of course!) Thank you Holstein family!

It's back to school for all of us tomorrow. Have a super week! Keep all of our friends in your prayers, especially Hannah as she will have surgery on the 10th.

A great week

Kerstin enjoyed her first three days back at school. Today she didn't even need Mom to walk her to the front door. McKinsey and Kerstin helped Annie up at Cavett after school today. She goes back to work next week. Annie seems to be ready to get back at it. She misses her class and her teacher friends quite a bit. She is very happy to be going back only part time (in the afternoons while Kerstin is at school). Mrs. Adams did an awesome job the past few months and plans to continue to teach the fourth graders in the morning. What a blessing! Kerstin wasn't happy to find out that she doesn't get to go back to her favorite babysitter's house, but Mom sure is glad not to have to wake her up before 7:00 each day. School is wearing her out, and we are glad she can sleep in if she needs to. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, good thoughts, and encouraging messages. Know that we appreciate it all. Thanks for checking on us! Have a blessed weekend!

Back to School!

12:44 P.M. couldn't come soon enough today! After more than 3 months, Kerstin is thrilled to be back to school! Mrs. Swiatek brought special celebration treats for the whole class. The kids also made her a beautiful card. Annie got to spend a little while at school with Kerstin and her friends. They are such a caring group of kids! Kerstin felt a little bit like a celebrity today! She had a great day, and we are sure she will sleep well tonight! God has taken especially good care of our little girl!

Waffle Man Fund Raiser

The Cavett Elementary PTO put on a "Waffle Man" fund raiser for Kerstin tonight. It was a great time, and there was a huge turn out. It was really nice for Annie to see some of her students and fellow faculty members. Kerstin was only able to eat half her waffle, but she said the half she ate was pretty tasty. I think it was almost completely covered in whipped cream and strawberry syrup! We would like to say a big "Thank You" to all of the teachers, staff members, parents and students who helped with this event. The fourth graders did a fabulous job of keeping the tables cleaned and ready for the next dinner guests. Kerstin and McKinsey had an especially great time watching the many students perform during the talent show. Thanks also to everyone who came out to enjoy a delicious meal and premier entertainment. We feel richly blessed to have such wonderful support from our family, friends, and school community. 

Haircut

Kerstin actually has some new hairs coming in, so we decided she better get those long "fly-away" hairs trimmed up. 

Just To Say Thanks

We have nothing extra-ordinary to post today. We just wanted to take an opportunity to say thanks. It seems like our world moves so fast, and there are so many life altering events that catch our attention. Sometimes it's easy to forget about other peoples' situations unless it is in front of you every day. We have been fortunate not to have that happen with Kerstin. It's four months after her diagnosis now, and we are still blessed to have people (some we have never met before) still reaching out to us with offers to help in any way needed. So, to all of you who read this blog (and to all who don't as well), we just wanted to make sure you know that all of your prayers, well wishes, and gifts are greatly appreciated.

As for Kerstin, she is loving life without her central line and seems to be adjusting to her new chemo meds just fine. She is also very excited to be going back to school this Wednesday.

Thanks for checking in on her. We hope you all have a blessed week.

Park Time!

It was absolutely gorgeous out this afternoon. McKinsey and Kerstin and friends played at the park for a while after school today. They claimed that almost everyone pushed faster on the Merry-Go-Round than I (Annie) could. I just didn't want them to get sick! They also created a new sport by going "Slide surfing" down the little slides.

Kerstin continues to feel really good. She has been taking one of her new meds for a couple of days now. She starts another new one tonight, so we are praying for the best! Kerstin is still looking forward to going to school again on Wednesday! Kerstin and Annie spent a little bit of time at Cavett today helping Annie get ready to go back to her teaching job on February 6th. Thanks for checking on us! Keep praying for our friend, Abby. You can visit her website by going to www.caringbridge.org/visit/abbybridgewater 

No More Central Line!

We took Kerstin to Omaha this morning to the Oncology clinic. After some lab work, we got to go to the Pediatric surgery wing where the doctor removed her central line. Kerstin has been so excited to get rid of it, but was a bit worried about how it was going to get done. She did not realize that she was going to get a shot (she says 3 shots) to numb the area. The anticipation of the shot was much worse than the actual shot. It wasn't a very fun procedure for her, but she hung in there like a trooper! We are very proud of how tough she has been. We also met with Dr. G who outlined the plan for her Maintenance Therapy which began this evening. She will be taking a total of four different medications, all but one are in pill form. She will really be a pro at swallowing pills after this! We are hoping that the side effects of these drugs won't be as bad as the labels sound! She will get her blood checked every two weeks (at St. E's in Lincoln) and a check up by her doctor every 4 weeks (in Lincoln, too). This maintenance therapy will last for one year from today. We still will have to be careful and keep try to keep her from catching any major bugs, but we won't have to be as cautious as we were at first.
Grandpa Gordon and Grandma Joann were able to come to Lincoln for a little celebration. We went out to dinner and even had time to play a game of Fast Track. It was so nice to be able to spend some time with them. They hope to be able to stay longer next time.
Thanks for checking on us and for all of your encouraging messages! 

Cookie Baking Train

Kerstin and Annie tried a new recipe for Monster Cookies! Kerstin got plenty of dough on her fingers and had to eventually lick them clean! We rolled the cookie dough in a variety of chopped up candy bars or chocolate chips. We decided to rename the cookies "Clean out the Candy Basket Cookies." After we finished baking, it was time to clean up. Annie taught Kerstin one of her favorite activities as a child. Do you remember this Grandma Clarice? Uncle Brian? Whenever Grandma mopped the floor, it was time to play train with all of the chairs. Kerstin decided her train was going to the North Pole. Polar Express anyone?

Kerstin is very excited to be going back to Omaha tomorrow to get her central line taken out. She is hoping to be able to visit Abby at Children's while we are there. Thanks for all of your messages, words of encouragement, and especially your prayers. Don't forget to add Abby to your list. Have a blessed day!

Artist in Action

While McKinsey went to a friend's birthday party in the Haymarket, Kerstin and Annie went to Paint Yourself Silly. What a fun place! It was a difficult decision, but Kerstin chose a flower-shaped bank to paint. We think it turned out great! Kerstin knew exactly what she wanted to do. The flower's petals are each different colors. The eyes are blue and the mouth is purple. We even made a new friend today who was painting with her girls. Afterwards we just had to go to the Ivanna Ice Cream store. Kerstin chose Grape Nerds. Yes, Uncle Brian, we were thinking of you! Grape ice cream with Nerds in it. Delicious!

Kerstin is excited to be going back to Omaha on Wednesday to see her doctor. They plan to take out her central line. Hooray! No more dressing changes! No more heparanizing her line every day! We also hope to find out more information about her maintenance therapy which should be starting within the next few weeks. We are so blessed that everything has been going so smoothly. We believe in the power of prayer. Thank you everyone for taking the time to check on us and pray for us. Send up a prayer for Kerstin's friend, Abby, too. She is back at Children's with a fever and very low counts. She can use your prayers. Have a blessed day!

Visitors from GI

Annie and the girls were treated to a visit from Uncle Jay, Aunt Deb, Doris, Trevor and Marcus this afternoon. They were in town for cousin Jeremy's Show Choir performance. The girls got to hang out and play legos with Cousin Trevor. Mostly they terrorized him and got very wound up! We enjoyed a nice dinner together before they had to head home.

Kerstin has been dressing up in this gorgeous Hawaiian dress for at least a few hours each day the past week. Thanks for the hand-me-down, Brenna! Here is a shot of her doing a Cheetah Girls song saying, "No, No, No-one else". I love it! American Idols, watch out!

Sheridan Visitor

We were all treated with a special visitor yesterday. Cindy, one of Kerstin's Sunday school teachers, came by with lots of nice gifts for the whole family. If you squint, you might be able to see Kerstin's gorgeous new blue and purple press on nails. We can't wait to have our pizza and movie night! Thanks, Cindy!

Today Kerstin had labs at the Infusion Center. Her counts are down a little, but her doctor is not concerned. We ran a few errands and even got to have lunch at the mall. Of course, when you are at the mall, you have to get a cookie! We bought three and took one to Jeff at work. It was nice to have a "coffee break" with Dad!

Kerstin and McKinsey pretty much destroyed the living room tonight with their restaurant for animals (stuffed ones)??? It even boasted live entertainment! I think I have heard that Cheetah Girls CD more times than any other human alive! Ha! We are so thankful that our girls like to be together and have some creative fun. Thanks for checking on us!

Puppet Show

Since Jeff is on duty today, the girls and I decided to spend the day goofing around. We went out for lunch and did a little shopping. There wasn't school today, but the teachers were working so I was able to visit with my Cavett teacher friends. The girls enjoyed visiting a number of classrooms and even had time to present a puppet show. Thanks Chris!

Kerstin had labwork done yesterday and her counts continue to go up! Hooray! Her ANC was 1092. As long as things keep going well, she should be back to school within the next few weeks. Are you ready Mrs. Swiatek? Kerstin is very excited about being with all of her friends again. Thanks for checking on us! Have a blessed day! 

Beautiful day

You know they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I have to agree. How can you look at Kerstin's smiling face and not praise God for taking such good care of her! We just had to get out and enjoy the beautiful day today. Jeff stayed home with Kerstin this morning while McKinsey and Annie went to church. We didn't want to take the chance of her "catching any bugs" with so many people there. Afterwards we all walked to a new restaurant in the neighborhood for lunch together. The rest of the afternoon was spent swinging, riding bikes, going for a walk, cleaning out the car, sweeping out the playhouse and just enjoying being outside. Thanks for checking on us! Enjoy the day!

School Time

We have been richly blessed to have Mr. K working with Kerstin every day while she is unable to go to school. We are so pleased with her progress and how hard these two work together. Kerstin is now reading little books and learns new words every day. Thanks Mr. K for all you have done for Kerstin!

Mom got to go to McKinsey's Brownie meeting yesterday and help the girls get ready for cookie sales. Cookies anyone?? :) Kerstin and Mom spent the day hanging out together and even ran a few errands. Kerstin is always anxious for her sister to get home from school and play. McKinsey doesn't have to go back to school until Wednesday, so the girls should get in a lot of playtime this weekend. The Barbies have been very busy already this afternoon! Thanks for checking on us. We are so grateful for all of our friends and family!

Counts are coming up!

Kerstin had labs done today. Her ANC is on its way up! It is still low (620), but we are so glad to see that it is higher than on Monday. Her hemoglobin is low, but not enough to need blood. We even got to stop by Dr. G's Lincoln clinic today for a quick visit. He is pleased with her progress. Kerstin handled her dressing change quite well today, but she will sure be glad when that central line is gone. Thanks for stopping in to check on us. We love reading all of your comments. Keep those prayers coming, and pray for all of Kerstin's new friends, too (Abby, Mary, Lauren, Hannah, and Megan)!

Baking

Kerstin had a pretty good day today. She even had time to bake some cookies.

Dinner Delivered

On Monday Kerstin and her family were treated to a steak dinner delivered to their house, courtesy of Chuck C. (The steaks were perfect, thanks again Chuck.)

Kerstin also had labs done today. Her ANC dropped dramatically since Thursday when it was 2000. Today it is down to 500 which means she's pretty much on lockdown and the germ patrol is on high alert. Her hemoglobin was also down today. She'll probably get blood on Thursday when she goes in for labs. Even though her numbers are down, she continues to be energetic and in good spirits.

We are continually grateful for all the prayers and support, especially during this time when Kerstin's immune system is most vulnerable.