Last Night In the Hospital!

Here we are, on the brink of ending our hospital time!  I am so happy that we have finally made it to this part of our journey!!  I just cant believe it, Im in a bit of shock!  We have spent roughly 19 weeks here!  We will go home tomorrow, carry our suitcases in, and instead of storing them in our closet (to keep them handy), we can take them to the basement.  My heart is full of gratitude.  I think back to June of 2012 and remember thinking ahead to this day with longing filling my whole being, and being so afraid of the future.  We did it!  Taylor did it!  She fought with all that she had through her awful treatments, and won! 

We've had nurses popping in and out all day, talking to Taylor and congratulating her.  I feel little pangs of sadness, that I wasn't expecting.  We've made friends with these nurses that have worked many hours, to keep our Taylor safe through her treatments.  We wont see them on a regular basis anymore.  Then the butterflies start up in my tummy again, thinking about not leaving our other kids at home while we spend yet another week in the hospital with Taylor, its so exciting!  My heart wont have to be in two places.  It can be at home, with all my babies under one roof, everyday.  Im happy that Taylor wont have her energy zapped every time she gains it back.  This time when her energy returns, she gets to keep it!  We wont have to put her through painful procedures anymore.  This makes me so incredibly happy!  October 8th, she will take her last pill, and then be done with her protocol!  She will get scans, and then get her port taken out!!  Taylors road map was long and scary, and we are so close to finishing!

Now that the hospital time is over we can start getting into routines again.  Menu planning, cooking good meals for the family every night, staying organized, keeping up on housework, going on nightly walks as a family... So exciting!  Taylor is going to feel GOOD, and not be clingy... Makes me so happy!!

God has brought us through SO MUCH!  These were our prayer requests at the beginning, I read them the other day, I realized every. single. one. has been answered with a "yes".  Amazing.  I am humbled and so very grateful. Thank you friends, for praying us through this year.

Here are the prayer requests that we posted on Facebook after finding out about Taylors cancer:

-Healing for Taylors body
-Wisdom for the doctors
-Strength for our family
-A strengthened marriage
-That our other kids wouldn't feel neglected
-The upcoming birth and care of a newborn
-That we would enjoy every single day that we have with Taylor, whether its a short time, or a long time
-That this time of testing would bring us closer to God
-That we wouldn't grow angry or question God
-Financial provision
-Increased faith

Some time ago, Randy wrote this in a letter to his brother:
"It was really difficult to accept Taylor's cancer at first, but it directs our attention to what's important in life, family and God, and trusting him to bring us through this.  Without his peace, things would seem impossible."

I have said often, that we have been carried us through this on the wings of so many peoples prayers.  God has been faithful, he has answered our prayers, he has brought us through a nightmare'ish 14 months.  Our family, marriage, and faith are intact, and we still have our sweet little girl- minus an enormous cancerous tumor.