July 29

We're on the road again. We left Vernon this morning after Sam had his blood tested at the hospital. He just had enough (0.8) white blood cells on his ANC to begin his next 4 week session tomorrow. So we're back at BCCH tomorrow morning for an all day treatment.

For what seemed to be just a blink it felt like Sam wasn't sick at all as we watched him regain his strength and stamina and do the things he loves to do.

He finally felt like sailing with me again the other day and there was a real nice wind. He took the tiller and the main sheet and I climbed out on the trapeze. We sailed for awhile and the wind picked up. I said "OK we're flying a hull you should let out the main sheet... Now would be good... " And then we flipped.
"Now that I know what that feels like I won't be scared of flipping her again Dad..." he said with a smile as a boat came to rescue us.

Some moments this past week it seemed like he wasn't sick at all.

But its an illusion; the moment he eats too much or the wrong thing, he needs his bucket. He has spent some time with that bucket over the months. The verses we wrote on it at the beginning with a sharpie are almost all worn off. "Be strong and couageous..." "My help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth..."

Karly wrote on the bottom of it "AIM HERE!" back in May and it still makes me chuckle when I see that ... At least our family still has a sense of humour through it all.

Last night the Holliers had us over for dinner and then Bob suggested we go 4-wheelin' with the kids to a look-out way above the lake. "There's just this one gate that's locked but we can go around it if we can miss the trees and stumps, although the last time I got hung up on a bee hive..." he shouts above the roar of the 1980 Suzuki Samurai engine with no muffler. This is the guy that killed and cooked a rattlesnake and fed it to my daughter last week (K8). The view up there was awesome and well worth the white knuckles. On the way back down Bob said, "Heh Sam, do you drive a stick shift? What do you think Ger should we teach him?"

So Sam hasn't stopped talking about driving that 4x4 since we left this morning. I guess you need a few crazy people in your life to live life on the edge. Sam will never forget last night I'm sure of that! Bob, Glenna, Nathan and Carson are such extraordinary friends for our family each summer.

We had a circle time of prayer with our family and Josh and Mike this morning. We each shared some prayer requests and then we all prayed for the person on our left. Its pretty amazing the blessings God has given to us in our family and extended family.

We keep praying that we will keep asking "What will you have us learn about you through this, God?" And to steer clear of all the "Why" questions which are bound to lead down a difficult road.

God is faithful - we have certainly learned that again in so many ways in the last few months.

Ger