Powell Update FINALLY!

It’s been soooo long since we’ve last posted that I guess I can just give a brief recap of the summer and try to do better from here on out…

We all had a great summer! Adelaine hasn’t been in the hospital, not once this entire summer. Can you believe it? In addition to her MonaVie, she started taking the “Bud Wig Concoction”, which is an extremely healthy paste that she eats every night. Her hair and nails are growing like crazy and she feels great! Last week her counts were at 1600, which is pretty good (if they are too high, they will increase her chemo doses) This Friday she will begin steroids and have a Vinchristine injection.

We still reminisce about our incredible “Give Kid’s the World” trip, and haven’t made it back to visit yet! Doug is still planning to give a day by day blow of the trip. All three children went on a camping trip to St. Augustine for six days with my parents. They had a blast and so did we!!! It was the first time Adelaine had ever been away from us, and my parents said she never cried! I’m am so thankful that she felt so secure, and I’m secure enough to be ok with the fact that she didn’t sob for me! My mom says Adelaine LIVES LIFE TO THE FULLEST! I can’t think of a better way to describe her. She perfected her swimming while on the camping trip. She now swims like a fish, diving to the bottom to pick up diving rings, doing flips under water, and the whole bit, and never had a swimming lesson a day in her life! She has a new found love for horses too. She’s been riding a few times during the summer. Her “Guys” just loved having her go with them camping, she kept everyone laughing! During their trip, Doug spent the Cancer Dad’s Weekend with Peter, and I had three whole days at home by myself!!!!! It was Awesome! I was able to reconnect with some old girlfriends that I hadn’t seen for a while.

During the summer, we’ve had numerous tea parties. Adelaine just loves tea parties, even if it’s only with the grown ups. She really knows how to captivate an audience, and is learning about waiting her turn to talk as not to be “Rude”. She doesn’t like that word, it makes her cry! And I was worried that all these treatments and tests would cause her to be introverted! Instead she feels VERY comfortable around anybody, adults, strangers… just give her an audience!!!!

We had play dates for the boys, went swimming almost every day, had numerous beach trips, went on bike rides and ate a lot of popsicles!!! The summer went by in a flash. Last Tuesday the boys started school. Mason went into the second grade and Bowen started Kindergarten ( yes, I cried like a baby)! This year they are at Bay Point Magnet and love it! Bowen has the perfect K. teacher, Ms. Griffin. We actually met her at a Halloween party at some friend’s house last year and really hit it off. She wasn’t even teaching at Bay Point at that time, and I had no idea she would be there this year. ISN’T GOD AWESOME!!!!! Mason has Mr. Wood and is so happy. He comes home every day and announces how school seems more like camp than school! Granted they haven’t had any homework yet!

Mason and Bowen 3rd Day of School ( I Know, why didn’t we capture day 1 or atleast day 2? It seems I can’t even snap a picture, much less update our website.)

Our dear friends, Scott and Julie Graubard, along with their sons, Josh and Jesse, moved to the Caiman Islands. Yes, Adelaine’s Josh moved away, but I’m sure he won’t forget about her! Anyway, before they left, they gave us some of their stuff. The Vineyard Church scored big, they gave away just about everything the owned! We got a TV and Jesse’s old bike trailer. Can anyone say “Pimp My Ride”? Since were now at Bay Point, we can ride our bikes to school everyday! It is such a great way to start the day. I guess it’s about four miles to the school and back, so I’m able to start exercising again!

About the bike cart…well, our old ‘Princess Cart” was made of fabric and getting old and worn. Jesse’s was made of a yellow plastic mold, with a steel frame, in the good ol’ USA. But it needed some work. For two weeks I spent all my spare time on it. All the metal was sanded, primed and painted, the wheels were replaced, new seat cushions were made, fabric was sown for the back, I installed a fan, painted the rims aluminum, Doug put in drink holders in this weekend, we redesigned the bike attachment, and to top it all off, we had to come up with some type of roof for it, a surfboard!!! There’s nothing left of our original old fabric one, we gutted it for the parts. Our one of a kind is cool and definitely Florida style. Adelaine turns on her fan, takes her shoes off, kicks back and enjoys the ride. She looks like the “Cat’s Meow” riding down the street! Bowen likes it so much that he doesn’t even ride his bike to school.

Did Someone say, “Pimp My Ride”?

I look back at last year and how hard it was. Poor Adelaine was so sick and we were on crises mode much of the time. We were at the mercy of friends to pick the boys up and deliver tem to the hospital after school. Poor Mason never brought his lunch to school, not even once! This year is already light-years better than lat year! We are so blessed!

About our house situation… I finally was able to contact the bank, and they have agreed to work with us, so we can hopefully keep our house. They want $3,000.00 upfront to off set our payments, and then our payments will be close to what we were originally paid. PLEASE pray for this situation. If we can get it worked out, we will have a grasp on our financial situation. I worked a job over the summer caring for an elderly lady. It was three days a week for two weeks, just so I could get my feet wet. Mid September I will be working again, but ongoing. It has been such a blessing that I can work while the children sleep. I so want to be here for them. I can work and get some sleep, so it is just the perfect job!

Anyway, Doug contacted the bank on Thursday, and got everything in writing. The bank has given us until September 7th (they originally told me we’d have 45 days) to come up with the back payments. That’s not much time, but we know God can turn this all around! Please keep us in prayer. On September 15th, we have planned a fundraiser with Liem Houtz, a four year old little boy, who also was diagnosed with All Leukemia. We will have a lunch at Carrabba’s on Saturday, September 15th from 12:00 to 2:00. There will be items for auction, Disney Princesses and Cap’n. Jack Sparrow! We will post more info. soon!

Adelaine and Liem, good friends both undergoing treatment for Leukemia at All Children’s

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