Lions, Rhinos, and Giraffes, OH MY!

Happy Easter Everybody!

Mom and Dad have been getting into a normal routine down in Houston. Today Mom saw her oncologist and it was determined that the tumors are continuing to shrink (yay!!). Today was also the first time that accessing the port wasn't complete torture, so thank you for your continued prayers :) Mom has been trying out an assortment of new looks with her various wigs...even dad tried one on! 

Kristen and Dad drove the pooches down to Houston several days ago and they are very confused! They have been enjoying all of the rodent activity in the back yard (see Pumpkin pic), and taking long walks around the neighborhood. Kristen even assisted Dad in creating a custom squirrel buffet from random planks of wood he found in the garage. I think he should market those things on Etsy! 

While Kristen was there, her and Mom took Dad on a field trip to the zoo. Dad's gout has been acting up since the drive down from Knoxville, so he got to drive one of those awesome scooter thingys around the zoo. They are very convenient for butting people (kids) out of the way if you want to see an exhibit lol! They also indulged in "The Chocolate Bar", a local candy store, bakery, and ice creamery (turns out Heaven on Earth does exist)! 

Mom and Dad have a big trip planned (it's difficult to keep my Dad stationary for too long). They are planning on attending both Russell's and I's graduations the first and second weeks in May. Mom has been cleared by the doctor's to travel a bit between her last Taxol and the start of her AC. It will be a wonderful break and reward for being 1/2 way through her chemo! 

Oh, and I wanted to share Mom's new favorite theme song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM 

Prayers Answered

Mom and Dad have been in Houston for almost 2 whole months! Yesterday was Mom's 7th chemo, putting her more than halfway through her first set of 12 infusions. Accessing the port hasn't been a cake walk, but Mom is slowly being forced to overcome her aversion to being poked! I, on the other hand, still have to leave the room until all pointy objects are safely hidden under the sheet!

Yesterday Mom had her appointment with the oncologist and also had to get an ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed some wonderful news...the tumors are shrinking!!! The chemotherapy is working and Mom can continue to work toward being cancer free :) Our family would like to sincerely thank all of you for your prayers; we know God is listening and working miracles in our lives everyday.

This past weekend mom and dad decided they needed a break from Houston so we took a trip to San Antonio! We stayed at a hotel right on the Riverwalk and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! We visited the Alamo, enjoyed a soft pretzel at a beer garden, and took a little boat tour along the river... and that was only our first day! On Sunday we visited St. Mary's Catholic Church for mass, where the priest gave Mom a special blessing. We also visited the Cathedral and walked over to the Mexican Mercado. There were lots of little shops to explore with Mexican made goods and jewelry made by Native Americans. Dad got his first ever caricature made, stating that if he had ears as big as the artist drew them he would never have any problem hearing!

Mom and I were craving sweets so we stopped in a Mexican bakery. The line was 30 minutes long, but the goodies were worth the wait! We tried a donut, a croissant with sugar on it, wedding cookies, and two other cookies with sprinkles on them! I will admit, mom and I were about to collapse from walking so much! But alas my dad still had one more place he wanted to visit, "La Villeta", an area with local art shops. Well we got there and almost everything was closed (it was close to 6pm), and the galleries that were open were uninspiring. Both nights we were there we ate along the Riverwalk, the first night at a Texas steakhouse and the other at an Irish Pub. The last day we were there I insisted on going to the mall for two hours, and that was followed by a visit to the Japanese Botanical Garden. San Antonio was a wonderful respite from all the medical humdrum here in Houston.

I have to report that Dad was finally able to stir up some excitement in the backyard! He proudly boasts that his new squirrel feeders are a success! At one point he even counted 6 of the little varmints vying for sustenance. Last week he spotted a gigantic opossum climbing on the tree near the squirrel feeders. Dad has also been enjoying his new leaf blower, but is frustrated that the pollen seems to accumulate just as quickly as he can collect it into garbage bags!