First Update of 2016

OUR CANDY CANES FOR CANER FUNDRAISER FOR CHILDREN'S NEUROBLASTOMA CANCER FOUNDATION RAISED $2,225!!  

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!  

     Thank you all so much for continuing to check in on our little Hazelnut, and my apologies for being a bit "MIA".  The holiday season kept us very busy, but it was absolutely wonderful to have a truly "normal" Christmas. We just spent time with all of our family, and we had nothing out of the ordinary happen.  It was pretty miraculous, actually.  

     Also, as in my last post, our whole family has seemed to not be able to get out from under this flu season!  We have had the stomach flu 5 different times, countless colds, bronchitis, croup, ear aches, etc.... So to be honest, I have been pretty exhausted.  Life with 5 kids is already very busy, but add ceaseless illnesses, and one can't really catch a break! So when I sit down at night, after the kids are all asleep, my brain is in no condition to write a blog post!

     But, hello again!  I'm here! Hazel been feeling extremely well, and, if you remember, had very good scans back in December.  We met with her Oncologist last month to go over everything, and for the very first time, we actually heard the word NED (No Evidence of Disease).  Since April of last year, her medical team would say that they believed she more than likely was NED, but because of that spot on near her kidney, they could never officially say it.  But this time, even with the spot, the doctor felt that it had been long enough and felt much more confident in saying she believed our girl was free of this cancer!  In addition, the doctor's confidence led her to make the decision to move Hazel's scans from every three months to EVERY FOUR MONTHS!  This is such a big deal!  The farther we get from her diagnosis, the better chances she has at keeping this beast away for good.  So every step that takes us in that direction is such a victory!

     Also, we celebrated another victory in January...HAZEL'S 5th BIRTHDAY!!!!  When she was diagnosed, she was only 2 years old, and quite frankly, during this time, and once again when she was in the ICU, we were not sure if she was ever going to see another birthday.  But not only has she seen another birthday, but now she has seen 3!!  We feel so incredibly blessed to celebrate every moment with her and our other children, but these birthdays are extraordinarily special.  We celebrated with a trip to Disneyland with our family, and a Frozen Themed Tea Party with a few of her friends from preschool. Again, thank you all so much for your continued support for our family!  And be on the look out for some fundraising opportunities I will be posting about that are coming up! You can also visit www.hopewithhazel.com  for more info!