Easter Day

We told the kids the Easter Bunny would come while they were at Church since Mom had to work and wanted to see them with their baskets.

We decorated Easter Eggs with Payton’s friend and our neighbor Conrad and his mom Carly.

A Wish With Wings Easter Egg Hunt

Payton’s A Wish With Wings Easter Event. The kid’s enjoyed lunch from Chick-Fil-A, a fun Easter Egg Hunt, a Bounce House and all the kids got the chance to pick out an Easter Basket

1 year mark

I can hardly believe that it has been a year to the date April the 12th, that Payton went in for surgery to find out what the growth on his liver was. I look back and recall what an extremely stressful time this was for my family. We were so scared and worried if we would be facing a relapse. Every day I have this experience as a constant reminder to remember to stop worrying about the things that we have no control over and the things that we cannot change. I can honestly say that through all of my challenges with Payton that I have come through with an entirely different perspective on life. I have learned not to threat about the small things that we cannot change and to remember the bigger picture. Still to this day we are dealing with the repercussions of the chemo and radiation that Payton received. Every trip to the dentist I am reminded of the effects that the chemo has had on Payton and will still continue to have on his teeth. At school, I am reminded of how spending 12 months of isolation in the hospital has put him behind. It feels like this is constantly staring us in the face. But the best part of all, every six months when we have our scans, I am reminded that I still have my son. And it doesn’t matter what we have been through or what we will continue to go through, the bigger picture is that I have him with me by my side. I am truly grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that has carried me through the past 4 years. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him. I am grateful for the test of faith that I have learned and still continue to learn. Everyday seems like an adventure with Payton, but it is so worth it, no matter what we have to go through. Today is another huge milestone in our life. I am extremely grateful to have my little guy by my side.

Payton's 6th Birthday

We’ve had a couple of exciting weeks with family coming to visit. Chad’s parents flew in from Idaho Falls for a few days and then my parents flew in from Utah a few days later. It was July that we saw our families. It was great catching up and spending time. We also got to see my sister’s kids for a day while my parents were here and it happened to be on Payton’s Birthday. We all had such a great time and it was hard saying good bye knowing that we only get to see them all twice a year.

Payton made several comments about having 3 Birthday parties this year. We had a Birthday Party with some of his friends at The Jump Zone and then he got to celebrate his Birthday with each of his Grandparents. He asked if he could have 4 parties next year, silly boy. Here are a few pictures of Payton’s parties.