We're Still Here

Wow! What a busy week! Where to start?

Friday night we threw our Catie party at the home of good friends. We had a great turnout, and though the one we were celebrating wasn't with us, I think she would have approved. We decorated w/ table runners that had both frogs and butterflies and Gerber Daisies in Coke bottles (Catie loved to drink Coke out of a glass bottle).

We served all of her favorites... boiled peanuts, chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A, olives, caramel popcorn, brownies... she wouldn't have known what to eat with all of her favorites out like that. We ate well and collected a good bit of stuff for the Ronald McDonald House here in Savannah.

It really was a great way to celebrate what would have been her 5th birthday.

We've also gotten several notes about other folks honoring Catie with donations and in kind donations to their local Ronald McDonald Houses. A little girl in Marietta, Clara, turned one on Sunday. Her parents asked for donations to the Atlanta Houses and ended up with a trunk full of stuff and $1000 dollars that they're donating in Catie's name!!! Kristin in Mobile and her family threw a Catie party complete with butterfly cupcakes. Another family from the Atlanta area placed flowers in their church in honor of Catie's birthday. And our dear friends the Hangers went shopping and took stuff to our Ronald McDonald House at Scottish Rite.

This pic is of Lisa and Anna (medulloblastoma survivor and hero of Anna's Angel Fund) and Cari (our favorite house manager and dear friend) when the took the stuff by the House.

So... our girl was celebrated! Thanks to all of you who sent notes and cards, who called and prayed. We made it through...

I was hoping to update you on the luncheon in Atlanta this weekend as well, but Ms. Iz just woke up, so I'll do that later. I'll end with a pic of her sleeping (as I had to take one to remind myself that she really does sleep on occasion). She's a great napper, just not at night!! =)


Ok, I know I'm totally breaking all kinds of rules in this picture! She's sleeping on her belly (can't make her stay on her back), she's in bed w/ a bottle and a blanket... oh well, I'm busted!! =)

One other thing before I close.... this is the hard part. We've just learned of two dear friends who have relapsed. Abby and Chayton... both are medullo patients. It's such a cruel disease and our hearts are breaking for their families. We know there are good options for them, but we hurt that their families are going to have to reenter the battle... one time should be enough. So please check on the at the links below... let them know you're praying for them.

Abby is on Care Pages. When you go to this link, click the tab that says Care Pages, then click visit. Enter AbbySmith12 as the page name and it should take you there.

Here is Chayton's link.

I promise...

to update tomorrow!!!

Ways You Can Help

Write to your congressman and ask them to support the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. The budget for Childhood Cancer Research has been cut by the government for 3 consecutive years and we need to let our government officials know that this is not acceptable! 20 clinical trials have been put on hold keeping 300 children from enrolling in these new, promising trials. Nearly 3,000 children die each year from cancer -- more than AIDS, asthma, cystic fibrosis and diabetes combined.

Savannah Ronald McDonald House Wish List

Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Wish List

Another first down.

Well we made it through her birthday... I did better than I thought I would. Ended up eating Longhorn's for lunch instead of going out for breakfast (though a dear friend brought a "chicknen biscuit w/ chicknen on it" by to the house -- very appropriate). Longhorn was another favorite of Catie's. I had chicken fingers in honor of Catie (she really was a chicken girl) and Tre', Izzy, and I all 3 enjoyed some bread with our butter.

Yesterday the sky was beautiful all day. It would go from bright blue with a few puffy clouds to cloudy w/ some rain back to bright blue and with just a few clouds. I walked outside around 4:00 yesterday and would you believe that there was a HUGE double rainbow. I'm thinking Catie and Hayley had been busy painting the sky... Thanks for the reminder girls... God keeps his promises and our families will one day be complete again.

Thank you so very much for all the e-mails and calls, cards and posts. It meant so much to know that you all remembered Catie and thought of us. I've got some fun pics of a couple of friends going by the Atlanta RMcD House with a delivery. I'll share those soon. For now, I wanted to share an e-mail that a friend sent yesterday. It comforted me so... I've taken the names out to protect the innocent. Thanks again for caring for our family... We love you. Tre', Jenny, and Izzy


E-MAIL
Ring……Ring….. Ring……



“Hello”



“Oh, hey God! It’s me again. I was calling to wish Catie Wilkins a Happy Birthday”



“She’s out with her friends counting all of the hermit crabs in my oceans right now….. may I take a message for her?”



“Will you let her know that I miss her? It’s been a lonely year down here without her.”



“I know”



“Tell, Catie that Izzy cut her first tooth last week! She is so much fun! I love to hear her laugh”



“I know”



“Tell her that her Mom and Dad miss her terribly but….they really are doing well!”



“I know”



“Tell her they are planning a huge party to celebrate her life here on earth. And people will bring gifts to the RMH in her honor on Friday. She would love that!”



“That’s awesome but…. I know”



“Well…. I know that you ‘know’, GOD but……. How IS Catie?”



“How many trees are on the mountains?”



“Ummmmm, I don’t know.”



“And how do I make the sun rise each morning?”



“Ummmm, couldn’t tell you that one either!”



“Exactly! Let me tell you exactly what YOU need to ‘know’ ……Catie is PERFECT! On this day when you will celebrate her EARTHLY birth……. She will continue to celebrate here in Heaven – absolutely perfect! I sent her to earth to complete a mission and she completed it – perfectly! Now…. She is enjoying the rewards that I promised so long ago.”



“ummmmm….. I know. Sometimes, when I’m sad, it’s just hard to remember that”



“I know. That’s why I give you the trees on the mountainside…… and I give you a beautiful sunrise every morning – just to remind you. And have you NOTICED how many butterflies I’ve sent your way lately???” (ADDED BY JENNY -- "DID YOU SEE THAT DOUBLE RAINBOW I SENT RIGHT TO HER MOMMA TODAY?")



“Thank you for loving me so much. Please be close to Jenny and Tre’ today as they remember, too. I love them and I’d take the pain away if I could! But, I guess that isn’t my job – that one belongs to you, too. Just let them feel a special touch from you today”



“No problem….. I’ve had several of those requests today!”



“God, thank you for listening”



“Thank YOU for calling! Now…. Have a good day! I have things covered up here!”



“God, that is one thing that I DO know!”

Happy Birthday Catie!

Happy birthday Sweet Girl!! We can hardly believe that you would have been five years old today. We will think of you so much today (but then, we do every day). We know the celebration that you have every single day in Heaven is better than any old measly thing we could pull off here... Celebrate for us today! We love you so much!!
Momma and Daddy

Happy 8 month birthday to Izzy today too!! It's hard to believe you're already 8 months old!!

Pictures from Catie's birthday last year


Catie and pals at her dressup party last year... Bailee and I love to laugh about what a mess her room was at the end of the party... Catie thought it was pretty funny last year too!


She hated having a big group sing Happy Birthday to her... but she didn't mind if it was just Tre' and I. This was after her bath on her birthday last year.


Bailee's (w/ Hello Kitty) birthday is the day before Catie's. This is last year on her birthday. Catie really had a good time that night!


The ever famous "laughing at Joey's card" photo

Hope the resizing of pics I did worked... it's hard to fit them into the blog if they're wide pics.

We Made CNN!!!

Ok, it's short, but CNN ran a story from a brief interview I did with them last week. Thank you Jean for letting me know... I had no way to get in touch with the lady who I spoke w/ so I didn't have a clue that the video was up. I just watched it and brainchild here said that Catie battled for 4 1/2 years.... she actually battled 3 1/2 (and lived 4 1/2) but oh well. The beginning include pics from one of the YouTube videos done by moms that I linked to earlier in the week. Seemed kind of appropriate to find out about the video today... Tomorrow is Catie's 5th birthday and the 4th anniversary of her diagnosis...

Check it out!

When you get to the page, scroll down a bit and you'll see Catie sitting there doctoring her baby at the clinic. Click on that, a brief commercial will start and then the piece airs.

A pretty gal in pretty flowers

A couple of pics for a Monday night!


Iz in front of one of the plants in Catie's garden


and another...