We popped into our friend's photography studio yesterday afternoon. What fun resulted! Aren't these great?! Her website is: http://www.feileacan.com/

We were in Oakland bright and early this morning for Isabel's monthly off treatment check up and blood draw.


We were all in happy moods because she has hit a wonderful milestone; six months off treatment!

I'm delighted to report that Isabel's blood draw was fast, easy and painless with perfect blood counts across the board!


To celebrate we spent the afternoon at the Oakland zoo.

My zombie faced kids and their buddy, Enzo.

It was a fine day for a flight.

Gabriel is such a sweet boy.

Behold the turtle. He only makes progress when he sticks his neck out.

Amphibian fun.

The kids groomed this cool looking spotted sheep.


The fruit bats were my favorite part.

It was a good day.

We're back from a fabulous trip to Camp Okizu. This was our third year attending family camp and it was the best one yet! What an amazing feeling to be there off treatment! Isabel was so sick the first year we went, the heavy steroids and chemotherapy treatments took a big toll on her both emotionally and physically. Last year was better as she was over a year into treatment and her hair was growing back but it was a rainy, cold weekend. This year was fantastic in every aspect. Isabel on cloud nine smiling, grinning, ecstatic to be 7 and fully immersed in camp.

We went canoeing under a big spraying fountain and got soaked. We fished. We went on the zip line, the kids went three times each. We played games, sang songs, did archery, swam, had a big campfire and made s'mores. Those are just the extras to the real part of the camp, being surrounded by tons of families who GET IT. I saw bald kids, kids with nose tubes. A young women with a prosthetic leg, a little girl with one arm. No one flinched. We may not have all been there exactly, but we've all been there. I saw this little girl with humongous cheeks, completely puffed out and blown up from the heavy steroid phase she was on. Isabel said, "remember when I looked like that?"

My goal is to make this camp a big part of Isabel and Gabriel's lives. I met some wonderful young adult and teen camp counselors who the kids just adored. It was lovely to see such strong, smart, funny people and realize they too had once fought cancer and won.

I had a really great, healing time there like always and walked away with memories that will help me grow and breathe for months to come. I cried like I do each year, crumpled with the gift of Isabel's survival.


Here are 90 photos of our amazing three day weekend at Camp Okizu:

http://flickr.com/gp/carlescrue/4wdKpK

We had a great time at Tuk Tuk Thai restaurant in Berkeley. We were thrilled to learn what a tuk tuk was the moment we walked inside.

We had a farewell dinner with my brother before he leaves for Seattle this weekend. He was awarded a postgraduate fellowship in writing by the Milton Center. He will be teaching courses in the English department at Seattle Pacific University while completing his book. He'll be gone until next June!

Me and my big brothers. I never need to look far for inspiration!

Isabel is an Alex's Lemonade Stand Hero!

http://www.alexslemonade.org/newsroom/heroes/isabel-carles

This weekend went by much too fast, filled with good friends and fun times.

What a treat it was to enjoy our favorite shops and restaurants with our favorite friends.

The kids had a blast playing with each other and running around while their moms laughed the afternoon away.


We took the kids to Wild Care, a wildlife rehabilitation center.

Here they are howling like wild animals!

So much fun!

We had a fabulous time at Camp Arroyo on Sunday. The Taylor Family Foundation sponsored a day of fun in memory of a little girl who was also treated at Oakland Kaiser hospital. http://ttff.org/index.html

We saw our favorite doctor there as well as the many others who have treated Isabel. Isabel was surprised and happy to see an oncologist get into the dunk tank. I pointed him out and said, "oh there's Dr. Bergstrom, he did a spinal tap on you, remember?" An older boy turned around and said with a grin, "he does all of my spinals too!" Moments like those really help us feel supported and understood. Isabel really enjoys the camaraderie among the families. I've found it's important to keep her in contact with others who understand the journey she's made, unequivocally.

I ran into a woman I hadn't seen since Isabel was first diagnosed. I recognized her off the bat, since I vividly remember her reaching out to us and giving us her card when we were introduced in the hospital. When we first met, her toddler daughter had just finished two years of chemotherapy for the same kind of leukemia Isabel had. I was happy to tell her that we have completed our two years of chemotherapy and Isabel is doing wonderfully. She told me her young daughter had relapsed 19 months off treatment and endured a bone marrow transplant. It was scary news to hear and brought home the reality of what we face each day. Her daughter is doing great and is tolerating her mother's donated bone marrow well.

Over lunch I talked with another woman whose daughter is 5 years off treatment and just goes once a year for a check up. I was thrilled to hear that! I can not wait until we are able to say the same. Isabel still goes once a month for a blood draw and check up. The oncologist will follow Isabel closely for the next couple of years, since the highest rate of relapse occurs within two years after treatment. It's a terrifying thought, so hearing of children happily years off treatment really helps me keep positive and optimistic .

There was a ton of fun things to do and see. Isabel and Gabriel hit the ground running once we were there and had a excellent time.

Snow cones at the pool (and a little brother with a squirt gun).

Minature ponies!
Isabel braved the dunk tank. A kid nailed it on the first try and Isabel went down fast.

The zip line.
Corn dogs, ice cream, chocolate milk, popcorn!

Gabriel said, "how many days until we get to go again?" I do hope we can make this an annual event!