girl drew

At this time last year, we were enjoying the picturesque Colorado Rockies, and now we find ourselves facing a different kind of mountain. Ramon was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after spiking a 104F fever (Go big and don't go home!). Following a multitude of tests, we're still not sure of the source, but he's been fever-less for more than 24 hours now. For Ramon's protection, we can't have visitors, but we are gladly accepting well wishes from afar. Thanks for helping carry the load as we continue climbing!

Sweet Noodle Beagle's eyes say it all. It's day 77, though if you told us it was day 177, we'd believe you. The novelty of Ramon's leukemia diagnosis has worn off, and we've grown accustomed to our new normal -- one that includes constant trips back and forth to Emory, a multitude of naps, and unpredictability from one day to the next. Though we're going through the motions, I find that the sky is bluer, the flowers are prettier, and the dog cuddles are more heartfelt than ever before. When we're at Winship for infusions, we're surrounded by people who are experiencing some of the worst days of their lives. Yet these tired-of-fighting people have enough energy reserved to treat everyone with love. Or is that the easier thing to do anyways? Aside from one instance where a man answered his phone on speakerphone and angrily yelled "DOES ANYONE IN YOUR OFFICE SPEAK ENGLISH?" to a lady who was indeed speaking English (albeit with an accent), I...

We're exhausted, so I'll let Ramon's shirt do the talking; it was gifted to us by an admirable couple fighting a similar battle. We're channeling our energy in the direction of love and hope you are, too.