Ok folks, I've been keeping the facebook thing more up-to-date than this, but I will keep this up with significant news as best I can. Thankfully, no news is good new right now...

It has been a year now since Ian's relapse, and things are going well on the new Chemo. The last consultation with doctor had us going on this regimen till next July. He continues to tolerate it well, and is doing pretty good at center mid, or stopper in soccer. I am continually surprised, blessed, and grateful for how well both of my boys are doing in school.

I am currently travelling on a two weeks gone, one week home schedule to Rhode Island, and while I am home presently, I do miss the boys and Kathy something bad when I am gone.

A couple really cool moments to note: I had the priveledge to baptize Ian a couple weeks ago. He has requested it for some time, but we couldn't hold him back any longer.

Also, today I finished my first half marathon. The Nike Women's in San Francisco to benefit the leukemia and lymphoma society. Over $14M was raised today to support research for cures, and to help support the families that are going through this. Today I did my part. 2 hours,17 minutes, for 13.1 miles. I feel pretty good about it at the moment.

God be praised for such an uneventful update.

She aint no: Motherless Child

It's been a while since the last post, but gotta put this up.

After a beautiful, relaxing day yesterday, sailing on the Bay (for the first time ever for me, but I loved it), we learned that Kathy's mother passed on this morning. She had been battling cancer for the past 5 years, and it really wore her down. She was a great mother, mother-in-law, wife, grandmother. She will be truly missed.

Cynthia DeAlba Kimmins Hardin, Mother of my Beloved, beautiful and strong women. You were loved, adored by your daughter, and appreciated by your son-in-law, and will be missed by your grandkids. We now are left to live, love, and learn together with your memory, and the lasting impact on our lives. I pray that my boys learn from this, but that they don't assume that cancer WILL take them, but God is Good regardless. We need this to be the lesson.

God Bless you Cynthia.

Rolling along

School starts soon and the boys (and Kathy) are more than ready. Before we called the end to summer, we had a really nice camping trip up to the mountains. A little wet and cool for a day, but in the end things were good. Friends, brothers, sisters. Days and nights on the mountain. Fishing, swimming, shooting, bike riding, a nice 7 mile run at 5200 ft.

Chemo has been tough the last few times, and Kathy's mom is not doing well. Kathye will take a trip back to be with her soon, and I will start travelling to Rhode Island soon. So we are still in a crucible, but there are blessings regardless.

Well guys, this is a recent pic of my youngest, Ian, currently surviving Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma, Survivor of a serious relapse. Lover of baseball, of camp Okizu, of a purple dragon flyz, a true boy, a boy of faith, a boy willing to give when he feels led.

Looks pretty good for a kid on chemo, doesn't he?

Yes, we are still dealing with it every day, every week, but man, it seems good at the moment. And we are thankful for every moment. His standardized test scores at school are now up to, or above grade level now, and I am just thankful. Praise God.



Friends, Family, Neighbors. Thank You. May the peace that passes all understanding guide your heart and minds in our Jesus.

Closer to Fine

Last post was Caleb at Camp Okizu, and this one is for Ian.

We saw Ian off on Monday, and will pick him up on Sunday. Since it was his second year, he was all jazzed to see his friends from last year, and couldn't really sleep the night before. To see the joy and expectation on the face of the young boy was a delight. We are thankful that he is able to go this year, and since things are looking good, we are not limiting his activities this year. The fact that his friends can come back this year is not taken for granted.

Going to a camp for kids with cancer is a tough thing. Every session has kids that won't be back this year, or next. The kids know this to some extent, but are still able to have a good time. To live, climb, swim, play, run, and whatever they are able to do, without the burden of loss.

May we live in the day and learn from our youngsters. God Bless

Walk of Life

Life keeps on moving...

Writing here on a Saturday night, I'm missing my oldest, Caleb, and hoping that he has had a good time at camp this week. That sounds strange to me, to say that I'm missing my 11 year old son, but it's true. Both boys are somewhat older than their years, probably more so for Ian, but it's also true of Caleb. And as Caleb has been away for the week, it makes me very aware that even in the best of situations, we only have our kids for a short time. We love them, disciple them, play with them, laugh with them, worry about them, but they are only our "kids" for a while, and then they are on their own. So we try to live life, here, now, in full color, in full energy and in the full grace of God

May God bless parents, and give them the love they need to share their life with their kids, and the ability to savor the moments when they can, knowing that life will keep walking on.

The last PET/CT scans we had for Ian were clear. We praise God, and are incredibly thankful for that, and all the normal summer days we get to spend together right now. We will then miss him when he goes off to camp in a couple weeks. Take care folks.

Sound and the Fury

11pm on July 4th, Pacifica, California. AKA the War Zone.


As I sit here and write, the sky outside is lit by the mortars, rockets, and any other incendiaries that might be named. This year is a little more tame that previous, due in part to the new $5K fine for illegal fireworks, or maybe it's the economy, I don't know, but it hasn't dampened everyone's spirit. Every now and then someone lights off a big keg, that is, about 24 to 36, 2" shells that seem like an entire fireworks show for a small town, or minor league baseball team, all in what seems to be our front yard. The smell, the felt percussion, the way they light up the night sky. It's pretty incredible. This town is different. Good or Bad I don't really know.

We just got back from a really nice trip to Texas where we saw Grandma, Grandpa, Brother Kyle, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. It was good, but man was it hot, but not too hot to eat all that food that we miss so much. What was difficult was trying to keep to my training there in the heat. I did, but it was a little painful, and I'm paying for it now. Good thing today is a day of rest. Every one is healthy, and we should get the results back from Ian's scans that were done the week before last. We thank God for this time together with family, for health, and the smell of gunpowder on a 4th of July evening.