Thanks again! 

A group of wonderful 3-Day walkers (one of whom works with my dad, Mike at Southwest Airlines) came by Saturday. In their fundraising efforts, they did a basket give-away. The man who won the Mary Kay gift basket offered to give it to me!! So, these precious women (and one very nice young man) walked over as part of their training for the October walk, and delivered this basket. I have started enjoying it already. Thank you! Check out their website at:http://www.the3day.org/dallas06/boobies 

Good News

Jess got a wonderful b-day present today. It was personally delivered by Dr. Haley today. We were hoping that the full body scan would show that the tumors had not gotten worse, but the news was better than that. Some of the spots are getting better-- they show signs of healing! Yes! Sometimes everyone will chip in a few dollars to get someone a bigger, nicer present. In this case you and lots of others chipped in your prayers for a big, perfect present!

I'm still feeling the lingering effects of a migraine I had this weekend so I am going to bed, but let me leave you with a funny story. Jadyn was sitting with me watching Bryn try to write jer alphabet letters. They have mostly been looking like scribble scrabble, but she did really well on her P's. Jadyn gushed to her little sister, "Bryn you're a great 'P'er." You might have to say this one out loud to get it.

Results from the MRI

The MRI on Jessa's back showed that she had been treated with radiation and that she has a bulging disk (whatever that is) and a Schmorl's node (I had an even less of a clue what this was so I looked it up but I still don't know-- I wasn't able to translate the medical jargon). However, the scan revealed no pinched nerve so we're still not sure what is causing the painfullness in Jessa's skin.

I'm not keeping the results from the bone scan from you-- we haven't gotten them back yet-- Jess or I will post when we get them.

I don't have a funny story to share with you about Bryn, but I do about Jadyn. Tonight she announced at bedtime that she was the "middlest"-- Bryn and Katelyn have no hope of ever claiming that distinction.

Happy Birthday Katelyn

We have a string of birthdays in September: my dad turned 49 on the 9th (yes, he's a young'n), Katelyn turned 12 today, Jessa's brother Garett turns 23 tomorrow, and Jess turns 31 one week from today. I think Katelyn must be the most popular girl on the planet because there was a constant stream of phone calls today for her wishing her a happy birthday.

Speaking of popularity, you faithful readers make our family feel like the most loved family in the whole world. It's pretty neat to think that there will be 50,000 hits soon from the year and a half we've had this blog. That translates into a ton of prayers as I know many of you pray specifically for our family based on what you read here.

Jess has been feeling a band of pain from her stomach all the way around to her back. In her words it feels like a bad sun burn, but her skin looks perfectly normal. Dr. Haley is out of the country vactioning in Italy (yes oncologists need a break too), so Jess went to see her regular physician. She hasn't seen Dr. Kobet since 2002 because before the cancer she was one of the healthiest people I know. He thinks it may be a pinched nerve; Jess is having an MRI Wednesday night to get it checked out. Incidentally, that will be the day after her big scan tomorrow. Tomorrow she is getting a bone scan that will tell us the status of her tumors.

Although Bryn hasn't done anything hysterical this week I do have one small story that happened tonight when the girls were supposed to be in bed. I heard voices coming from the Yikes' (younger Kaylor Kids for you new to the blog) room. Jadyn was yelling, "Bryn's out of bed! Bryn's out of bed!" Bryn flung open the door to her room and ran into the living room yelling, "She's lying! She's lying!"

Almost Labor Day

My sister Sarah gave birth on the 31st to Vannessa Chloe Maxted. I think it would have been funny if Sarah had given birth to Vanessa a week later on labor day, but I'm pretty sure Sarah wouldn't have found being preganant a week longer as funny.

Jessa's hair has come in very curly-- as it is getting longer it the curls are starting to turn into perfect ringlets. Jess met with her student teachers last week. She found out that one of the schools is further than she thought about an hour from her house, but the school is about twenty-five minutes from where Jess gets her cancer treatments so she will head to that school after her treatments. Jess is scheduled for a scan this month. I appreciate you praying for us as a family. God knows what we will need better than we do and loves providing for us, so keep it up!

Last night Bryn's foot touched Jadyn's face while they were laying down next to each other. Jadyn turned to her in disgust and said, "Your foot's gross!" Bryn turned to me and said "Look at my foot, it growed!"

Another baby Kaylor is on the way

Actually it's a baby Maxted, but since it is my sister giving birth: baby Vanessa Chloe will be a flesh and blood Kaylor. I think Sarah finally realized I was getting way ahead in the daughter race (3-0) and realized she better jump on the band wagon before my kids were old enough to be her kids' aunts. She is going to be induced next week. You can read about her (and see her pictures dubbed by her as "the incredible expanding Sarah") at http://vanessa-chloe.blogspot.com/

Just a small clarification on Jess she has cancer in her clavicle, but the pain and discomfort she is experiencing in her shoulder is from hurting muscles.

I started playing indoor soccer last month when I turned 30, and got my first injury this last week that wasn't fitness related (that is wasn't related to my sorry self being out of shape). It isn't serious, but I tweaked my knee enough to make it uncomfortable to do any sort of physical activity. This weekend, injured knee and all, I completed an 18 hour soccer coaching clinic ("E" level) in the 90-100 degree weather. I think I got a pretty good taste of what Jess has been experiencing: I could still do what I needed to do, but I experienced a bit of discomfort doing it. The course itself was wonderful: we had a great group of coaches and I think I learned a lot that will help me coach the U-14 girls team I am coaching. I really appreciate the group of guys and gals who came over to our house while I was getting my certification this weekend and helped out a ton with house inside and out.

All three of our kids are loving school. Katelyn adores her teachers and does her homework without having to beg, bribe, or threaten her. Since Jadyn doesn't get to go to school until after lunch, Jess says Jadyn will ask her if they can eat lunch in the morning. Bryn has been learning a little bit of Spanish at Fielder Road and would suffer insanely from jealousy if she didn't get to go to school like Jadyn does. I myself am really liking school as well. I have a great group of kids this year who are both fun and funny.

A fairly calm week

Greetings!

We have had a good week of school activities, meetings, soccer, and yes, doctor's appointments. Everyone has had their first day of school. Katelyn is enjoying all the privileges of being the oldest at her elementary school. She seems to really like her school, and loves her teachers and friends. Jadyn is the youngest at her school, in Pre-K. Jadyn asks every day when we can eat lunch as she knows that each day after lunch, she gets to go to school. Bryn comes home very tired from her school Tuesdays and Thursdays. I ask her what she learns at school and she says...nothing. Then I hear her the very next moment reciting, "uno, dos, tres...uno, dos, tres..." Her teacher used to teach the Spanish program for the school, so I know she is learning this there! It is a great 3 year old program and I am grateful she is able to attend. She has made several friends and comes home wanting to know if she can go to their birthday party or if they can go to hers.

As we were teaching Bryn her teacher’s names, I was repeating them over and over..."Mrs. Neelson and Mrs. Woodson..." When I prompted Bryn to say the names on her own, I said, "Okay, Bryn, it's Mrs..." She yelled "Sippi!" Being a little slow, I repeated, "No, Mrs..." She again said, "Sippi!" I guess I had no idea our three year old knew the state Mississippi, but she does! She has now gotten her teacher's correct names down.

My doctor's appointment today was just an infusion of my two drugs. I did fine and still have no side effects from this treatment. I see the doctor again in mid-September and go for more scans the first part of September as well. It seems like I just had scans done, but Dr. Haley said it has been 3 months. I take her at her word, all the while wondering where our summer went that I think 3 months ago was 3 weeks!

I still have minor shoulder pain, but am dealing with it through rest and medicine. The continued reminder that it is not cancerous is so beneficial mentally. I know the pain will subside and have started light weight training to strengthen the muscles around my shoulder. Just call me Dr. Kaylor, but I thought it might help.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

Jadyn on her first day of Pre-K; Bryn is along to send her off. They both did fine, but missed being with each other. 

Katelyn and her new teacher, Mrs. Gunn on the first day of school (all her 6th grade teachers dressed up like they were at the Oscars, and the students were the stars!) 

Katelyn enjoying her Grandpa Bob and Grandma Cindy in Oregon. 

Relaxing in Portland,OR on vacation this summer 

School Starts Tomorrow

Jess and I have agreed for one of us to post at least once a week now that school is starting back up again. Katelyn and I are a little excited about school starting. I would be more excited except that it usually takes me about a week to get back into the swing of things. For those of you who are not teachers it is kind of like having a week to prepare for waking up one morning and finding out that your darling child has been cloned and you now have 120+ kids which take turns (30 or more at a time) rotating through your house.

Jadyn on the other hand is very excited and very ready to start school. She will be going to afternoon Pre-K at Corey. I think the two things she is most excited is her backpack and the outfit she has picked out to wear the first day of school. Her eyes have been shining with excitement followed by extensive giggling whenever the subject of school is brought up.

The other big news in our lives is that Jess got a job with Texas A&M. The job is perfect for her. She is going to be observing four student teachers throughout the metroplex (each one is in a different school district) who all go to A&M. The two great things about this job is Jess will be able to use her degree and classroom experience and get to work with college students (which she loves doing).

A happy doctor, and a happy patient

Hi there!
I just went to see Dr. Hayley yesterday. I did not even know I had an appointment, but when I went in for an infusion treatment of Avastin, they said I did. I must have scheduled it a month ago and it just happen to fall on a time I was already scheduled to be there! How convenient. It was great to talk to her because she really helped me resolve some things with my shoulder. She looked over my scans again and did a hard (ouch!) physical exam of my shoulder and does not think it is cancer related at all! Yea!! She had some ideas for the swelling related to activity or my port. Both of which are not going to be treated. She did say massage might help (hint for Jake, Sheltons or Daired's:) Unfortunately, I think she just meant me massaging and icing it myself. I might have to get clarification! I do have a tumor spot on my clavicle causing some swelling, but she said the scans showed that to be so slight, she is not concerned about that either. She gave me some pain meds and I will have new scans in September. I am going to tell myself to get over it! Everyone has some aches and pains associated with....living, not just cancer.

So, my attitude is better, I am feeling good, and we are all going to be okay. (I am adding this line in there, because some people cannot tell how things really are and assume the worst. You can't tell how someone is saying something via a typed message. I am thinking about adding a pod cast, so you can see my smile!)

We are school shopping and trying to get used to a school schedule. I say trying because I am writing this at 7:30 Texas time and I am in a quiet dark house as all the girls are sound asleep. It is that tug of convictions...one, I love a quiet house; two, I know that starting Monday, we will have to be out the door by this hour. My mom took Katelyn out clothes shopping Sunday and I picked Jadyn up some school clothes yesterday, and little Bryn just put her dramatic hand over her eyes, buried her head in the pillow and cried, "What do I get to try on?" Not to worry, a guilty mom will be looking for a cute play outfit today while we are out!

Ahoy Matey

The tumor at the base of Jessa's collar bone has really started to bug her. It hasn't had much effect on limiting her activities-- it would have to be pretty severe to stop her, but it has had a noticeable effect. She and I have switched sides on the bed because it hurt to roll on her side and snuggle. Please pray that the pain abates.

Katelyn is starting 6th grade the week after next for her last year at Wood. We were also able to financially qualify for Jadyn to got to Pre-K at Corey Elementary (Wood doesn't have Pre-K). Jadyn going to Pre-K is absolutely wonderful because she loves learning. Just about every day we do "homework." We work on letter sounds and do math. Right now we're working on simple addition and the letter "x." I think she is going to do absolutely fabulous in Pre-K. Since Jadyn will be doing Pre-K in the afternoons, Jess is really looking forward to spending some extra time with Bryn. With three girls it's not often she gets one-on-one time with any of them.

Jadyn and Bryn got in a theological discussion a few weeks ago. I don't remember if I've already posted it or not. Jadyn thought that God was able to be everywhere at once (sound doctrine), but she also thought he had two eyes with which he could see everything. Bryn on the other hand thought he could only be in heaven and had only one eye. She covered one eye to demonstrate and said he was a captain. In other words a PIRATE captain. Jess and I of course that this hilariously funny from the funniest person I know, but today Jess found a passage in the bible that talks about God being a captain. I'll have to get her to tell you which one because I don't remember which one. I'm pretty sure however that it doesn't talk about him being a pirate.

3-0

We had a wonderful trip family get-away to Portland where we experienced three things foregin to us in Texas this time of year: snow covered mountains, low humidity, and pleasant temperatures. Jessa's dad and stepmom were wonderful hosts and made us feel like family (which is good because we are). Katelyn's favorite thing was a horseback ride, Jadyn's favorite thing was bike riding (she rode on an "alley cat" bike extension that attached to mine), and Bryn's favorite was eating ice cream.
I turned thirty last Friday which is pretty exciting-- I have a whole another decade of things to experience. One of those things was starting soccer Tuesday-- from which my legs are still sore from.
Jess started a brand new medicine on Monday-- one that has just been approved for her type of cancer. This one fights the blood vessels that the cancer cells have created to feed themselves. Pray strong for her as Jess is a strong fighter who needs you to fight alongside her.

The girls together.

All smiles in AZ! 

Happy Slurpee Day!

It's hard to have a bad day when you can enjoy a 7.11 oz free Slurpee from 7-11 all day long on today 7-11! Jess just spent the last 5 days with her aunts, mom, and grandmother in Scottsdale, Arizona. What an awesome time it is when treatment means facials and spas and not radiation and chemo. The trip I think was really good for Jess. UT-Southwest has goofed a little bit lately: they gave her a wrong scan (she didn't need a bone density scan) and gave her two weeks of radiation on her spine instead of two days on her rib. She also has two unwelcome tumors: one a little bit further up on her spine and one on her left rib. Dr. Haley was not very happy about the goof-ups she has always been adamant that Jess get the best treatment available. Jessica's medicines are going to be switched around a bit: there is a new medicine that has passed the clinical stages and it about to be released in the next few weeks.

We leave tonight for Portland, Oregon for ten days to see family. We are really looking forward to rest and renewal: both Jess and I have been exhausted. I appreciate so much your prayers: there has been a renewed movement of people praying for us the last two weeks. The really cool thing is that it hasn't been orchestrated by us, but rather God has been impressing on several people that now is the time to pray. Nothing is impossible with God, so ask BIG.