Time with The Tates: What a Weekend!

Who would have thought after hearing such devasting news on Friday, we would have had a weekend filled with so much fun, love, and laughter!?

Normally, our weekends are filled with our traditional Friday night pizza and movie, laundry, homework, cleaning, church, some fun, and planning for the week ahead.

This weekend, we actually had "plans".
Saturday afternoon, our dear friends, Cori and Phil,were going to be 'on our side of town' and were coming over for visit.
Sunday afternoon, thanks to Camp Sunshine, we were going to see the play, Wizard of Oz, at the Alliance Theatre.

We never have plans. But, God was in the details weeks ago when these plans were made and they brought us much needed laughter and fun.

We also enjoyed "spur of the moment plans" and went over to our friends' house for dinner.
It was an absolutely perfect night! A roaring fire, fabulous food, four giggling girls, time to talk (and talk and talk!) and laugh out loud fun! Over many years, our lives, our joys, and our sorrows have been woven together. The Vickers are a part of us.

We are so very grateful to our friends for making this weekend as fun and care free as possible and to God for giving us the peace and rest we needed.

Looking ahead....at this time, it is unclear what our next steps are.

Elena's doctor is trying to determine what treatment options are available and which one would be best for Elena. He has been making many calls to colleagues over the weekend. His initial plan to arrange an appointment for Elena at Egleston this week hit an "unexpected snag" as there seems to be a "temporary (but significant) staffing hole" in the research office, so we may not be able to enroll Elena on any clinical trials.

While this completely boggles our minds and we wish we had a plan, we have to be patient and trust that God is guiding Elena's doctor in finding the best possible treatment plan for her. We are cherising this extra time and counting it among our blessings. We know that once Elena's starts treatment, it is going to be hard on all of us.

Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement. Your blog comments, emails, texts, and calls help us know that we are not fighting alone and are not forgotten.

Please pray:

-for God to guide Elena's doctor in finding the best possible treatment plan for her

-for Elena's heart and spirit to be calm at school this week

-for Olivia to know she is loved and to have peace in the midst of this and not feel "alone"

-for God to give us the time, rest, and peace we need as we wait and trust in Him

In Him,

The Tates

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

Sorry for the long post! Sorry for the crazy spacing in this post - I can't fix it! Enjoy the pics from the weekend!

Saturday morning delivery for Elena from Grandma and Grandpa Tate - YUM!