... and there's more!

What could be better than a handsome (although a bit gruff-looking) Texan with a view of Hong Kong behind him? Even MORE pictures of Hong Kong, that's what! Click here.

diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma

Our friend Hannah isn't doing very well. After a very nice respite from symptoms (5 months or so with radiation), her tumor is growing again. Her mom, a dear friend, gave birth to a sweet baby girl on July 1. Their family is under a mountain of stress. My friend, believe it or not, is taking things in stride and focusing on the blessings already received.
Please pray for our friend, Hannah. I won't put her last name here, but just include her in your prayers. Flash and Super Q are having a hard time with this. Today Flash asked me, "Is this the kind of cancer you can die from?" For the first time, I answered the questions instead of deflecting them. I told him yes. He said, "How many times does this kind of cancer come back before the person dies? 13? 14?" I shook my head. "2?" I nodded. He started to cry. "I don't want to talk about this Mom. It's going to give me nightmares." We hugged for awhile.
It's giving me nightmares, too.

back from the mystical Orient

I wish this was a photo that I took; it's pretty cool. My photos are all on our other computer, so I'll have to put them up when I have, oh, 6 HOURS of disposable time. China was amazing and not a little overwhelming. My favorite part, except for Hong Kong OF COURSE, was Guilin (pictured above) and wonderful, cheap food.
Least favorite was the near-crash landing in Chicago on the way home. When a flight attendant makes a tiny, one-line announcement along the lines of "Please remember to leave your carry-on items on the plane in the event of an emergency", you know to brace yourself, I guess. Suffice it to say it was the scariest freaking landing in my life. I really do have many deep and insightful comments to share, with accompanying photos. Promise. Just not tonight.