Normalcy is Good, Lily is Better

Go Champions!!

Do you see that hit. She hit the crap out of the ball on Saturday.

This is how we get it all in. We change at the fields to make it on time to cheer. I thought this picture was classic, a perfect mix of Lily. She is a girly girl and a tomboy.

The last couple of weeks have been mellow. That is a good thing. When I say mellow I mean Shurtleff mellow. Very little dr appointments, little meds and no illness. Clay is doing great and will continue to get better and better every day.

This post is all about Lily. She has us all over the place. She is in full swing of softball and her team is so amazing. They are such good girls and the parents are just as amazing. They had a win on Saturday and Lil helped, she went 3 for 3 at bat and had 5 RBIs. The team won 12-2. She is doing so well and is having fun in the process.

Lil also made the cheer team for the school. They have a football team the girls cheer for. She makes it to as many games as she can but they interfere with softball. its nice for Lily to do something girly.

We love Lil and are so proud of all the things she can do and still keep her grades up.

Love Tab

Prayers for Jacob

Clay and I met this amazing family in Utah when we were inpatient. The Watson's are so nice. They have a Jacob who was diagnosed with Leukemia and had a bone marrow transplant from the coolest little boy I have ever met, his 3 year old brother.

Anyway, Jacob has had some severe side effects from the Chemo. He has developed Pulmonary Fibrosis. He also has a collapsed lung. The docs at PCMC say this is a first for them. Not the collapsed lung but the Pulmonary Fibrosis. They are developing a plan of action but the family is devastated. This is what I feared with Clay, the chemo has so many horrible side effects. It kills me that the thing that can help our kids get better can also kill them with the side effects. We (Clay) is so blessed to have come away with very little side effects and very little issues. Knock on wood. Everyone go now and knock on the nearest piece of wood. K welcome back. haha. Back to the topic. We have been so fortunate to have the bestest prayers ever. We have groups all over the country who all pray to different Gods. I think that the love and support form our friends is what helped us get through the trauma and fear of cancer and bmt. You guys are all solid strong powerful people. I love you all so much. thanks for your prayers for my sweet, amazing, moody, grumpy stubborn outstanding boy.

So tonight and for a while our friend Jacob needs your love and support. Please pray for him and the whole Watson family.

Love to all,

Tabby and Clay

Shurtleffs in pictures

I have so many pictures to share I thought they could use their own posting....Here ya go!!!!

Clay loved swimming in St George. Notice the amount of hair. He is almost ready for a hair cut.

Lily drowning Cole. Isn't sibling rivalry the best?


Cole pitching for his fall team. He had fun this season.

The last trip to Utah we visited Heber City Railroad. Clay is saving the helpless girls from the train. An evil boy tied them up.

We could not keep Clay off the top of the fragile falling apart rail cars. Each and everyone he climbed to the top.

Lily had a photo shoot with a dear friend of mine. She has taken a bunch of pictures for our family. I recommend her to everyone. She is awesome!!!
www.reneethephotographer.wordpress.com

Shes SAFE. First game of the season. She loves loves loves her team.

Aunt Dani ran the St George marathon last weekend. She is amazing and I look up to her. Thanks for giving us a reason to get away for the weekend.
Lily loves her Aunt Dani!!!

Clay is still being a dare devil. Sshh, don't tell his doctors.

Cole and Alex. Cousins are the greatest. We love Alex and are so proud of how much he has grown up in the last year or so.

Septemebr and October doings

Hi there family and friends. We have missed you so much. Just to bring everyone up to date health wise, we are all fine. You know the old saying no news is good news, well, we are there and we love every minute of it!!!!

Here is an update on each kiddo and also how Clay is feeling.

Cole is doing good. He is doing very well keeping his grades up this year. He isn't straight As but he isn't missing any work. He has become excited for basketball this fall. He has been staying after school and playing with the basketball coach. tryouts will be sometime in November. In order to be on a school team he must maintain a C avg. He is bound and determined to do that. He finished his fall season of baseball and had a blast with the team. He chose not to do another fall league so he could play basketball at the YMCA. My thought is any 14 year old who is over 6 feet tall should play basketball.

Lily is, ugh, well Lily. She is having a blast with her softball team, she returned to the Angelz. She has been playing really well and hit a solid double tonight. Lil is also cheer leading for the elementary school. So far she is having fun and likes being with the girls. Her grades are great as usual. If she focuses she can do amazing work. We love her and she makes me crazy!!! I wouldn't want her any other way.

Clay is getting back to a normal life, well as normal as Shurtleff life is. He plays outside every night and is getting some school work done online. He has been released back to school in January, I think he might be counting down the days. His health is really good right now (knock on wood). He had a cold a couple weeks ago but his body did what it was supposed to do and he is all better now. It was a little worrisome at first but after talking to the all knowing Dr B he said it was a good thing because we were able to watch his body fight the cold in his blood work. Clay still has to wear a mask indoors but is able to start going to restaurants and movies and places like that. it has been nice to let go of the reigns a little.

Tad and I are a nutz as always. Tad is coaching Lily's softball team and just finished Cole's baseball team. He and I are both working like crazy and managing all the kids schedules.

I am planning on flying up for Clays dr appt next week. I will be doped up on anti nausea meds and have the motion sickness patch on my ear. Not looking forward to it, but we only have until March to do this, so we can keep it up for a couple more months.

Clays appt is next week, like I just said, so as soon as I can I will post how well he is doing after the docs tell me how amazing he is and what a stud my boy is.

Love to all,

Tab