Super Ryan

Sorry for the long delay in updates. We have been so busy, and I had wanted to post a picture of the newest member of the Morgan family. You may think us crazy, but we decided to try it again with a dog. This time around we got exactly what Ryan has wanted- a Chinese guard dog. You just have to see him. He is a great dog. I have taken several pictures, but he doesn't like the flash and all the pictures are blurry or of his tail end. His name is Mackie, and Ryan absolutely loves him. I am going to keep trying for a picture. I do have some other great news. Curing Kids Cancer, a group that we have supported many times with our soccer and basketball teams donated $100,000 to the Aflac Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta last week. It is so great to see our dollars going to work. Check out their site. It makes a great end of season gift for coaches, and they have a program for teachers, also. Another piece of great fundraising news is that beginning in Jan. 2007 you can purchase a car tag (in the state of Ga) to support pediatric cancer research. You can learn more about the tags at supportcancerkids.org . We still have about 5 raffle tickets left for the Lighthouse Family Retreat. We do want to thank Karen, Scott and Christy, Jim, Pam, Ted, Dusty, Ken, and our parents who have bought tickets. Dawn, I am bringing yours to the Quiet Heroes luncheon. Thank you, too! No news, yet on the adenoid surgery. The surgery scheduler has been out of town and I should be able to call tomorrow and get that ball rolling. It would be great to have it done over fall break, but we always go to the mountains then, so we'll just have to see what they say. Heidi and Will had fun last weekend at Sibling Camp with Camp Sunshine. Ryan had a ball while they were gone. Matt stayed with us Friday night and they went to play putt-putt and to see Barnyard on Saturday. Ryan went home with Matt and spent Saturday night. We spent Sunday with our Lighthouse friends, the Pecks. We had a great time at their house in Marietta, but everyone was so tired Sunday night after a busy weekend. Please continue to pray for Ryan's cancer to be gone forever and never to return, and pray for his continued good health and no more side effects. If we can get through this experience with only a hearing loss, I will be very happy. I know in my heart that there are side effects for our entire family that we will live with forever-some good and some bad. Thanks for checking in on us and hope you have an awesome week. Love, Les, Missy, Heidi, Will, and SuperRyan

Everything here has been going pretty smooth. The kids are all adjusting to being back to school, and I am getting used to working more. I am loving being at Ryan's school. I had lunch with him and Matt today. We left school early and went for his ENT appt. Dr. Stolovitsky wants to go ahead and take out his adenoids. The meds seemed to work for about a week, and then one side of his nose started running again. Les and I will talk about it and talk to the docs at the clinic just to make sure the risk is no greater. Soccer has started up, but we still have a few weekends free before the games begin. We are sure going to enjoy them. Thanks for checking in on us and for your prayers for Ryan. Please continue to pray that we stay on this road to a cure and for all our cancer buddies. Love, Les, Missy, Heidi, Will, and SuperRyan

This picture is Ryan and Dad headed to school on the first day. He had a great day with his new teacher. His best buddy, Matt, is in his class so that made everything even better. He came to my room after school and hung out for a little while. I am going to have to get some snacks stored up for him. Our good friends from the Lighthouse, the Peck family (except for Maddie) came and played on Saturday. As you can see from the other picture, we had a great visit. They came loaded with birthday presents for the boys. I will have to get a picture of Ryan with one of his moustaches and tattooes. Tomorrow is the last dose of steroids- thank Goodness!! He has been very short-tempered, loud, and silly. We have a new empathy for our leukemia friends. His nose is TONS better!! It hardly runs at all. We are so happy about that. I feel bad that I waited so long to really do something about it. We just kept thinking the lining of his sinus just needed to rebuild. I hope it doesn't start back up after the medicine is out of his system. We'll have to wait and see. He goes back to the ENT a week from tomorrow, and I have to call the clinic to get his check-up appt. made with Dr. Anderson for sometime in September. Please pray that he continues to do so well. Thanks for checking in on us and have a great week. Love, Les, Missy, Heidi, Will, and SuperRyan

These pictures are from Ryan's birthday. You can see we did celebrate with birthday cinnamon rolls. Ryan's favorite!! The other is a picture of the 30 minute sword fight we had in the yard that night. We had a great time. I still can't believe my baby is 8 years old already. Today was open house at school. Tomorrow is the last day of summer break. Boo-hoo!!! A great opportunity has opened up for me at Ryan's school. I will be able to work there as their speech therapist for 18 hours a week. I am so excited to be able to go back. I had worked at the same school before Heidi was born, so I have a lot of friends who still work there, and I have a lot of new friends there who have helped Ryan and our family over the last couple of years. Ryan thinks it is awesome!! We heard from the clinic that his catecholomines are normal and from the ENT that nothing has grown in the sample of sinus drainage. He is to finish the medicines they gave him and we go back in 2 weeks. He goes back to the clinic for an exam in September. I just love them seeing how great he looks. Well, cross your fingers that the kids have a smooth transition back into school. I know things are going to speed up quickly with homework and soccer starting soon. Thanks for checking in on us and keep praying for Ryan and his friends. Love, Les, Missy, Heidi, Will, and SuperRyan