Thanksgiving Week is almost over.

I spent the week all over the state of California, from here in the Bay Area of San Francisco down to San Diego and seeing my two nephews, with many stops in between. It is Friday night 9pm, and we just arrived in Monterey this morning at nearly 4am, with me driving into the night chewing sunflower seeds (absolutely best way to stay alert in the middle of the night) and drinking Diet Coke. (GK took the 9:30pm-12:30pm shift at the wheel.) The closer we got to the coast at around 3am, the more I could smell the fragrance of the eucalyptus trees, and I could see the terrain change to beachy lowlands, and the air took on that salty breezy feel. I knew that Southern California was far behind me, and that I was back home in Northern California after a mostly quiet, long drive. The boys stayed mostly asleep, and amazingly, they even stayed asleep once we got into our hotel early in the morning. They slept the latest they ever have as a pair: 8:30am.

While my week had its own highs and lows, what I thought most about was two of our best friends, their little girl who was diagnosed with Leukemia this Tuesday, and she's starting chemotherapy at UCSF. She is seven years old. It's so unreal. Shocking. We are moving right along with life, and slam! comes news that no parent ever wants to hear.

We only hope that we can be there for our friends (they are surrounded by many who love them) and that they can be strong for their daughter while having friends be strong for them, to hold them up.I absolutely believe that this little girl will be brave. She will be strong. She will more than make it.