Going home to Brandon, Florida, is always a treat for us.  It’s great for Donnie to get out of the house, and it is wonderful that our family cooks so much delicious food for us, and loves on us.  So, off to Brandon we went for 3 days.  We got to see Lorraine and Robert, Ronnie and Darlene, Mom, and Rodger and Terri (and Mackenzie and Colin, the boyfriend!).  The purpose of this trip was to see everyone, and to hopefully record Donnie singing a song with his brothers.

Rodger (Donnie’s baby brother) has an amazing recording studio.  Recording is grueling work, but also very rewarding.  It took us from 10 am until about 5 pm to get the sound board “tweaked”, piano and drums “laid down”, and then record Donnie actually singing the lead vocal.  After about an hour of trying to sing background vocals for the song with a group of family (a slight train wreck due to tiny mistakes by all 7 of us), we decided to let Rodge and Ronnie sing background vocals for the song.  Probably should have been that way all along . . . so it worked out great!  Rodger has some more “engineering magic” to add to the song, and then he will send it to us.  Donnie was very pleased that this was actually accomplished yesterday.  The song title is “I Will Rise” by Chris Tomlin.

So many thanks to Rodger for working so hard to make this happen.  He is really amazing!  Not to mention all the food prepared for us by Terri, so we did not have to leave the studio.  Can’t wait to hear the finished product 🙂

On the medical front, Donnie’s cell counts are all increasing, which is just what we prayed for.  Also, he does not go back for another round of chemo until after Easter.  That means he will be feeling a bit better and have more energy during this time.  We are grateful for the timing . . . another God thing.  Thank you for your prayers, words of encouragement, cards, food, flowers, gifts, treats, and visits.  We are so humbled by your love.  We thank God for each and every one of you, and we thank God for sending his son:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

We are ever reminded that God sent his son to die for us.  He loves us that much.  The greatest love story ever told!!!!  What a privilege and a blessing that Donnie and I are believers.  We pray you are, too.

Much love and happy Easter!!!!  Donnie & Tina