Done.

My name is Abigail Riggs.

I've been doing chemo for 986 days. I almost died a couple a of times. It's been going on for so long that I don't know much of any other type of life. I've made lots of friends and God has used my cancer to touch many lives.

I'm finished with chemo as of today. I still have a lot of recovering to do from taking rat poison for two and a half years. Taking poison to save your life... not something I had planned for Kindergarten.

Tomorrow I'm going to celebrate with many of you. The next day I'm going to start my new life without the label of "cancer". I've been blessed to have so many people love me and walk through this with me.

I hope you'll continue with me on this new journey too.

ONE

Abby's Chemo Countdown
Countdown until Abby is finished with chemo
(started at 986 days July 20, 2008 to November 19, 2010

Abby's story here

Two...

From Brent

Abby is back at home. She's just a "normal" sick kid but seems to be much better today.

If you are coming to Abby's party, or thinking about it, be sure to read the end of this blog post.

Abby's Chemo Countdown
Countdown until Abby is finished with chemo
(started at 986 days July 20, 2008 to November 19, 2010
TWO more days!

Abby's story here


Abby started growing her hair and her health...

We will never forget our Make A Wish Trip...

Abby got to see so many wonders...

She enjoyed the entire experience with SpideyLandis...

And sat on a REAL alligator when all the other kids were too scared...

Played on the beach in Florida...

Beautiful olive brown skin...

At the Give Kids the World Village...

Her special day with Princess Jasmine...


It wasn't all roses though (sadly, it wasn't even half roses;
Abby still had lots of hospital stays and health scares)...

Wonderful friends sent her gifts...

Which she was excited about; can you tell?

Another winter came and went but this time she was out in the snow...

And the father/daughter dance...

And the art show...

And down in Austin with her special big sister Mattie...

Abby's Kick Kemo to the Kurb Party

Here's the list of blog friends from out of town that are coming to the party (if you are local or family, you don't need to be on this list. Basically, we just want to know how many people to expect):

Party Information:

• When: 6:00-9:00pm next Saturday (Nov 20); come as you please but the prizes will be given away between 7:00-8:00pm
  


• Where: Crosspointe Church - Hwy 9 & 24th Street (directions here)
  


• Why: celebrating the end of 2.5 years of Abby's chemo and Leukemia
  


• Details:
  
  
  
  • lots of finger food and desert to eat;
  
  
  • kid-centered, prizes given away to kids and adults;
  
  
  • games, activities, moon walk, fun for the kids;
  
  
  • casual dress, think of it as big fun party for kids
  
  
  • We especially want to recognize and say thank to everyone who was so kind and helpful to us during this difficult journey

Please RSVP with # of adults, and # of kids, so we can know how much fattening finger food and desert to buy as well as prizes for kids. For those of you who want to help:

1. If you are local or will be here early and want to help with setting up, managing kids and activities or decorating, we will appreciate any and all help. Please email Brent and let him know your availability and he'll keep a list - brent@brentriggs.com


2. IDEAS FOR FOOD, GAMES, ACTIVITIES & PRIZES: - Do you have suggestions for games, contests & activities for a truck load of kids for 2-3 hours of fun?
   - Do you have ideas for prizes that the kids can win, and what kind of contests, activities or event would give every kid a fair chance to win? The SIMPLER the better but we want it to be fun for the kids... we are trying to plan about an HOUR of time to give away the prizes; the rest of the time will just be free to play and have fun
   - Any suggestions for easy fun finger foods and deserts that we can buy and quickly prepare or set out?
   

Gifts for Abby We don't usually mention about people sending these things but so many people are asking, here is our answer: if you want to bring or send a gift, card, photo, poster, whatever... we will put them out at the party give them to Abby there. SUGGESTION: Abby really loves books now, and a childrens book (used is fine!) with a note from you would be perfect. She could collect and keep these to read to her own children, and help her remember all the wonderful people that loved her through this cancer. We know this is late notice, but send them to:

Brent Riggs
504 Morehead
Washington, OK 73093

One last thing... We are not exactly the best at planning parties and social events. People like Carol Bauman exist to plan world class parties. We're just simple folks from a hick town. If you have any ideas, suggestions, advice or epiphanies, could you email us and let us know. We appreciate any help and want this to be a great memory for Abby, but also a great time for all those who attend. brent@brentriggs.com

One last last thing... We aren't sending out official invitations. So many people have walked with us through this journey we KNOW we would miss someone and feel terrible. This is an open invitation to everyone who has loved Abby through her cancer treatment. You are invited. If you want to come, YOU ARE INVITED. No criteria, no conditions. YOU ARE INVITED, okay? We just want people to let us know they are coming so we can plan accordingly.

Three...

From Brent

If you are coming to Abby's party, or thinking about it, be sure to read the end of this blog post.

Abby's Chemo Countdown
Countdown until Abby is finished with chemo
(started at 986 days July 20, 2008 to November 19, 2010

Three more days!

Abby's story here

There was some difficult things to deal with along the way...

Then there was some really difficult things...

And some hard times...

Incredibly hard times...

And agonizing times...

But through it all, Abby was Abby:


Always the camera hound...

Superstar even when bald...

Ready to flash that smile on command...

A flirt, flirt, flirt...

A friend to her friends...

Beautiful even with an inch of hair...

Still a big sister...

And did I mention cute?...
Abby's Kick Kemo to the Kurb Party

Here's the list of blog friends from out of town that are coming to the party (if you are local or family, you don't need to be on this list. Basically, we just want to know how many people to expect):

Party Information:

• When: 6:00-9:00pm next Saturday (Nov 20); come as you please but the prizes will be given away between 7:00-8:00pm
  


• Where: Crosspointe Church - Hwy 9 & 24th Street (directions here)
  


• Why: celebrating the end of 2.5 years of Abby's chemo and Leukemia
  


• Details:
  
  
  
  • lots of finger food and desert to eat;
  
  
  • kid-centered, prizes given away to kids and adults;
  
  
  • games, activities, moon walk, fun for the kids;
  
  
  • casual dress, think of it as big fun party for kids
  
  
  • We especially want to recognize and say thank to everyone who was so kind and helpful to us during this difficult journey

Please RSVP with # of adults, and # of kids, so we can know how much fattening finger food and desert to buy as well as prizes for kids. For those of you who want to help:

1. If you are local or will be here early and want to help with setting up, managing kids and activities or decorating, we will appreciate any and all help. Please email Brent and let him know your availability and he'll keep a list - brent@brentriggs.com


2. IDEAS FOR FOOD, GAMES, ACTIVITIES & PRIZES: - Do you have suggestions for games, contests & activities for a truck load of kids for 2-3 hours of fun?
   - Do you have ideas for prizes that the kids can win, and what kind of contests, activities or event would give every kid a fair chance to win? The SIMPLER the better but we want it to be fun for the kids... we are trying to plan about an HOUR of time to give away the prizes; the rest of the time will just be free to play and have fun
   - Any suggestions for easy fun finger foods and deserts that we can buy and quickly prepare or set out?
   

Gifts for Abby We don't usually mention about people sending these things but so many people are asking, here is our answer: if you want to bring or send a gift, card, photo, poster, whatever... we will put them out at the party give them to Abby there. SUGGESTION: Abby really loves books now, and a childrens book (used is fine!) with a note from you would be perfect. She could collect and keep these to read to her own children, and help her remember all the wonderful people that loved her through this cancer. We know this is late notice, but send them to:

Brent Riggs
504 Morehead
Washington, OK 73093

One last thing... We are not exactly the best at planning parties and social events. People like Carol Bauman exist to plan world class parties. We're just simple folks from a hick town. If you have any ideas, suggestions, advice or epiphanies, could you email us and let us know. We appreciate any help and want this to be a great memory for Abby, but also a great time for all those who attend. brent@brentriggs.com

One last last thing... We aren't sending out official invitations. So many people have walked with us through this journey we KNOW we would miss someone and feel terrible. This is an open invitation to everyone who has loved Abby through her cancer treatment. You are invited. If you want to come, YOU ARE INVITED. No criteria, no conditions. YOU ARE INVITED, okay? We just want people to let us know they are coming so we can plan accordingly.


Abby (right) at 8 months old with her friend Maria...
My favorite pic of Abby; one of my favorite pics of all time.

Three Days? Evidently Cancer Doesn't Care... Abby On The Way To The Hospital

From Brent

Abby has a 105 degree temp and is on the way to the Emergency Room with Michelle.

We pray her blood counts will be high enough they don't have to admit her again. Then she can come home, and be "sick" like a normal kid. And get well for her party this Saturday.

Brent

Five.....

Abby's Chemo Countdown
Countdown until Abby is finished with chemo
(started at 986 days July 20, 2008 to November 19, 2010)

Five more days!

Abby's story here

Before cancer became a way of life...

From Brent

I walked out our front door this morning to take the kids to school, and this is what greeted me. I love the colors of autumn. We don't have the grandeur of the mountains here, but who could gripe about having to soak in this kind of beauty out your front door?

Nashville and the Evil Broccoli Queen

From Brent

(Note: after you read this post, make a trip over to this precious girl's blog and leave her some encouragement. This cancer stuff is a major drag. http://emilyscancerblog.blogspot.com/)

Below are some photos from our recent trip to Nashville but first, I need to warn you about the evil broccoli queen. Here's the sordid tale...

We were to have dinner with the Cummings; Steve, Deidra and their kids. Early in the day, Deidra asked my wife if we liked broccoli cheese soup. Normally, we eat whatever is put before us but everyone has that ONE or TWO foods they hate so much they'll actually come clean about it.

Broccoli is that wretched, intolerable food for me. Hate it, hate it, hate it. In every form, no matter how much it is drowned in cheese, I would still rather fight a rat over month old trash from an outdoor dumpster in the middle of the summer next door to the local sewer plant.

Michelle timidly informs Deidra how much I despise those Satan-inspired little clumps of stomach turning goodness innocuously labeled with the pleasant-sounding "broccoli". So, no broccoli, right? You would think. But it turns out that Deidra has an evil broccoli twin. Fast forward to dinner time...

"How do you like that Asian slaw, Brent?" Deidra innocently inquires. I should have guessed something was awry but since this was our first dinner with EBQ (Evil Broccoli Queen), I proceeded to tell her "this stuff is the BOMB!" I loved it. I wanted the recipe. I really did.

Cue the evil smirk, the wicked glint in the eye, the sly nod.

"There's broccoli in this, isn't there?" I asked already knowing the answer.

I had let my guard down, lulled into blind trust by a preacher's wife who would never trick first time dinner guests into eating the food they hated most. Preacher's wife? That should have been my first warning to be on guard. Fooled by a saintly mother wearing an apron with a Bible verse on it. And I never even saw it coming...

So the gauntlet has been thrown down. It might take me 20 years, but I'll get Deidra, aka. Evil Broccoli Queen. I'll get her good. Anyone remember my April Fool's joke from 2 years ago? If yes, you know what I'm capable of.

Watch your back EBQ.


Don't let the beautiful smile and innocent twinkling eyes fool you...
During the day she is know as "Deidra", the saintly Preacher's wife.
At dinner time, she becomes the Evil Broccoli Queen.

Here's some photos from our trip:


My good friend Steve Cummings. The Cummings were so
gracious to let us stay at a family condo in Nashville. We spend a
lot of great time with them. There family is a joy to be around.
Steve is a preacher in Tusculum, TN.


The kids at the Parthenon in Nashville. The building
really is quite a marvelous thing to see.


The children were out trick or treating in the Cummings
neighborhood and we just had to take a picture with these folks.
I have no clue who they are but they were sure showing the kids a great time.


Princess Abby.... the smile is because she just looked at
the 40 pounds of candy in her bag.