Au Revoir Twenty-Eleven!

Au Revoir Twenty-Eleven!

As my little ones were singing yesterday, “It’s here! It’s here! It’s FINALLY here! The end of the year is finally here!”

This year has been big for our family. In one year, we have watched our children grow another year older, Ava has defeated Aicardi Syndrome another year, and we entered another year of marriage.  We completed a year long list of goals on home renovations (unfortunately for my husband, I’ve already written out the honey-do list for 2012…we’ll talk about this list situation in a bit), lost a pet and adopted a new one, Connor developed a new kind of compassion for sick kids, and Dylan gained a SLEW of wonderful new friends. Drew and I read a lot of books and spoofed a lot of films. We purchased our second Kindle to house our digital collection, and added more “real’ books to our study (our happy place). I started this blog (whew!), and put recreational writing back in my life as a FUN priority.

It’s been really, really good.

This morning Drew asked me what my resolutions were, and I couldn’t think of a single one.  It’s always pained me to make a resolution at the start of a year, because just saying something out loud doesn’t necessarily make me follow through.  We talked about that, and how funny it is that every day I do complete a written a to-do list of what obviously needs to get done…pick up groceries, finished cleaning upstairs, wash Ava’s laundry…almost to the point of redundancy. I get so much validation from scratching something off The List. And there’s not just one list…oh no, never! I have my mega week to-do list, the daily to-do list, the “take on the road and do this while in town today” to-do list, the basic family activities calendar, and my digital Blackbery list of stuff to do whenever there’s time.  Then it hit me, why don’t I do away with The List (er…lists..)? How much more gratifying will it be to be able to do all that needs to be done without being a slave to a schedule? What if I really will feel better about skipping laundry one day, or putting off a project for a night so I can do something *gasp* spontaneous? Drew will probably think I’m nuts.  Or love me more.  Or both. =) So with that, it was settled.  With Drew as my witness, I vowed to throw out the list….for a few days. Let’s don’t get crazy, now!  What are your resolutions for this year? And how will you make sure to keep your word to yourself?  

Now, not to change the subject but I need to finish telling a story that I started in my last post.  As mentioned above, this year my step-son Connor has really developed an understanding of Ava and children like her that a lot of people don’t have until they’re much older.  In my previous post, I talked about one of our trips to the hospital with Ava, when Connor became concerned about the sick children who wouldn’t be able to go home for the holidays.  His heart was broken, and he wanted to think of ways to make them happy and distracted from the place they were at.  After much thought, Connor decided to go home and draw as many pictures of the “outside” that he could and deliver them to the kids the next time he made a trip to Jackson.  Word quickly got out about his kind heart. I heard many, many compliments in the next few days about how special of a child he is for wanting to do such a special thing.  He did draw several pictures, but not as many as he would need.  Not to worry though, because soon after he received a very, very special package.

Now, of course, I already knew the package was well on its way.  My friend Ashley who teaches the 6^th grade in Bratislava, Slovakia heard about his idea, and God put it on her heart to get her students involved. One of her students had a mom with brain cancer, and knew all too well how troubling and lonesome hospital stays can be.  He named the project “Creations for Connor”, and before Ashley knew it, Creations for Connor became a school wide project. 150 drawings later, and Ashley was ready to mail them to Connor and Dylan for distribution.  Wow!

Ashley's letter to Connor

Connor holding one of the drawings. He is so proud!

I love to be a witness to things like this.  Aicardi Syndrome is a terrible thing, but look at what good it as done in our family.  Ava is sick, so Connor learned compassion. Connor wanted to make sick children happy, so Dylan got excited and wanted to help, too.  I’m so very proud of those three! And I have no doubt they will continue the cycle with their own children one day.

Hundreds of drawings created and donated by school children in Slovakia for Connor and Dylan to distribute to sick children here in America.

And so, because of that, it will never matter what bad things we experienced this last year because we are surrounded by so much good and happiness. I think that's safe to say that applies to everyone's life if you stop and think about it. 

I hope all of you stay safe and have fun tonight!  We are on the lucky list of parents who have sitters for all of the children this year on New Years Eve.  Go ahead...be jealous! We will be making the most of our night...movie theater, dinner out, then back home for XBox Hockey and Redbox comedies with a bottle of cheap champagne to occupy us 'til midnight. 

With so much to celebrate this last year, I can't even begin to imagine how awesome the coming year will be. Thank you God for all that you have done for us already!

This sweet stuff is also used to celebrate our anniversaries (we had it on our wedding day).

Big blessings in all that you do this year from our family to yours!

Thanksgiving Blessings

Ava is so fortunate to have a big brother like Connor in her life! The day before Thanksgiving, Ava had a check up with Pulmo and Connor was able to come with her. I've always loved how much he enjoys going to Jackson with her, and how he views the hospital as a special place for Ava that he is lucky to get to be a part of, rather than a scary place. One of his most favorite things to do at UMMC is to walk to the top of the parking garage and watch the emergency choppers fly in and out. He's always amazed in the way they lift and fly away, and how the whole world seems to shake when they're near. I'm willing to bet he will be working in the sky one day...love our little pilot in the making. :)

Connor was totally impressed!

This trip to UMMC was especially heart warming for me, because Connor knew it was the beginning of the holidays and he had a million questions about how the children who couldn't leave would celebrate.  "How will they get their turkey?"  "Those kids look just like me and Ava. I wish they didn't have to be sick.  How long will they be sick."  And the one that did me in..."What about all those kids who have to stay in the hospital all those days after we get to go home, how is that fair? That doesn't seem fair."  He's right, it isn't fair.  He talked about it the whole 2 hours we were in the hospital.  He talked about it during our lunch.  He talked and he wondered and he questioned and he fretted.  On our way out, he was finally quiet.  We passed the neonatal hall and he watched another family with a little girl his age leaving, without their new baby.  I could tell he was sad.  Immediately, he let go of my hand, ran in front of Ava's wheelchair to stop me, and said "I have an idea. We're going to draw pictures for them!"  

Waiting for the doctor.

"We'll draw pictures for them?"


"Yes!" the sadness was leaving him. "If we draw pictures of the outside for them and put them on their walls, they'll think they're outside with every one else. They won't be sad anymore."


What a sweet, sweet little boy.  I promised I would help him with his project, and promised we have at least  a few "outside" pictures delivered the next time we went to Jackson.  What a blessing to have a little one in the family who is so concerned for others.  I know I say it a lot, but praise God for bringing him and Ava together.  I already know how their eyes have been opened because of it!

Connor and Ava holding hands so she wouldn't be afraid.

Ava's check up went quite well.  She was able to reduce some of her medications and get totally off two of them.  We know every "change" is temporary, but it's wonderful to get these little breaks in medications from time to time.  It was a wonderful Thanksgiving blessing. :)