Merry Christmas and off into the Year 2011 :)

I am hopeful that most of you had a pleasant Christmas Season and Christmas this Year!

I have to say I was a bit anxious at first entering this season due to the memories of the last one in 2009 but overall with a few speed bumps it went very very well for our boys and even thought we had some heart breaking news just prior to Christmas it was heart warming to see Connor and Alexander be carefree and happy. In their own words Christmas this year was the BEST EVER :) and that was all I needed to be happy with.

The irony of all this is the fact that last year Connor was unable to walk or even move his arms due to the then unknown JDM. I still see him laying on the sofa on pain while Alexander brought him his gifts and then unwrapped them for him. There was no laughter or playing at all. This year on the other hand Connor received Casts on December 21st for both his feet's up to his knee's and you would think this would keep him from moving but not so! After a painful first day, a better second day, he moved into hopping all over the place. He might look a little awkward moving but he is moving and even going up and down the stairs to play in the playroom. We were telling him that once again he was a true trooper to which he informed me that this name was so last year and that from now on he wants to be called a 'Great Wizard'. So this is what he is ... a 6 year old hero to our eyes :)

To back track we started our Christmas Season by heading to Germany on November 30th and spending 12 days with my Family :) It was a very different trip then we had planned but it turned out to be on of our best trips for a visit. We all arrived pretty sick with head colds and Ron experience Flu Symptoms. So the first 5 days instead of heading out to see Christkindel Markets we stayed at home at my Mom and Dad's House, laying on the sofa's, talking, reading books and the boys watching German Movies and Cartoons. Do you have any idea how great it was to just lay there and recover without having to worry about cleaning a house or cooking? If you have to get sick do it when you are away ... it really worked for me - haha.

Even not feeling our best we still got to enjoy two Birthdays while there. First Markus who turned 31 and where we got treated to my sisters heavenly Pizza's and then Linda's 18th Birthday which again meant great company and great food. Ron unfortunately had to skip that Birthday because by then he was sicker then sick but the boys and I had recovered enough to have a marvelous time. Turning 18 is a huge deal in Germany as it equals with turning 21 here in the USA.

Once we all felt better there was this short time of panic mode because I had certain things on my to do list and time was running down but as it was we still hit all the highlights :) We did not get to go with Thomas to the Indoor Water Park as the boys wanted but we went a few days later with Lukas and my Dad. We spend an amazing, fun and relaxing Day with my Sister Beate and brother In-Law Rainer touring Nuremberg and the area of Ober Franken. This day was spend without the boys and while it might have been a challenging day for my Mom and Sister Elke it was a real treat for us as it is rare for Ron and I to be out and do something with other Adults :) First we headed to the Veste Coburg which was build in 1230 and where Martin Luther spend 5 1/2 months during the Diet of Augsburg when he was an Outlaw from the Holy Roman Empire. Well this Fortress has never been Conquered and it was very impressive. We were going to have lunch inside but found out they had a rest day Monday and Tuesdays. I could not resist to tell everyone that this is why it was never conquered ... they had lots of Rest Days and you know better then to attack on a Holiday or Rest Day in Germany? Right? ;) As to what my husband was thinking when I told him the place was closed you have to ask him but I can tell you it made me laugh tears as well when he enlighten me after arriving in Nuremberg for the Christkindel Market.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/germany/coburg-fortress

After the Fortress we went to see the Vierzehn Heiligen Kirche (Church). This Church started construction around 1472 I believe, after a Shepherd saw Jesus and his 14 Helpers on the exact spot around 1420. There are still many Pilgrims coming to this Church and it was definitely a very impressive sight.

http://www.vierzehnheiligen.eu/

We then had a great German Lunch in a Restaurant that first opened in 1421. Ober Franken, the area we were in is North Bavaria but you do not want to call people there Bavarians. It is a beautiful area in it's own and does not look or act in any form like the southern parts of Bavaria which of course most of the world pictures Germany to be :)

The end of our trip was the Christkindel Market in Nuremberg. It is the most famous one of all and it still keeps with Traditions of arts and crafts and homemade items without the commercial effects you see at other Markets. Interestingly we talked to some Vendors and they said years past the biggest tourist groups used to be Americans that came. Some due to the Military presents but also the Economy and the strength of the Us Dollar in years past. Now according to the people there you see more Chinese and Japanese Travelers ... so you can see the shift in politics even in a place where you least expect it ...

Truly, this whole Day was wonderful from start to finish. We ended our Day eating the famous Nuremberg Bratwurst and the Bratwurst Haus. There is a reason it is famous and well known - the food was yummy from the first bite to the last :)

We shockingly had another great night when we went out with my oldest Sister Carmen and her husband Erwin for Dinner. Once again my Mom watched the boys and Ron and I spend the evening laughing tears. Not sure what it is about my oldest sister and I but when you put us together we get as silly as little kids and laugh about the craziest things. Ron and Erwin did not miss a beat so many times you could hear us laughing from a good distance according to my husband who went to the bathroom and said he could hear us even that far away :)

The boys also got to have their German experiment Thanks to Melissa hosting a fun play date at her home where I was able to sit and relax and visit while Jamia, Kian, Connor and Alexander played for a few hours. That same day the boys and I headed to Heidelberg to meet with Katharina who took us to the Heidelberg 'Build A Bear Shop' and also the Heidelberg Christkindel Market for some yummy food and a Carousel Ride for the boys.

There was more visiting with neighbors and family and it all ended in a fun and relaxing night with all of us at my Mom's for Dinner and visiting. Thanks to Katharina and Martin, Ron was able to talk the whole night as well :)

So and then we arrived home on the 12th just in time for Ron to turn right around to go back to work and the boys and I to be faced with a packed calendar of appointments and therapies. I admit I was not feeling the right mood to decorate for Christmas and I was so grateful for my Mom giving me some Christmas Cookies to carry me over for a few days before the mood struck for me to start baking :)

The boys and I did decorate some but I admit not as much as we had in the previous years. Ron and I knew that in our hearts this Christmas was purely for the boys so this is how we approached it.

The boys wish list was all about LEGO and Harry Potter and that is what was under the tree. Thanks to Family and Friends and Ron and I almost the only thing found under the tree was Lego, Lego, Lego and Lego .... I am grateful for some beautiful Robes the boys received on Christmas Eve and it was so good for our hearts to see the boys squeal from happiness after each gift was opened.

Ron and I broke traditions this year and we each were treated from the other one to an I-Pad prior to Christmas which is hands down the best toy I ever received as an Adult ... :) I read about 6 books on it so far and I never thought I would say it but it really beats having a real book in your hand when it comes to convenience on when and where you want to read. The only downfall that comes with it is the fact I am not attempting reading while soaking in the bathtub anymore ;) a little to pricey of a risk considering I dropped books in the water before :)

We also had one major family event happening which was the marriage of our beautiful daughter Niki. She is now Mrs. Nichole Franco and we have a new son to add to our family, Alexander. How I wish them all the best and happiness and I have to say it is fun to see their postings on FB and how magical it is being newly weds!

I always try to finish on a good note but this time I wanted to focus on the happy times this December before mentioning the heartache we are facing this time. Our wonderful brother in-law Ron, Ron's Sister's Husband, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer and if not treated has a life expectancy of 6 to 8 months. He has a huge tumor in his hips and it has spread to his lymph notes and other organs. Then another family member is having issues with his heart and as of now we are not clear what the problems involve it is scary knowing it is involving a man in his late 30's. So once again we are faced with a battles due to a medical issues and I wonder what it is about December that seems to be our benchmark?

So we as a family are gearing up for another battle this coming year and I am hoping for nothing less then us beating the big 'C' and for Connor to keep aiming to move into Remission. Connor's Casts will be on his feet for 8 to 10 weeks and on January 5th to 7th we are heading to Chicago again for a check-up with Dr. Pachman and Dr. Curran. His Infusion on December 21st went well and his Blood Levels are looking very promising according to Dr. Soep. We officially started our cutting down on the Prednisone as of December 14th! We are now at 2.8 ml daily instead of the 3.5 ml. If he stays stable for one month we will then proceed 0.8 ml down again. Gosh how I hope he will hold steady and not show any reaction at all to our cutting back!

Wishing all of you a peaceful time into the New Year and for all my JDM friends who have been such a great support to me please know you are in my hearts and not a day goes by when I don't think of all our kids!

Merry Christmas and to a Happy New Year 2011!!!

Hugs,

R A C A