Happy New Year 2013!

This morning I went to my computer with the attempt to make a snap shot of pictures I wanted to send to Family and Friends about our past year.
Well, considering that I take thousands of pictures each year this was not easy and even with my best attempt I ended up with 418 pictures I wanted to send out.
So I had to change course and just post an Album on FB for everyone that is on FB to see :)

Looking back at 2012 we have to say it was a wonderful year with just a few setbacks.
This year was all my heart could wish for when it came to traveling and spending time with Family and Friends!
We also became Grandparents again and the best news over all is that no one in our immediate Family passed away this year. It is amazing how much fear that is I carry in me when I worry about this huge Family I have and how easy one of us could get sick, hurt or pass due to age.
For CureJM and it's warriors it was a challenging year as we lost a few of our so loved fighters and children! Connor had his Medi Port taken out this year BUT then ended up with a Flare shortly after which he is still trying to recover from now. 
As to trips we went on many Road Trips this year:
We drove to Las Vegas, to Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Washington State. Due to driving we got to see and tour around Utah, Idaho, New Mexico and Oregon.
As to flying we stayed busy as well as we went several times to Texas but also to Alaska and to Germany again. Mt Gypsies heart was in pure heaven this year :)
As to fun in our beloved home State Colorado we were so happy to have friends and family visit this year. We had several visitors from Germany but also our beloved friends the Tossell Family and the Miller Family.

We were so happy to explore the Rocky Mountain National Park not just once but twice this year. We fell in love with Estes Park and Boulder and we had many outings to Denver to visit Museums and 16th Street.

Truly all in all 2012 was very good to us and we are grateful! Alexander, my precious soul, cried this morning about not wanting to leave 2012 yet ...., I guess that he really thought this year was amazing as well :)

We so wish all of you that 2013 will be a year of peace and Hope and I hope for all our dear friends and family that had huge struggles this past year that this New Year will turn things around and bring you answers and solutions!
For CureJM I wish to see many Remissions and this so elusive CURE. My  wish for 2013 is to make the Conference this year in Chicago!

Thank You to all of you that have been such wonderful friends to me! Your support and love really kept my spirits up.
Tonight we will be staying home and having our own little Party with the Boys. They wanted our Traditional Fondue again so we will have a lovely slow dinner followed my movies and playing games.

Lot's of Love!

Happy New Year!!!!!

Hugs,

R A C A

Still coughing and still no answers :'(

Today I took Connor in for his third Doctor visit in regards to his cough.
I have to say I am tired and heartbroken that once again a Christmas passed with Connor feeling miserable and again no answers from either the Pediatric Clinic in CSprings nor the Family Practice here in Woodland Park. I am a bit angry about myself because just like three years ago I put hope and confidence in the medical field here in our immediate area that truly has no idea or knowledge how to treat Connor.
On each of the visits Connor coughed the whole time, just as he does at home and on the go, but since his lungs sound clear and he has no high fever he gets ignored.
At the first visit he got Allergy medication: results.... None.
The second visit at another doctor he got X-rays of his lungs taken and they looked clear, even though we were told kids lung X-rays can be harder to read. On this visit he got nothing prescribed but a pat on the back.
Today I took him in again and this time we got to see a very young PA who listened to him cough and actually said to him to not make so much noise when breathing as he could not listen well to his lungs. Poor Connor really tried to pull himself together.
On this visit we were told he might have Acid Reflux Cough. Now I handed the PA a list of Connors medication he is on and he kind of glanced at it fast and then handed it back to me. Now on this list was the Prevacid Connor takes daily. Well, he handed us off with a script for Nexium.
Once we left I thought to myself that to me they both are in the same category, so why would he think that Nexium would work better then the Prevacid OR even worse, he never read the fact that Connor was on Prevacid already and if I had been a novice without the amazing network of friends who give me advice and support I could have made the horrid mistake and given him both!!!
Well, we do not have the Nexium yet as we found out after waiting for 45 minutes at Walgreens that they do not have this prescription and need to order it first.

I got home and posted to my wonderful JM Family who by a huge margin keep telling me they think he has a reaction to the Methrotrexate (Chemo) and that is causing his cough. If you google Methrotrexate Cough you can read about it. Also they all told me to NOT give Connor both, the Prevacid and Nexium.
Now in the meantime I had also emailed our beloved Dr. Soep, who has been our Rock as she even responded to my questions and concerns on Christmas Day! Without her support I would think I was crazy. She told me that I can try the Nexium instead of the Prevacid if I like but that she is still not convinced this is the cause of it all. She is just like me very focused on the Appointment on Jan 6th with Dr. Stillwell, the Pulmonologist.

I feel bad for taking Connor now to three Doctor visits here that really gave him no relieve or even seemed to take him or me serious.
Connor might just be 'coughing' but he has been coughing now since the end of October and going into continuous coughing now for the last three weeks.

I truly can not tell you enough how the one thing that keeps me from screaming or crying is the huge support and concern I get from very close friends that are like family, and also from my beloved JM Family. They are more on the spot then the medical professional I have dealt with the last three weeks.
Truly the only people I seem to be able to rely on is Dr. Soep and the advice I get from all the mom's who have sick kids that have diseases with no cure.

Living with a child that has a rare disease really makes you feel like you are in a country, surrounded by masses of people that do not speak your language and when you meet just one voice that speaks your language you want to cry and hug them. It can be lonely if it wasn't for those postings of support.

I truly understand the meaning that you can't choose your family but you can choose your friends and make them your family. I am lucky to have a wonderful support and show of concern from my family in Germany. It is hard to fully explain it all to them but they call and they email me and ask question. Sadly that does not count for others who do not seem to care or are more concerned it I make a political statement and respond to that but don't have a minute to ask me how Connor is doing or how I am doing.

Well we all have our priorities, my first one is to keep our son alive and watch him grow to be a man and out live me. If I sound dramatic to some of you then I invite you to join my world. Go to www.cureJM.org and educate yourself. Look at the pictures of kids that died way to early and shouldn't have. If you care for Connor and his battle then show him and tell him. No one is asking you for money but if giving money to Charity is part of your being then why not support the one close to a person you know and that you claim to love? CureJM is a nonprofit run solely by volunteers. Every penny/dollar that goes in goes towards Research. We need a Cure, anything else is just us, Ron, Connor, Alexander and I holding our breaths and hoping for Connor to be okay, as well as all the fellow JM children who are fighting this fight!

So, no..... In my gut I feel this is not just a simple cough.... Just like three years ago I knew my son did not have Mono and they send us home with him and a pat on my shoulder to give him Motrin for his pain. Most of you know that this 'Mono' turned out to be JDM that hospitalized him for right weeks, almost cost him his life, had him relearn to talk and walk. Three years later he is still in Physical Therapy .... So no I don't think we are over reacting!

R A C A

A very Merry Christmas Eve!

My Family wishes all of you a Merry Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

While I love all the magic and wonder that the boys bring to our Christmas and of course cherish the comfort and joy of having a most wonderful extended Family and Friends I also think of all my Family and Friends who had a difficult year due to medical challenges, financial challenges or worst of all the loss of a loved one.

I read a most touching note today that pointed out that the true Christmas is not about Family and Friends and gifts but that of the ultimate sacrifice of God giving us his son. So God knows all about pain and loss and this makes me see Christmas in the way that not every home tonight will be filled with joy or happiness.

I wish I could give the gift of Hope and that there will be better times and of course I also know that this is a gift not taken to or accepted easily. I focus on fear and sadness at times but Christmas has the gift to push those thoughts away from me...

So I do wish Christmas was all year long and this feeling stayed with us. I wish we all could see Christmas through our children eyes as this is the best part of it all!

The boys and I had to cancel our Christmas Eve outings today due to Connors cough getting worse and not giving him a break at all. We had a lovely day in Denver yesterday that included the Science Museum and the Pompeii Exhibit, plus watching people Ice Skate at 16th Street and then having a delicious Coffee and Cake at the Cheese Cake Factory. We finished the day with a touching German Christmas Service at the Messiah Lutheran Church in Denver plus a stop for some shopping and Dinner at IKEA.
So I feel it is okay for Connor to get all the downtime he needs as he did have a wonderful time experiencing the Christmas Season.
The boys have been in bed all day watching Christmas Movies and only getting out of it to decorate Ginger Bred Cookies.... I added some pain to my fingers by putting together the Table and Chairs I bought at IKEA so the boys could have an Art area to work in and leave their paintings out :)

Merry Christmas! Frohe Weihnachten!

R A C A

Cottage School Christmas Plays and Party :)

Today the boys and I had a most wonderful time at the Cottage School Christmas Party.
The entertainment, two Plays, one from Cottage 1 and one from Cottage 2 were delightful, cute and so much fun to watch.
C & A loved connecting with their little friends and I had a beautiful time talking to my Mommie Friends.

Thanks for all of this go to the boys beloved Teacher Mrs. Struble and to my so admired friend,m,Sandy. How I miss not seeing her as much as we did when we were still coming to Cottage School!!!
Now I also want to credit my friends Pippi and Alia who put so much time and help into the class rooms.

This Christmas Season has been very magical so far and it makes me reflect how blessed I am to be surrounded by a wonderful family and the most wonderful friends.

41 years of being on this Earth and I feel so good and my place in this world due to all the love and support I have!

So thank you to all my friends for this gift you have given me. No material things could out match this! Big words from a woman who loves her Apple electronics - lol.

Love and a very Merry Christmas!

Anke

RACA Smith Family Christmas :)

Merry Christmas, Frohe Weihnachten, Feliz Navidad.....

Today we celebrated our Christmas and it was beautiful, magical and fun.

Right now, to tell the truth, I am fighting a horrid food coma from eating way to much all day and especially tonight! Oh my poor tummy, and how much it had to endure! How come my eyes and brain think I can handle all this food is beyond me so now I just have to suffer ;)

Joking aside, the boys woke us up at 6:52 am by turning on the lights in our bedroom and jumping on our bed .... I thought I was prepared by setting up the coffee last night, only to discover I had started brewing it as well last night so that cold coffee greeted Ron and I this morning ;)

This year we scaled back drastically on how much we could spend for Christmas, but to some gifted Christmas Angels wrapping talents it seemed like there was a mountain of gifts :) for the first time in the boys life they each wished for very different things for Christmas. Connors wishes were all about Art and Paintings, so he got a easel, Canvases, Acrylic Paint, Brushes and cleaner. Alexander got several different Football things. Figurines, Helmets, Books about Football and a Denver Broncos Towel. They both together got some Spy Gear, a Science Kit, Bolt and Nuts Art and Craft Kits, LEGO, Chapter Books, Puzzle Books and LEGO Watches and beautiful Christmas Ornaments. A lot of this came from Friends and Family so even when we cut back they still ended up getting very spoiled.
I was thrilled to get a new red Kitchen Aid from the boys! Three months ago my little white one that was a Wedding Gift from my Parents, died! I was very heartbroken over it as I used it almost daily. Granted, I survived thanks to having a bigger green Kitchen Aid... But this one is not as much fun to use as the motor on it sounds like a small Airplane Engine. I also was treated to sweets, clothing, boots and a blanket. So this Mommie was happy as well :)

The rest of the day was just pure fun. Building LEGO, playing in the snow, napping and preparing all the food that caused my food coma!

Tonight, I have to say was the most fun Family Dinner I can recall. Ron started out making a toast and that let in us four taking turns making toasts throughout the whole meal. We laughed so much but also I was blown away at some of the more serious 'toasts' that were done, especially by Alexander. He went on to say how lucky and grateful he was that we are his Mom and Dad and that we adopted him and Connor. He then sad he wants to grow up and make a lot of money so he can buy Connors Medicine....
On the funny note we also had speeches about how good Garlic is for us as long as we are surrounded by people that love us ;)
The boys started to giggle more and more and they both finished a whole bottle of Apple Cider!

There is a real beauty in having an early Christmas :) I am happy how our day went and that all the pre Holiday stress is all over now. Ron goes to work tomorrow and the boys and I will just soak in the Holiday Spirit around us.

Hugs,

R A C A

A Merry Christmas Eve #1

For our Family it will be Christmas Eve today and the boys have been up since 6 am with excitement.
Count on our beautiful Home State Colorado to deliver a most wonderful snowfall just in time! We woke up to big flakes falling and our 'Mountain' covered under a white blanket ... 

The Fireplace is running and Christmas Music is playing and everything seems just picture perfect :)

Of course there is always some hiccup and I still have to shake that fear each Christmas that climbs into my heart due to the memories of three years ago when Connor got sick. I am wondering if you all get tired to read the same each year now and if I will still type this in 10 years ..... 
There are hardly words for that cold feeling that goes into your heart and that makes you hurt to breath for just a few minutes when you remember that fear ... I still see myself on the floor in the bathroom crying as I had never cried before because I felt I was loosing my oldest son and could not stop it.
So once again for three years running I am the most grateful to the gift of the Christmas Angels that came into my life in the form of my dear friend Jennie Olson who was a solid friend with information about Autoimmune Diseases ...
Then there was the e-mail that guided me to a website called www.curejm.org. The Families at CureJM that gave me back hope but also a Book called Myositis and Me .... goodness that book can also put the fear in you but it has been a new kind of Bible and I am very very grateful for it!!!
and then of course the tip of the Mountain:
Dr. Stephen Smith (Neurology) _Colorado Springs
Dr. Lauren Pachman (Rheumatology)_CMH Chicago
Dr. Megan Curran (Rheumatology)_CMH Chicago
Dr. Jennifer Soep (Rheumatology)_TCH Denver/Aurora
I credit everyone of them as Connor's Guarding Angels who saved his life when I could not!
That and this alone is the only gift I ever ask for and need in my life, to see my  children outgrow me!

Sadly, even on our Christmas Eve we had to make some adjustments for Connor to see a Doctor. I was hoping to clear the schedule and was able to cancel Therapy but he has been battling a very harsh dry cough for almost two months. It used to come and go and for the last two weeks it just goes on non stop. He has been seen by Dr. Maynard and he keeps telling us his lungs sound clear, he has no red throat, just irritated, clear nasal passage and ears. He has been put on Allergy Medication and Nasal Spray ... no success. He eats cough drops as if they were going out of business and he will cough while eating them!
I truly thought for this whole time it was him battling colds and not being a JM issue but when I ran out of answers I finally thought to ask my JM Family even if I sounded silly ....
NOT SO .... once again my JM Family came through in every way! After getting wonderful Feedback and Wisdom on the JM FB Page and getting a response in less then three minutes from Dr. Soep last night, Connor is now on his way to get an x-ray taken of his lungs and will have to see a pediatric pulmonologists on January 8th 2013. It sounds as this could indeed be JM related and just one more battle for him to fight.
I was grateful that Ron said he would take him in this morning as it has been snowing heavily and I was able to stay home with Alexander to help him finish some projects.

If you have been following this blog you also know very well that my stance with the Church has been not on an even keel for the last three years. Much of this had and has nothing to do with my believe in God or Jesus but with the way some Christians on Earth try to translate the Bible and scriptures that works against my belief in so many ways. I admit I take offense even when I read that 'God called Home all those children' that just died a horrid and meaning less death this past week. What kind of God do they know? My God does not 'call Home' innocent children because in my eyes he did not cause this tragedy. There will never ever be a time when I think the death of a child is justified .... that is just wrong and my God knows I am very mad at him at times for him not stopping this ... those conversations are between him and I and there is no Bible Verse or Scripture that will ever satisfy me that there is a reason and something good to come out of innocent people dying ....
Never less, I had an upbringing that included going to Church and I was also very set on having had the boys Baptized at age one in the same Church I was baptized as a baby and later had my Confirmation. So to give the boys their own choices in how they want to believe I am finding out I have to open that door for them. 
I posted a msg about Christmas Eve Services I could take the boys to on December 24th and I got a huge response.

Right now I am jumping in all the way and the boys and I are invited to not just one Service but three!

We will start with a German Lutheran Service in Denver on the 23rd, then we are invited to join a Baptism and a Catholic Service on the 24th, followed by a Non Denominational Christmas Eve Service. All three will be with friends that we can join and which we truly look forward to. I have to admit I will be curious to see which one of the three services will speak to the boys the most :) Right now I am still laughing at the look my boys gave me when I told them what I set up ;)

As to tonight and with our Christmas Eve Traditions we had the boys pick a Christmas Song or Winter Song they want to sing. Every year up until now they chose to sing together one German and one American Song but this year they decided to have Connor sing a German Song and Alexander an American Song. We have been singing our way up and down the song books and I admit I had to stifle a laugh when I heard that Alexander's song he picked is 'I am dreaming of a white Christmas'! To hear his sweet voice sing ... 'just like the once I used to know ....' very cute from an 8 year old. Lucky for him he got his wish of a white Christmas ;)

I wish I could post pictures right now as truly looking out the window feels like a Postcard. Alexander is now outside playing in the snow and I am going to go outside to join him :)

Hugs,

R A C A

Our Journey thru JDM and Life!: Autism, Asbergers & ADHD (ADD)

Our Journey thru JDM and Life!: Autism, Asbergers & ADHD (ADD): Today I want to share an e-mail I received from a friend of mine who also has a son in my boy's Cottage School Class. Her son has Autism, j...

Autism, Aspergers & ADHD (ADD)

Today I want to share an e-mail I received from a friend of mine who also has a son in my boy's Cottage School Class. Her son has Autism, just like the beloved friends of my boys, Dylan and Ryan. 
We also have another friend who has a form of Aspergers. We know of two Adult Men in our life that were diagnosed with ADHD, just like Alexander was. 

Here is what has been on many of our minds since the news broke that Adam Lanza might had Autism, Aspergers or ADHD:

"Hi all,

Most of you who know me know that I would not normally be one to send out a mass e-mail like this, but I have to speak up.

Let me just say first of all that I am deeply stricken with grief over the deaths of those 20 little children and 7 adults in Connecticut, as I'm sure are all of you. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that all of their families are experiencing. I pray for them and mourn with them as they walk through this horrible tragedy.

We all look for answers. We all want to understand how or why this could happen.

But something is spiraling out of control amidst the social media that is prompting me to send this e-mail. Adam Lanza is supposed to have been diagnosed with Asperger's, and many people are blaming this event on this diagnosis. The disorder is being grossly misrepresented and misunderstood. There seems to be a trend right now towards believing that people with ASD are often violent and sociopathic, lacking empathy. As the parent of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I must speak out against this.

The New York Times posted a fair, informative article about ASD and how it is unlikely that this disorder caused the choices made by Adam Lanza. I have included a link to the full article. I would be so grateful if you would read it, but I completely understand everyone's busy schedules. Here's an excerpt that I feel is imperative for people to see:

"Let me clear up a few misconceptions. For one thing, Asperger’s and autism are not forms of mental illness; they are neurodevelopmental disorders or disabilities. Autism is a lifelong condition that manifests before the age of 3; most mental illnesses do not appear until the teen or young adult years. Medications rarely work to curb the symptoms of autism, but they can be indispensable in treating mental illness like obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.Underlying much of this misreporting is the pernicious and outdated stereotype that people with autism lack empathy. Children with autism may have trouble understanding the motivations and nonverbal cues of others, be socially naïve and have difficulty expressing their emotions in words, but they are typically more truthful and less manipulative than neurotypical children and are often people of great integrity. They can also have a strong desire to connect with others and they can be intensely empathetic — they just attempt those connections and express that empathy in unconventional ways..."
Here is the full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/opinion/dont-blame-autism-for-newtown.html
Please feel free to pass this along or post it on your FB pages if you feel compelled to do so.
We may or may not discover what would motivate this 20-year-old child to carry out such a devastating act of violence. And deperately seeking this answer is paramount to helping us learn how to recognize and reach out to other individuals who may be at risk of doing something like this again. But again, as a parent of a child with ASD, I want to make sure that we are careful to understand all aspects of Adam's choices, rather than to misinterpret a disorder that may or may not have had anything to do with this event.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this e-mail."

Hugs to all of you and Thank You to my dear friend Heather for letting me use her e-mail. Her words are by far better then mine could ever be :)

R A C A

Our Journey thru JDM and Life!: How life can change in just seconds!

Our Journey thru JDM and Life!: How life can change in just seconds!: As a Home Schooler you worry about so many things.... Am I teaching my boys all they need to know? Am I overloading them with the things...

How life can change in just seconds!

As a Home Schooler you worry about so many things....

Am I teaching my boys all they need to know?
Am I overloading them with the things I think they need to know PLUS the things that they need to know to pass the State Exams?
Am I pushing them to hard or to little?
Am I smothering them by us being together 24/7?
Am I stealing away a certain part of their independence by us always being together? (this one is hard for me to believe as I have the two most outgoing eight year olds I know).
There is one thing I know that is harder for my kids to do then others their age, and that is following the lead or listening as well to other Adults as they are to us as they truly are very used to taking their cues from me or Ron.

This morning when the news broke about the Shooting at the Elementary School in Connecticut I was sitting at my Computer paying bills. I read the first news reports and looked up at my boys, who were sitting at their school desks writing quietly in their school books just three feet away from me, with this huge sense of pain for the families and this sense of how lucky I am to be with my boys almost most of their times. Yes, to others our life might be crazy and you can say there is no way to protect them from everything BUT here is where I take my comfort now ... They are so little and while yes they need independence they also need protection in this very twisted world. You can hardly know anymore who one can trust or how stable someone's mind is and right now I am comforted that I am the one person that stands guard over my boys almost all the time, because to hurt them one would have to take me down first and that I know will not be an easy task to accomplish.

Huge heartbreak today in my family for the families that are suffering the most gruesome pain one can imagine in my mind: Loosing your child!

So I know all of us with kids will hug them a lot tighter again tonight and just what needs to happen to stop all this insanity is beyond me.

Hugs,

R A C A

Home again and on the go.....

We made it home yesterday late afternoon after a good three day drive home with a stop in Boise ID and Salt Lake City UT. The boys have started a new travel game in as how many State Capitols they can see in their lifetime as they spend each a night now in two of them :)

The Salt Lake City UT was a special treat for us to see Temple Square. I have been to Salt Lake before but never downtown. Oh how absolutely beautiful it was ... Truly gorgeous and what a great timing to tour this area during the Christmas Season!
We ended the night with a walk downtown, "a very cold walk Downtown" ;) to have a final dinner out at the Cheesecake Factory. To finish a great meal with an Oreo Cookie Cheesecake for three and a Capuchino was heavenly.
The trip ended at 4:30 pm at the Lake George Pizzeria with our traditional coming home from a trip lunch or dinner :) as always the service was very very friendly and the food very yummy.

Today we had to get up bright and early so I could take the boys in for the MAPS State Testing.
Oh and we also learned that we had a nail in one of our tired and had this fixed this am... Driving all this way and realizing now how lucky we were to not end up with a flat tire on the side of the road.

Tomorrow will be even an earlier wakeup call as we have three doctor appointments looking at is :( two for Connor and one for Alexander. It will make for a loooonnnnng day :(
I went in to see the doctor today and are now on one of the same medications Connor takes every morning. Luckily I have to take the Prednisone (Steroid) for only three days while Connor has been on this now for three years! Crazy!

Have a good week and I be back in touch again soon as I am hoping to stay put for a while now :)

Hugs,

R A C A

Andrew's and Terresa's Wedding Day

Today was the reason why we traveled to the beautiful State of Washington. The celebration of young love and us adding one more family member into the folds of our funny and very crazy family :)

How wonderful it was for me and my men to spend some time with the Hyden Family. We truly do not get enough time to be together so we cherish the few times we do very very much.

Ironically, the last time we all were together at our home was Christmas 2009, the time Connor became so sick. Since then we also had a fun time with them in San Antonio, TX, when Tammy Graduated from Training in the Army :)

Today, my niece and nephew in law, watched their first born child, Andrew, get married to his love Terresa. Gosh how old one feels watching such young and 'innocent' love. Twenty years old and the world ahead of them!
With his twenty years Andrew already served a tour in Afghanistan and most likely has to return next year. Twenty years old, old enough to go to war and get married but not old enough to drink Champagne on your wedding .... Does this not sound crazy to you? Yes, you can read this Germans mind and agree with me that the drinking age needs to be lowered - haha

As to the bride, she is a beautiful and funny girl that fits in with all of us very well :) She got my husbands humor and that tells you a lot right there :)

The wedding itself went of wonderful. Tears and lots of laughter (can't wait to get home and download all the Video I took) and the work of love that went into the preparations was magnificent. Tammy and Gene's daughter, Christina (who will also get married later this month :) baked and put together a most beautiful and yummy Wedding Cake. I was more then impressed - I wish I could post a picture but sadly my memory n this blog is full ...
Tammy and Gene on their part showed me what unconditional love they have for their two kids to truly put so much detail in everything they did. I wish I could have set up a spa weekend for them as they deserve to relax after this past week!
Both of them will be deployed for Afghanistan in January.... So not just did Tammy and Gene transfer from VA to Fort Lewis, WA, a couple of weeks ago but they are also planning two Weddings and then their deployment. Their daughter will enlist into the Army next month so the whole Hyden Family has and will dedicated their life to the Army and this Country.

I am so proud and glad to call them my Family, even if we are all crazy or maybe because of it :)

We will be heading home tomorrow and truly I am so so happy we went on this trip!

Hugs,

R A C A

Happy St. Nikolaus Tag!

Today our two Dumplings were worried that St. Nikolaus would not find them as we are traveling so it was with a huge joy to see their eyes light up when they did receive a letter and some treats today! Tonight I had some fun in stuffing Nectarines into their shoes after they went to sleep.

Oh how easy and fun it is to bring joy and laughter to eight year olds. How I wish we kept that magic into Adulthood. I do admit I think I held on to it to some degree as I still love reading novels and books about things and places that are magical and make is dream :) this is why my stories I hand over to the boys come so easily to me ... The Tree Ghosts that live on our mountains, the Halloween Witch and so on....

Today was a lovely day for us here in Washington. We got to visit with Ron's Uncle and Aunt, Jack and Gerry, who are such a lovely couple! The boys took to them so fast and hugged them several times throughout the visit.

We also had some time to let the boys swim in the pool and ended up the day with a delicious dinner at an Irish Pup and then some Gelato and Hot White Chocolate at a Coffee Shop/Wine Bar. DuPont is truly a lovely town and we enjoy walking everywhere and not having to use the car all the time. Of course the weather here is what one can expect for WA ;) rain, rain and more rain... If only CO would get a touch of this we be thrilled! I am truly believing that the 300 days of sunshine we receive each year in CO counterbalances to 300 days of rain they have here! This weather wants me to just lay down and sleep all day.....

So hope you all had a nice St. Nikolaus Tag!

Hugs,

R A C A

3 Years!!!

Exactly at this time three years ago is when Connor showed his first symptoms of pain and his decline in the ability to walk and move. Then we were still clueless what would be the horrid diagnosis and life sentence for Connor of having to live with a disease that has no Cure and comes with the name of Juvenile Dermatomyositis JDM.

How we thought is was just growing pains at first but then with each passing day the pain in my stomach of knowing something much worse was happening to him.

It took another 4 weeks, that included so many tests and even surgery before we got the official diagnosis on January 11, 2010.

So while maybe that date be better for an anniversary date, to me the anniversary will always be the memory of that first week of December 2009, when in my mind my oldest son lost part of his youth and innocence.

Three years that seem like a lifetime .... How much has changed and how much it has all changed me. The biggest heartbreak for me is still the feeling of helplessness when looking at him and knowing that with all my will power and strength I might still not be a match against JDM. A hard pill to swallow for a Mommy Bear like me but of course that does not mean I will ever give up!!!