December 12, 2009

I know it's time to update the blog when people begin to email asking if everything is ok! Thanks for checking in on us. Here is what we have been up to lately:
concert, concert, black eye, sick at home from school, volleyball, swimming, horseback riding, brain tumor clinic, shopping shopping for families, eye surgery, computer virus, gingerbread houses, lacrosse, decorating, dog walking, mountain climbing,

Ok, you're all caught up now! It has been so crazy busy here since my last post, I know it's been a while. To quickly catch you up, we didn't end up traveling to PA because Aunt Rosemary got sick right before Thanksgiving. We were planning on starting on Dave's new adventure-hiking the high point in each state. We had planned on hiking PA, WV and MD in one day! Actually two of the three were drive ups-drive up the mountain, get out and put your foot on the high point, then drive back down. the other was only a short hike to the hight point. That trip is on hold for now until our next visit to Rosemary's house. Instead we decided to hike the high point in Connecticut. We ended up going on Thanksgiving day because it was supposed to rain the rest of the weekend.






The hike was listed as moderately difficult, with areas of difficult climbing. Oh yes, there were areas. When we first saw what the steep part of the climb, neither Dave nor I thought we could make it up with the kids. There were about three areas where Hannah just sat down and refused to move. After much crying and resistance, she agreed to go up with Dave. That meant that Dave carried her for part of the way-the steepest and most difficult part of the way. I don't know how he made it up that mountain carrying her up. The views were great once we made it up. What we didn't know was that we had to make it over one mountain to get to Mount Frissell (the CT highpoint, 2380 feet). So we climbed two mountains that day. Lessons we learned include: don't bring a 20 pound camera bag, don't bring a heavy backpack with lots of stuff you don't need for a brief day hike, wear better shoes so that you don't fall down so much coming downhill, DO bring a map so that so much time isn't wasted trying to find the trail head, DO a bit more research before you head out for the hike. This was our first of 50, so lessons learned. We figure that there are probably 3 high points we won't be able to do, one of them being Mt. Hood where those 3 hikers were recently lost while hiking up the mountain.

So that was our Thanksgiving day. On the drive home, we stopped at a diner for Thanksgiving dinner, which was a hamburger, salad, spaghetti! Not traditional that's for sure, but it was fun.

On to Christmas...an update on our Family Adoption Program for the year. Thanks to all of you, we were able to adopt 6 families this year, double the amount from last year! These are families that are struggling to provide for their families due, in part, to having a child diagnosed with cancer. Not only devastating emotionally, cancer takes a toll on a family's finances. Often times (like in our case) one parent has to stop work to be with the child that is sick. Hannah had her initial MRI on a Tuesday, by Wednesday morning, she and I were checked into the PICU at the hospital. We didn't come back home for 4 months! I quit my job to be with her full time.

Thank You to everyone who adopted a family and sent donations. Your kindness and generosity are so much appreciated. You have made such a difference in these family's lives for the holidays this year. Little kids don't understand that Santa can't bring presents and now these children don't have to. They will wake up Christmas morning to presents under the tree like other children their age. They will look with wonder at the tree and try to figure out how Santa got all those presents there! Their parents will feel a sense of relief and happiness! Thank you all so much!

I am signing off for now, we will be back before Christmas!!

♥Kim