The feeling was warmth. The feeling was inclusive. The feeling was as if arms were wrapping around us in an eternal hug. St. Timothy Lutheran Church, our church, brought to us a night of warmth, inclusion, and hugs as they hosted a Bingo Fundraiser for Ella. Young and old came from near and far to sit for an evening of white elephant gifts, candy and popcorn, pizza and pop surrounded by the infectious sounds of the classic bingo game.  A night that is etched not only in the memories of our family, but in the minds of so many who were involved. A parishioner approached me the day after the fundraiser to express her exhilaration about the event.  She knew that the Bingo Night was successful simply by the attendance therein, yet she marveled at the young people who took a part in it. She was thrilled by the fact that compassion was experienced by these young people first-hand rather than them simply being told to be compassionate.  She called it their "witnes...

The decision to put our house on the market actually took quite some time.  We had to first ascertain whether or not our current house would be able to accommodate not only Ella and her needs but also the needs of Ava and Henry; not to mention us, and of course our beloved dog, Sasa and our now single cat, Doublestuff. From that distant thought the list of accommodations, remodeling, use of space, and storage is a list that seemed to grow as we were making the decision.  And while Ella is a phenomenal driver of her power wheelchair, the space she had to work within often presented challenges; repairs here and there were cropping up more frequently.  The kids were growing and the house, in contrast, seemed to be shrinking. Yes, it took quite some time to finally pull out the stops and put our house on the market. Many months ago, when we first planted the seeds of our plans,  a church member who is also a realtor, stepped forward and offered us her services. ...

Pastor David Miller of St. Timothy's Lutheran Church (Naperville, IL) with Ella Sabine Casten on her baptism day. He sat in our family room, a rather tall man, legs crossed, relaxed in the chair, the dog with her head upon a resting place on his leg.  He scratched under her ear as he spoke with us. The conversation took many turns.  It resonanted of individual pasts, collective consciousness, and rituals dictated by those whom came many years before us.  It contained laughter, tears, and stoic contemplation.  It was both comfortable and uncomfortable as it dug deep into what beliefs were held by three people. As he shared his experiences, spoke elequoently about Christian traditions, and listened with an ear that devoted itself to the one speaking, his eyes never lost their twinkle; never wavered from his soul. It was that conversation that brought Lindsay and me to St. Timothy's Lutheran Church in Naperville, Illinois.  It was that conversation th...

February is coming to a close.  The shortest month of the year yet it feels like it dragged out forever. Starting with the frigid weather that kept everyone indoors.  As the month wore on so did the bothering between the three kids.  Much crying, whining, teasing, and screaming filled the house, echoed off the walls, and sent Sasa with her tail between her legs more than I've ever seen before. We closed Mama Bracelets and had to work through the task of tying off all the loose ends...some still exist. At first we thought closing the business would be an easy thing to do emotionally speaking, but we found out different.  We actually had a twinge of sadness with the closing of Mama Bracelets & ellaWEAR Jewelry.  Mind you, we are not thinking twice about this decision, just didn't expect the emotional piece to hover about. We put our current house on the market.  Needless to say, leading up to the time it went on we did all the necessary "touch-u...

Months of talk.  Weeks of making decisions.  Days of planning.  Hour after hour of final preparations.  Minutes to seal the deal. Our house is officially on the market as of Feb. 19, 2014. We reached out to family, friends, and strangers with a plea for help...a plea for Ella.  We had always known, since her diagnosis was confirmed in 2011, that our house would either need major renovations to accommodate her needs or we would have to move into a house that could do the same. It became quite clear the path we must follow.  Our current house, while we love it, simply would present us with a major financial obligation to properly renovate it for Ella.  After contemplating the "sign-post" in the fork-in-the-road we made the commitment to raise money, sell our house, and find a new home. The outpouring of generosity from so many people, near and far, close to our hearts and strangers, allowed us to actually make our plans to move forward.  T...

Several people, over the past two years, have spoken to us about "Make-A-Wish" for Ella.  We've hesitated to pursue this for Ella thus far because we felt she was a bit too young...we really wanted her to actively be part of the whole process. We put it on the back burner and went on with our lives. Then, about a month ago, the nurse at Ella's school called us to say that she nominated Ella for a wish through the "Make-A-Wish" foundation.  This came at an opportune time in terms of Ella's age.  Lindsay thanked her for the nomination and we began working toward the wish to be.  The "Make-a-Wish" foundation has contacted us and let us know that she was approved for a "wish". We will meet with the "Make-A-Wish" volunteers so they can get to know Ella and us and get things rolling! We are so excited!

Two logos that have become a part of our family.  Mama Bracelets and ellaWEAR Jewelry.  Both businesses inspired by children, both businesses benefitting children. Mama Bracelets started out as nursing reminder bracelets.  It quickly evolved into personalized jewelry as well as jewelry that supported various causes (Rett Syndrome, Autism, Lung Cancer, and SIDS).  Once Ella was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) the focus turned toward SMA research support.  To date Mama Bracelets and its customers have domed just over $3,200 to the research efforts through organizations such as Families of SMA (FSMA) and the Jennifer Trust for SMA (JTSMA) to name two.   In 2013 ellaWEAR Jewelry was created to help fund the purchase of a home for Ella and the necessary modifications therein.  Borrowing the "party" idea we raised over $2,500 in pure profit for Ella needs. Both businesses rolled into one with the goal of helping children & fami...