The winds are whipping the leaves around and a chill fills the air. Trees are barren of their covering and branches stand out against the bleak, dreary sky. The year rolls to its last month, promising joy, peace and hope.  The holidays are upon us for this year and the usual preparations are taking place. Our Christmas tree is up and decorated. A family affair that we embark on each year. Completed with the talk of Christmas's past; certain ornaments reminding us of people, places, and blessings.  The house smells of winter as scented candles flicker throughout the day. Christmas trinkets fill the spaces where family pictures and non-holiday decorations once stood. Lights adorn the fireplace as the wood inside waits to be lit on a frigid, wintry night. The warmth in the house, as you step in from the cold, warms your bones and is akin to the love that abounds within. Christmas music plays throughout the day reminding us of the true meaning of the holiday. Our kids are ...

Ella was taken out of her cast this past Thursday from her broken foot. Her leg atrophied a bit while the cast was on and we'll have to get her back into using it as she did before the break occurred. We are in the midst of obtaining new AFO's (Ankle Foot Orthotics) as she has outgrown her current ones. In the meantime, we are extra gentle with her as we transfer her from place to place.  As for our handicapped accessible van, the door on the ramp side is still non-functional. We took it to Superior Van and Mobility in South Bend, IN to have it fixed. After diagnosing the problem they informed us that we need to first take it to Honda to fix the issue---then we'll have to bring it back to Superior for the final touches that are required. In the meantime, the other automatic door doesn't work either unless you manually open it. So that's what we do. We use Ella's manual wheelchair (The Zippie) and place her in the third row seat and place the Zippie in the whe...

Ella's first day of school went well. She woke up early, I got her dressed and she was all ready for the annual "first day of school" picture. Her 4th Grade teacher is on maternity leave and there is a long-term substitute teacher running the class. Ella said everything went well. They did some "getting to know you" activities, had Gym, and did some other activities throughout the day. When she returned home she jumped right into her book and began reading. When I arrived home from work Ella told me all about her school day. She was excited and sounded motivated to do well this year. As a 4th grade teacher myself I know that it's a big transition from 3rd grade. There's more reading for meaning and much writing. Math gets more challenging as well. It's the beginning of intermediate type learning. The afternoon of the first day of school was fairly calm around the house. Lindsay and I stepped out onto the porch to have some "mommy and dadd...

Ella is a very social girl. She loves spending time with family and friends. She loves to go to school events and she always adores her classmates. The Fall promises that school will begin. Ella will be in 4th Grade. Many of her friends have extra-curricular activities that teach them skills, teamwork, and perseverance, as well as serving to socialize them. Ella can't join physically demanding sports because of her SMA, but there is one thing she can do---sing! She often sings songs while she plays and many times the house is full of her voice. She received a karaoke machine for her birthday in June of this year (2019). Using an app on her iPad, which is paired with the karaoke machine, she picks music that she knows and the lyrics appear on her iPad. She sings along with the tune demonstrating confidence and vigor. Several times she has brought family members to tears with her beautiful voice. Ella auditioned for the Young Naperville Singers (YNS), that will begin in the Fa...

The only sound in the house is the washing machine doing its work. The kids are off at camp and Lindsay is in the hospital. The dogs follow me around the house wherever I go--they know something's up. When I ask them where Ava, Henry, Ella and mommy are, they tilts their heads and look toward the front door. Lindsay's kidney surgery went well. They removed the tumor and 5% of her kidney. The recovery, however, has been very rough for her. When we met with the surgeon a few weeks ago he said he would make five small incisions in her abdomen.  Right before surgery (in pre-op) they told her it'll feel like five stab wounds.  She wasn't expecting it to hurt as much as it does. It hurts her to talk, laugh, or move. She is being discharged today (Wednesday, July 10) and will complete her recovery at home. She has a hard time getting in and out of bed as she must use her core to do so---and it is very sore and painful. I went to IKEA and, using donation money ,  purchased a...

Everyone in the house had a red face. Energy levels were down and the heat was becoming unbearable. Our air conditioner stopped working days ago and the house was easily 85-90 degrees. We called the heating and cooling company recommended by our neighbor and they assessed the situation. As it turns out, we need a new central air conditioner and a furnace. They were kind enough to supply us with two portable air conditioners to help keep us cool. The first one is in the kitchen eating area and the second one is in the master bedroom. Ella sleeps in the master bedroom and Ava and Henry sleep on the first floor. We purchased the new equipment and will be paying for it in monthly installments over the next ten years. Installation is set for Saturday, July 6th. Lindsay's second surgery of the summer (second out of three) is scheduled for Monday, July 8th. The kids will be at their respective camps that week so she'll have some quiet time as she recovers.  Lindsay will have the ca...

Ella's summer has gotten off to a good start. Since she is confined to a power wheelchair you might think that going over to friends' houses to play would be difficult to manage. Not in this neighborhood! Ella wakes up at about 9:30 am and asks me to get her dressed and ready for the day. After we're finished with our morning routine she asks if she can go to a friend's house to see if they can play. She zooms out of the house and with her gizmo (a small watch-like device that can make phone calls) she's off and in search of friends. After being away for about 10 minutes she'll call me and tell me where she is and what they plan on doing. The families in the neighborhood are so accommodating for Ella. Sometimes they let us bring over her ramps and one of her manual wheelchairs so that she can play inside...other times the kids just play on the driveway or yard. Just recently, Ella came home and asked to be put into her bathing suit and have her controls cover...