Christmas Blessings

We have just enjoyed our third Christmas with our beautiful daughter. She is now two years old! Something that we thought we'd never see! We have so much to be thankful for, and to have spent another wonderful Christmas with her....well we hope we can enjoy a few more just like this one! The kids all had a wonderful Christmas thanks to all the special things that were done for us this Holiday Season!! We very much appreciate all the help we had to make this such a wonderful Christmas!

We had Secret Santa drop off two large gift bags full of toys for the kids. This definitely rounded out their Christmas "loot". I never feel that our children are lacking in material things, but having lots to play with when you are housebound sure does help. It keeps MaMa from pulling her hair out when they have lots of variety!

Kaitlyn had a box of goodies arrive from Kyle and Friends (http://www.kyleandfriends.org/). She got a new Microlight Switch and computer interface, a new bi-pap (ventilator) mask, and a bunch of toys! She has been REALLY enjoying the computer interface and microlight switch. Now she can play games on the computer! This is going to open up her world and help her have more independence and make some choices for herself for a change! People sometimes get confused that because our SMA children can't get up and walk and do the "Normal" sorts of things that children do that they must therefore not be right or somehow mentally impaired!! The exact opposite is true! Our children are extremely bright and often are labelled with above average intelligence! I know our little girl, even though non-verbal for the most part, has absolutely no difficulty getting her point across EXACTLY what she wants, how she wants it and when she wants it!!!!! And get it right please!!

Then when we thought our Christmas was over and good times had by all, we received a Christmas card yesterday from the South Range Christian Church with a gift for Kaitlyn!! It's hard to believe how one baby girl can touch the lives of so many perfect strangers. We have only just found out that Kaitlyn has been on their prayer list for awhile now, and we had no idea so many wonderful people were rooting for our special little girl. She has been beating the odds, living past her life expectancy, thriving, and living and loving life. If these people could meet our little one, they would see a baby full of life and hope, and teaching all those around her how to love and how to have hope. We strive every day not to extend the life of our daughter and selfishly keep her here with us (although we want this as well) but rather we work so hard to improve the QUALITY of Kaitlyn's life. I don't think that people realize that every kindness, big or small, has an impact on the quality of life we can provide for our daughter and that this is what we are so thankful for every day. It's what keeps us going. So even though it is not enough, we say Thank You to the South Range Christian Church.

I finally got a new camera for Christmas. My husband kept saying there was nothing wrong with the old one, and then it finally went completely caput! It served us well, we got it when we were married five years ago and took over three thousand photos. My new camera is very nice so the pictures and video will continue...yeah!