Family Update

I am going to have to start keeping a list of blog topics.  I have had many random thoughts and subjects cross my mind over the past 2 months, but not enough time to get an entry going.

We have had a wonderful start to our summer.  We spent Memorial Day weekend in Raleigh with Jason's brother and his family.  It was nice to be there to celebrate my nephew, Brayden's, birthday.  The boys (Chase, Brayden, and Walker) are so great with Samantha and Josh.  While we were there we found a strawberry patch.  Below are some photos of the kids picking strawberries...

 School ended for Samantha the Thursday following Memorial Day weekend.  She started her summer with her first set of swim lessons at the YMCA.  She enjoyed her lessons and her teacher, Miss Imogen.  She loves the water and we look forward to signing her up for another session.  The lessons were huge for Samantha.  Prior to starting her lessons, she would cling to Jason or me in the pool, wouldn't leave the side, wouldn't put her face in the water, and did not want to float independently.  Her lessons gave her the confidence to float on her own, put her face in the water, and start to learn some basic strokes.  By the end she could "swim" from one end of the pool to the other with her noodle wrapped around her.  In addition to her swim lessons we have made trips to the library, spent time at the park, enjoyed visits with our friends, Grace and Ella, Grandpa Jay and his friend, Gary, and Grandpa John, prepared for Grammie and Grandpa Jay to move in to our house, and packed for our big trip up north.  It has been a busy summer!

Joshua continues to grow like a weed!  He started walking right before Memorial Day and I have had a hard time keeping up with him since then.  He is in to anything and everything he can get his hands on.  Below are some photos of him helping me to unload the dishwasher...

Josh loves being read to and playing outside, especially being pulled in his blue roadster, and going in the pool.  He is still a great little eater and eats just about anything I put in front of him.  While he enjoys the independence of walking, he still from time to time comes over asks to be picked up, pats me on the back, and then lets me know it is ok to put him down again.  He is so sweet.  I love those little moments.

As I'm sure some of you know, we recently celebrated Alli's birthday.  We have been working on a project at home, in addition to the monthly floral arrangements, for her.  One of the women in the grief support group I attend talked in one of our sessions about some beautifully painted rocks that she admired on a neighboring headstone (I know - it is morbid).  Anyway, it is a Jewish tradition to leave a rock at the gravesite to let others know that the deceased has not been forgotten (an abbreviated explanation).  So, I thought it might be a fun(?) art project for Samantha and me to paint rocks that we could occasionally leave at Alli's headstone.  If you know me at all, you know that art is not one of my strong suits, but it was a fun project for Samantha and me to work on together.  I did the research online (thank God for pinterest!), picked up some art supplies from Hobby Lobby (love them!), and painted to our hearts content.  Below are some photos...

On Alli's birthday we celebrated with a few friends by having dessert and releasing a few balloons and a paper lantern with messages to our sweet girl.  We had visited the cemetery the night before and brought her July flowers.  All in all it was a special time of remembrance and something I hope we can repeat each year.  Below are a few photos...

 It is hard to put in to words what that day was like.  I can't think too much about it.  Her actual birth day was filled with such great hope and promise of what the future would hold.  Much like it is for any child.  It is still difficult for me to piece together what actually happened and how things went the direction they did.  I know there was a much greater plan for her and our family and that gives me great comfort and consolation.  I just hate that it came at such a great price.

On Wednesday, after Samantha's last swim lesson, we packed up and headed to Michigan.  Samantha and Joshua were troopers, as we drove straight through without stopping overnight.  Both kids are excellent travelers.  They enjoy their movies, books, naps, and other activities in the car.  The highlight of the journey for me, aside from arriving back home, was a stop in Dayton for dinner.  Those of you who know me well know that the University of Dayton is one of my favorite things.  I loved my time there and have such fond memories and made some wonderful friends.  It was great to drive Samantha around campus and show her where I lived.  I am starting the brainwashing at an early age :)

We are planning to be up north until the end of July.  We are going to spend a lot of time with family and friends.  Jason will join us in Chicago toward the middle of the month after he helps his parents get settled in our house.  It has been two years since I have been home and it is wonderful to be here with the kids!

As a side note - we have set up a page on the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta website.  The donations made on this page will support the Palliative Care program at Children's.  We started the page to help facilitate donations that will be made by Deloitte employees during the month of July as a part of their "Casual for a Cause" program.  However, anyone can make a donation through this link.  As you may have read in an earlier post, the Palliative Care Team (PACT) was invaluable to our family.  We have come to learn more about them over the past few months, most importantly that they receive a very low rate of reimbursement from insurance for their services - close to $.25 for every dollar of cost incurred.  Therefore, their service is largely funded by private donations and the hospital.  The donations do not have an administrative fee taken out of them, therefore, every dollar donated directly benefits the needs of this team.  They are currently working to develop relationships with outpatient hospice programs to help facilitate pediatric hospice care, as well as to broaden their service within the hospital.  The only way they can do this is by adding additional staff.  They also have a fellowship program that helps to train future practitioners.  Any money raised directly helps them to accomplish these goals.  Many of you made donations to the hospital already.  We have asked that those donations be directed to the Palliative Care program and the foundation is working on making that happen for us.  Below is a link to the webpage.  It is also on the right side of the blog.

http://click4kids.kintera.org/allisonclairehakerem 

Also, here is a link to the Palliative Care Team at CHOA, if you want more information about them :)  They are amazing people!

http://www.choa.org/Childrens-Hospital-Services/Palliative-Care