Fun in the Sun in December

Making puppets with Cousin Lexie

Puppet Show


Gingerbread house decorating with Aunt Carolyn

Swimming


We are currently out in La Quinta enjoying family and the sun. Josie has been cruising around this house like a champ. I don't know why but she always walks her best out here. Grams and Gramps (her great grandparents) were here with Steph and Luke until today. Josie and Luke had such a great time playing and swimming together. We had my dad's side of the family out Sunday for a belated Christmas celebration.

Today we just took it easy and played. Josie swam for about 2 hours. It is amazing to watch her swim the whole length of the pool. She is such a strong swimmer especially when I was told she would never swim...Ha! It was nice to finally have a day that didn't consist of a schedule. I think mom, Josie and I really needed the break. We are looking forward to getting back in the swing of things tomorrow when dad and the Yundts come.

Hope all is well with everyone. Jenny and Josie

Merry Christmas

The family


Lilly and Rita dressed for Christmas


4 generations


Cookies for Santa



WALKING in to the presents

Giving Trent a bottle

"God's sign is simplicity. God's sign is the baby. God's sign is that he makes himself small for us. This is how He reigns. He does not come with power and outward splendor. He comes as a baby- defenseless and in need of our help. He does not want to overwhelm us wit his strength. He takes away our fear of his greatness. He asks for our love: so he makes himself a child. He wants nothing from us other than our love, through which we spontaneously learn to enter into his feelings, his thoughts and his will - we learn to live with him and to practice with him that humility of renunciation that belongs to the very essence of love. God made himself small so we could understand him, welcome him and love him."
--Pope Benedict XVI, Midnight Mass, 2006

Wishing everyone a very Merry and blessed Christmas -Jenny and Josie


Walkng into the presents. Josie's gift to me

Holiday Cheer

I know I got carried away with the pictures!!















Notice the "candy cane" canes...corny, but I couldn't resist.

My apologies for the delay in posting the past few days. First it was a string of migraines and I couldn't form a sentence. Then it was all the fun that got in the way. Michele, Brian, Matt and baby Trent have been here the past few days. We have had so much fun with them. Josie is absolutely loving being able to hold Trent. She is so kind and gentle with him. Matt and Luke have been running around playing like little bear cubs. So cute together. My mom's side of the family was here for the weekend. Fun parties and celebrations with all of them. Josie has enjoyed the whole string of events. In a nutshell, we have been to Descanso Gardens, riding on trains, Travel town, making and decorating Christmas cookies, having dance parties led by 2 year olds, holding 2 week old babies, mostly enjoying those we get to be with.

Yesterday we spent the whole day at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles doing an EEG. An EEG monitors the brain waves and can pinpoint seizure activity and location of the particular activity. As you know from past posts, she is seizing anywhere from 10 times a day to 40. We get in there and they hook her up, which is quite a process, and in 8 hours she might have had 1 seizure. To top it off it occurred in the one minute I ran to the bathroom. You never wish seizures on your child, but if she is already having them during a video EEG would be a nice time for them to appear. I decided instead of seizure meds we will just wear the EEG machine everywhere..hehe. She was so disgusted with the wires all over her head that she kept telling everyone that she looked like Ursala, the sea witch from Little Mermaid. At least she has a sense of humor.

Today we picked up Jeff so the family is complete. We had a wonderful Christmas party with the Yundt family. So much fun to be with them. We are so lucky to have close friends and family to enjoy the season and whole year with. Will post tomorrow. Looking forward to the celebration of our Lord's birth. Good night. Jenny and Josie

Christmas Party day

Crafts at Mending Kids

Maria Jose - from Ecuador for open heart surgery and back surgery

Melaine our Christmas Miracle

Mending Kids-some board members and staff

Today turned into a Christmas party day. We started at Josie's class for that
celebration. Laura Campabasso, Ann Drummond and Lisa Dicks did a great job organizing and executing a fun party. They had the biggest pizza that I had ever seen brought in. The kids all had a great time doing crafts, decorating cookies and eating pizza.

From there we headed to therapy. After a big morning I didn't know how well she would do for Liz today. Josie shocked me again and gave Liz one of her best days. Liz couldn't believe how good her steps were and how well she did her exercises. She has a lot more opportunity to walk in public now so she has fairly consistent so she won't fall. It is becoming more and more automatic everyday. She was a bit tipsy at school but I think it is a combo of so many kids walking around and tighter spots to get through. When she returns in January she should be far enough ahead that those things won't be such a problem.

Lastly, we went to the Mending Kids Christmas party that the City of Santa Clarita did for Robin's Nest. Robin's Nest is our own Hospitality House similar to the Ronald McDonald House. We bring Kids and a parent who are either long term kids or the most high risk kids. There are 8 bedrooms and it is full year round. Anyhow, it was a wonderful gathering for those in the house and those who threw the party. We are blessed everyday to witness the miracles that occur with the Mending Kids kids. One story to share is about Melanie. Melanie is an adorable 2 1/2 year old girl from Guatemala. Melanie's mom, Lorana, was the first care taker at Robin's Nest when it first originated. After a few years she returned to Guatemala. There she decided to adopt a baby after being so touched by the children at Mending Kids. She adopted Melanie and a year later learned that Melanie was deaf, but otherwise perfectly fine. She called our director who brought them both here immediately. That was
Dec 26th last year. After a year of treatment, Melanie sat by the Christmas tree tonight singing a Christmas song and talking. She is hearing with the assistance of cochlear implants. That, my folks, is what the Christmas miracle is all about and we were fortunate to witness it. Jenny and Josie

Visit to School

Josie and I got to visit her school today and her new classroom, class and teacher. It was so exciting for both of us to be back. Josie got to actually walk, and I mean literally, into the classroom. It was a glorious moment for me to see that we had really accomplished what we set out to do. The kids were so excited to see her and especially to see her walk. She was equally as excited to see them and know that they were all still there and supporting her. She got to be apart of holiday reading. We met with Mrs. Watt's while the children were at recess. It was so great to talk to she and Sherie and get set for the rest of the year. I am sure it is never easy to leave your child in the care of someone else. I find it really difficult when your child has special needs. I am getting more confident in the capability of the people she will be with. Most everything I do with her is almost second nature, so I have to really think about all the things that will keep her safe so they can learn it too. Honestly, I just hold my breath everyday and say a lot of prayers. I want her to be happy and independent but safe too.

We went touring the school with Miss Sherie going over the daily activities and how best to get her around. We ended up at the cafeteria area at the end and some of her friends who hadn't seen her yet came running over to hug her. They were all so excited to see her. It warms my heart that these kids are so incredibly welcoming, supportive and loving. I am thrilled that we live in a community that offers so much support to us. We are incredibly fortunate to have the friends we have and to be at the school we are at. Everyday I am reminded of these blessings and everyday I am more and more thankful for them.

After our fabulous school outing, we waged the shopping war. We got the few things we needed. It really put in perspective for me what I don't want Christmas to be about. I was angry, frustrated and judgemental. That is not what this amazing time of year is about. If you don't get a gift from me this year, I don't love you any less. In fact I love you more, because instead of anger I have appreciation for what is really important and that is the kindness that surrounds us all. We just have to find more of it and give more of it. Good night, Jenny and Josie

Hello

Hi all, After spending hours just trying to get those few videos up for Przemek and Sylwia, I have run out of energy. The day in a nutshell, Mending Kids board meeting this morning for 3 hours. Josie was a champ to sit through the whole thing. Off to 2 1/2 hours of therapy where she worked really hard for Liz and walked incredibly well. Will post tomorrow, Sweet dreams, Jenny and Josie

More video for Przemek and Sylwia

Hi Przemek and Sylwia, Here is the other video we talked about. Thanks for reviewing. Look forward to your comments. Jenny