So Very Proud

 Oh my sweet Maddy Moo, what a long way you have come...

These pictures are separated by 5 years. I so vividly remember at 14 months crawling on the floor behind her to move her legs because she didn't have the strength or coordination to move them her self. I remember the day at 18 months when she first was able to bear weight on her legs and we all cheered at therapy. I remember ALL the therapy sometimes as much as 4 days a week. I remember the appointments with the orthotist to fit you for braces. I remember all your therapists, who became friends as we worked so hard to help you gain movement and independence. And so I watched with tears streaming down my face on Saturday as this little girl conquered so many boundaries set before her. Maddy is naturally shy and does not like to be the center of attention. She has struggled to get in front of her class at school and won't even do activities on zoom because she feels like everyone is watching her. And yet on Saturday she got up before a room of people with tears running down her face and faced her biggest fear and danced beautifully. I had seen her do her dance better, but the courage and heart she showed meant everything! Proud does not even begin to explain my feelings. I had told her ballet instructor and her Therapeutic Riding Coach that my biggest goal for her is to gain confidence and this was a huge step forward. Maddy has loved ballet since she was little and I am so grateful to Joli for offering private lessons so Maddy had a way to continue in a safe environment. 

Maddy is also taking art with her ballet teacher and she had some beautiful artwork displayed as well.

 

Let's see what else...

Alex is doing well. He seems fine since we got home from the hospital. Our prayer is that the infection has completely cleared from his line and will not come back. Alex has an orthodontist appointment on Friday to begin his treatment with Invisalign. He is nervous, but excited to start.

We got some more not great news on Bruce. His latest scans show cysts on his pancreas. They are not sure at this point how concerning they have referred him to a pancreatic Cancer specialist who he will see next week. He also has repeats of all scans tomorrow. 

Please continue to pray for Bruce and Alex. Pray for their overall health. Pray for me as I try to stay positive and keep everyone healthy and happy. Pray for me to keep my head above water as I keep the house going and the bills paid.  Pray for everyone to stay healthy so we can enjoy Christmas as a family! Thank you for loving us.

Ali