Lots to update

 The weeks always seem to fly by, but even more so when it is the holidays!!! I cannot believe we are almost to Christmas already! 

DBU Christmas Tree Lighting

Children's Choir singing during the Christmas Cantata

My sweet boy is home. He finished a really hard semester with flying colors. He continues to make almost all A's and B's in honors courses. And 18 credit hours is way too much! He is very much looking forward to a lighter semester in January! He is happy to be home and catching up on rest and relaxation. Other than me dragging him to a million doctor's appointments he has spent a lot of time with Maddy, me and Bruce just enjoying his days!

Ms. Maddy Moo has been busy with finishing school, her winter dance recital and lots of time at the barn working with Quigley as we prepare for 4 shows in January, February and March. After March we will have a break from show season and just focus on fundamentals until we gear up for all of our World Shows over the summer and fall. Maddy is thriving in every way. She is so happy at Stable Strides and loves every minute we spend with our horses and barn family. Both Mandy, Maddy's coach and Joli, her dance teacher are such kind, thoughtful women who offer her encouragement.  With these two positive influences we are seeing her grow in confidence and both at the barn and dance she shows her true personality is shining through. It is so fun to watch her feel comfortable to be her sweet, sassy self!

Mimi is here visiting for Christmas, and we have had so much fun...so much we have hardly taken any pictures! We are hoping to get some pictures over the next few days as we continue to make memories and enjoy this time together!

Mimi loved meeting Quigley and watching her girl ride!

There have been a ton of medical appointments this month...Alex is doing so well overall. We are just soaking up the miracle of this time. He has seen GI, Mito doctor, Immunology, Psychiatrist, and Endocrinology already and still has dentist, orthodontist and hematologist to go tomorrow! Overall, everyone is so happy with how he is doing, and we are not making any changes at this time. For Maddy Moo we have seen Cardiology, Mito specialist, and immunology. Cardiology is adding a medication. Mito specialist didn't make any changes. Immunology is wanting to repeat some labs as Maddy's immune labs do not look great. 

Dr P who my kids call their Puerto Rican Mother

Dr. K-our mito specialist

As for me, I am doing okay. The GI has ordered quite a bit more testing. Unfortunately, all the tests had quite a long wait, so all tests are in January, February and March. My thyroid labs are finally in range after months of increasing doses. And my hematology labs look a little better since my two iron infusions. We are still hoping to find a diagnosis so we can treat what is wrong and get me back to feeling better!

We hope everyone has a holiday season that is full of love and joy, and you create memories with friends and families!

Merry Christmas!

Ali

So Much to be Thankful For

 As I took the time to reflect this week on all the blessings in our life, I see so much to be thankful for.

Almost 20 years ago when we realized that Alex was facing some health challenges there were so many crushed dreams and so much fear about the future. And once again when Maddy was born, and for the second time we received devastating news no parent wants to hear. But while we have seen many hard days and scary times that is not what stands out to me. I see around me so many ways that God has worked in our lives. I see so many amazing friends and family who have walked with us through the hardest of times and celebrated with us as we experienced incredible joy. Through it all we have loved each other well and always tried to hold fast to our family motto of Choose Joy. 

There are so many reasons and ways I am proud of Alex and Maddy, but two stand above all others. The first would be their relationship and the way they love and support each other. Their relationship is so special and year after year I marvel at the ways they pour into each other. They are each other's very best friends and a constant source of comfort and encouragement. They laugh together, they cry together, and they understand each other in a way many never can. Watching their relationship is the greatest joy in my life and I am forever grateful I was chosen to be the mom to these two special children of God.

The second would be the way they set goals and go after their dreams despite any obstacle set before them. They have been given a really hard hand in life. They feel crappy almost every day, they both deal with chronic pain, and have bodies that betray them at every turn. And yet you would be hard pressed to ever hear them complain or make excuses. They just quietly put their heads down and push themselves to achieve more than they ever should. And almost always it is with a huge smile on their face and encouragement for those around them. Most people could not conceive what they deal with or the amount of intervention it requires to keep their bodies functioning. They are stuck with multiple needles each week for infusions and treatments, they both take countless doses of medication to keep their organs from shutting down, they have 12 and 15 specialists to monitor all the diagnoses. Their disease effects every moment of every day and yet most would never know. I watch them chase their dreams and accomplish more than I ever could have imagined. They inspire me on a daily basis, and I know they often inspire those around them. 

Alex has gone from hundreds of nights a year in the hospital to college student hoping to give back to other kids with chronic illness and pain.

Maddy has gone from struggling to meet any milestones to accomplished Equestrian.

And so, on this week of thanksgiving, I give thanks for the life I have been given where even the challenges remind me of my blessings and the beauty of unanswered prayers.

Ali

A BIG Change!

 Sometimes change comes when you least expect it! That was the case this past week for my Maddy Moo. We arrived at the barn a week ago and Mandy asked Maddy if she wanted to try something new and so a new chapter begins!

 But let me back up a bit...for many years Maddy has said she would like to ride English, but each time we offered for her to give it a try she was overcome with anxiety as there is MUCH less support in an English Saddle. So intermittently she would walk only in an English saddle, but it was only a handful of times as the fear was too much. Once Maddy started riding Lila she began to enjoy English more and more to the point where it has become a joke because she chooses English EVERY time, we give her a choice between English and Western. Maddy has even expressed a desire to learn to jump. For 5 months Lila and Maddy have been partners in every sense of the word and because of Lila's calm and unflappable demeanor coupled with Mandy's thoughtful approach and encouragement, Maddy's confidence has skyrocketed. 

And so, after a week of careful deliberation and lots of very mature, thoughtful conversations and weighing our options, Maddy has made the difficult decision to move on to a new horse. 

Meet Quigley!!!

Quigley is a very lovable, HUGE gelding of 18 hands who has the temperament of a sweet puppy dog and is a beautiful English horse who can jump. 

The connection between Maddy and Lila has been so special to watch. Those two girls love each other so much and none of this would be possible without Lila! Lila healed Maddy's heart and helped her make the transition to a new barn and rekindle her love of riding and calm her anxiety. We are so grateful for the 5 months that Lila was "our girl" and equally thankful that Lila's family has allowed us to share their girl. They have told Maddy that she is always welcome to Lila and that they are excited to watch her continue to grow and learn with her new boy.

If you have read our blog for long you know that prior to P.D. and Lila, Maddy always loved big geldings so in many ways she is returning to her first love!

And while it is fun to see her riding improving constantly, this week was about so much more. I watched my shy, little girl who HATES to make decisions conduct herself in a way I didn't know she was capable of. The careful approach she took to this decision was so deliberate and so mature. Well beyond her years and comfort zone. She weighed so many pros and cons and made a mental checklist of the things she needed to try and know before she was ready to make a decision. She spoke to her coach and asked the questions she needed to, and she made one of the hardest decisions of her life. 

I cannot thank Mandy enough for all the ways she has poured into Maddy in our time at Stable Strides. She is one of the kindest, most loving women I have ever met. She is also calm in all circumstances and has such an amazing ability to know her riders and encourage them and reach them exactly where they are while also pushing them to grow and challenge themselves. Not to mention how much fun Maddy, Mandy and Katie have. Maddy is a different child then the one I stepped into the barn with on June 17th and that is a testament to the love that Mandy has shown her. 

We are so excited for this next season in life as Maddy continues to push past every obstacle to chase the dreams and goals she sets for herself!

Ali