And it is official! We are 5!
31 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Hey!
Addie’s birthday came and went, but we couldn’t officially declare her 5, until after her birthday bash at the swimming pool!
She was forever asking who all was coming and made me go over the guest list about one hundred times! It was such a great turn out, with so many amazing family and friends that came. Addie is a very lucky girl to have so many people care so much for her, and for our family. Dustin said it best at the party when he told everyone before we sang happy birthday “we just want to celebrate with everyone, with Addie because birthdays are special, but they mean even that much more to a child like Addie.” Each year that passes brings good times, and some bad, but you just count your blessings everyday and to celebrate another year that has passed with a child like Addie – that is a true blessing for sure.
Thanks to everyone who came – it was such a great time!
Singing Happy Birthday!
The truth hurts….or does it?
30 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in milestones
Hey Everyone!
This update comes with I guess a new bittersweet milestone that we have reached with Addie. We look forward to so many milestones that she has the potential to meet, so many possibilities that still lay ahead of her that can hopefully be reached one day. But nothing I don’t think prepares you for the day when your special needs child starts to ask the “why” questions.
Don’t misunderstand the thrill I have from the ability she has now to even string enough intelligible words together to form a why question or to make a clearly thought out statement – it amazes me every time she does it and it NEVER gets old! To know what is going on inside of Addie – what she is thinking, what she is feeling….I would say to date her improvements in her verbal communication is at the top of her ever-growing “achievement” list. I can only imagine being trapped inside with no ways to express yourself. We did so many things to help give her forms of communication in the past – signing being one of them, but due to the lack of fine motor skills she could only partially do the signs and only Dustin and I could really understand her abbreviated versions of what she would try to sign – although we learned quickly to appreciate what even that could do for her communication. Everyday that passes her words seem to become more clearer and she is beginning to have full conversations with so many different people. I for so long have been her interpreter and her voice when it comes to helping others understand what she is saying, but little by little she is becoming her own voice, and THAT is such an amazing gift.
So back to the “milestone” of the why question. So we have a routine with Addie. Everyday after breakfast we are downstairs in her therapy room doing our usual treadmill walking. It just so happens that the day this question came was on her birthday, so maybe she grew up over night when she turned 5! So she is walking on her treadmill, and she turns to ask Dustin “Daddy, why I not walk” and Dustin reminds her that she is walking…on the treadmill. Then she says “No, why I not walk like Bubba” of course that question peaked Austin’s interest too, and he wanted the answer to that as well. So Dustin tried to explain in ways they both could understand why Addie can’t walk like Austin or her friends at school. He explained about some of the things that happened when she was born, and just tried his best to be honest but in a way that didn’t make her feel different in a bad way.
So the next day we had a visitor from a woman with Seven Counties. We are all sitting at the kitchen table and Addie decides to explain to her right off the bat that when she was a baby she hurt her head, and that is why she can’t walk like her little brother yet. I could feel my eyes getting teary and felt the need to apologize to this woman who had only known us for like 2 minutes. But she smiled and said “you know what though, it is better for her to hear the explanation from you and not someone else.” She went on to say “or it is good we have talked to her and that it won’t come as a shock to her if she is out somewhere like school and someone takes it upon themselves to explain to Addie that for one she is different and two try and explain the reasons as to why she can’t do things like other kids her age.” I had never looked at it that way but I quickly realized she was right and that at least Addie asked us, and got it straight from a reliable source! After the woman told me that, Addie said “it otay (okay) cause I walk like Bubba one day when I get big”. I realized right then and there, telling Addie the truth and saying out loud to her what caused her to have such challenges in life wasn’t a bad thing or hurtful to her, but helped her have a better understanding. She took it all in, and obviously it just registered with her – it also just gives her motivation I think to work hard to achieve these “milestones” that she hasn’t fully reached yet. So to her in this situation the truth didn’t hurt too bad, or really even at all. She is such a glass half full kind of kid, and I know that is just one more reason why she will go so far in life.
I read this quote the other day that I want to leave you with…it made me think of Addie and all of her daily challenges that she faces….
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill
I have never met a more courageous kid in my life….to love life the way she does, to enjoy the little moments. And the courage she has to keep pushing herself to reach for so many things she can’t do – it gives you a reality check for sure!
Until next time…
Baseball and Best Friends!
03 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Hey Everyone!
I hope this post finds you having a great summer so far and a great holiday weekend! I also hope that you are managing to find ways to beat the heat too! As I write this post I can’t even believe it is already July – where does the time go?
This post involves a “first” for Miss Addie. She just completed her first official “team sport” Saturday. She played on a baseball team through what is called the TOPS league – standing for The Opportunity to Play Sports. It was such a great experience for Addie, and for us as well. To have Addie be a part of a team where the kids are so accepting of her, as well as the parents, I have to say it doesn’t get any better than that! The team included children who all had varying types of issues anywhere from Autism, to CP, to Traumatic Brain Injury, to other delays. It was such an inspiring group of kids, and families and we know that Addie will be involved with the TOPS league as she grows older in the coming years for sure! I created another movie (I know I am crazy about making movies!!) for her team at the end of their season – check it out if you would like, it’s worth watching! http://www.vimeo.com/25890333
You know the biggest fear as her parents is what will the future bring? What will her needs be as time goes by, will she be self-sufficient one day and live independently, will she make friends, will she be able to learn ok in school? All of these things are things that keep me up late at night sometimes I will admit it, but one in particular stands out to me – will she be able to find or make friends. Of course most grown ups in Addie’s life now adore her every move, her every word, and at the moment so do many of her peers that we have come to know either through family relationships or through school or just from neighbors that have gotten to know her. At this point in her life as she approaches Kindergarten, I have started to notice kids, especially among her peers, who have begun to change somewhat and notice more and more the things that Addie can’t do, or the things that she can, that she doesn’t do them typical. The stares seem to come more frequently now. When she was younger, much younger she blended in to society so much more than now so I guess that is what comes with her old age:) Don’t think that I am sad that I can’t camouflage her disabilities in public as much as when she was younger, I am just recognizing with her growing up it brings so many more sets of challenges I think than just the physical ones we have faced from the beginning. Believe me though even with those challenges, I still look at myself truly as the lucky one…and that is something that will NEVER change. I feel so blessed to be Addie’s Mom and would not change a single thing about that or her!
Kids are so much more accepting of someone being “different” when they are young and little, but as they get older and become more attentive to other people and not themselves, well that is where it begins I think. So Addie being able to make friends is one hurdle, but I think being able to keep them as she gets older is and will be the real challenge. Being a part of this baseball team for her was such a huge joy in her life. To see her welcomed with open arms by the kids and parents is something you can’t really put into words, but I think all the parents there felt the same way – it is one of those things that goes without being said. All of us connected to this baseball team, kids and parents included, are all facing different challenges in our lives but it is all relative on some level. And to be a part of a group that truly understands and gets that, well it is something in the special needs world that you don’t come across everyday.
So I worry about Addie and the future, and I do worry about her finding true friends – ones that will want to be a part of her life because of who Addie is and not look at her any differently. Well I think she just may have found that first true friend – she was the only other little girl on the team besides Addie, her name is Hailey. From the first day that they met on the baseball field to the last day they played, Addie always looked for who she now calls “my best friend Hailey”. Hailey is a couple of years older than Addie, and she is the sweetest soul you will ever meet. She LOVES Addie and it melted my heart every weekend to see them interact. To know someone could be so loving, and so accepting of Addie – just the way she is. I smile even as I am typing the entry post about seeing the two of them together! It makes me realize that the kids who can take the time to get to know Addie when they get older – THEY will be the lucky ones, THEY will be the ones who will benefit the most. I know I can’t keep kids from staring as Addie gets older, or keep the “meanies” from saying hurtful things, but I know Addie, and I know that she will find other “Haileys” along the way that will be true to her, and who she really is.
Here is to the feeling of having a great friend!! I’m just glad I’ve got Addie on my side:)
Enjoy the picture below – it’s a great one!
Until next post….
Hailey and Addie
The Great Escape
20 Jun 2011 3 Comments
Hey everyone! The lack of posting comes from a last second decision to skip town for a little R&R in good ‘ol South Carolina. Dustin found out that he would be on a six-day trip to Myrtle Beach last week and asked me what I thought about driving to meet him with the kids….yes, of course I took him up on the offer! Although a 10 hour car ride solo with the kids didn’t exactly sound appealing, the end result and location of where we were going did! So I took the plunge!
The trip there only came with a few “road blocks” such as an accident in the car (a bathroom accident that is!), an approach from a stranger in the gas station parking lot for money, and only being asked roughly about 200 times the classic “are we there yet?” Overall Addie and Austin were troopers, and we drove all but about an hour and a half of the trip there before staying overnight in a hotel. On the way back however I was determined if I could make it we would go straight through – and I am happy to report with the cooperation of my kiddos we drove all the way back in one day – I’m feeling it now though – it is sort of like really bad jet lag:)
After staying one night in the heart of Myrtle Beach, we realized that although it is doted as being a “kid friendly” place, we indeed were surrounded by kids, big kids that is, all around. Recent high school graduates, young care-free 18 year olds that didn’t seem to mind over crowding the pools that were intended for kids under the age of 7! To top that off the hotel itself had seen better days, and the cruise strip that ran through the down town area stayed filled day and night with cruisers of all types….we didn’t necessarily fit in with the minivan and Addie wanting to cruise with music such as “the wheels on the bus” although Dustin humored her and had us cruise the strip on our way to find a Walgreens all the while listening to Signing Time music – I know Rachel Coleman would be proud:)
By day number two we were in search of leaving to find a more “suitable” place that was truly “kid friendly” and had a bit more of a “grown up” feel to it. And sure enough it landed us in North Myrtle Beach at a place called the North Beach Plantation. It was absolutely AMAZING. The resort and the condo we stayed in were amazing, the area was amazing, and the people there were amazing as well! It had 12 different pools, half of which were totally kid friendly being anywhere from 6 inches deep to about 2 feet deep. If you are looking for a new area to try out for a vacation, I would highly recommend this area – and this resort. We intend on going back for sure, and I have included a link with some pictures for you to see!
The hardest part about taking a vacation like the one we just took, is you realize even more how much different the experience is for Addie compared to another child her age. Although she makes the best of it, as her Mom it is so hard sometimes to not just daydream about what it would be like if she could run around the pools or on the beach just like every other little girl that we saw there. It is a hard spot to be in because I would not trade her for anything or change one single thing about her, but I just get sad from time to time because I feel like she is missing out – although she always seems to be happy as a clam and I quickly snap out of the pity party because I realize I am truly the only one having it – not her! Addie has an inflatable blue ring that she likes to wear when we go swimming, and it was sort of ironic during our vacation to this amazing place we came across another family with a son who I would say was maybe 16 or so. They wheeled him down to the pools in a push chair as well, visually I knew in an instant he had CP. The whole family was with him – parents, and I’m assuming they were brother and sisters. Then I just watched from a distance as they waited for him to motion which pool he wanted to go to, and then they all went that direction. They placed all of their things on some chairs, and then from behind his push chair they pulled out a blue inflatable ring too – only his was bigger than Addie’s of course. I just somehow felt bonded or connected with this family and wanted to just go over and embrace and hug them for a second! I envisioned us down the road about 10 years and wondered, is this what Addie will be like? He too, just like Addie, seemed to not think twice about how God had made him, and didn’t seem to think twice about not going out and having a blast. It was awesome to watch his parents and family members interact with him, and help him to just have as much fun as they could. I guess we have become members of the “blue ring” club because apparently it is the raft and color of choice among these amazing kids:)
An update to Addie’s “dream home”! We were able to go downtown to the Youth Build facility to meet the crew working on Addie’s house. We treated them all to lunch the Friday before last and we had a great time! Youth Build for those of you who don’t know is a program that aides unemployed and undereducated young people, ages 16-24, build affordable housing for homeless and low-income families in their own communities. They split their time between the construction site and the classroom where they have the opportunity to earn their GED or high school diploma, and to help them prepare for future jobs or college and to gain valuable leadership and life skills. It is an amazing program, and there is a crew there that volunteered to help in the construction of Addie’s house. It is such a neat experience for both us and them for sure! Addie was all smiles when we showed up on site to see the construction taking place. If you are looking for a great program to support I highly recommend checking out their website: www.youthbuildlouisville.org. Thank you to all of the staff there for your involvement in this project – you are lighting up Addie’s life for sure! We also were able to have Addie select custom fabrics (yes I just said custom fabrics!!) for the inside of the house as well. Liz, with Liz at Home, and her staff too are absolutely amazing – and we still feel as if this whole thing is a dream! She has let Addie pick things such as colors, fabrics, etc. so this will truly be a house that Addie feels like is home! We are so VERY excited about this whole experience – and to add to the surprise factor from this point on they don’t want us to go back to see the house until the unveiling which will take place the night before Homearama opens to the public next month.
Enjoy the pictures!
Until next time….
Jill
Addie and the crew at Youthbuild Louisville!
Addie in the car when we pulled up and she saw her house "under construction"!
What is a friend?
07 Jun 2011 1 Comment
It has taken me days to finally bring myself to write another blog post. When I decided to set out on this “blogging journey” I was so excited, so proud that I had finally taken the leap to do this, then Saturday May 28th happened.
For many of you who know us, or who are involved in our lives at all, you were well aware of Art and the special relationship he shared with the four of us, in particular Addie. He, and his amazing family, came into our lives a number of years ago when I was involved at Assumption high school coaching basketball there. Coaching for that stretch of years was something I enjoyed so much, and from that experience so many relationships formed including the one we shared with him.
When Addie came into the picture so many things changed. Some dreams I had often thought about were suddenly pushed to the back burner, and all focus shifted into directions that I didn’t even know existed in life, let alone my life. We just seemed to be on this never ending roller coaster ride and not knowing what was going to come around the next corner. In those days following Addie’s birth, we had such a strong showing and out pouring of love and support from so many people, it was unbelieveable. But as the weeks passed, then months, life took over and so many of those relationships faded, and became idle in our lives.
Realizing that everyone has their own lives, own worries, and issues of their own to deal with, Dustin and I accepted that this journey we were about to embark on with Addie is something that the two of us would have to feel our way through and although we were often probably thought of, or prayed for – the getting through it would ultimately be left up to just him and me.
Because of people like Art however, the “getting through” parts of our journey with Addie have been more doable, have been more achievable, have been less difficult. To have someone not related to you, no drop of your blood running through their veins, or theirs in yours, no family ties or connections, no strings attached when it comes to your relationship and why they want to be in your life…..that is when you know what the truest definition of “friend” means.
The most difficult part of this loss in our life is the very special bond and love that Addie and Art shared. Addie tends to have that effect on a lot of people she comes across, but with Art I feel it is safe to say that she stole his heart in her own special way. When we sat the kids down on the couch that Sunday morning to explain what had happened and how we wouldn’t be able to see “Papaw Art” anymore, they seemed to take it all for face value. To them they think it is great that Art went to Heaven, which we described as a very happy and fun place – of course after hearing our descriptions of it, no wonder they didn’t seem sad – they just wanted to know if they could go there to visit.
We then told them to think of something special that they could give Papaw Art to take to Heaven. Austin right away thought of his lego knight – as he and Art were known to have sword fights in and around their house. He crushed Art though one night when he declared that although he liked sword fighting with Papaw Art, Nina Ronda was the better sword fighter:) After Austin had selected his special gift for Art, then it was Addie’s turn. She said “I be right back” and rolled from the living room into her bedroom. I tried to give her suggestions of things I thought would mean something special to her and Art’s relationship, after telling me no to several suggestions, she said “I take him a pone”, I couldn’t make out what she was saying so she got in her closet and pulled out a wooden play cell phone. She looked at me and said “I give Papaw Art a pone and I call him in Heaven, I say Papaw Art what you doing in Heaven?”
If only that were the case, that we could call ones that we have lost along the way, just once to say anything – a last I love you, a last thank you for things that they have done for us, if only….
I’m working on another movie, this one will be in honor of Art so that Addie (and Austin) will have some memories to keep for when they are older and we can look back at pictures and talk about him. It is somewhat eerie to think back to some of the last few times we were around Art and some conversations that took place, but one stands out to me. Dustin and I were lucky enough to go to the Oaks this year because of his work. We needed help with the kids, and Art made the offer, so we took him up on it! He told us that he would have help watching both of them, although we later found out that his help bailed! Anyhow Art still took on the challenge not wanting us to cancel our plans – as it is VERY rare for Dustin and I to get out or away for any period of time! Throughout the day I would send him texts checking in on him and seeing how the kids were – he would send funny texts to me like one I got that said “we are good, surely these kids are going to untie me in the next 30 minutes:)”
When we got there later that afternoon to finally rescue him, he told us what all they had done that day and places they had gone. One of these places was Cavehill cemetery. Art knew of a special pond he wanted to take the kids, where there were ducks and swans to feed. Art goes on to tell us the story of that trip to the cemetery. He said when they pulled through the gates there Austin right away said “Papaw Art why are we going to a cemetery, you have to die to go to a cemetery”, Art said he responded “well, no you don’t have to die to go here – you can visit, or just drive through, or you can even feed ducks here”. Then Austin said “Papaw Art are you going to die?” and Art told us it caught him off guard but he told him “yes one day, but then I will be in Heaven which is a very special and happy place.” You know three-year olds have to have the last word – and at this point Art said the conversation was getting pretty deep, then Austin says “Am I going to die Papaw Art” and Art said I had to explain yes we all do one day, but that him and Addie wouldn’t die for a long, long time and they don’t need to worry about that. He said he then realized a change of subject was in order:)
Now, since that is where Art’s final resting place is, Addie and Austin will come to find out that it is more than just a place to drive through, or just a place to feed ducks popcorn as they did that day, it will be a place to go see “Papaw Art” and to stop by and “reflect” on so many wonderful memories we had with him, and how much he meant to us. This is someone who traveled the country with and for us, for Addie. They came to Cincinnati during Addie’s intense therapy and hyperbaric treatments, they traveled to Michigan in the middle of January (yes – winters stink there!) when Addie was there for several weeks doing more intense therapy, they traveled to Florida when Addie had the chance to meet Barney at Universal studios, I mean honestly who does that for someone – for no other reason than they just care. That is something that can’t be replaced, not now, not ever.
They say that friends are the family you choose – Art, thank you for being our friend, and for sharing so many memories with us – you will be missed…
- “Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”
House of Dreams…
26 May 2011 2 Comments
in Dream House
Ok, so I mentioned some exciting news – I guess now is a great time to share it with you!
I hesitated for a long time on revealing this news. I don’t know why, well I do know why. For one I was for the longest time thinking some how what I am about to tell you was a hoax or not really happening. The other thing is I tend to not like to tell people things that almost seem braggy (believe me I know plenty of “those kind of people” and I don’t want to be in that league!) or that I almost feel guilty for the fact that we were chosen and I know there are lots of other deserving children and families too that this would be an amazing thing for.
Ok, Ok so on with this story. At Christmas many of you know or have seen the movie I made for Addie as a special gift. To see her watch that was so amazing, and she giggled and laughed and smiled the whole time watching it and it was really special. I got the idea for the movies from another Mom of a special needs child who is an amazing movie maker, Mom, and an extremely gifted writer as well – her blog inspired me to start writing too – Annie Kratzsch – I’m talking about you:) The movie reflected the first 4 years of Addie’s life and somewhat paints the picture of her story! In case you missed it the link is this: http://vimeo.com/18249427.
So I guess it was sometime in February we had submitted a request to Kosair Charities to help us pay for two pieces of equipment that our insurance would not cover – both things were easily over two thousand dollars a piece. One was a push chair (basically a souped up umbrella stroller for older kids, that has amazing support) and the other was an adaptive tricycle for Addie to ride. When we submitted the request we thought even if they cover one, that would be amazing – but they called a few weeks later and said they would pay for both – yes, both! I was blown away! This organization has done so much for Addie that I just couldn’t believe it. So I was trying to be creative and think of a way to say thank you and I thought of something neat. I would make a sign that said “thank” and another one that said “you” and have her on each piece of equipment with these signs. See below!
- Addie’s new adaptive tricycle and her new awesome push chair – THANK YOU – Kosair Charities they are both AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
So this is the type of thank you I wanted to send, but it would take several weeks before we would actually get this equipment. So in the mean time I emailed the intake person at Kosair Charities and told her how thankful we were and that we wanted to say thank you in a special way but until I could put it together I wanted to share Addie’s movie clip with them. They have played such an important part in Addie’s life that I felt that they were very deserving to see this movie and I wanted to share it with them. After they received this movie and other criteria was met, this led to a phone call that we got from Vicky Weber at Kosair Charities who is the Vice President of the organization there. She called to tell us that Addie had been selected for two things, one was to be or take part in a campaign they will be doing later this summer titled “House of Dreams”. This campaign stems from a story line involving a young boy on a documentary done I believe back in the 1950′s or 60′s about the original Kosair children’s hospital. In it this young boy is building a house out of blocks/legos. So they tracked down this documentary on old film reels in a library in Cincinnati and come to find out this boy (now turned older gentleman) is still alive and in his late 70′s. So their campaign will revolve around him being the child from then until now, and Addie will be pulled into it as today’s child (or so I am thinking this is how it is going to be!!) and she will be in a dream home. I think it will show him placing the final block to build his house, then Addie in her house or something to that effect. Yes, I did say the words “dream home”. This is truly a child’s dream home!! The Home Builders Association of Louisville is launching somewhat of a philanthropic arm of Kosair Charities to help bring awareness even more to the need in our area to help special needs children and their families. The HBAL will be front in center in running this organization for helping children like Addie and to help get involved in the community, and to help others get involved as well.
They will be launching the building of this adaptive playhouse the first part of June. It will be totally Addie friendly, with supports where needed, a cooling/heating unit installed so she can be in it year round if she wants – which she has informed us she will live there!! The builder, Rob Eberenz, has taken the lead of this project and there is an amazing staff of people surrounding him including Lynn Rippy at youth build. There is even an interior designer – Liz at Home – who is custom making the cabinetry, using designer fabrics, and even a chandelier over her eat-in table. It is just amazing – I am still somewhat in shock! So they will tie Addie into the campaign through this whole side of her house being the playhouse. This house will be unveiled at the Homearama at Norton Commons, then trucked to our house after that 2 weeks is over.
I said I would not be braggy, but I feel like you all would want to know details:)
So that is our exciting news for this summer, and I think it is going to be an amazing experience for us all!!
Stay tuned for more scoop as we get further into the summer!
Jill
Lucky # 8
24 May 2011 1 Comment
in Love
Ok so I have some catching up to do! Or I should saying catching you all up!
8 years ago on this day, Dustin and I were married. So throughout this entire day I have definitely reflected on these last 8 years. Just like any married couples we have had great times, hard times, happy times, sad times – but through it all deep down I think it is our commitment and love for each other that seems to bring us back up again and helps us to survive those hard times.
I know somewhere I have read statistics on marriages that fail, and last I have ever heard it is basically a fifty-fifty shot at making it. I have also read that you throw in unforseen circumstances – i.e. giving birth to multiples, a death of a child, or raising a special needs child and that just increases those odds that much more. I have to take a step back and look at that statistic and then think how could two people possibly go against each other in situations such as those, it should be easy shouldn’t it, to want to stay together on the same path and focus on the getting through. The answer from my perspective is yes, however now that I am living through a situation like ours I first hand know that it is by no means an easy thing to do.
At the point of Addie’s arrival, we experienced moments of fear and stress that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Times that were so sad, so down that I sometimes would want to just shut the world out for a while, or would pray that somehow it was all just a bad dream and surely I was going to wake up and it not be real. I can remember when Addie was born and in the hospital and it was somewhere into the second week of her NICU stay, Dustin and I decided we were finally going to go home and try to get a full nights sleep (while Addie stayed at the hospital). I just sat there in bed, an emotional wreck, and I remember telling Dustin if I ever in my life had the feeling of what a true broken heart-felt like – I was feeling it. I was just so sad. At that point there were so many unknowns with Addie – it was a very scary time – and I often try not to even look back at those times. But I remember we made a commitment to each other, and to Addie that it didn’t matter what direction her life would take, that we needed to pull ourselves together and take on whatever challenges came our way.
So here we are, a number of years later. Still committed, still believing in the miracle of Addie. It is because of the foundation of what our marriage began on that I feel that it is still standing – although with road blocks in the way from time to time it makes it difficult, we still have that to cling onto.
So here is to our 8th anniversary! 8 is my lucky number, I inherited that from my grandpa (a.k.a. great grandpa Jack who I miss and wish that my kids had the chance to know him!). We surpassed that seven year itch mark, so I feel that even though I know we will still have our share of hard times, the better times is what will carry us through to the next 8 years, and the next, and so on and so on! I share with you this clip I made for Dustin – I am loving making movies and thought it was a special way to say how I feel! Enjoy - http://vimeo.com/24189639
Until next post….Jill
p.s. Love you Dustin!
