Santa Claus!

We got a surprise in the mail today!

Letters from Santa Clause!

A special delivery from the North Pole!  

 Santa wrote to Rachel to let her know how proud he is of her, that she has been such a good girl!  He wrote about how the Disney Princesses were proud of her too...for trying so hard in school!

Santa wrote to Riker to let him know what a great big brother he has been to Brooklyn!  He says to be sure he goes to bed early on Christmas Eve so that he can come down the chimney and leave presents!

Santa told Brooklyn that he has been watching her all year long...And was happy that she has been such a good girl!  He told her to tell Riker to get to bed early...and to not peek on the presents!

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The kids were so excited to read their personalized letters!!  They couldn't believe that Santa took time out of his busy schedule just to write to them!

Thank You 'There with Care' for making this such a special Christmas!

Reason for the Season?

How would you respond if everything you owned of earthly value were taken away from you?  If you had nothing left but your relationship with God?  Would you give in to the worries of this world?  Or find your strength in Jesus Christ alone?


I know that I talk A LOT about Neurofibromatosis....This IS a blog about NF after all.  But there is much more to me than just NF related stuff....So much more to me than JUST medical stuff...Hard to believe, I know!


I am a lover of Jesus Christ.  I'm not ashamed to admit it...In fact I take great pride in proclaiming this.  But lately - especially over the past year, I have gained a new perspective on my relationship with the Lord.



The reality that things and people that I love and care about could be taken from me at any moment gave me a new realization that I needed to change my ways.


At church the past 2 weeks, I have been teaching the Sunday school kids about Job. (No, not J-O-B...The man named Job, who was a lover and believer in Jesus, and who never wavered in his beliefs, even when everything he cared about was taken from him)


It was interesting, when I asked the children in my class, what as on their Christmas 'wish list'.  The kids had no trouble listing off some really cool things.  "I want a remote control race car!"  "I want a baby doll that can eat real food!"  "I want transformers!"


But when I asked them what they would do if they got everything they wanted, then the next day, it was all taken away...They sat  in silence.


One boy finally said he would cry, another child said they would be mad, then there was this one...he said that he would ask God why He took those things away...


Job knew exactly where he stood with God, which I find amazing.  The story of true faithfulness brings me to  such great humbleness that I find myself feeling ashamed when I look around my house.


The biggest lesson I get from the story of Job, is how selfish I can be...I allow how and what the world thinks of me affect me in real ways.  I get so worried about not having enough...giving enough, being enough...and that selfishness prevents God from blessing me more.  


The thing I have to remember is that everything is GOD's....Not MINE.  And everything that is in my life, that isn't OF GOD, is worthless.


This Season, and Forever, I celebrate the true reason for rejoicing!


Thrive On!

Christmas is Coming!

This is about the time I start to get really excited for Christmas!  

It feels like I started seeing Christmas decorations in the store before Halloween!  I mean...I love Christmas...But it seems like it has become quite the holiday hog!

We plan on truly making Christmas be its own holiday....Explaining to our children what Christmas is all about...How how to honor THIS season by itself.

We got some snow...Which of course makes this time of year more "Christmassy"....There is nothing I love more, than watching the snow fall outside...While I am warm and snuggly inside, with a cup of hot cocoa!  

YUMMM

If I HAVE to go out in the snow....That's okay too.  

The kids love to play in the it...They typically last about 10 minutes... :)

The tree has been up since Thanksgiving...then slowly decorated with ornaments that we have collected over the years....It's so much fun decorating the tree because each of the kids has their own ornaments, each with its own memory.

Our tree leans to one side....Is unevenly decorated...The lights aren't perfect...(Not to mention, I got the tree for FREE)....It's OUR tree....Its filled with memories from MY family...And that's what makes it so special!

I hope for all of you...A very special and Merry Christmas!

Thrive On!

Vitiligo!

After years of wondering and asking questions about my 4 year olds skin...We were FINALLY referred to a dermatologist!  I was worried about these white patches on her skin, but kept being told that they were scar tissue, from a hive outbreak a few years previous.


But they didn't look like scar tissue...Didn't feel like scar tissue.


When the appointment day finally came, I found myself very nervous.  From all that I have read about Neurofibromatosis, I shouldn't be worried about these white patches having anything to do with that...And since Brooklyn had been previously cleared of NF, I shouldn't be concerning myself.


But as we were waiting for the doctor to come in and examine my daughter, who was dancing around the room in just underwear, happy as could be....My mind went there.


"What if by SOME chance, this happens to be some hidden symptom of NF?"  I couldn't help myself.  NF has been such a huge part of my life, that I wouldn't be surprised if this crazy disorder smacked me in the face with a brand new symptom.


When the doctor came in, she asked why I was there, took a family history and asked about any known allergies.  We talked about NF and I was so happy that this doctor specializes in NF.


I lifted Brooklyn onto the exam table and showed the Dr. the white patches that had formed around my daughters thighs and legs.  The dr. paused and ran her hand along Brooklyn's legs...I asked the dreaded question..."Do you think this could be related to Neurofibromatosis?" 


Then braced myself for the answer.


Her response filled me with such relief.  


The doctor went on to diagnose Brooklyn with a very long named skin disorder..."Vitiligo" for short.  This a condition in which your skin loses melanin, the pigment that determines the color of your skin, hair and eyes. Vitiligo occurs when the cells that produce melanin die or no longer form melanin, causing slowly enlarging white patches of irregular shapes to appear on your skin.


It's not serious...but could spread during her lifetime.


Brooklyn was prescribed a few creams and  an allergy medicine to help with her itchiness.


I was relieved and thankful that we got this checked out...The worry about it being 'something else' was driving me crazy.  Isn't it crazy how we put ourselves through so much worry?  We avoid seeking out answers, because we are afraid of what could be?


The unknown is ALWAYS more scary then what really is.   Never postpone going to a doctor if you are concerned about something...The answers you get may not always be good news...But knowing is better than not knowing...And after you know....you can take the steps to get yourself better.


Take control


Thrive On!

Make-A-Wish Christmas Shop!

Today was awesome!  Make-a-wish of Colorado had a wonderful event where all the kids who  were granted a wish were invited to the Colorado Children's Hospital to shop for their family members.

It was great seeing all of the smiles, most especially Bailey's!  She decorated her bag, then headed for the presents.  I waited outside, while she shopped very thoughtfully  for everyone in the family.

There is nothing like the smile on a child's face.  

Smiles change attitudes and automatically make you feel better.