With Great Respect on Memorial Day-

(written in great detail for posterity, so I can remember what a great trip this was..)

This time last year was a mess. So to be able to head down to St. George and romp around like a bunch of kids was SO much fun, and Jack loved every minute of it, and was very sad to leave "Curious George." We went with Jen, Key and Teagan, and Jen's brother Spencer and his girlfriends Hailey.

We left Friday and got there in time to relax and eat some food before the Midnight 5k that began at 11:00pm. Josh was the supporting husband who chose to run with me, just so I wasn't alone running out there in the dark. This was our route:

New 2010 Course Map

It was 3.1 miles in the nice cool air, but with a head wind on the incline. Josh and I finished at 31:18. Which was better than my race for the cure time, so I was proud. Everyone had glow sticks and flashing lights, it was really cool. Once we finished they had Gatorade and Pizza for everyone and we headed home to SLEEEEP.

Then it was time to chill out and relax- so we spent some time at the pool the next morning, after eating some delicious breakfast at the "Bear Paw" whose menu was EXCELLENT. Meanwhile, Jack and Teagan were having a blast together, making things much easier and more fun for all parents.

After the mega hot day at the mega cold pool, the kids took naps and Jen and I went on an excursion to find "Settler's of Catan" to play later. Little did we know Josh's hunger for it would grow so much as to call everyone he knew to play it when we got home. Jen and I also grabbed some bubble tea and some Jack in the Box Tacos for everyone.

It was around this time that the Wii playing become quite intense. We brought Super Mario Bros. Wii and it is proving to be quite addicting. I love it though. Really a fun game.

That night we ate at the Pizza Factory with the rest of the entire town, and had Frozen Custard after. It was a late night of Wii playin.

The next morning the whole family headed to Snow Canyon. Jack jumped out of the car and said "MOM! WE'RE IN RADIATOR SPRINGS!!" It was adorable... this is Radiator Springs:

We did the "hidden pinyon" trail, which was about a mile round trip. It was defnintely warm but not unbearable. Right of the bat Jack got bit by an ant that he tried to pick up and his finger started to bleed and sting. He was pretty hysterical, but more because his feelings were hurt. He couldn't understand why an ant would bite him for no reason. Once that saga passed we had a BLAST climbing around on rocks, finding caves, and exploring. It was really a great hike.

After the hike we went to this park right by our condo that was one of the craziest most dangerous parks I've ever seen. But the big kids had a BLAST. (As well as the little ones, just at a scarier expense..) Then it was nap time... or swimming time. The pool felt so nice cause the heat was getting intense. We decided to do homemade chicken tacos so we whipped up a meal and then Spencer and Hailey left. The rest of us played Settlers of Catan. It is quite involved- but we had our ice cream and magic shell- and we had a great time. I won, too.

The next morning we packed up and trekked home. GOOD TRIP. Thanks everyone who came, we all make excellent travel companions, let's do it again soon.

SIX Years

Is it weird that I still want to spend every minute with him?

365 days later...

I knew that this time last year was a really hard time for our family, but as it all blended together to one horrible, nightmarish summer- I wanted to see exactly what was going on this time last year. When I read it (here), I remembered the feelings of helplessness I had, the absolute unknown of when Jack would be himself again, the extreme concern of his dangerous weight loss, the long nights of staring at his silhouette in his hospital bed backlit by monitors and vital signs I'd wake up to check every 10 minutes.

It is incredible what human beings can through, physically and emotionally.

I look at my four and a half year old boy, who has conquered all of the "percentages" we were faced with with each open heart surgery- and then two more surgeries, and I feel more blessed and lucky to have him than ever.

I am so proud of you Jack. I would do it all over again.

Small Goal, Big Accomplishment.

Saturday morning I ran the 5k Race for the Cure. Though 3.1 miles isn't nearly a certifiable type of "marathon", I feel great having finished it in 30 minutes being that I HATE running, and always cheated on my Presidential Fitness Test 1 mile run, and I'm almost 30 years old.

My friend Natalie was with me, her aunt is a breast cancer survivor, so we ran in honor of her. It was a great day, I felt wonderful running across the finish line, and was very pleased to see my husband and son waiting for me.

On to the next: 5k Midnight Marathon in St. George, May 28th.

The Amazing Storyteller

Sometimes....Jack gets in these weird moments of story telling. I'm not even sure how they begin, but once this one started I knew I should record it for posterity.

My favorite parts:

"I got hurt before.."

"Oh, Jack is ruined!"

"Then one day, I went to... a sheriff...."

"Then my tummy grubbled.."

"And there was no chairs and no tables.."

A Star Was Raised

Last night we got to gather friends and family at the Wishing Place, where Jack got to raise his star into the Make A Wish galaxy, where it will stay forever. Thank you to all those who came, it was so fun to share this with all of you. Jack was so excited to tell his story and show pictures to everyone there.

All of his cousins and friends were very excited about the cake..

They gave us a glass star that Jack was to raise, and we each got to write something on the star. So Jack singed his name, I wrote something, Josh too, and then Grandpa.

The wonderful MAW volunteers helped keep the kids happy by giving them masks to color.

Then they took us on a tour of the Wishing Place, first stop was the "galaxy."

Then up to where the wish tower was. Jack luckily brought his key to the tower- so he let everyone in.

He explained to everyone how he made his wish, and the magical process of doing so.

Then we all ate cake and ice cream, everyone enjoyed it.

Then it was time to raise Jack's star. So we watched as he pulled it all the way to the top.

Then Jack went outside to the wishing well, and made a wish. "I wish that I can stay home!"

Granted.

These are his wish granters, Sarah and Stuart. They have been a part of this wish each step through. Thank you to them, and to Make A Wish.

I believe this brings a close to this huge chapter of Jack's life, the chapter of ups and downs, hospital visits, surgeries, unexpected changes, hard obstacles and the unknown. However, a lot of that sounds like what is ahead of us as well- but we are thrilled to have completed his surgeries with such success, and happy that he got to celebrate by making a wonderful wish, with unforgettable memories.