Neurology Update

For those of you wondering I finally heard back from the neurologist about Cassidy's muscle biopsy. They said everything came back normal for what they could test for at Primary Children's so they will turn things over to the Dr. at Columbia University to see what, if any, tests he wants to do further. I have mixed emotions about the results. Part of me is relieved that they didn't find anything because it all just freaks me out. On the other hand it would be nice to know, for the future, what to expect. If there were something more that we could be doing to help Cassidy and the other families effected by, what seems to be, mitochondrial disease. There are too many kids with similar problems. We are so grateful that Cassidy is doing as well as she is.
I need to thank my sister Laura for the help and support she has given me through this process. She inspires and motivates me to press forward when it all seems to hard. She doesn't want anyone else in the family to have to go through what she continues to go through, the loss of a child without real answers. I wish I had some answers for her today.

Another note: Cassidy does not have an aide at school yet. The girl from the 504 committee that met with Lorin and Cassidy's teacher apperantly overstepped her bounds by saying that she would have an aide within one week. Everything still has to be approved by everyone on the committee and they wanted to wait until all of the special ed testing was done to see, I think, if they can get more funding that way. So it is still an ongoing joke. Cassidy had a pretty good fall at school today. She fell off the slide. She said somebody pushed her. It scared her pretty bad. Her teacher called me so I ran to the school to check on her and she seemed to be okay. She finished the school day and is fine. Thank goodness!!

Tis The Season

Well Lorin is gone to Kanosh to go hunting for the weekend. This is the time of year he loves the best and looks forward too. I am glad that he is able to take one day off work and spend the weekend doing something he loves. Lorin is so cute. When the weather starts to change he will breathe a little deeper and ask "can you smell that? It's the deer hunt." Neil (Lorin's bro.) pointed out to Kim (his wife) the other day, all excited of course, that the shadows were changing. For him that was exciting because it meant the deer hunt was quickly approaching but for her it meant that winter in Evanston is all to near. We love it that they are like little boys when it comes to hunting. So excited that they can't sleep the night before it starts.

This is the way my kitchen looks the day before the hunt. Actually this pales in comparison to some years. Logan was hoping he would go unnoticed and get loaded in the truck with everything else. He asked Lorin "When I am five can I go hunting with You?"

Headed out the door.
I had a particularly hard time letting Lorin leave this time around and this is only round one. I just love him so much and miss him so when he is gone. I know silly considering I don't see him all that much anyway. I love my sweet!

I was reminiscing today about when Lorin and I were dating and he left to go hunting. I didn't have a clue about how involved and serious hunting was. I remember calling his home in late afternoon and Natalie (Lorin's sis.) answered the phone and explained that he had gotten a deer and was on the mountain retreiving it. Well I thought "oh no big deal that shouldn't take long". I called back maybe a couple hours later and again Natalie answered the phone and explained that he still wasn't back. I can't remember when Lorin actually got back and called me but it was late. I am sure his whole family just thought "What does he see in this girl? She just doesn't get it." Well I still probably don't really get it but I now know that it takes more than a couple hours to get a deer off a mountain. I have to admit I really didn't know what I was in for but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Lorin has taught me to appreciate the world around me and I love him for that. I just didn't know how many hunts there were and that you had to scout the deer and elk out and in the spring find the sheds left behind. Before we had our kids I would sometimes go out hunting with Lorin (probably annoying to the brothers, sorry) and it is hard work. I remember climbing this hill that they were retreiving a deer on and I thought my lungs were going to collapse. I don't think I have been out on a hunt since then. Lorin got a nice deer last year and its head is still patiently waiting in our freezer. Lorin can't decide if it is big enough to mount. Maybe this hunt he will get "the big one" and we can have two deer heads in our freezer.=)=)

Lorin, Chris and Neil

I wanted to show a picture of Lorin in his younger years hunting but I don't have any. I am sure there is one out there somewhere. I do have this picture of Lorin, Neil, and Chris after a fishing trip. I don't know their ages but I think they are so cute. Fishing, well that is a whole other story.

Neil and Lorin

Life Goes On

Well it is time to update our blog. The past three weeks have been pretty crazy as well as emotionally draining. It has been hard to concentrate on much of anything. The peace of the comforter is amazing. He has been helping us and lifting us when we feel such great sorrow in our hearts. I don't know that we could bear the heartache without the peace and comfort of the gospel. We have felt the prayers of everyone and we thank you so much!

When something so tragic happens it makes you appreciate every moment of everyday, things that normally you might take for granted. I will never forget the last time Keith visited our home and I had the best conversation with him. Much of it had to do with mitochondria of cells and stuff like that but it was so fun to talk to him. Then I still get a kick out of on the day he was leaving, a little sheepish, he had to ask me if he could use the toilet plunger. We had a good laugh. But now those are treasured memories.

Memories like the other day when I picked Cassidy up from school, when she saw me her smile was so big and she gave me the best hug. I will never forget it. And when Logan skips around the house saying "taloot taloot taloot". It is music to my ears. And all the little notes that Megan writes to me are precious (She goes through a ream of paper a week).

There is a quote from the movie "The Music Man" I believe that says something to the effect that if you always wait for tomorrow all you end up with is a whole lot of empty yesterdays. (Thank you Dad for sharing all the good oldies with us. Jilleen remembered "The Music Man" the other day). This thought has been on my mind a lot lately. We shouldn't take any day for granted because each day is a gift that we have been given to try to be a little better. So my goal is to try to look for the best in every day and to not always put off the things that are most important. The laundry can always wait.

Now I will get off my soap box and share what has been going on. Logan started joyschool on Aug. 26. Me and 7 amazing women are taking turns teaching the kids. It is an adventure but is tons of fun.

We finally made it through the red tape of the school district and Cassidy will be given an aide to help her for I think three hours a day. This is such a blessing. I am so thankful for the wonderful teachers at the school!!!

Megan started a little dance class at the fitness center that she is really enjoying. It goes into Nov. We will see how she likes it then maybe get her into a real class.

I am slowly getting used to being in the Young Women's program. It is a busy calling but I think it will be good for me. I survived teaching my first lesson to the whole Y.W. today. It went better than I thought and I was very impressed with the testimonies of the girls afterwards.

Lorin is just staying busy, busy, busy, busy. Sometimes I wonder how he does it. He amazes me with his possitive attitude when things don't seem that possitive. He is a great example to me! On Friday when he really needed to be at work to get a crunch job done he took the time to come home and take us to dinner. We had a real good time and we needed that. It really meant a lot to me. Here are some random pictures.

Logan excited about the first day of Joyschool.

Logan's cousin Luke handed down his Batman and Spiderman costumes. Logan has had such a fun time pretending to be a superhero. He even sometimes wears both costumes at once. In this case he insisted on wearing the mask to bed and fell asleep with it on. I took it off later and when he woke up in the night he wanted it back on. Never a dull moment.

These are all my cute Beehives minus 2. We made peach freezer jam for our activity. They are all so much fun and so full of life. I am glad to have the opporunity to work with them. It was hard to get them to all hold still for the picture.

I know another picture of Logan but he does so many things that are so picture worthy. I got him in the bath Saturday night and when I came back to check on him he had his shorts on. I guess he didn't want a bath but to go swimming. Oh well.