Shane and Claire's Wedding

Shane is our sixth child to get married. While some think we're "old pros" at this it just never gets easier to see a child married. I think that's because children in a family aren't simply a single mass that slowly decreases with time. They may look like it in photographs or in the minds of those outside the family. But within the family and definitely in the hearts of the parents each child is a special unique person with their own place. And that heart is just as full with one or two children as it is with three or more. The heart doesn't divide the love but increases to be able to hold more. There are certainly a few things that are easier today than in 2007 when Joey was married. We know what to expect and the emotion isn't coupled with doubt and wondering. But the feelings run just as strong now as they did eight years ago.

Shane and Claire were the proverbial "high school sweethearts". I first heard her name when Shane told me there was a girl at school that his friends said looked enough like him that she could be his sister. Her name was Claire Tracy. And he found reasons to mention that name a lot and make casual comments about her periodically. The thing was, Shane never made casual comments. When he talked about anything it was because he was thinking very purposely about that thing. I knew there was more to Claire than just looking like him (which, by the way, I have never seen). And there was. By the end of their sophomore year Shane had only three things on his mind--basketball, schoolwork, and Claire, and not necessarily in that order.

Every groomsman reiterated that "Shane really likes Claire". They didn't plan together to all say that and they didn't just pick it up from one another. They all thought it, meant it, and said it. It bears repeating because Shane really does like Claire! So, it was no surprise to us when they chose to marry and move down the less traveled road of finishing college as a married couple.

Here are some memories from their wedding.

The rehearsal

It's nice to have talented siblings. Dana did a beautiful job playing the piano for the prelude, processionals, special music, and recessional. Chet helped Dana figure out how to shorten Canon in D during the rehearsal and then stretch it during the ceremony when, after playing three pages of music the bride was still not coming up the aisle! He also sang a solo during the wedding.

Keira and Carson, Shane's oldest niece and nephew, were thrilled to be chosen to be the flower girl and ring bearer. They weren't so thrilled with rehearsing.

August 8, 2015, The Wedding Day
A final hug from Dad

The last time walking out our door as a single man. I love the unintentional symbolism of the little boy basketball hoop and a pair of sneakers scattered on the floor with the bright light on the other side of the door.

Waiting for the bride

Scenes from the Wedding

Mr and Mrs Shane White

Beautiful Smiles!

The Tracy Family

Papa and Grandma White with Shane and Claire

Posing with all twelve nieces and nephews (Granddad and Nana White's grandchildren)

My eleven children

My boys

The wedding party

Claire and Shane

The Tracy's hosted a beautiful reception with a delicious dinner and a dance at the local Quality Inn.

My good friend and fellow grandmother (my daughter's mother-in-law) Chris Kleven made this beautiful and delicious wedding cake (vanilla/strawberry, poppyseed/cream cheese, and chocolate/gnoche). If it looks like something is missing that's my fault. Sunday night I was talking to my boys in the dining room and my eye caught a small black box on top of my china hutch. The memories came back rapidly and jagged like a Hitchcock scene with screeching music. I had flash backs of Shane asking, "Can you give this to Mrs. Kleven?", "Where should I put it?", "It's the topper for the wedding cake." If anyone noticed it was missing they never said anything to me about it. It agonizes me a little bit that it was only 2 1/2 miles from the hall and could have been easily retrieved!

Keith dressed Gabe for the wedding and, when he put the coat on, Gabe looked into the mirror and said, "I'm a man." So, two of my men, Gabe and Shane.

Last spring Shane asked me to pick out the music to our mother/son dance. I knew it would have to be a country son for my country loving boy and I wasn't sure where to start looking. Then I thought, "I wonder if I could write a song for him?" So I did. While washing dishes one afternoon a stanza came to my mind and I dried my hands to jot it down on a piece of scrap paper. I stuck it to the refrigerator with a magnet so I didn't lose it and it became the first lines of the fourth verse of Shane's Good-Bye Song. They were, "You wouldn't know it to look at them now/ dancing in the middle of the floor/ that it was just a few years ago/ she couldn't wait to see him walk out her door". I cried as I wrote the song and I cried when I first heard it put to music by my talented son Chet. I've cried again when I've watched this video of the dance, and even Shane cried when he heard it for the first time on the dance floor. It is a testament to the deep emotions that the love and struggles of parenting and growing up bring to our hearts. I'm thankful that the trials were short-lived and that the joy is now so full.



Finally, the end of their day, and maybe even the beginning of the next, and on to the honeymoon and together forever.

Gabe's Football Debut

Gabe has had the joy of being the high school football JV2 team's honorary captain and sideline entertainment for the past month. Tonight, Coach Apfel suited him up in his own jersey, helmet, and pads and let him field a kick-off. The official game had ended, and even though it was the last game of the season and the Hodags finished with a tough loss, the boys all eagerly took the field to give Gabe a chance to run the ball.

The opposing team (Mosinee) wasn't even sure what was going on when they saw the Hodags back on the field. Their coach yelled, "Run the kick off and don't tackle him!" They did just what their coach said to do and when they realized what was going on they really got into the spirit of it, making flying missed-tackles all the way down the field.

Even the Mosinee fans joined in and at the end of the clip one can be heard chiding the players for missing their tackles.

Go Gabe!!

Amazing Talent

As a mom, one of the greatest joys I have is to see my children's talents grow, develop, and blossom. It is astounding to watch a child grow into something that you know was not of your making. I can look at every single one of my children and see something in them that is way beyond me and my capabilities. I marvel at what they can do. When they use those gifts to bless others and bless the Lord it blesses me.

Bryce's "thing" is anything musical or dramatic. Besides a few beginner lessons with his sister, Dana, ten years ago, he has never had any formal piano training. He hears something, over a speaker or in his head, and he sits down and plays it. I can't even comprehend that talent. My 7 years of lessons amounted to, well, a lot of wasted money and nothing that anyone would ever want to hear. Bryce plays from something within. His mind imagines and his fingers produce.

Last Sunday night Bryce performed two original songs for the high school talent show. The duet placed first and the solo (which he laughs about not being based on a personal experience) placed third.

What Makes a Son a Son

Twenty-eight years ago I was questioning whether or not the baby in my arms was mine. At about 9:00 pm the previous evening I'd given birth to our second son. In my journal I wrote,

Welcome to the White family Baby Keith. In 8 minutes you'll be 1 day old. It's been a good day for both of us--one of rest. Yesterday we worked. About yesterday...I woke up at 3 a.m. feeling contractions that I was pretty sure would lead to delivery. It was a hot night, the low was in the 70s (high during the day--90s) and the bedroom fan didn't keep me from sweating. I tried to rest, walked around some, played solitaire for awhile and called in at 5 a.m. to report my 5-6 minute contractions. Kathy L. was the CNM on call and she said to come on in. I could have waited but I couldn't resist the thought of an air-conditioned hospital!

I went in to wake Keith up--it turned out to be a lot harder than I expected. I shook him a little and he looked at me with a very startled expression. When I asked if he was ready to take me to the hospital he suddenly rolled over on his stomach clutching his back with one hand. I thought he had a cramp or pain and I tried to rub it, but he said it didn't hurt. When I asked what was wrong he just got exasperated and asked, "Can you tell where it's connected?" The more I asked what he was talking about, the more annoyed he got with me. I figured he wasn't fully awake; but, when I told him that he just got madder. Finally, he asked me, "Can you see where the hose is connected?" and I knew he was not truly awake. I told him I was going to turn on the light and get dressed.

That, I did, and when I was ready to go I aroused him again--successfully. He looked at me funny and I asked, "Are you ready to go to the hospital?" He looked at me, jumped to see the time, and said, "Really?!"

Well, we left Marty with Joey and headed out at 5:30 on a beautiful morning. I registered while Keith parked, he forgot my suitcase and had to return and we ended up riding up the elevator with Kathy. ......contactions never got closer than 5 minutes apart or lasted over 1 minute (nice and tolerable).....

I saw him as soon as he was out, and saw for myself that he was a "he". Margaret (new CNM) said, "It looks like your Daddy was right." Keith was sure he'd be a boy..........

Keith left at 11:00 with our baby still nameless. He said I could choose. We needed to sleep on it--our choices were Keith Byron, Jr, Chad Daniel, and Casey Brandon. I decided on Keith, Jr. I always thought I'd waid to see if we had a #4 son, but I didn't want to wait. This, too, was the closest I've ever been to Keith and after our day and everything I wanted this baby to have his name. Keith Byron White, Jr June 27, 1986 8:58 pm 8lbs 15 oz 22 1/4"

What I didn't write down was that 1) I had the name Keith in the back of my head, but not on any list we discussed. Keith Sr expected our baby to be named Chad or Casey. And 2) Baby Keith went to the nursery at 11:00 to get cleaned up and I went to sleep. When they brought him to me to feed him the next morning (which didn't make any difference to him, he wouldn't wake up for anything for 24 hours!)I took one look at him and said, "That's not my baby. My baby was uglier." Well, our bands matched and he was the right size and they convinced me that he just looked better after getting cleaned up. It bothered me for awhile and we joked about it years later when Keith came home from a biology class and announced he'd tested his blood and it was AB+. Back in 1986, they still did a blood test on newborns and I knew he was really A+ like both of his parents. The bottom line is, the class test was faulty and he really is A+ and it's pretty undeniable that he's our son. But, even if he'd turned out to actually have AB+ we agreed that we wouldn't do anything about it. We really felt that he's our son because we love him, more than because we have matching blood types.

You never know what to expect when a baby is born. And when that baby is born healthy you have no cause for alarm or dashed hopes and expectations. Everything seems perfect. Of course, it never is. We lived through some sleepless nights, 6 months of trying to diagnose a dairy intolerance, a broken leg--a broken arm--and a concussion all before age 4 caused by jumping off of things, an irrational fear of worms that morphed into the fear of anything that looked like worms including shoe laces and anything living that wasn't human, and some more typical trials that just come with the territory of parenting. However, we also got to enjoy all the blessings of this boy, including--his contemplative mind, his competitive spark, his acute observation and empathy for someone in need, his uncanny math brilliance, his management skills (personal and work), his self-discipline, his love of fishing (once he got past the worm thing), and now his beautiful wife and adorable children.

These things, the good and the bad and living them together is what makes him our son.

A Different Kind of Grocery Store Kid

Yesterday, I took Gabe to a small, local grocery store that he had never been in. He loves to be a helper and called out, "Come on Mom!" and "Let's get started!" as we entered the store. He was excitedly moving me through the aisles, putting my items in the cart, and pointing out things we had to get. It was all pretty cute.

We went through the produce section and picked the things we needed and I headed up another aisle while he lingered. He hollered after me,

"Mom, can we get some broccoli?!"

I replied,

"No Gabe, we already have broccoli at home."

He gave an unhappy grunt, "Uhhh", and then ran to join me, delighted to find something else to put in the cart.

A stunned shopped looked at him with her jaw open and asked, "How do you get him to do that?"

I wasn't sure if she meant 'ask for broccoli' or 'take no for an answer'. Either way, it is refreshing for people to be able to see Gabe act in a non-typical way that is positive and shows what a joy a child with Down syndrome can be!

Summer Ball

Yes, it's been over a month since I put up a post here. I've thought of it but never have sat still long enough to do it. It doesn't help that I can't post from our main computer where all of my photos are stored. Getting on the laptop or heading to the library takes way more effort than I've been willing/able to expend!

I hate to say it's been a "busy" summer because no matter what's going on we're all "busy" with something. It's just that this summer the "busy" has been in the form of putting on mileage. We've had many summers that were filled with ball games. I remember one crazy summer when we had 6 kids playing on 5 different teams. We spent a lot of time at the park but it just meant packing picnics and traveling the 3+ miles back and forth to the park four or five nights a week.

This summer we broke a record even for us. With 6 kids home for the summer and 5 of them involved in a summer sport it was only a matter of time before everything happened on one day. Our day came a few weeks ago when we had 5 kids on 4 teams playing 3 different sports in tournaments in 4 different cities. It's a coincidence that is highly unlikely to ever repeat itself or we'd probably up our sports-age-requirement to 15!

We have an unusual twist to this summer as Shane is playing on the Wisconsin Jets AAU basketball team. It's a limb we have refused to go out on in the past, but saw that Shane (now 6'6") really was serious about wanting to try to pay for a college education with a basketball scholarship and this was the best way to get the exposure to make that happen. The money that we had planned to spend on a two-week family vacation has gone (is going) toward five 3-day traveling basketball tournaments. Two weeks ago his team won the Mr. Basketball Tournament in Sioux Falls, SD and there are 3 more tournaments to go.

Troy is home for the summer and playing some Legion ball but I haven't made it to any of those games. Once you're an adult my obligation to cheer from the bleachers is over. If it's a nice night and you're playing in town and I feel like sitting down by the lake I might be there.

Bryce played for a Babe Ruth team and filled in some on the Legion team. He had an amazing season with a batting average over .800 midway through the season. Last Monday his team was playing in the league championship game when, in the first half of the first inning, he pulled a hip muscle. He had to be carried off the field and watched his team lose the game. He was disappointed to miss the game but even more disappointed to miss the All-Star State Tournament this weekend. If he thought he could help the team on crutches he'd do it.

Owen filled a very significant baseball role this summer. He is the last boy in our family to be playing Little League. We've had a boy in the Little League program every year since 1995 and Keith has coached 15 of those years, coached several All-Star teams, and took Chet's team to the state tournament in 2001. Owen's All-Star team is one win away from heading to the state tournament as well and if they did it would make he and Chet the first brother combo to go to state in over 40 years (if ever). The Hodags have sent teams to state 5 times--1957, 1962, 1966, 1988, and 2001. The 2001 team was the only one to post a win at that level.

Finally, we've had Lisa in the mix this year. She gave fastpitch softball a try last summer but was completely disenchanted by the lack of games. There were none. All season long they met every week for a practice and maybe a scrimmage amongst themselves. She was beyond indignant and decided to give soccer a try. So, after a 16-year break (our older four tried soccer for a season) I am once again a "soccer mom". Lisa enjoyed her team very much and in her final game scored her first legitimate goal. (She was once credited for a goal when the opposing goalie "mis-kicked" the ball and it ricocheted off Lisa and into the net.)

It looks like everything should be wrapped up by the end of this month and my summer projects will get back on the front burner. Posting some pictures here might even be one of them!

My National Downs Syndrome Day Experiences

I'm a few days late, but since most of you have never heard of National Downs Syndrome Day I didn't think it mattered. (I guess I'm not really up on it either, it's called World Down Syndrome Day--oops.) The date was March 21, or 3-21, which is a numerical likeness of the scientific name for ds, Trisomy 21. It literally means a triplicate of the 21st chromosome. We normally receive one of each of 23 chromosomes from each parent, giving us 23 pairs, or 46 chromosomes. Someone with a trisomy has an extra chromosome. The most common trisomy is is T-21, or Downs Syndrome. It is the most common because it is the most "survivable". The 21st chromosome is the shortest, containing the least amount of genetic information. Having an extra chromosome inevitably messes up the genetic balance in a system and the more genetic material on that chromosome the greater the damage. Therefore, having a triplicate of any other chromosome results in a much higher incidence of biological disturbances which more often leads to pre-born death in the form of miscarriage or still birth.

I hadn't intended to give a science lesson, but I guess I just did. Perhaps because some of my own children weren't aware of some of these basic facts that have so directly impacted our own family. What I really set out to do was share a few recent stories on the blessings and trials we receive from others as the world relates to Gabe.

First, the trial. Last Saturday we were out playing at the park with our grandson on his birthday. The older boys and Keith were playing on the outdoor basketball court while I watched Gabe, Vince, and Lisa at the playground. A young boy (about 7 or 8) was playing with the kids and asked Lisa if "that boy" (Gabe) was her brother. She told him that he was and the boy nonchalantly claimed, "He goes to my school and I always laugh at him." Lisa was caught off guard and responded with, "What?" The boy, again, very matter-of-factly told her that "all the kids in my class laugh and make fun of him". Lisa was stunned and asked him, "But why would you do that?" His response was, "Because he looks stupid."

I guess I knew this was coming and that Gabe would be the target of teasing at some point. I just didn't quite expect it yet. Lisa was so very sad about it. She couldn't understand why anyone would want to tease or make fun of Gabe. She told me, "I don't get it, Gabe looks just like anyone else." I love how her heart sees.

I'm not upset with the little boy, I don't claim that his parent must have taught him to tease others, I don't think he's part of an evil pact of children out to bully and make life difficult for those who are different than the norm. He's just a typical kid working out the way he sees life in a typical kid fashion. He could have been my kid. Kids have their own ways of figuring out life and coming to conclusions about good/bad, right/wrong, normal/abnormal, acceptable/unacceptable, and even stupid/smart. Some of them do better at it than others. Of course, some of them are influenced by parents or friends, but I'm just not jumping to conclusions about this particular boy.

My response to this situation was to talk to the staff at Gabe's school about the incident. I spoke with his teachers and aides who directed me to the school guidance counselor. I made it clear that I did not want this little boy "punished". Instead, I gave them some ideas on how to help educate students to be more understanding and compassionate towards kids with disabilities--something that, ironically, was next on the school agenda for the guidance counselor. (And, no, I don't believe this was just an ironic coincidence.)

As logical and unfeeling as I tried to be in the whole thing, my heart broke a little bit for my son. Maybe it broke a little more for me and for Lisa because, at this point, Gabe doesn't feel bad about it at all. I just know that at some point he will, and I just hate that for him.

Now, the blessing. Two days ago, on 3-21, I was at another park in town pushing a swing next to a young mom who asked if I was Gabe's mom. When I told her I was she said that her daughter, Ava, was Gabe's reading buddy. I knew that Gabe's class was paired up with first grade reading buddies and that his was a girl named Ava but I didn't know any more. Ava's mom went on to tell a beautiful story.

Ava was actually assigned to 2 students as a reading buddy and she read to both Gabe and her own little brother together. Gabe's class was split into two smaller groups a few months ago and the teacher approached Ava and told her she was going to have to just pick one of the boys for whom to be a reading buddy.

Here is Ava's response as told to me by Ava's mom:

Mrs. V____, I know that I should probably stay with my brother, because he's my brother, and I really don't want to hurt his feelings but I want to stay with Gabe. You see, I have a cousin Luke who has Down syndrome and I know how he needs a little more special attention and patience. So, I know how to be more patient with Gabe than most of the other kids and I really want him to have a reading buddy who will be patient with him.

Ava had her teacher in tears and when the teacher told her mom she had her in tears and I find myself welling up with tears as I pass the story on again.

Little Ava is only 6, but she reminded me that Gabe will not only have ridicule and teasing to look forward to as he grows, but he will have understanding, compassionate, patient people like Ava to soften some of the blows.

God put me in the paths of two very different Gabe experiences to make this National Downs Syndrome Day a very educational, poignant, and memorable one for me.

A Long, Long-Overdue Gabe Update

HE

IS

SIX

TODAY!



Here's a look at his year and some significant updates.

Gabe's 6th year started with significant sorrow.

Just one day after his last birthday, Joey and Jamie lost their daughter Kaylee Hope.

A month later we spent a week with Carson and Keira so that Joey and Jamie could get away together. Gabe didn't comprehend the reason behind the visit, he was just excited about being Uncle Gabe for a week--with lots of hugs.

Maybe a few too many hugs for Carson




We've been working on writing, or I should say I've been working on getting Gabe to to some writing. He isn't so keen on it, he's definitely a gross motor skills guy, none of this finger coordination stuff. I thought he might enjoy the chalkboard more than pencil and paper. I was right! Sort of.


Waiting to be discharged after a hospital stay in May.
Gabe woke up with wheezing and a croupy cough that I couldn't get under control. Two doctors diagnosed him with asthma but I was sure they were wrong. I know we always need to question our doctors to make sure we get the best care for our children but that is even more true with children with special needs. I had noticed changes in Gabe's breathing, especially when he was sleeping and was pretty sure that the adenoids that we removed years ago were coming back. I consulted with our pediatrician and headed back to Madison to see a pediatric ENT. What has followed is a scope (adenoids blocking 50%) a sleep study (definite apnea), and medication to reduce inflammation (improved breathing but still apnea). I will have a phone consultation next week and our likely response now will be an adenoidectomy.


Summer time at the lake




We took a family roadtrip/vacation up through Canada, to Washington and the Olympic Peninsula, through Idaho and Montana and home. Making the ride fun is part of the planning with little ones in the van.

Canadian Rockies to me...

...a park and a swimming hole to Gabe

Puget Sound ferry



The US's only temperate rain forest is on the Olympic Peninsula


The northwest Pacific coast offers some of the best rock-throwing opportunities for little throwers. Gabe threw non-stop rocks for almost six hours, sometimes windmill style using both hands alternately. We counted how many he was throwing per minute and came up with a very conservative estimate of 11,000 rocks thrown for the day.



Sandpoint, ID--we stayed with Keith's boss from his first college co-op engineering job. Roger is a kind, generous, and remarkable host. He took everyone up for a ride in his plane (except Gabe who was just happy to get to sit in the plane).

Roger has built this little fantasy-land on his property. The deluxe treehouse in the back is outfitted with electricity and a queen-size bed. Our older children took turns sleeping in the tree. Maybe next time I'll be so adventurous.

We loved his signs


Montana and Glacier National Park





We hadn't planned to spend five days in Havre, MT but hitting a buck just before the weekend changed our plans. It didn't bother Gabe a bit!




Gabe always enjoys our week of family camp in August. We're outside all day, he gets to swim, play ball, and be with other kids all week.
Gabe with his cousin Lauren (4)

Not so sure she wants to share the ball





With the end of summer came an overnight trip for Gabe, Lisa, and me to take Troy to college.



We got him moved in and then drove up to LaCrosse to spend the night before the first game of Chet's MTU football season. We made the drive part of the enjoyment of the trip taking the river road and looking for birds, racing a train (parallel to it, under 45 mph), learning about locks and dams, and stopping when we saw a big park.

This one even had a "real" slide--over 5' high made of metal!

LaCrosse has a fantastic Chilren's Museum. We have a family pass to our local CM that let's us into any participating CM in the country. Gabe loved the morning we spent here.




Meeting Clifford was a lifetime highlight for Gabe. When we heard the announcement over the loudspeaker that Clifford was making an appearance on the first floor I couldn't run fast enough to keep up with Gabe down the stairs. There was a large group of children circled around the Big Red Dog but they were all afraid to approach him. Gabe was not only not afraid to approach him, he wasn't afraid to barge through the middle of the pack, yell "Hi Clifford!" and give him a big hug!

It absolutely made Gabe's day and opened the door for the rest of the kids to approach Clifford.

Probably THE biggest change in Gabe's (and my) life--he started school. This was a difficult decision for me to make. I have a system, guided by conviction and habit. I start teaching my children when they're born and they stay home and learn with me until they're at least 14, then we re-evaluate and go on. So, why was I even considering something different? Because Gabe is different, and I wanted to make sure I was making the decision that was best for him. So, we tried it. Just two days a week with the option to pull him at any time. For a few months I kept things going just because I was benefiting from have two days to teach and do home things without Gabe here. But that's not a good reason to send him to school. I was VERY happy with the people who were caring for him, I loved his teacher, his aides, and his bus driver. Even if he wasn't learning I was comfortable knowing he was safe and well cared for. But, in the last months I've seen the benefits to him. He enjoys the environment and does well in the small group settings. He's definitely improving in many learning areas with the people at school supporting the work we do at home. And it's really nice to not be doing all of it on my own. Gabe needs a lot more interaction and one-on-one to thrive academically and that takes time. He also gets bored with just me, so he learns better when there are more people taking turns with the teaching.

Here's a blurry first day picture

Gabe's 4-K school picture. He has a composite of 29 kids from the 2 classes at his school. He can name about half of the kids on his own and the other half with me providing the first letter of their name.

Gabe's greatest thrill was getting to ride the bus! It took about a month to get all of the paperwork in and sorted to get him on the bus (wouldn't you think that could have been handled during the 10 weeks of summer?--I still have public institution complaints). During those weeks he would beg to get on a bus after school. He cried inconsolably the first day that he was denied that privilege.


With fall comes football. This would be our last of seven years driving up to watch the Huskies.




One of the best things about these games have been the times for family camaraderie. After one particularly warm-weather game we found a great spot on Lake Superior for a picnic.


Grandma trying to get a little bit of the sand off, an exercise in futility.



Gabe not only loves hugging his nieces and nephews, but he rather enjoys getting in trouble with them! Gabe loved having Karissa (and Ellen) with us for the weeks while the guys were in India. There was lots of time for trouble!


Crawling into Karissa's crib when she's supposed to be napping!


Karissa's not the only one who got woken up. Carson and Keira got an early Gabe wake-up call. A baby video kept the cranky babies entertained while the moms scrambled to prepare for a long day.


A neighborhood walk with Lisa, Ellen, and Karissa


Two more nieces! Gabe could not love the babies any more than he does. He just delights in them.



Gabe entered into the Christmas celebrations this year. He hung all of his own ornaments and delighted in pointing them all out to Daddy.

He also had a part in the Children's Christmas pageant at church. He played the part of a sheep and did a great job learning his part, sitting where he was supposed to sit, crawling where he was supposed to crawl, and singing the group songs at the end. He did add a few adlib parts to liven things up--sheep ARE supposed to say "baa" right? Gabe didn't understand why that wasn't a significant part of his role, so he added it. Also, if people bring gifts to the baby, and the baby doesn't open them, shouldn't someone else to it for him? Gabe thought he should be that someone.


Finally, Gabe had his three year check up with the cardiologist for a full exam including EKG and echo. Everything from his repair three years ago was holding fast and working just how it should. I was hoping we'd be done and that all things heart related. However, there's just one little thing... It seems like there's always one more thing. Gabe has one slightly leaky valve. It may be nothing, it may need some attention. I'm not worried about it, though. She said we would look at again in ten years. I don't worry about things that are ten days away much less ten years!

Thank you Gabe, for another eventful and wonderful year. You are my love!!