Stoneman Lake Campout

This last weekend our ward had a family campout at Stoneman Lake. I'd never been there before but it was beautiful. The kids had a blast. Kendall immediately ran for all the mud puddles and I forgot to take pictures of the aftermath. Oops. Ty as you can see found his own way to get dirty. He played in the firepit most of the time.

They hooked up a swing for the kids. Kaycie had a blast on that. The night we camped out happened to be the night of the big meteor shower. Scott and Ty went out to the open field with a bunch of other people in the pitch dark to watch it. Scott said he'd never seen so many shooting stars. We went on some walks and found an old wooden cabin. We also went on a drive up the mountain with a bunch of other families and we got to climb to the top of the forest ranger's lookout tower. He lives in it most of the week! The weather was beautiful. It was a great time.

First Day of School

Wow. Summer is over and school has begun again. Ty is now in 2nd grade and Kaycie FINALLY starts kindergarten. She's been waiting for years :)

Kaycie was so excited. She attended preschool last year in a school setting so she was ready and not scared at all. She had a boy in her class that was crying hysterically. I felt sorry for his parents. I don't have anymore pictures of Ty because he ran off to find his old friends and go to class by himself.

Kaycie with Ms. O'Bannon

Family Vacation June 2010

In June, Scott's whole office took a week off so our family went to California! We did Disneyland one day with my brother Sean and his wife and girls. He is a dental student in Ohio so we don't get to see them often. It was so fun. We ate lunch with all the disney princesses (Ty loved that part...haha). Kaycie had lots of fun with her girl cousins. The pictures with Chip & Dale were hilarious. They were just goofing off behind her and not really posing and she didn't know what to do. So she just kept smiling and ignoring their antics hoping that I was getting a good picture.

We also went to an aquarium in Long Beach where the kids got to touch some sharks and sting rays. The also got to feed some Lorikeet birds. Kendall LOVES birds. Every time she sees a bird in our backyard, she points at it and starts laughing really hard. She did the same while daddy was holding a bird just inches from her.

After Disneyland and the Aquarium we left the coast and headed inland to the Palm Desert. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures here but it was a Westin timeshare type place. We get all our hotels stays for free with Scott's business card so it was extra fun knowing that we were paying no money for this part of the vacation. We chose this place because of the water slide. It was beautiful and the kids spent the majority of our two days there in the pool.

Update

I will update my blog soon. I promise. :)

Helping Fight A-T

I'm posting this for a family from our ward...

In September 2005, Liam, was diagnosed with a rare, genetic, neuro-degenerative disease called Ataxia Telangiectasia or A-T for short.

What Is A-T?

A Multi-system Disease...

Ataxia-telangiectasia, or "A-T," is a progressive, degenerative disease that affects a startling variety of body systems. Children with A-T appear normal at birth, and the first signs of the disease usually appear during the second year of life. These first signs are usually a "wobbly" lack of balance and slurred speech caused by "ataxia," which means a lack of muscle control.

Ataxia...

The onset of this ataxia marks the beginning of progressive degeneration of a part of the brain, known as the cerebellum, that gradually leads to a general lack of muscle control, and eventually confines the patient to a wheelchair. Because of the worsening ataxia, children with A-T lose their ability to write, and speech also becomes slowed and slurred. Even reading eventually becomes impossible as eye movements become difficult to control.

Telangiectasia...

Soon after the onset of the ataxia, the A-T patient usually shows another clinical hallmark of A-T: "telangiectasia," or tiny red "spider" veins which appear in the corners of the eyes or on the surface of the ears and cheeks exposed to sunlight. Although these telangiectasia are seemingly harmless, their unique appearance together with ataxia is what led to naming this disease "ataxia-telangiectasia."

Prognosis...

A-T is presently incurable and unrelenting. If they are lucky enough not to develop cancer, most A-T children are dependent on wheelchairs by the age of ten, not because their muscles are too weak, but because they cannot control them. Later, A-T patients usually die from respiratory failure or cancer by their teens or early twenties. A few A-T patients live into their forties, but they are extremely rare.

What treatments are available?

There is no cure for A-T, and there is currently no way to slow the progression of the disease. At this time, treatments are directed only toward partially alleviating some symptoms as theyappear. Because A-T is a rare, "orphan" disease, very little research data is available on pharmaceutical therapies that may aid these children. Physical, occupational and speech therapy are used to help maintain flexibility, gamma-globulin injections help supplement the immune systems of A-T patients, and high-dose vitamin regimes are being undertaken with some moderate results.

How We Can Help...

Liam's 3rd grade class is having a service project for Liam. They are having "Tacky Tuesday" on Tuesday May 4th. For a minimum donation of $1.00 students (and staff) can dress in their tackiest clothes. All money raised will go to the A-T Children's Project. The class that collects the most money will win a pizza party.

Isn't that awesome?!?!

Do you want to participate too?

On May 4th if you are interested in participating just log on to the A-T Children's Project website & you can donate too! As much or as little as you like. Do it in Liam's name! As an added incentive I will remind you that Liam's birthday is coming up too. He will be 9 years old on May 7th. So there you go what better gift could a person give another person than "life". For that is what you would be giving him. Money to the A-T Children's Project goes toward life improving therapies & a cure for all A-T kids.

BUT MY IDEA DOESN'T STOP THERE!

Not only should you donate but I am encouraging all of you who read my blog too, cowandsalltiedup.blogspot.com in honor of Liam & his impending 9th bday, post about this wonderful opportunity on your blogs as well. Let's see how many of you are actually reading this blog & how many of you would want people to help your child should they have an incurable disease.

They deserve a chance to live!

Please, do a special post on your blog leading up to the May 4th fundraiser at his school. Don't forget to grab the A-T Children's Project button, that I made, on my blog cowandsalltiedup.blogspot.com so that you can then place it on your blog.

Help spread the word!