Support For Christi Thomas

This blog is to help offer support to the Thomas Family and their daughter, Christi, in her battle against cancer. Please visit Christi's website at www.ChristiThomas.com to learn more. There, you'll find journals, photos and a lots of other information about this amazing child and her family.

A Note About Comments: When you post a Comment, please note that it will appear online after it is approved.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

17th Wedding Anniversary

Seventeen years ago this afternoon, I married my high school sweetheart. It’s hard to believe that at just 24 years of age, one could make such a wise decision, but I did! Without a doubt, it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I thank the Lord to still be so fortunate to have this loving, sexy, hardworking, kindhearted, intelligent and compassionate man as my husband yet today. I am richly blessed.
It’s been really emotional here in recent days (Thanksgiving, Swiffer’s pending death, decorating the Christmas tree and hanging all of Christi’s inscribed ornaments, Nativity set and stocking, dissertation revisions due Monday (panic!), mom and dad’s wedding anniversary would have been tomorrow, etc.) Happy Anniversary, Shayne! I love you with all my heart! I will love you forever! Thanks so much for cooking me that amazing dinner last night in the midst of everything else you were doing! I am unworthy!

So even though I could never again squeeze into my wedding gown, I still have memories of that glorious day – 60 degrees, but windy. Surrounded by loving family and friends, little did I know that during our darkest days, eleven-fifteen years later, they’d still be circling around us, holding us up, and somehow getting us through. I am so grateful! So now while I continue to sit here, pulling my hair out with my dissertation writing, I wish I could go back to November 30, 1991 and visit with all of our wedding guests, dance with my deceased father and shock everyone still left at our reception that after changing out of my wedding dress, I (the prim and proper one) actually danced with Shayne on a table before we waltzed out the door for our honeymoon. Good times!

Happy 22nd Anniversary to my sister and her husband who were married on November 29th! (My grandma and grandpa were also married on a Thanksgiving weekend! It’s tradition!)

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Our Sleeping Beauty

Thanksgiving was ok; it was wonderful of course to be with family, but it was also a holiday without Christi. I just can't shake that! I know how much I have to be thankful for – and I truly am!!! I reminded myself of the families who said goodbye to their child on Thanksgiving, the ones in the Ronald McDonald Houses, the ones without loved ones at all. Why must I want Christi to be here with us too? Why do I miss that little giggle when I know she IS in a better place? To get through the day, I told myself it was just a family get together, not a special holiday where we really think hard about past Thanksgivings with Christi, our little sleeping beauty, who will never awaken. (Photo: September 2006)

Aunt Tina made tons of great foods! Yummy!! Out of all of the photos, this is the only one in which an "orb" appeared. I tell myself it's Christi going through the buffet line scooping up Aunt Tina's great cooking!

The "evening crash" - or couch pile on. How did innocent Grandma and Grandpa attract that many to join them on the couch?! The couch really doesn't hold SIX, but that didn't stop anyone from joining in. What a hoot!

As I sat with my family, working on my dissertation and listening to the evening news, a clip of what families were thankful for came on the television. I couldn’t help but recall Christi’s final Thanksgiving (2005, age 8) where a TV news crew out of Toledo came to our Thanksgiving and covered our story about how thankful we were to have her still with us. Then, all too soon, she went on that irreversible voyage through a long tunnel. I can’t see the exit but I know there must be one. She couldn’t come back, only continued going forward step by step, to the end. Happy Thanksgiving, precious Christi! We miss you to pieces! Aunt Tina, one of your Godmothers, set out a picture of our final family Thanksgiving together. It was so sweet! I looked at it so many times. You were so happy, playing with your cousins and giving your “television interview” that day! I hope God’s pumpkin pie was the most delicious you ever had!

Shayla’s “Honor to Christi”: Shayla and I noticed on Christi’s Thanksgiving food plate was just a teeny-weeny bit of grandma’s cranberry jello salad, like she was trying it to see if she’d like it. (It really is delicious.) Shayla put some of it on her plate and then told me, “That’s in honor of Christi!” I loved it! Thank you, Shayla – you are really a sweetie!

Will and Shayla got to "break the wishbone" Thursday evening. It of course reminded me of Christi and Shayla doing that.
I asked Shayla if she remembered trying to break the wish bone with Christi and she said she didn't, but of course she piped in immediately with, "Who won?" Sisters!!!


Swiffer Update: Bunny was doing about the same, improved from the vet's office, but not out of the water by any means. This morning he's taken a step backwards. Shayla gave him his medicine and cleaned his nose, but he continues to gasp for breaths. I must now believe the vet is right and that this "cold" will be deadly. Shayla's sad, but when I cry she reminds me of how old he is (We took him in a "rescue" situation 3 1/2 years ago) and that he's lived a good life. She's doing a phenomenal job of providing tender loving care. (PIC: July 2008 - at a 4H meeting learniing how to show her bunny for the fair judging)

Labels:

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving

This morning I asked Shayla for a favorite Thanksgiving memory of Christi. Shayla told me they used to play that they would have Thanksgiving with their animals (stuffed and plastic). Probably my most treasured Thanksgiving memory is when we were stuck in Philly over Thanksgiving, staying at the Ronald McDonald House, and Shayne bought us train tickets to ride up to NYC to see the Macy's Day Parade. We knew Shayla (four at the time) wouldn't understand why we couldn't also go to the other side of the city that day to visit with her friend, Veronica, so we told her we were going to "Macy" to watch a parade. Now that we've told her the story she thinks it's hilarious that she didn't really know she was in NYC for the parade that day.

I believe this is the first year I can actually say, "Happy Thanksgiving" and not just "It's Thanksgiving". This isn't to say I don't miss Christi terribly, but it's not the stabbing pain the 2006 and 2007 Thanksgiving holidays brought. Here are some pictures of Christi "oldies but goodies" that were all taken around Thanksgiving.

2002 -Two months after diagnosis, proudly posing with a JOKE book she wrote.
In 2004 we flew to Arizona to visit with relatives for the holiday. At the Mesa Children's museum the girls had a grand time playing in a dance/theatre style exhibit.

PS: Swiffer is doing so much better this morning. We really can't believe it. Shayla checked on him about every 45 minutes yesterday and kept cutting up fruits and vegetables for him. I think she'd make a great nurse, but she wants to be an actress.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Swiffer and the Spoof

Today I'm working hard on my dissertation and Shayla's reading and playing her wii, but we have had a small amount of drama. OK, enough drama to make us walk out of the vet's office and break down in our van crying that Shayla's bunny probably isn't going to pull out of this. He has pasteurellosis and pneomonia with lung lessions. His breathing isn't right. Currently, Shayla is nursing him - IN MY KITCHEN! Frankly, I could care less, I just hope he lives! The ground out in the backyard still seems fresh from burying Mia (her deceased guinea pig) in August. Shayla loves that little bunny and isn't ready to turn him over to Christi yet. Christi named him Swiffer, but I want to keep him here with Shayla if possible. I keep telling myself there are kids dying in hospitals right now, this isn't a big deal, but I'm still down.

We did the unthinkable. We took Shayla to see Heidelberg's performance of "High School NON-Musical" - a spoof on "High School Musical". Because Shayla takes dance three nights a week at Heidelberg she had been noticing the posters advertising the students' play.
She didn't come right out and say she wanted to go, but I'd walk with her past the posters and she'd comment about it. I didn't think I could take her alone, knowing it was so close to "the end" for Christi, so I was grateful when Shayne said he'd like to go too.
I'm so glad we all went. The play was absolutely hilarious. (Christi would have rolled with laughter!) I loved sitting beside Shayla listening to her constant laughs when she'd catch one of the many humorous parts. I continue to be amazed at the high-quality productions Heidelberg puts on, all for only a few dollars for a public ticket, typically with MANY open seats. We are so fortunate!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Video

Partners Ice Skating: Shayla & Shayne

Once again we enjoyed the "family skate" time at the rink this weekend. Once again we almost had the place to ourselves. (I can't believe more people don't take advantage of a really inexpensive activity.) Shayla always enjoys making up little routines for us. She wants to skate "partners" but it's a little hard when you don't have a partner. I'd have to wonder if the girls would like making routines to skate together if only Christi were still alive. Thankfully, Shayne is a great sport. While he doesn't skate very well, I've seen incredible improvement and Shayla choreographed him into one of her little "routines" on Sunday even if he was a little bit late getting his "cue" to come back in at the end (smile). I hope you enjoy it!

The little stinker! PIC: Christi's last Thanksgiving (November 2005) Angela & Christi
I hope you all have a fantastic and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday. It's so hard to grasp the fact that this will be our third without Christi. The first one was an absolute killer. I think this one will be "ok". I'm not saying it's ok and that I've reached the final stage of grief "acceptance" because I just can't imagine that I'll ever think the death of our child is acceptable, but I do think this holiday will be easier than previous years. I hope yours is wonderful! I hope you take a lot of pictures! ENJOY!

Thanksgiving at Mom and Joe's, November 2005. Christi age 8, Shayla, 6

Sunday, November 23, 2008

2008 Big Ten Champions

Thanks tons for the lovely birthday messages! Too sweet! I had a great day and was especially touched by an after school phone call I received from the Grants of Philadelphia when we stopped by home to change Shayla into her dance outfit for lessons. All four of the Grants were on the phone singing Happy Birthday! I absolutely couldn't believe it. When we met up with Shayne that night so that he could go along to watch Shayla's ice skating lesson and to take me out for pizza for my birthday, he just smiled and shook his head. They are too kind! The next day I received their package for my 29th again, birthday - three huge boxes of "Tasty Cakes" - only available in the Philly area. (PIC: One of the many times Mrs. Grant brought her two girls to the hospital to play with Christi. In this instance, Mrs. Turco was there and Shayla too. May 2006 at CHOP. I just thought their little butts (Shayla, Celie & Christi) playing "Twister" were so cute!)
On my birthday, 2004, I had parent/teacher conferences until 8PM. Shayne was home with them and when I came home I had quite the treat! Christi (age 7) made this amazing gift of pottery for me.
What sweeties!

I think Christi may have given me a very special birthday present this year too! As we drove out of our driveway on our way to school, Shayla and I noticed a lovely sunrise - orange and yellow. When we turned on the next road (about 2 minutes later) the sunrise colors had completely changed! They were pink and purple! I don't believe I ever noticed a sunrise with colors changing so rapidly before. We decided Christi must have been up early working on that great present for my birthday present. Thank you, Christi!
(Check out Christi's binoculars and Shayla's "binky". What a hoot!) Mom and Joe are now home from their trip to Sedona, Arizona and my mom had a wonderful birthday. Sedona is an absolutely beautiful area we've been blessed to visit a few times. On our last trip there, the girls were 1 and 3 and I said, "If we ever have another baby girl, we are naming her Sedona in honor of this gorgeous area." Well, unfortunately, another baby never came along as when we were deciding if we should have a third child or not, Christi was diagnosed with cancer and we knew we couldn't possibly take care of another child when we felt we needed to put everything into taking care of Christi instead. Do I have regrets? Certainly. I continue to think the most horrific part of Christi's death for Shayla is that she no longer has a sibling here on earth. I can't imagine how terrible that must be. I find myself no longer calling Tina, "my sister", in front of Shayla and only saying, "Aunt Tina" instead of "my sister" as not to hurt Shayla's feelings realizing she'll not grow up and get invited to her sister's home, nor have nieces and nephews to spoil.

Shayla received PLENTY of spoiling herself yesterday at Aunt Marty and Uncle Jeff's home. We dropped her off at 9AM on our way to Columbus for the big rival game between Ohio State & the University of Michigan. Again Shayne reminded me that we could sell our tickets and find a nice warm restaurant to watch the game, but I would hear non of that (except when we got to our seats and learned the people next to us paid $370 a ticket for their tickets they bought on Ebay and thoughts of $700 and a warm hamburger were floating in my head, hee hee). Seriously, I knew that I would most likely never have the opportunity to attend a OSU/Michigan game in the shoe ever again so I had to be there, despite the fact it never even reached 30 degrees. Brrrrrrrr!

Because one of the last DVDs Christi watched (and loved so much) was "High School Musical" Shayne and I get pretty emotionally when we hear songs from that movie. Shayla, of course at this age, loves it. Therefore, we asked Marty to take her to see "High School Musical III" at the movie theatre yesterday and she did. Whew, for us, we dodged that bullet! Last night, upon arriving back at their home, she put in an old video I found in her basement when we were pulling out Christmas decorations (so Shayla could set up her Dickens Village home, see what I mean about spoiled?!) The video showed the first ten days of Baby Christi's life. We did ok! I think perhaps because that was SOOOOOOOO long ago, we were "ok" emotionally. I have no desire to watch the last six months of her life - as that was horrific - but seeing newborn Christi was very interesting. Shayla said, "It's neat to see what people looked like before I was born!" Check out Shayne's glasses as that was before he had the lasix surgery shortly before Christi was diagnosed.


Well, we WERE the 2008 Big Ten Champions for about six hours, before Ohio State had to share the title with Penn State to become Co-Champions of the Big Ten! Shayne thought I ought to take a picture of the "2008 Big Ten Champs" sign quickly as the fans stormed the field and as he thought Penn State would stomp Michigan State, and they did. Goodluck at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California Penn State! That's a game I'm looking forward to watching already! If it can't be the Buckeyes, gooooooo, PSU!

I thought of Shane Rezmer constantly during the game. He fought the beast of neuroblastoma, IV for ten years. He was a huge Michigan fan. I had these photos taken in his honor, with the Michigan band section and with the big "M" the Michigan band performed at halftime.
If I could have traded placed with Shane I would have done so without any hesitation! (I doubt it's freezing in Heaven!) You are terribly missed by all, dear Shane! http://www.caringbridge.org/mi/shanerezmer/

Mrs. Smith (Now Mrs. Turco - Shayla's teacher) took this picture of Theresa, Christi and Kaylyn when they were in her 4th grade class. Now two of the three are in two of my classes. How I wish they could all three still be together at school. Those were great times!)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Happy Birthday to Grandma Nonee


HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the World's Greatest Mom!

Dear Mom,

I wish we could be together today to celebrate our birthdays. I hope you're having a wonderful trip and we will see you very soon! Thank you very much for the birthday money you sent me. Like you suggested, I bought a new pair of skates at the used skate store in Findlay on Saturday. Believe it or not, they were sold as used for $10.00, but they are brand new and would have been about $40 at a sporting goods store! They'd never even been sharpened. That cracked me up as they sharpened them for free. (It's $10.00 to get them sharpened at the rink.) They may not be the fancy mold-to-your-feet kind Shayla has, but they are 100% better than the ones I'd been wearing. Oh, you remember those skates.....they were YOURS 30 years ago! And they served me well for many years too. Thanks, Mom! Would you like them back now?! Hee Hee! I hope Joe spoils you on your birthday too!

Love, Angela

P.S. Laura walked over a piece of chocolate cake last night for my birthday while I was at work. When I came in they told me what that sweetie did, but they also said she didn't think I'd be able to eat it all because it's so rich. I only laughed and said, "Now Laura knows me better than that!" It was absolutely delicious, but she was right. It was so rich I could not eat it all so I have left overs for tonight. Today one of the teachers (Ellen) is bringing a turtle cheesecake from Sam's Club to celebrate my birthday at lunch. (I'm thinking why wait until lunch....we're all there early. How about for breakfast?! Hee hee) I hope Christi gives you a little birthday surprise today: a beautiful sunrise, a stray animal cutting across your path, or something that makes you laugh. I'm going to be on the look out for my present from her today! Bye, mom!

PIC: Mom and Christi watching a movie during one of Christi's hospital stays at CHOP (Feb. 2006, age 8)

Sunday, November 16, 2008

This Term

You must think I’m being a total “fluff off” this quarter or something because I’ve now received a couple of posted inquiries and a few emails wondering how things are going this term; therefore, this update! (And if you ignore the time and the fact that I cannot sleep, you’ll believe all is going well!) Seriously, it is! I’m blessed beyond belief! (PIC: Break time with Christi's cats, Buckeye and Buttercup!)

While I took the “dissertation delay” from my committee back in September pretty hard, I’ve come to realize that was the very best decision. Expanding this study has been great! I really do love the researching, reading and writing. It took a couple of weeks to get the anger and disappointment out and to get my head around what they wanted me to do to improve my study, but it was truly the best decision. I actually emailed my advisor a “thank you” yesterday. My work is going incredibly well. Slow, very, very slow, but really well. (It seems like I work for hours just to write a paragraph at times.) I’m so excited; I can’t wait to actually get to the research part with the teachers.

Nearly every night and every weekend I’ve been replanning the study and rewriting my chapter three – methodology. I’ll be incorporating technology in ways I never imagined and actually Eric (Christi’s “Webby”) who now works in computers has been incredibly helpful, teaching me to do some internet-based conferencing and recording. Not being able to travel to conduct my nation-wide research (due to finances and having a full and a part time job) I needed a way to do this that would be acceptable as a research methodology and I think I’m going to be fine – and hopefully teach my committee a few new things.

I’ve also added a pre-pilot study to my timeline which will hopefully help me work out any bugs before I actually get to the real work. Sweet Olivia has been assisting me with my proofreading and it’s great to have someone outside of the field of education reading and asking good questions. (When I go to defend my dissertation, in addition to my committee of four, there will be someone from a different college at Ohio State - not Education – and that individual will help make the decision of whether I pass, or not.) My goal is to have the revisions to my committee by the end of Thanksgiving weekend, but that’s probably a lofty goal considering how long each little section is taking me to re-do. I know they weren’t asking for all that I am doing, but I really want to “blow them out of the water” with my revisions and plans. (They’ll be begging to join ME on my next research endeavor – ha ha ha! NOT!)

It’s quite odd paying full time tuition and yet not driving to campus as I’ve done continually since January 2004 (four quarters per year) but I must admit I love working on my own! Additionally, I’ve spent so much time with Shayla it’s been a dream not to have to depend on others to help get her to her many activities and to provide after school care. I am richly blessed!

One thing I am doing that I did not take time for before was exercising, always two afternoons a week but almost every week three times. I jog or use the precor. I’d like to add some light weights, but my exercise time is only the hour while Shayla is at dance. (She has dance three nights a week.) Shayne recently asked if I noticed any differences since I’ve been doing this since September and I haven’t. I’m just surprised that I can now jog for thirty minutes straight versus when I first started walking this summer and I couldn’t go very far without being out of breath. My muscles don’t ache any more and I’m not enjoying it, but knowing it’s good for me keeps me going. I still hope to do that 5K and now I’m confident I can do that as I’m running about three miles each time I exercise. I just want to wait until the weather warms up as I’m not a cold weather friend.

(PIC: Christi in 2nd grade) School has been going extremely well. There’s not a spare moment, but I do really enjoy teaching more than one could imagine. I knew this year would be incredibly challenging emotionally (due to teaching all of Christi’s classmates and not Christi) but that has gotten easier with time. Also, for the past five years that I’ve taught middle school, I’ve always had two preps. Well, this year due to being assigned to teach three gifted language arts classes, now required by the state, I have FIVE preps and six classes that I teach every day. I was hesitant to be teaching a sixth grade class for the very first time, but it’s actually one of my favorites. It has been absolutely overwhelming various weeks, and I do question how I am doing this, but on the other hand, I really enjoy it and time is flying. This week I received two sweet “pats on the back” from parents (Ironically, both who have two kids who both have me). One telling me how much her children enjoy my class and that I’m really challenging them and getting them ready for college. The other also telling me how much their kids like my class and that they appreciate my organization and getting right to work and taking things to new levels because of how I create my lessons and do my teaching. Those aren’t typically the emails teachers receive from parents, so they were very heartwarming to receive and exactly the “keep on marching” orders I needed (wink)!

This semester has been my eighth to teach at Heidelberg College. There are currently 21 students in the graduate level class I’m teaching and I just can’t believe how fortunate I am to have this amazing opportunity, teaching at my alma mater and sharing my love for kids and teaching with others as they pursue their Masters Degrees. It is so different from my “real job”. These students are docile (smile), turn their assignments in on time (big smile) and want thought provoking material. I love the discussions that are able to be held because of the real-life experiences they bring to each class. It warms my heart each week to have this wonderful part-time job! I am soooooo lucky!

Shayla likes that I am gone one night a week because she calls that her “Daddy Night”! Oh, she loves her amazing dad. When we pull in the garage and his vehicle isn’t here she often asks, “When will dad be home?” When he goes to the Y to work out, “When will dad be back?” I get a kick out of her and she’ll never know the joy she brings us.

She too has had an amazing year. Her first quarter grade card was all As, except for a “B” in science. She loves school and it’s very easy for her. Her fourth grade teacher, Caroline, was also Shayne’s 4th grade teacher and Christi’s too! She’s been a family friend for years and I always know she’s in great hands with Caroline and all of our elementary teachers. Shayla likes to help me before school by preparing materials for the day and after school she takes off with the other “TKs” (teachers’ kids) playing while I finish my work.

(PIC: Oct. 2003, Christi six. Shelby, Christi & Shayla were pretending to be cats at my mom and Joe's home. Now I wouldn't recommend eating "off of the floor" at most homes, but at my mom's no problem! Her house is always spotless!)








Each day I thank God for giving us this sweet, compassionate and thoughtful child blessed with great health. I’ll never take that for granted because if you have good health it’s like being granted the greatest gift one could ever receive. She takes dance three nights a week, horseback riding and ice skating lessons one night a week too. Despite the fact my mother is not happy that she’s “taking off” from her weekly religion classes to do skating lessons this winter, I really appreciate my mom voicing her opinion about that – because that’s not her style. Go, Mom!

Shayne continues to love his work, being a manager at the quarry. He works so hard at it, puts in countless hours, but enjoys his work like never before. And quite frankly, he looks “hot” each day going to work in jeans instead of those suits he had to wear for the bank for 15 years. Due to his new job, we’ll have some incredibly exciting things coming up over the next weeks and months. With so many suffering through hard times due to job loss and the economic slow down, we do know how fortunate we are to be working three jobs between the two of us.

(Toledo Zoo Lights Visit with Santa. Shayla left, Christi right, Frightened of Santa!)We know the upcoming holidays will be terribly hard, but how could they not when one of your treasured family members is not with you. Our holiday season will start off with my birthday this week, followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Shayla’s birthday.

(March 2000 Christi gives beautiful Miyuki a birthday present. She was an exchange student from Japan staying with us at that time. We miss you, sweet Miyuki!!)

How I wish Christi was here to celebrate each and every one of those special times with us. I could only imagine the gifts she’d want to make for us all. The past two Saturdays, as we’ve gone to the cemetery, the weather has been nasty. Not enjoying that myself, I just hope she’s playing in the clouds and is nice and warm in Heaven. I pray God is taking the very best care of her until I can get there myself. Until then, I pledge to live my life in a way that will indeed get me there because that’s where I want to be, in Heaven with Christi and our Father!

So how about that for “How are things going this term?” I’m willing to bet if anyone actually read to the end of this post, they will never again ask me, “How are things going this term?” because I might actually answer them! (hee hee). Here’s wishing you and yours a blessed Sunday! Have a great week!

(Our birthdays, 2001. Mom and I share the same date - November 19th. The was the last one before Christi was diagnosed with cancer. Everything changed after that! PIC: Shayla, left, Christi, right.)

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Shay's Journal Entry

Shayla, minus a shirt - hmmmmmm....wonder what she did with that? October 2003, playing in the leaves with Christi while daddy was trying to rake them. Age 4. Last Sunday, at Shelby’s reception back at my sister and her family’s home after church, Tina asked all of us to write about our favorite fall memories in her journal. I had never been asked to write in anyone else’s journal before. Aunt Marty quickly piped in and said to me, “Well, I thought you were the best at delegating in the family, but I think your sister’s got you beat with this one! Here, write in my journal for me so I don’t have to do it!” I proceeded to warn my family that Tina had a great idea of delegating her journal work so when they all come to our home for Christmas this year, they’ll be washing our windows – hee hee!

Seriously, I found the shared journal experience to be a fabulous one! After everyone contributed, it was awesome to go back and read it all, learning about memories of our family from various perspectives. Great idea, sis, but I’ll keep writing here in my own journal (It’s nice and slanted from my warped perspective this way) and you can just get ready to clean the litter box when you come here – hee hee.)

Shayla wrote to “Dear Patty” because that was the character’s name on the outside of Tina’s journal so Shayla addressed her entry to “Patty” – too funny! I’ve corrected the spelling errors in Shayla’s journal entry and included the correct copy below. Enjoy! I love learning new things about Christi!


Dear Patty,

I like fall because of the leaves. One year, Christi and I were playing by the creek. The leaves were in rainbow order. She loves rainbow order!

Halloween is fun! Halloween is an actress’s sport. You get to be what you aren’t. I was Christine from Phantom.

If you can keep a secret, I only sometimes like Thanksgiving. Sometimes turkey gives me a tummy ache.

Love,
Shayla Thomas

Christi, fall 2003, age 6Christi did love “rainbow order”. She would arrange many of her things this way, including her books. If she would have been a librarian I’m certain there would have been a new classification of book order determined – rainbow order, according to the color of their covers (hee hee). I remember Christi trying to explain Rainbow Order to aunt Marty who said, "You have to remember, Christi, I didn't go to kindergarten. Then Christi immediately responded with that infectious giggle, "Neither did I!" In analyzing the entry, I found it quite interesting that she writes about Christi in the present tense. Perhaps Shayla knows best; perhaps she IS with us today! This is my favorite line: Halloween is an actress’s sport.

Now it’s just the mom in me analyzing the information here, and this could be a long shot (cough) but perhaps the tummy ache comes from eating too much?? Hmmmm. Just a thought. Can you believe, I later caught Aunt Tina conversing with Shayla about what she’d rather have for Thanksgiving dinner and it appears Tina will be adding ham to the table this year. That little Shayla sure is treasured! Did my sister ask me for my favorite food? No. Looks like I’ll be bringing my own cheesecake! Hee hee.


Christi had many great fall memories, but I'm willing to bet if Christi were to write in Tina's journal, she'd write something about spending a fall day with aunt Marty on her farm (as pictured in these two photos taken there).




Here’s wishing you and yours a great weekend! May God richly bless you all!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Back on the Ice

Christi's first time on the ice (Jan. 2004) She was surprised she couldn't just take off and skate; she needed my hand.
Christi was always very hesitant on the ice, unlike her little sister (Shayla) who really just took off on her own.
Shayla's first time on the ice, Jan. 2004. It's hard to believe she was ever that little.
Shayla was surprised to see how little she was in these pictures.
This year's ice skating lessons started last week. Shayla is so happy to be back on the ice. We also went to a family skate session over the weekend. We learned she now needs more than the inexpensive skates from the sporting goods store so we went to a new/used skating store in Findlay - thanks to a fine recommendation a year ago from a "blogger" telling me about that store.
Unfortunately, they did not have any used skates for Shayla, but we bought her a new pair. It's amazing the technology in skates. They were molded to fit her feet, then put in an "oven" then she had to wear them around the store for a while to mold to her feet. She loves them - and they're really a step up from what Santa brought her two years ago. The store owners think these will fit her for two years too; I hope so! They will also resell them for us when she's done with them. (Her old ones are currently on their shelves and they told me they'll sell.) Regardless, we learned a lot! That store is awesome! Shay Shay has no idea how grateful we are that she is blessed with good health and that she brings us such happiness.

Here's a little video clip of Shay practicing. Have a great week!!