Puppy Head

Maggie

I am not a lover of animals. I don't hate them. I want people to be kind to them. I am just indifferent about them...mostly. You see I grew up on a "farm" of sorts. We raised animals we ate, had cats that got hit by cars, and just eventually grew indifferent as a way to not be sad when one died.

Jason on the other hand had always had dogs. He loved them; his family loved them. It didn't really ever come up before marriage. And the first year we spent in an apartment that was required to be animal free. So when we bought our house (exactly five years ago) it started coming up. I was cleaning other people's houses full time, and REALLY didn't want to deal with the hair and body fluids that end up inside rather than out.

But we finally came to an agreement that we would ask for a chocolate lab for Christmas. And we did. Jason saw an add for some in the paper and wanted to go "look" at them. I was at someone else's house when he showed up with our new puppy. Wait....it was August....not Christmas time.

So I reluctantly fell in love with our puppy Maggie. She was full of energy, and a little on the crazy side. I liked her though. And a few months later we realized that we were capable of caring for another life...so we started to journey to being parents.

We didn't realize it at the time, but Maggie would fill our house while we waited. We waited tree years before we became parents. And although I didn't love the extra housework a dog created, there was something about coming home at night to something that loved you, and was excited to see you.

The grace of God brought us Maggie to help fill a void we didn't know would exist. I can't imagine the waiting without our puppy head curling up next to me while I cried. But we are parents now. And although Abigail LOVED Maggie more than we did, and we had wanted her to learn life lessons from having a pet, she was allergic. So began the search for a new home for our Maggie.

The economy slowed it down. And we whispered about how we hoped that it wouldn't happen. We had taken in another dog as a mercy house for her, and felt sad, but mostly happy when she found a new home. But Maggie. She was our puppy head...the dog that got us through the hard years.

On Tuesday we got a phone call about her. A family with four kids, and a big fenced in back yard. Things we dreamed of for her in a new home. So on Tuesday night they came to meet her, and about an hour and a half later drove off with her.

We talked about how much money it would save us, how much more room we would have, how much better it would be for her, and how much less cleaning we would have to do. But really, I still cry when I walk by where her kennel was. I listen for her tags to rattle on her collar as I lie in bed at night, and I miss pulling Abigail out of her water bowl. We have really tried to find all of the goods. But as much as we have focused on the good aspects of it, we miss our big crazy puppy head.

Abigail loved to sit with Maggie, and tackle her, and pet her...she just loved her.

Petless in Muncie,

The woman who gave our daughter life.

Abigail blowing on a stick (that was obviously hot) at the park.

In the beginning of our adoption Abigail's tummy mommy had chosen to receive letters and pictures from us, and that was all she wanted. It's always such a mixed feeling because I want Abigail to know her family, but also felt (secretly) relieved at not having to try to navigate the messiness of openness in adoption.
None the less, we continued to let her mom know that if she ever wanted more contact to let us know. So at Christmas we saw Abigail's mom and dad for a few minutes and they gave her some presents. Since then she has called a few times, which hadn't happened since before Abigail was born.
So yesterday I decided that I would call and ask her to come along to a picnic/playing at the park outing. She said yes. It was truly wonderful to sit with her. She interacted with Abigail, but mostly Jason and Abigail played while V and I sat and talked about life. Oh how I have missed her. She can weave words into a story and you just want to sit and listen for hours. I love her voice, and terms she uses that we don't...like "falling out" instead of throwing a fit. I love her smile and laugh. I soaked in the compliments of how great of a daddy Abigail has, how good of a kid she is, and how she thinks we are great parents. I can live on that for a while.
I hope as the summer roles on we can do a few more things like this. My favorite part of the night was when Abigail, V, and I were sitting on a bench together and she looked at me and said, "mama" and then looked at V and said, "mama." Abigail has two mama's. And looking back through the pictures we took I can see that V's love for Abigail radiates from her face as she is looking at Abigail. I can't think of another woman that I want to be more like, or that I hope my daughter can be like.





Abigail with both of her mamas.



Thankful for a family that extends beyond biological,

Sugar cookies, movie night, and helping.

I thought I would post some pictures from our last few days. Not only have we done lots of fun things as a family I have had two nights in a row out of the house with two awesome friends. I think I might be ready to take on the next few weeks! Without further ado:

Abigail kept asking to "tir, tir."

And for some reason wanted to hold the vanilla bottle...the whole time.

And take all of the apples and oranges out of the bowl.

I toothpick cut out some "blue's clues" and Abigail did some "tars" and "noo noos." (stars and choo choos)

My paw print.

Abigail loved the "bue's cues tookie."

And had to go potty during the process...so she has a naked bottom half and is covered in flour and blue icing.

So I gave her a bath. We have slight ant problem. This is where Abigail merely touched the side of the tub before she got in. I cam back around twenty minutes later...took a picture and then mercilessly killed all of the ants.

Friday night movie was Sesame Street. Abigail had popcorn for the first time and LOVED it. I was also informed by her papa that she was his girl (and that he loved it). And just to let you know how dorky Jason and I are, we actually laughed out loud during a few parts, and then talked about how funny they were later....oh what children do to us.

And this morning I made pizza crust.I had flour on my hands so Abigail wanted some on hers too. I then got flour on the floor, which Abigail played in and attempted to eat. If you haven't picked up on it yet, she puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. But she looks cute doing it.

That has been our weekend thus far. It has been wonderful. It is such a joy getting to be parents, laugh, love, and just delight in our daughter the way God delights in us.

Loving weekends,

No thank you.

Being Abigail.

Most days I am fine. I take the hand that we have been dealt and I move forward. Time spent whining and fussing about how unfair things are, is time waisted. It doesn't change anything, and just seems to want to sprout into a tree of bitterness. So I choose to not let myself think those things.

But some days, well some days I can't help but feel overwhelmed. These are the days when I hear Abigail chatting in her room and I quietly think to myself, "No thank you. I do not want to do the extra things today. I only want to grab my girly, feed her breakfast and spend the rest of the time playing playing playing."

These days I get up slowly and reluctantly. I prepare Abigail's first nebulizer treatment, and muster up a smile before I walk in her bedroom. I do my best to not sigh as I give her the vitamin she needs during breakfast. I try to stay patient as I rub her down with lotion and she squirms and giggles her way out of my reach over and over. I act like it's perfectly normal that my one year old has to wear glasses. Then I do my best to not be sad as I put on her socks, orthotics, and shoes. As the rest of the day goes on I pretend to not notice that she isn't able to do the things that our friends 14 month old can do. All of the little reminders of our life being different just add up. And then as we do her last nebulizer treatment before bed I start to allow myself to let go of the day. I begin to relax knowing that, as always, I made it through, and will do it again tomorrow.

Some of the things in this list might seem little. Things like having to put lotion on her everyday. It is small, aside from the fact that I HAVE to do it everyday. This is one of those days where Holland just feels like it sucks. It's a day where I want to give our list of special needs the finger and say so long, we are off to greener pastures where we don't see specialist, do physical therapy, or worry about pain. You know, the place where most of the people I know seemed to have ended up.

Know that as you read this, tomorrow I will be fine. I will wake up and not give a second thought to all the things we have to do. However I think it's good sometimes to allow myself a day to be frustrated, angry, and sad about the extras. Not to wallow in self pity, but to allow myself to say this sucks, have a good scream about it, and then move on. So today I will do what is required of me, and what is best for my daughter. I will do it all the while thinking, "no thank you."

Moving on,

Updates on our life.

Abigail felt very intenst about "cheese" here.

Well I'll give you the run down on all of the things that might need updated. First of all our Tea Party on Friday night went very well. Abigail ended up getting sick on Thursday so she didn't get to come. We had a great turn out though, and felt so loved by all of the people who came to support our cause. It was a fun couple of hours with music, friends, and laughter. Our goal was five hundred dollars. We, thus far, have made eight hundred thirty one. It feels so good to be doing something. The link to give is still active, so if you are interested feel free to click on the tea party link on the side of the page. Now I just need to work on thank you's. :)
The crowds waiting on door prize drawings.

We made another trip to the doctor yesterday. Abigail DOES NOT have a milk allergy. Praise the Lord! Seriously a huge relief. We came home and immediately gave her a piece of cheese. And after she drank her milk last night she layed there for a few extra minutes with her eyes closed all snuggled up on her papa. This is not an exaggeration. She just seemed to be basking in the pleasure of the reappearance of her "nu."

We also crossed the border of her fever still being most likely only a viral infection. So we started an antibiotic. She hasn't been on one since February. That's a record for her. Hopefully it will work it's magic quickly and we will have our feisty little bug back. She has been a bit crabby, and just walks around saying "mama, mama, mama, mama." I didn't know that it would ever happen, but I could use a break from that word right now.

We planted a garden on Sunday as well. Jason worked all day Saturday and Sunday morning to till an area for it. Then Sunday after Abigail woke up from nap we planted everything. Abigail was a huge help. She was covered in dirt, wet, and ate numerous clumps of dirt as well as making a few attempts at some rocks. The child puts everything in her mouth, but even when it's gross she continues to put it in her mouth. Hopefully she will outgrow that soon, and before there are any really gross incidents.

Abigail with the hoe, post eating dirt...and a little snot.

Abigail and papa in front of the garden.

I think those are all of our update. Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers. Abigail's MRI has been rescheduled for early June, so we will let you know more about that after it happens.

You'll be in my heart.

Abigail with lambie and monkey showing me her "happy face."

All right. This is a bit cheesy, but it goes with my story so I will admit it to all of you. One of the songs that I have sung to Abigail since the day she was born is "You'll be in my Heart" by Phil Collins. It is from the Disney movie "Tarzan."
The song is supposed to be from the ape mother to the human son she adopted. Although I did not adopt a different species, we did cross racial boundaries. I like it, and I like what the words say.
Abigail is still a bit sick this evening. We put her to bed, and about 45 minutes later she woke up crying. I went up to rock her and was singing this to her. I got to the line, "I will protect you from all around you, I will be here don't you cry" and I felt like a liar.
I had to choke back the tears as I finished the song. It hit me hard and fast. I can't actually protect my baby from everything. I can protect her from some things, but this weekend has been a big reminder of all of the things I can not protect her from.
I can't keep my baby from sickness, pain, and tumors. My protection is limited. I will do my best to keep the bad things away that I am able to. However I will be here for her. I will hold her when she's sick, in pain, and crying.
As I've thought about the fact that we are dealing with the possibility of a milk and peanut butter allergy, the likelihood of a tumor, and the definitive of being sick, I've been thinking about Job. I by no means think we have had as much pain or heartache as Job. However I have to say that when things just keep piling on I can identify with him.
My thoughts have turned to wondering how he lost his children. I wonder if Job's children died all of a sudden, or if they suffered; because watching Abigail contend with illness, and knowing the possibility of what lies ahead, is a big test of faith. It would be easy, and understandable for someone in our situation to give God the finger, and walk away. Some of the other people I know that are dealing with NF have done this.
I am not angry at God: I don't even blame Him. I may not be able to protect her, but I can teach her about the One who is able to. I am hopeful that as we walk through the chaos of all of the extras, that Abigail will see that we only make it through because we know The One who created Abigail.



"My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139: 15-16

No MRI

Well as the title says we are not having an MRI today. Abigail's fever spiked last night to around 104. I took her to a walk in clinic (which I HATE doing) hoping that they would be able to give me something definitive (okay really that it was bacterial and we could just do an antibiotic) so that we could still do it today. Instead we heard most likely viral. When I called this morning the anesthesiologist said it would be too risky if it was a respiratory infection, so we rescheduled.

Jason was fine with it, and I have to admit it is always nice to have a day at home as a family that you weren't planning. I cried a little in frustration, and for the fact that it will be another three weeks. I am praying she doesn't have any more pain between now and then.

The other REALLY sucky thing about it all...Abigail won't be able to go to the fundraiser tonight. I beaded her hair and had her tutu and little shirt out and ready for her to dance all night. I am thankful she isn't old enough to be disappointed yet. But I'm pretty disappointed.

She is pretty sick though. She took a two hour nap this morning (we haven't done morning naps in around 6 months) and is sleeping again this afternoon. She has been fussy and snugly as well. During the small amount of time she has been awake we have been watching "Blue's Clue's." It's her new favorite. Here is a picture of her relaxing and enjoying being allowed to watch way more television that we ever allow. :)

As always, feel free to pray for our crazy lives,

In true form...

...Abigail had kept things interesting. We have an appointment with an allergist at the end of June as the result of a possible peanut reaction earlier this year. It hasn't been a huge deal to just avoid peanuts. We probably haven't been as diligent as some people, but we are at least mindful, and always have the epi pen with us.
I should add that Abigail has had exczema since always I think. She also was diagnosed with asthma. So we have known that there were most likely some allergies in there causing issues. We had concluded that pet dander was a trigger, but other than that didn't want to do any skin pricking unless there were issues.
So last Monday (3rd) Abigail woke up with a lot of little bumps. At first I thought chicken pox, but that's not what it is. I knew it was some sort of allergic reaction, but couldn't figure it out. Everything we use for her is diligently read over to make sure it's hypoallergenic. So when she kept getting more bumps I was intrigued.
Then Sunday she started having some bowel issues (we won't go into detail here). It was definitely starting to perplex me because she hasn't had any issues since we were free to give her yogurt (and do so everyday). Even on antibiotics she is as regular as they come.
Then yesterday evening she had some cheese and within a few minutes vomited on the floor. At first I thought it was a virus, but kept thinking that the symptoms were too far spaced. I began to wonder about a possible food allergy (other than the peanuts we avoid).
It then occurred to me that for about two weeks Jason and I have joked after she eats about "what did you feed her" because she has been really off the walls after meals and right before nap and bed. And what does she have before nap and bed, and some form of at most meals? Milk products. What did she vomit after? Milk product.
So we made the trip across town to the doctors office this morning where they took some blood. We won't have results for a few days. But honestly, this week we have been running crazy getting last minute things done for the fundraiser, preparing for the MRI, and Jason has a couple of work days that are literally from sunrise until sunset. So we don't have much time (or energy) for anything else this week. :)
If it turns out she has a milk allergy there will be some crazy research that will have to take place, and possibly some conversations with a dietitian. Soy has been linked to tumor growth in NF. So it's not an alternative to cows milk for her; leaving us with few other options for milk, and even less for things like cheese! She also is at very high risk for vitamin D deficiencies because of her dark skin, and the fact NF has been linked to issues with vitamin D. And in case you didn't know vitamin D aids in calcium absorption. So it is this big ugly mess if we are dealing with a milk allergy.
So we wait for results, and ignore our little girls request for "nu" (milk) and "cheese." You can pray along with us for quick and clear results as well as wisdom if there is an allergy. We want to be sure that she is getting the nutrients she needs and will do whatever we need to, to ensure that.

Halfway through our crazy week,

Pain is good.

Abigail and mama tackling papa.

I've learned a lot in the last few years about pain. You see, there are disorders and diseases that cause a person to not be able to feel pain. And although that seems somewhat appealing sometimes, these people can lose body parts, get horrible infections, and even die because their bodies don't send out the signals to tell them something is wrong. So, you see, pain, although unpleasant, is in our best interest.
But when you are the parent of a little child experiencing pain, it doesn't feel like a good thing. Abigail woke up Sunday from nap crying and telling me her legs hurt...again. I know that this pain means there is something wrong. Her body is crying out to her that things aren't as they should be. And I am thankful that it is giving her, and us, those signals. But I still want to take her pain away.
I spent a few hours out of the house by myself Sunday evening. I just don't know what to do with the emotional pain it causes. I'm certain that this pain I feel is actually good as well. It is an indicator that I love deeply. But it truly feels like too much sometimes. It's a similar ache to the one I had while we were waiting on a baby. Back then though, I knew the ache would be replaced with the joy of a new little life. And it was. The ache now, well I don't know if there is an end here on earth.
As I have spent the last few days in a state of emotional pain, I am reminded of just how good pain is. A long time ago God created the world to be much different than the one we live in. He created it to be perfect. As a result of sin we now live in a world full of pain, sorrow, disease, and death. But God also felt pain with the fallen nature of the world. As a result He sent His son to take our sin and conquer death. If it had not been for the pain God had for His people, and His mercy, there would be no hope. The pain Abigail feels, and the pain I feel would be never ending. Instead I will someday live in perfection again. I will dwell with the angels, and Christ, and feel no more sorrow. My little girl will walk on the streets made of gold and feel no more pain. The tears that come frequently will be wiped away.





Looking forward to no more pain,

Thank You!

I woke up Friday morning and almost immediately had tears running down my cheeks. I feel like we are speeding forward towards the inevitable. I have spent enough time with my daughter to know what that suspicious spot indicates. I have spent enough time educating myself to know the basics of what we will find out from the MRI. And no matter how hard I fight it each day passes and draws us closer to the day where things will be known.
I'm certain all of you have heard that knowledge is power. I have felt this way since finding out about NF. The doctor may not have noticed the spot on Abigail until it got larger or caused more issues. If I hadn't read about NF I would not have known what it was either, and we wouldn't be able to (hopefully) get things started early.
However I have longed for the bliss of ignorance. I would like to not feel that spot every day as I put lotion on Abigail's back. I would like to think that the world is full of happy, wonderful, innocent things for my little girl; that I can protect her from the bad for a little while longer.
But in reality I have no control over anything. So instead I sat on the kitchen floor and wept last night. Jason sat next to me and hugged me. What are you supposed to do with the pain? It's heavier than lead in my soul. Sometimes I feel as if it will suffocate me. Nobody prepared me for how much this would hurt.
But it's just like God to bring beauty from ashes. What feels hard and sorrowful often has light shone on it through wonderful people. I have tried to write a few different times about the people who have touched me during the preparation for our fundraiser Friday. Words truly limit the wonder and beauty of God's people. However I want to try anyway.
First of all a guy who goes to our church, who in essence, doesn't really know us, has helped us with a web page. He gave up his time to help, and for that I am grateful. Another friend whom we knew from college also chatted with me over a few nights to try to help us with it. So to you Seth and Bob, thank you.
Next, the businesses who have given have truly been surprising to me. Not because they gave, but because of what they gave. I had been asking for something small (like five dollar gift certificates) and got nothing worth less than $20. So to Scotty's Brew house, Player's Club golf course, Ink Solutions, Cooper Tires, and Artist Within, thank you.
The next man I will mention I can not thank by name. He has asked to remain anonymous. However one of the businesses locally read the article about Abigail. The woman had a friend who had NF, and her husband is an artist. We ended up meeting her husband on an art walk. He was just this amazing, kind, and humble man. Him and his wife helped start the Indiana chapter of what is now The Children's Tumor Foundation, and were instrumental in getting an NF clinic at Riley. So those things alone have blessed Jason and I, as well as Abigail. However he also is doing something more that is the part that is anonymous. He loved on our daughter when we met him; went on about how beautiful she is. So for that, wonderful new friend, thank you.
The next family was the one we got to spend a few hours with this evening. We had this awesome couple that we used to be in small group with. They own a peach farm, and he does pottery; beautiful pottery. I had contacted him to see if he would donate a door prize. I expected only a mug or two to raffle off. I got exceedingly more. Not only did he give to large vases, worth enough to meet our fundraiser goal we have left, we got to spend time with him and his lovely wife. Two hours out in the country watching him throw pottery, listening to conversation about pottery, peaches, his Airstream (so cool) and lots of other fun things. On the drive home we talked about how refreshing the time was.
So another new friend who's blog is here does photography. She is donating a beautiful photo of her and her daughter's tiny infant hands, from the days at the beginning of life, where they didn't know if their little Lia would make it. So for your generosity to our family, and new found friendship, bonding over the joys and pains of raising our special girlies, thank you Rhys (and Dave and Zaya, and Lia).
And lastly, to those of you who have already donated monetarily, some whom I don't know, some I do. To all of you, your generosity has helped me see the beauty of the design of community. God did not intend for us to walk through life alone. If it were just Jason, Abigail, and me, I would quickly lose all hope. However God has surrounded us with people who are amazing and remind me that I am not walking alone. Although there is still a large amount of sorrow and uncertainty; the love from you all is truly overwhelming. Thank you.

The greatest of these is love,

May 6

Abigail one year ago...snoozing on her mama.

There is this perfect spot on my left shoulder. Abigail's head fits in it just right. She turns her head away from my face, puts that right thumbie in her mouth, raps her left arm around my neck, and her legs around my middle. When she is there; everything feels peaceful. It's the spot she goes to after she falls down and needs comforted. It's where she rest when she's sleepy, or when I ask her to snuggle me. It is the place that temporarily erases the pain of life; whether it be a skinned knee or an aching soul.
I need this place today. I don't know if it's like this for everyone, but today is a weird day for me. Yesterday I turned 28. It was a good birthday filled with a husband and daughter who love me as well as our great friends Eric and Brenda. I felt special and very loved. I wasn't lavished with gifts or attention. I was just reminded through cards and words that I am loved. The whole day though I could feel it. I knew it would end and that today would come.
A year ago today we sat in Dr. Weaver's office at Riley outpatient center. We had asked for the appointment to clear Abigail of an lingering issues from a rough start. We had wanted the appointment to be certain that we didn't have more lying ahead. We expected to hear "she's healthy" or possibly "here are some things to keep an eye out for." That was not what we heard.
Abigail had these birthmarks. She had two fairly large ones at birth, and it seemed like she just kept getting more. Jason and I had discussed it, but figured we just hadn't noticed them before, or possibly it was something more common in dark skin since we are both fair. It was never worrisome to us. But when the doctor took out his pen and started counting them I wondered if we had missed something. He counted 28. They were called cafe au lait spots and were indicative of a genetic disorder called fibro something. I couldn't get it to stay in my brain.
He was the resident. He left for a few minutes and the doctor came back in with him. He too counted the spots and looked her over. They asked if they could bring in some medical students. They also looked over Abigail and talked about these spots. After everyone was done examining her the resident stayed with us and shared some more about this big long word everyone kept saying.
He said that most people who have it only have mild cases. Then he went on and on about learning disabilities, and a list of other things. I kept trying to listen, but could not concentrate or retain anything he was saying. The only word that I kept hearing was tumors. It causes tumors. He wrote down the label that had been given to what our daughter most likely had as well as a couple of websites that were good and informative. He warned us that if we looked it up online we would find worst case scenario and see horrible pictures.
We decided to go out to eat on the way home. We needed something fun, happy, and normal to round out the sucker punch we had just been given. I don't remember where we ate. I really don't remember much of the drive home. We kept trying to talk about it, and trying to remember the word he had said.
It's odd how we all react so differently. Most people who's children have this either struggle with guilt because they passed the gene on, or guilt because they wonder what they did to cause this genetic mutation (which in reality they did absolutely nothing). I couldn't think either of those things because Abigail did not grow in my womb. She had no genetic material from Jason or I. Instead I focused on how could I have missed all of those spots? If I had noticed them earlier would we have known earlier. I came home and looked in my "What to expect the First Year" book. I remembered reading about birthmarks in it. I found the page and read that if your child has more than 5 cafe au lait spots you should mention it to your doctor. Nothing about why. No pictures of what a cafe au lait spot looks like. Not even a description that a cafe au lait spot is the color of coffee and milk. Just that you should mention it.
I for the most part have gotten over the fact that we missed her spots being an issue. Nothing would actually have changed from knowing earlier. We would still be exactly where we are at this moment.
Interestingly May is national NF awareness month. It will always be the month where NF is in my head more than usual. It is the month we first heard about NF. Abigail will have her second MRI this month. Hopefully we will be doing annual fundraisers in May.
Even as Abigail gets older I will have a spot for her on my left shoulder. A spot where she can snuggle in and forget about skinned knees, children who tease, and the pain of the world. A spot where I can forget about NF, the worry of what lies ahead, and the fear of losing my little bug. A spot that makes May 6th feel like just another day.





Snuggling up with my little bug,

Tea Party

When I was a little girl I remember my mom having tea parties with us. Not just the pretend kind, but actually making tea and having cookies with it. It's a fond memory. It was also something that I couldn't wait to do with my own little girl. Last year for Christmas grandma got Abigail a tea set. It has sat in her closet in the box waiting patiently until she was old enough. About a month ago I took it out of the box and put it in her bedroom. She plays with it sometimes, but mostly just loves the "poons." Tonight I decided I would initiate our first real tea party. Mama and Abigail got "dressed up" and invited Papa to her bedroom to partake of sugar cookies and tea. The pictures are what ensued.

Mama pouring the tea.

Abigail stirring her tea.

Papa (being silly) drinking his tea.

Abigail drinking her tea with her "poon."

She finally decided to try the tea...mmmmm!

Abigail helped Mama rinse the dishes afterwards.

So as we go through the next couple of weeks there are a couple of events coming up. First is Abigail's MRI. It isn't on my mind a whole lot right now, but is neatly tucked away behind other thoughts as to not send me into a panic. The second event though is one I have mentioned here and there but have not actually given full attention too yet.

On Friday May 14th we are having a Tea Party to benefit the Children's Tumor Foundation in honor of Abigail. It will be at a local coffee shop called Vecino's. It is located downtown Muncie IN on the corner of Walnut and Main. It will be from 7-9 p.m. There will be live music (with a small cover charge) as well as door prizes you can purchase raffle tickets for. We have had some really great donations, so if you are in the area, check it out! If you are facebook you can look the event up, there are some more specific listings of door prizes.

Maybe we will see some of you there,