Thankful for Thanksgiving...

Getting cuddled up to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a Hirsch Tradition.
I'm so thankful for them!

 

During the month of November, I enjoy reading the Facebook posts stating what people are thankful for; despite the grief they may get for "not being thankful everyday," I think it's a great way to share with everyone the things you most appreciate. And, I have no doubt that most people are thankful several days throughout the year... not just during November. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving (and my failure to jump on the Facebook-thankful-bandwagon), I decided I would share...

In honor of the 30 days in November, here are 30 things I am thankful for:

1. Phil. I know it's cliché, but he is most certainly my best friend. There is no doubt in my mind that he makes me a better person. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: he is the calm to my chaos. I truly do not know where I would be without him.

2. Landen. My oldest son, who definitely suffers from being the first-born just like his momma, is kindhearted in the most literal sense, giving, loving, athletic, creative, and smart. He makes our family stop and take time to remember "moments." I look forward to watching him grow into a young man.

3. Graden. My youngest son; he's tougher than any of the rest of us in a way I've yet to figure out how to define. Grado is his own person with no fear of what others think and enjoys making others smile and laugh, which is easy for him because he's so darn funny! As we wrap up 2013, though, we remember how far he's come and far he has yet to go, and we smile in awe and pride knowing he is exactly where he needs to be...

4. My Dad, Brother, and Sister. The four of us continue to grow closer and closer over the years despite being so very close already. They are my rocks and my biggest supporters. I can't stress how happy it makes me that my brother and Phil are so close, and my dad and sister love him just as much as they love me! They each make me so proud, and I'm proud to say that nothing can separate us. Goodness knows I could dedicate an entire blog post to just them, so I will stop with this: we're the four best friends anyone could ever have. (Ha!)

5. My Mom- and Dad-in-law and my Step-Mom. Who gets so lucky with their in-laws and step-mom? You hear stories about having to deal with either, but not me. I couldn't have hand-picked a better set of parents or wife for my dad. Each of the three of them love me like I'm theirs, and I can't imagine not having their love and support. The laughs and memories we share are priceless to me.

6. My brothers-in-law, and my sisters-in-law. I've got 2 brothers-in-law, Derek and Al, and I adore them both. They're amazing uncles to my kids, and Phil and I love being with them both -- it's always a good time! As for my 3 sisters-in-law, I have to say that I'm luckiest girl ever! Mindy, Kristal, and Kelly are some of my very closest friends, and, again, I couldn't imagine my life without them. They're never afraid to tell me what they think and put me in my place, and I love that about them. We don't go very long without talking to each other, and for that, I'm most grateful.

7. My step-sisters. I have 2: Ciera and Marisa, and while they're younger, they still show me and my family love in ways that step-siblings don't have to, especially because they entered my life when I was already "grown-up." But, despite our differences, they're there when I need them and love me and my family as if we've always been together. I look forward to our families growing and sharing more memories down the road.

8. My Mema. My sweet grandma has stepped in and played a role in my life that no one could ever replace. As I grow older, my love grows, and I continue to be more like her everyday.

9. Music. I need it. I crave it. It helps me get through so many days...

10. My heart and my inability to say no... although it makes for a chaotic schedule and some grumpy days, I absolutely love being "busy," especially for others. I can't help it and it's too late to change now. :)

11. Riley Hospital for Children. They are amazing. I'm so thankful for their selflessness and knowledge. The love they show for their patients and patients' families is astounding. Graden has been so blessed with amazing doctors, nurses, and medical staff members everywhere we go, but we have a special place in our hearts for Riley's.

12. Insurance. Whether I agree with what's covered and not, how much my deductibles are, and having to wait on hold to talk to someone, I'm very thankful that we have insurance to deal with and help us some.

13. The thoughtfulness of others. During 2013, we've been acknowledged with cards, calls, messages, and monetary gifts in ways I still cannot believe. Friends, friends-of-friends, family, family-of-family... so many people reached out to us. No gift or thought was too small; we appreciated every single one of them -- of you!

14. Books. All kinds of books. Print or digital - I don't mind. I just love books.

15. Pictures. I love pictures as much as I love books. Everyone who knows me knows I'm crazy about taking pictures. I love having the ability to capture a "moment." I'm so thankful for the thousands and thousands of pictures I have!

16. My nieces and nephews. I ABSOLUTELY love being Aunt 'Lissa (or as my ornery Camden says: Aunt 'Sissa). They make me feel special in a unique way. Being an Aunt is different than being a Mom, and I love it just as much. In 2014, I will gain TWO new babies, and I. CANNOT. WAIT.

17. Our jobs. Phil and I can both say with ease that we are doing things (and working for people) we love. We enjoy getting up every morning and working and are appreciative we have jobs to go to each day.

18. My Mentors. There are a few people in my life daily that may not even realize their impact on me. Some day, I will tell each of them.

19. My bed, couch, and DVR. Materialistic? Probably. It doesn't take much to make me happy, but I love our "movie" nights and being able to be lazy with my three boys.

20. My laptop. As much as I like my iPad, I love my laptop. It's my lifeline. I could probably live without my cell phone, but I do everything on my computer; not to mention, it's where I write. :)

21. Public schools and Teachers. I will argue with anyone -- they are the best; I don't care what you read in the newspaper. (Actually, that's any teacher anywhere -- I'm thankful for every single one of them!)

22. Target. A trip to Target makes anything better.

23. My best friends. I mean the ones, both old and new, that have stuck by my side through all my ups and downs. You know who you are. :) I can't believe we've had more years together than not! My favorite childhood memories include you!

24. Memories. Good and bad. I'm thankful for all of them; they make me who I am today.

25. Laughter.

26. Bracelets and boots.

27. Vacations. (Need I say more?)

28. Chips and Salsa. It's like Target: it makes anything better.

29. Crayons, Markers, and Sharpies.

30. Last, but not least: LOVE. The love of my hubby, my boys, my family, my friends, others, and the love I see between people. It makes me happy and thankful for the love I encounter every single day of the year.

Of course, I could have kept going, but this will do for my "thirty days of thankfulness."

I leave you with this: no matter the day, month, or year, take a minute to think of all the things you're thankful for. While some may seem silly or small, they're not. I try not to take anything for granted, and what better day to celebrate what you're grateful for than Thanksgiving.

From my home to yours: Happy Thanksgiving!

Back to Reality...

Last week was... well, it was every positive adjective you can think of: wonderful, amazing, relaxing, exceptional, fun, perfect. Most importantly, though, it was exactly what we needed - a week with no worries, no appointments, and no schedules to follow. 

We knew it would eventually come to an end, and we were okay with that. We only needed that week - that break from everything. Thankfully, we remained safe when we flew home Sunday and only had a minor flight delay. The flight before ours to Illinois wasn't so lucky... We send our love to those families hit by the storms and will be thankful we landed safely (although quite bumpy!).

Yesterday was rough for all of us; we went to bed early! I suppose that's what we get for taking a trip in the middle of work and school. ;) 

And, today, we're back to reality. I wrote in my last post that I have been busy, and I have. But, there's more to why I haven't blogged in awhile.

Grado has been having some new struggles. So, today, he is having a reevaluation with his Neurologist and Neuropsychologist. I'm not sure I am able to offer all details, because there's just so much, but the jest of it is that he's becoming very defensive and protective of his head. If someone gets too close, he panics... he even pushed a kid down at school because he thought the child was going to "hurt his brain." I'm sure Grado doesn't mean harm to anyone, but I also know he's scared. And, let's face it, brain surgery is a lot for anyone to deal with, so I imagine it's worse for a 6 year old (ah! I can't believe he turned 6!). 

In addition to his worries, teachers at school have some concerns, too. We had Parent-Teacher Conferences before we left for Florida, and we spoke with her before that even, and while he is doing great academically, he is "zoning out" like before, which means he may be having more seizure activity, which we thought was being close to under control. Of course there are several other concerns, too, but I'll spare you the details until I figure out what they all mean. Long story short, he's been struggling at school and I hate it. 

Lucky for me, his teacher and the entire staff, is amazing. Even the students are wonderful with him. No one judges (a constant worry for me) and no one makes me feel like he's "bad." They're encouraging and patient, and everything he (and I) need. 

Also lucky for me, I called before we left for Florida and his doc agreed to get us in right away... So, this morning, we're visiting for more testing and to start the process of determining what Grado needs next. 

I watched this little guy last week, and I wish I could have videotaped him the entire week... he was so happy - happier than he had been in a long time. He is always funny and always laughing, but last week, I felt like he didn't have any worries, no stress. So, yesterday, when I felt bad to returning to work and my own classwork, I decided it was so worth it for that time with my family... he deserved it and needed it more than any of the rest of us.

Sometimes, I find myself apologizing for him, for his ornery (or sometimes rough) behavior, but lately, I've decided that every kid has a "moment," despite health issues, and that I shouldn't have to apologize or feel so badly. I think this is something all moms do, though. We've all been there... ours is the loudest, roughest, meanest, or saddest kid in the group. We get "the looks" from others, but I just figured out that those looks aren't typically (ha!) judgments; they're full of empathy. Every kid  has "their moment," and that is okay!

So, while his journey, his struggles, are far from over, I know he will get through them. Although better, he still has a long road in front of him as he works through new issues. I really just hope these seizures are staying away and that he's just trying to cope with the stress and nerves of his surgery. I want it to be an "easy" fix. I want him to be happy all the time so he can share his laughs and smiles and jokes with everyone... 

Today, as we jump back into reality, I will focus on the images I have in my mind of his smiles last week, and remind him how far he has come. This, too, he will overcome; I have no doubt...

What a difference a year makes...

Last year, we celebrated Graden's 5th birthday with Minion cupcakes and several smiling faces. We knew we wanted to have a big party for him because he was in the midst of trying to determine his "next step." And, while it was a fantastic day for him, we had no idea what the coming weeks would bring. As you know, through December 2012 and January 2013, we visited Riley's Children's Hospital a few times and were told at the end of January that Grado would have brain surgery in June.

Since that visit our lives have changed... I realize that sounds so cliché, but it is true. So very, very true.

I'll spare you the details from the months leading up to surgery; you can read about many of them on this blog. What I will say, though, is that when I look back, I can't believe that only five months have passed since his surgery... June 10, 2013 is a day I, Graden, and his family will never forget...

Now, as we celebrate his 6th birthday, I want to take time to acknowledge how thankful we are for his strength, his ornery personality, his love, his sense of humor, and his will to be his own person, even at his young age. Sure, there are days he drives his Momma crazy, but we can't imagine out lives without him.

I've stayed away from my blog for a few reasons: I am busy, I struggle to put my feelings into words these days, and I'm busy. :) Today, though, I blog from Florida... I blog to share my excitement for Graden's 6th birthday, to share my love for Grado, and to share my appreciation for the support, love, and encouragement we've received as a family through this entire journey. And, despite it not being over, I can honestly say this journey is easier because of the people we are surrounded by daily.

Tomorrow morning, my tough baby turns 6, and we will celebrate at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World... Tomorrow we celebrate more than a birthday, we celebrate 2013 and the obstacles our stinker has overcome. :)