Oh Snowy Day!

Today we had the most epic of snow days. As night falls, we are up to 14 inches and counting! It was the most perfect of snow days.

 The best part is that we had enough snow for the kids to strap on their skis and tour around our neighborhood and then head one street down for The Big Hill. And since Parks can't ski this year while he gets better, the fact that the mountain came to him today made my mom heart swell with joy. Pure and happy joy for him.

Zombies like to run.

There's this rec center in our town that supports teens and adults with disabilities. And though it's not big and fancy, they took on the challenge of putting on a 5k race to raise money for their non-profit. And it had a zombie theme. And because the source of this race and the run itself are so spot on for what our family is going through this winter, we knew we had to do it. Plus, Parks totally digs dressing up like a zombie and running. But because they are a small center, they only thought there would be about 50 racers. So on the day they opened up registration, by the time we tried to get our family signed up, all the spots were gone. Jeremy emailed them and told them a little about what Parker is going through right now, why he took up running, and why this was so important to him. We got back a heartfelt email (that went on to be a heartfelt exchange for a little while) and we ended up joining this race as a part of the rec center itself. Because it encompasses the support that Parker might be a part of someday.

So after all that meaningful and sincere talk back and forth, we woke up today and headed to Lake Whatcom at 8am to get our race numbers and our faces painted by the local beauty school. And then we gathered with a couple hundred of other zombies and ran 5 kilometers as fast as we could. One of the best parts was the celebration afterwards at the Kulshan Brewery. Where there was a Thriller dance flashmob. Best.Day.Ever.

The Dancer

Evie and her preschool class got to go to a dance class on a field trip this week. And now they get to go every month until the end of the year. To say she's ecstatic is an understatement!

Mount Erie.

One of our favorite places to go. And with the best people. It was the perfect day.

A fairytale.

We are spending the weekend with friends. Magical, perfect, lovely time with friends. Where kids squish into twin beds together to sleep at night, not because they have to but because they can't bear the thought of being apart for that long. We spent the first fairytale day down at the water, nestled into the fog, looking for treasures and building forts. It was perfect.

 

Seven.

A little over a week ago, Parks turned seven. The big boy, huge number, I can't believe he's that old, age of seven. And we celebrated. Quietly out at dinner. Spacing out some presents to make sure he didn't get overwhelmed. And then by going away for a night with just mom and dad where we all slept in a tiny bed together because it was his birthday wish for the night. I think he wanted to feel safe and wrapped up and removed from everything for a little bit. And so did we.

I've been so quiet about all that Parks has gone through these past two months. Quiet while we processed and worked through it all as parents and with him. And though time has passed, I was just discussing with a friend how we don't feel better...just different. A new kind of normal.

Eight weeks ago, our lives changed. Parker was at school when he became confused. He didn't know his name. Couldn't answer questions. He began stumbling and then soon, he couldn't walk. He was rushed to the hospital and he was unconscious for several hours. The doctors were confused. We were worried. But he recovered after a couple of days and I had peace and comfort way down deep in my soul that this was a weird one time occurrence. But then it happened again. And again. And again, until things became different and we were seeing pediatric neurologists and taking ambulance rides to the hospital. There were CT's and MRI's, blood tests and EEG's. Late night phone calls with specialists and tests into the dark hours of night. The day before Thanksgiving we were told Parker has a severe form of epilepsy. That his brain is seizing all of the time. That even though we can't always see it on the outside, this amazing boy has been compensating and living with some extreme difficulty on the inside. He is under the care of an amazing team. His doctor told us that her only goal for the next year is to preserve his brain. And she will do everything in her power. This little trooper takes a load of medications twice a day now. Medication that he hates and they make him feel ill and nauseous. But he troops on. He is an incredible boy. And we don't know what the future holds. On one hand, it can look quite bleak. But I am also a believer in miracles.

I couldn't quite bring myself to write his usual birthday letter on time this year. The kids' birthday letters are usually something I look forward to writing with fervor and passion. But this year I feel scared and worried for my sweet angel boy. But as more time passes, and this new normal becomes a greater reality, I'm becoming braver for him.

Dear Parker,

You are seven! I feel like I might as well call you an adult. Seven seems impossibly old! You are tall and strong and passionate about things you love in your life. You have taken up running recently and you ran a 5k in 32 minutes, then you placed 2nd in your age category at your second race! I have trouble keeping up with you :). You are an amazing architect. You draw detailed building plans, then you bring them to life through your blocks, your legos or cardboard and paper models you design. You are a lover of the outdoors. You spend hours down at the creek building dams, collecting items to look at through your microscope, riding your bike, or going for long training runs. You love to run and jump and play and you're always moving. However, you are careful to tell us that your favorite time of day is in the wee hours of the morning, and at night before bed when you snuggle with dad and I and we talk about everything under the sun under a blanket of darkness. You are compassionate, sensitive and introspective. You love to laugh and tell stories. You are brave and you have been through a lot at the end of your sixth year, and though some days brought you sadness, you are a fighter! We love you.

Love, Mom

Frozen rain

Every year after Christmas we make our way over the snowy passes and hide out in Plain, nestled in the snow and frozen winter wonderland with no phone, no tv, no internet to pass the time. We sled and we make an igloo and we spend the evenings playing games and knitting (well, that's just me). But this year there was just a tiny dusting of snow. Except under the canopy of trees, and then there was just the cold grass and dirt. But half an inch of snow apparently won't stop us. The week went as planned. Even through the freezing rain. Literally. Freezing rain.

We had some death defying sled runs. While freezing rain isn't necessarily the most exciting atmosphere, it does make for some crazy sledding rides. Especially after we lost all the trees in the horrible winter storm last year and we're still working on getting it cleared out a year later. There were logs and stumps and tree obstacles to make it oh so exciting!

 I think Everly felt safest with Jeremy in the sled with her. Good call, Ev.

 We tried for a three generation ride.

 The all guy ride was not as successful.

 So then they went for a grandma-mom-Parker-Everly trip. Aaaand we made it about 30 feet before we ran into the bushes and I nearly wet my pants with laughter.

And on the last day, the kids and Jer made some epic runs....

 Making it all the way ONTO the bridge to the river...

 

BOOM!