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Our Year 2000 Family Christmas Newsletter
Written in the glorious year 2000
This year's Family Newsletter will be a little shorter then usual. After doing last year's newsletter, Misty said she would never do another one, but now she wants to do it again!! But...we've had so many problems with our computer, that we haven't been able to even start one until now (Dec. 8). So...she said she would do next year's newsletter. She now admits that she loves doing the long ones. I'm not sure where to start, but I guess Marc would be a good place to start. marc is now 7 years old and in the second grade. Lots has happened to him this year.
UPDATE I started to write about Marc, just a short summary, but it ended up SIX pages long. So, I'll start with the other kids instead.
Rita
is a happy-go-lucky 5 3/4 year old. She turns 6 on Dec. 29. Kindergarten is her newest love, and she is quite the social girl with lots of friends. She has a kind heart. About a week ago, her teacher talked to her class about food for the needy people in our town. Rita was so excited to start giving some of our food. I didn't have the time, and told her I would help her in the evening. A couple of hours later, Bea (21) told me I better see what Rita was doing in the kitchen. I came out there, and saw Rita so proudly standing by the kids' table. There were several zip lock bags for the homeless. One bag had a lemon. One bag had one cold hot dog. Another bag had 2 oreo cookies. On the bigger kitchen table, was a cardboard box, decorated partly with some left over christmas paper, and partly with plain paper that she and the other little ones had decorated with stickers and crayon drawings. It was the most beautiful box in the world. Later, I did help her put in several canned goods, but we decided the cold not dog probably wouldn't stay fresh very long. She is beginning to call some kids her "brown" friends, but also asks me, "Mom, I never see any brown ballerinas (sculptured). Can't brown girls like me be ballerina's?" So, if you ever see any brown ballerinas, would you let me know? I have looked all over town, and haven't found any. I collect brown angels, and have several around our home, hanging in the windows.
Bea
is 21 now. It is so inspiring to know her and to watch her grow. She has two part time jobs (one being only 1 hour a day), and she absolutely loves them!! She works 5 days a week and always runs from the car when we drop her off, so she can be at work on time. She takes her job seriously!! At the other job, she clears tables, etc. Her boss says that if all her employees were as reliable as Bea, her job as manager would be so much easier. By the way, Bea has Down Syndrome.
I can now see that I am still a jobber box, even when I try so hard to just do a short summary, ha, ha. I, MOM, am still enjoying the computer & my web page, Adoption: A Family Choice http://www.adoptn.org. Dad gave me the greatest video camera, which is also a digital still camera. I really needed one, since my old one had an eye piece held together with scotch tape, a start button that had to be held down to tape anything, and a battery that kept falling off (I tried to get it fixed, but the man said it would cost almost as much to buy a new one as to fix it). The camera wasn't a lemon, it had just been dropped too many times by older kids who were trying to help mom. Anyway, I love taking pictures, seeing them on the computer screen, and then being able to edit them. I bought a new, super great scanner. An older/adult kid thought I was being a bit selfish because I used some of the money I had saved for Christmas presents. To be honest, we have less to spend on Christmas presents this year because of medical expenses. We have 3 big bills still outstanding. but, I felt I deserved something for me, and I am right!! I think that one of the reasons I can be a mom to so many kids, and not let the stresses of medical conditions overwhelm me, is because I do believe I need to take care of my needs and wants, rather than just be a slave to the kids.
DAD, the most wonderful husband in the world, has been very busy. His retirement has been such a relief for me, I never realized how busy I was in the years past, until his retirement. He drives the kids to private school early each morning, helps with some of the doctor appointments, cooks dinner, helps with homework, drives kids to work, and does a multitude of other things I find for him. He loves having the time to do yard work, study the birds, flowers, and plants in our yard.
Janice, is 12 1/2 and has been blessed with a gifted voice teacher. Her teacher is working on a PhD, and is a wonderful role model. She is an independent woman who has traveled to many places in the world...and...she is also blind. After Janice's first lesson, she was quiet for several minutes, and then said to me, "Mom, she and I have so many things in common. I didn't know there was anyone in the world like me." She has been telling us lately that God wants her to go to China in 6 or 7 years, to help the homeless, and to help kids in orphanages. When she saw Santa this year, she asked for a jar of frosting, so that she can help me decorate cookies, and for a home for all the children in the world who don't have a family.
I can't leave out any kids, but this is really getting to be much longer then even I planned. So, I'll just write a tiny bit about each kid who is still at home so they won't feel left out.
Martha, 17, Junior at a Christian School, this evening spent several hours working with the little kids, making Christmas decorations. Now, she says she is tired.
Kris, 16, in high school, loves singing with the choir in high school, and would spend 30 hours a day listening to music if there were 30 hours in a day, and if we let her.
Alice, 16, has learned the joy of jogging, and will push her teacher trying to get her to jog with her.
Jim, 20, looking for a job, hoping to find a room mate so he can move out and be on his own, and then be able to buy as many coats as he chooses.
Doug, 19, will graduate from his Christian School in June 2001. Has a part-time job. May move in with his big brothers in another state after graduation.
Jay, 19, finds it hard to even think of ways to spend his allowance, he’s just happy with life as it is now. Job training at a church, in Special Olympics basketball.
George, 20, a greeter at church, in Special Olympics basketball, has a couple of girls who are quite interested in him, always willing to help others.
Roger, turned 5 years old today, loves his pre-school class, learned to ride a two-wheel bike, and usually sleeps with a toy in each hand.
Sandy, 3 ½, also loves her pre-school class, and loves art (hopefully on paper, but she has been known to do her artistic work on the walls, on her bed, on pictures, in books, on carpeting, on the refrigerator, wherever she feels a spot is a good place for her beautiful creations).
Note:At this point I copied the notes I made about Marc which are on Marc's page, so I will skip that part.
March 2000
Ending notes on Marc:
I am having a multitude of feelings, some don't even make sense at the time. I can laugh sometimes just talking about the tumor, or cry at other times. Strangers, or acquaintances...like clerks at stores...have such an interest in Marc, and often ask how he is doing. They tell me that he is in their prayers. You can't believe how comforting that is to me. Most of my adult kids understand and support me. Two just kind of roll their eyes whenever I talk of Marc and the tumor. At those times I feel alone. I have to admit, though, that they are probably just tired of hearing about it over and over and over again.
Marc also started taking modeling classes. Kelly, a newsperson at a TV station here, recommended them. The agency gave him a very generous scholarship, feeling he would be great for commercials. He absolutely loved the classes!! He was in a mall Christmas celebration. His “agency” had the kids do whatever they wanted. Marc decided he would sing “Don’t Laugh at Me.” Can you imagine a 7 year old, just walking up to the mike, with no fears, no inhibitions, and then saying, “I’m going to sing a great song for you. I dedicate it to my sister, Janice.”
Well, he did it, and sang wonderfully (even though he just couldn’t quite reach the really high notes). He also modeled two outfits with another child. The other boy was taller and older, and at the end of the runway, Marc gave the boy a high five…but the boy just walked away. You should have heard the audience let out a quiet, “Ohhhh.”
December 8, 2000
We were invited to another Christian School, to speak (and Janice sing) for their three chapel classes. Janice sang her song, “Don’t Laugh at Me,” with a little help from Marc. We shared some things about being blind, and having a handicap, but mainly how our unique differences are to be viewed as wonderful and exciting. At the same time we are all the same in that we eat and sleep, and love Jesus and like to swim. We enjoyed our time, and I think the kids enjoyed us also. At the end, while the gym was empty, and we were about to leave, a young boy came to us, gave Marc a dollar bill, and held out two small candies. He quietly said, “Their song really touched my heart.” Then, he started to cry, soft little tears.
December 1, 2000
It’s been 3 months about since Marc's last MRI. I went to the appointment filled with worry. Marc has no symptoms, again, just like the beginning of the year. But…every once in awhile I notice things that I would usually not pay any attention to: he will slip away for a short nap, sometimes only 5 minutes long. Other times he will complain about a “kitten” headache at school. At those times I tell him to get a glass of water, and rest for a few minutes. That seems to do the trick. I talked to the new doctor about it, and he said that sometimes when a person with a shunt gets up, the pressure change could cause a slight headache feeling. Boy what a relief that was to hear!!
The doctor said that he thinks the MRI shows no changes from the last one, but we need to see an oncologist, and another doctor about the masses in both kidneys, and an eye doctor about the mass behind his right eye. We have seen the glory and power of a healing God. We have seen our son come out of dangerous surgery, and bounce back, and continue to fill us with joy. Everywhere he goes, people are impressed with his outgoing personality, his joy. It is as if his body and soul are so thankful to be alive. He just has to talk about his joy all the time. Today, he and I were looking for groceries for a taco and salad bar for Dorothy and her boyfriend, Reed. In the vegetable section he noticed the wonderful smells, and said, “Mom, these delicious smells, just fill me with joy.” A lady nearby smiled, and told him “Thanks for reminding me to enjoy even simple things.”
Our family is unique for several reasons. As parents, we don’t think of a child as “our blind daughter,” we just see them for their personalities. Their handicaps are a part of who they are, though, and their differences just add to the colorful family that we have become. Just for the fun of it, I will describe the kids at home, with only their handicapped and racial labels, see if you can figure who has what label or labels. The numbers in parentheses stand for the number of kids with that label.
totally blind (3), Cerebral Palsy (3), cleft palate/lip (2), Tuberous Sclerosis (1), Fetal Alcohol Exposed (3), born with Cocaine in system (1), club feet (2), Down Syndrome (2), nasal deformities (1), Angiomylipoma’s or renal cell carcinoma in both kidneys (1), missing big toe (1), brain cyst (1), mild kidney/urinary track deformity (1), Autistic (1), hydrocephalus with shunt (2), hydrocephalus either arrested or non-problematic (2), rare form of muscular dystrophy (1), Auditory Processing Deficit (1), Developmentally Delayed, the current politically correct term (5), Agensis of the Corpus Collostum sp? (1), born weighing 1 pound 3 ounces (1), born weighing 3 pounds 4 ounces (1), prenatally exposed to unknown drugs (1), encephlacele (2), no hip socket (1), brain tumor (1), webbed fingers (1), missing finger tips (1), RAD reactive attachment disorder (1), ADD/HD basically hyperactive (2), severely abused as an infant (1), complete AV canal heart defect (1), previously severely malnourished (1), tumor at the back of right eye (1), rare form of dwarfism (1), Amniotic Band Syndrome (1), African American, Korean, Caucasian, Philipino, Hispanic, Brazilian (some are of mixed racial heritage)
Well, I think I am tired now, so…goodbye, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year
PS. I forgot to add a couple of things: Janice received a very generous part-scholarship to join a Girls’ Choir. She absolutely loves it!! She also plays drums for her Middle School band. And Marc is taking piano lessons. He likes to show off what he has learned whenever anyone comes over. And, we have a new grand-daughter, Melessa Angelina, born 1/27/00.
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