Support Ginny's Genes!!!!!

We are getting down to the final days before the Great Strides walk for CF. There are only 9 days left, so please go to the website. Donating is as easy as clicking a button online or writing a check to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation with Ginny’s Genes in the memo section. Forward the link to other friends and family who may be interested in reading about Ginny and helping us out toward our goal for the big day:
http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/HelenSmetheram
Anyone who wants to join us at the Navy Stadium in Annapolis on June 7th, just let me know. There are so many great activities and food for all to enjoy on that day.
Ginny is very excited about this and the it should be so much fun! I want to make this a really fun event for her! We can't wait to join in our first Great Strides walk and get more involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Thanks!
Helen

Who's responsible?

Is it me?
Am I responsible for the 40 lbs I gained?
Am I responsible for my divorce?
Am I responsible for turning 40?
Am I responsible for all of my poor choices?
AM I A SCREW-UP????

Yes, I'm responsible for a lot of this. It's my life, and I've screwed it up. Is it my fault that I haven't been to a dentist in 3 years and I have an appointment tomorrow for a deep cleaning due to my pre-periodontal "issues"? Tomorrow is my phase I, and the right side of my face will be numbed for this deep scaling.......and 2 weeks from now, will be the left side. WOW!

Bottom line, am I proud of my lack of action toward taking care of myself over the last year....dentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually? Yeah, that last one......I take full responsiblity for. I don't want God in my life right now because I'm afraid he'll see what a screw-up I am.

So, again, I ask you........Am I a screw-up? Has HE noticed? Will HE still help me if I ask?

Swim with the Dolphins - Part 2 & 3

So, after riding the dolphins' noses across the pool, we snorkled around the cove with them. I don't have pictures of that, but it was a weird experience. I am not proficient with the snorkel. It made me gag and feel suffocated so I wasn't able to swim face down for more than a minute or two at a time.

The third part was interacting with the dolphins. We learned a lot of information from the trainers as we touched them while they swam by. We avoided the blow hole when they swam by, and learned where on their bellies to touch and where not to touch as they rolled over. Note: Avoid the genitals....always good advice.

It all culminated with hugs and kisses. Julian was the kissing dolphin seen in the pictures below. The hugging dolphin was a female whose name escapes me at this time.....I'm sure Ginny will remember.

Swim with the Dolphins - Part 1

We signed up to swim with the dolphins while we were in the Bahamas. The experience was divided into 3 sections. For all sections, we wore a wetsuit, and had mask & snorkel gear on hand.

First, we were pushed across the cove by dolphins. We had a kickboard which we rested our upper body on. At the trainer's command, 2 dolphins came up quickly behind us and connected their noses with our feet, and propelled us across the cove!!!! WOW!!!! It was fast, the noses were harder than I thought. I struggled to aim myself, Ginny screamed with glee the whole way across, and Drew was cooler than cool!!!!

Bahamas Time

Okay, Let's cheer it up a bit....it's time for the Bahamas!

We arrived on Tuesday evening. It was windy, but sunny, and perfectly palm-treed. Ginny and I went exploring while Drew fell asleep.
There were tons of pools of lovely sea life. Most with underground walkways, tunnels, and viewing areas. We saw some really cool stuff!

On Wednesday, we woke up and headed for the wave pools, slides, tube rides, and amazing fun around the Atlantis resort. The kids went on a ride called "The Leap of Faith". This is a slide which drops straight down into a tunnel which goes through a pool of sharks!!!! See the picture? That's Ginny on the slide......... Drew went too fast!!!! That ride was at the Mayan Temple which also had a tube ride which went into a tunnel in a shark tank. I tried that one because I'm not much for leaping!!!

More Bahama fun to come!

I was a Bride

17 years ago today, I was a bride.
Now, I am a single mother of 2 kids. I'm alone in my house, there are thunderstorms outside. I've been on a crying jag all weekend and couldn't figure out why. Then, I looked at today's date.
No one called me, no one acknowledged the day....but, there is no reason to. It's irrelevant that 17 years ago, I was in a wedding dress, my sister was a Maid of Honor, my brother was in a suit, my mother wore Oleg Cassini, and my father looked stunning in his dress uniform. No one cares, no one remembers, but it was supposed to be "the happiest day of my life".
Note to Brides: Pick a different day to label the happiest. It is, after all, just a day.

Absentee Blogger

Yes, I've been an Absentee Blogger. But, here's the quick and dirty version of some of the things I said I'd talk about:

The Gala - went to a most wonderful event for my nephew, Henry. It was a fund-raising gala for his school. There was a silent auction, raffle, and beautiful video/slide show presentation of all of the students at his school. Henry began the video sitting behind the Principal's desk with his glasses on (he doesn't need glasses, but has decided they are now a part of his character). If this video becomes public or I can get a hold of it, then I will post it here. He was amazing! He had a scripted part which was delivered with meaning and feeling. Then, there was his ad-libbing which brought the house down. Check out Alice's blog about the gala: http://thefairfax.blogspot.com/2008/03/weekend-to-remember.html

The Recovery - Drew's Kidney healed and his visit to the doctor after returning from Florida showed almost no blood in the urine. Hallelujah!

The Appointment - Ginny had her CF appointment. Her weight gain was, once again, beyond expectations. The "hungry pill" really made the difference in our lives and has taken her out of the "hmmm....she may need a permanent feeding tube" status.
Bad news is that her PFTs (Pulmonary Function Tests) have decreased from the 130% range to the 100 % range. Still very good, but significantly lower than her norm. She had a cold which contributed to the lower numbers. But, that is no excuse and we need to ramp it up a notch.
Good news is that we had a wonderful visit with one of the physical therapists who connected with her regarding the ability to "cough up stuff". Ginny calls it "Gunk-a-loogey" and has, generally, been disgusted when it comes up. We need her to embrace and be proud of her gunk-a-loogey. Since this visit, she has been much more productive with her cough.....I've never seen so much mucus, but I'm a proud Mama.

The Birthday Party - Ginny had the most fun & amazing birthday party. We had a room in the back of Ledo Pizza in Crofton. There was pizza, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks and amazing entertainment. We had 2 dance mats plugged into the PlayStation2 which was hooked up to the flat screen on the wall. The karaoke machine with her iPod & TV were across the room, and we had a station for sand art. The girls sang, danced, ate, and made tropical fish & dolphin sand art keychains. My parents and brother were there, and Ward's Mother and sister + kids were there. A great time was had by all!!!!

Next up: Bahamas & Drew's Birthday Party