Cabin Weekend 2011

We were lucky enough this weekend to visit "the Cabin" We had a wonderful time. The kids got to play, I got to relax and visit and actually be with Kevin. The weather was perfect. We were a little bummed that there was not much snow but the roads were clear and then it snowed on Sunday morning. So everyone got to play in the snow. I got my fill for the year. And like magic the snow let up when we left. Just perfect!! Here is a recap through my lens.

Luke and Sam spent some time together. I'm sure they will be best cousins.

This was one of my favorite moments a the cabin. Pablo reading fairytales to the kids. Becca is really listing or praying about it.

Amber and Hannah

Lilly on the zip line. She loves this thing and will go on it over and over again. I'm sure she would say that is was her favorite part of the cabin. Notice there is no snow on the ground Saturday.

Sunday Morning we wake up to the ground dusted with snow.

Max and Lilly getting up from a sled run.

Lilly preferred making snow angles.

All of us minis me.

Thanks cabin we love you, and we love our family that we get to enjoy together.

So in Love

Have you ever seen a child more in love with himself?

Max is always good for a laugh.

Getting Around

This is the most exciting thing that is going on at our house this week. He actually is really good I just was not able to catch it on film.

So nothing is safe he is all over.

Be Careful for What You Wish For

All last week I wished that I had just one pajama day. A day where I could just lounge around and not have any responsibilities or cares. I wanted one day just to be crafty. Well I got my wish when I came down with the flu this week. Yep I got the aches, the fever, the stuffy head and all. I didn't have a care in the world because I was too sick to care. As for my responsibilities, I guess they were still there but it is amazing how much can wait to get done when all you want to do is sleep.

Me just before my 102 temp.

Thankfully my kids have been wonderful and have left me alone for the most part. I hope that they all got this same bug last week. Lilly stayed home from school one day and all 3 of them had a fever at one point. They seemed to bounce back pretty quick, thank goodness.

the kids enjoying their sick day

I'm Just OK

I know it is irrational but I keep running in my mind all the times that I have had an experience with alopecia or baldness in my life. I think it is more than average since the disease affects such a small percentage of people. Somehow I think it was foreshadowing all this.

When I was 8 I was a pretty good swimmer, well a good swimmer for the Valley in California. I had won almost all my local meets and competed in the all city meet. That is where I saw this girl that had no hair, bald. I had to swim against her. At the finish line I realized that she was FAST, faster then me. My immature 8 year old self didn't like her that much, I was mad that she shaved down and won. I realized that she hadn't shaved she was bald. But why. it couldn't be chemo she was to healthy and fast. Now looking back it probably was alopecia.

In high school I learned that my old piano teacher lost all his hair to alopecia. That year we had an assignment to give a persuasive speech in English class. My topic BE BOLD, BE BALD, BE BEAUTIFUL. I wore my swim cap and gave all these statics on how much we spend on hair and that we were just all conforming to society. I did get an A on the speech but no one ended up shaving their head including me. Around that time a girl in my stake was diagnosed with alopecia, My brother was good friends with her. Latter in life we became good friends. We even went to Europe together and hung out when Kevin and I were dating. She now lives in AZ, we see each other every once in awhile.

When we moved to Arizona I met an amazing woman in our ward that also had alopecia. And this last November Kevin's co-worker found out that his daughter has alopecia.

Logically know that all these are just coincidences but part of me thinks that it is my fault. If I only had been nicer to that 8 year old swimmer. If I had only chosen another topic for my persuasive speech. If I only was more compassionate to those who had it.

I was doing some research today for support groups and conferences. I just cried looking at all these beautiful children totally bald. We will most likely be one of those families. I need to chill for awhile because I want to talk about it to death and Lilly is done talking about it. She can't see a change so she doesn't care. The doctor called and said that all her tests came back normal, so that means that Lilly is healthy and has no other underlining disease. We have an appointment with the dermatologist for the being of March, we couldn't get in until then. We will see if there is any treatment that will work for her.