April 10, 2007 Of white rabbits and Cheshire cats.

Wow! Our life lately has resembled the white rabbit’s life in Alice in Wonderland where we run in circles crying, “No time! No time! I’m late! I’m late!” It is absolutely AMAZING how a little R & R can relax and refresh a soul. Our little three day vacation was a phenomenal success. After staying up ALL NIGHT to prepare and awakening the family before my own head ever hit the pillow, I slept most of the trip up. When we arrived in Portland, we met the Cookes at the Ronald McDonald house where the kiddos played and the adults chatted. We bumped into a friend from home whose little girl had just under gone major heart surgery and were able to offer some encouragement and understanding. (It seems that every time I go up there I know someone who has their baby in that hospital.) Then, while Nanette had her one year CDH checkup, we visited the blood bank at the hospital. I’m not sure if I mentioned it previously, but Silas had used up all the blood from two donors and was working on his third donor’s blood before we left the NICU. It was thrilling to be able to introduce him to some of the people who generally never get to see the recipients of their hard work. Many remembered his name and were so tickled to have us visit that they took us on a tour of the blood bank explaining what they did in the lab and even showing us how they run tests on the blood. We then met Nanette and crew to head up to the NICU for a visit and pictures. (By the way, Nanette is in remarkably good health and is developmentally just like any other one year old. . . Scratch that; she is above any normal one year old and beautiful to boot; imagine the hearts she’ll break with all those striking good looks and brains too!) It was truly incredible to be sitting outside the NICU with our children playing on the floor not even really concerned about germs.
We also spent a few minutes letting the children play in the children's garden where we looked for and found Jolee Jean's memorial brick.

Well, after trying to contain the children’s energy for so long, we went out to supper at the “Spaghetti Factory” where we bumped into Dr. Newman and her family. She was the doctor who discharged Silas and we had really appreciated her care for Nanette and our little bear in the NICU. Before the Cookes and Kynes went our separate ways, the kids got to play “freeze tag” with Albert as “IT” and they had a great time. Mind you, my husband was pretty sore the next day, but what are dads for, right?

We settled our weary family at a hotel near Salem and spent a leisurely day shopping the following day. Albert found a leather coat and I found a jacket at Burlington Coat Factory. The kids managed to each spend almost their entirety of their money as well. We picked up new bathing suits for all and found a new hotel that had a pool with a kiddy section and fountain, a hot tub and a sauna all for a reasonable price. This was Silas’ first time in such a giant bathtub! Everyone enjoyed getting wet.
The next day, we saw Becky briefly while we ate breakfast. She looks fabulous but is still missing Joshua tremendously. Please keep remembering to pray for her whenever she crosses your mind. The gaping hole in her soul is so empty without her son. She means so much to me and I wish there were something I could do to ease her pain, but I know there isn’t. I can only ask the Lord to fill that void with comfort and peace and soothe her broken heart. I remember the day we left the NICU and headed home while Joshua was still stuck there. Amidst the unbridled joy of leaving and taking my son home, I felt like I was abandoning Becky and Joshua and the other precious families I’d come to cherish in the NICU. It is still a hard place to remember.

Anyway, the following day, we took the kids to the Enchanted Forest (after stopping to buy slickers at Wal-Mart because it was RAINING! RRRRRrrrrrrr!) But it cleared up a little and we had a fantastically good time. With the park being mostly empty, we got our pick of the rides and the whole family enjoyed the relaxed, kid-friendly, hands-on theme park. Even Silas got to go on a ride!
Daddy and Silas in a magnificent display of "action and response" therapy (aka "Cuteness").

Silas may look like he contracted some rare disease but in actuality, he had been thoroughly enjoying a lollipop!
The whole vacation was exactly what the doctor ordered. It was a simply fabulous switch from our crazy, daily, “white rabbit” life to the point where I’ve been so cheerful since returning home that now I feel more like the Cheshire Cat with a “perma-grin”. :- ) Ahhh yes; God IS good. I sometimes lose sight of that when bad things happen in this fallen world. Forgive me Lord.

I will write soon about the impact this Easter holiday has had on me. It is just too raw at the moment. Thank-you all so much for caring and praying for us.

~Tanaya~