Dear Angels,

I used to pray for you constantly while Loumy was in Haiti. I prayed that you would watch over him and talk to him and help him in every way until he could get home to me. You answered my prayers and then some. I recently discovered that you must have liked him so much that you didn't feel like leaving him once he got home. Well, I've actually had indications of that before but the event in my parent's backyard a couple of weeks ago truly confirmed it.

Thank you for paying attention to Loumy while he rode his first 4-wheeler by himself. I thought he was doing just fine, zipping around the yard like all the other little kids had been doing for the past couple hours. I was just up on the deck talking and paying very little attention at all. Chris and Mike were watching him, too, so I thought all was fine.

Luckily you knew better. Suddenly Nancy cried, "Oh my gosh!!! Loumy just drove off the edge!!!" You see, my parents live on the edge of a canyon and there are steep drop-offs all along the north edge of their property.

I don't remember what I said but I think I let out some expletives (saved for only those times you think your child has been killed) as I ran down the stairs and out to the edge of the lawn. I also saw Mike and Chris running towards where Loumy must have driven over--the steepest valley-like area of the gully. My heart was racing and a thousand thoughts went through my mind. I knew my baby was in bad shape. It was impossible for him not to be. The drop is extremely steep and there are dead trees and branches every where. I seriously thought he might be dead. At the very least he had been impaled, had broken bones, and was bleeding to death.

As I got to the edge I saw the 4-wheeler down about 40 feet but I couldn't see Loumy. I began to panic. I heard branches crunching and breaking as Chris called to me, "I've got him, he's all right." I didn't really think he was okay, but assumed at least he was alive if Chris had him. As I got to the spot where Chris was, he handed Loumy up to me and I held him tightly to me and started back towards the house. I held Loumy out for a minute and could see nothing but some leaves and grass in his hair and dirt. I held him close again and began sobbing, which suddenly stopped Loumy's crying. I took him in the house and began to examine him more closely. I got a wet washcloth and began wiping away the dirt. A small scratch on his forehead. A tiny scratch on his back. Mud caked into his toenails. A few scratches on his shins. None of the scratches were even dark or bleeding.

It was then that I realized what had happened. As Loumy flew over the edge, you grabbed him off the ATV and gently set him onto a pile of branches. I can think of no other explanation, dear sweet angels. Thank you thank you thank you!

Love,

A Very Grateful (and still shaken) Mama

This is my parent's beautiful backyard. They live on the edge of a canyon. To the left it drops down into a huge gully. We called it the "hollow" when I was growing up. It is great for adventures. Not so great for 4-year-olds to drive off on ATVs.
You can sort of see the track the kids were taking down the right side of the lawn. They'd circle around a sprinkler placed on that brown spot in the middle and come back and into the front yard. Instead of circling, Loumy went on the track to the right, then only did a 90 degree turn instead of a 180. He headed straight off this point:
Unless somebody were to stand at the bottom, I don't think you could really tell how steep this is from a photo. But this is where he went. It took 4 guys, a rope, and a garden hose to get finally get the ATV back up to the top.

He Talks...

...and he laughs. I love my Finny-Finn Baby!!!

Commercial

This has to be the my favorite commercial ever! Check it out and see if you can guess why I like it so much!


"I love what you've done with your hair."

Hurray for Bald Girls!!!

I first went to a Bald Girls Do Lunch hosted by Thea Chassin in November of 2007. It was the first time that I had gone bald in public at all. It was the catalyst for change for me. I have changed so much since that time. I will be forever grateful. Check out this cool bit on the Today show about Alopecia and Bald Girls Do Lunch. Seriously, don't the women look beautiful when they take their wigs off? I used to not feel that way but I have changed and am forever grateful.

On a side note, my hair did start to fall out again but, as you can see, my friend "confident-bald-girl" came right back, so for that I feel extremely blessed as well. Oh, and there is a pic of me on this segment. Near the beginning some photos come on the screen and I am in the 5th photo.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Little Things that Hurt My Heart

We have 20 new children that we are adding to Haitian Roots. That will bring us up to 133 children. We hope and pray that we will be able to raise the funds necessary to provide them all the education they so desperately need and that their parents dream for.

I recently received their applications and copies of the pictures that Chareyl took in June. The children are, naturally, very beautiful and mostly I am just excited and full of hope. But it is funny how the little things are what break my heart.

Take this cute father and daughter. This little girl is Jesula. She is 6 years old. Her parents love her very much but are currently unemployed. Unemployment rate in Haiti is very high. They know how important education is and took this opportunity to meet Chareyl and fill out an application very seriously. I can only imagine the difficult circumstances surrounding Jesula and her family. But for some reason it is her dad's signature (Joseph Lasson)
and her oversized shoes that I noticed from the corner of another photothat hurt my heart the most.

Hm...

Four Months Old

You've come a long way, little soldier boy! We love you like crazy!

Then (15 March 2009): 3 lbs. 8 oz., 19 inches
Now (15 July 2009): 12 lbs. 10 oz, 24 inches

Family Reunion

Over the 4th of July weekend we had our first ever actual family reunion from my parents on down. I vaguely remember going to a family reunion or two when I was younger and I didn't know a soul. They weren't that fun to me, even if they did have a bouncy castle or two. But this is what I call a reunion! It wasn't some fourth cousin that I never met. It was just my parents and brothers and sisters and our kids and stuff. But there are a ton of us so now we actually have to plan a reunion to get all of us together. My sister, Megan, got the idea and headed it up. Nancy was nice enough to give the stats on our family recently:
2 parents + 11 kids + 11 spouses + 57 grandkids + 6 grandkid spouses (well one is engaged) + 8 great grandkids = 104 people!!! Whoa!
We were missing about a dozen nieces and nephews, but all of my siblings were together for the first time in a very long time. We spent the weekend in Soda Springs, Idaho, swimming, laughing, eating, talking, riding horses, motorcycles, 4-wheeler's, playing basketball, and more.

Here we all are clockwise from far left in blue: John (#5), Rob (#6), Me (#9), Dad, Nancy (#10), Mark (#1), Tony (#2), Aaron (#8), Amy (#4), Chris (#7), Mom, Megan (#11), Kathy (#3).When I look at these photos I feel like the luckiest girl in the world because I love my brothers and sisters so much. My Mom always prayed for two things for us as kids: 1. that we would marry well, and 2. that as siblings we would be eachother's best friends. Thank heavens for answered prayers!

Here are most of the grandkids surrounding my parents. Can you find my kids? Its kind of like "where's waldo" :)
And here is almost everybody. ::whew::