Journal

Monday, April 26, 2020 11:13 AM CDT

Another year ….. so many changes in our lives. Not just ours personally, but also in the world. A year ago I could never have imagined where we are today. I still find it so odd walking into a store and seeing people with masks on……. having the school year be over completely the second week in March. I have thought about that one a lot. I know somewhere there is a high school senior …… that is….. or has battled cancer …. who some never thought would make it to his high school graduation day ….. and has now missed out on those final weeks of school and the closure that they deserve. That also goes for the 5th grader who was in their last year of grade school, or the 8th grader who missed their final weeks of middle school. As a parent, those years to me were so special. I also cannot imagine having a child with cancer at this time. I think of all of the families at Mott, and especially the families in New York at the Ronald McDonald House that get their treatments at Memorial Sloan Kettering …… how scary would that be. So many difficult decisions to be made by them on top of what they already have to go through. Our old cancer friends from Ohio (yes, Shane had friends/acquaintances that were Buckeye fans :D ), drove through the night to New York to pick up their daughter just as it was becoming real that New York was going to be a hot spot. I am soooooo glad they were able to get her out of there and bring her safely home for now. They had already lost Christi to cancer, they could not take a chance and lose their last child. I am hoping with all of my heart that by Shane’s next birthday, the world will be back to some kind of ‘good’ normal again. I have thought of Shane a lot lately, and miss his computer skills soooooooo much. He would laugh at me arguing with my computer almost on a daily basis right now. Since school is done for the year we have been assigned to do 112 hours of online learning. I don’t mind the learning, I enjoy it really. It’s just the sitting in front of the monitor for hours listening to some guy talk fast and non-stop …….. ugh! Shane would be so impressed with all of the technology/programs that I have learned this last year. Google drive, google docs, google hang outs ……. and I have actually not lost or deleted any documents yet ……. that I know of anyhow (ha, ha).

There have been a few changes with our family this past year. Kayla changed jobs again : ) She is now a Child Life Specialist at Covenant Hospital in Saginaw. It is a new program that she and another girl are starting there. They were doing really good with it, only a few months into it before the pandemic started. They have now had to pull back on what they can do and who they can see …….. hopefully the continued healing of everyone, and no new diagnosis, will keep moving forward, even if it’s baby steps, and they can get back to growing their program. She and Tim, and the kids went around delivering pepperoni pizzas to a few of their friends today (social distancing of course and with masks). I think they all needed just to get out and have a little fun. Charleigh started kindergarten this year (well in August), and she liked it. She seems to be a social butterfly like her Uncle Shane, a hands-on little person like her Uncle Adam, and a 5 going on 15 year old, like her mom : D . Gallagher is almost 2, and what a hoot he is. He is definitely not like his Uncle Shane when it comes to his talking. He’s pretty quiet for the most part and does more observing of everything. He’s also very serious about any task he may be doing…… stacking toys, dumping from one toy to another …… he’s fun to watch.

Adam and Rachel are still down in Ypsilanti. Rachel has one more year left before she is done (yaaaayyyyy). They have had struggles and heartbreak this year. Trying to conceive a baby through IVF ….. becoming pregnant and then losing that baby :’( They are now expecting a baby boy on July 6th!!! As much as I wondered what Shane would have had to say when Kayla was expecting her first, I REALLY wonder what Shane would have to say about Adam expecting his first ….. oh the images in my mind right now :D This time next year I hope to have nothing but good stories to tell about these two (almost three).





I hope this post finds everyone healthy and safe. There have been so many changes around us these last few months. I hope everyone remembers some of the things that Shane lived by daily ……. to take one day at a time, live it always with enthusiasm, and definitely live life to its fullest………. Take care and …… HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANE!!!! LOVE YOUUUUUUUU!!!!!

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Hospital Information:

U of M/Motts Children's Hospital
1500 E. Medical Center Dr
Ann Arbor, MI
(734) 936-9814

Links:

  
http://www.alexslemonade.com/index.php   Alex's page - A VERY special girl
http://www.christithomas.com/   Christi's page - (Christi & Shane's favorite place - Cedar Point)