tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44338108882823755362011-07-08T00:12:19.437-07:00Tidbits on LifeJ & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.comBlogger661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-12343393375523727662009-11-04T19:17:00.000-08:002009-11-04T20:32:50.563-08:00

September 28, 2009 - Miracle Beach, Vancouver Island, British ColumbiaTears. Love. Sorrow. Joy. Ache. Gratefulness. Prayer. Desire. God in all. Love through all.Peyton's idea - "for my Drew"A heartfelt kiss for Drew bear - only a bear, but a representation of so much more. This is a replica of the bear that lay with Drew every night and lays with him still. I kiss the bear, not idolizing it, or

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-79583215725451355242009-09-08T21:18:00.000-07:002009-09-08T21:23:05.724-07:00

I learned shortly after my last post that the final value of the funds raised by the golf tournament was $13,000, and it was matched by the CN Miracle Match, therefore bringing to total value to $26,000! We are so pleased to be able to contribute this much to the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation! Thank you again to everyone for their amazing support.I will resume regular posts soon!

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-50400198995733704252009-08-27T21:59:00.001-07:002009-08-27T23:25:02.346-07:00

First Annual Drew Clark Memorial Tournament!(My shot at closest to the pin... gotta work on it! There is a ball there, but you might have to click on the picture to see it.)Welcome to Glen Eagles Golf Course - Drew Clark Memorial TournamentMama with a few of Drew's favorite nursesThank to the family for all their support putting things together the day before!The first annual Drew Clark Memorial

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-75854027608534237702009-08-19T20:41:00.000-07:002009-08-19T21:48:12.703-07:00

Our aim last weekend was a relaxing weekend, with time for reflection, rest and relaxation, with some kid-chaos thrown in of course. The outcome would lead me to believe Murphy follows us around.We went to Drumheller for an extended weekend thinking it would be a hot location, if there is one to be had in Alberta, and for some outdoor activities and dinosaur hunting. It's only an hour and half

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-34451298797231004032009-08-13T08:25:00.001-07:002009-08-13T08:28:05.476-07:00

The tournament was AMAZING. We are leaving town for a few days to catch our breath and I will post about the success upon our return. All I can say it that it was an absolutely amazing day and thank you so much to everyone who came out. Even more, thank you to Aisling and Nicola (and their husbands/cheer squads) for pulling together such an incredible event.Thanks to everyone who purchased

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-5223054238628080242009-08-10T22:07:00.001-07:002009-08-10T22:28:10.808-07:00

We are very excited about tomorrow and are very hopeful that the day will be a success! What would make it a success? If people are reminded of the purity of love, of the wonder of a child's smile, and of the value of community support, it will be a success. To those participating from a distance, if I could give each of you a hug and a thank you that comes from the very depths I would in a

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-64573007643527561872009-08-03T22:02:00.000-07:002009-08-04T00:09:55.413-07:00

Happy Birthday Drew!!! 2!!We LOVE YOU!!!!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z8sVpL0rz8Reminiscing... 1rst Birthday JoysGood friendsSome valuable snuggle timeMr. McGillicuddy Jr. and PapaHappy 2nd Birthday Baby Boy!Yesterday was Drew's second birthday and we celebrated the miracle of his life. While it was an emotionally charged day, it was also a magical day and Drew was a part of it in so many

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-91842702258906212012009-07-27T22:26:00.001-07:002009-07-27T22:37:12.304-07:00

I am determined to succeed at something I have set my mind to, one small thing that seemed so feasible, in spite of the fact that my human weakness is driving me to give in to the easier option. I am not feeling up to writing tonight, yet I have set myself on this new course. So - it seems like a fair compromise to tell you why I am not writing much tonight and may or may not post this week, in

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-26253988472638476902009-07-11T19:58:00.000-07:002009-07-12T22:14:57.921-07:00

(His version of "Smile")I actually almost felt normal the other day, although the category I was in was not exactly "normal" by our typical standards. Sounds odd - let me explain myself.We decided to take Peyton to the Calgary Stampede on Friday. Not naively either. I think we knew what we were in for, but decided to brave the land where kids drag the parents around for the first couple hours

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-60857366776514473582009-07-08T07:24:00.000-07:002009-07-11T19:52:00.449-07:00

After a week and a half in Denver, where one would figure the climate would be similar to Calgary's, I have to admit I am frustrated with Calgary's weather! This "summer" business really doesn't deserve to be called "summer." Either that, or we are not yet in summer, we are still in winter - oops, I meant spring. It's just plain old chilly here! Every day in Denver was over 85 degrees. Since

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-24702547584653003602009-06-24T20:39:00.000-07:002009-06-24T21:41:23.230-07:00

So here I am again, thinking, "Why did I say I would write by every Tuesday? Did I not realize what I would be doing on the 23?" Oops. Peyton and I spent today traveling to visit family in Denver and for those of you with kids, you know what the day before a long trip is like. My good intentions of having everything packed two days in advance didn't pan out quite like that, but I thought I

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-1950143843067308002009-06-16T21:10:00.000-07:002009-06-16T21:22:35.307-07:00

I have determined that I will post once a week.  I need to set myself some goals to get out of this zone I seem to be in.  I have so much I want to do here and so much to share, that I get overwhelmed, don't know where to start and thus, decide not to start.  As such, I have decided to set an achievable goal... or at least I hope it's achievable!  I will be posting once a week, with Tuesday as my

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-38307615694639438132009-05-13T22:38:00.000-07:002009-05-13T23:53:12.073-07:00

2008Today was not May 14th, but it might as well have been.  I am sitting here in Drew's room where our computer now is, along with many of Drew's things, and where his crib was last year at this time.  At this time last year, on Wednesday night, Drew was sleeping peacefully (I hope) in his crib, and Jordan, Peyton and I were sound asleep too.  I would have just finished his last feeding of the

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-24823077255117765602009-05-05T21:22:00.000-07:002009-05-06T08:30:41.796-07:00

I guess that means we are all home.  We have actually been home for a couple days, but we have been trying to reconnect and avoid all distractions for a while, so I have not yet updated this!  I may be in avoidance mode, not wanting to sit down and write because so much has gone through my mind that I don't know where to start, or I may be in some state of denial or ??? - don't even know what to

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-22200697487592858772009-04-27T21:35:00.000-07:002009-04-27T22:22:03.674-07:00

Ok, I was going to post a radio clip and some pictures of our day Friday but am going to have to wait until I can either get home for a minute or two, or get to a different computer and try again. If I get a chance to do this while here, you will hear the story - if not, it won't be long after we get home. Sorry for the delay!

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-69978176706920939602009-04-25T20:04:00.000-07:002009-04-27T21:34:14.551-07:00

I have often likened my little Drew to a sunbeam and if he is that, then Peyton is a river. He is like a river that meanders slowly and gently at one moment and at the next is roaring over the rocks, splashing everywhere and getting everything in its path wet. It shoots over falls without thinking twice, easily cuts through new territory out of necessity, and moves around rocks, not stopping to

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-78297465877998300492009-04-25T12:39:00.000-07:002009-04-25T12:55:17.091-07:00

Today is a special day for a dear little friend of ours and I wanted to share her day with you. Many of you have been praying for Abby, a little two year old with the same disease as Drew. Her Mommy and Daddy are working hard to make it possible for her to stay at home and that is the goal of this special day for Abby. God has blessed my life with the friendship of her mother, Jen, and Abby's

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-84162010195761682142009-04-21T18:54:00.000-07:002009-04-21T21:20:37.167-07:00

What a way to start a post. I never would have imagined this header on any post of mine in my wildest dreams (or nightmares). Peyton is back from the operating room and we are excited, if you can use that word in this situation. The surgeons told us his surgery was a success, and though it is too early to tell if this will be the "end of the story," we are hopeful that it will be. The last two

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-16945977782708458132009-04-19T22:31:00.001-07:002009-04-19T22:50:06.135-07:00

Oh how he makes us smile!Peyton found out he was having surgery on accident, but it has actually worked out much better than we expected.  He overheard a conversation between a doctor and one of us about it Friday, and he didn't stop to ask questions at the time but a little later in the day he was having more tummy pains and asked Jordan about the surgery.  Jordan explained we were going to do

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-36565040735921005332009-04-17T06:32:00.000-07:002009-04-17T06:36:07.589-07:00

Here I am apologizing once again.  I cannot afford the time to write a longer post right now, but wanted to let everyone know why we have not yet updated the blog with our most recent information.  Peyton is back in the hospital and has been for over a week now.  He will be undergoing surgery on Tuesday next week (April 21).  He is most likely going to have a piece of bowel removed.  I will post

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-68440191270791067512009-04-02T20:18:00.000-07:002009-04-02T20:21:07.335-07:00

We are doing alright - actually, better than I expected, but my brain is overwhelmed tonight so I will try to update you all later.  Thanks for your prayers - please continue.  Some days the information, or lack thereof, is more than I think I can bear.  I often think it would be so much easier to just miss Drew and not to have to deal with all these other things.  I am sure that what doesn't

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-77536496817590690112009-04-01T16:16:00.000-07:002009-04-01T16:20:46.664-07:00

By the way, you may have noticed I have been changing things around a bit with the blog... but have not done it well.  That would come from having only enough time to sit down and start playing, but not enough to complete the job.  We are hoping to get a website up and running in the near future that will contain a link to this blog, information on a fundraiser we are having in Drew's honor this

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-22943716393302656482009-04-01T15:34:00.001-07:002009-04-01T16:21:02.728-07:00

For those of you wondering why we haven't been returning phone calls or emails over the last few days, you can imagine why and you would probably be right.  We made another trip to the ACH for Peyton over the weekend.  He landed in the hospital on Saturday morning much to his chagrin, but it was a short stay fortunately.  After some bowel rest and some TLC he was discharged again yesterday

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-77569210012764894762009-03-24T19:24:00.000-07:002009-03-24T20:20:05.828-07:00

First - we are still at home - Praise God!  Peyton actually even had two good days in a row (no tummy pains = good day).  We are hopeful that this is the start of a new trend that continues without end!Second - I have to share some of those thoughts that I mentioned in my last post - that I have been writing in my mind but not putting letters to.Peyton and I were visiting a good friend at the

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-5541228434965208902009-03-21T20:58:00.000-07:002009-03-21T21:45:34.119-07:00

That's what Peyton said yesterday morning as we started out the day!  We are home again, and actually have been home for a couple days.  I have not found the time to sit down and update this blog although I have updated it at least a couple dozen times in my mind.  I have had so many things to tell you all about - now if only I could remember all those things.Peyton was discharged a bit ago with

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-65449699756948682012009-03-08T22:26:00.000-07:002009-03-08T23:01:08.141-07:00

I am sure you can guess by the title of this post where we are right now, but if you haven't guessed yet, we are back within the walls of the Children's Hospital. Peyton is training to be a nurse, and I needed another course on how to be a Mom Nurse so here we are. I am learning more about the gut than I ever would have chosen to know, but still only know enough to be dangerous. Fortunately

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-74451593103241118512009-03-02T20:26:00.000-08:002009-03-02T21:27:17.876-08:00

Home is NOT the Alberta Children's Hospital.  I have to remind myself of that regularly when we get so comfortable that we could pretty much forget that life exists outside of that world.  Ok... I guess we can't really forget, but it's amazing how you can carry life on in one little room and the surrounding "metropolis" of Hospitalland.  The doctors gave Peyton his papers today and sent him out

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-10159815112231495902009-03-01T17:04:00.000-08:002009-03-02T20:26:43.782-08:00

Ready, set, GO! I finally made a deal with Peyton that he had to tell me when he was going to start running. We are back to the point that I am working to keep the IV pole up with Peyton. There were a couple of close calls today (Sunday) and we barely averted a crisis a couple times! I decided I could try to slow him down, or I could enjoy every second of him trying to regain his grip on

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-74347647165982342102009-02-28T13:44:00.001-08:002009-02-28T14:01:44.249-08:00

I have to apologize once again for not providing an update sooner - my brain has been in recovery and hibernation mode I think.  I also didn't want to put away the suitcase, go to the grocery store or unpack the last couple bags after our stay - I know that sounds so silly, but my mind is in the habit of going there.  I procrastinated on those last three items until yesterday (and strangely

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-78275397165250788352009-02-14T13:21:00.000-08:002009-02-15T14:51:17.877-08:00

Peyton is becoming less of a tangle-hazard bit by bit. The nose tube and the stomach drain tube came out Saturday afternoon, and I have to admit, the experience is one that will make me smile for a long time (I'll apologize to Peyton when he can understand it better!). Peyton was dreading taking both of the above out for days and would have preferred Saturday drop off the map so he wouldn't have

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-66505675997391857102009-02-13T21:18:00.000-08:002009-02-13T22:22:50.167-08:00

I had every intention of writing Monday or Tuesday and here it is Friday already! If I had the energy, I might feel sorry that I didn't get a post up sooner, but as it is I'm not even sure where Tuesday through this afternoon went!More important than my concept of time is an update on Peyton - he is doing well in a word. Sunday they were able to take him off of oxygen and he could support his own

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-6678999583121034542009-02-08T18:26:00.002-08:002009-02-08T19:50:24.542-08:00

Peyton - Tuesday, January 20 (before admission!)Peyton after admission, but before diagnosis of appendicitis.Peyton after surgery to remove appendix and abscess.Peyton well into first recovery, using his NG drainage tube as a lasso.Peyton on MORPHINE (They are NOT compatible!  terrible mood!)We chose the name Peyton because we wanted to give him a legacy to live up to, to let him know we believed

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-58240970850408311422009-02-08T18:26:00.001-08:002009-02-08T18:26:44.746-08:00

Check back in an hour!  Sorry for the delay!

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-42751873535864358152009-02-02T13:51:00.000-08:002009-02-02T14:49:54.829-08:00

I'm not sure how I would feel in Peyton's shoes today but I don't think I would be very happy with the world! He went to sleep last night after a conversation with the nurse where he found out he had to have blood work (NEEDLES!!!) first thing this morning. As he was drifting to sleep he said something about tomorrow never coming. The surgical resident was in at 7:30 this morning to examine

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-33644758567195710872009-01-31T14:28:00.000-08:002009-01-31T20:24:16.361-08:00

What a trip... we missed the health care workers at Alberta Children's Hospital so much that we decided to come back for a 2 week slumber party! For those of you who haven't already heard, we are here again. Peyton has been privileged enough to be cared for by the doctors and nurses of Unit 3 for the last week and a half. While we originally felt it was far too soon to return we now can express

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-3774160634877102972009-01-12T15:17:00.000-08:002009-01-13T12:10:37.430-08:00

I miss my little Drew so much!!!  I cannot begin to tell you how many times I think of him in a day or how much I yearn for him.  There are not words enough to describe what it feels like to be missing this piece of my heart, to not be able to draw him near to fix the pain, or to not be able to kiss his fuzzy little head.  All through his illness, as bad as it got, drawing him close somehow made

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-63887345859924282442008-12-25T20:40:00.000-08:002008-12-25T21:07:01.286-08:00

It's Christmas night but we are not actually celebrating Christmas until tomorrow so our mental calendars are a little off. Ask me what day of the week it is right now and I will not be able to answer without a pause. We hope you all have had a blessed Christmas and that you have thoroughly enjoyed some quality family time. We are with my family in Montana right now and are thankful to be

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-65009441668399788822008-12-23T06:34:00.000-08:002008-12-23T07:12:54.323-08:00

Memories of Christmas - Hopes for the futureThis was Peyton and Drew last Christmas.Daddy and his boys at ChristmasGrandad with cousin Lincoln and Drew at the holidays last yearQuality cuddle time over the holidays last yearMany of our friends have expressed concern over how our Christmas and holiday season will go - here are some of my thoughts on Christmas without Drew.Christmas this year has

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-43574833325293363352008-11-28T15:05:00.000-08:002008-11-28T16:43:01.794-08:00

It's two months today since Drew earned his wings.  We miss him like crazy and not a day, let alone an hour goes by where I don't think about him and I'm sure Jordan would say the same.  Peyton talks about him often too, and is very aware of the loss.  He misses his brother so much, and I'm afraid that I'm just not as good of a playmate as his brother would have been.I think that is one of the

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-1780004007424089052008-11-09T16:44:00.000-08:002008-11-10T21:16:21.910-08:00

Mexico 2008 - our belated summerSaturday, October 11 we decided to get away somewhere so we could focus on our family and on rebuilding connections. Jordan had been thinking of this for some time, but when he posed the idea on Saturday morning the time was right. Drew's service had been the previous Friday and the week following the service was a bit of a blur. My sister and her son Lincoln were

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-34805596111232938402008-11-03T19:40:00.000-08:002008-11-03T21:16:39.483-08:00

Once again, I am a little later than I intended in posting this newest post, but I just can't seem to get it together lately! Most of my recent spare moments have been spent tangled up with Peyton (literally - his newest pastime is wrestling!) or catching up with Jordan.  I don't think I will ever look at a spare moment the same again.  I was so close to telling a complete stranger this morning

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-76335528053730816322008-10-25T11:12:00.001-07:002008-10-25T14:13:17.845-07:00

I never knew I could hurt so much, love so much, miss someone so much, laugh so much in the midst of pain, and feel so much all at once.  I have not been able to write for a while due to two reasons, the first being that we were in Mexico for a week, and the second reason is that I usually do a new post in the evening, but that has been the time that I miss Drew the most.All things considered, we

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-40384580936843725042008-10-11T21:46:00.001-07:002008-10-11T22:04:53.419-07:00

We will be away from our computer for a couple days as we work on reconnecting as a family.  We wanted to say thank you again to everyone who has shown us so much love.  I also just had to post these pictures.My brother-in-law, James Mooney, took these pictures for us.  Check out the sunbeams in these pictures!  I feel like Drew is hugging me every time I look at them.Peyton, Drew and I chose a

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-23683770013553799562008-10-07T21:52:00.000-07:002008-10-07T23:03:51.173-07:00

We would like to share our little ray of sunshine with you.  Here is the slideshow my sister-in-law Nicola Mooney and our dear friend Jason Holmgren put together for us for Drew's memorial service.  If the above video does not work for you, cut and paste this link in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwEDNDnXz61 It feels as though my Rhode Island-sized heart has a Texas-sized hole in it.  I

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-45596639554680030972008-10-04T20:24:00.000-07:002008-10-04T21:58:31.251-07:00

We are absolutely overwhelmed (OVERWHELMED!) by the amazing outpouring of love we witnessed yesterday!  There is nothing we can possibly say to describe how much it meant to us to see everyone that was able to participate in our celebration of Drew yesterday.  I don't think we have ever felt the depth of emotions and witnessed so much love in one place!  We could never say thank you enough to

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-4490185958986369642008-09-30T11:34:00.000-07:002008-09-30T14:03:40.702-07:00

We will be celebrating Drew's life on Friday, October 3rd, at 10:30 a.m. at Park Memorial Chapel, 5008 Elbow Drive S.W. Everyone is invited to join us for his memorial service and reception (all ages are welcome).  There will be a private burial to follow.  Any donations made in memory of Drew can be sent to Alberta Children's Hospital - specific details to follow (there is a fund for

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-79153627754622258682008-09-28T14:50:00.000-07:002008-09-28T21:05:17.240-07:00

It is with both sadness and joy that we write to tell you all that Drew has returned to his Maker.  What a journey it has been over the last 4.5 months.  We have dearly valued every day with our little wonder and though we were so sad to watch him go we were also relieved in a way to see him peaceful and know he was no longer enduring his battle.  We kissed his fuzzy little head, held his hands

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-42697167241952457092008-09-17T18:46:00.000-07:002008-09-17T20:06:30.749-07:00

Daddy's favorite picture of DrewOne of Mommy's favorite pictures of DrewThere just is no easy way to say what we are having to say...  my heart aches to be able to tell you Drew has been miraculously healed, but that is not what I get to say right now.  Through my tears I will write that the doctors have given Drew a limited number of days before he gets to sit in God's lap and be held close by

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-22736401821432522162008-09-14T14:50:00.000-07:002008-09-14T15:45:53.561-07:00

Oh my dear Drew... my heart aches for you. I don't think I can get through this post without crying but fortunately there is a box of Kleenex handy. I don't even know where to begin, except to say that we covet every prayer possible for our little Drew. He is so close to God's domain now that I don't know if I am helping anymore, I just pray he is comfortable in God's hands right now.We went

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-75120613461685093972008-09-01T20:30:00.000-07:002008-09-01T21:26:18.393-07:00

Well, we've been out of the hospital for over 3 weeks now (I didn't say that out loud!), and Drew is doing about the same.  He is not improving but we are learning how to cope with his condition and how to manage it at home.  We have been on the verge of taking him to the ER about 7 times in the last 2 weeks, but after a call to the neurologist on call we have drugged him, waited it out and ended

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-8624769569106089222008-08-23T16:13:00.000-07:002008-08-23T16:27:26.798-07:00

I am going to take advantage of this moment... Drew is sleeping and I have oh so responsibly put Peyton in front of the TV so I can try to catch you all up.  It has been quite a busy last two weeks for us.  Time is all blurring together and I thought I lost track of time when Drew was a newborn - now time is a whole new thing for me!  I could use 48 hours in a day to get all the stuff done we

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-58275228660982293662008-08-13T20:57:00.000-07:002008-08-13T21:56:03.517-07:00

I'm never quite sure what's going to come out of Peyton's mouth these days.  He makes me laugh every day.  He's beginning to give me a complex though - two times in the last week he has asked me about the baby in my tummy.  Don't get your hopes up - I am NOT pregnant!  I guess I need to do some work on my ab muscles though!  Ah, sweet honesty.  He made me laugh tonight too, not because of what he

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-2696250774610874522008-08-10T19:19:00.000-07:002008-08-13T20:57:19.773-07:00

So we were back to the ER again Saturday afternoon with little Drew.  We had increased his two anti-seizure meds Friday at the neurologist's direction so I expected him to be a little dopey Saturday, but he was really dopey. Saturday afternoon his eyes started deviating to the left and he wouldn't look at us or at things we put on the right side of his head.  It was like he could hear them but

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-54710706555440033062008-08-08T22:20:00.000-07:002008-08-08T22:27:54.852-07:00

Papa and Drew at their best!Mr McGillicuddyI just had to post these pictures before I sign off for the night.  We got Drew some "glasses" for his birthday as that is about his favorite thing in the whole wide world!  He LOVES to pull glasses off any face that comes close enough.  If you have whiskers or a beard too he might gravitate toward you with fascination!Peyton calls himself Mr.

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-89219964645638443692008-08-04T19:33:00.000-07:002008-08-08T22:18:19.043-07:00

Drew's first birthday cake - should have made it out of potato chips!If there was any doubt - he still has his silliness!Daddy could make a living at this job!Abby, Natalia and SamJordan, Jason, James, and Colin (aka "the Latin Lovers")My Favorite Clark!Drew turned one last weekend!  Saturday was his birthday and we had a backyard birthday party for him.  He slept through the first half but

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-77499266520349324552008-08-04T01:01:00.000-07:002008-08-04T01:07:14.944-07:00

It's now 2:00 a.m. and we are still here.  God has answered our prayer for the evening.  Drew is not seizing at all!  AT ALL.  Amazing.  He is pretty heavily drugged and is not sleeping and hasn't since 6:30 p.m. so we have to work on that one, but at least we are still at home in our own environment working on that one!

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-90680229548436385492008-08-03T22:16:00.000-07:002008-08-03T22:50:32.683-07:00

Here we are, changing things up yet again.  It's 11:30 p.m. and I am sitting here waiting for the Dr. to call back to see if we are doing the right thing for Drew.  He is having stronger seizures tonight and they aren't letting up.  He normally (said loosely) has been having constant movement of the left arm, and left and right legs, with intermittent stronger seizures that usually only last

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-54383253013492427332008-07-31T21:16:00.000-07:002008-07-31T23:23:36.948-07:00

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Drew and our family - we draw on that as one would refuel their vehicle.  Some days I feel as though someone is siphoning my reserves away while I'm not watching, others I actually feel I have enough to run on.  Today would be one of those days I have a hard time finding enough!  Thank goodness it's almost over!I should update everyone on how our

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-66556494863855112732008-07-23T10:44:00.000-07:002008-07-23T11:47:47.569-07:00

Family funWe have got to stop going to the hospital to see Dr. Kirton!  Ok, maybe he's not the bad guy, but we are beginning to see a trend here.  Two outpatient visits (out of two) and Drew's back in the hospital each time!Drew has had a busy week of appointments.  Monday he saw a chiropractor for an assessment and to see if we could get some input on good methods to use to get him using his

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-71411247148727017352008-07-20T21:23:00.000-07:002008-07-20T22:21:55.424-07:00

     Doting Mother! Our Drew Grandad Staples and Drew Daddy and Drew Papa and Drew - Finally got those glasses!The last few days have been so wonderful!  Sure, Drew is still far from normal, and as I keep saying, is more work than a newborn but I will take it!  He's HOME!  It's so good to be in our own environment, able to go for walks, eat at home, sit out on

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-53445474112232190062008-07-15T15:07:00.001-07:002008-07-20T19:13:52.236-07:00

So Drew's not a fat pig as the rhyme goes, but he's eating and doing fairly well, so we are breaking him out of the hospital again!  (Away from the ironically pink and white striped pajamas they have for the wee ones there!)His big brother is so excited to have us all home again!  He came up to Jordan and I in the kitchen and said, "I love you Mom.  I love you Dad.  I'm so glad to have you both

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-77728765032548112872008-07-15T14:40:00.000-07:002008-07-15T15:06:56.816-07:00

We are back again.  Drew was discharged on June 28 (it just occurred to me that we were discharged the first time on May 28 - what's up with 28?) and did great at home for the first couple days.  At the doctor's orders we dropped the level of one of his meds on Monday the 30th though and that didn't seem to agree with him.  By Wednesday he was seizing more and his left eye and cheek were also

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-26974089261585725852008-07-13T14:53:00.000-07:002008-07-20T19:09:43.766-07:00

We quickly learned that Drew wanted to keep us on our toes and that he liked to change things up every weekend - his seizures would frequently stay the same for about a week, but almost every weekend he has presented something new for the doctors to marvel at.  Given the way he's changing and not responding to medication, the doctors are starting to introduce the idea that Drew may have a

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-68348351300735513962008-07-13T13:58:00.000-07:002008-07-20T19:03:57.681-07:00

May 28th - Kari had to go back to the hospital to pick up something she forgot and took Grandma Marnie and Drew with her.  When they arrived home Drew was enjoying a well-deserved nap in the back seat.  When Mommy went to take him out she noticed his left arm flopping about gently.... Oh dear.  Back to the hospital.After a few more medicine changes and two overnight EEG sessions to measure his

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-70939025852172547442008-07-12T14:54:00.000-07:002008-07-20T18:55:32.705-07:00

We spent an absolutely wonderful two weeks in Florida with our extended family in mid-April, loving every minute.  We spent time on the beaches, enjoyed some theme park craziness, played lots of games, and basked in the warm sun while it snowed in Calgary.  In the midst of it, Drew was trying to learn to sit at 8 months, still not doing it on his own; however, he had learned how to roll from back

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4433810888282375536.post-82351964375735698732008-07-12T14:32:00.000-07:002008-07-12T14:54:21.133-07:00

It may be best said of our experience as parents lately as Alfred Lord Tennyson said it, I hold it true, whate'er befall;I feel it, when I sorrow most;'Tis better to have loved and lostThan never to have loved at all.We don't know what the future holds we only know it may be different, and even if it will not be significantly different, we will go forward changed to the deepest parts.  We thought

J & Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09086725963207164072noreply@blogger.com0