Gabrielle at 16 Months

Yesterday Yvonne from the Infant Development Program came to visit us and Gabrielle, and she was full of insight and suggestions. Not knowing what the typical cues/milestones are for her, Yvonne taught us that Gabrielle is

* Ready and loving choices (you want the rattle or Daddy's chocolate),
* Trying to engage us in cooing/babbling conversations (which we should mimic), and
* Very mature in lots of her cognitive milestones, which her physical/verbal impediments hide.

Oh Gabrielle, we know there's so much more to you than you can tell us, and it was like you grew up right before our very eyes yesterday as we learned all this. And of course! Just look at you.

Lost for Words: Fundraiser for Gabrielle

My amazing sister Danielle and her incredible husband Eric are organizing a fundraiser for Gabrielle in Grande Prairie, Alberta. While it feels very weird posting this on our blog, we were gently asked to somehow let our friends know about it. This seems like the best way.

We've been lost for words since learning about the event. The gratitude, love, thoughtfulness, and care are simply amazing.

Sharing it here will also allow us to post some follow-up pics from the event too.

This is the website they've built.

Crazy. Speechless.

Crazy Shopping Day

While Amy went to the doctors and then home for much needed rest, Dad went on a suicide mission with all 3 kids to Costco.

Here Gabrielle and Michael are cheering James on in his best of 7 super series against the Costco Hotdog.

James took a 2 games to none lead (wish he would eat that much at the dinner table), Michael ate the topping of my pizza and his, and Gabrielle melted the hearts of everyone in the aisles, and was loving being with her Dad and brothers.

Our Own Paths

At the end of the day, we're born into this world alone, and we leave this world alone.

Like a lone spider on the sidewalk whose fate we hold with the placement of a step,

Our lives are so much the same ... but our fate is usually less bleak.

Our lives are our own. We are born into them and leave them all on our own.

It's simple stuff. But sometimes I think we fuzzy what's ours with what's everyone else's.

We often fall trap to illusions and expectations. Rightfully and wrongfully.

And we readily forfeit from consciousness our end.

Oh! the myth of mortal perpetuity.

But we will die.

. . .

In this life,

In our human life,

We are on our own path,

And so is everyone else.

No matter what anyone says:

•    "I'll always be by your side." 
•    "I'll never leave you."
•    "Soul mates forever."

The truth is that these are agreements and commitments about time spent.

Agreements about companionship.  Agreements about who we want to touch while on our own individual paths.

Companionship by choice.

And yes, sometimes circumstance makes these agreements.

Fate.

Nevertheless, the reality is that our lives with others are paths crossing – intersecting for a night, or for a life-time.

 . . .

I've come to realize these things in our time with Gabrielle, my daughter who will only be with us for a short time.

Our life paths start and end.

They are our own.

We share them with other people who are on their own path.

Sometimes with those whom we love.

Sometimes not.

Regardless, though, as we intersect, we reap rewards and pay prices.

We learn. We learn who is worth staying with. Who is worth leaving. Who is worth trusting. Who is worth avoiding.

We learn so much from one another in our lives.

From everyone and everything.

Who we are is the result of our intersections with other people's lives.

Just you.

Just me.

Just that random person you chose to talk to today.

Everyone journeying. On and on.

For reasons we may or may not ever know.

Our 16 month girl

Happy 16 month birthday 'Gabby-elle'!!

xxoo

Canuck Place Family Skate

On January 23rd after one of Gabrielle's appointments at Children's we had the opportunity to go for a skate at Roger's Arena with other Canuck Place families.  We had such a great time!  Here is a write up and pictures from the Canuck website about the event featuring the Ross family:)

Thank you Canuck Place!!!

Highlights:

- Since our last Canuck hockey game when Finn 'ate' James's head, Michael has been obsessed with Finn.  Running around the house with his mouth open pretending to eat our heads like Finn does, he finally came face to face with him on the ice.  So funny!
- Watching James in his 20 minute private skating lesson with Keith Ballard.
- Watching Finn skate Gabrielle around the ice in her stroller.  She loved it!
- Watching Finn push James around in the big yellow buckets they use at the games.  We were all laughing.
- Catching up with some of the volunteers, staff and families who we just love!
- Meeting Keith Ballard and Dale Weise and having a great conversation out to the car park with Weise (nice guy btw!).

The following night we got tickets to the hockey game against the Oilers, and Regan the amazing husband that he is, insisted I go despite it being his favourite hockey team in the world (Oilers that is!).   Such a fun night - thanks again to Canuck Place for the tickets, we had many laughs and a great time getting out of the house!

Go Canucks!

Thumbs down Oilers!