Bear Hugs

Some of our amazing volunteers!!

Some of the bears and other animals...waiting to be adopted!!

After choosing an animal...the children choose an outfit for their special friend.

Tuesday was the 3rd Annual Bear Hugs celebration at Cooks Children's Hospital in Fort Worth. Below is an email I sent out recapping our evening!!


Dear Friends and Family,


Thank you all so much for making our 3rd year of Bear Hugs a success. We had quite a few volunteers and gave away 56 bears/outfits, 10 Webkinz and several already stuffed animals. Here's a few highlights and some photos of our adventure. Just a note...we cannot take photos of the children so we took a few pics while setting up...before the kiddos came in.
Again this year...the wonderful Miss Angie from Celebration Station and her delightful family provided the bears and the stuffing machine. They make this possible and always bring a herd of teen-agers who amaze me with their kindness to the children we see. This year we were set up on the 5th floor...the 3rd floor (oncology) where we set up last year has gotten stricter guidelines and many of those children were not able to leave there rooms. We made animals for them, stopped by their rooms to say hello...and were greeted by sweet faces yet very sick kids. Some smiled weakly from their beds...some didn't smile at all. Many had their face covered by a mask....some were bald or almost bald...they spend their days in a very small world, surrounded by beeps and wires and worried parents. Hopefully, we brought them a smile.
Upstairs in the "Stuffing Room"...we saw lots of children, each with a different story. We had a mom come by to build a bear for her daughter. She took a long time to choose the right one and stayed to chat with us quite a bit. She really seemed to need someone to talk to so we all visited with her. Later she came back with her little girl...attached to a pole and lots (I mean lots) of wires and tubes. She said "I begged the nurses to bring her out to show you". She was 11 months old, has had numerous surgeries and has liver failure...three days after Christmas she will fly with her mom to Philadelphia where mom will donate a portion of her liver to save her daughters life. Wow!!!
We also met Superboy...he was quiet but smiled alot...he had to stay outside the room because his bed wouldn't fit...we held up animals and outfits until he gave us a thumbs up!! I asked him what happened...he had a pin through his leg and it was in traction...he said he had jumped off a one story or a two story "thing" at school. He choose a bear dressed up as a football player.
We met a mom and dad who choose a bear for their son who had just had surgery...they would be home for Christmas but back a few days later for radiation. They looked so tired. The thought of making the decisions they are forced to make terrifies me.
We saw a young lady in a wheelchair come in with her family and make a bear...she couldn't speak but would smile and kiss her bear over and over...I smiled too...so did her mom.
Sadly, we also saw a friend from last year....the young lady who spent Christmas in the hospital last year...who helped us make bears for her friends who were to sick to come out of their rooms...was back again this year. She'll spend Christmas in the hospital again this year....she suffers from kidney failure. She went back to her room being pulled in a wagon shared by a tiny girl wearing a mask. She's twelve and seems to enjoy taking care of the smaller patients. She told me "Everyone knows me and I know everyone" I didn't know whether to smile at her popularity or cry because she shouldn't be in the hospital long enough to "know everybody".
We had a family come in and make a bear...then head off again. Later, in the elevator, we overheard Dad tell someone on the phone "We got an update...it isn't good...I'll tell you later" What do you say...what do you do?? We all just rode down quietly with him.
For next year...we're working on becoming an actual...official non-profit organization. We have big ideas, Miss Angie and I...big plans. We would like to serve more hospitals, get corporate sponsors...share more Bear Hugs. It really, really does make a difference.
As always, I'm surprised how many people come up to thank me...in the midst of all they are facing, they tell me thank you. One Grandma told me thank you for allowing the siblings to make a bear too. With brother or sister sick...they often get lost in the shuffle as the attention is focused on the sick child. I am blessed..with my friends, my family and my healthy children. I'm honored to be able to do this each year in remembrance of my dad. Merry Christmas and thank you all so very much for allowing me to have a night spent giving...in the true spirit of Christmas.
Amy

The Barn Party......

On Sunday, Avery and I went to the Christmas Party for the girls who take lessons or board their horse at StonyGlen Stables. It was so much fun...the food was awesome (and plentiful), there were lots of girlies there...and Avery met a new friend who is her age and rides in lessons on Monday. We took cheese enchiladas and homemade hot sauce to share...and a purple lunch box and water bottle holder decorated with horses for her Secret Santa. We also gave her a photo collage with pictures we'd secretly taken of her pony Sweetheart.

Everyone chipped in and purchased gift cards for Miss Julie, the owner of the barn. They were put on a tree made of a fresh rosemary plant.

Opening her gift from her Secret Santa....


The wonderful Miss Heather was Avery's Secret Santa....she gave Avery a darling brown bag for her grooming tools...embroidered with her name and a pony.


We love Miss Heather!!!

What a room full of horse-lovin' girls!!

At the park....

We took advantage of the nice weather yesterday to play at the park. Weston, as usual, joined the large group of boys that meet there everyday to play football. They play rough and toss around a few "choice" words...but he seems to really enjoy playing and it doesn't bother him to be thrown to the ground as much as it bothers me. Yet another step as he continues to grow into a young man. Although...the other boys can go alone...I always go with him "just in case"...I'm not quite ready to let him go yet.

~~Looking cool with his mouthpiece in~~

~~The Boys~~

~~Avery's keeping a close eye on things~~

Christmas in Savannah

One of the many things we love about Savannah is the number of community events sponsored by the HOA. It gives us a chance to get out, meet our neighbors, and usually have a really great time together. Last Saturday was the annual Christmas Festival. It started with a parade, included cake and hot chocolate and ended with a carriage ride...perfection.

Weston and Avery waiting for the parade...while waiting we met up with some friends so the kids enjoyed the parade together.

The Savannah Dancers

I love a small town parade!!

The clubhouse was decorated with Robo-Santa and a Ferris wheel.

Avery and Robo-Santa (the real Santa was also there and we had a familypicture taken with him)

A huge Santa ship in the lobby!!

The central area of the clubhouse was beautiful...complete with a huge tree and carolers singing from the balcony above.

The chandelier above the tree...gorgeous.

There was also a Gingerbread house contest. This was the winning entry...a complete workshop!!

Avery's entry...every year she and Weston make homemade gingerbread houses with Grandma Via. This is a tradition she's been doing for 35 years...first with Doug and Stan, then children in the neighborhood...now the grandkids.

Weston's gingerbread house!!

Outside in the Sports Pavillion a local church was giving away free hotdogs and cookies. Another church had members walking around with free hotchocolate...dispensed from special backpacks...the kids loved it!! There was also a Cake Walk where Avery won a bag of brownies and Weston won this huge (and delicious) cake.

Finally, we enjoyed the carriage rides around Savannah. There were 5 buggies...some with 2 horses and some with one..all decorated with lights and wreaths. It was so much fun and a really special way to end our evening.

Avery and Weston in the carriage..love the look on her face!!

Riding Lessons

Avery has started taking English Riding lessons at Stony Glen stables right behind Savannah. Can I tell you how yummy she looks in her riding helmet. I adore watching her.

The houses you see here...Savannah...that's how close we are.

She works so hard at riding and is really moving along. She's starting to "two-point" over poles on the ground...that's assume the proper position for jumping (aka--hiney in the air) for you novices out there.

She's also learning to post (rise out of the saddle) when trotting...even working on posting on the right diagonal (when the horses outside leg is forward)

I'm so proud of her...I'm sure Santa is going to fill her stocking with lots of really cool horse stuff this year!!!

At any given time...this barn is filled with girls of all ages. It's a fun place for her to meet new horse-lovin' friends. They're having Secret Santa's where all the girls hang stockings in the barn and leave each other special treats...this Sunday is the big reveal where we'll learn who Avery's Secret Santa is. This spring, she'll be riding well enough to compete in some small shows sponsored by the barn where we ride...I'm not sure who's more excited...me or her!!

Since we were hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year....I wanted to get the tree up and the house decorated early. We got a new pre-lit tree (soooo much easier and now Doug's not driven to drink as he often was after wrestling with our old tree). The kids helped and we all enjoyed looking at the ornaments before hanging them up. My mom gave me quite a few ornaments that I made when I was little....I have some stained glass (plastic) ones I painted, one of the fancy styrofoam ball/sequin/straight pin ornaments I made at some point...and lots of ornaments I didn't make but remember hanging up when I was a little girl including my favorite....the sprinkly orange-gold/green ice cream cones.


It's amazing how these small things can bring back so many memories. Each year Doug and I give the kids an ornament representing something special they did that year. Grandma Via gives them one also...she hides it on her tree and they enjoy trying to find the one that belongs to them. One day I'll pack these up and send them off with Avery and Weston to hang on their own trees...but for today...I'll just be thankful for a tree full of many happy memories.

Avery with one of her many horse ornaments...she's definitely my horse girl!!

For some reason Weston thought he needed to come fully protected to decorate the tree...complete with eye safety goggles and a bandana to protect his neck???

My sweet Christmas elf!!

We had a great time with both families enjoying Thanksgiving at our house. The fun part was each mom bringing her "special recipe"...a tradition from each side of the family we were able to share together. We had Barb's homemade noodles...my mom's stuffing and corn casserole, Aunt Beverely's green bean casserole (although according to Barrett there weren't enough green beans and too much "other stuff" in there)...and some new favorites including Aunt Karen's yummy tomato/artichoke heart salad and of course my pumpkin fudge. The girls played upstairs and get themselves busy doing girlie things...the boys....well they did this......

The kids enjoyed some time at the park thanks so the great weather, the grown-ups enjoyed some time visiting...we all enjoyed way to much really good food...and I enjoyed having lots of help in the kitchen and leaving for Canton that night knowing my dishes were done and Doug had lots of left-overs packed tightly into the fridge.
After the meal, Grandma Via brought out the santa hats and tried to line us all up for a picture. Although it looks like Uncle Stan is trying to push us all down the stairs, we did finally get organized and take some really cute pictures.