Dreams.

We all have dreams.

The moment the pregnancy test reads "positive," visions of the child we are carrying begin permeating our thoughts and making their way into our hearts.

We fall in love with this little peanut we cannot feel long before our belly shows signs of new life.

It was not different with Deak.

I had dreams.

Dreams of a little blond haired boy playing shortstop (because I never could) and catching touchdown passes. I felt the emotions; how it might feel to sit in the bleachers and proudly exclaim, "That's MY boy."

I learned to modify my dreams, but that process was not easy.

When we were told Deakon would not live, the pain that I endured is nearly incomprehensible to recall. It penetrated my heart so deeply, that I did not know if I could recover.

But, I did recover, and I allowed hope to prevail.

I learned that hope was a choice.

And, I choose to create a world of opportunity for my son.

Deak is working really hard on balance while standing unassisted at physical therapy.  He is doing amazing.  Yesterday, Lisa (Deak's wonderful therapist), in an effort to encourage balance, retrieved a plastic tee, bat and ball.  She was a little unsure as to whether or not Deak would enjoy the activity.

He loved it. 
Every single second. In fact, when the game ended, he crawled over to the ball across the room, brought it back to the tee, tried to place it on top, and grabbed the bat again.

My heart stood still.

Although my dreams have been twisted and turned around a bit, I have grown to understand that they are real, and they are possible.  Watching my Deak hit a ball, something that 4 and 5 year old boys do daily this time of year, is not something I take for granted.

It is a dream that the world attempted to take away from me.

A dream fulfilled.

Let this boy touch your life.

Register today to walk and run with us May 14, 2011.

Details above:)

I like easy.

Awesome news.

We have now created an online contribution option for "Spirit Runners" via runnercard and the same site used to register "Live Runners."

Click on this link here, or check out our Spirit Runner Tab above, and register today. 

So far, our Spirit Runners have made a strong showing; it has been amazing. I have a feeling we all may have a little extra "push" from some amazing spirited friends as we walk and run together on May 14th.

Literally, 3 minutes of your time and a few bucks can help save the life of another sweetheart like my Deak.

No printing, mailing or stamping.

What an easy way to make a difference.

Happiest Place on Earth.

That's where we just returned from, and my Deak loved it.

His Favorites:  Buzz Lightyear, Nemo Submarine and the Disney Junior Show.
My Favorite: This happy face.

My not so favorite:  An emergency hospital visit for an unexpected and severe corneal abrasion for Deak's left eye.  (He is recovering and hopefully will be back to himself soon). I am thankful for good doctors at good Children's Hospitals, even out of state.

Less than five weeks!

Ah!!

I am feeling the stress, and keep having a recurring nightmare that race day comes and either I oversleep or no one comes.  To say that I am anxious, would be an understatement:)  But, knowing how much support I have already felt and have, I have a feeling my "happiest place on earth" will come the morning of May 14th.

Register today!

T-shirt designs are being finalized as I type, and I will be placing orders soon.

Via Mail, or Online (*Links Above*)

Hope you all had a wonderful "break."

Love,

Jenny

Six Weeks.

Wow.

Six Weeks.

May 14th will be here before I can even blink my eyes.

So much to do, so much to hope for.

We've been reminded in our house recently just how desperately important funding for research is to the life of our sweet Deak.

He is okay, but has had a couple of health setbacks recently. 

As I mentioned on my family blog, there is nothing like the possibility of neurosurgery to help get one's priorities immediately put into check.

We don't know details yet, but are hopeful that if the decision is made that Deakon will need surgery, the surgery will help his legs gain the strength they need to walk on their own.

We have hope those cute little legs will.

In fact, I'd say we know they will.

And, you can help.

Please join us with your healthy legs May 14th.  Registration is open via mail or online, and register early to guarantee t-shirt preference.

(Deak minus curls, thinking his big sister Abby is pretty funny.)

Spread the Love

I've had lots of very kind people offer to help me with any aspect of this race, and I am positive I could not have made it this far without them.

If you are local, and have a couple of seconds to give, I have created a pdf flier that can be posted anywhere!

Offices, grocery stores, gyms, athletic stores...where ever your heart desires:)

I'm getting close to crunch registration time (April), so I would love and appreciate any help you are willing to give in this area. The link is always noted above in case this post gets lost in translation, but just in case I will post a link here.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for your help and support!

Love,

Jenny

Hope.

Do you have it?

He does...

*Shirt courtesy of HopeKids*

He also really likes the camera.

I opened up a couple accounts and deposited a handful of checks into a growing pot of hope yesterday.
With each push forward, the joy builds and builds.
Register today online by mail, or join us as a Spirit Runner.
Help us give away some hope to all kids like my Deak.

Good.

I am a psychologist by profession, and inadvertently by heart.

But, I am kind of unique.

Most psychologists believe strongly that a change of behavior is the predecessor to change; that once a behavior is managed, intrinsic motivation will be discovered.  In fact, most will fight tooth and nail defending this belief system.

Not me.

I believe the heart is the predecessor to change; establishing a relationship, validating feelings and providing encouragement are essential components for hope.  I believe it's hard to find the drive to change without first recognizing that one's heart also needs a strong investment of time and energy.

I'm a humanist - the last of a dying breed.

I just can't help it...

  Without fail, humankind continually shows me that when given an opportunity, its' innate nature of goodness is exposed.

This race is no exception.

I have been floored by the outpouring of love.

Good friends have offered sponsorships (Thank you Sahara Cares)...

Friends and family from out of state have continued to enter as spirit runners...

Friends I have not seen, some since Junior High, have committed to running...

Friends at work are organizing and collecting funds...

Perfect strangers have emailed me and offered their expertise on a volunteer basis...

And, the list goes on...and on...

People are good.

They just are.

And, those hearts of ours are capable of doing so much good.

Sometimes they just need to be reminded.

Thank you for sharing your hearts with me and my family.