It's been too long...

Well it has been a long time since our last post, but we have been getting back to "normalcy" whatever that may be:o) We got through the funeral. It was a beautiful service and Rick did a wonderful job putting together a picture disc set to music. A lot of friends and family came down from NY. It is terrible the circumstances, but we got to see a lot of people we hadn't seen in awhile. My brother and Great Aunt Mary from PA stayed until 1/16 to help us clean out my mom and dad's house. We got my mom's stuff in storage and she is now living with us. We are so glad she is staying with us. It is good for us to all pull together to get through this time. Madelyn loves having her "Mimi" around all the time, and so do the rest of us!

Rick finished his last class and has 2 more to finish before he graduates w/his BSBA. He is going to clep or dantes them so he should be done pretty quickly. My best friend for the past 20+ yrs got engaged over Christmas, we are so excited. She is getting married in Oct. so we are busy planning the wedding.

Kaitlyn is going to the prom w/her boyfriend Keegan. Madelyn and I are meeting her and Kelli(Kaitlyn's mom) in Florence tomorrow to shop for a prom dress, hard to believe how fast she is growing up.

Madelyn has cut two top molars. Pediatrican was surprised and asked her "Madelyn, why are you cutting your teeth out of order?" I should have looked at her and told her that Little Miss Madelyn marches to the beat of her own drum, she definitely does not follow the "norm"! She can count to ten, has been able to for about 2 months now, knows A, B and C. We have been working on colors...she knows red, blue, white and purple. When she doesn't feel like working on them everything is purple! She got a potty chair for Christmas and was doing so well with it. She would only have maybe 2 accidents in her pull up a day. Then we threw a monkey wrench in our progress by going to PA for 5 days for Aunt Jessie's funeral and then coming home to lots of people in and out for my dad's funeral. Now she really has no interest in it at all. She just likes to have her pants pulled down, sit on the potty for about 10 seconds and then takes off running through the house and lauging naked!

Everything else has been going really good. Her VMA/HVA levels were normal last month. We go back on 2/20 for a ck up at the clinic and they will do her levels again. Then we will schedule her MRI for March. That will be 6 months post treatment...can you believe it? It seems like yesterday, but also seems like a lifetime ago with everything that has happened.

We want to thank everyone for the cards, phone calls, prayers and support while we were/are dealing with the death of my father, it has beenl so wonderful. We are truly lucky to have each and every one of you in our lives and we just wanted to say thank you!

With love,
The Bells