Thankful

Here is a rare pic of Grandma Josie in the pool, she just could not resist getting in with our little charmer Evan.

Most of you know how crazy our live became when Evan was diagnosed with his brain malformation Bilateral Perisylvan Polymicorgyria and Cerebral Palsy, this diagnosis started what we call the year from hell. So here is a little history:

July 2005- Moved into our brand new house in Elk Grove, we were very excited

July 1, 2005- took Evan to the Dr. because he still was not using his left arm and not sitting up, received referrals to Physical Therapy and Neurologist. (Pediatrician said Brachial Plexus injury)

July 22, 2005- Dr. Asaikar the neurologist came in and looked at Evan for about 5 minutes and said this is a left hemiparesis, the mildest form of cerebral palsy, he probably had a stroke in utero or at birth. We will do an MRI and EEG and I will be able to tell you when exactly it happened etc. They also got us set up with OT and PT.

August 10, 2005- Had EEG and then MRI done

August 19, 2005- Had follow up appt with Dr. Asaikar, he showed us the MRI and said he is more concerned now, Evan has a brain malformation and if he had seen the MRI before he had seen child he would have expected to see a severely mentally retarted child with specific facial features. Wow.

August 2005- Evan starts Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy with Sutter, we get hooked up with Alta Regional Center and also with the County Infant Program

November 2005- Evan starts speech therapy

January 2006- Evan has a feeding eval and is deemed a high aspiration risk

Rudy leaves Capital Steam

March 2006 - Evan starts warm water therapy and feeding therapy

March 2006- Stacy leaves University of Phoenix due to all of Evan's therapy and Dr. appts

Rudy starts with Ecolab and we are now officially a family with one income

June 2006 - we end this year from hell with a hit and run car accident that totals our car and causes Gabriel to have to have surgery. Thankfully nobody is seriously injured.

So the whole point of this post is that since we unexpectedly became a one income family with a special needs child we have received so much help from our families.

Aunts & Uncles on both sides and my Grandma Jones have given us money, food, grocery gift certificates, dinner gift cards so Rudy and I can go out together, an awesome gift basket for Christmas with tons of goodies and a gift card for Target and just words of encouragment and support. And this was not just in the beginning but has been happening for the last two years off and on, and it usually comes when we are low on food or need gas money or the copay for one of Evan's dr. appts.

After the car accident my Aunt Donna's fellow employees at Umpqua Bank took up a collection of almost $400 for us, after being in a hit and run car accident it just really restored my faith in the human race.

Our parents Steve and Barbara Bon(stacy's parents), Josie Nelson, Steve Nelson and Lawrence Justinch(Rudy's Parents) have helped us out tremendously. Josie and Steve bought us a van after our car was totalled and we totally love this car, it is great for our family, they have also bought us countless amounts of groceries and tanks of gas and helped us in so many different ways. Steve and Barbara Bon have helped us keep our house, helped with groceries, gas, sports and helped out so many times with different things. Lawrence Justinich has helped work on the backyard and has paid for leveling and the retaining wall, along with Josie and my parents who paid for the cement patio. I am sure I have forgotten something but you get the picture, our parents have been so wonderful to us.

Rudy and I just want to say a big huge Thank you to our family and especially our parents because we do not know what we would have done without you. We have been going through some rough times and we could not have done it without help from our parents and family.

We have a house, food in our fridge and pantry, two bbq's, a patio, retaining wall, patio set and countless other things thanks to our parents and family. Our kids are healthy, we have a good marriage and so much to be thankful for, even on those days when it is hard to remember. We also have to thank God because He certainly has a hand in all this as well.

So again Thank you to our family and we love you and appreciate everything and we know that someday we will be able to pay it forward in some way. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful family.