Happy Birthday to YOU!!!!!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

We made it through another year.  I was weepy all this week because of my amazement, disbelief, and relief that my sweet boy is still with us.  There were times in the past year that I thought we were going to have to carry on without him.

Friday, May 31, 2013.  Big D turned 12.  

A HUGE HUGE THANK YOU to the group of ladies that thought of, made, and sold tickets for the gorgeous quilts that were raffled.  They made just over $4000 for our family !!!!!  Thank you to everyone who participated.  We will be forever grateful for your kindness, support, and generosity.

The drawing for the quilt raffle was so much fun, and although it is difficult for Dillon to be the center of attention (a trait he has had since he was very little) he was poised and people loved to see him there strong and healthy drawing the winning tickets.

when we walked in the door the room exploded with people singing happy birthday.  

Dillon was embarrassed, but I think he secretly liked it :)

some of the folks that joined in the quilt making and raffle drawing fun

A little cake to celebrate

the queen sized quilt on display

Dillon in front of the small quilt, drawing the second winner (which turned out to be our neighbor's mother)

After the raffle drawing we went out to dinner with a dear family friend....THANK YOU DONNA!!!  Dillon had his favorite shredded beef tacos and a Baskin-Robbins daiquiri ice ice cream cake.  It was a relaxed, joyful day that all of us treasured more than words can say.

Dillon picked the flavor and the color, Luca picked the decorations and wording.

Sporting his ever present Celtics jersey....and blowing....and no doubt making multiple wishes

Dillon only had a couple of gift requests this year.  Nana and Grampy took care of one and Luca snatched up the other.  So that left Sean and I high and dry.  We thought and thought and decided that at this stage in Mr. D's life he would enjoy experiences as much as "things"....so we gave him a "coupon" for a weekend at the Waterpark Hotel in Albuquerque.  Both he and his brother jumped up and down when they read the card....SCORE!!!!

Reading the coupon to the water park hotel

a locking cash box....a boy needs his privacy :))

Luca got Dillon this game called ZOMBIES that he has been pining after for 2 years.  It is a bit gory and Luca very matter of factly said..."MOM, he is 12!!!"  Well that just explains everything.

One of the items that Dillon really wanted...thank you Nana and Grampy!!

Sean's parents came down for the celebration too.  They brought dinner on thursday evening and hung out with the family at our house.  After we ate they went out back for some FUN, FUN, FUN.  Then on friday morning they took the boys out to breakfast for Dillon's birthday. 

Pop and the Buckley brothers

Gramma and Pop with Big D on his 12th Birthday

Look who is jumping!!!  GOOOOO GRAMMA!!!!

Pop flying high....YAHOOOOO!!!!!

Saturday brought a party at our house.  Last year Dillon had planned a basketball party for months and we had to cancel it because he was just too ill.  So this year we did a few of the things that he wanted to do last year.  One of those things was to get a 6-foot Subway sandwich.  About half of Dillon's classmates and several neighborhood friends joined in the fun.  There was basketball in the street and trampoline jumping, complete with water guns and hose spraying.  Unbelievably....I did not take a single picture of the party!!!  I was so busy socializing that the camera never even entered my mind...which is saying something because I almost always have pictures of the big events :))  I will have to check in with my dad and see if he got any snapshots. We all had fun  and we only had about 8 inches of that sub left by the end of it.


Dillon went to UNM yesterday (Monday, June 3) because he was beginning to get a fever along with a little cough and a stuffy nose.  This child has not had a fever since November 2012 when he was inpatient in Denver....so this was a bit scary for me.  We ran down to UNM (yeah right...it took 6.5 hours) and got him checked out.  Blood work, exam, and chest x-rays.  They decided it was either a minor viral infections, like a cold, or allergies.  The blood work came back clear and healthy; and the chest x-ray was also clear.  We will try some allergy meds for a week and see if they help....if they don't then we will assume it is a cold and just watch to be sure it does not get worse.  He also got cleared to have those pesky toenail edges removed (D has been battling ingrown toenails for months now and his white blood cell counts are finally such that the infection risk of the procedure is lower).  So today, Tuesday, we had that procedure done.  He was scared and now he is in a bit of pain but he is relieved knowing he won't have to continue dealing with this annoying and painful issue.

Things just keep ticking along.

On a very sad and somber note.....two of the kids that were with us at Brent's Place last year lost their battles with cancer in the past couple of months.  Please remember to pray for those families and for all the kids in the world who are battling this monster.

Much love to all!!!