MeRrY ChRiStMaS!!!!

We hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas! We were busy running from house to house celebrating Christmas with our families. We loved the hustle and bustle and were relieved that we were able to get into every one's homes. We celebrated mostly with Kyle's family and are anxious to spend next week with Britt's family. Kyle was determined to open his presents by himself, as depicted in the photo above. What a change from last year! He sure has come a long way, and we are thankful for what God has blessed us with this past year. As we reflect back on this past year, it makes us thankful for the real reason of Christmas!

More pictures to follow!

It's electric!

E-stim off E-stim on

Here is a photo of K with electric stim on his arm. The e-stim uses electric to replace the signal from your spinal cord. You attach certain electrodes to different muscle groups to strengthen the movement. It is used to strengthen muscles and for some patients it's used for pain management. Kyle used e-stim on his shoulders at Magee. It not only relieved the pain, but helped put his shoulder back in the joint. We are thankful that Kyle doesn't have any more pain and is working on the strengthening part of it. He's even becoming some what of an inventor! He used nuts and bolts to add weight to his wrist to help get them stronger.

Progress Report :)

Here is a picture of Kyle eating a rice krispie treat! He's been working hard to try to eat "pick up foods" on his own. Although he doesn't have finger movement, he uses tenodisis (wrist extension used for grip and finger control.) Keep praying for the signal to get through so that his fingers would be able to move!

Birthday Weekend :)

This weekend was a full celebration fest for Kyle's birthday. We had a surprise party for him at Bensi Restaurant with a few other couples on Friday. Kyle had no idea! It was great! He thought his b-day surprise was going to be on his actual birthday which was Saturday the 13th. We did however venture out to Bethlehem on Saturday, thinking it would be fun to walk around the "Christmas City". We found that it was not very accessible and the places that were accessible probably would have been fine had it not have been the Christmas season. We decided to leave the crazy crowds and have dinner somewhere else. Altogether it was great to celebrate Kyle's life. His Birthday, December 13th, is also the one year anniversary of getting out of the hospital and going to Magee. It marks the day of great change! Looking back this time last year, we remember that Kyle was being weaned off his trach, eating pureed foods and sitting up in a wheelchair. It's amazing to think that he is tube free and zooming here and there in his wheelchair. We are so blessed to still have the real Kyle despite the tragedy that he went through!

"The Lord's loyal kindness never ceases; his compassions never end. They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant! 'My portion is the Lord,' I have said to myself, so I will put my hope in him. The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to the one who seeks him. It is good to wait patiently for deliverance from the Lord." -Lamentations 3:22-26

Jeff Dunham

Friday Kyle and I went to see the ventriloquist Jeff Dunham. We have been watching his DVDs and needed a good laugh. The characters that he brings to life through these puppets is amazing! You almost forget that he is making them talk! Our most favorite is Walter, the grumpy old man puppet. You'll have to check him out!

Our other new favorite hobby for winter is watching movies, especially old ones. Let us know what your favorite movies are by leaving us a comment on our blog!

HappY BelateD ThanksgivinG!

We hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! We decided to go all out this year, giving us a grand total of three thanksgivings! The festivities began on Wednesday with Britt's family. We had them over for dinner and brace yourselves......I made a turkey! That's right a 15 pounder! Kyle found it amusing that although the turkey was amazing when it was done, the pre turkey prep was enough to send me on a meat hiatus for the rest of the year! Pulling out the guts nearly sent me over the edge! Despite the gross turkey parts, our first hosting of thanksgiving went well. We enjoyed spending time with my family. Our next stop was at Kyle's grandparents on Thursday. We always love going there and visiting with the Hoff family. We appreciate the accessibility of their home since it isn't always easy fitting everywhere! Kyle was looking forward to Mom-Mom's food for a long time! Our third thanksgiving was spent with Laura, Mark, Meg & Troy. We decided to spice it up a little and go bowling! Kyle was able to bowl using a ramp to push the ball down the lane. Kyle loves the challenge of trying to beat everyone! We were happy to do something untraditional with his family. We had a great time chatting at dinner and can't wait to do it again next year! There is certainly a lot to be thankful for this year, especially for the support of family and friends!