Track and Texas!

All is well with the Thomas team! Shayla is keeping us busier than ever! In addition to her many dance classes, she's added track to our schedule. It's been a lot of fun! Shayla is running hurdles. I have a sweet university student, who just happens to have a hurdle record or two, and she worked a few sessions up in the field house with Shayla before the season began. That gave Shayla a big confidence boost. (Pic: Icing her shin splints with frozen veggies suggested by my BG student - too funny!) Getting cut from making the volleyball team at the beginning of the school year was pretty tough, so the fact that her school doesn't cut for 7th grade track has been FANTASTIC! After Christi died I felt Shayla was the reason we got out of bed every day and keep on going. Truly, that continues! She has no idea what a blessing she is and how grateful we are for her! Some days when I get terribly sad or down missing Christi, I try to think of the tremendous gift Shayla is and that helps. We've also been very busy, as a family, working on something that may likely take two or three years to complete, but it's been on my "bucket list" for a long, long time and I think we may very well, with a lot more hard work and time, actually make it a reality!




I'm just finishing a trip to San Antonio, Texas. I've never been here before and I've found it to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. I only wish Shayne and Shayla could have gone with me. I made a presentation at a conference (Thank God it went incredibly well!) and then spent a lot of time working on my writing in cafes sitting beside the Riverwalk - simply gorgeous and pretty productive, a wonderful place to think and write!

Flying to Texas, I purchased some seasons of the Dallas Cowboys' Cheerleaders Reality TV shows to help me pass the time. Wow! They are impressive dancers and women; I really enjoyed the various episodes and I think Shayla - with all of the dance classes she takes each week - will want to watch them too! I told Shayne I was so spoiled I couldn't imagine ever traveling without my iPad again. We've said many times how helpful that would have been with all of the traveling and waiting in hospitals and doctors' offices we did with Christi. We always called it her "Entertainment Bag" and it was packed full (and heavy) of things we would use to keep her mind occupied: books, arts/crafts, games, science projects, etc. An iPad would have made that horrific stage in our life so much easier. Perhaps in addition to the scholarships we will soon be giving to graduating Seniors, we should add an iPad or two for some cancer children in treatment.

Park City Utah: Susan & Brooke R. - Wow! I had no idea we were so close! Thanks for your posts! I'm sure we will be back to ski and I'd love to meet you in person! Thanks for all!