Tami back for December

Hi! I am going to be brave and try to do an entry while the girls are home, and hope they don't destroy too much. We have decorated for Christmas, and I finally got our family pictures back to put in cards. Sadly now, they won't make it out in time, so I am sending a New Years wish instead. So watch the mail for late arrival's from us.

My girls were told at school, that if they sang "Jingle Bells" really loud, Santa would come. So they keep asking me to shout the song with them. They are so funny! Santa came to their school. That was a highlight for them. Lilli said he was even the real one, not the fake one from Wall-mart. We also took them to see one last Saturday, and they did crafts and had a train ride. It was freezing for us that day, so we left to go home, but they rode the train twice and had fun. I almost went on a ride too, but chickened out at the last minute. The holiday is so much fun with them at this age!

The other day I was remembering how I could just stare at them for hours, and never tire of it, when they were babies. And now I wonder when that changed into counting down to bed time. Of course I still have times when I am in awe of how wonderful they are. Time sure flies! They are so busy all the time! I miss being able to just sit and hold them. The moments are so different now, still great, just very different. Thank goodness for pictures, or we might forget all together how small they once were! I try to explain to them that they are always my babies, even if they get big. My Lilli seems to grow out of her clothes weekly. She continues to be my biggest helper. My sweet Albert is buying me a video camera for Christmas, that I can use with one hand. I am so excited to be able to capture all the cute moments for the future. They keep us laughing all day with performances of dance and song. They have quite the moves.

I had my bio-feedback yesterday, and we worked on my shoulder muscles. Since I have done so well, we challenged it with leaving my new hand brace on, which weighs about 5 pounds. I still did wonderful and surprised us both! We even moved my level up twice! I was so happy I text my parents right away to tell them, and today I am surely feeling it. I am sore, but that is good, since I know it got a workout. I am still working on my left leg and knee. It is also very sore.

I am going Christmas shopping tomorrow, and I will swallow my pride and use a motor cart to prevent any more aches. My therapist and I decided my arm brace makes it obvious enough to others that something is wrong with me, which is good, because I look relatively normal, and so people don't notice to be a little more cautious of me. I still get nervous if I am in crowds, or outdoors with lots of things going on.

I am seeing the light of my trial. Though I feel very accomplished some days, and yet very irritated some other days. I continue to go back to read the old blogs, the ones I slept through. I am filled with gratitude and humbled at the kindness of so many! I feel like I wish I could call each and every one to say thanks for the care and prayers. I tried to send cards to everyone, but that seems so impersonal.
I WISH LOVE AND HAPPINESS TO YOU ALL, ALWAYS, BUT A LITTLE EXTRA FOR THE SEASON.
GOD BLESS,
LOVE, TAMI, ALBERT, LILLI, AND GABRIELLA