Friends of 4p+

Scott and I have talked and dreamed about starting a foundation for Trisomy 4p pretty much since they day we received Ellie's diagnosis and we were left with nowhere to go for answers or help. At the time, our lives were completely consumed by caring for Ellie and our other children so there wasn't much time or energy left for lofty goals, such as this, but we kept saying it would happen some day.

Much sooner than we expected and under different circumstances than we desired, some day has arrived and we are taking the first steps toward make our dream a reality.

I am excited to introduce....

A huge thank you to Ali Carlile for creating this logo for us.

On February 28th we launched our new website friendsof4p.org. Right now it is just a blog where we are spotlighting a different child with trisomy 4p each day during March in honor of trisomy awareness month, but we have plans to gather more content and build it into a full website where family, friends, educators, therapists, and medical teams can go to learn more about Trisomy 4p and better understand these unique kiddos. Basically we are taking some of the valuable information we have access to within our private 4p group and making a public place for it so that others involved in the care of those with trisomy 4p will be able to learn more while still keeping our group a private place for families to share more personal and sensitive things. 

This is only step one of many we will have to take to reach what we have envisioned, but we are excited to be starting this new endeavor that is very dear to our hearts.

In addition to the spotlights, our 4p group is spreading awareness this month by changing our profile pictures to these awesome custom banners Sarah Rodgers made for everyone.

Girls' Weekend

Back at the beginning of February my mom, Whitney, Kacie, and I took off together on a fun girls weekend, in part to celebrate my 30th birthday. It was a very fun and relaxing weekend and just what I needed to break up the long Omaha winter. 

I flew out bright and early Friday morning. I have to admit that the 2 hour flight from Omaha to Salt Lake City with just me and my book was one of the best parts of the entire weekend. Being in a quiet airplane with 2 hours of guilt free, uninterrupted time was heavenly. Once in SLC, I met up with my mom and Kacie and we flew the rest of the way to San Diego. The timing worked out perfectly and Whitney pulled into San Diego just in time to pick us up from the airport.

Our main event of the weekend was running in a mermaid series half marathon (a girls only race). I tried really hard in the months prior to get motivated and train for the race, Scott and I even purchased a treadmill for Christmas, but it just didn't happen for me. I was SUPER unprepared for the race and probably should have switched to the 10K with my mom and Kacie, but I decided to give it a go with my only goal being to finish without causing an injury.

The course was beautiful running along the harbor and out around an island. Being in a fun race environment reminded me just how much I love running. Although my end time of 2:14 (20 minutes slower than the last half marathon I ran) was nothing to brag about, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the race went for only having run over 3 miles once during my "training". I was able to run the whole thing, even if at only a 10 minute pace, and overall felt pretty good until mile 11 when my knees felt like they were going to explode and my pace slowed WAY down.

Whitney on the other hand had been diligent with her training and had an amazing race and set a PR finishing in 2:00.35. (Just a few weeks later she ran the Phoenix half marathon in under 2 hours.) My mom and Kacie both did great in the 10K. Kacie had a great run despite a strained calf muscle that she's been battling for several months. I was especially proud of my mom. She is a great athlete who will bike and swim for miles and miles without batting an eye, but does not enjoy running at all. Despite that she decided to challenge herself and join us for the race. She trained well for it and did great. At the end of the race she declared that she still dislikes running, but we were all proud of her for doing it.

 

We filled the rest of the weekend with shopping, eating yummy food, plenty of rest and relaxation, and lots and lots of talking. A huge thanks to all of our husbands for making the necessary sacrifices that allowed us to make this happen. It was a quick trip with us all returning home Sunday evening, but it was just what I needed.

I may have grown up without a sister, but I sure hit the sister-in-law jackpot when my brothers married these girls and we all know I have the best mom in the world. These three ladies are the best sisters a girl could ask for and I'm lucky to have them.

A super yummy and fancy restaurant my mom treated us to.

Kacie on tip toes and Whitney and me slouching.