MS Walk 2007

Like the 5 years previously, I participated in the MS Walk this year. And like the 3 years previously, my children were with me. In addition, this year my Dad joined us (for the second year) and Eric joined us (who's only missed one year).

It wasn't a particularly sunny day, but it was pleasent and dry. We walked 3 miles around the East Race of downtown South Bend. We started and finished at the College Football Hall of Fame. And we were provided with snacks when we arrived and pizza and sandwhiches when we finished.

Our team (The Healy Group) was probably around 50 strong, lead by our fearless leader (and reason for our participation), Leslie Myers. Leslie is a co-worker of mine and was diagnosed about 7 years ago. Our company has participated in the walk every year since.

With the support of many of my friends and family members, I was able to raise $758.50 as of now, but I actually expect a few more checks in the mail, so I'll give a final total next weekend. This is a huge success and I couldn't have done it without many of you.

Our office had a Jeans Day for MS which raised quite a bit for our team.

And last weekend my girlfriends and I had a joint garage sale. I collected donations for MS as well as donated the proceeds for my tables to the fight.

Next year I'll have to start a little sooner and set my goal a little higher!

Thank you all for your help and support.

And, because I can't help it, if you'd really like to contribute and haven't yet, you can still do so online:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/goto/StewartWalkers

or by sending me a check made payable to National MS Society and mail it to:
2312 Foxfire Drive
South Bend, IN 46628

I will try to post another post next weekend. I have a busy week this week and would love to share the details with all of you.... but I'll leave this post dedicated to MS.

Here is an album of some pictures I took today:

MS Walk 2007

ROAD TRIP!!

At the beginning of March we took a little trip! Eric had a class (for coaches) in St. Louis. So my dad, the kids and I joined him. We drove to St. Louis on Friday, March 3rd and drove back Saturday March 4th (see, I told you, a 'little' trip).

We dropped Eric off at the hotel around 3:30, well, we checked in, got settled, whatever. And then Dad, Aron, Jordan and I headed south to Ste. Genevieve where Trish (Aron and Jordan's birthmom) and Jessi (her daughter, and A&J's sister) live.

After a little while of warming up to Trish and Jessi at their house, the kids all played together for a while and then we went out for a very nice dinner.

Prior to our leaving on the trip, the kids were having arguments about who's 'sister' or 'best friend' or even 'friend' Jessi was. They had a photo of her, which Aron brought with him - perhaps to just to make sure that the person he saw was the person in the picture. Aron would run around the house saying "My Jessi!" to which Jordan would retort "My Jessi!" It was cute.

The big damper on the trip, and particularly that evening, was that Jordan was finishing up with the cold that all of us had at one point or another - or even several times - since the year started. She felt awful and I felt for her. She was a trooper, though.

The next day, well, first of all, it snowed. So it was freakin' COLD! But we had made arrangements to meet up with Trish, Jessi, and Trish's parents at the St. Louis Zoo. The kids have actually been to that particular zoo twice before. The first time was shortly (like days) after they were born. At the end of July it's HOT in St. Louis. And Eric and I had figured out the basics of feeding and changing them. We were waiting (somewhat patiently) to be allowed to leave the state, and subsequently to enter our state and we got bored watching the free movies in the hotel. So we went to the free zoo for a day. It was a great day.

2 years ago we went to St. Louis because my roommate from college got married and I was in the wedding. We also visited with Trish and Jessi during that trip. While I was doing some bridesmaid thing or other, Dad and Eric took the kids to the zoo. Apparently it was pretty cold that day too.

Anyway, the zoo was pretty much completely empty. But we made the best of it - visiting everything that was indoors. The penguins were particularly cool.

Then we went out to lunch. There was no real place to nap that day, so we went to the mall, played on the "wee!" (escalator to those of you not fluent in 3 year old speak). Up and down, up and down, up and down - trip to the potty - up and down up and down. And then we played in the mall play area for a while - which was packed, it being a Saturday and cold outside. Jessi also seemed to enjoy both the 'wee!' and the play area.

Then we went and saw Flushed Away! at the dollar theater. It was cute - at least, what I saw of it. Jordan still felt pretty crappy, so she was clingy and whiny, plus neither of them had had a nap, so they were both cranky. There were an obscene number of trips to the potty during the film too.

After the movie it was time to say good bye to Trish, Jessi and Trish's parents. Jessi was not at all pleased with this turn of events.

We had a great time and here are a bunch of pictures from the experience. Many of the pictures were taken by Aron, Jordan and/or Jessi... so that might explain the... "perspective" of some of them.

I should mention that in the middle of the 93 photos there are about a dozen of last weekend when, while Eric was in Philadelphia for a conferences, my dad and I took the kids to a think called "Sugar Camp Days" at Bendix Woods. They make syrup from the maple trees in Bendix Woods and once a year, for one weekend, they have an all-you-can eat pancake and sausage breakfast (with loads of syrup, of course) and then a tour of the grounds including how they make the syrup and kettle corn. And, of course, there is an awesome playground.

Oh, and then there are a few pictures of Aron and Jordan dancing in the living room before bed... Aron decided Jordan shouldn't be the only one who wears a nightgown, so he borrowed one from her.

The pictures after those are the ones from, mostly, kids hands.

Hope you are all doing well.

Love,
The Stewarts