Welcome back.  I am so happy you are here.  This is an amazing time for me.  In my last update about Meaghan I told you that she started school on the first day like both of her brothers.  That was an incredible milestone in all of our lives.  I also told you that she was the healthiest she had been in two years.  I'm not taking it back, that was true.  Unfortunately, I must have been a little too comfortable in that place because Meaghan has her first cold now.   

 

 



It started on the second Tuesday of school with a headache and sore throat.  I was worried but I kept a strong calm front for everyone.  What is weird about that, it was not work to do it.  I felt it in my heart, I was strong and I was calm and I knew that everything would be okay.  On Wednesday I kept Meaghan home because she had had a restless night and a dry cough.  We saw the pediatrician who wanted me to take Meaghan to Hopkins for a stat chest X-ray.  The X-ray was negative for a pneumonia, Praise God! This X-ray came just four short months after the last one.  My understanding is that it was totally necessary and not to worry about overexposure.  Easier said than done, right.  For now Meaghan is taking another oral antibiotic to help her in her fight against a serious lung infection.  She felt well enough to return to school on Thursday.  There have been no major side effects and Meaghan and I are both keeping our spirit and focus on positive things.  One brave breath at a time.  

  Ok, I don't know what happened from here down.  I messed something up and I have no patience for figuring it out now.  I'm going with the, "done", now get stuff out there for the readers approach.  The perfectionist and control freak in me will be up all night arguing over who did what wrong and who's job it is to fix it.    

These pictures were taken during one of our regular visits to Hopkins this summer.  Our clinic is close enough to the new Children's Hospital that after our visits, one of Meaghan's favorite things to do is visit two magical spots.  I hope I remember the garden's name correctly, we call it "Sarah's Garden".  They have flowers and swings and have managed to provide a place to feel so far away from a hospital.  We didn't find the garden on our own, we visited with a physical therapist during one of our inpatient stays.  Now Meaghan asks to visit the fish, swing, flowers and fountain regularly.  I have to admit, I kind of like it.  It's so peaceful, she is so happy there, I'm happy too.

 

This makes me happy too.  I am really doing something here.      

 

Check these out!  I am hiking in the CF Foundations Xtreme Hike again this year.  My great old boots have kind of given up on me.  They have over 300 miles on them and I feel very sentimental about them every time I walk by them in the garage.  But, they just aren't comfortable enough to make the 21+ mile trip again.  Meaghan and Jason customized these new trainers for my hike.  Right out of the box they were perfect.  They have proven that they'll make the trip on the 27th.

 



I'm kind of a dork, I know

Sadly, the whole thing washed off that night. The new window crayons from Crayola are awesome, they just don't last.





One of my favorite walks, ever.  Meaghan walked two miles with me right before sunset.  Perfect, beautiful time for the two of us. 

 

Here are some of the other places I've been and things I have seen along the trail.

 



 

 

 

  

One of the last things we did as a family this summer was visit our friends new house on Kent Island.  It was a beautiful day.  I was fortunate enough to catch Meaghan being still just as the sun was setting. 

 

I love these pictures of her.  I see my little girl, she is so happy.  She truly appreciates the little things in this crazy life of ours.  She has made up her mind that nothing is going to keep her from her dreams.  I can't look into those eyes and tell her to slow down, be careful, just wait.  I tell her, dream, make plans, let us look.  Whatever this life will be, we will not be looking back any more saying, if we had only... I want to keep having people ask me, "How do you do it all?"  I do it all because... I CAN.