Long time friends !

Long time friends came to visit today -

I could not go to our high school runion so 3 of my friends came to me - we ate, shopped and looked at Arlington's newest attraction -the Cowboy's stadium.

me- Linda K - Eileen - Brenda

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This was taken Senior Day in Waco - a few years ago -

Me - Eileen - Brenda - Beverly

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Me - Eileen - Brenda today

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Taken not sure when this was taken - elementary school maybe

for a very special party.

Susan - Me

Linda K - Susie

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Linda K and me today

Now we are planning our next outing in Sept.

It was a very very fun day !

I had not seen these friends in several years -
they do not live in Arlington.

I met Linda K when we were in the 2nd. grade - I have always called her Linda K since we had 5 Linda's in our Blue Bird group so we all had to go by our first and middle names.

Eileen we met in junior high - North Jr. -

and Brenda we met in high school - Richfield High school.

Our float -Noah's Ark - number 141 - was one of the last floates to pull out of the UTA's parking lot on a very hot but windy Saturday July 4th. in Arlington's 4th. of July parade - the largest 4th of July parade in Texas. The float was filled with children from North Davis Church of Christ - children from age 4 to 11. With parents and grandparents walking along side the float.

The fireman made an arch with their ladders for us to go under - however this is looking back after we had gone under the arch of the ladders.

This was the first year for North Davis to be in the parade - I think every one had a good time - I know I did - I walked with them.

What Is IT?

Go to downtown Arlington, TX tomorrow, Sat. The 4th of July, at 9:00 and see just what this is!

But you will have to wait a while - out of 150 units we are 141.

Mr. Six and Bugs Bunny at Six Flags Over Texas

Monday started out at a neighbor's swimming pool - we all went - my 2 grand boys, Marcie, her Dad and myself. Only the boys got in the water.

Later in the afternoon we went to play with the Steece quads - again we all went!

We started outside in their back yard but we were chased in the house by a wasp right where we were - - -

Drew was very fascinated with the wheels on Marcie's wheelchair - saying "wheel, wheel" over and over and pointing to the wheel on her chair. Then he discovered the letter board between Marcie and the side of her wheelchair - he then started moving it up and down and as doing so saying "up" "down" as he moved the board in that direction - he knew the difference between up and down! Smart little boy! And he is not even 2 years old yet.

On Tuesday after a rain shower in the morning my 2 "grand boys" and myself headed to Six Flags Over Texas for a few hours in the afternoon.

After ridding all the rides they wanted to ride not having to wait in any lines and ridding some rides twice - we saw Mr. Six and the Six Flags Characters dancing at the front gate by the Carousel. Since school was not out for everyone in our area Six Flags was not crowded at all

We had 2 very busy days - enjoying our "grand boys".

This video is not great - it was the first time I was trying to take videos using my new camera and then putting them on my blog - I did have to ask Suzanne for help. Thanks muchly girl - I did get this one to work ---

May is ALS Awareness month

This article is taken from the MDA / ALS Magazine which is sent

to all those who are registered with MDA and have ALS.

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Since May is ALS Awareness month -the magazine is featuring

families of long term ALS survivors -

Marcie being one such survivor-

and myself, her mother.

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’It’s What I Do’

It’s all about family and faith, says Linda Gibson of Arlington, Texas, a full-time caregiver to her daughter Marcie, who has lived with ALS for more than 15 years.
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Linda Gibson has been her daughter’s full-time caregiver for 15 years.
A preschool teacher for 25 years prior to Marcie’s illness, Gibson sometimes misses her career, but says, “taking care of Marcie is what I’m meant to do now, and I’m so glad I get to do it.” To this end, she has become an expert in Marcie’s high-tech care and also has learned to take time to care for herself.
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A grandmother of two, Gibson says her mother-friend-caregiver relationship with Marcie, now 38, has evolved since Marcie received her diagnosis at age 23, just as she prepared to graduate from college.
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“I had to learn how to stop treating her as a child and start treating and listening to her as an adult,” admits Gibson, who prides herself on being able to read Marcie’s eyes. “I always try very hard to respect her wishes, and Marcie always makes her own decisions.”
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Gibson finds ways to take some time for herself. While Marcie’s using her eye-tracking communication device, Gibson surfs the Internet and communicates with other parents of children with ALS. She also enjoys gardening, crocheting and scrapbooking in free moments here and there. In the evenings, while Marcie’s father is at home, Gibson goes out for a 45-minute to an hour walk, or runs errands.
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She advises other parents/caregivers to try to live as normal a life as possible.
“Your child is always your child no matter what their age. I’m very proud of my daughter and the way she’s fighting ALS. I just do anything she needs. It’s just what I do."

You can view the entire magazine at:

http://www.als-mda.org/publications/als/als-curr.html

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In the picture, which was staged and taken by me of myself using a try pod and my new digital camera. I even had to lean how to set the self timer on the camera. That is Marcie's ventilator -her vent -for those reading this and you do not know what that is - that is the machine that breaths for her.

And featured on MDA's web site: http://www.als-mda.org/anyone/2009series/May_6.html
are the story's of 30 PALS (people with ALS) - A different story each day during the month of May. Featured on Wed. May 6th was Alex's story - Alex's Mom and I are "Internet" friends. He is a 19 year old young man DX last year with ALS.

Please read his story - - -

Anyone can be DX with ALS - no matter their age - Marcie was 23 when she was DX in 1994 and Alex was 18 (DX in 2008) - Libby was 23 (DX in 1994)- Amber was 23 (DX in 2008) and Haley was only 16 (DX in 2008) - we as mother of these "kids" stick together on the Internet encouraging each other -


And on Sat. May 16 you will read about another of my Internet friends Mary - Mary's sister-in-law, Faith, goes to my church. Faith connected Mary and I soon after Mary was DX with ALS. Mary and I communicate a lot by way of e-mail. We are about the same age.

Clink on the link below to read about Mary and all the 30 PALS featured in May on

Anyone's Life Story:

http://www.als-mda.org/anyone/2009series/

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And I hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day -I did - my other daughter, her husband and my 2 grandsons came by this afternoon for an hour - Marcie had just ask to go outside when they got here so we sat outside in the sunshine. Soon after, my son and his wife came for supper - it was a very nice day -

Thank You God for this nice Mother's Day for me and I hope many other mothers also.

Watch CSI tonight - April 9th

Watch CSI tonight to see the computer that Marcie uses by Eye Response in action - it will be featured on this TV show tonight April 9th

Check out the new Eye Response brochure !

You might want to look at this new Eye Response brochure. I have the paper copy but I just found it on their site last night. As you will see - this is the computer Marcie uses daily !
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Be sure to let the site change pictures at least 3 or 4 times if you do not see someone you recognize at first.

http://www.eyeresponse.com/

IS IT SPRING YET ?

Marcie's Prayer Warriors

Here is the youngest member of Marcie's Prayer Warriors - Nate was 3 months old in Jan.

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The team walked in the MDA Walk held this past Jan. at Grapevine Mills Mall. Mandy, Nate's mom, has been heading up this team for Marcie, raising money for ALS research, for 9 years now. This year the team raised $3,000 for ALS research. The team is made up mostly of members from our church. We appreciate all they do for us so much ! ! ! This year Mandy was ask to tell the entire group at MDA's Stride and Ride Walk just why she started this team and for whom !

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Note the #4 on Nate's cap - this was Lou Gehrig's number when he played for the New York Yankee's baseball team.

Blog to Blog - connecting people

Elizabeth had twins -I signed in on her blog - someone saw my comment and checked out my blog - not unusually - except when this person started thinking back to her childhood something clicked.
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When Marcie was first diagnosed with ALS - somehow we met a lady named Brenda who also had ALS - I remember like yesterday -Brenda and her Mom, Marcie and I met for lunch at Grandy's in Richland Hills -I have hardly passed that place in years but when I do I always remember the day I met Brenda and her Mom there.

Brenda had lost her arm strength when we first met - Marcie could still carry her tray but her arms were weak. Brenda could not carry her tray -her mom carried her tray for her. In the months that followed I was caring Marcie's tray as Brenda's Mom had carried hers.

I kept up with Brenda talking to her and her parents on the phone - the somehow - I kinda think her Dad called me to tell me when Brenda lost her battle with ALS. I remember talking to Brenda's daughter at times - just because she answered the phone.

I may have talked to her Mom & Dad - Brenda's Mom & Dad - a couple of times after that and then we lost touch -till this week -

Brenda's daughter Corrie, had gone to ACU with Elizabeth so she was reading Elizabeth's blog - after reading my comment on Elizabeth blog and her checking out my blog Corrie put two and two together and sent me an email saying " This might be the strangest email you will ever receive" explaining just who she was - we have been "talking" ever since by way of email.

Corrie wrote a very sweet posting on her blog today (March 6th) about us reconnecting:
http://mommyloftin.blogspot.com/

God did this - I just know it - for some reason only known to HIM - HE put us back in touch with each other after all these years.

God does everything for a reason -