We press on...  we're doing more and suffering less.. I see noticeable progress, but far from ever being who we were... it's certainly a tale of two lives for our family.  Still "incomprehensible".

On Saturday, Heidi and I went to a 40th birthday party for a good friend of ours.  He and his wife have a little girl who Hannah played with for several years.  They were practically inseparable until Hannah got sick. 

We were looking forward to see them all, but were apprehensive to walk into their house.  We hadn't been there since before Hannah was diagnosed. 

We felt Hannah's presence throughout the house.  We could picture her running up and down the stairs with Alyssa, full of life, oozing with happiness and optimism.  It was hard for us, but also good for us.  We talked to Alyssa's mom and dad and talked about Hannah.  Alyssa showed Heidi her room which had a lot of special things connected to Hannah.  Alyssa still wears her little light blue rubber bracelet.... as do I.  I don't think there will ever be a day when I take it off.  As they wear out, I'll replace it with an identical one.  I suppose it'll just always be a part of me..

Anyway, it was a good visit... tough, but good.  Thank you Tom, Christina and Alyssa for always being so kind to our Hannah and more importantly, loving her.  I know you do..

___________________________________


I got an email from a friend of mine that I've known since I was very young....not exactly sure, but it must have been second or third grade. 

Scott and I played hoops and baseball together throughout our grammar and high school years.  Scott was an exceptional athlete, but it was his thinking ability and intelligence that always stood out to me.  By that, I mean Scott was a "thinker".  Very philosophical and was great at understanding other people's perspective.  I was always impressed with that.  I felt as though, my sarcasm or comments were not understood by most, but Scott always knew what I was saying and meant.  Almost a conversation between us, and "around" everyone else.. 

Well, I'm telling you this because it was a big surprise to see an email come across from him.  I hadn't talked to Scott since High School (1981).  Outside of sports, we had a couple classes together, but ran in separate crowds.   

The email was very much as I would expect from Scott.  He was writing to address the loss of Hannah.  The note was sorrowful, heartfelt and philosophical...  It gave no answers... and didn't attempt to..  but more than anything... it was comforting.  Scott knows that trying to provide answers when

Thank you for reaching out Mr Dietrich...




Emma is VERY happy right now and there is no better "elixir" for me than that.  She has braces since the beginning of March and somehow looks much older because of it.  She is simply gorgeous. 

Ash made an offer on a house yesterday in Paradise Valley!!  It's bank owned, in a great neighborhood and very affordable.  We hope it pans out for her.  She's excited and so are we..

Heidi is getting very close to finishing her aesthetics classes.  She tested out already and is moving closer to fulfilling her 600 "practical" hours necessary to take the state exam.  She's getting antsy to begin her new career.

All good stuff... I love my girls..

_______________________________________

Lastly, Heidi's Aunt Sue is participating in what's called "Relay for Life".  It's to raise money for the American Cancer Society.  I am including the URL's with all the necessary information for your reference.  Please consider making a donation.


This year, hundreds of thousands of people will hear the words "You have cancer", and there's a good chance that some of them will be people we know and love. We have all been touched by cancer in some way ... and we all have the power to make a difference. That's why I have chosen to fight back right here in my own community by participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life®.

I want to invite you to join me in the fight against cancer by making a donation in support of my efforts. Further down in this message is a link to my personal Relay For Life® web page where you can make an online contribution. Every amount, no matter how small, makes a difference and provides hope. You can also sign up to join my team and learn more about Relay and how it's changing lives.

Relay For Life® brings more than 3.5 million people from across the country together each year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that takes too much. This fun-filled, overnight event empowers everyone to help fight cancer by raising money and awareness to support the American Cancer Society's lifesaving mission.

Thank you in advance for your support. Together, we will celebrate, remember, and fight back.

For state fund raising notices and the American Cancer Society's Privacy Policy, please paste the following link into your browser: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SU/su_0.asp.

Sincerely,

Susie Brown

Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09GW?px=9694625&pg=personal&fr_id=14856&fl=en_US&et=7CPmXy00WsiQdHc6xBu9Ig..&s_tafId=263841

Click here to view the team page for Savin' Second Base
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09GW?team_id=411150&pg=team&fr_id=14856&fl=en_US&et=8-C5p5tgKIMs7iIkuVnlbw..&s_tafId=263841