Autumn Blessings

I was all ready to blog on the great appointment that my kids had. What an amazing weekend we had camping. But before I post a new blog I like to see who's reading my blog. I was super excited to see three comments on my last post and so, unknowingly I clicked. Someone I do not know, and clearly does not know me used the opportunity to tell me how "selfish" I am to have continued having children being carriers of a disease. It felt like someone punched me in the gut. Literally. And yet, it didn't surprise me. After all, our world has completely lost the sense of the word "love." Love literally means suffering. It's the good and the bad. It's real life. I would do ANYTHING in the world to trade CF in for healthy children. But not at the expense of losing my precious, beautifully and wonderfully made children. I have blogged about this before but I'll do it again: Chris and I REFUSE to let cystic fibrosis control our lives. It has already done so much to our family unit. It will not have our happiness and our ambitions in life. We have (as the Teen Timeline I'm using to teach salvation history to the Catholic School middle-schoolers puts it) divine perspective. That is the ability to see beyond our immediate suffering. To see the larger picture, the will of God.

After I read the opinion of someone passing judgment on a complete stranger I read the third comment. Not ever hearing a word about this from my husband, he responded. It brought tears to my eyes.

Dear Pink Cupcake,
I am the dad of my wonderful kids and one lucky guy to marry such a giving wife. You should really think before you speak, because if you have read anything in these blogs, you would realize my wife is amazing and my kids are precious lives. Maybe in your world birth control, and abortion is your answer, but it is not in our vocabulary. We cannot play God and we should not have that power either, there are way too many people like you that think that are "selfish."

I knew sometime in my kids life that someone may judge our decision to be open to life and i never knew how i would respond to someone like you. I thought i would be worried what you may think, but then i look at these beautiful children and say i wouldn't trade them for the world. Yes our life is very very different then most. But we do not just sit on the sidelines and make this disease there lives. We work and work so they aren't sick, raise money for more tomorrows.

I would like you to do me a favor, as you are so bold to write that to my wife. Why don't you tell my kids that they shouldn't have any brothers or sisters cause they might have a genetic disorder? That sounds really selfish if you ask me. So take your Wow and shut your mouth.
Chris

All I can say is WOW. I love you, Chris. You are my rock.

OK, that was a side note. Now on to what I really wanted to blog about: Autumn Blessings.

Our weekend was filled with great things. Friday we had a 3 for all CF clinic appointment. And...all good things for each and every one of the kids!

Cooper- Weight gain, check. X-ray improved, check. He still has a bad cough though so we switched antibiotics from augmentin to bactrium.
Cayden- No weight gain (although his dietitian was not surprised since he gained 2 lbs last time) and he improved on his PFTs (pulmonary function tests).
Trinity-Weight gain (yeah!) and of course, got taller! She'll be a model for sure with her long legs.

After a great check-in (three hours to be exact) we headed off to Lake Kegonsa with the Bourke family for some relaxing and fall camping :)

All ready for the Lantern Walk!


Cooper all bundled up!


The kids loved playing in the beach.


Leaves were everywhere.