Spina Bifida awareness video

I know that you might get sick of the same video every year. But I want to keep finding ways to improve it (and include current pictures).

So here is our updated 2015 awareness video!

Our 6th Annual Spirit Wheel Walk Run

The day of our event came. 

And we had a fantastic turn out!

We had 41 people come out as part of Nick's Cheering Squad.

We had families and friends, co-workers and school friends.
And we had 4 families with spina bifida together!

It was about half kids and adults, so we got a kid picture of everyone!
From 2 weeks old to 14 years!

Nick was very excited to start on his walk

We started relatively on time, with Nick leading the way

The weather was nice and sunny but not super hot.
So it was perfect (but I have said that I will walk rain or shine... shine is just preferred)

Everyone took turns pushing Nick, and he had a blast!

We stopped at the look-out and the kids had fun climbing up and watching all of the adults below

and I think the adults were glad to have a rest

The kids were playing a game and didn't want to go back! Except of course that that is where the food was...

We all posed for some pictures while we waited

But for some reason didn't get one of all of us together

I can see how our event has grown in the last couple of years. We used to be walk for the whole 3 hours. Now we walk more as a group together, everyone (almost) makes it to the look out, and then we walk back.

The leisurely pace we made let us all talk as we walked.
And catch up with other families

Katheryn and Hannah were together as usual!

Then it was back to the picnic area for some socializing and food

and baby snuggles

And Nick was doing lifts on his walker

We picnicked right beside the playground (too cold for the splash pad) so the kids all had lots of fun, and the adults weren't too far away

And I even had an opportunity to educate some people who stopped and asked us about our event

At the end of the day we all had another fantastic year of cheering on Nickolas!

Nick passed out soon after we got home...

Always a sign of how well the day went!

We are still fundraising until the end of the month

/https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/nicks-cheering-squad-2/

and I'm still working on some awareness posts and videos.

But you will definately see Nick's Cheering Squad walking, riding and wheeling next year!

Fundraising for our 6th SWWR

The Spirit Wheel Walk Run has been an annual event for the past 6 years.
We have walked in the sun, in the rain, in the cold and in the perfect weather (which of course is what I'm hoping for).

Our SWWR is about raising funds to support our association, the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association! This is the association that help to support families just like ours and really and truely knows that spina bifida is more than just a diagnosis.

It is a goofy smile

It is a unique taste in head-wear.

It is the joy of riding the Tea Cups (again and again)

It is about having your own hero

And knowing how to make people laugh

It is about loving unconditionally

And sharing a laugh

It is about working hard

And meeting new friends

It is about being a part of a family

and about taking the long way home

Spina bifida is so much more than a diagnosis. It is a life that is being fully lived

So if you want to come and support us, be part of Nick's Cheering Squad, then come and join our walk!

And if you want to fundraise, and raise money for our association, then you can donate to our SWWR and the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association through Nick's fundraising page

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/nicks-cheering-squad-2/

Thank you for all of your support!

A New cousin!

The kids have a new cousin, and I have a new niece!

I have got to be there when all of my nieces and nephews have been born, and as a L&D nurse, I see babies born every day. The birth of my own family members is always special and I have been honored to be involved with all of them.

This one was different. My stubborn and headstrong sister knew what she wanted and I got to be there to support her and strengthen her and learn from her. As she had my niece in a planned home birth.

I had been very hesitant about a home birth from the beginning, I know everything that can happen when a baby is born, but after going to all of my sisters midwife appointments with her, talking with the midwives that I work with I felt better and started to get excited about seeing a home birth.

And it went perfect.

Baby Gwenevere born just past midnight.

I got to take lots of pictures during labour for my sister. All of which I cannot post here. But they are beautiful and show the strength and determination that is within my sister. And I am so incredibly proud of her.

The kids were very excited to be able to visit baby Gwenevere a couple of days later. And we have been talking and practicing about how to hold babies.

Nick was a little nervous

But Katheryn was excited and was great with holding him (not necessarily so great when she was done holding her, but that is what swaddling is for)

I got to have some more baby snuggles.

After the initial holding of the baby, the shine wore off and the kids wanted to play with Jeremy.

Long weekend

The first long weekend of the 'summer' is here!
Victoria Day weekend is always a bit of a hit or miss. It has been cold and rainy (when Katheryn was a baby), hot and sunny (when Nick was a baby) and somewhere in between. But no matter what the weather we aim to be at the cottage for the weekend.

Nick also finally got his new wheelchair, so I wanted him to move around and show it off for me

The kids were very excited that they got to spend the weekend with their cousins!

We had some camp fires

And S'mores, roasting marshmallows.

Nick liked that the first poker (an old hockey stick) is his Donnie stick!

I had to leave in the middle of the weekend because my sister went into labour. But I got from the cottage to Whitby in time for labour to really kick in, and then came back to the cottage at 4am.

The next morning I slept in (alot) but it was a sunny day and the kids really wanted to get into the water

They are crazy! The water was freezing cold, but they didn't mind at all.

If the first long weekend of the summer is any indication, we are going to have a crazy summer!