Today we went to UNC Chapel Hill to see Patrick’s surgeon. We woke up at 4 am and had to drive 3.5 hrs. Patrick will have his surgery Monday, March 22nd at UNC. They will do a 10 cm incision and will take the tumor out to send in for biopsy. They will put in a Stainless Steel plate and 3 screws to stabilize the rest of the bone. There won’t be much left of a bone in his leg of the area below the hip and upper leg and they will put in a Synthetic Bone Marrow. The doctors believe it’s benign, but we won’t know for sure until it’s send in. Thank you al so much for your prayers. Keep praying.

Patrick fell in the snow about 2.5 weeks ago and hurt his leg, which seemed to be an injury to his muscle. He was still not able to walk on his left leg, so I took him to the Pediatrician. She was concerned and told us to go to the Orthopedic Surgeon the same day. The Orthopedic Surgeon took an x-ray and told us some very disturbing news. Patrick has a very large bone tumor in his leg. You can see on this picture  a dark spot right under the hip and on the leg. It is very large so you can’t miss it. I was very upset in the office, but the doctor did tell me that it looks benign. We are not sure a 100% until the surgery is done. We are traveling on Friday to Chapel Hill to UNC to prepare for the surgery. The tumor will have to be taken out and Patrick will need a bone graph and take some steroids to help the healing process. Please continue praying for him and the entire family. It is very difficult on parents when they get news like that. Just a thought, if Patrick had not fallen in the snow we might have not found out that he even had a bone tumor.

I circled it in this picture.

Patrick ist vor 2.5 Wochen im Schnee gefallen und hat sich am Beim verletzt. Die Verletztung sah mehr aus wie eine Muskelzerrung. Er konnte aber weiterhin nicht auf dem linken Bein auftreten und laufen und habe ihn zum Kinderarzt gebracht. Die Kinderaerztin war besorgt und sendete uns sofort zum Specialisten. Dort wurde in einer Roentgenaufnahme festgestellt das Patrick einen sehr grossen Knochentumor am Bein hat. Ich war sehr im Schock als ich diese Nachrichten bekam, der Doktor denkt nicht das es boesartig ist. Wir wissen es aber nicht 100% bis nach der operation. Wir werden am Freitag in eine Specialklinik nach Chapel Hill fahren wo mehrere Test gemacht werden fuer die Vorbereitung von Patrick’s grosse operation. Das Tumor muss entfernt werden und neuer Knochenmark muss eingesetzt werden. Steroid Spritzen werden gegeben um die Heilung der Knochen zu foerdern. Bitte betet fuer uns und der ganzen Familie. Es ist sehr schwer fuer Eltern wenn die Kinder krank werden. Noch ein kleiner Gedanke von mir, waere Patrick nicht im Schnee gefallen, haetten wir den Tumor noch lange nicht gefunden. 

Today I woke up and my sweet husband gave me a brand new coffee cup, it had lot’s of red hearts on it. Every year we celebrate our Valentine’s Day as a big family. I cook a nice Lasagna, some Italian salad and bread. The children pour melted chocolate into the molds and freeze them. It’s all so yummy! Now it’s time to rest for the evening, but before I’ll do that, I will make us some vanilla ice-cream with hot cherries.

It began to snow on Friday night and when we awoke on Saturday morning the Snow Queen has flown over our land and has brought some snow. This is very unusual for this area, so it was a pleasant surprise. Of course snow mans were being build and showed up on every lawn, snow ball fights were on the menu.  The kids all bundled up out they went with a joy only a child can feel. With rosy cheeks they played until they were cold and ready to come in for some hot cocoa. Now as evening falls, kids are ready to sit by the fire, it’s time to reflect and enjoy this beautiful white Valentines.

Please turn off the music at the bottom left to listen to Patrick’s music.

Yesterday Maria has lost her first tooth. She was a brave little girl as I pulled out this wiggle little tooth. We told her she has to put the tooth under the pillow and the Tooth Fairy will bring her a dollar. Rebecca and Maria started wiggling all their teeth, hoping another one would be loose enough so the Tooth Fairy would bring some extra cash. They were thinking business. Today Maria did not want to brush her teeth alone, she wanted to make sure I brush them. I think she is worried they all will fall out if I don’t brush them.

Gestern hat Maria ihren ersten Zahn verloren. Sie war ein sehr grosses Maedchen als ich an ihrem Zahn drehte und drehte und ihn dann endlich ziehen konnte. Wir haben Maria erzaehlt das sie diesen Zahn unter ihrem Kopfkissen legen muss und ueber Nacht kommt dann die Zahnfee und wird ihr dann einen Dollar geben. Nun sind Rebecca und Maria beiden am gucken ob doch noch mehr Zaehne locker sind und gezogen werden koennten. Heute wollte Maria nicht alleine ihre Zaehne putzen, sie hatte angst sie koennten doch alle rausfallen.

It is my grand-parents 65th Anniversary. I am so very blessed with such amazing people in my life. I love them dearly and am glad to had them as an example of marriage.