Thoughts

Hey yall,

This is the first chance I have had to sit down and take a minute to Thank you once again for making dreams come true for more Grin Kids. Haley fell at school and sprained her ankle but she is fine now and back to her normal happy self.  I did get to listen to the show and cried as usual. It always brings back memories from our trip in 2001 and from the looks of the pictures it has grown so much since then. I love seeing all the pictures of the families. It is such a great time for them to forget about the day to day things we have to do for our kids and what they have to go through. Just for a few days but a few days that stick with you forever. I read what Ace and TJ wrote reflecting on the trip and it is true when TJ said once you're a Grin Kid you're always a part of the family. Y'all always make us feel that way. I always wonder if over time it would fade away but it never has, and you always seem to really want to know how Haley is doing. That means so much to me and there are not enough words to express how thankful I am for that.

I wish I could remember the little guys name on the trip who told TJ he would be friends with him even in heaven. OMG I cried so hard. My pastor came to Haley's awards day last year and she got student of the year (can you tell I'm proud) and when we went to church the following Sunday he told everyone about it and said he thinks everyone should have to go visit a school like that and see how amazing the kids are and how touched he was after his visit.

There are words hanging above Haley's bed that say "Every day holds a possibility of a Miracle" and it is so true like when Haley drank from a straw for the first time, sat up, fed herself and walked. All things we were told she would never be able to do. To us they are miracles that we don't take for granted.

I can't tell you how many times I have been out and seen a kid pulling on their mom's shirt and saying momma, momma, momma, and got fussed at and told if I hear you say momma one more time... The whole time I am getting upset and want to say do you have any idea what I would give to hear my child say momma. I am in tears now thinking about that. Haley will never get married or have kids or be able to talk to me about boys and stuff when she is in high school. I won't ever be a grandmother but honey I will not feel sorry for myself about it, I would not trade one step she has taken or a goal she has made to have any other child than the one God gave me. She has made me thankful for a blue sky, or a single wild flower growing in the middle of nowhere. I intend to make her life as full as I can and like my mother-in-law said: Haley doesn't know how much bad there is in the world. All she knows is love, happiness and security and that there are some really great people in the world like yall and the listeners who do want to do good and help make the lives of little angels dreams come true in a magical place like Disney World.

So my hope every year when you do the Grin Kids trip and people listen to the show it will make them stop and think man what do I have to complain about. There is always someone out there who has it worse than you. Having Haley has made me more patient, understanding, thankful for the little things in life. I know we were chosing to take care of her and she has brought more joy to my life than I could ever have imagined.

Continue the good work you're doing. We love you for all you have done

Tomi