Tomorrow is Grace and Mia's seventh birthday. Last year at this time I had two spoiled rotten girls and ten months ago, we weren't sure one of them would see this day. Even though tomorrow, Mia needs a blood transfusion and we have to spend half the day at the hospital; we are very happy people.
I've watched a lot of change take place with everyone in my family over the last ten months. I've shared a lot about Mia, but Grace has really grown up this year too. She still is a little quick to whine about stuff, but she realizes how lucky she is and that she has to be strong for her sister when Mia can't be. My oldest daughter is the most mature 9 year old you'll ever meet. I'm harder on her because I expect so much from her. She is in all the advanced classes at school and we are so proud of her. I'm sure in a few more years I'll be the dumbest SOB in the world (FU VR), but right now it is pretty cool to be Zeus. I feel bad for Grace and Hannah sometimes because we've had to shower all of our attention to Mia. I think they understand but Julie and me sometimes forget they need us too. It's tough to juggle it all.
We have a little less than 5 months left for Mia's treatments, and let me tell you - that can't go fast enough. Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by this sureal year we've had and I have to hang on to cliche's like God only gives you what you can handle and take one day at a time. But what I've learned through it all is that I am a pretty blessed man to have a wonderful family and a lifetime of friends that have come out of the wordwork from all corners to help carry me through this year. We have definitely grown as human beings and I have to look at this past year and extract lessons learned as a positive instead of dwelling on the negative.