Sickness was the word of the month for us at the Hill house. Hopefully that means that we have all had everything going around this winter and will not get sick again. We were all sick right before Christmas and most of us were sick numerous times throughout the Christmas break. We had bronchial infections, coughs, runny noses, sneezes, tummy trouble and fevers. It was not a fun time, but we are all feeling much better now!
While it was great all being home in our new house for Christmas this year, it was a tough time. Allen really struggled with depression and other PTSD symptoms. He spent A LOT of time in his quiet room but we made it through. The boys had a great Christmas, and we spent it with my sister and parents. We also enjoyed our time with Little Allen, Allen's oldest son who lives in Dallas. He stayed here a week and we all miss him now that he's back home. It did all of us good to spend some much needed time with him again. Allen felt guilty being in his room so much, but it was what he needed to make it through the holidays. We are so thankful to have that space for him. It has made a world of difference.
New Year's Eve was our 9th wedding anniversary. Typically we go spend it at my sister's house, but didn't this year as Makale had basketball practice. We decided to just stay home and have a few friends over. The boys had a great time as they each had friends over too. Allen was able to mingle for a little while before retreating to his quiet room where he and a friend watched a movie. We are quickly learning that a lot of people even at home is very stressful for him.
It's hard to believe that we were married 9 years ago! Anniversaries for anything always make me reflect back to the initial event. I thought back about what I dreamed our life would be like by now on our wedding day. Never did this life enter my mind. With that being said, while it's not easy most of the time, I wouldn't change it for anything. The things we've gone through have made me realize that difficulties aren't necessarily a bad thing, but more often than not a blessing in disguise.
Today is a big day for Allen. He is starting back to school at Ottawa University where they gave him and the boys each a full ride scholarship. He will be taking a computer programming class. He is starting with just one class this semester to see how he does and if he is ready to embark on going back to school. I will be attending class with him at least until he is comfortable enough to be in class on his own. He has a small class, only 13 including him and he already checked out the room and knows the professor. I hope that we have done everything to help him be successful. He is really excited and I think it will help alleviate some of the depression he deals with. He will also have a "life coach" type advisory that will be able to help him if he needs any special accommodations or tutoring. I think OU is going to be a good fit for him. Of course, I think it's cool that we will potentially all have degrees from OU, my alma mater!!
Silent Siren is continuing to develop. It is a lot of work and there is still much to be done, but we are making strides and getting the word out slowly but surely. Stay tuned as we develop. We can always use funding, so if you are looking for somewhere to donate to this year, please consider us. There is a donate tab on our website at www.silentsiren.org and can all be done online. Or, if you prefer to send a check, you can email me through the tab on my blog and I can get you an address to mail a check to.
Happy New Year to you all! May you have a blessed 2012!
Even Now.......Gina
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