Happy Halloween!

I don't have a photo (yet) but Sawyer went off to school today dressed as the Ken doll - khaki pants, loafer shoes, pink polo shirt, gray sweater draped over his shoulders, hair parted and slicked off to the side. One of his female friends was going to bring in a Barbie doll for him to carry around. Should make for a fun day!

The seniors have also been voting on superlatives for the yearbook, and Sawyer earned the "Best Nickname" - he has several that are a play on his first name: Saw, SawSaw, Sawsause, etc. Some of his friends even yell "saw, saw, saw" at sporting events while making a sawing motion when they're cheering him on.

Our visit to SUNY New Paltz last weekend was nice. Beautiful weather and the Hudson Valley still has lots of leaves on the trees, unlike the Alfred area and its bare trees. Sawyer was able to get a little more information about his major and take a tour of the chemistry labs. His application for early decision there is almost complete, just waiting for that darn college essay to be written. Deadline for submission is Nov. 15th with an answer by Jan. 1st.

Wrestling practice starts on Monday so soon we'll be heading into the schedule of evening wrestling meets. Not my favorite sport to watch but I certainly enjoy cheering everyone on.

Enjoy your day of haunts, skeletons, and trick-or-treats! I've already had my hand in the candy bucket at work this morning!

Hitting the Trails

Mark and Sawyer spent the long Columbus Day weekend in the Adirondacks. Sawyer was able to check off two more of the high peaks off his list (there's 46 in all). The weather was perfect: sunny, comfortable temperatures. They both very much enjoyed the time together and recognized how far Sawyer has come -- it was two years ago that he was diagnosed. Year One was a tough day-by-day struggle and Year Two was a rebuilding of the body and mind. We're blessed that he's healthy in all respects and ready for physical and mental challenges.

This Sunday they will again be on the trail, in Wellsville, for the annual Ridgewalk. They've signed up for the 15 mile hike and expect to be slogging through some mud with the predicted rain this week. But they'll enjoy it anyway!

Mark and I celebrate our 21st anniversary today; certainly a day we remember for our wedding so many years ago, but also for the fear two years ago as it was the day we learned something was seriously wrong with Sawyer's health. Not enough parents are as lucky as us to have a positive outcome after such a diagnosis. But with everyone's prayers, love and support, we've made it to today and are filled with joy. We hope you are as well for your own reasons for celebrating life.