Haircuts For A Good Cause

 I can be honest about my weaknesses, and I've just never been good at doing hair. My own, anyone else's. It didn't really seem to matter.  I could leave it down or pull it partially back in a barrette, but that was the extent of my abilities.  

Getting ready for Grace's big girl haircut!

You would think I would have been worried when Grace was born, but fortunately, she didn't really have any hair for more than the first year of her life.  And even then, most of the bows had velcro, and you sort of just stuck them on her head.

Our "before" picture!

As she got bigger, it was still pretty easy to do her hair.  Even I could pull it back just a little, and she still looked cute as a button.  Kyle always went for the headband, and that was pretty cute too.  

Tina carefully cuts off her ponytail.

She was excited to get her hair cut.

Since her hair did grow pretty fast, one of our favorite activities was participating in the Old Settlers longest pigtail and ponytail contest.  She won a ribbon in her age division every single year.

Grace was pretty impressed with her ponytail.

Adding some finishing touches!

But the last couple of years, it was getting long. I mostly went with a ponytail and a princess or Minnie Mouse bow. It didn't always look great, but at least it kept it out of her face during preschool and therapy.  On occasion, I would do pigtails because they were one of Kyle's favorite looks.

I love haircut snuggles!

A new bow for a new look!

The drawback to having fine hair though, is lots and lots of tangles.  And Grace would cry when you would wash or dry her hair, and just sob when you would try to comb it.  

Mommy got to hold up her ponytail too!

So, as cute as her long hair was, we started talking about getting it cut.  And since it was so long, we talked about donating it to charity. The more we talked, the more excited we got. Then I decided I would let mine grow out until it was long enough to donate too.  

As we started looking at when we would get it cut this spring, Kyle's sister, Mikaela said she wanted to join us too.  So, it took some scheduling, but Mikaela joined as at Hair Designs in Coffeen on Friday, May 20, where Tina Leefers did the honors.  Tina has been my hairstylist forever, and did Grace's first haircut, so we knew she would help us out on this special day.

Then, it was Aunt Mikaela's turn!

I asked Tina to find a place we could donate to, where they accepted eight-inch ponytails, and she found a non-profit organization called Children with Hair Loss, that provides free hairpieces to children with a wide range of medical illnesses, including cancer.  

When we arrived at Tina's, we decided that Grace should go first, and I held her on my lap.  To date, Grace had only really had her bangs trimmed, and Tina usually has to do it while Grace was shaking her head no.  Let's just say Tina is a woman of many talents!  But Grace actually did pretty good, and seemed to like it when the hair would brush her face.  Tina carefully measured an eight-inch ponytail of blonde hair, and Grace was left with a cute chin-length haircut that framed her face.

It was fun to hang out with Daddy, Grace and Quincy at Tina's.

I went next, and had about eight inches to donate as well.  My haircut is about the same length as Grace's, and I must say it's been a long time since my hair had been too short to pull into a ponytail.  But it's a really cute look, and still doesn't require a lot of ability to style it. Although I use the word "style" in a very loose way.

Finally, it was Mikaela's turn.  She had the most hair of any of us, and was left with a shoulder-length cut.  She likes to be able to pull hers into a ponytail at work, so it's good that hers was a little longer.  Kyle, Grace and I entertained Quincy while Mikaela got hers cut, and that was a lot of fun.

Before we left, the three of us posed for a photo in the newspaper with Tina, who did an awesome job on all three haircuts. And it was such a fun afternoon to be together.

That hair will help make hairpieces for children who need it!

The day after the photo ran in the newspaper, I got a message from a local resident, who thanked us for picking Children with Hair Loss, as they provide a hairpiece for her daughter. She told me they are an amazing organization to work with, and she was glad we donated.  I was glad to hear they help local people too.  

We know that Grace has touched many lives in her four and a half years, but we want to give her every chance to help others and make a difference.  I can only imagine some little girl with a new blonde wig, using Grace's hair.  It makes my heart leap with joy.  

All finished and looking beautiful!

She looks so grown up in her new haircut, but it's much easier to brush now.  We've both gotten lots of compliments on our new hairstyles, and as long as they don't say I look more grown up, I'll be doing great!

mlh

School's Out For The Summer

As we carefully unpacked the last of her artwork from her backpack this year, Kyle and I sat back to reflect on another really great year at preschool, especially the past two weeks.

Grace loves playing at preschool!

Last week was the annual St. Louis Zoo field trip, which is always one of our very favorite places.  The preschool charters two buses for families, and the last two years, Kyle and I have both taken the day off work to go with Grace.  Since this year's trip was on a Thursday, Kyle's mom brought our nephew, Quincy, and his brother, Shane along for the trip, and we met them there.

Hanging out with Grandma Kim, Uncle Kyle and Quincy at the zoo.

Daddy and Grace hanging out with the sea lions.

The bus leaves the church at 7:45 a.m., which means an earlier morning than usual for us, but we made it.  I even fed Grace her breakfast on the bus, which worked out very well.  We stuck her stroller under the bus, and looked forward to a fun day in the sun.

We ran into Hazel and her family at the zoo!

Grace and Mommy like Big Cat Country!

Shortly after we arrived at the zoo, we found the rest of Kyle's family, and headed for Kyle's new favorite exhibit, the polar bear!  The only drawback of getting up so early that day, was that Grace was pretty tired by the time we got to the zoo.  She managed to give a few smiles to Uncle Shane, but then she fussed for most of the rest of our morning at the zoo.  

Grace and her friend, Mia at the zoo!

Grace fell asleep on the zoo train!

Since Grace and Quincy both love the train, we opted for a train ride around the park, and within minutes, Grace was asleep on my lap.  She slept for most of the rest of the zoo trip, but we still enjoyed walking around looking at all the animals and sharing lunch with Grandma Kim and Quincy.

Watch out for that shark!!

Got a quick photo with Kenna before we left the zoo!

After leaving the zoo, the preschool classes stopped at a nearby park for a quick picnic lunch, and all too soon, it was time to head for home again.  While we hated that Grace was so tired during the trip, we were glad to share the experience with our preschool families.

Gracie and her friends at our picnic in the park!

Hudson and Cody held Grace for the group photo.

Then, this week, marked the final three days of preschool. Tuesday night was Moving Up ceremony for the morning class. Grace was part of the program last year, and it's always a really great time.

Grace just smiled during the songs for the program.

This year, Grace sat with her aide, Alex, in a rocking chair, and just loved the music.  Although she was more able to participate last year, like trying to sign Jesus Loves Me with her class, this spring, she really enjoyed the music. And absolutely loved sharing the stage with Alex.  The kids sang some of their favorite songs, like "If I Were a Butterfly" and "Wiggle Praise," and they recited their shapes, colors and numbers. 

Grace got her Moving Up sash from Mrs. Brown.

At the conclusion of the program, each child got a Moving Up sash, a Bible and a certificate from her teachers and Pastor Joy. Each student had a chance to talk into the microphone to say what they are thankful for and what they want to be when they grow up.  It was a little bittersweet for me, as her teacher said she thought Grace was thankful for her family and her friends and her teachers, and that she would probably want to keep on being the sweet little girl that she is. 

Grace and her class after the program.

Sometimes, I miss all the cute little kid sayings, and wish Grace could tell me things. However, as the tears welled up in my eyes, I started looking at Grace and watching her smile and her teachers. I know she's right where she needs to be, and I'm so proud of her for all that she accomplishes in her own way.

Hanging out with Grace's fan club after the program.

After the program, there were only two days left of school. I couldn't be there on the very last day, so I stopped by early on the second to last day and watched the kids play in the playroom. It warmed my heart to see how many of her friends stopped to play with Grace. One friend brought her the play phone, while another two had a puppet show for her.  These kids don't see any limitations when they look at Grace. Instead, they see my sweet little girl, who loves when her friends come and talk to her and play with her.  We hope to have some play date get togethers this summer too!

Hudson brought Grace a Minnie Mouse apron and a tiara!

Grace and her friends, Kenna and Dahlia, on the last day of school.

I was worried about sending Grace to school last fall because she was so far behind all her classmates. But these past two years have been some of our best memories, especially the youngsters who call Grace their friend.  I just love hearing the stories from moms about how much their kids love Grace and that they pray for her. We are so grateful for her teachers, her friends and their families for adopting us and being part of our Grace-Filled Journey. We can't wait for next fall!

MLH

Forever Happy Days

Many of our readers have probably seen the #foreverhappydays photos that both Kyle and I post every day on Facebook. Today marks the start of the third year we have been posting the photos, and it's truly become not only a daily habit, but a daily inspiration.

Day 1 - our first #100happydays photo.

It started on May 13, 2014, when a friend of mine, Stephanie Carls, shared that she was going to join the #100happydays challenge. The idea is simple; post a photo every single day for 100 days in a row that makes you happy. Their website, www.100happydays.com sites that 71 percent of the people who start the challenge fail to complete it, and say it's because they ran out of time. In reality, most days, it takes us less the one minute to post a photo or multiple photos of something that made us happy that day.

Day 14 - at the Hillsboro Memorial Day service.

The website goes on to say that people who successfully complete the challenge started noticing more what makes them happy every day, were in a better mood, started receiving more compliments from other people, realized how lucky they were to have the life they have, became more optimistic, and some even fell in love during the challenge.

Day 18 - nothing beats a good Dairy Queen ice cream cone.

Kyle and I started the challenge six months before we had ANY idea what the four letters INAD stood for. Grace had some delays, and we were working on that with her, but we started it long before we knew just how devastating four little letters can be.

Day 190 - Grace's first Thanksgiving Day program at preschool.

We started it together, on the same day, because we felt like no matter what happens each day, there was always something that happened to remind us how blessed we are.  I'll be honest, some days that's harder than others. Some days, when the alarm clock goes off, I want to snuggle back under the covers and go back to dreaming about Grace walking and talking and about a world where INAD doesn't exist.

Day 353 - the first Step Up to the Plate for Grace series.

However, INAD is a reality for me and for Kyle and most of all for Grace. Unless new medical discoveries are made, INAD means that Grace will never walk. She will never talk, and she may not live to see her 10th birthday. And that's devastating. Every single day.

Day 400 - Bowling has always been one of Grace's favorite games!

But here's what INAD can't take from us. INAD cannot take away the chance to see Grace's smiles each and every day. It can't take away our opportunities to make as many wonderful memories with Grace as possible. And it can't take away our love for Grace and for each other.

Day 455 - Big Puppy has also been one of her favorite toys!

After becoming part of the 29 percent of people to complete the 100 Happy Days challenge, Kyle and I decided that wasn't enough. We created our own hashtag, #foreverhappydays and continued posting photos, reaching both the one-year and two-year marks. Since Kyle and I both post #foreverhappydays photos, the campaign represents more than 1,400 moments over the past two years.

Day 464 - Grace's Make-A-Wish trip to Hawaii!

People stop us all the time to tell us they log onto Facebook each day to make sure they see our photos, and how much it inspires them. And we love hearing that. We love hearing how many lives that Grace touches and how her happiness can be contagious.

Day 724 - Just pure happiness - no caption needed.

But the people who are impacted the most by #foreverhappydays are truly me and Kyle.  There are some days that I feel like life is too tough to find a way to be happy. But instead of dwelling on that, I work hard to find the things that make life worth living, even on hard days.

Day 728 - Bowling with the princess.

Shortly after we started the photo challenge, Kyle's sister, Mikaela, sent us a quote that said, "When life gives you 100 reasons to cry. Show it you have 1,000 reasons to smile." And no matter what life throws your way, I challenge you to find 1,000 reasons to smile, just like Grace. You won't regret it.

MLH