Good morning everyone!
I need to go back and get caught up bt wantd to say hello. Family Burn Camp was amazing and I will try and tell you about it but I don't even know where to start.
The YMCA facility itself is beyond my expectations for cleanliness and accomodations and food. We were on Lake Burnside (the irony is not lost) and it is listed in MN as one of the top 10 cleanest lakes. You can swim out forever and still see the bottom (I never have been in a lake you could see through like the ocean) and people snorkle all the time.
They have a chef and a pastry chef on hand so there was salmon, pork roast, cuscus and greek chicken, homemade pecan pie, blueberry pie, cannolli's, fresh bread etc. They always had a vegetarian dish and a massive salad bar plus bread and PB and jelly for picky eaters. This was not the girl scout or church camp I attended for food and those who have come before said the goal was just not to gain any weight at camp.
Our cabin was built in 2003 and way too nice to be callled a cabin. We were in this newer part of camp that was seperated by 2 miles each way to the dining hall, main activities area. There was a shuttle bt we made sure to walk it at least one time each way every day. So I feel stronger physically becase those 4 miles are wooded and up and over a huge hillside. I kept saying how I can kick out 4 miles easy on a road but holy crud those cross contry runners have earned a whole new level of respect from me.
We were 25 miles from the Canadian border in the Boundry Waters Canoe area and it was a chilly week overall. 2 days of sun and 70's but the rest was in the 50's for a high. We went in the sauna one night (wood burning) and then ran into the lake and although going from 210 degrees to 45 was a shocker - it was awesome!
There were several other families there plus the hospital's occupational therapist, social worker and burn leasion (she was burned in a car accident at 18 years old and now is 44.)
The stories that were shared about how their children were burned and the siblings viewpoints were so touching. I thought I had done a lot of introspective healing about the guilt I feel about Baylor's inury but that first day in group for the parents - I sobbed more tears than I thought were possible. The kids had their private sessions and group sessions and they all learned great word choices about how to combat a stare and closing words to end a converstaion if you just don't feel like contining to talk. ("It happened awhile ago and I am fine now but thank you for asking.")
Treyner talked about the hardest thing in relation to Baylor's burn that he experienced - and it was something Baylor did not remember and I did not know - and made the occupational therapist say she will be addressing it with staff today.
For all of us with kids, who work with kids or have children in our lives ina ny capacity, I learned more about children fire safety and prevention of plain old accidents than I thought were possible. Then there were the cases that were just made you know there was God's hand in this life.
One family had 2 girls who when they began to speak - I remembered the accident just beacuse their story was in national and local news for weeks.
Husband got stuck at work so he was planning on driving up to family cabin for the 4th of July, seperate from his wife and 2 daughters who would go as planned with brother -in -law (wife's sister's husband) in a small plane up to the cabin.
Plane crashes, broke in half and kids seated behind mom and pilot were ejected from plane in their seats and survived the crash. Mom and pilot were killed on impact and that section of the plane literally had nothing to recover.
Kids were 3 and 4. The 4 year old got 3rd degree burns on her hands (plus had a broken leg) because she had enough witts about her to help her little sister get out of her buckle and take off her clothes that were burning her. The 3 year old had worn a plastic rain coat and it had melted over her face as the fire had gone over them. The 3 year old ended up with 3rd degree brns over 30% of her body including the right side of her face. The 4 year old was also smart enough to have them stay put on the seats and wait 5 hours for a rescue squad to get to them. (They crashed in a heavily wooded area and the fog that was a factor in them missing the runway also hindered in their rescue.)
The dad who lost his wife, his brother -in-law and had to deal with 2 kids going through major trauma, has done an amazing job in healing and helping those girls heal (now 9 and 10.) He met a great woman who is now their Mom (vs. mommy as they call theri birth mother) and is a lobbyist in trying to change policys and regualtions that hinder victims of plane crashes as well as fire safety policies.
I could go on for hours about each family - like I said I learned a lot how to safety proof my home even more than I do now as well as not wearing plastic anything on a plane. (How many people do you see wearning
crocs for example heading to Florida at the airport.) Again, I think I heard that once on an Oprah special about plane safety, but seeing the result of that advice when not headed will make you never forget something that easily had been stored and lost in the brain.
I look forward to being caught up with you all - Treyner is playing in the USA Cup games this week and we will be tenting one night because it is cheaper than driving back and forth 60 miles each way when there is multiple games in a day. He plays a national champion team from Sweden so that should be an exciting game to watch!
I know I wrote a lot and if you want to hear more stories I will share them but it was an event I went into thinking would be a getaway week that turned into a life changing event for me. We are planning on getting a website established for the Family Burn Camp and establishing some fundraiser meetings for a larger level of aid.
I also know I need to take care of myself first if I am gong to be the best mom for my kids - and I will be looking into WW this week to re-join and that YMCA membership is still active and calling my name.
I weighed in this morning and I am not proud to say - I was at the exact same weight I was when this whole journey started 18 plus months ago. 256.4 to be exact. Many things have changed in this last year and a half - but at my core in regards to weight loss and activity, I have not. Short bursts of time it has, but once a bump in the road happens or a distraction - I am not committed to myself.
That needs to be my focus - Treyner is great and settled in his future, Carsyn is healthier now and liking herself more than ever before, Baylor is not going to be 100% for 3 more years still (4 years is the length of time for a burn to be as healed as it is going to be) but he is okay.
I cannot control Chad choices or life and I can only encourage Dan - so I need and deserve to build myself. Not be the guardian to things I have no say in and stop sucking the stress from others because all it does is tell them I will take on responsibility that is not mine and give me cr@p that is not mine to deal with. (E - I kept that pm from long ago and I knew you were right about it all - I just needed to be in a spot to hear it and take action.)
Have a great day everyone - I will respond later to this last weeks entry's later!
that is a lot of crap to deal with. Kudos on bringing your breakfast and lunch with you to work. It takes a little getting used to, but once it becomes routine you will wonder why you didn't do this before. Also, don't forget to treat yourself once and a while to a healthy lunch out. It really can make you feel better. My vice is chicken souvlaki from the greek truck vendor in the park outside of my building. Love that stuff and will get one once every other week. Totally planned, totally tracked and thoroughly enjoyed...
I'm a wreck. Seth leaves for school in 4 weeks. And I am simply a mess. We were at Target today, getting a few things on his "must bring" list and.....well...did I mention that I'm a mess? 
I live in the middle of nowhere but work in Denver so we should be able to work something out!!! 
I must have picked a good amount of filling foods because I don't really feel hungry and usually by now I do!
I get the delivery person thing.
Not here in this part. 
with your brother Cathie. 
Ok. There are just too many directions this comment could take...
