Dear Friends and Family,

Tanya, bless her soul, has been trying for days to blog and is afraid everyone will think she is too busy or has lost interest, but that is not the case.  The internet at the Ronald McDonald House (RMDH) is not cooperating with them or anyone else.  So, until it is fixed we will have to wait for those inspirational notes from her.  I can fill you in with a peek at what happened this last weekend.

Tanya’s Aunt Yvette and Cousin Heather with her daughter Destiny in tow arrived Friday to visit and provide the entertainment for the weekend.  Friday was dinner and catch-up chat with a female only ride in the red bug (of course the top was down).  Saturday was a slow wake up, I personally woke up early (Mike was awake but still in bed when I left the room) and took a book down to the kitchen area and cuddle up with the book, coffee and sun until the rest of the family woke up.  We then had a nutritional breakfast of Crispy Crème Doughnuts.  The plan for the day was to go to a “Yuppie” grocery store and get some ready made kabobs to BBQ poolside at the hotel the girls were staying at.  What a cool feature of a hotel to have a gas grill and right across the freeway from Northgate Mall!  A find indeed.

I may make fun of their grocery stores in Seattle but I personally would die to have one in the Tri-Cities.  What a display of beautifully arranged fruit and vegetable of every variety and a spread of every kind of meat, fish, shellfish, including prepared and ready to cook variety.  Okay enough of the food talks…Back to the Zaugg’s.

With the heat and the pool the male folk were in heaven.  Aidan’s dad patiently worked with Aidan teaching him how to swim and it paid off.  So much, that if Mike took his eyes off Aidan to give Sage some attention, Aidan thought he could go solo, which he tried and sunk as his dad and mom rushed to his aid.  Aidan had a smile on his face as he was pulled out of the water and lectured on when and when not to freely jump into the water; the kid has no fears.  Aidan spent about 3 hours swimming and playing, his stamina is unbelievable and if he did not have his hat on in the pool you would not think this little guy is sick, let alone sick with a scary disease.  Sage and his dad had a few swimming races and Sage some how always won in the last second each time.  Tired out from the heat and swim we headed back to the RMDH, not to rest but to freshen up and head out to Cheesecake Factory for dessert.  Someone at the water fountain near the restaurant took our picture for a keepsake.  Aidan and Destiny were still going strong depleting me of all mine and everyone else’s pennies to make wishes in the fountain.  Here it is at 9:00 pm after a full, really full day and Aidan wants a bowl of soup and bread and is showing no signs of slowing down yet, another blessing upon this family to be able to enjoy this angel.  And to think back 2 months ago he was staggering and not even able to feed himself.  Praise you Lord!  We are a tired bunch when we finally hit the bed that night.

We all slept in, with Mike up first, to study for his 2nd year apprenticeship test to be given to him at the RMDH by his union (by the way he passed the 4 hour test- way to go).  We finally got up and moving about 10:45.  The grandbabies, Chet and I went for a walk on the many paved paths around the house into the woods.  Sometimes it’s hard to believe you are in a city as large as Seattle is, with the trees covering your view, wild flowers, and the birds and animal noises everywhere.  We went to lunch at Jack in the Box and used our coupons given to us by Jim Smith – Thank-you.  Now the division of activates take place, the girls and Aidan are going shopping at the factory outlet in Marysville, Sage, Mike and Papa headed back to the RMDH.  Mike to study and Chet and Sage to watch a car race and video games.  We shopped for 5 hours and Aidan was going strong, until the car ride back in the air-conditioned van, but he never went to sleep in the 50 minute drive of ~30 miles.  We said our good-byes to Yvette, Heather and Destiny at the mall as they needed to get back home.

The Zaugg’s had discovered a little Italian pizza restaurant not far from the RMDH and we met up with the rest of the guys for dinner before Chet and I headed back to the Tri-Cities.  The food was wonderful.  Again another week of teary eyed kisses and goodbyes.  How wonderful to have Aidan so healthy looking and strong.  We feel so passionate as a family, both the Zaugg and Hammack families, that Aidan is healed by the grace of God and will grow up to become the man he is meant to be.

We gas up in Issaquah (cheapest gas we can find on our routes in Seattle $3.08) and make that lonely journey back home leaving a piece of our hearts in Seattle with our favorite grandsons, daughter and son-in-law.

Cath Hammack