Christopher's Homecoming 4

Friday, May 21, 2010, 1:00 pm Chilly, cloudy afternoon... fire in fireplace... dogs napping nearby... watching The Italian Job with my boy... smile on my face and heart filled with joy... yes, life is good... 8:15 pm Christopher was due for a haircut about the time of his accident, so by this morning, he was desperate!  Cindy, our friend for some eleven years has been our 'personal groomer' so we went to see her this morning.  Tears filled her eyes as she hugged him, and we spoke about what a miracle it is that he is home from the hospital, walking and talking so soon.  She and her family have been following our journey from the very beginning, so she feels as though she has been right there with us all the way!  Chris felt like a new man as we walked out of the salon... Thanks, Cindy, we love you! (photo of Christopher and Cindy from this morning) We reluctantly said goodbye to Nicholas this morning as he needed to get back home to Mexico City where he works in the Micro Finance division of World Vision.  We will never be able to thank him enough for being willing to put his life on hold for three weeks to be here with us.  Having our family together during this most stressful time was such a gift.  As difficult as the days were, there was so much comfort in knowing that we were there for each other, together and united.  Family... We love you, Nick, and are going to miss you... (photo taken this morning just before Nick left) As we moved through our day today, I noted several things.  First and foremost is the fact that we have no need for a person to be sitting next to Chris in the car, seeing that his seatbelt is secure and he is not attempting to exit the car.  We are also not concerned about him walking out of the house at random.  These were major concerns only 10 days ago, but because he is not acting impulsively and has very good control over his behavior, we are free to drive about, just the two of us, and we do not have to keep eyes on him 24/7. We are still going to have our home security system upgraded, but it is not a pressing issue any longer.  THESE things have simplified my life immensely!  Thank God for that!   Another thing that I have noticed is that Christopher is aware of and noticing the beauty all around him in a way he never has.  As we drive, he comments continually about all of the beautiful flowers, trees and scenery, especially noting the beauty of Mt. Diablo. (photo) He is in awe of the brilliant colors, the reds, pinks and yellows of the flowers and is even noticing the various shades of green in the trees and shrubs.  This is an interesting thing to me and one that I would like to investigate further.  Why is it that he is seeing the world as though it is all new and amazing?  How exciting I'm going to keep things short and sweet tonight.  Christopher has had a great day... feeling calm and peaceful, which in turn gives me a beautiful gift... the gift of a wonderful day!  His buddy, Alex, who was with him at the time of the accident and was the first person to place the 911 call, came over this afternoon and is still here.  It is wonderful to have him join our family on this Friday evening for dinner and a movie.  We enjoyed lasagne made by our friend, Rosylyn (Yummm...thanks so much, Rosylyn!) and are watching Apollo 13, which is one of Paul and Christopher's favorite movies!  Friday Family Fun Night has been moved to tomorrow, Saturday, due to extenuating circumstances.  We can't wait to see Mae and Roby and spend the evening together! Love, Laura