Playing Catch Up Into 2012

My last post was August 5, 2011. That seems like a lifetime ago! So get comfy and let's play catch up!

In October, Sean and Nathan both took home the State Championship title in their respective categories of Cross Country Mountain Biking. What a thrill!

Those state championship victories were made all the sweeter because Farm Rich had awarded Nathan a trip to New York for winning the Fan Favorite category of the Kids Who Give contest, for his efforts at helping the Pablove Foundation fight childhood cancer with LOVE!  So in mid October, the Hickey's headed to New York!  All I can say is WOW!  Farm Rich and the Kids Who Give team gave us the FIVE STAR treatment!  We stayed in a beautiful hotel.  We went to see a fantastic play on Broadway and toured the Natural History Museum.  We saw the Statue of Liberty and were in complete AWE of Times Square in the wee hours of the morning.  We tried to take in as much of the sights, sounds, hustle and bustle of the streets in New York City as we could.  We were escorted around the city for a day by limo and we celebrated with the other Kids Who Give winners at Dylan’s Candy Store.  We wrapped it all up with a carriage ride through Central Park and a delicious awards dinner at Sarabeth’s.  It was AMAZING!

I honestly think that trip to New York was to sustain us for the road that was ahead of us. The day we came home from New York, I was so exhausted, I accidentally ran over our beloved 17 year old cat Smokey Bear. A wonderful trip cut short to be sure. Although, I did take comfort in the fact that we loved him well for 17 years. He was a legend in this neighborhood for always laying in the middle of the street and facing down any dog walking by. He had many, many friends that would come by to pet and visit with him. We're all gonna miss you, Smokey Bear!

On Wednesday, November 30th, the night the worst wind storm in So. California history occurred; Sean was hit by a car and suffered a shattered L3 vertebrate.  He laid in Arcadia Methodist Hospital for one whole entire day and night, before they could perform a 5 hour surgery on Friday morning.  Thursday was to be the first time in the hospital's history that it would declare an internal state of emergency.  They had no electricity and there were so many trees down around the hospital, doctors and emergency vehicles could not get in or out.  One of the blessings in this nightmare was my brother, Jim who works in the CCU at Methodist and was able to keep a watchful eye over Sean during his stay.

Up walking 1 day after surgery.

So many of our friends and family pitched in to help us through this rough time!  Meals were brought to our home.  Gift cards were sent and kids were taken care of by so many of you that love us!  A heartfelt THANK YOU to each and every one of you that extended your LOVE and KINDNESS!

It's mid March and there have been some bright spots sprinkled in the last couple of months.  While Sean is not really back on his bike and probably won't be this season.  He has been able to cheer on the high school racers that he coaches for the San Gabriel Valley composite team.

Nate Dog received a new carbon fiber bike from our friends Mark and Cole Avery!  Nathan is racing in CAT 2 14 and under this season and Cole is the kid Nathan is chasing.  Talk about lighting fast.  Cole is 13 and extremely hard for Nathan to catch!

It was Mark who took this amazing pic of Nathan holding up his new bike.

Tristan made Clifton's soccer team and his AYSO AllStar team got 2nd place overall this season.

Spring is in the air at our house.  Our hen, Pearl successfully hatched 8 baby chicks the first weekend of March, on Dr. Seuss’s birthday. So in his honor we welcomed the Hickey Chickies.

Love,

Lisa