Wow! John will be 6 years old tomorrow (18 Dec 08) and I can not believe how the time has flown by. It was just over two years ago we found out about John's disease, and believe me, it has been a bumpy road!

I am almost completely stoic now, when I talk about John and DMD. He is thankfully oblivious to the disease, and still talks about being a 'rescue swimmer with the Coast Guard' or flying helicopters. It makes me smile when he is so positive, and I wish I could think the same way.

While he continues to have positive feedback from school, he also gets the occasional 'sillys' and has been sent to the Principal more than once this year. Once he went into the girls bathroom to look around. He reason; 'well, I just wanted to see what it looked like'. He also told the girls at his lunch table that he liked 'boobies'.....great! He really did not understand when I told him Vienna and Andrew only breastfed for 7 months, but he breastfed for 2 years that it had nothing to do with liking 'boobies'...it was more about me not working full time.

He is amazing in terms of remembering places, people and things. He loves to learn and asks so many questions about anything and everything.

As for the Marine Corps Marathon, Yes, I did run it. I ran it with my sister Barbara, and 3 others ran for John too. We raised over $24,000 and that is great for a 2d year run! Scott and Vienna did the 10k race together. I was so proud of Vienna. She raised almost $4,000 on her own.

As for John he has been a little more loving to Mama lately, as I have gone back to work for 6 months, so I only see him at dinner time and in the evening. Thankfully I now have an awesome Au Pair, a German girl named Sarah, and I am working at the Department of the Army in the Casualty Affairs Section.

The whole family can work on our German since we will be moving there this summer. Scott took a job with the Government, and his duty assignment is in Stuttgart, so it will be like going home....considering we lived there 7 years in total.

We always talked about going back before John stopped walking, so this is the window of opportunity. We are really looking forward to it.

As always, I thank you for your prayers and thoughts about all the boys with Duchenne.

With love and Merry Christmas, Happy Ramadan, Happy Holidays, and Happy Hanukkah!

Love, Carolyn