NEWS FROM HOME

May 20, 2008

Hi everyone,

I am home and doing great! I need to catch everyone up on what we did in April.

For my birthday I meet my friend Rick Rose and toured the Rockcliffe Mansion. We shared cookies and had a great time. Then I went to the Blues last hockey game of the season with my friends. (They won!) The next day, which was my birthday I had a party with my friends from school.

As most of you know I had surgery on April 16th on my back. I want to thank you for sending e-mails, cards, and gifts. I went home on April 29th and went back in on May 2 for a few days. Then I went to Ranken Jordan for a week. Now I am home and doing great!
We are getting ready for my Aunt Mary and Uncle Art to come visit us. We are going to have a great time.

Again, thank you for supporting me during my surgery and hospital stay.

Zack

March 9, 2008 ...

Hi Everyone,

February was fun. I went to the MDA Muscle Team Bash. It is a cocktail party to raise money. At the Muscle Bash, they had a silent auction. I wanted a NY Yankees helmet. That is where I met Mike Hogan, he was also bidding on the helmet. We made a deal that he would not bid on the helmet. Just before the end some other people bid on the helmet and Mike bid on the helmet for me. I thought he broke our agreement, but he told me that it was ok.

The next day I went to a wedding for a friend of mine. I liked the wedding. The reception was long and I did not stay for the whole thing. I got to dance with friends of mine. It was the best wedding I have been to.

I also went to see the Blues practice at the St. Louis Mills Mall, thanks to the Dream Factory and St. Louis Blues. I got to go into the locker room and meet the players. After that someone gave me Doug Weight’s old helmet. He has been traded to the Ducks. All the kids got to eat pizza with the players. The players gave autographs. That weekend I also got to go to Dream Night with the Blues. I got to play a lot of games with the Blues players. Reed Low came to see me and hang out. He was doing the auction.

I have decided that I am going to have my surgery. It will be on April 16th. My last day of school will be April 11.

That is all for now, talk to you in April.

Zack

By Zackary Winkle

January 27, 2008

Hi this is Zack; I am going to start updating my news from home page.

This year we didn’t have much snow, but when we did, it was really fun sledding.

Christmas was very fun and I got many presents. One of my favorites was my two Star Wars action figures. But my best favorite was my PSP that I from my friends in Australia. After Christmas we went to Central County Fire and Rescue, they made me pizza and spent the day with me. On New Years I stayed up until 12:00 a.m. and brought in the New Year!

School is going well for me and I got all A’s this quarter and perfect attendance. Last Friday my class went to Clarksville to see the eagles. It was really cold! I stayed on the bus until my class came back from watching the eagles. I went today, it was a lot warmer.

I am thinking about having back surgery. I don’t know if I should do it in April or wait until next year. The surgery is for a curve in my back. The curve looks like a backwards C, after surgery it will be straight.

Talk to you next month, I will do better than my parents did updating my news.

Zack

July 19, 2007
Today was a day of great experiences. Zack got to take a ride in a helicopter. And it was not just any helicopter but a police copter operated by Metro Air Support . They provide air support services to police departments in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and other area departments that may need help. It all started at the MDA Fire Fighter Appreciation Day at Busch Stadium. Thats when Zack and Kimberly got to throw out the first pitch at the game.

During the game we were sitting down low in a handicap seating area but Zack wanted to go find where the fire fighters were watching the game. Mary took him upstairs where Dave Wellborn of MDA told us he and the others were sitting. They were sitting way up at the top of the stadium but the fire fighters were gracious and carried Zack up the stairs for Mary. While he was there he was talking their ears off and the subject of flying came up and how much he likes to fly. Then he told them about an incident a couple of years ago when we were at the St. Louis County Airshow. A group was there selling rides on a couple of Huey helicopters to remember Vietnam vets and we were going to buy tickets. They refused to sell us tickets because they said their insurance carrier required them only to give rides to people who could walk away from a crash on their own. Even though I can understand
their point of not wanting to lose their insurance, It still did not seem like a good policy. Well to Zack it was a bad policy and he was pissed and let them know it.

At the game Christine and Dave from MDA heard the story and so did Fire Fighter Jeff of Community Fire District. Christine told the story to her father in law Ron Olshwanger, a Director of the Creve Coeur Fire Protection District. He contacted Capt. Kurt Friz of the Metro Air Support and they set up a date to give Zack the flight of his life.

Today was the day and we went to Spirit of St. Louis Airport, the site of his earlier denial of a helicopter ride. The MDA people and fire fighters who set this up were there to watch and other fire fighters and some brought their kids. Jeff and his son John were there and I believe Zack has made a new friend in John, they seemed to hit it off. Zack and myself were going to take the ride. We met our St. Louis City Police officer pilots and away we went. They had said they were going to have the helicopter out of service and just give us a ride but not long after takeoff we were called to provide an aerial search for a bank robber on the loose. It didn't take long after arriving in the
area for the officers eagle eyes to spot a man running down street. They called the officers in patrol cars who quickly closed in and arrested the man. Then we were able to resume our flight over the St. Louis area. We flew over and around places like the Arch and Busch Stadium, Forest Park and the Zoo, and other areas. The flight lasted nearly an hour.

We really want to thank everyone who made this happen for Zack. All of this is to prove that people with Muscular Dystrophy are people to who have desires to soar in the sky and being in a wheelchair should not stop them. Please support the Fire Fighters and their Fill The Boot campaign for MDA.

Stan

July 8,2007

Hi Everyone,

The hot summer has started and it has been fun so far.

Bailey and his family from Australia have come and gone and we all had a great time. We went on two river boat rides on the Mississippi, one from Hannibal and one from St. Louis. They got to see their first baseball game but the Cardinal's lost. We went to Grant's Farm and Dave from the St. Louis MDA office arranged for our families to have a special tour. We got to have our own guide around the animal park and we got to go inside Grant's cabin. Wednesday was a day of rest then the next day we went to the Mills to play at the SpeedPark. It was also the day Zack normally goes to swim therapy. We went to that and Bailey was invited to do the swim therapy also. Afterward we all went to Ozzie Smith's restraurant for supper. On Saturday we went to the Rascal's Frontier League Baseball park to play Challenger Baseball on the field. Bailey and Zack played and Sam was his brother's buddy. In the afternoon we had a big party and invited a lot of our friends over to meet the Heddes. We were sorry to have to see them go home and hope to see them again soon.

Zack's Grandma Pat, Uncle Fuzz, and Aunt Sue came to visit us from Washington and Oregon. We went to a minor league baseball game. The Challenger Baseball players got to go onto the field for the singing of the national anthem. We all had a good time and hope to see them soon.

The Challenger Baseball season has come and gone except for the All Star Game down in St. Louis at Berra Park on the Hill. It was another successful season with a few new players. We thank the Louisiana Elks Lodge for hosting the Awards picnic and cooking the hamburgers and hot dogs.

Father's Day we took Zack to MDA camp. He had a great time with the campers and his helper Andrea. Zack was the Hero to the guys the first night. He had asked the girls at the local Hooter's restraurant to come to camp. They were there the first night to serve sandwiches at the pool party.

Zack has been helping out MDA this summer. He has been to a couple of photo shoots for them and helped out at a lockup. This past weekend MDA held a Firefighter Appreciation Day at the Cardinal's game. They asked Zack and his friend Kimberly to throw out the first pitch of the game. Zack also carried an American flag with the name of a Springfield, IL firefighter lost in the line of duty last year.

Thats all up to now. Some upcoming highlights are going to the NASCAR Busch Series race at Gateway. The Dream Factory has set up a meeting with Carl Edwards and the kids. Carl is the Dream Factories spokesman. You may also remember Carl gave Zack the winning trophy after last years race. We are also going on vacation to Branson. And there are more MDA functions leading up to the Telethon.

The Winkle Family

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to update you on Zack’s world. It was a very busy April as you can see by the photos.

We started with Zack’s Birthday. He had a small pizza party with his grandparents, the Omohundro Family, Todd, and the Ridenour Family. Zack really liked hanging out with the teenagers. Two days later was Easter and the Easter Bunny was good to Zack. Then two weeks later is was off to the Lake of the Ozarks for the MDA - IAFF Meeting. (MDA Meeting for Firefighters and Paramedics to kick of the fill the boot program). Zack had a really good time, seeing some of his firefighter friends from Kansas City area and Kansas. This year his friend Lisa and Kelly came from the Lincoln Co. Ambulance District. Zack had a great time taking the mic and making announcements. Zack also tried his hand at fishing with his new pole. He caught his first large mouth bass and he was very excited, he said that his Grandpa Bill would be proud of him. The same weekend he went to the Buddy Bass Tournament, which raises money for the MDA. He had a great time talking to the fisherman as they were weighing in their fish.

As you can tell we have been really busy and we are now counting the days until the Heddes Family come from Australia. Zack can’t wait to show Bailey and Sam around Missouri.

An update on Zack’s weight. As you can see by the photos Zack now has checks, he now weighs 52lbs. His goal is 60lbs and he is working on trying new food, which is fun to watch his face when he puts it in his mouth.

Well have a great spring; we will update you more this summer.

The Winkle Family

April 5, 2007

Hi Everyone,

Well it has been over a year since we updated Zack’s news. Zack is getting ready for his 9th Birthday and he is really excited. It has been a good winter he has been really healthy. In September Zack got a G-button put in (Feeding tube). Zack was not gaining any weight and he was ready to put the feeding tub in. He has gained about 20lbs so far. He has about 9 more pounds to go.

He has been really busy this year. He has met a lot of the St. Louis Blues Players, thanks to the St. Louis Dream Factory. Doug Weight of the Blues gave Zack 4 tickets to a game and the he got to go into the radio booth and talk to the broadcasters. He had a great time. For Christmas we gave Zack a trip to the Daytona 500. We all had a great time, but it was cold.

Zack is looking forward to his baseball season starting this month. Also in May our friends from Australia are coming to visit. We are all so excited about it.

I hope everyone is having a great year.

Mary

March 26, 2006

Hi Everyone,

Well we got our snow for the winter, the first night of spring. I didn't measure it but it looked like about seven inches. School was called off on Tuesday. Still taking Zack to school because the bridge is not ready yet. They have poured the deck and it looks like all they have left to do is put on the side rails and fill in the approaches.

Zack has a new pet and his name is Bugs. It is a gray dwarf rabbit that should not get to big for his lap. He (we think) lives in a cage in Zack's room. He is still sizing us up but has been acting calm and will let you pet him.

That's all for this week.

Stan

March 19, 2006

Hi Everyone,

Couple of things to report this week. Sunday evening and early Monday morning we had a couple of severe thunderstorms pass by. The first one just brushed by to the north of us but the second one created a tornado that passed about a mile to the south of the house. The tornado was on the ground for around 15 miles in our area and did destroy several homes and buildings besides damaging many others.

On Thursday Zack had eight baby teeth removed to make room for the rest. He got through it very well but had a bloody mouth all day. He made a pretty good haul from the tooth fairy. Also on Thursday we got our new John Deere 3320 tractor.

On Friday we went to Columbia for the Missouri State High School Basketball Championships. Zack's High School basketball team played in the Class 2 Championship game but they lost 49-44. This was the Lady Hawks forth straight trip to Columbia and last year they were the champions. We will have to wait for next season to see if it will be five in a row but they are losing four starting seniors so it will be hard to repeat.

That's all for this week. Next week we may be reporting about snow. Monday is the first day of spring and that night and Tuesday morning the weatherman is forecasting four to eight inches of snow. We have had very little snow this year. I have just had to remove it from the driveway one time and I just needed a broom to sweep it off. Hope it does not delay the bridge work to long. They are about to pour the bridge deck.

Stan and Mary.

March 12, 2006

Hi Everyone,

Had some excitement this week. The good excitement was the Clopton Lady Hawks basketball team has continued to advance in the state tournament. We went to the sectional game in Hannibal Wednesday evening where the girls defeated Scotland County. Saturday we went to Moberly where the Ladies had a rematch of last years Quarterfinals game against Russellville. We were victorious again in a well played game by both teams. The next game is the Semifinals at Mizzou Arena in Columbia on Thursday and the Finals are Friday at Mizzou. I don't know if we will make those games. Zack is having some baby teeth removed Thursday and Friday he has an appointment with a woman from the State. Otherwise I would take him.

The bad excitement was the rains that came Thursday. The county highway department decided to replace the low water crossing with a bridge on our road. That is a good thing but they have been talking about this for over a year and now they decide to do it now during the spring rainy season. They removed the concrete slab and replaced it with a temporary bypass and then the rain came. The creek came up and washed away the temp road and the bus could not come down the road. For the short time we will take Zack to and from school. They think they will have the bridge built in two weeks. It is a simple span and not long, it shouldn't take long depending on the weather.

Stan

March, 2006

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it has been so long since our last update. It is hard to believe it has been over a year since our trip to Australia. It seems like it has been a busy year that has flown by. Zack has had a good year health wise, no major illness. We have started on the road to braces. He is wearing an expander in his mouth to widen his upper jaw and make more room for his teeth. I will hit the high spots of Zack's experiences this year.

Last February Zack went to two favorite sports, Monster Jam and the Professional Bull Riders.

In March Zack got a new wheelchair. This one does not lower to the ground but does raise the seat, lay the seat our flat, and raise the seat to the vertical to allow him to stand.

Zachary was chosen to be the Missouri Goodwill Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Zack made some appearances at MDA events leading up to the Labor Day Telethon. Zack was featured on a segment that played during the local segments of the telethon. Mary and I were also taped to talk about Zack. The interview was done at one of Zack's favorite places, the St. Louis NASCAR Speedpark.

This summer we went to several Cardinals baseball games. It was a good season but a disappointing postseason when the Cards lost to the Astros.

Zack went to MDA Summer Camp in June. He had another great time and stayed all the way to the end.

At the end of July we went to the NASCAR Busch Series race at Gateway International Speedway. All three of the Wallace Brothers were racing with this being Rusty Wallace's last season to drive. His brother and Zack's friend Mike Wallace finished best of the three coming in second. In October Zack and I went to Kansas Speedway to see the Busch Series and Nextel Cup races. Mike Wallace gave us pit passes for the races. He got to meet quite a few drivers including Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and Carl Edwards.

In August we went to the Troy Relay for Life event that was organized by our good friend Lisa. She had gotten country music artist Kevin Sharp to perform and she introduced Zack to him. She has another fundraiser planned for next month with Kevin and we plan to go.

In November we went to Las Vegas to see the PBR World Finals. We were met there by Zack's Grandma Pat, Uncle Fuzz, Aunt Mary and Uncle Art, and cousins Susie and Gretchen. We spent nearly a week visiting and having fun.

The holidays were good for Zack, lots of presents from Santa including a slot car track on a table in the basement. Kimberly Daegele and her family came over and spent New Years Eve and Day with us. We shot off fireworks at midnight.

In February we went to Monster Jam and the PBR in the same weekend. We spent the night in St. Louis at the bullriders hotel. It was a great weekend but Zack came down with a fever and a bad cough that cut back on watching the events.

That's the highlights of the past year. Hope it has been as good for you as it was for us.

Stan

January 26, 2005

Hi Everyone,

Hope everyone had a good holiday season. Well, we made our big trip to Australia in November and had the greatest time. Tiffany, Malcolm, Bailey, and Sam were the best hosts. The trip started with a four hour flight to Los Angeles, a few hours lay over and then 14 hours to Brisbane. I think Zack took the flight better than his Mom and Dad because he was able to stretch out across us. Bailey and his family met us at the airport and had a van for all of us to use while we were there. The van was donated by Queensland MDA and was big enough for two wheelchairs and the rest of us. Tiffany had our whole stay planned out and she did a great job. I could write for hours on all we did but will hit the high points here.

The first thing we did was to hit the beach. They live about 15 minutes from the beach at Southport on the Gold Coast area of Australia. The next day was Bailey’s birthday party and what a party. There were about 80 children and adults at the party. The hit of the party was the guy who brought the frogs, lizards, and crocodiles. Zack was a little unsure of all the wild things but Bailey handled them all. Our next adventure started with a trip north up to the Sunshine Coast. We saw some of the country side, the coast, and a place called the Pineapple Plantation. But the big excitement was at Australia Zoo. It is a very nice zoo and it is nearly all Australia animals. We did not see Steve Irwin but we did see his crocodiles. Zack, Bailey, and Sam all got to hold koalas and pet kangaroos and even a little croc. Another place we went to was Aussie World. It is a local amusement park that had a good bumper car ride.

A couple days after getting back to Southport we went to an amusement park called Dreamworld. Tiffany had really made some calls because the staff rolled out the red carpet for the boys. We all got in free, the pictures taken with characters were free, and the boys got to have personal photos with their koalas and wombat. Zack also took his first ride on a Thunder River ride, that’s the ride where several people sit on the top of a large inner tube going down a raging river. It was another great day. One day we went with Bailey to the auction of a house. The proceeds were to benefit several charities and one was Queensland MDA. Bailey was interviewed for television. The next day we went to Cheryl’s house in Laidley. Cheryl is a friend of Tiff’s who comes over to help out. Laidley is a small town out west of Brisbane. While the girls went to town to shop, the boys went for a drive with Cheryl’s husband.

The second week of our vacation started at the local fire station. The boys got to sit in a fire truck and the firemen showed them all around. Then we went to Surfer’s Paradise. That is an area of the Gold Coast know for its surfing but it also has most of the things a tourist is looking for. One of the things we did was ride the Adventure Duck around the Broadwater. The time we were in Australia was the time when their school year ends and Surfer’s was like Ft. Lauderdale at spring break. All the high school seniors, they called them Schoolies, of east Australia head for Surfer’s Paradise to party for a week. We also went to SeaWorld this week. Mary and I went snorkeling in Shark Bay, the big sharks were behind the glass in the other tank. Zachary and Bailey, with their moms, got to swim with the dolphins. They sat in the shallow water while the trainers brought the dolphins in close to show the boys things about the animals and to pet them. At the end of the day the three of us went on a helicopter ride over the area. On our last day of play we went for a drive in the mountains west of Southport. Mary found the best looking place in a green valley, but it wasn’t for sale.

The flight home was about like going down, long. But we did have a stopover. The plane went to Auckland, New Zealand from Brisbane and we had to get off the plane so we got a few more souvenirs.
After getting home Zack was able to start going again to pool therapy. He lost his previous therapist back in August but now sees Ashley once a week at the Y pool in St. Charles. We missed Thanksgiving in Australia but were home for Christmas and New Years. Zack had a good Christmas and got a number of presents. This month Zack’s power wheelchair soccer team started playing again. He had started playing last October. Right now they are still learning the skills and have not played a game.

Some important news about Zack is he has been named Muscular Dystrophy Association Goodwill Ambassador for the state of Missouri. We are not sure of everything they will expect of him but we think they will do news and promotion pieces on him for the Telethon. At places like MDA camp, soccer, school, baseball, etc.

That’s about all for now.
Stan and Mary

October 2, 2004
Hi Everyone,

It’s been four months since our last update so it is about time for another. In June Zack went to MDA camp. He was away from home for a nearly a week. He basically had fun non-stop from the time he got up to when he went to bed. They went swimming, played games, played sports, rode horses, rode on a fire truck, and lots of other things. You can see a TV story on camp with Zachary in it by clicking here or going to www.ksdk.com, or scroll down about half way on the page and click on the Cover Story link, then scroll down and click the The Magic of MDA Camp link. You will also meet Zack’s counselor Hiral who made sure he had everything, thanks Hiral. He made it almost the whole time before we had to go pick him up. It was midnight the night before camp ended when they called that he was upset and wanting to come home.

In July we went on vacation, first to Six Flags then on to Branson, MO. We had a good time going go Silver Dollar City and White Water. The best day was when we rented a boat and went out on Table Rock Lake. We rode around on the boat and also went swimming and fishing. The day after getting back from Branson we went to the first of the Cardinal baseball games we had tickets for. The Cardinals have had a very good season and are in the playoffs that start next week.

In the last update I mentioned Zack got to meet Joe Buck. At the second game we went to we waited outside the press box to say Hi and Joe remembered Zack. He invited us to come into the broadcast booth and watch them. We saw Joe and Tim McCarver tape the promo and intro for the game and watched the first inning and a half of the game. That was the game that Larry Walker joined the team. After the game we waited around for autographs and Zachary got several including Jim Edmonds signature on Zack’s Edmonds t-shirt. But it was after that when the Cardinal’s Director of Security took Zack on a tour of the clubhouse. He got a few more autographs and shook hands with Manager Tony LaRussa. After our last game we went to eat at Mike Shannon’s restaurant and Zack hit the jackpot again. He got some more autographs of past and present members of the Cardinals but more exciting was Tony LaRussa gave Zack his personal phone number and told us to call him and he would give Zack tickets to a game in September which he did. We are very grateful to Mr. LaRussa for his kindness and wish him and the team the best in the playoffs.

The MDA Telethon has come and gone for this year. Zachary joined his friends with the Lincoln County Ambulance District to collect donations for MDA and we also collected donations for Zachary to turn in for the telethon. He was able to give them over $1200.

Zachary started the first grade this year. He is in Mrs. Lovell’s class at Clopton. Things seem to be going really well this year. He has a book to read every night and other homework but I would say he is at least a grade ahead of his Dad when I was six. This year seems to have more challenge to him and it is keeping his interest up. He also goes to the YMCA after school program three days a week. But it is not all work; we go to the girls’ softball games and the two first grade classes are going to a cornfield maze next Friday. And basketball season is not that far away.

That’s all for now, take care.
Stan

May 27, 2003

Hi everyone,

As you can see from the pictures, Zack has been very busy. Easter was a lot of fun. Zack had to wear his Jeff Gordon outfit to hunt eggs in. He found lots of eggs. Then next adventure was the Bush Race at Gateway. Zack and his Grandma Yvonne love the races. So for Mother's Day we went to the Bush Race. It was great and the weather was nice to us. It rained before and after the race. The All New Bull Radio Station was also there (97.3) and Zack has made a friend with the DJ - Mark. They let Zack go back stage to meet Lone Star. He thought that was pretty cool. He even show them a few burn outs.

After that, he had his five-year check up. He got a really good report. Just needs to work on the weight. He also lost his first tooth, if you look close at the pictures you can see the missing tooth (Lower tooth).

But the biggest event that Zack was involved with was being the EMS Star. We would like to thank the Lincoln County Ambulance District for naming him the EMS Star. Also we would like to thank the Fire Department and ARCH. They all made this a very special day for Zack, one he will never forget. A special thanks to Lisa and Greg, Zack's new buddies.

It started by meeting Lisa at the Ambulance Districts Office. Zack was show around and got to meet everyone. Lisa presented Zack with a basket full of fun stuff. (The ambulance is his favorite along with the monster truck). Next he got to ride in the ambulance with Lisa and Sara to the mock accident. We met the Fire Department; they were setting up the cars that had been in the accident. They all got to start smashing them up, Zack like that, he thought it was like Monster Garage. Next to make-up. Zack went with Lisa to put on his bumps. He like it so much he had two put on. Then here they came, it looked pretty good. Almost to good, Zack got a little scared when he thought we might get hurt in the accident. So he just watched everything. Next the Arch Helicopter came, to carry off the injured. (Zack) They picked him up and put him on a stretcher and off they went. They then put him on the helicopter and off they went. They circle around the park a few times and back down. That was really fun, he called them a hero, they called Zack the hero. Once back down, he watch the Fire Department clean up the cars and then off for a ride in the Fire Truck. This day was a day that none of us will forget. They are all special people that made this possible for Zack. We can't thank them enough.

Hope everyone had a great and safe Memorial Weekend.

April 29, 2003

Hi Everyone,

Zachary has had a fairly busy couple of months. The Reed Low and the Blues gave us tickets to a game in March. It turned into a very good game and the Blues won in overtime. Afterwards we got to go downstairs and meet all the players. They do not let you in the locker room but you wait in an area where the players come out and they will stop and talk, sign autographs and let you take their picture. Reed gave Zachary his hockey stick he had used in the game. It still has the stick'um on it. Unfortunately the Blues were beaten in the first round of the playoffs so their season is over. We hope Reed gets to come back to St. Louis, he is a restricted free agent (I think) now.

Zachary's fifth birthday was the first weekend of April and we took our train trip to Chicago and he had a really good time. We were 2 1/2 hours late getting into town because of a freight train derailment near Chicago. They had to reroute to other tracks so that took time but the train was a hour late getting to St. Louis before we even left. It was a good ride and lots more room than a plane, just took longer.

It was not too hard getting around Chicago to see things. Two cab companies had accessible vans and Mary had found the phone number to call them. We were right downtown near the places we wanted to go and we walked or took a cab. On the weekend they have a free trolley and we took that once. We got there Saturday night and Sunday we went to the Navy Pier. That is an amusement park area with a mall and a Children's Museum. The weather was cold that weekend so we didn't do anything outside and most of it was closed anyway. He had the most fun playing miniature golf in the mall. That night for his birthday we went to the ESPN Zone which is a resturant and arcade. We spent a couple of hours and $50 playing games.

Monday we went to a aquarium and a natural history museum. Both were great places but we needed more time for each one. We stayed at a nice ($$$) hotel downtown near the lake. We were on the 24th floor and our room looked over downtown and the windows by the elevators looked out at the Navy Pier and Lake Michigan.

Tuesday we went to the train station early because we didn't have time to really do anything and we thought there would be shops or something to see - wrong. Mary asked a guy from Amtrak if there was anything around there and he said no but if we would wait he would show us around. He took us out to see the Yardmaster and then to look at one of the engines. On the trip home we had supper on the dining car.

Thanks to everyone who signed the Birthday Card. Thats about it for now, school will be out in less than a month. We may go to Kenny and Sharon's this weekend, he has four mares with foals.

Stan

March 12, 2003

Hi,
As you can see by Zack's pictures he has been on the run again. Zack got to meet all of his favorite bull riders and get their autographs. He thought that was really great. The next week after the PBR we went to a party for the Dream Factory. Zack was to talk about his trip to Disney and Give Kids the World. The St. Louis Blues Hockey team was also there to help raise money. Zack had so much fun, he was on the go the whole time. He got to play games with the players and talk to them. He was featured on St. Louis channel 5, he just talked away when they held the mic up to him. By the time the night was coming to an end, Zack was getting tiered and hungry. This is not a good combination. It was Zack's turn to speak, they gave us the mic, he said thank you to everyone and the crowd started to clap and yell. That was a little much for him; he started to cry and didn't want us to talk ether. So off we went and Stan had to talk to the crowd. I took Zack to the back to calm him down and Reed Low (Blues player) came in to help. I told him, he was just hungry and that was a big crowd. Reed had the kitchen cook up a hamburger for him and talked to him about the crowd. It really helped, but by the time the burger came Zack did not want anything to do with it. Well Reed showed Zack what a good burger it was and they shared it together. It was the most burger I have every seen Zack eat.Then Reed went and got the PR person for the Blues and invited Zack to go to the Blues game and come into the locker room. (Reed Low is really a nice person). So we will be going next week to the Blues game. Zack's birthday is coming up and this year we gave him a choice 1. To have a party or 2. Take a train ride. He wanted the train ride; so we will be taking Amtrak to Chicago for a few days.

Zack has been doing really good, the only problem he is still having is with his leg. He lost the feeling on top of the left leg and the movement. The surgeon said it might take 6 months or so. His other doctors don't know. They did a test of the muscle and could not detect any nerve activity from it. They are proceeding like he isn't going to get it back. I think Zack is making a good adjustment. He has started horseback riding again, which will be good for his hips and balance.

We also wanted to put a special note for a special friend of Zack. They have become great e-mail buddies. Bailey (look at Zack's photos) is a very special boy and has been very sick lately. He has been fighting a chest infection with all he has. We hope he is feeling better real soon, so he can go to the beach and play.

Well better go, Talk to everyone soon.

Mary

January 18, 2003

Hi everyone,

Just a quick note, Zack went back to the surgeon last week and it was a good visit. He thought Zack looked really good. Zack has lost some feeling in his left leg and also some movement. But the doctor said it should come back in about 5 months. The Doctor also recommended some electrical stimulus therapy for his leg, so we will be looking into that in the next few weeks. Zack has been working really hard with the stretching. We are do back in 6 weeks. We will keep you posted.

Last weekend we went to St. Louis to see Sesame Street Live. (see photo album) Zachary really enjoyed it. His sitter Destiny and her son Lathyn joined us for the show. He liked it too. The tomorrow, Sunday, we are going to the movies to see Kangaroo Jack. Zachary said it looked pretty funny. We are going to meet the Meyer's there including Alexi who goes to Therapeutic Horsemanship with Zachary.

The other big new, is that we are starting on Zackary's bathroom in the basement. It will be about 13' by 12' and have a roll in shower and a whirlpool tub. We have a bid for the lumber and Mary knows a guy at her work that is going to help with the framing and plumbing. Last week we got a really great break, while Stan and Zackary were getting their hair cut Mary went over to The Home Depot, she noticed some great looking flooring that was 50% off and might work in Zackary's new bathroom. She talked to the sales person (Melissa) and told her what we were trying to do and would this flooring work? It would, so we bought it at a great price. Melissa said she would talk to the Store Manager about what we were trying to do and see if the store could possibly help us out. She said that this Home Depot store adopts a family around Christmas time and thought that maybe the store management would be interested in helping us. We thanked her for her interest but did not think that this would turn into anything. But when we got home, we had a phone message informing us that Melissa had talked to the Store Manager (Scott) and he would like to see what they could do for us. So we took our drawing down to him last Friday and he gave us a 50% discount on the lumber for the walls and the floor. While we were there Zackary impressed Scott with his knowledge about the Home Depot NASCAR #20 racing car and received a hat out of the deal as well. Scott is also looking into the rest of the supplies we might need as well as making some calls about the shower and tub. This will help a lot. Zack is excited about fixing up the basement. A bathroom his chair will go into and a big room to play in (Train and Truck room). What a week! We will keep you posted. Thanks again for all the well wishes, they are working!

Well that's about it for now, except it turned very cold with a little snow.

Stan and Mary

January 7, 2003

Hi everyone,

Zachary is getting better from surgery. Today was his first day back to preschool. Santa was very good to him this Christmas. Last weekend Zachary got to see one of his favorite things, Monster Jam. They had seven trucks in St. Louis: Grave Digger (his favorite), Madusa (maybe his new favorite), Blue Thunder, Bulldozer, Black Stallion, Little Tiger, and Wild Hair. Wolverine was also there but was broke down and could not race. They also had Quad Runners (hot rod 4 wheelers) running that night. Check the picture gallery for highlights. It was a late night but he made it all the way and we had a hotel room that night across the street from the Dome.

Stan

November 3, 2002

Hi everyone,

Sorry it has been a long time but it seemed something was always going on. We went to two Cardinal baseball games this summer. They won July 4, and we also saw some of the air show going on at the riverfront . We stayed around that night and saw the big fireworks show. They lost the August game but Zachary got an autograph from Mike Matheny.

Zachary got to see four rodeos this summer and liked them all. The one at Bowling Green was all bull riding. On August 10, we all went with Grandma and Grandpa Winkle to the Missouri State Fair. We saw and petted farm animals, rode on a camel, and rode some rides. Then that night we all saw Zachary’s main man in concert - Toby Keith. We were afraid the loud music and crowd would scare Zachary like usual but he loved the show. When we went to the air show Labor Day, he was saying he wanted to see the Blue Angels but when the first jet started flying in the morning it was time to leave. It turned out that we almost had better seats away from the air show than there. While in the train store after lunch we heard a noise and it was the Blue Angels literally flying right over our heads. We were at a shopping center due east of the runway and the planes were lining up for their show passes a few hundred feet up. It was very loud.

We built a fish pond in the backyard this fall and put Zachary’s two fish in it. Then Grandma and Grandpa brought back eight more goldfish from Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Doc’s fish pond.

Zachary is back in preschool at Clopton this fall. His class went to a pumpkin patch before Halloween and he had a good time. We went to Indianapolis in mid September at the invitation of Tonya and James Daniels. They have a mud racing truck called “Under the Influence” and found out how much Zachary likes monster trucks. They knew at the race in Indiana there would also be monster truck racing. Tonya took us all over the pit areas introducing Zachary to the drivers and showing him the custom built vehicles. He really enjoyed the monster trucks but would not do any doughnuts for the drivers in his wheelchair. He can do two complete circles in our driveway but he got too shy around the big trucks. He did tell the driver of Raminator that is sponsored by Dodge trucks “you should have bought a Ford.”

The end of September and first week of October we all went to San Antonio, Texas. I had a meeting two days and we stayed the whole week visiting different places. I think Zachary’s favorite place may have been the wildlife ranch. We arrived just after the birth of a giraffe and watched it trying to stand for the first time. We also drove through the park twice and had fun feeding the animals from the van.

Zachary went to three Halloween parties last week. His costume this year was a John Deere tractor. I guess we can say summer is over, there was some snow mixed with the rain and sleet last night.

Zachary has been very healthy this year, knock on wood. We have all just got our flu shots and he also got a pneumonia shot. He was seen by an orthopedic surgeon last week. Zachary will have surgery on December 9, to release his hip flexors. This will allow him to stand straighter in the stander and take pressure off his belly and chest from the upper strap on the stander. The more he can be up with weight on his bones, the better for him. His x-ray showed his right hip is dislocated and the left one is getting that way but the surgeon said it was not worth trying to fix that at this time. He has been using a stiff vest for a couple months to help his back and torso because of scoliosis. He puts it on when he gets dressed in the morning and usually has it on until dinner time.

That is about all from here for now. The holidays are about here again so everybody have fun.

Stan

June 26, 2002

Hi everyone

As you can see by the new picture’s Zachary is having a great time.

The biggest thing was getting the elevator in. You should have seen his eyes when he went into the basement for the first time. They were as big as saucers. He also loved taking it into his room. The first thing he went for was the bookcase, he can get to his books now and pick what he wants. He understands that this is not a toy and when friends come over he tells them "This is not a toy, you can’t ride it up and down for fun".

Zachary got a real treat, he got to meet the Center for the St. Louis Rams. Andy McCollum #67 and his son Drew came to the house for a few hours. They played baseball and football. Zachary thought it was great when Andy hiked the ball to him and then he passed it to his Dad who scored! Andy McCollum gave Zack a Rams hat and Drew gave him a Dinosaur book. It was great, Zack will never forget.

Then Zachary got to go to Grandma and Grandpa Winkle’s where he had a great time. They went to the zoo with his cousin Sophie and played hard the whole time.

We took him to the St. Louis Zoo last week (It was too hot). He loved the hippo’s and prairie dogs. But he had to find the zebra’s. When I asked him why, he said because we both have Z’s.

Health wise he is doing great, no major problems. He is getting a soft jacket; this will help him sit up straight. Zack has about a 35-degree curve in the spine. They are really impressed how well he is doing.

Next up for Zachary will be on Saturday, we are going to a Rodeo called Cowboy Up, then on the 4th of July to a baseball game in St. Louis.

Hope everyone is well, talk to you soon.

April 11, 2002

Hi everyone,

Thank you, to everyone that signed Zachary s birthday card. This was a very sad time and a very happy time. Zachary s Grandpa Bill passed away last month. It was a hard thing for Zachary to understand but I think it is getting better. He knows that Grandpa is taking care of Homer.

Zachary had a great birthday party with a lot of his friends. We had it at Dairy Queen. (It was great, they did everything) He got everything he wanted from monster trucks, matchbox, hot wheels, and a fish tank and more! It was a very big day; Grandma Pat, Grandma Yvonne and Grandpa Johnnie all came.

The other news is about the elevator. We are still waiting, everything is done, and all we need is the elevator. It is coming from Canada and every time we call they tell us another 3 weeks. We had the deck finished; it now has a ramp that goes to the back yard.

As always we are on the run, a couple of weeks ago we saw the Frisco 1522 train and watched it fill up with water. Zachary and Stan loved it. We took Grandma Pat and Uncle George (Fuzz) with us. It was a great day. Now baseball had started and we have our tickets to a few cardinal games. The first one will be May 5 and Zachary will get to run the bases. He will love that.

Health wise Zachary had his 4-year check up and everything was great. He gained one pound in a month, which is great news. He has been really healthy this winter.

When the Elevator comes in we will be sure to get everyone photos of Zachary s first ride.

Take Care
Stan and Mary

February 10, 2002

We just wanted to thank everyone that contributed to the Zachary’s fund. The elevator shaft is about done. It is going a lot faster than we thought it would. We have been one step behind them. At first they said it would be about 3 weeks before they would start, then they moved it up to 3 days. It has been fun trying to find places for all of our stuff. Wednesday the flooring people are coming to measure. We think they will be able to patch the flooring where the pantry was, if not we will have to replace the floor in the mudroom and the kitchen. We are going to put hardwood in Zachary room; we need to put something coming out of the elevator and into him room. The carpet will not hold up and they say hardwood would be better for allergies. Next week the elevator people will be coming to measure the shaft to order the elevator. Hopefully by his birthday, it should be done. (What a birthday present)

Also Aunt Kim will be coming next week, it will be nice to see her. She will just have to excuse the mess.

We will have some pictures soon.

January 16, 2002

Hi everyone sorry it has been so long. Everything is going great around here. As you can see by the pictures Zachary had a great Halloween, he was a little under the weather, but that did not stop him.

At the end of November we got to go on our dream vacation with the help of the “Dream Factory” (www.stldreamfactory.org) and “Give Kids the World” (www.gktw.com). A Mr. Mike Dressler helped us with everything. We did not have to plan any part of the trip. He had the airline tickets, van rental, and spending money all set for us. For a while we were not sure this was all going to happen, it seemed to good and to easy. But off we went to Florida, when we got off the plane, two very nice people met us and took us to baggage. They made sure we were all set, they got us outside were the van was, it was accessible for Zack’s wheelchair. Then off we drove to Give Kids the World. This is a resort just for very special kids. When we got there, Zachary was given a cute little Mickey Mouse he loved that and took it to bed with him that night (see zack’s photo album). Everything was set up for kids even the furniture and decorations. It was like walking into an amusement park. After getting checked in, they showed us to our condo. It was great; it had 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. The refrigerator was stocked and candies on the table. We went to dinner at the gingerbread house; each room had a different theme. Zachary’s favorite was the truck room. It has old truck toys and tractors all around the room. Again everything is kids size. After eating I had to go to a meeting to find out how everything works. Stan and Zachary went on the train, carousel, and played games. This is a true kid’s place. They gave us tickets to all the parks; parking passes, and gift certificates to eat out. They had activates everyday that you could do or not. They have a pool (heated), a lake to fish in, a castle, carrousel, train station, and lots more. Mayor Clayton is a large rabbit that greets the kids; he is around and also will tuck them into bed. (Zack loved that) (See zack’s photo album). On several days the characters from Disney came by. That was great, they also took pictures with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The big surprise, is when the Bear in the Big Blue House came, it was great.

Everything went so smoothly it was great and the parks were not crowded at all. Zachary had a button to wear that let him go to the front of the line. That was really good because the very first day we went to Magic Kingdom and there was a statue of Goofy, who Zachary just loves. I asked him to go over by it and I could take his picture, he just started crying, he didn’t want the statue he wanted the real Goofy. After getting him settle down, (no picture), we started walking down the path and in the magic of Disney there was Goofy. There was a long line of kids, we didn’t know how it worked and we finally saw the line, I got in it and they said only 5 min. more and they would not get to everyone. I was hoping we would make it. Zachary and Stan were standing in front so he could see him and they spotted Zachary and put him in front of the line. Goofy gave him a rose and took his time; the smile on Zack’s face was wonderful. It was like that everywhere. And as anyone that knows Zack knows he is no stranger. We met some really nice people from England (See zack’s photo album) and watch the parade with them. When we went to Universal Studio, there was a character named Dr. Brown (From the Back to the Future movies) on a bike, Zack and him started talking and next thing we are following him into the Universal Store to pick out an ET. Zack picked out a small ET, about the size of your hand, but oh no Dr. Brown knew which one he needed. The one that spoke and his finger and heart lights up. It was also about 3 ft tall. We hooked in on the back of his chair for a ride (See zack’s photo album). Everyone thought that was great. I could go on and on, but it was the best time for all. We want to thank the Dream Factory of St. Louis and Mike Dressler and Give Kids the World.

Zack also had a great Christmas, both grandparents made it. Thank you Grandpa Bill, we know it wasn’t easy. Santa came to our house about a week before Christmas just to talk to him and give him a big Tigger. Zachary was really surprised; I wish I had the Video camera going at that time. Zachary must have been really good, he got everything and more he asked for. After Christmas he went home with Grandma and Grandpa Winkle and had a great time.

We also had a great visit with Uncle Fuzz or Uncle George as Zachary calls him. Now we’re getting back into the real world, School and work.

If all goes well we should be starting construction on the elevator up to Zackary's room and down to the basement sometime in March. We have received funding from State and private sources as well as help from the family and friends, thank you all. We will keep you posted on the progress.

Zachary is going to get to meet a St. Louis Ram’s player after the Super Bowl that should be every exciting for all.

Until next time,
Thanks for dropping in

October 27, 2001

Hello Everyone,

We are in the full swing of Fall. Back in late August we went to northern Illinois to see Thomas the Tank Engine. Zachary had a great time riding on Thomas' train and the other trains at the Illinois Railway Museum. We went to a Rams preseason football game. It was fun but a little too loud for Zachary. We had nose bleed seats and it was quite a climb for Mom and Dad to carry Zachary up to our seats. We went to the Lincoln County Old Threshers show in September, both Saturday and Sunday. They had lots of old tractors, including John Deere ones. They also had a few really old steam powered tractors and Zachary got to go up into the cab of one. We saw both horse pulling and tractor pulling contests and they have an old carousel that only cost fifty cents so we rode lots of times. Kenny and Sharon Creech were also there; pictures of them and their horses are on the album page. The last weekend in September we went to a Blues preseason hockey game. It was really fun until they scored and the horn went off. We made it a weekend in St. Louis by spending the night at a hotel downtown and going to the Zoo on Sunday.

School is going really good this year. For a few weeks now Zachary has been riding the big yellow school bus. The School District had to buy a new bus with a wheelchair lift and we made them put another adult on board just in case Zachary should need help. He rides in the very back and it is really bumpy back there. But when Dad went along on the field trip to the Pumpkin Patch, Zachary was riding like he was bull riding. He had his arm up and waving. Most of the kinks have been worked out. They have to come up to the house to get Zachary and we live about 900 feet off the county road. The first morning the lift would not work properly. Turned out to be a stuck safety switch. Then at the end of the first week the bus got stuck in the grass where we have Renee turn around because it rained and another bus had to come and pull them out. We now have that area covered with rock.

It is Halloween time and last Friday night the school had a chili supper and costume parade for the kids. Zachary's costume is a sheriff riding a horse. We bought the Bullseye horse (Toy Story 2 fame) costume from the Disney store and Zachary's Grandma Englert cut it in half and sewed it so it would hang on his wheelchair like he was riding it. The next night MDA also had a Halloween party. He had a really good time there also. There were games and activities and pizza and a DJ for dancing. Zachary won first prize for his costume. And he brought home lots of candy.

Zachary's health is pretty good right now. He did miss three days of school last week though because of fever and coughs. Our biggest problem right now is getting him to eat. He doesn't seem to care for any kind of food even though we know he is hungry and he has lost some weight. He doesn't even seem to have a favorite junk food. The school has made a special menu for him but it takes him forever to eat. Zachary has a new person watching him now. Her name is Destiny Orf and she comes to our house to meet the bus and stay with him until Mom or Dad gets home.

We are again trying to get an elevator for the house. We have changed our plans some and the estimate is down to about $34,000. About half the total is for the elevator and half for rebuilding part of the house. The state will pay $10,000 and we have applied for an Operation Roundup donation of $5,000 (the maximum amount). We will have to find the rest.

Well, that is about all for now. Thanks for visiting.

8/23/01

Hi everyone.

Zachary has had a pretty good summer. He finished summer school the end of June then went to his Grandma & Grandpa Winkle’s for a week. They took him to the Zoo and Bass Pro Shop’s Outdoor World on Monday. The animals were great. On Tuesday and Wednesday it was a trip to Branson. They saw a show at Dixie Stampede and went swimming at the hotel. Thursday Zachary got to meet his Aunt Cleo whom he had never seen. Saturday was spent at Grandma’s company picnic. It was hot but fun. The rest of the time was spent with relatives who came over to the house.

In July we went to St. Louis to see the Cardinals play. It was Picture Day (you can see some pictures in Zack's album) . They let people out on the warning track behind ropes and the players walked around to have their picture taken up close. Most of them shook Zachary’s hand and said hi. This week we are going to a Rams preseason football game. It will be our first one. Then to Illinois the following week to see Thomas the Tank Engine.

Zachary has been to the doctor a couple of time lately. Because of some congestion he was tested for allergies and doesn’t have any. But the doctor did prescribe a breathing machine that helps pull the junk out of the lungs when you are sick. You put a mask over the nose a mouth and the machine blows air into the lungs, then reverses and pulls it out. If he can time it right, he will cough and it will pull the flem out.

Well, that is all for now.

6/26/01

Hi everyone,

Sorry it has been so long. A lot has been going on, both good and bad.

As you can see by the pictures, Zack has been busy. We have been to the Rodeo, Baseball game, and we all went to California. He has been having a great year.

The trip to California was great, Zackary met so many people he has never seen or only seen once. He met Great Aunts, Great Uncles, Aunt, Uncles, Cousins, and friends. Zack loved to play ping-pong (or try); the ‘Dog Pound’ coached him. (“Who let the dogs out”, was the main phrase of encouragement). Zackary also learned a new poem from his Grandpa Bill, (it is a poem he wrote a long time ago, with a little revision). Zack also got to spend more time with his Aunt Sue and Aunt Kim as they came back to Missouri for a week, to see Cousin Elizabeth graduate.

Zack has a lot of thing coming up, to keep his summer busy, right now he is in summer school, ½ day. This week they are taking a field trip to a dairy farm, next week to the market and park, then to an exotic chicken farm for the last week of school. Then he will be off to Grandma and Grandpa Winkle’s house for the first week of July. When he comes home we will be taking his Dad to the Cardinals game for his birthday. Then in August he will be going to see Thomas the Tank Engine. He is a busy little boy.

Now for the other stuff. Grandpa Bill has been in and out of the hospital this last month and we are hoping he will be feeling better soon, so the two of them can go fishing. Also Homer our dog died last week, unexpected; it was very sad and hard to understand for Zack and all of us. We do have a new dog that we got dropped on us, just before we went to California; we have had him for a couple of months. His name is Dodger (Zack name him after one of the Thomas trains.) He is a big black lab. Zack also has been going to the doctors a lot. He has a stuffy noise and cough. We think it is allergies. Zackary will be going to a pulmonary specialist this month. Zackary had to have new braces made because he is growing so fast and are waiting for them to come in. He has had some pain in his hips and butt. The doctors were thinking Zack might need surgery to help the pain in his hips but have come to the conclusion that he just doesn’t have enough padding (skin and bones no fat). So the best news is no surgery. Grandma Englert is busy making pillows for him to use and maybe help out with the padding problem. Zackary will also have his eyes tested, as he failed the eye test at school. Enjoy all the new pictures; we even got some of him on General the horse he rides.

Thank you to everyone that donated to his trust fun, our next goal is to put the elevator in the house. And a thank you to the folks that just visit his web site and enjoy watching Zackary grow up.

Love to all

Mary

Greetings to all from Sue and Doran

Mary has asked me to create a link with another web site dedicated to informing potential parents about the need of a simple genetic blood test before planning a family. Gweneth and Jeff Berkowitz created The Logan Paige Foundation in memory of their daughter, who passed away due to Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy. Their foundation hopes to serve as a means to provide other potential parents with the information they need in order to prevent such an unimaginable tragedy, losing a child. Please take a moment to visit their site. gweneth@loganpaige.org

1/13/01

Hi everyone

Just wanted to update you on what's going on. Zachary has had some great holidays starting with Halloween. He went to two parties, one at the school. They had a parade and at the end he got a big bag of candy. He really like going around the gym and having everyone clap. The next party was at the MDA. He had a great time, Grandma Englert went to help decorate the pumpkins. Zachary met some nice girls that he got to dance with. (That was a lot of fun) And at the end of course another big bag of candy. Then it was Halloween, we went to two houses one was the Hall's and the other was Shirley Hammet. He had a great time and got too much candy. Oh ya, Zach was a Bull Rider.

Then came Christmas. Zack did set on HOHO lap (also know as Santa Clause) one time and got his picture taken. He told HOHO that he wanted a bull for Christmas, He asked Zack what else he wanted and Zack looked at him like there IS nothing else. Santa wasn't sure what to say. But Santa did come through with lots of bulls for Christmas. We had a nice Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Englert and had dinner at Aunt Jeannette and Elizabeths, it was great fun and the food was great.

We have had the flu in the house a couple of times Zack and his Dad passed it between them. It took Zack about 10 days to get over it, we was really sick. But no hospital stays thanks to his doctor taking lots of time with him in his office.

We had his big appointment last week. It went really well Zack is about 28lbs and 3 feet 3 inches tall. His doctor was very happy with everything. One hip is really tight; it will not straighten at all at the hip. They took x-rays, a bone scan, and a blood test. The x-ray was fine; the bone scan will be his base line, as he has not had one before. The blood test we have not heard anything yet.

The big new around the house is we got the lift in the garage and two automatic door openers. One door opener is in the garage and the other is at the doors going to the deck. Zack can open the doors to the deck by himself, the one to the garage is a little harder which is good. We need some control of where he is going. We haven't tried the outdoors too much yet as the weather has been cold. We are going to have to chang the garage around to see if we can get Zack's Dads truck into the garage again without losing Homers home (thats the dog) He has a dog door into the garage where his house is. This was great getting the lifts as it is hard getting the chair out the deck around the house and to the garage into the van when it snowing or ice on the ground. The chair goes great in the snow. The lift was paid for by the State of Missouri, Zack got a waver called the Sara Lopez Waver, which gives him Medicaid which will help with remodeling up to $5,000.00 a year. They went a little over with this as the lift and the door openers were about 7,500.00. Stan has to do some wiring, as that was not included.

Zack is talking up a storm and will be starting school soon, around April 6. Well I think that gets everyone caught up on what's going on here. Today we are going to go see the Bald Eagles, they come for about 2 months.

Talk to everyone soon

Love to all

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