Still partying!

That's right! Our partying for the holidays lasts into the middle of this week. We celebrate Wyndham's birthday tomorrow! She is turning six. Wow. She's lived a lifetime already, and had more brushes with death than most 90 year olds.
This year we are lucky enough to have her healthy and able to party and celebrate her own birthday. She has been sick and unable to do so for four out of six of them...mostly because her birthday falls after the holidays when she is worn down and tired, and in the middle of flu season. Bad timing, I guess on the part of Chip and me.
So, we took the family to Chuck E. Cheese for some fun and games; (yes, that's Chip at Chuck E. Cheese playing an arcade game...what do you think golf pros do on their day's off?!) because you don't go to that place for the food. =) It's like bowling alley pizza...don't get me wrong. I love to go bowling- very retro, very fun. But the food...usually not stellar. Nachos are nachos and pizza is pizza...but I don't want to start any debates here. I'll get back to my subject.
Wyndham's birthday is a great day to celebrate, and yet once again it brings with it so many memories, so many thoughts and reflections. I wonder about the dreams I have had to change and adjust because of the extent of her injuries received in our tragic incident. I wonder how much she wishes things could be different...I wonder if she knows she's 'different'. {Just to add more understanding, Wyndham received a closed-head injury and has had two brain surgeries. She has had ongoing therapy (occupational, physical and speech) since August 2001. We don't have a definitive prognosis for her long-term recovery, as nobody that her doctors have treated had ever survived such extensive injuries. We basically are watching her grow and learn...and we keep pushing her as much as she will allow us to- which is a lot-more than I would tolerate if I were her, I think.}
So, Wyndham is our real-life miracle baby. In a different way than I feel our other kids are 'miracles'. She has had been airlifted twice and ambulanced three times to hospitals for medical issues. That was by age 3. You can imagine how much joy and happiness we feel to be able to mark another birthday- especially with her doing so well. She is excited about her birthday and the extra attention she has been getting from her siblings. Don't let her medical issues fool you.
This little girl knows more than you would imagine. Sometimes I think she thinks we're all the ones with 'issues'...especially her sisters and brother when they act up and goof off and get so loud and obnoxious at times. I think she thinks they need 'therapy'! =)
Truly. Her life has been an uphill challenge. I've begged God to spare her life while down on my knees, sobbing tears that I thought might never stop from the agony and pain I felt watching her suffer. Yet, I know she is a gift. A real-life gift from God, straight to our hearts and family. I have hugged and kissed her more in the past {almost} six years, simply because I have feared at times how many kisses I will actually get to give her through the years. I never take a minute of her in my life for granted. I am inspired by her life, her smile, her attitude, her spirit, her 'fight' and her easy-going personality every single day. Somedays when I look at her I think to myself, 'How did I get so lucky to go through life with a real-life angel in my midst'?
As many of you know, life isn't always a party for us. The Ferlaaks have had their share of heartache, hardships and struggles. But the best part is that we still party. I don't think we'll ever stop doing that!