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Life is Normal

It's been a while since I updated everyone on Ashley. As the saying goes, "No News is Good News". Also, no news means that life is normal. It's been pretty tame here at the Johansen home. It's rare but it happens; a few weeks of normalcy.

Ashley's recent illness was short-lived, thank God. We didn't have to go the hospital or have labs drawn. Having a normal illess is an answered prayer! Ashley seems to get sick at least once a month, so we will see how long she will goes without her next fever. Pray that she makes it through the New Year without any sickness.

Cookbook

Ashley's cookbook is coming along just fine; we will begin taking orders soon. There will be an online order form available on Ashley's main website by the end of the week. The cookbooks will sell for a donation of $12. However if you'd like to donate more it would be appreciated. Remember, your cookbook donation will go to Ashley's current and future medical expenses.

We had over 200 recipes submitted for the cookbook. Unfortunately, many of the recipes were duplicates and will not be published in the cookbook. Which means that we have a total of 140 recipes in the cookbook. Please accept my apology in advance to those of you who submitted a recipe but was not publised due to duplication.

Please check back for a link to the Cookbook Order Form.

The Dance of Life

Ashley attended her first Dance Convention this weekend with Tremaine Dance in Orlando at the Renaissance Center across from Sea World. This was an all day, all weekend event. Ashley danced for a total of 7 hours on Saturday and 6 hours on Sunday. Ashley came away from the convention with a new found eagerness to be the best dancer she can be, to be a dance teacher, and a new love for dance.

Her long term goal as a dancer is to receive a dance scholarship at the next convention she attends. Her immediate goal is to do a triple pirouette. She wants to be able to do a triple piroutte with one leg at the knee or at the ankle. At the end of the convention, she got up on stage and showed me her piroutte. I expected to see a sloppy have hearted attempt at a single with one leg at the knee but what I saw blew me away; she did a triple with one leg at the ankle and toe pointed. It was beautiful, I was speechless and only wished her ballet and jazz teachers could have seen it.

As we were leaving the convention hall, we saw Ashley's dance teachers. Ashley wanted to say goodbye to them and to thank them for a wonderful weekend. And of course, I had to say thank you too, thank you for allowing Ashley to be part of the Fifth Dimension Dance Team. I told the Director of Studio 5D, Gaymarie, about Ashley's piroutte and Gaymarie wanted to see it. Ashley got back on stage (I could tell she was nervous; she idolizes Gaymarie), and did a double piroutte that wasn't as spectacular as the one that I witnessed. Ashley was disappointed as was I but I know Ashley will be able to show off her new skill in dance class after Thanksgiving break.

Ashley loves dance so much, she doesn't want to miss a class or an opportunity to learn more. Having her participate and be a member of the Studio 5D dance company has been such a rewarding experience for Ashley as well as me. She has come out of her shell, she is more postive about her abilities, her self-esteem has improved tremendously not just her dancing ability. I pray that we can afford for Ashley to be a part of the dance company next year, it's a huge expense...around $1500 a year. Thank goodness it is not $1500 in upfront cost, we pay periodically throughout 12 months, various amounts each time. Most of the cost is associated with hotel costs at various competition/convention venues. We are trying to use my husband's priorty points with the Holiday Inn chains to cut cost but he doesn't have enough points to allow for free hotel stays at each of Ashley's 7 competitions. We will manage somehow by sharing rooms, and/or begging and pleading for money. Somehow, I will make sure Ashley continues to be a part of the dance company as long as her health allows!

Thanksgiving

The kids are out of school this week for Thanksgiving break. Please pray for me as we approach the one year annivsrsary of my Dad's death. Thanksgiving will be one year that my Dad was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia. If I had known then that my Dad would die in a month's time, I would have done more to show him how much I love him and how much I need him.

God Bless, Laurie

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