MIA

I want everyone to know that I have received your inquiries and requests for updates, but I have just not really been up to blogging. I know it's been a YEAR; I do. I am going to try to do better, but I really can't make any promises.

All is about the same as it was when I was last writing. Perhaps worse actually since there has been no progress in getting Christopher home. And because Christopher has been moved to TX which is even further away and therefore much more expensive for visitation--limiting my time with him.

I'm trying to hang in there; hold it all together; etc. I do better some days than others.

Right now I'm trying to find the money to pay for transcripts all over again for the appeal. Amazing that it works that way but it does. Need approximately $1000. Quickly. Shocking.

Got wallet and phone stolen from my cubicle at work on Friday. Didn't help. Phone did get recovered. Amazing work by a co-worker, the CO state patrol and GPS technology.

Feel very grateful to have the friends I do in my life. Not sure I could have made it this far without friends. Thank you to all of you for helping me to feel not quite so alone, even if I am alone.

This photo just about sums it all up. It's from the only visit we had together in September:

NM Visit-OCT 3rd Wknd

I got to see Christopher this past weekend. It felt horribly short but we fit in fun together and even got some snuggle time.

We did some labyrinth walking, some hiking and went to a birthday party. Christopher is really pretty amazing with labyrinths and mazes. The new one this weekend was on Museum Hill in Santa Fe. It had cool acoustics.

We did a bit of hiking near Museum Hill and also on Chimisa Trail in Santa Fe. Of course, Christopher had to bring back a few rocks! He is quite the rockhound already.

And the birthday party was held at the Santa Fe Children's Museum. It was a lot of fun and Christopher became entranced with one particular exhibit that let the kids build a path for a ball to roll. It used his maze skills and let him experience gravity too!

And he is dealing better with girlfriend rejection too. His girlfriend in Santa Fe was busy with everyone at the party and told him, "You're not my only friend. You don't understand." He didn't have the breakdown he had with Saffron, but just took it in stride and played with the exhibits on his own a bit more.

Right now he is obsessed with the movie, "Sky High" and so we spent a lot of time role-playing some of the scenes using Batman figurines. We watched some movies and played a couple of board games too. At the end of our time together, he didn't want me to drop him off but he still handled it really very well.

THANK YOUs!

I owe some THANK YOUs to several folks and apologize for my tardiness!

Talila

Tammy

Nicholas

The group fundraiser in Arizona over the Summer

And last, but very much not least, I want to give special THANKS for ed who has been so generous and has been mailing a contribution each and every month. I am grateful for his uplifting words and continued support!

If I have missed thanking anyone here, please, please do let me know. The least I can do is show my appreciation here!

Donations

I owe a few more THANK YOUs here! There were some donations in August that I need to give detail on and will do so soon. I am truly humbled by the help I have gotten in this battle for Christopher.

I am feeling hopeful for the appeal. There are about to be several costs associated with it--the transcript of the hearing, filing fees and retaining the appeals attorney. Also, visitation costs are mounting. If any of you out there are willing to donate, it is certainly a very good time!

However, I also want to be clear that for those who already have, just THANK YOU! Some of you have given donations more than once and I am already eternally in your debt and not asking you for more!!!

I am hugely appreciative of every person who has been willing to donate even $5. It has all kept the litigation going up to this point and I am incredibly thankful. Every single dollar is helpful and I am unspeakably grateful to have a community of friends who care about us and have been willing to give in these hard times.

Looking toward...NM Visit-OCT 3rd Wknd

I'll get to see Christoph for just about 60 hours this coming weekend. I wish it ever felt like enough time. I look forward to it and think about him constantly for the two weeks between visits, but once I am with him I feel nauseous with the countdown to good-bye. I hate my life. I hate that my son's childhood can now never be the wonderful, magickal time I wanted for him. I couldn't stop my baby being taken away. I'm a failure as a mother.

Denver Visit-OCT 1st Wknd

Christopher arrived in Denver Friday afternoon at 2:30. I picked him up at DIA. I also gave Bevin a ride to the Budget truck rental place. Christopher left crying Monday at 3pm. I wanted to die.

I hope to add more here later.

NM Visit-SEP 3rd Wknd

I got to pick up Christopher at 1:30 from pre-school on Friday and dropped him off at Bevin's office Monday at 3pm.

I hope to add more detail here later.