Merry Christmas everybody!

A Christmas Prayer

by Robert Louis Stevenson
Loving Father,

Help us remember the birth of Jesus,

that we may share in the song of the angels,

the gladness of the shepherds,

and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate

and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift

and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing

which Christ brings,

and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning

make us happy to be thy children,

and Christmas evening bring us to our beds

with grateful thoughts,forgiving and forgiven,for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

To Our Most Amazing Family and friends

Wishing you all the most beautiful, blessed Christmas. May it be a memorable time with your loved ones, may it be a time of peace and reflection on the true meaning of Christmas , Jesus is the reason for the season!

Wishing you a New Year that is full of blessings and love, health and happiness and answered prayers. 2010, We cant wait!

Thank you for playing such an important part of our lives, thank you for your love, prayers and endless support, we are so blessed to have you as loving family and friends!

Thank You Lord for sending your son to save the world, thank You for sharing Your love and your miracles with us, thank You for the most priceless gift you could ever give us in the form of Deqlan and his health, NED forever and ever,we trust and praise and thank You!

We ask You Lord to look after all our family and friends , we ask You Lord to look after all the warriors around the world fighting cancer and other diseases, please send them the gift of health. Lord, we ask you to look after the angels in heaven at Christmas time and always , we ask You for special prayers for their families, to send them comfort and hold them Up as only You can., let them know we are praying for them all.

Gods richest blessings always, Merry Christmas!
All our love,
Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

The gift of friends

Lyal, Shaz and Cameron ( a photo by Keaton!)
Megs and Keaton, Nix and Josh, Shaz and Cameron, Samm and Deqlan ( a photo by Lyal!)

Megs and Keaton, Nix and Josh, Shazn, Cameron and Lyal

the always gorgeous Keaton

Nats and gorgeous Abby ! its your first Christmas sweet girl!

Camie and Lyal, boyt is it wonderful to see you guys!

Josh, awaiting his very first Christmas!

Our Christmas festivities were off to such a lovely start this morning - my dearest and closest friend from Australia is visiting, Shaz! Shaz and her beautiful boys, Cameron and Lyal came for a visit and swim today and a catch up with the rest of the girls.

Nix and Josh, Nats and Abby and Megs and Keaton, Deqlan and I were delighted to start off Christmas by just being together, and looking at our beautiful children, what a gift in its own.

The boys had a dip in the pool and as always, Deqlan was delighted to have two little people to hug and love and kiss - he was even so vocal with them saying bum, sleeping, baby.

Lyal and Cameron were delighted to tell me about there Thomas collection in Australia and were excited to see what Deqlans collection is looking like. What lovely young guys, so gentle and what lovely natured boys . Shaz, my dear friend, you look as stunning as always, its so lovely to be able to hear your laughter and see your smile , sisters all back together again, we dont want you to go home!!

Josh and Abby, the other two very special people in my heart, wishing you a beautiful first Christmas for you both, may Baby Jesus always protect and look after you. You both chose your mommies very wisely, they are such dear friends to me, whom i love very much!

Thank you Lord for the gift of friends, treasured memories and our beautiful children, which we pray will all grow up together as great friends,let us be the egsample to them of what true friendship is, thank you for my beautiful friends

Lots of love to you all

Samm

ICE ICE BABY

Conrad playing with Deqlan , the rougher, the better
Ice and Keatie! I love you gorgeous Keatie, so much

Cousins watching the teletubbies and enjoying some popcorn!

Deqlan, Keatie and Conrad , the boys chilling

We went to Lorens surprise baby shower on Saturday, its another little boy on the way in Jan!

Gorgeous Natalia playing with Coreen

Keaton and Kai Look how they are growing!

Deqlan in his big boys pants! He looks to adorable for words - its part of the toilet training process we are going to be attempting!

Keaton playing cricket - he loves it!

Deqlan giving Logan a great big hug while she sun tans

The best place in the world to fall asleep , on Dada's chest

Rain, rain go away ! Father Christmas is on his way!

Wake up Loggie i want to play!!




Ice, my new name, given to me by my gorgeous Godson Keaton - we dont know where he found the name or why he relates it to me, but i am now known as Ice to Keaton . He is such a gorgeous little guy, i have always felt such a special connection with him, i just adore him, and yes he could probably get away with murder with me!

We have been spending the holidays swimming and shopping and visiting.

Logan actually got a bad ear and throat infection and is currently finishing her antibiotics- when she gets sick, she doesnt immediately tell us, it normally starts with her being very quiet, then very tearful, so we knew something was brewing. She spent the weekend with her mom and is now back with us for the rest of the holidays. She truly is getting her two front teeth for Christmas as her second top tooth is making its appearance, she is going to look so different when they are both out

Dee is doing well, he started sitting at the table for meal times, just a few minutes at a time, so hopefully Christmas lunch should be comfortable for him. He has lost about 10 kilos, and is looking great and strong. Aunty Shea arrives from Cape Town on Sunday for a visit, so we are all looking forward to that

I am also delighted that my dearest friend, who is more like my sister, Shaz , is visiting from Australia and its a real treat to be able to see her and catch up, like she has never left! We are going to see her on her gorgeous boys again on Christmas Eve day for a swim and to see how grown up they have become.

Deqlan is still itching from the krill oil allergic reaction. The rash actually covered his hands, then moved onto is back, then his tummy, then his arms. Its getting better, slowly, but he still asks us to scratch him, saying "itchy! " shame. His fingers have actually started peeling now , they look so sore..you cant believe how sensitive Deqlan is, we have to be so careful and stick to only the things we know he can eat. We actually got him to eat green beans, though cooked in meatballs, he ate them, hooray!

He seems a bit quieter these days ..but like Mark says, he is channelling his language to functional things, not just saying random words all the time. His pronouncing certain words a lot clearer to He loves saying WELL DONE and OH NO ! its to cute to hear. Other new words,

include Cedes, for Mercedes

Mini - yip, another car

Mickey - mickey mouse is a firm favourite again

Thomas - the train

Salty - the train

Nineteen- for some reason, the number 19 on his car box is fascinating to him

It difficult trying to keep presents for Christmas day for Deqlan to open - all but three have already been discovered and opened and already played with.....hopefully he will still have something left to open on the actual day!

Above , you see a gorgeous pic of Deqlan in his big boy underpants. Kids on the autism spectrum are notorious for being very very difficult to potty train, for a host of reasons, including sensory - such as the sounds in the bathroom or even the feeling of the toilet can be so unpleasant. Ash, his teacher at little leaps has told us to pack in as many underpants as we can, as this is a major part of what the kids learn in the first year at Little Leaps, Ash says she has been able to toilet train all the kids that have come through her doors - so we have started letting Deqlan parade under in his big boy pants to try and get him used to them, we think he likes them!

Well, let me run for now, ill be back to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas soon, enjoy the holidays!

God bless, all our love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

Happy Birthday Bron

Dear Bron

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday for today and many many more!

Hope your day is filled with lots of hugs and kisses from you gorgeous kids and that the sunshine warms your heart and year ahead!

Stay the wonderful friend you are, thank you for all the love and support and prayers you continue to shower upon Deqlan and our family!

Have a lovely day, and fantastic year ahead, God Bless,

Lots of love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

Happy Birthday Uncle Ken!

Dear Uncle Ken

Wishing you a fantastic Birthday for today and many many more! Hope the year ahead is the best yet!

Hope you are having a great day and that you are doing exactly what you love doing and I am sure that includes being spoilt to!

Look forward to seeing you all soon, have a lovely day !

God Bless all our love

Mark Samm Deqlan Logan

wanted to share these with you

Hi Everyone, wanted to share these photos with you - they were taken on 4 Dec 09, marking Deqlan being 2 years of no evidence of disease - i think our faces tell the words i cant put justice to if i typed them, THANK YOU LORD

A DAY OF FRIENDSHIP & BLESSINGS

Happy Birthday Little Luke for 10 Dec, hope you had a lovely day, you are so gorgeous!

Dada and Deqlan, check that super model pose!

Keaton jumoed in the car with Devon and Scotty, Ants brothers, he didnt want them to go!

Jason swinging Jade

Deqlan LOVES mud - he played in this puddle for over half and hour the girls also seemed to enjoy gettin dirty- it had rained so hard the night before the party that there were lots of puddles and lots of mud and those of you wondering if this white t shirt came clean, it miraculous did

mmmm, chocolate mud flavour water- it was so hot Deqlan knew how to cool down!

Pure joy lying on the grass staring at the clouds

Loves for Riley- told you Deqlan is a ladies man!

Kai enjoying Deqlans gorgeous gift from Father Christmas, all the kids loved this musical croc!

Ant playing with his gorgeous brothers, so sweet and well behaved! They to were covered in mud by the time they left!

The gorgeous Jarren, he had an awesome time running around! Hope your finger is better Jarren!

Abby playing with her gift from Father Christmas!

Deqlan getting his presie, he was the only one to try and lift Father Christmas' beard to see who it really was, it really was Father Christmas!

Deqlan getting his gift, he really got so excited when Father Christmas arrived

Hannah in the pink waiting for her turn

Wow wee!!!

Logan and Caliegh getting their gifts

Mel taking Ciara for her gift from Father Christmas

Georgia and Jade patiently waiting their turn!

Keaton doesnt like Father Christmas, but he loved his gift

Natalia posing for her very first pic with Father Christmas, i must tell you this must be the best Father Christmas we have ever had, thank you Pooh Bear!

Little Josh, so beautiful, he is growing so quickly!

Even Kids from other parties wanted to join our party!

Cole and Natalia...love at first sight?

Gorgeous Ciara checking everything out

The always gorgeous Cole

Brand new baby Peyton, to beautiful for words

Keaton, Megs and Reece and T

Kars, Claire and Nats catching up

See saw

Little Ethan enjoying the picnic!

Caden enjoying the picnic to!

leigh & Natalia, Elriza and Caden,Loren and Kai

Heidi , James, Michael, Heidis Mom, Christelle and Jordan and Euan, wow how they have grown!

Deqlan and the see saw with Devon and Scotty

Mud mud everywhere, how wonderful!

We decided to do something a little different this year to celebrate Christmas with our friends and little ones- we have been blessed with lots of new little ones and blessed with lots of stories of hope and health and survival in Our Circle of friends, old friendships that were rekindled, worries forgotten, and new journies to look forward to, that it truly was a day of blessings to be all together to celebrate Christmas.

We met at The Rooihuiskraal terrein and the kids enjoyed the jungle gyms, mud, lots of it, the animals and each other

We had our very own Father Christmas who did a sterling , sterling job, the kids adored him, i really think you could look at going into the full time Pooh bear!

It was lovely to catch up with everyone, to see how big all the kids have grown, to just enjoy the day together thanking God for his gifts of friendship ,our children and all the lessons we have learnt through out 2009.

I would definitely recommend we make this an anual celebration and yes, everyone is invited!

ENjoy the photos as much as i enjoyed taking them and taking in every second of the day!

God Bless lots of love Samm