Finding my Hope

Jadon Thomas,
You are four and so full of life...you're the strongest boy I know. You inspire me and remind me to live each day to its fullest and to not take anything for granted. There was a time when I didn't have any hope and then I got to see you for the second time. And I left your race filled with love and I felt needed. Bug, you gave me hope...you have touched my life in so many ways.
Thank you for letting me play my songs for you, for letting me hold your hand, for singing to me, thank you Jadon for being my hero...my inspiration to keep going. You taught me how to truly love...to truly live. I love you deeper than the ocean...higher than the sky. To the moon and back again, to infinity and beyond...forever and ever.
Have the best year ever as a big four year old!!!
       Hope to see you soon:)  
                                                Love you bug,
                                                                     Danika

I havent been on in a really long time, Sorry.

                                           
                                              hanging with Bug day before race

                                      after the race with our crew(except for the ladybug)

                                           
                                             

             
                                                Burks crossing the finish line at their race

                                                Gorgeous Gracyn Jaye

                                                    Super Bug Capes(:

                                           Us three kids spent a week at Grandma and Grandpas house. Jake made this in their front lawn on Jadon's Birthday.(they dont know...shhhh)

                                            Day before his bday party. Me and Bugger(:

At his party(: Jake Ayanna and Me.

                                                      Kristin and Gracyn <3

                                                     Jadon Kristin and me

     
                                        Gracie and me, meeting Obi and the clones

Jadons awesome cake

                                                           
                                                          Pretty girl

Burks family...thank you for everything. When i go through my storms, i struggle alot. Like everyone does, but you guys have always given me hope and have helped me get through all my down times. You all encourage me with your strong spirits and your endurance to never give up even when you cant see through the fog. I love you guys so much thank you for helping me find my hope.

Tenth Avenue North : Worn

Having Hope

"Through all the storms in our life there will always come a rainbow."
                                                                         -Pastor Gerdt
My bible teacher is teaching my class about Genisis and we just got through Noah's flood. We were talking about the rainbow when he said the quote above and it stuck out to me. It was so perfect and it made me think. There are a lot of storms in our life but it takes strength and faith to fight through them and stay strong and continue to have hope. I continue to believe in His faithfulness and to have hope that He will someday cure SMA. I have days when I feel really down and just plain out depressed but there always seems to be a little light and a little hope. These days aren't fun but they always pass and there is always a rainbow. Sometimes it's a faint one that you have to look really hard for but none the less its there showing me that God is still walking right beside me, holding my hand and helping me along.
              It has been a really long time and a lot has happened since the last time i posted something. My siblings and friend Cheyene ran in the Got Hope?SMA Walk n Roll and it was AMAZING(: we had so much fun and I enjoyed being around people who understand what it's like to be effected by SMA. We got Jadon bugs on our faces and we got balloons made to wear like butterflies. I loved being surrounded by Families Of SMA and seeing all the kids playing together. It was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again next year.

For fun my family started climbing mountains together and we made it to the top of most of the ones we climbed. we climbed the twin sisters for Gwendolyn Strong's birthday and we did make it to the top.I took off my gsf bracelet and took this pic at the top...

On December 14 Gracyn Jaye was born into this world and Jadon is now a big brother. She is beautiful and so precious. Words fall short of describing the joy that I had when she was born. She is a gift from God and an amazing blessing. When Jadon was diagnosed with SMA I didn't understand what all SMA would do. My parents told me that Tony and Kristin probably would not have any more kids but than we got the news that they were going to have another baby. I prayed for a girl and yupp that's what they got(: I am so happy for their family and I can't wait to watch her grow up into a beautiful girl. Welcome into the world Gracyn, stay strong, live lovingly, dream endlessly,wish on stars,and Never Ever Give Up.



Christmas came and with it love and dreams. My sister and I got Beb-e-ssential owl hats and they are really cool. We love them and love having the same hats that lots of the SMA kids have. This Christmas I thought a lot about what families who lost a child to SMA must feel like spending Christmas without their baby with them.   I want you guys to read this blog post by Skylar's mom it really made me think about not getting wrapped up in all the Christmas stuff but focusing number one on God and what he did for us and two on being so thankful for life. www.skylarmariejones.com

A family also needs prayers right now, Cooper has SMA and his daddy was in a car accident and died. I can't imagine what his mom is going through right now. How can you explain this? Our lives here are so short and none of us are promised another day. But it was so sudden and there was nothing they could do to save him. Please pray for them as they go through this horrible time. And before you do anything else take some time to tell those you love that you love them and make them feel loved because you never know what could happen in the next second. Leave nothing unfinished, make your dreams reality and make sure that if your life was to flash before your eyes that you wouldn't have any regrets.
"Leave nothing for tomorrow that can be done today"
                                                         -Abraham Lincoln

2013 is here and I hope that this is the year that we finally find a cure for SMA. I can't wait to see what all this year holds. I know that there will be trials and storms that will come and that we will dance in the rain and find a way to push on in life and that after each storm there will be a rainbow that will shine down on us and show us God's unending love.
                                                                                               -Danika

What we all are doing...

We pray for a cure and we believe that God will give us one. Until God gives us a cure we wait and like Callie we pray. If there are days when you feel like you can't do anything to help out SMA and those effected just send up a prayer. We're all in this together and  we wouldn't have anything without the grace of God. Keep Praying it just takes time

Prayers for Jadon

Jadon is having tracheostomy surgery on July 31 and he needs all the prayers he can get. 

Please pray for a good surgery and for Tony and Kristin to have strength as he goes to have this done.

I love you Jadon and we're all praying for you.

The Bug is 3!

Jadon is three... a day doctors told us would never happen. And yet here we are celebrating a boy who has impacted so many lives. He is amazing,strong.courageous,and adorable.The Burks spent Jadon's big day in Minnesota with the SMA conference. He is getting so super big it feels like yesterday that i got to see him at his house when he was only one month old. He was sitting in a little boncey seat and i was sitting on the floor in front of him he kept spitting his pacifer out at me. Then i would get it and he would spit it back out. He touched my life and i love this little boy  big boy so much!
 
So...Jadon Thomas Burks.... Happy Birthday!!!!


The birthday boy, three tattoes for three years
 
Cartoon  Jadon...

Song and Surprise!!!

Praise you in this storm-Casting Crowns

First of all this song really helped me after Amanda died. It was the night that I found out I was crying and thinking about how horrible death is. Some nights I listen to K-love. I love their songs and that night I turned it on and as I prayed for comfort and for Amanda's parents this song came on I hadn't heard it in a while and didn't recognize the song at first. I consintrated on the words and found them comforting when it got to the praise you in this storm part and I lost it. There is a qoute that my great Aunt found and I fell in love with it (my cousin Jadon's blog has this qoute on there too) here it is:
                   " Life's not about waiting for a storm to pass it's about learning to dance in the rain." 
     
The song reminded me of this quote and that reminded me of Jadon and all the other kids. They aren't able to move but yet they are dancing in the rain. They don't let SMA get them down they still have fun and encourage so many peolpe. They are truley amazing and I love all of them very much.

Now for the surprise... Jadon is going to be a big brother! The baby is SMA free and should be coming into our world in December. They still don't know if it's a girl or a boy. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Jadon is going to be the best big brother ever.  :)
Congratulations Burks family!

Happy Birthday Jack

    

Jack was born on this day last year and he was diagnosed with SMA type 1. In December SMA took him home. He would be one today. He is so super-duper cute and his eyes are stunningly beautiful. In a letter to him after he died his Mommy said this: "You are still here in our hearts, and go with us wherever,  if love could have saved you, you would ave lived forever." I love this quote; it is so true. SMA is evil and I hope and pray that someday we will be able to lift our eyes up to heaven and say "Thank you Lord... thank you." But until this day comes we remember the ones we have lost and think about where they are and Who they are with. They are happy and not in any pain. They can breath, walk, run, and laugh really loud. :) Most importantly they are SMA-free and they are with their Creator . So for now we thank God for the time we had with Jack and Amanda and Skylar and all the other little Angels .

God bless and Happy birthday Jack!  I love you!