It is hard to believe that it's September already and the summer is coming to a close.  Seems like yesterday that many of our families were gathered in Gaithersburg, Maryland for WAGR Weekend 2010.  And what a wonderful weekend it was!   We had a great turnout, with families attending from ten states and our friend Jenny from England.  Friday night's Meet and Greet at the hotel was a load of fun, filled with hugs for old friends and meeting new ones.  We celebrated Caroline and Hayden's birthdays, marvelled at how much the kids had grown, and were all just thrilled to be together.  One of my favorite parts of the whole weekend was Mom's Night Out.  It was fantastic to catch up with each other and just spend some quiet time together.  We spent Saturday at the park.  In the morning the adults met with Dr.Joan Han and members of the NIH (National Institutes of Health) study team and the kids played in the gym.  After lunch, we headed outside to the waterpark (perfect on a sweltering summer day!) and the puttputt course.  Dinner was delicious and a special cake to commemorate the 10 year WAGR Weekend celebration was enjoyed by all.   Dads ended their day with the evening out, while everyone else enjoyed the opportunity to relax and visit.

      I would like to personally thank all of our wonderful donors for their financial support.   Their generous donations helped the IWSA to provide hotel rooms for several families as well as offsetting some of the costs for our weekend events.  Very special thanks again this year to the Dell family of Pennsylvania for their fabulous and creative fundraising efforts! 

      Sincere thanks also to our IWSA leaders and my fellow board members, my family and friends, and Nikki Hoffman for helping to make WAGR Weekend a memorable time.

      Plans are underway for WAGR Weekend 2011, to be held in Southgate, Michigan (South of Detroit).  More information to folllow soon.  Hope to see you in Michigan in 2011!