Thursday - January 1 - My Wish!

I had a great time with my family AT HOME!! New Year's Eve was the BEST because it was my WISH DAY. Everybody treated me like a celebrity and it was so cool. I got to ride in a limosine and then I walked down a red carpet. There were photographers and reporters and a huge shopping trip to Petland. Make-A-Wish made my wish for a puppy come true on the best day of my live. They even told about it on TV! ABC and FOX news showed me smiling with my new puppy. Make-A-Wish secretly got them to keep the puppy that I had picked out right after I got home from the hospital. Then they gave me a huge surprise party at Petland before the store was really open. After all that excitement, I got to go home and take care of my puppy. It is a Shih-Poo named Gizmo. Kaitlyn tried to be a mommy to the puppy too. Right now, Mom is on duty at night if Gizmo needs to go outside. Pretty soon we will try to put some pictures on the website so you can see how cute Gizmo is!
Love, Bree

Note from Parents:
We would like to thank Make-A-Wish and Petland for making Brianna's wish day the, "best day of her life!" We commend the efforts of everyone involved! Brianna had the entire store to herself, family and friends and Petland staff escorted her around the store for her shopping spree. Renee and Lissa (Make-A-Wish team members) along with Mike and Adam (Petland general managers)and their staff treated Brianna like royalty! They also presented Eric, Haley, and Kaitlyn with generous gifts for the other pets we have at home (two hamsters and fish.) Mayor George Pradel of Naperville (who will always be referred to as Officer Friendly) was at the store. After the party the staff loaded the limo with the items and we headed home to begin our lessons in dog training. We were overwhelmed and grateful that the media was on hand to document this special day. Though Brianna is very shy...she definitely enjoyed the spotlight today. Her story will also appear in the Naperville Sun and I believe the Chicago Tribune. Hopefully, you will be able to read it online if you do not have a subscription!
This holiday season Brianna enjoyed watching Christmas movies, baking cookies, playing with siblings and friends, opening gifts and giving gifts. She did not ask for much as I said before...she was just happy to be home, but we both (despite having trouble getting in the Christmas spirit) ended the holiday season on a high note with her receiving her puppy on New Year's Eve. We enjoyed a quiet night at home, stayed up to ring in 2009, gave each other kisses, and said a special prayer for a happy, healthy, blessed 2009. We prayed for continued healing and for a year full of many blessings, especially Brianna's health! God bless you all and have a wonderful 2009!

Brianna's Family
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