Happenings

Yesterday, we went to visit the school Sadie will attend in the fall.  She will be in a PPCD class, which stands for Preschool Program for Children With Disabilities.  While it was difficult, I loved seeing Sadie smile and laugh during the activities.  She would only attend 3 hours/day, so that was comforting.  It did break my heart to see the other children. One boy held my hand the entire visit.  It is difficult enough to see my own child struggle, but to see multiple children struggle is so hard.  Luckily, I held it together until I was able to make it to the car :)  Greg was there during the visit and held my hand as I cried afterward at the hurt I felt for our daughter and these other children.  Ok, enough of that little pity party.  The point is, Sadie will thrive at that school and will not miss me at all for those 3 hours :)



My precious girl playing with her Buzzy Bee.  Daddy bought this for her, and it is her favorite.

Later, we went to visit another precious girl.  Baby Blair Louise was born yesterday morning and her parents were sweet enough to let me hold her for quite some time.  She is absolutely perfect :)

Sadie did give me the evil eye and scream at me a few times.  Could she really be jealous?  No worries, sweet girl.  You have me forever.

Today, Sadie and I went to Bible study.  I was so surprised that the girls had a little birthday celebration planned for my me and brought my favorite breakfast tacos, muffins, and fruit.  They also brought a balloon and a gift certificate for a pedicure.  So sweet! Thank you girls :)

In other news, my walking/running pal and I did some running today at the local high school track.  And then we did some stands.  Haven't done those in a LONG time, but I took them two at a time :)  I'm sure I will feel it tomorrow!

Can Someone Come Clean My House?

So, I've been waking at 4:30 to get my exercise in, but by 10 am, I am tired.  It doesn't help when your husband wakes you (right as I fell into a deep sleep) with a gun in his hand saying he hears someone in our garage.  He told me to call 911 if he didn't come back in the house.  While I realize this is a serious situation, hearing that it was only a rat in the garage did not really drain the adrenaline that was pumping through my veins.  I'm pretty sure the rat went to heaven last night.

Sadie also had back-to-back therapies this morning, but that is always (or almost always) enjoyable.  I love that her therapists come to our house and work with her.  She is definitely most comfortable here.

We have recently made some new equipment purchases for Sadie :)

A standing frame so she will be forced to bear more weight on her legs throughout the day.

Arm immobilizers so she can't rip off her glasses in .2 seconds.  Sadie will not be a fan of these.

A new play/feeding chair.  This comes with a tray and has adjustable foot panels to allow for growth.  Most importantly, it comes with a safety belt.

Greg is on day 7 of work and is exhausted as well, which makes me feel completely guilty for even thinking about complaining.  I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband and father to my children.

My walking/running buddy and I spoke of our blessings this morning.  I think it is so important to focus on the good in our life, despite the stresses we all encounter.

Well, I'm off to make beds, do laundry, and clean out a closet.  Oh, and shower.  That should probably be a priority :)

Saturday

This morning we woke early.  This is not unusual :) I started with some yummy breakfast tacos for the children, and then we headed to Lowes so Ben could complete a Build and Grow project.  Luckily, Sadie loved listening to all the kids and their very loud hammering.  I bought a few pretty plants for the yard, then we ate at an outdoor cafe.  I am amazed daily at the amount of Calories Ben can consume and the fact that a "kid's meal" just isn't enough for him anymore.  He ate an entire BBQ sandwich on French bread and a huge bowl of potato soup for his meal. Yet, he still only weighs 50 pounds at age seven.  The weather today is beautiful and screams SPRING!  It really makes me want to clean, but wanting and doing are two very different things.

Nutball

Just had to squeeze a cute pic of Sadie in here.

Can I just tell y'all how much she adores her daddy? When he gets home every night, she just starts screaming "dada, dada, dada" and "yeah, yeah, yeah". It is the sweetest thing.

Almost done with the project.

While he might not be an American Idol contestant (but who I am to judge?), when asked what he thought the song meant, he said "God will carry me".  Made my year.

Ben has been assigned to some additional chores lately.  His laundry detail needs some fine-tuning, but at least he's trying.  New additions include vacuuming, dishwasher loading and unloading (he's finally tall enough), assisting with dinner prep (the other night, I actually let him chop peppers and tomatoes - Greg was working, so I knew he could suture him if necessary).  Of course, there are rewards weekly, but I seriously make him work for it :) He has been requesting particular books for purchase, and while I don't always approve of his selections, I think buying a book is much better than a toy :)

The Best Way to Spend Your Money

Ok, so it's not for everyone, but Greg and I started marriage counseling a few weeks ago.  I'm sure a lot of people do this when they are on the brink of divorce (and I am not at all judging), but not so in our case.  As you can imagine, we deal with daily issues regarding our daughter, and we often take that out on each other in frustration.  I contacted one of our church members (thank you Reagan!), who gave us the name of a wonderful marriage/spiritual counselor.  We have seen him twice (and have no intention of cessation), and he has been such a wonderful vehicle for our communication.  If you don't know us well, we are two very stubborn individuals, and in a life that can be very stressful, this could be detrimental to a marriage.  Every session makes our marriage grow stronger.  It is so nice to have a "middle man" who is able to translate what each spouse is struggling with :) Greg and I are truly best friends and are in it "for better or for worse", but, of course, trying times can challenge your faith and strength.  I feel closer to Greg than I ever have, and I am so grateful to God for giving us this guidance.  I know we can make it through any challenge.  God led me to Greg for a reason. There will be struggle in our lives, but I know I can count on him in any situation :)

A Visit With Uncle Jim!

Last minute, I was able to orchestrate a quick trip to Ft. Worth to see my uncle Saturday night.  He is the manager for Josh Turner, who was playing at Billy Bob's.  I had such a great time.  Definitely had no idea how successful this artist was until I saw his entourage upon arrival.  It was so wonderful to visit with my uncle (although short) and so interesting to see how successful he is as a manager.  Josh Turner is such an amazing artist, as is his wife.  They travel as a family (all 3 children were asleep on the bus with the nanny) and are so down-to-earth.  I was able to sit on the side of the stage and watch the show :)

See a resemblance?

Such a cutie! And talk about a voice and some stage presence!

I truly do not know how he can put on this brilliant smile for 50+ pictures, but he does.

I also loved my hotel room that my hubby booked for me last minute.  He is such a sweetheart for letting me leave on a whim on one of his few weekends off :)  It would have been such a great date, but someone has to take care of the children.

Spring Break 2011

Sadie is really enjoying her new gait trainer :)

Ben walking the dogs at Beaver's Bend

Getting ready for a hike.  Not super happy here.  She wants to get moving!

Getting ready for the ride.  This is me having my "I don't want to die today talk" with the horse trainer.  I always ask how many people have been injured/die on the trail.  So far, it's been zero, but I think it's important to ask annually.  Ben is also listening intently.  No one wants to die on some freak horse riding excursion.

We were not anticipating the chilly weather, so sweatshirts and toboggans had to be purchased.  The Nebraskan term for a toboggan is "stocking cap".  Greg always reminds me that a toboggan is a sled.

We can clutter any place.  We  (and by "we", I mean I) always overpack.  Oh, but Grandpa Dennis also overpacks, too. :)

Look at this sweetie!  Do you think she had any fear of a horseback ride.  I would say no.  She could teach her momma a few lessons.

My favorite picture!  I love his spirit/energy/heart so much!

Sibling love :)

Jumper = happiness

Could not feed her the smores fast enough!

The aftermath...

My fisherman :)

Hot tubbin' in the morning :)

Getting Excited!

About this!

2.5 acres of pure solitude.  No school, no therapy appointments, no doctor's appointments, no stress. Purchased all groceries today and will start packing soon.  We plan on hiking, riding horseback, ATV riding (can someone say a prayer?), fishing, and many more activites.  Can't wait!

Here are some additional pics from the Dad and Lad campout Greg sent me :)

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord; the fruit of the womb; a reward Psalm 127:3

Dad and Lad Campout

Greg and Ben headed to camp last weekend for some "man time" at the Annual Dad and Lad Boy Scout Campout.  Not many pictures, but fun was had by all, despite the rain and lower temperatures. Ben came home with two new patches and 10 new beads :)

Meanwhile, I was hosting a baby shower for a sweet friend.  We talked and dined on yummy food for two hours!  I can't believe I don't have a picture, but I was too busy chatting the whole time. 

My mom and sis came in to hang out and watch Sadie.  They were only here for 24 hours, but we still managed to squeeze in a movie (DVR'd - The Social Network) and dinner (Cheddars) before they had to leave.

In other news, Sadie had a follow-up eye appointment yesterday.  After a 1 1/2 hour wait (glad I packed plenty of snacks), we were told she must have the atropine in both eyes now (dilates her eyes) so she will want to wear her glasses.  She has only been keeping her glasses on for .2 seconds lately.  Don't really know how this will fit in with her other therapies, as she won't be able to really see, but I do what I'm told.  I think we are done with doctor's appointments for a while and that makes me VERY VERY HAPPY.

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Happenings

Ben is becoming so....how do I say it...."himself" lately.  He has some serious strong will, some serious comedy, and some serious skills.  We found out yesterday that he made it into the gifted/talented program at Hudson Pep.  He doesn't start until next year, but wanted to "bypass" the rules and start now.  Greg said, "you've created a monster". At least he can admit it's my genes that got him there :)

Ben and Greg will attend the Dad and Lad campout this weekend and Ben is beyond excited!  He LOVES spending time with his father, as does Sadie.

Speaking of Sadie, she is doing well.  Speech therapy is going very well.  She is trying to say ball and apple.  She loves to read, jump in her jumper, and watch Signing Time and Baby Einstein movies.  She will be riding in the annual Horse and Rider fundraising event at Windridge Equestrian Center on 4/2/11.  I would love if any of you could come and support the facility!

Today, Sadie had a follow-up genetics appt and another blood draw.  We are doing the larger (1.8 million probes) chromosome test and will soon have a referral for a metabolic geneticist in Houston just to make sure we have not missed any thing.  Other than that, Sadie is happy and healthy, and that is all we can ask for :

I'm excited to host a baby shower this weekend.  There is nothing more precious than a new life.  Please pray for a stress-free birth for Blair Louise Schroeder.  Don't you just love that name?! Can't wait to hold that sweet love!