Last Summer

I loved Stepherz idea of doing a recap of last summer. Reflecting on our happenings of one year ago.... I'm a big Signing Time fan and so when we heard that Rachel and Alex and Leah were going to be at the zoo we decided to attend the performance. It was great and I think I was more excited to meet Lucy than anything.

I was so excited when Crew learned to bear weight in his arms that I documented it here. This of course was months before he learned to crawl. Now he is crawling all over the house and its such a joy! When I see little ones (9 or 10 months old) crawling around I'm amazed at their speed and strength. The ability that babies have to progress at such a rapid rate is astounding, yet I never realized it until now!

Last year at Lake Powell we only had 12 people on the boat. H hooked 8 or 10 fish. Crew was our Captain for a day and S was kneeboarding champion:) The changes in the big boys are more subtle but I can still see it.

Gosh, we miss Tressa! She was the worlds best therapist... so knowledgeable and fun to be around. Crew loved every minute of his HydroTherapy. We lost Tressa when Crew turned three. It's been a real struggle scheduling Crew with his current PT. We love the new PT but he is swamped and sometimes we wait 3 weeks between visits. I haven't found anybody to do the Hydrotherapy yet so I designated myself as his new therapist. I do spend a lot of time with him practicing all that we've learned from the therapists but it seems like it is never enough.

I took the boys to a private lake that I didn't even know existed until I was invited by one of the other moms with a special needs child. The boys had a great time playing in the water and the sand. As I was leaving the lake, I recieved a call from my friend whose daughter was in the hospital. She asked me to pick up her two-year old son and bring him down to Primary's to say goodbye to his sister. It was a sad day. She passed away the next morning.

We ended the summer with 6 sessions of Therapeutic Horseback Riding. Crew loved it but unfortunately we don't have the opportunity to do it again this year unless I decide its worth driving 2 hours each way.

What did you do last summer?

It's about time...

We haven't had a professional family picture taken in almost 5 years. So, yes, this is the first family pic with our family of five.

Twenty People on a Boat

We took our annual trip to Lake Powell this past week. I love Lake Powell in July because the water temps are so comfortable.

It's been awhile since we've packed so many people on the boat. My dad bought into a houseboat share probably 15 years ago and we've been going ever since. The boat is small and it's old but the memories are priceless. Sharing the memories and fun with my children is the one thing thats helped retain the tradition. In terms of family vacations I'm ready to move on. Hauling the kids the food and the bedding down to LP is a lot of work. Call me overprotective but I worry so much that something could go wrong. Someone might break a leg, get attacked by a cougar or bitten by a rattlesnake. The winds are fierce at times and storms roll in unannounced. Medical attention is hours away and then there is always the risk of someone drowning. I think about these things all year long and so when the time comes to make the trek I feel a bit apprehensive.

Fortunately, we were blessed and the whole group returned home unharmed. I'm quite certain that all family members have built a reservoir of memories and stories to share. And while the sunburns will soon be forgotten the memories will not.

I'm learning that a nonverbal child is blessed with the ability to share his passions and spread joy. The pic of Crew with his mouth wide open speaks volumes. The feel of the wind in your face, the spray of the water, the bumps.... he loves it all! I could have sat there for hours and watched his facial expressions and listened to his giggle.

My brother, K, is the keeper of the powerboat. The boat use to be my Uncle Sids and is over 40 years old. We've named the boat "Sid". Sometimes the boat is a bit quirky and requires some pampering which my dear brother graciously applies. K spent the first day tinkering with the carburetor so the family could enjoy boat rides, kneeboarding, tubing and skiing. When I hear the word "patience" I think of K. Sid performed quite well considering his age and we all enjoyed those water sports that we all crave.

My SIL K is the queen of kneeboarding and everyones favorite aunt. K is accepting of each family member and always gives you the benefit of the doubt.





















Little Red is the daughter of K&K. Red is the same age as Crew and a great cousin to my boys. I loved this picture of her in her Hello Kitty hat.

















It was so nice having Grandpa and Grandma there. It's a great chance for the kids to get to know them better and vice versa. I was so thankful for the extra help with Crew. Carl and I were able to spend some time together without the kids for a few minutes here and there which was greatly appreciated.














On the last day there we found an awesome sandy beach. The red sand was so soft and when I put Crew down he went crazy. He was crawling around at high speed because the sand was so extremely soft. I took off my flip flops and walked around. The littles built sand castles and one of the littles had a facial;)













My sister Dar and her beautiful smile! Dar is a busy college student working two jobs and so having the opportunity to spend some time with her was good for me and the cousins.

Dalligator in his Crab. I'm still working on getting this one to warm up to me. It might take some time because he's a momma's boy but I'm not giving up because he's a cutie.











The kids were great about keeping their life jackets on. We make them wear them all day and at night we put the toddlers in their pack 'n play cribs.

This little guy has an infectious giggle and some great comebacks. He is famous for random comments. I love random comments.












Carl and I really enjoyed the water this year and time away from our usual daily stresses. Carl was also a great help with the kids and the meals. I really don't think I could do it all without his help.











S and H spent endless hours playing with their cousins. I think they made up some form of "Survivor" game or something. They created these adorable crowns out of twigs and leafs.

S really enjoyed swimming, jumping off of rocks, and kneeboarding. At night, S loves participating with the adults in card games and a family favorite, SNARF.

S was the master fisherman again. He caught the biggest fish! Sorry, no pics! H spent hours hiking the red rock with his little cuz and exploring.

Carl and I have endless discussions about someday getting a boat. We feel like it is an activity that our family can enjoy where Crew will get equal satisfaction. He is so happy on the boat and all he needs is a comfortable chair. The Utah Boater laws require a rider to be age 12 or older. So if C is driving the boat and I am skiing, we need someone 12 or older to hold the flag and watch the skier. That gives us 2 years to save. Oh, wouldn't it be fun!

We are home... we are safe and today I took a nap.

Crocodiles and Fish

I dropped by the school to observe Crew with his PT. Crew hasn't been very willing to use his Croc at home and so I was impressed that he was doing so well. They said it helped that I was there. I walked in front so he would run after me. I think he was just so excited that I showed up and it was his way of showing off:)

I love the summers here. The community offers a free swim to families of kids with special needs. Its closed to the public during those specified hours which gives us the opportunity to try new things like jumping off the high dive. Actually, it wasn't a first for S.

But it was a first for H. He is just getting the confidence he needs to know that he won't drown once he hits the water. He jumped off the high dive probably 8 or 9 times.

Who couldn't love a face like this! Crew loves loves loves the water. He generally doesn't panic and he will kick his little feet and flap his left arm. So cute!

The weekly free swim day is really really neat. It brings out a lot of people who wouldn't be at the pool otherwise. It gives those who have disabilities the chance to be themselves and to enjoy family in a public place. A place without stares at the saturday swim, no strange comments.... just a bunch of people who really "get it". I'm so thankful for the opportunity to watch other parents who are dealing with similiar issues. They all seem so happy. The first time I went (two years ago), I was still coming to terms with the diagnosis. DH was not able to go and so I took the kids by myself. I was a little apprehensive but I'll never forget how the smiles of other parents warmed my soul. I felt like they could see right inside of me and it seemed they totally understood my feelings.

The Good Mail thing has been fun. Thanks to Marcia, Toni, and Chel for all the goodies.

Need suggestions

I'm ready to change my blog title. Gizmo is a family nickname and we've used it for yonks but I'm getting hits from all over the world, people googling gizmo and I'm sure they are disappointed to find my blog when they are really looking for cool gadgets and stuff.

So now I'm racking my brains trying to come up with something fun that reflects my life as the mom of these boys.

Anybody have any suggestions???

Just another day

I don't have anything creative to say today. DH started a new shift at work last week and while it shouldn't really affect me I'd have to say that it has. I stay up late with him on the weekends and since he's not home on weeknights I tend to succomb to the blogging temptaion. I've taken advantage of him being home in the mornings and have made a new habit of starting off the day with a run. So... late to bed and up early tends to wear one out. I ran around the lake last Saturday for the first time. My first for a 5 miler. Wahoo!

Here's a bit of what I did today:

• Worked 1/2 day outside of the home.
• Mowed the lawn
• Sprayed lawn and flowerbeds for bugs.
• Dishes
• Picked up toys
• Cleaned the kitchen floor
• Bought groceries
• 2 loads of laundry
• Visiting Teaching
• Prepared for Scouts tomorrow
• Talked to two of my sisters
• Hauled the trash to the street
• Watched "Highschool Musical" again

Like I said.... there's nothing creative in here tonight:) Goodnight.

SLURPEE STORY

BECAUSE YOU ASKED...

It was the weekend after Thanksgiving Day, 1995 and my roommate and her boyfriend, Layne, had coordinated an adventure in the mountains "offroading" or "digging" as we called it. There was a group of about twenty going and while I was friends with some of the guys, I was in no way interested in any of them.

Before heading up the canyon we stopped at 7-11 to fuel up the trucks. There were four tanks to fill and as we were waiting around one of Laynes friends, Carl, asked if I would ride with him in his truck. While I was beating around the bush he offered to buy me a SLURPEE if I would ride with him. Big Spender! Well, I was thirsty and I liked his truck so I said, "okay". *rolling eyes*

Unbeknownst to me, while we were waiting at the local 7-11, the other guys had invited a carload of highschool girls to follow us up. How lame is that! As I was walking out to Carls truck with my precious Slurpee my goofy roommate, Laura, ran ahead of me and jumped in Carls truck. I told her I was suppose to ride with him but she wouldn't get out. Apparently, she was having a tiff with her boyfriend or was trying to make him jealous, I don't know.

Consequently, I jumped in another truck and we headed up the canyon. We decided to pull into Tony's Grove and check things out. Tony's Grove is a beautiful campground with a gorgeous lake. Year round enjoyment! We were surprised to find that even though it was late November there wasn't any snow on the ground yet. Oh, but it was cold!

We found a clearing and the guys built a ginormous bonfire. Someone turned on the music and we spent several hours enjoying the view, laughing, talking and playing with fire. The dorky highschool girls showed up in their little car. I wasn't really interested in getting to know them. LOL. It really was good clean fun. No alcohol or anything like that:)

As the night wore on I realized that the cutsie 7-11 girls were getting a lot of attention. It surprised me that I was even bothered by it. After all, I wasn't interested in any of these guys anyway. Well, at midnight the babies had to go home and so it was just us college kids for awhile.

I remember, Alanis Morisette was playing and I walked up to Carl and said, "So, what's up with the highschool girls" and he said, "Why, are you jealous?"

OUCH! At that moment in time I realized that I was jealous! I was stunned and I said, "Maybe".

I spun around to walk away and Carl grabbed my hand:) I realized then that I hadn't even really talked to him much since the SLURPEE incident. I never explained to him why I didn't ride with him. Hello, not my fault! I didn't know that he was interested in me. Duh! I didn't know that he was feeling bad. Duh!

Lucky for me I was able to ride home with him in his truck. We took the shortcut. Ha, ha. We started seeing each other everyday after that. The rest is history.

**Note: Latenight bonfires are romantic. From that evening three couples were formed resulting in three different marriages including mine. Two other guys married two of the highschool girls.

Full-Body Shiver

We've all experienced it at one time or another.... the full body shiver. You know, the involuntary body shudder. It's just a moment in time when your body convulses in an almost fear-like representation of something you didn't experience, something that bypassed your consciousness and went straight into your nervous system. Sometimes referred to as the heebie jeebies.

Today, I slapped myself on the hand and promised myself that today I would consciously make an effort to feed something nutritious to the boys. No cheese quesadillas today. No more ramen noodles.

We are producing tons of zucchini in the garden. I've made zucchini bread and tin-foil dinners with zucchini. The bread was a hit! Today for lunch, more zucchini. H is the one that takes after his mother. A fan of cookies, candy, chocolate, potato chips.... you get the idea. H also loves playing with friends. At lunch I dished up his lasagna and zucchini and made the announcement that friends would not be allowed unless the zucchini was eaten.

After polishing off the lasagna, H looked at the zucchini and experienced the "full-body shiver". I started laughing and reminded him of his friends. So he scooped up the zucchini and shoveled it in, chewed it up and spit it in the garbage. "That doesn't count", I told him. In tears he made his second attempt to eat a piece of zucchini turned around and vomited all over the kitchen floor.

Isn't motherhood rewarding!

I honestly wish I could freeze time. I love July! I love spending time with family... parades, picnics, fireworks. I love my kids at this age. S and I ran another 5K on the 4th. S got a PR and first in his age group. LOL. H ran his first One-Mile race and did great. Carl played in his final Softball game. I love Crew at this age. He is still so cute and huggable. I really can't stress enough how I don't want him to grow up. I worry so much about the future with him and right now I can still pack him around. He loves all the little things like fireworks and firetrucks:) LOL. If it's loud it's exciting!!!

My Dad was kind enough to drag his tent trailer up into the mountains for a one-night camping trip. High-Creek canyon is beautiful. There is always water to be found and today we saw lots of butterfly's and squirrels. The 3 boys had a great time tromping through the water and making lots of noise.

Mental note: Wet rocks are slippery. Right after I handed the camera to DH he stepped on a giant rock and next thing I knew he was on his back. OUCH! It had to have seriously hurt. Aside from a sore back I think DH is okay and the camera bag was soaked but the camera survived.

Crew and I walked through the Creek until my feet were so freezin' cold I couldn't stand it anymore then after they warmed up a bit we'ld walk it again and again:) I forgot how motivating water can be for a 3 year old. I was just wishing Crew's PT could be there to give me some pointers. Ha, Ha! On the other hand, it's nice to just play and not worry about disabilities and therapy. Did I mention how I wish I could F-R-E-E-Z-E time?

Go Go Go

The past week has been play play play.
Monday night was S's last baseball game.

Tuesday night was the baseball banquet for H's machine-pitch baseball team. They gave out character awards like, "Most Theatrical, Intuitive Batter, Girl Power, Enthusiastic". H got the "Serious" ball player award. This really made me giggle because I'm thinking it will be the last time anyone refers to H as "serious". However, ever since H was a little tike he tends to put on a serious face anytime he is really enjoying himself. Then when you smile at him he tries not to smile back and kind of wrinkles up his little nose and then covers up his dimple with his hand. So funny!

Wednesday night was S's Baseball Banquet. His team tied for second place. S was awarded the "Most Improved Player" award and received a very nice plaque. Isn't that cool!

On Thursday we rented a little UHaul trailer and headed down to happy valley to pick up a piano that I purchased through a free internet advertisement. I paid a whopping $200 for this old thing. My DH and BIL were great sports about loading it and I was a good sport too when they dropped it. Pictures will come after I get a chance to clean it up and glue the leg back on:( Currently the piano sits in my garage where S practices daily. He had his first lesson last Monday and he loves it.

Friday was Lagoon Day. Grandma took little Crew for the day. It was fun being with the older boys and not worrying about Crew getting too hot or tired. However, we missed him and while it was a lot of fun the 105 degree temps nearly killed me. I didn't blink an eye at spending $5 for two bottles of water because I thought I was going to die.

DH started playing in our community softball tournament.

Saturday we attended a family reunion and yet another Softball game. C and his team played well. The Ump made them all bat backwards during the last inning because they were 19 points ahead. So funny!

Today.... I'm so thankful for the Sabbath Day and the chance to slow down.