Most importantly...

We had a busy fun weekend but I don't have the energy to post about it right now.

Today, I gave my RS lesson on "The Plan of Salvation". I studied it all month long. It's such a deep and broad subject and the sisters in our ward range from young 18-year old singles to the more seasoned grandmothers and such. I worry about how to teach knowing most sisters have more experiences and knowledge than I. I feel that my lack of confidence is actually a blessing because I know how important it is for me to prayerfully prepare and seek the spirit. I felt like the lesson went well and I received many compliments afterward. This calling is great for me because it forces me to study and ponder the gospel teachings in depth.

Here are some quotes from the lesson that I love and have caused me to ponder:

“ALL THE MINDS AND SPIRITS THAT GOD EVER SENT INTO THE WORLD ARE SUSCEPTIBLE OF ENLARGEMENT”.

“Satan cannot seduce us by his enticements unless we in our hearts consent and yield. Our organization is such that we can resist the devil; if we were not organized so, we would not be free agents.”

“I am dwelling on the immortality of the spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it has a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were not spirits. …

I am so thankful for the Plan of Salvation. I honestly don't think I could face each day without the knowledge that I can be with my family for eternity and that our bodies will be restored to their perfect state. Truly, its the main thing that keeps me going!

Guest Photographer

I vaguely remember the older boys messing around with my camera while I was preparing dinner the other day. S with his hand against the back of Crew's head and H (camera in hand) on the other side of the glass. I found this little treasure waiting for me when I loaded pics onto my computer. I guess this is what happens when you have older siblings! LOL.

Where is Fall?

Am I the only one that's not excited about this?

On a Happier Note...

Crew has a new obsession! Building with his Mega Blocks is what he wants first thing in the morning and as soon as he gets home from school. He prefers NOT to play alone so I enlist the help of his brothers, respite worker and/or ME.

In the past few weeks I've noticed an increased ability to not only stack the blocks well BUT he is also using both hands to separate two blocks. He mainly uses his right hand to hold the blocks while he pulls them apart with his left. 90% of the time he uses his LEFTY to stack but on occasion he will use his RIGHT hand. This is good, very very good.

Oh, and in case you haven't guessed it... the BEST part is knocking them down:)

Communication

Today when I think of the word "communication" it reminds me of the word "frustration". Did you know the two are related? Apparently they are!

This week has been a hard one. Crew is really struggling to communicate his wants and needs. We've tried everything I can think of. It has been 4 years now and we are NOT making progress. I know its not true (and those of you in my same situation would probably like to hit me over the head with a hammer) but sometimes it feels like we are the ONLY ones in this boat. Today it hit me really hard and I cried like a big baby (which doesn't help anything by the way). Crying just makes you tired, and pity parties don't help either which is why they are far and few between in my world. Learn from my mistakes and just buck it up and SMILE.

I've decided I need to change the focus of my prayers. I've tried everything I can think of and I don't think I'm going to get anywhere in this endeavor without my Heavenly Fathers help.

Immunization Records

The preschool threatened that Crew would "be excluded from attending" if I did not provide adequate immunization records. The form letter states that he is missing his 4th dose of Pneumoccocal (PCV7). What??? I have always taken my children in for their scheduled shots.

Last night I took Crew to the pediatrician for said shot. After looking over his records it appeared that we missed the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of a FOUR shot series. I did not think this was right and figured his records must have been incomplete since we moved when he was nearly 6 months old. Unfortunately, I have been missing his little Immunization Record book for so long I started thinking we never had one. The Dr. did not think it was a good idea to get the shot and so we went home.

Today I had a plan to sort through three different drawers in an effort to locate the book. Before looking, I felt prompted to rearrange/clean my computer work area. What do you know...TADAH

I found the book!

I am so happy about this, happy that Crew doesn't need anymore shots and happy to provide "adequate records". Thank you very much!

Random Thoughts

It seems the longer I go without posting, the harder it is to recap the day/weekend.

• Conference weekend was great! I didn't do a good job of taking notes but I did try to listen to all 8 hours. I really enjoyed the spirit of the meetings and I'm excited to see the Conference podcasts already sitting in my inbox. yeah!


• My Mizunos have over 350 miles on them and I started getting pains so I broke down and bought a new pair of running shoes. SAUCONY this time! Unfortunately, after only 6 miles I've already got blisters. I don't remember getting blisters with the Mizuno's... not even when they were new. I've decided to take advantage of their 15 day return policy and swap them out for a different shoe.


• My friend Erica is faced with the decision of whether or not her adorable son should get a Baclofen Pump and if so when? This is something that we have considered for Crew. I'm amazed at the daily "Google" hits that bring people to my blog when they are searching for information about the pump. There are many pro's and con's to consider. Crew is taking Baclofen orally and this helps him but also causes him to drool and makes him weak in other areas. We don't know if the oral Baclofen or his spasticity contributes to his inability to speak. Placing the pump is a little frightening but what scares me the most is the 10% chance of having a kinked catheter. This could cause withdrawal symptoms and during the stage when they experiment with dosages there is a possibility of overdose. The biggie though is that the pump is the size of a hockey puck. I've seen the pump and I'll tell you right now that Crew's little tummy doesn't have anything to it. He is skin and bones. Ah, decisions!


• My new job. I'm in training for a new position at the Dr.'s office where I've worked for the past year. I'm looking forward to something different but for the next little while my head will be spinning.

Well that was pretty random, wasn't it!

5K Report

I do have the intention of eventually starting a separate blog to document my running adventures. But, until then just a quick post to report:

S and I ran the Wellsville "Hotter than Haiti" 5 K Fun Run last Saturday. The run was held to raise funds for an orphanage in Haiti. I was surprised at how many little Haitian children were there who have been adopted by families in our area. It was really neat!

The weather was perfect.

The course was quite fun with a couple small hills.

We both set a new PR.

S- 25:36

Mel- 25:37

Oh, and S walked away with a football prize from the raffle drawing. Woot!

Next race: Red Ribbon Run- October 11th.

Milestones to Achieve

Like I said in a previous post, Crew learned to sit up in bed. Thanks for the many comments, cheers, praise, and rejoicing with us in this accomplishment! Twenty-Six comments is an all time high for me and it does help knowing we have our own little cheering squad.

As anticipated, his new skill has led to another.

This is good... very very good! Unfortunately, we aren't getting a whole lot of sleep around here and nap times are far and few between.

* Note: Positions pictured are exactly as occurred but just to save my pride- No, I don't dress my child in the same outfit everyday and he doesn't wear jeans to bed for the night.

On another note, today I went with Crew and his Preschool class on a little field trip to a local "Hobby Farm". I volunteered to bring his wheelchair as they would be walking a few blocks. I anticipated having a wonderful time with my son. There would be chickens to see, horses, ostriches, emu's, tortoises, turtles. I even stopped to purchase batteries for my camera for the great event. What I didn't anticipate was the drama my little one would put on "just because mom was there". You know the one, "Let me show you all how I've got my mom wrapped around my little finger". So embarrassing! I even told the teacher that I wish I hadn't gone because I know he is fine without me. In his little class there is an adorable little girl who also has CP. I met McKenna at a GYM class over two years ago before Crew could even crawl. McKenna, a 1 lb preemie was then learning to crawl and pull-to-stand. Today I saw her RUN without the use of a walker or DAFO's for that matter. Part of me was thrilled to see her progress and her cuteness. McKenna is an example of all that can be achieved. But then... it was just a LITTLE disheartening to think of how far we still have to go.

Yes, discouragement is a part of our world but I do try not to let it take over. In your everyday lives, do you suffer from discouragement, self-criticism, or the awful trait of comparing yourself to others? Sometimes it can be so debilitating! I really detest the feelings of discouragement.

How thankful I am today to come home and read this post by one of my favorite bloggers. I agree wholeheartedly with Lori that each one of us is blessed with different talents, experiences, opportunities. We cannot compare what we are going through with that which we "see" of others. I don't think we can ever guess what challenges another might face or experience. Lori, also talks about BALANCE. This is something I am getting better at. There was a time in my life as a mother where I DID NOT invest energy and time for me. How invigorating it is to finally have something that I enjoy (exercise)! I will keep reminding myself that its okay to indulge in this passion without guilt and it will make me a better wife/mother/daughter/sister/friend. Yes, it's okay!

Sweet September

YESSSS!!!!!

S and I went running today at 4:00 pm. I am not use to running in the middle of the day but we had an opportunity- and we went. It was a good, hard run. Part way through, S got really tired so I dropped him off at the van and continued on for another 1.5 miles. I passed the bank and their digital sign said it was 86 degrees! My mouth has never felt so dry on a run and I felt like choking. By the time I got back to the van I was dead. I grabbed my water bottle and sucked it dry then S wanted a cheeseburger. *giggle* Good times!