Welcome to OUR World!: October 2010

Monday, October 18, 2010

State Fair...

We went to the State Fair friday afternoon....
It was a GREAT time with GREAT friends....

Share in our memories, we didnt go on any rides but still enjoyed the exhibits and the food and a little play time : )

The kids inside the gate, heading to the art exhibits....

BREAK TIME!!!
Took some time out for a sweet treat.

The girls had to get the same thing, it was cute to watch them try to decide what they wanted to get,
settled on frozen bananas with nuts.....

Sean was adament that he get "chocolate" donuts, the best we could do was powder sugar donuts with chocolate sauce, he was alright with that....

And the little one needed a snowcone (which the big girls finished for her) it was a warm day.....

The kids enjoyed the playground.....

The BFF's were happy to get to spend the day together.... There was an awful lot of wispering and giggling going on....

The kids found the toddler zone and stopped to play a little golf, and go through the hay maze on our way through....

Petting Zoo....

(Lexi got scared by the BIG goat, she squealed and we turned around to have her say "that BIg donkey scared me...." We just chuckled....

In the petting zoo they got to see goats, lambs, llamas, kangaroos, donkeys, etc...
And they loved it, even though it was a little chaotic....

(we also saw baby chicks, bunny rabbits and the gamit of farm animals in the live animal exhibit)

Stopping for a pic moment....

The Dino Exhibit was AWESOME!!!
They had moving statues of the dinos....

They got to be archeologists and dig up fossils....

They also got to ride on the worlds slowest motorized dino, they still had fun....

Late lunch time (or early dinner)
The kids wanted corndogs....

It was cute, there was a ride close to where we stopped, they were watching the people go up a good 20 feet or more and drop...
The looks on their faces is priceless.... They were mesmorized....

On our way out, This was the sand sculpture... It was pretty cool....

We had a great time and the kids are still talking about it....
Those are the days that GREAT lasting memories are made from.
Thanks for sharing them with us.
<3 And thanks to Ang and the girls for inviting us on your adventure for the day <3
Love ya guys : )

Friday, October 1, 2010

The Little Man....

Well....
I love my little man, but he has been an absolute struggle lately. He doesnt deal well with change and there has certainly been alot of that lately. Between the move, and Brandon being gone, and a new school situation, and mommy being on burn out, having the house on the market, Lexis party, a new ward at church, and the list goes on.....
Things have definately taken there tole on him and he is fighting back.

I try to keep reminding myself that he doesnt always have control over it and I need to be more patient, but this mommas patience is wearing thin. And then I feel guilty when I dont react in a very nice manner. When his tears come out and I hear "why are you yelling at me" and its obvious that he has no idea what he has done to make me upset, I feel like such a bad mom. I know thats not the case. I am a GREAT mom, or so I have been told. And I know that I have had alot more patience with him than I ever thought I was capable of. But man, oh man, I dont know how much more of this I can take.....

and then I remember the struggles with him when he was little,
and yet how precious he was.....

I remember all the bad days that I have made it through,
and the good days that were our reward for that......

Despite the struggles and heartache that sometimes come with this job,
he is my precious little gift, and I am SO glad to be his mom.

My friend posted this song on her facebook page and I just totally tear up listening to it. Its my little man to a T. Its a song written to try to explain what its like to be a person with an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). I have been listening to it over and over for the last day or so and its helping me remember that he is not perfect, he doesnt see things the way we do, he doesnt hear things the way we do, he doesnt do things the way we do.... But he is special in his own right and his future is bright! And its my job to PATIENTLY guide him through! So I will pick my self up and dust myself off and we will continue on this journey the best we can : )

Hope you enjoyed the video! Talk to you ALL soon!

More About Us.....

Sean is doing AMAZINGLY well (considering), If you missed the last couple updates Sean has been diagnosed with Aspergers (High Functioning Autism). It was a tough road to get to that end result, but we are picking ourselves up and dusting ourselves off and moving on in the direction that is best for the little man. Always making sure that the end result will be in his best interest.

Sean was able to be a part of a program this last couple years that has helped immensely with his sensory needs, coping mechanisms, language helps and keeping him on track educationally without the chaos of a "normal" classroom getting in the way. He made so many friends, friends that understand him and his quirks and LOVE him despite them. He was finally able to see that there are people out there like him and he is not alone in the world. We were SO blessed to have that oppurtunity. After a couple months of waiting for the new school year and homeschooling he is back in the program at a new campus and loving it (Pieceful Solutions) they are a God send for us. This next school year they are going private BUT due to a scholarship program offered by the state we are able to continue him in this amazing program AND their new campus is right around the corner from us. Couldnt be happier for them or for our little man. New adventures on the horizon. SO exciting! Check back to see how our Aspie survives the new school year at his new campus!!!

Lexi has had a rough school year last year BUT she is LOVING her new school and her new teacher, her and her BFF (in Florida) are enjoying being pen pals still. Miles cannot come between them, they are still forever friends and always have each others backs. Its nice for her to have a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen from someone who is her "two peas in a pod" bud and will always get what she is going through. She loves her and misses her terribly, but they are making it through. They are both SO excited (AND so are us moms) that we will be taking a vacation to Florida in July to see them. Its been over a year and we miss them SO much. Cant wait. It will be a great adventure; first trip to Disney World, first flight and reuniting with great friends.

After a couple months of being homeschooled last year (which really turned out to be a great experience for both of us despite the added stress at times) Lexi is very excited about being back in a brick and mortar school. She is enjoying the cheer and dance club as well and chapel time on Fridays. Its been great for her to make new friends. This year has been tough again, ups and downs with friends. BUT she is learning to make it through and cope with the fact that not everyone is nice and kind all the time. She has had a boyfriend this year and they are adorably cute together. This year has not been without its drama, but we are expecting that to be the new norm as the kids get older. If we can just make it day by day, step by step we will make it through. Keep checking back for updates on her going ons at school and with her friends.

For both kids this new school year is a BIG change and an oppurtunity for them to grown in their own ways, It has been good for them to have much different experiences and growths. As much as they grow apart in some ways they are growing closer in others. Its been a struggle, but a good life lesson for Sean to be attending Lexis class for some parts of the day. Its good to watch her friends reach out to him, and to hear her want to stand up for him with the couple kids that dont understand him. Hopefully this trend will continue and they will remain close. As much as they get on each others nerves, they both know they have each others backs. We have made it through most of the year and in one peice, thats progress in and of itself =) Hoping this will continue next year as Lexi moves onto her Middle School Campus and Sean moves onto his new campus. This will be the biggest change ever for them, Two totally different schools, new adventures around the corner.

Brandon has been working hard and traveling ALOT (still, some things never change). We have been VERY blessed that he has been able to keep steady work this last couple years or so with the economy the way that it is. And we are hoping that it just stays that way. He is looking forward to our vacation this summer and a break from work. He is getting close to burn out but hanging in there. He is AMAZING and we appreciate the hard work that he does for our family. We love him dearly and miss him like crazy!

As for me: I have been enjoying just being a mom and having the oppurtunity to help my kids learn and grow this last year or so. I was blessed with the oppurtunity to give them all of me and everything they needed this last year. And they blessed me right back with a few lessons I needed to get out of life on perserverance and endurance. I love those guys to peices; and none of it would have been possible without the hard work of my loving husband. He is amazing, and although things arent always perfect between us he never gives up and always fights hard to provide us with everything we need. I love him more than words can describe.

I am looking forward to this school year and being able to take a more stand off approach. Still being involved but seeing how much they can flourish on their own. Still being there to help them with homework and attend their fieldtrips and events. Still helping occasionally in the class, but allowing them space to thrive. The stand off approach has been good for all of us, they are settling into that well. They know I am around when they need me but they are becoming much more independent. Love those little monkies!