Happy New Years

I do believe this is the quietest New Years I've had in a very long time. It's just Justus and I home. My parents went out for the evening, so it's the two of us. Kind of nice, kind of not...he's been overly fussy today and needed to be held ALOT more. Maybe more teeth coming in??? I don't know for sure. I'm sure part of it is that he misses Steve and the kids. I think he misses that chaos as much as I do :) All I know is that my body can't handle holding him this much LOL I'm getting OLD.
So to everyone who reads this, have a Happy New Year. I pray that God will bless both you and your families. May His love surround you and His peace abide in you :)

We Made It :)

We've arrived in Welland safe and sound. Justus did fantastic on the drive here. I was very pleased considering the car isn't his favourite place to be. He's too much of a mover and shaker to be cooped up in the car for 4 hours! It makes it easier when mommy can sit beside him and make goofy games up, funny faces and play endless games of peekaboo.
We're off today to find him a crib. After a week in the playpen at home, I think he's probably ready for his real bed, NOT the playpen for another week. The poor guy was none too happy to be placed in the playpen last night either! He did wake up once, but it was an hour after he went to bed. He settled quickly after a bottle and some tylenol.
Hopefully I'll get a week of some rest, praying that a certain teething 8.5 month old will keep his crankiness to the daytime and NOT in the middle of the night. Steve is usually the one to wake up with the kids in the night. A cranky sleepless mommy is NOT what the world needs this week :)

Christmas Fun

Well, life has been a choatic wirlwind of fun these last few days :)

My parents, Steve's mom and my brother Josh arrived on Dec 23rd. Sunday we had 3 services at the churches. So that was a very LONG day for Steve. There was LOTS of food and sweets flying around the house on Christmas eve as my mother and I did some baking.

Christmas day was quite exciting here. I was so impressed with how the children handled everything. Logan was stressed out, but he still seemed interested in opening presents, definitely an improvement from last year. Abby ripped through them very quickly. She was having fun. Justus also seemed to enjoy his presents, but mostly just eating the wrapping paper. It was a great day, and I am blessed to have family.

From Boxing day on, the work started. The remaining hardwood floors were installed. I'm SOOO pleased with how they look, they are beautiful :) Mom also laid the ceramic floor in front of the door and it looks equally beautiful. We picked wall colors now, so it's just ripping the remaining wall paper from the walls, filling holes and then priming and painting. I hope this will look as good as I see it in my mind.

Today I leave to go to my parents house for a week. Steve and I decided it was really what I needed, and I haven't been in the last 6 months or so. Josh left on the bus on Wednesday so I could go, what a nice brother :) So I may not post much in the next few days to come. I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and that 2007 holds much blessings for all of you :)

Chicken Soup Entry

So Kati told me yesterday that the makers of Chicken Soup books, are accepting submissions for a book about kids and special needs. I don't think my story will be published, but I thought I'd post it here too so you all can enjoy it, and to see what you think.

Christmas Eve Miracle

My name is Amanda Bedard and I am the mother of two special children named Logan and Abigail. Logan and Abigail both have Autism.

It was a beautiful night, the snow was gently falling. The house was aglow. We had just returned from the Christmas Eve Service. The lights of the Christmas tree were sparkling; the smell of hot chocolate was in the air. It was a night that held magic for our family. Surely, it was a night to be remembered.

The traditional Christmas festivities were happening. Pictures were being taken by the tree. Music filled the corners of the house. There was lots of laughter, and lots of fun being had by all. It was getting late, and it was time for Logan and Abigail to go to bed, the next day would be filled with even more excitement and a good nights rest was what they needed most. Goodnight hugs and kisses were given all around.

Abigail was tucked into bed first; she was just 2 years old. Logan was next.

“Goodnight Logan, I love you” Daddy said to Logan as he does each night.

Standing by the front door, stands a little boy of 3 years old. Blond hair, blue eyes and a smile that shone brighter than the Christmas tree lights. There was a twinkle in his eye, like nothing we had seen before.

“I love you” a quiet voice spoke in return.

A tear falls from daddy’s eye. He rushes over to Logan and scoops him up in his arms. Bedtime was extended, and we basked in the moment of this pure joy. By this time, all those in the house were softly crying.

Little Logan was completely non-verbal at this point in his life. He hadn’t spoken a word since he was just one years old. We had accepted that he may never speak, but in that small corner of our hearts, we had always longed to hear those 3 little words. And here, on this magical Christmas Eve, he spoke to us as if he had been speaking all along. It was as clear as a bell and even now, years later, I hear his voice as it was on that enchanting evening: “I love you”

It was a Christmas gift that gave us such hope for the road ahead. We learned that blessed night that we were never to assume they couldn’t do anything. It pushed us to believe in them, far greater than we already did. We have learned to celebrate the smallest of accomplishments, realizing they aren’t small at all, they are each gigantic in their own way.

On the Mend

Well it's looking up for Justus. He is looking so much better, and sounding better too. He even slept through the night last night :) I'm sure Steve is happy about that. The inhaler isn't the easiest thing to administer to an infant, but I think it is helping him alot! So are the antibiotics.
Thanks for all your prayers. I sure hope we have a healthy happy home this holiday season.

another chapter begins

So this morning, after months of waiting for the bus, the kids discovered the *joys*(sarcasm) of running out into the road. First Abby, then Logan...I'm not looking forward to this. They were doing such a terrific job waiting at the end of the driveway, singing songs and jumping around...NOW?? The neighbours driveway looks like a fun place to be :( I was hoping that we wouldn't ever see this behaviour, but alas, it has come to pass. I just can't wait to get our dog from NSD...WHEN you might ask? Well, we have no idea :( This wait is incredible, and I sure hope it's worth it! I'm just so thankful we live on a nice quiet street. Please pray that this was just a flukey day and that Friday we'll be back to normal, nice waiting.

Poor Guy

First a tooth, now bronchitis :( We knew Justus was down with a cold, but I just figured it was the sniffles, but last night/today, he was sounding SOO chesty, so we went off to the doctors office...good thing we did...if it doesn't get better over the next two or three days, or if it gets worse, we are to go to the hospital :( It's so difficult when little ones are sick...poor little guy didn't even want his bottle tonight, just wanted to go to sleep...I think he was asleep with his eyes open. Please pray for him, and for us over the next few days...I'm sure we won't be getting restful sleep, that is for sure.

A TOOTH ~ YAHOO

After what seems like an eternity of teething, Justus FINALLY has a tooth broken through the surface :D It explains the cranky, waking up in the night, stuffy nose that he's had as of late. I'm just so excited. He's got a couple more on the way too :) I thought this day would never come. Steve and I were just joking yesterday that he would start kindergarten, with us saying "he's so close to breaking in his first tooth..." Thankfully I think he'll have a mouthful before his first day of school :)

This morning is the kids Christmas presentation at their school, but I can't go :( Justus is far too cranky. We didn't want to ruin it for other parents, SOOO I sent Steve off with strict instructions to take LOTS of pictures. I wanted him to be able to do proud dad stuff too. He was pretty excited to be able to go. I can't wait to see the pictures, and I'll post them when he gets home.

More pictures

Please excuse the mess of our living room...but all the kids were attacking Steve, so I thought it was a great photo opportunity. I especially love that the kids HELP pec is in them...like Steve needs help from all the kids! Geez, I think he'll survive. Men, go figure :)

Kids

I had realized that I didn't really send any new pictures of the kids, although this really isn't the best picture. It's the only one we've got though...our old digital camera has been on it's last legs for quite some time (Logan made it work when we thought it was a goner). We actually just bought a new one last night. Just have to get used to it and it's features before I start posting my pictures. Its amazing how quickly technology goes out though. 4 years ago, we bought the kodak digital, 2 megapixels, for the same price last night we bought a 6.3 megapixels(not a Kodak, didn't like it enough to buy the brand again). It's insane!! We thought a camera would be a good present since the kids have a Christmas Assembly on Monday, and their classes are each putting on a presentation, you know I HAVE to take pictures at that! They had a Turkey Dinner at school today, and they both did wonderfully! I'm so happy that we decided to send them to SVE, they have been so wonderful at including the kids. :)

*sigh*

Well, I got the call this morning regarding my appointment.
My orginal appointment with the specialist...March 5. I had to cancel that, as Steve and I will be in Venice...so, the earliest after that? April 2nd :( I'm so bummed, I cannot even begin to tell you. I knew it would be a wait, but 4 months?? I've asked to be on their cancellation list, so hopefully we'll get a call for an earlier appointment. I can't live with this looming over my head.
Still no word on when my CT scan will be. She thought maybe before Christmas, but I'm assuming it will be sometime in January seeing as we're 2 weeks til Christmas now.

Sickness all around

Well, this morning I woke up to Steve, Logan and Justus all SICK :( It's never really fun to have a sickie home. Abby by far had it the worst last week, but Justus is coming a close second. Steve and Logan have incredible immune systems and usually only have a bug for about 12-24 hours. But nonetheless, practically everyone was sick. Now that it's 5:30, Logan is over his, Steve's stomach is a bit upset, and Justus is ok. I sure hope this is the end of the line. I don't need to catch whatever they have. No bugs for me thanks, I'm mommy, I look after them.

The wait for my appointment dates for the neurologist and CT scan are driving me crazy. I finally decided to try and call the doctor on Thursday, just to see if they had heard anything about dates, but alas, "the doctors office is now closed, and will reopen on MONDAY morning" Fine. I guess in some ways I'm going through the "what ifs" and "why didn't I go sooner". But all this fretting could be over nothing. Some days I'm 150% sure I'm ok, but most other days I'm not so sure. Either way, I wish it the appt's would come soon and this chapter of my life over. I'm not the most patient person on the planet, but dealing with the unknowns for me is the worst part of anything that is to come. Just give me some news as to what this is, and we'll move from there...but the unknown, or the "possibility" of a disease, is scarier than the actual diagnosis, for me anyway. I felt the same way when Logan was diagnosed with Autism. Not so much with Abby, because we knew before the doctors even said anything, but for Logan between the February after his hearing test, to the June that he was diagnosed, it was such a horrible time. Please continue to pray for me at this time in my life, it's very overwhelming.

My dad and brothers (Josh and Ian) were up this weekend. They started laying the hardwood flooring...it's going to look so beautiful once it is finished. They also laid the cement board for the ceramic tiles. They are hopefully going to try and finish everything up between Christmas and New Year. In the mean time, Steve and I are going to fill the holes and try to get the walls painted etc. Maybe it'll feel less renovation like, once all the wallpaper is off the walls and a new color up. I promise I will post pictures once it's all finished. :)

Well, I suppose that is enough of a post...sorry for the novel :)

Prayer Request

I was to see the doctor this week, and they are sending me to a specialist and for some tests. I am a bit freaked out about what the possibilites could be, so if you could send your prayers this way, I'd be very grateful...
I'm struggling very much at how full our plate is right now, not sure why all of this is happening. I feel badly for Steve and how much he already has to do, and with the possibility of having to look after me in the mix, I feel extremely guilty. Poor guy didn't sign up for all of this. I didn't either I suppose.
Thanks...I'll update when I know, it could be awhile.

Enough of that...
The kids are such joys. Although both Abby and Logan were a bit "under the weather" this weekend. Even Abby today seems a bit off. Lots of crying during therapy etc, but they are managing. It's not often they work with daddy for parent support times, so it's hard to say goodbye when he has to leave for work. Justus is in the mix too, with his snotty nose. STILL NO TEETH, but all the crankiness that goes along with cutting teeth is here. I hope they come soon. They all bring me such happiness *most days anyway*.

The turkey dinner went over fabulously! It was a great success. I was very thankful for all the help we had in the kitchen, and I think the food was terrific. There are a few things I will know to do differently next time, like have more dressing/stuffing (whatever it's called in your home) and we could've used a few more buns. Other than that, there was enough food, but not too much left over. The room was a buzz with chattering and laughter. There was also a great response for bringing in donations for our local foodbank. Thanks to the church and community for all their generosity!

Turkey Dinner

Today is our Community Turkey Dinner. I'm very excited about what today may hold. Things have come together quite nicely...all but the weather, but hopefully that won't affect too much for our numbers. We have 11 people from the community coming. Not bad for our first year of doing it. I am quite pleased. In total we have around 65 coming. I think the evening will go over well, God has His hand on us, I believe that with all my heart.
Please pray for us today.

Reno's and More

Well, the stairs are in, and they are beautiful. It just feels like they have always been there. It's such a joy to be able to go up and down INSIDE. But this week the weather has been wonderful, so it wasn't that big of a deal to go outside. Just a little anxious going down into a dark backyard when skunks and other animals inhabit the woods behind our house!

My parents were here this weekend. We had a great visit. They helped with figuring out how much flooring we needed. We ended up buying some ceramic tiles for the front entrance and then up and down stairs we'll be doing hardwood! It is crazy to think that the hardwood was actually CHEAPER than going with carpet and vinyl. It's much prettier too. My dad is coming back in two weeks to help us install it. Yay for dad's!!!

I have no idea where the Christmas tree is going this year. With all the renovations, it's difficult to know exactly where to put it. But I guess it'll be going up late this year AFTER the new floor is in. When Steve and I were first married, the tree and everything went up November 1st. Now, 7 Christmas's later, it looks like decorations won't be up until 10 days before Christmas, if that. I think it's more challenging too when you have young kids. I can't trust the kids not to climb the tree! Oh the fun and joy of Christmas!

This weekend is a big event at church. We are doing a community Turkey dinner...headed up by none other than ME :S Who let that crazy woman be in charge of things? Just kidding, things are coming together wonderfully. I'm really excited to see how it will all go. Please pray that we have a good turnout and that God will use us to further His kingdom. Please also pray that all the details come together and I dont' totally flop on my face.

A Great CD!

So, today Steve and I spent the day in Owen Sound. We went to the local Christian bookstore where we found a very cool CD. It's a veggietales CD called "Bob & Larry sing the 70's". Can I just say, I had so much fun listening to this while I made supper tonight!!! I'm such a mom now, who would've ever thought that I would be singing along with Bob and Larry to 70's music. Even Steve was getting his groove on while it was on! Who would've thought it would be that much fun to listen to kids music, that's all I gotta say! :)

Our renovations are coming along. The railings will be up in a couple of days, and then we'll be able to use our indoor stairs. They are so beautiful. I just couldn't be happier with them. We are getting a quote for flooring too this week, so hopefully that won't be too much. We'd like to get everything together and finished. The kids are doing great with all the changes and upheavals, probably even better with it than me! I just find it so stressful to have our house torn apart. It's all worth it though, that's for sure. I'll post pictures when it's all finished.

Not very good at this, am I?

Life has been crazy, so many things get neglected...this blog being one of them. I'm actually surprised by the fact that Steve keeps his more up to date than mine...wow! I'm glad he does though because he thoughts are quite interesting. You can read it here.

Justus started crawling a few days ago! The kids aren't sure what to make of it. As the days go by and Justus becomes more confident, he creeps up to the kids and grabs their pantlegs etc. Abby has a look of absolute disgust, and Logan just keeps moving! It's really cute to watch. Look out once Justus really gets onto this crawling business, I'm sure the arguments will begin!!! We go to the pediatrician soon to talk about his hip/leg/foot issues. I do see it affecting even his crawling, so we'll have it looked at for sure.

Yesterday we received a Tech Speak for Logan from a friend of ours (thanks Di) who had outgrown this system and upgraded to a higher tech version. It's a voice output system. So it works similar to Logan's Picture Exchange, only he presses the buttons (similar to the ones he uses to build his sentences now) and it talks. I think it'll be great for him. As soon as we took it out of the box, Logan was already over and touching the buttons. I'm exciting to see him learn how to use it. I think it will be a great way for Logan to be more interactive with his peers at school...there is a "I like that", "that's cool", and "my turn" "your turn". There is also a spot where we can record his show and tell. I think it will really expand his communication abilities.

Abby is as beautiful and mischeivious as ever! That girl keeps us on our toes. She is so cute though, as her vocabulary is starting to come in. Every night before bed we go through our prayers and then say goodnight, I'll see you in the morning...and Abby always says "OK" in her cute little girl voice. She's also started to pick up phrases, one of the funniest ones is "what should I do now?" So we're in the bathroom and she's saying "what should I do now?" or playing with her dolls and wanting to move to another activity "what should I do now" It's very adorable. It's neat that she is using her echolalia appropriately. She picked that phrase up from one of her therapists who was going over some programs with her supervisor and asked that question....well, Abby's now clung to that for at least 3 weeks.

There are 116 days until Steve and I board Carnival Freedom in Venice!!!! Can you tell I'm excited??!? Actually, the carnival website counted it down for us, but I think I'm SOOO ready for that vacation. We dropped off our Passports at Larry Millers office, he's our MP. Our final deposit on the trip is coming up too. So it's all coming together. I would highly recommend our travel agents. They have been so helpful and have found us the best deals. Thanks Dave and Lil!

Thats all for now folks.

Winter Wonderland

This morning we woke to a blanket of snow probably a foot and a half now. It's never a good thing when the sound of the snow plow wakes you up!! It actually looks very beautiful. This morning during therapy time, we got the kids all bundled up and went outside to play. Even Justus joined in the fun!!! It's so great to see the kids playing and laughing. Abby's love for snow is definitely increasing. Her first winter that she could play(around 2003), she sat there in a pile of snow and didn't move the entire time. It was a rather pathetic sight, but this year, she's so excited. Laughing, throwing it up in the air, and the ultimate....EATING! I swear my kids never need juice in the winter, they get all their hydration from the snow.

I'm finally starting to get back into routine since being sick. I've been to the gym a few times this week. This morning I decided to try out the sauna there. WOW, is it ever hot. 144 F. It's not a bad heat though. I wouldn't want the summer to be like that all the time, but for 30 min intervals, it's not that bad! My skin feels amazing, it's so soft. I'm trying to decide whether I like it enough to pay extra. We get three trials and from there have to pay. I think it's a nice treat for myself...much better than eating donuts, that's for sure!!!!

The new furnace is finally installed. I can't believe the difference. I wish we did it right away when we bought the house, but am thankful that its done. Before we got it done, there was always a chill in the air, because we kept the heat down (electric heat is EXPENSIVE) but even when they were on, I found we were getting a lot of nosebleeds. It was an awesome investment. One that we will reap the benefits of for sure.

Just another week or so and then the BIG construction starts. On Nov 10, we lose our indoor stairs, and won't have stairs until Nov 25! It's a big job, but I'm hoping that it will be just as great an investment as the furnace is. I can't wait til everything is finished and we can just put the finishing touches on the house. We have some decisions to make about flooring and whatnot, but that can wait a bit. I'm just so excited to know what the final product is going to look like.

On Nov 11, we have a Children's Rally at the church. Students from Word Of Life are coming to put it on. I hope to have a good turnout. We are doing a flyer drop tomorrow. I hope the weather holds out. I'll let you know how it goes.

This and That....

It seems that I will survive. The jury was out for quite some time, but its looking good in my favour. The bronchitis is gone and the pneumonia seems to be for the most part as well. I still get a bit winded when I over-exert, but overall I'm on the mend. Today was my first day back at church, and I'm very tired now. When you haven't worked for a few weeks, it's hard to get back into the swing of things.
Justus has been quite ill with the flu this week. :( He's lost some weight, and we had to keep an eye on him to make sure he wasn't becoming dehydrated. He's almost back to his regular self, I think he enjoyed the "spoiling" a bit much as he is enjoying his cuddle times more and more. He sure is a cutie pie though :) Today he's returned to his chatty self.
Logan and Abby are just great. School life seems to be a joy for them. Logan's behaviour has decreased at school and Abby's has increased. It's good to see they are settling in, it shows they are both much more comfortable in the classroom. I'm so proud of them. Logan has a special computer at school, it's on a trial basis just for him. It has a touch screen. Right now Logan is working on verbs, and it's amazing because his first run on the computer he got NOTHING wrong. Just goes to show you that he knows much more than he is able to communicate. Just neat. :)
Well, the adoption file is officially open. I just cannot wait to have this all behind us. I am sorry that it's had to come to this (deeply sorry), but I'm very thankful for the opportunity to have Justus in our life. He's such a treasure, and I feel very blessed and honoured to be able to raise him. We do plan on telling him from the very beginning that he is adopted. We believe it will be best for everyone involved for there to be no secrets. I want to find some childrens books that talk about adoption. If anyone has suggestions, please feel free to drop a line. :)
That's it for now. Hopefully life will be calm this week and I can post more often.

still alive

Well, I'm still alive, but still sick. I called the doc this morning and they are sending me for an x-ray. The cough is still quite bothersome and the pain in my chest is crazy. I feel very winded and zapped of all my energy. I feel so bad for missing work(almost 2 weeks now), and not being able to do as much around the house.
My parents, brother and Steve's mom were up for the Thanksgiving weekend. Audrey cleaned up around the house for me, tidied up my garage, and did the things that I don't seem to have time to do. My mom was great at helping me with making meals and doing some of the laundry. Josh and Dad were busy most of the weekend building the railings and moving the stairs to the other side of our deck. Now the kids will be safe, no more going up onto the garage. YAY!
Abby had a rough weekend, but is back to her old self now :) Logan seemed pretty stressed out most of the weekend, but with all the hammering and sawing going on, I'm not overly surprised. Plus all the people here, just doesn't make for a content Logan. Justus is growing like crazy, and seems to be cutting a tooth...he's been up in the night, drooling a lot and he's all congested, I have a feeling the tooth won't be here before too long.
Just wanted to give the update.

UGH

Well, I ended up at the docs yesterday...pneumonia AND bronchitis :( No wonder I've been feeling so rotten! Monday night my right lung really started to hurt, so I bit the bullet and called for an appt...I hate going to the doc. I hope this prescription works it's wonders soon...I am still so winded and wheezy :(
The difficult part about being a mom is when you really should be in bed resting, everyone else is beckoning for you, wanting help with this or that. Steve has been good to lighten the load and come home and work from home when the kids are here. Thankfully today is a school day and it's just me and Justus. He's napping and I'm just resting.
I'll update in a few days.

Cute Pics

This has to be one of my favourite pics of the boys. Logan picked up the book and started looking through it. He noticed the big letters at the top of each page and then started singing the "ABC" song. Well, as you can see, Justus sure liked being read to. They sat like that for at least 10 minutes. Logan just kept going through the book and singing, and Justus sat there staring, just like he is now. Logan has been such a great help with Justus. It's cute to see the two of them together. I think they'll be pals til the end :)

Abby loves her chicken noodle soup. What I love about this picture is how she is slurping from the bowl. As she started I made the comment "monkey see, monkey do" and Steve looked puzzled. She was imitating HIM drinking his soup from the bowl, only he had no idea that he did it. It still amazes me to watch the kids eat. It's hard to believe that just a few months ago, they had such a limited diet, and I played short order cook to the family. Now we all have the same meals, doesn't matter what it is (almost anyways).

Coughs, Rolls and Parades, Oh My!

Well, we are overrun with snot, coughs, fevers, chills etc. First Justus, then me, then Logan and finally ending up on Abby. Why isn't Steve in this mix you might ask??? Well, that's what I want to know too! Thankfully I seem to have it the worst, so far anyway. I don't think I could handle the kids feeling the way I do AND me feeling this way. Justus seems to be on the mend, which is wonderful. Logan's cough isn't as bad today. And Abby's nose is just plugged. But me, whew, I feel rotten.

Justus has officially gone mobile! He's rolling ALL over the place. His favourite place to stay is under the coffee table. Loves to play with the legs, LOL. I've even caught him on his hands and knees, trying to get up to rock himself forward...won't be long before life gets VERY interesting.

Last night there was a parade. We all got bundled up and watched it. It is so great living in a small community where you do this sort of thing :) I really enjoyed myself, (other than the cold aggrivating my breathing). The kids liked it too, although there were a few things that Logan didn't enjoy so much (loud firetruck sirens, a cow mooing). Abby was happy since she got not one but TWO apples during the parade. One even came from our MP, Larry Miller! Justus was happy watching everything go by.

My favourite moment last night? When all of the kids classmates started saying "hi". I was just so touched that they would reach out. We really appreciated it. Logan even waved and said hi back to a couple. That made me feel so confident that we made the right decision to send them to a regular school and have them fully integrated. :)

EXCITING THINGS

Well, there are a couple of exciting things happening in our lives...
First of all, Steve got into the Arrow Leadership Program. We've been waiting and watching the mail, and FINALLY the letter of acceptance came today. It is a 2 year program. He'll have to go to Vancouver 4 times over the course of the two years. We learned more about the program this summer at our annual denominational assembly, where Carson Pue spoke. We also know a couple of people who have gone through the arrow training, we knew it was something that Steve would benefit from. So he will start Sept of 2007.

The other exciting news: we are going on a cruise. Not just any cruise though...A MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE!!! We will be flying into Rome, taking a train to Venice where we will embark. We will have 3 stops in Italy, 3 in various parts of Greece, one in Turkey and one in Croatia. This is the trip of my lifetime. This is what I have always wanted to do :) I just can't believe we're going. Who wouldn't want to go here?!?!

Sketches

I was so amazed as he did these, how much they reflected everyones personality. It's crazy because Andy must've done at least 15 sketches And the quality was absolutely amazing. As I said yesterday, I plan on framing these and putting them up on the wall. I hope you enjoy them. I don't have the best scanner, so you'll just have to believe they are wonderful in person. :) These are definitely treasures to last a lifetime for me. I've always wanted something like this done, just never knew anyone who could do it for me. Thanks again Andy for your time and talent.

Family Day Fun

We had such a great day today. I think so anyway :) Steve was such a sport. Those kids really know how to makeover a guy! He really seemed to get into it as well. I think secretly, he's always wanted to dress this way...what do you think? I hardly recognize him with these crazy clothes on. They also painted his face :) (I think you can check that out on his blog, I dont' know how to direct you there through fancy links, but chances are, if you're reading this, you already know how to get there.)

Thanks to Audrey and Blanche in the kitchen, Terry and Gord for their BBQ'ing, Steve for his willingness to be silly, Louise for your clowning around and to Andy for the wonderful drawings. The day wouldn't have been complete without any of you!

Here is a picture of Logan and I just for good measure. We thought we'd join in the fun :) Abby enjoyed the day, she however spent most of it in the Sunday school room reading the Veggietales dictionary. It was very overwhelming for her. She did however peek her head out long enough to have a sketch done. I'll try to see if I can scan them into the computer and post them. Andy did such a wonderful job on everyone's. I plan on framing them all and hanging them in my room.

Family Fun Day

So, tomorrow is my first "event" as Family Ministries Director at the church, and boy am I totally stressed out. I know that no one will fire me (I hope) if this totally flops, but man, have I ever got myself worked up. It doesn't help that I keep forgetting things, and that everything seems to be going to the last minute, but it's ok...God is going to work through this. I fully believe that He is helping me through this. I certainly don't think that I could do this on my own...
So, the plan is regular Sunday School. Then afterwards, we are having a bbq. Our friend Louise is coming to do clown stuff like face painting, and mingling. We have a "guess how many" lollipops in the jar game AND the big happening stuff is Steve's extreme Make-Over. I sure hope we have enough stuff. The kids will get to choose whatever they want him to wear. Wacky wigs, crazy hats, and clothes that you just don't want to miss!!! He's such a sport to offer his help!
Please pray for us tomorrow.

Meet the Teacher Night

Last night was Meet the Teacher night at the kids school! WOW, talk about a LOT of kids!!! It was fun. I went early to meet with Logan's teacher. That went really well, I met both her and Logan's EA. I'm so thankful for the staff at the school. They are really working together to make this a great experience for Logan and Abby. While we were there, we found out that they ordered in a trial computer for the kids, that is all touch screen based. I was very excited to learn about it, because it wasn't expected. What a great surprise!

Justus is a bit down and out with a cold right now. I feel so bad listening to him rasping away. But there is no fever or anything, so I'm not overly concerned. He's still so very happy, we just can't complain much about it! He still loves his sleep, and is enjoying his food. He's rolling over a lot now, becoming quite mobile. Today I even saw him trying to get up on his hands and knees! Won't be long before things get interesting in our house, I think he'll be VERY active once he starts. It'll be running only.

That's all for now folks.

WHY OH WHY

So, here we are on Monday morning, school day no less, and Logan is up at 4 AM?!?! What is up with that?? Not to mention that he woke up Justus in the process. 2 out of 3 kids are awake, and neither of them Abby???? Some mornings just make you go hmmph.

The weekend was fun. My parents and Steves mom were up for a visit. Dad worked like a madman to get our back deck built. They will be up on Thanksgiving weekend to get it finished. We are moving our outside set of stairs over to the other deck since it currently goes right up onto the garage!? Thankfully dad is handy, and is able to help us with that. We'd lose our insurance if we didn't at least change the stairs up a bit...and we figured if we were going to invest money, we might as well do it the way it should be done rather than fix up something that we weren't all that fond of.

The kids seemed really tickled to see everyone on Saturday morning, it was a surprise to them since we've learned NOT to tell them anything exciting the night before since they'd be up before dawn. The kids showed off their new skills, enjoyed birthday cake, and had a fun time with everybody.

Today Justus sees his infant development worker. Just to make sure everything is still on track. Hopefully the early morning doesn't mess his schedule up too much and he's in fine form for Linda. Other than his hip problems, I'm pretty happy with the way he is developing. I hope she feels the same way. I find it so intriguing to watch him grow and develop. We see things in him that we never saw in our own kids. It's fun to be a part of this, and to be able to treasure it all the more.

I hope for a nap sometime today. I just wish Steve could too. He's off to Hamilton to meet with Stan Porter about his thesis and then to Niagara to do some running around for me. He's so great :) Wouldn't change him for anything.

Well, I survived

Abby got on the bus today like a trooper. She was so excited to go to school. All morning she was smiling and giggling. I'm so proud of her. I know she'll do well. I hope her first day goes as well as Logan's did. I'm so nerve-wracked right now, but I'm sure it's all for nothing.

I managed to get through getting her on the bus with no tears. Not sure I'll make it the whole day. It's an odd feeling with the house so quiet. I think Justus is struggling too! But it sure is nice to have the house to myself for awhile. I have TWO kids going to school...I just can't believe it!

BIG DAY TOMORROW

Tomorrow is the big day for Abby! Boy am I ever nervous. I sometimes wonder why I chose to send both kids to school in the same year, but then I remember that she's ready, I may not be, but Abby is. I think she is going to be pretty excited to get on that bus tomorrow. She sure loved riding it on our "test run" a couple weeks ago.

I think Logan is really starting to feel the stress from starting something new. He seems a bit out of sorts, but he is entitled to it. I know that Steve and I feel the same way. It is a new adventure, and I believe it'll take awhile to get used to the pace of school and therapy, and everything else that is going on.

Justus is such a treasure. I love how he smiles at Logan and Abby and how much of a people person he is. He loves to be in the thick of things. We really see some great things happening with him. It makes me realize how different Logan and Abby's development was. I definitely don't take anything he does for granted. That little boy has such a fighting spirit, it sure is a joy to watch him. He's rolling over quite a bit now, and just loving his toys.

That's all for my update.

What a Week!!

This has been quite the week, and will continue to be until the end!

Yesterday was Logan's first day of school. He really did great, and looked all grown up getting on the bus. He seemed very happy when he got home, glad to see everyone. I sure was glad he had a good day. I can't believe he's 5 years old, and in Senior Kindergarten already. I remember so vividly the day he was born, and it's a surreal feeling sending him off to school. It's all good, a passage of life. One that both mother and son need to go through I think.

Today is my girl's 4th birthday. Abby really is a gem, and I love her to peices. I'm feeling quite reminicent today. Four years ago, I was one happy lady. After my accident in June, I was more than ready to give birth. The added weight on the front of me sure didn't help my neck pain. But more than that, I knew this little girl would be a treasure in my life and that God had great things in store for her life. How else could she survive such a horrible accident? Today Abby is a vibrant girl, who spreads so much joy to those around her. I'm so proud of her and how much she has overcome in her life. I thank God everyday that He spared her life that day in June, that He had his hand on her brain that the cysts turned out to be nothing. I wait expectantly to see what else He has in store for her.

Abby was so happy this morning opening up her presents. Why wouldn't she be? She got the nursery addition to her Dora Dollhouse! It was amazing to watch her play. I didn't realize how much she watched Steve and I with Justus, but she was a natural with those twins! She put them in the swing and off they go swinging, onto the change table for a diaper change. It really was great to see her playskills emerging!!! I nearly cried.

Thankfully Justus is on an even slope right now. Nothing major going on with him, just the status quo. Well, status quo for a 5 month old anyway. But no major life events, so that's good. Couldn't handle much more than what we have going on anyway.