YES.....My Plan Worked!!!!!

I knew I could get you to smile.

Hope your day is happy.

 

Nate...Looking Back and Moving Forward......

The purpose of my blog is to connect with others. I have never intended for my blog to revolve around Nate's autism and the daily struggles and triumphs that we face together as a family. 

Having said that...I do have a child with autism...a sweet beautiful child might I add...and perhaps there are friends or family who are wondering how Nate is doing. And maybe...just maybe there is a mom out there reading my blog who can relate.

I don't know what it is, but there is an instant connection I have to another mom who has a child with special needs and I don't mean just autism. We don't need each other to feel sorry for one another, that's not what I am talking about. I mean looking someone in the eye and just knowing that they get it.

Ok, I'm rambling..sorry, back to Nate. In this first picture, (isn't he a doll), he was 21/2 and basically non-verbal. He had a few words in his vocabulary, but not quite there on the whole communicating with words thing. In this picture he is using sign language....he is signing the word for water. Nate loves water and we stopped along a riverbank during a bike ride one afternoon. He was so excited and so happy to be there at that very moment. He loved throwing rocks in any body of water. Back then rocks and water were his thing...and we didn't quite know why.

 

Jared and I were so excited that he was signing....tears would come to my eyes when he would say something with his hands. He would get so frustrated and we related it to his lack of communication skills. He was seeing a speech and language pathologist at the time. It was a slow but rewarding process and Nate began to say words. Right now at age 5 he can talk in sentences and is on the verge of being able to carry on a short conversation.

Nate has always been very hard to describe. Jared and I would tell people that you just have to experience Nate...and you would never forget him.  We went through years of major behavior concerns...from screaming fits of rage, throwing things, spitting, hitting and biting.....over the most trivial things and we had no clue why. We just knew there was something going on with our son. 

I would cry.....all the time....I just didn't know how to help him. My heart was sick for my son...I physically ached when I watched his struggles. (To this day it is still one of the saddest things for me to experience Nate losing self control) I prayed fervently to God everyday....some days in desperation..."Lord please help us...please help my son."

God is so good....let me just say that again....God is so good. Not because we were able to get some answers to why Nate was going through what he was.....but realizing that through it all God was at work during every moment.  And let me just say that I not implying in any way that every moment was difficult and a struggle. We have a multitude of beautiful memories of these beginning years as well.

As Nate matured so did his communication skills, and we were always working on coping methods for his emotions and how to have self control....(we still are). But something amazing happened....it was like God flicked on a switch in me. I stopped focusing on Nate's struggles and really started to pay attention to what made Nate tick and really tried to get in tune with him. I focused on his strengths as a person and was blown away.

Just to name a few of Nate's strengths....he is very funny, a whiz at puzzles, is on the verge of reading independently, loves to draw, loves music and has amazing rhythm, is an architect when it comes to lincoln logs, computer savvy,  loves to exercise and is a great brother to Noah, Lauren and Luke, is very affectionate and loving....I could go on.

 This post was way longer than I ever intended....sorry.  And there is so much more to say...but I will end with this. I love my son more than words can describe. I will be his encourager, his prayer warrior, his tear wiper, his exercise partner.....I will never give up on him.

I love all 4 of my lovies deeply and feel abundantly blessed. I am forever grateful for my amazing husband...my best friend...the person God chose for me to travel along side on this journey of life. There will be many challenges on the road ahead I am sure.....and because of God and His amazing grace and love....I am up for the challenge.

Happy Birthday Lauren.....

 Two years ago on this very day God blessed our family with a very special little girl.  Lauren, you have brought our family more joy than words could express. I want to take this moment to share some things about you......things that make mama smile.....

....you wear a bow in your hair everyday, (we call it a hair pretty)

....you are a total Daddy's girl (and he rubs it in all of the time)

....you love for us to compliment you after you get dressed

....you love to dance and lately I have been hearing your sweet voice singing 

 ....you like to wear everyone else's shoes

 ....you love to be read to and love books in general

....you prefer milk as your drink of choice

....you say, "it's soooo good" while making the most adorable face

 ....you love to "do school" just like your big brothers

....you sleep in a toddler bed that is pushed up against your Daddy's side of the bed

....you are a combination of sweet and sassy

....you remind us to pray

 ....you like to talk on the phone

....you call your baby brother Luke "Wookie"

....you love to help mama clean (folding laundry and sweeping the kitchen)

....you love to wear necklaces

....you have a little pink silky bear that you call "Bo", and a fluffy brown dog that you call "Woof" and you never go to bed without either of them

....you still use a nucki and we are always losing them

....you love to play with your baby dolls

....you have recently started watching Care Bear movies and also Toy Story 3

 ....you love your big brothers and like to cuddle with them

....you love to draw (mostly different size circles)

....you call your Aunt Nikki "Picky Nicky" after your favorite book

....you have to have your "own" Bible during our family devotions

....you have the biggest blue eyes

....you have the cutest giggle and are very ticklish

....you make us laugh everyday

....you remind us of God's blessings every time we look at your sweet face

Luke is........

 .....happy most of the time

.....a bit curious about pretty much everything he sees

.....sometimes sensitive (especially when his mama leaves the room)

.....always interested in watching those around him

.....sometimes acts shy when you talk to him (which is super cute)

.....is a bit chubby and oh so squeezable

.....bringing joy to everyone he touches

.....melting every heart when he gives that smile (especially his mama's )

A New Day......

I said goodbye to year 32.....and hello to year 33 a couple of days ago

My day was warmly celebrated with my lovies and my sweet husband....

Jared and my lovies took me out to dinner....which meant no cooking...which meant no dishes.....which made this mama a happy mama.
 

Nate waited all day to bake me a cake....then finally he and I whipped up a yummy yellow cake with chocolate icing....my favorite....Nate loves to bake...or he just loves to lick the spoon....maybe a little bit of both. {grin}

 

Noah got $23 out of his transformer wallet and insisted that I take it...a gift for me on my birthday. He was so sweet, and kept saying that I better not put it back in his wallet. 

Lauren repeated throughout the afternoon, "Happy Day Mama" Enough to melt this mama's heart.

Luke enjoyed licking the chocolate icing off of my fork...then I enjoyed licking the chocolate icing off of his face. 

 

In our family it is tradition that we sing Happy Birthday to the person who's birthday it is (obviously), but then we relight the candles and do it again 5 more times....singing and all. Everyone likes to have a turn blowing out the candles. Jared and I smile at each other the whole time....our kids always crack us up.

 

Since we will be moving to a completely new part of the country this summer....Jared got me the perfect gift....a Tom Tom. No more road adventures for me....let me just say that I am not known for a keen sense of direction.

 

I am very thankful for this past year. A lot of uncertainty surrounded us at times....but God completely provided abundantly for our family. Despite the moments of doubt and worry,  God's grace flowed over us and helped us to trust in Him. 

Life right now is slow paced....just the way I like it...and I am enjoying every precious moment. Being with my beautiful lovies and my sweet husband is such a gift....but a gift even  better than my family is the amazing gift God has given me in His Son. 

 

 

"Flour" Power

 So I read about using flour to help kids practice writing their letters....a fun and easy activity that they would enjoy. This is true.  However.....I did not completely take into consideration the ramifications of the outcome with my children. 

Not known for their neatness what-so-ever....ok they're messy I admit it.... I didn't fully think this through before letting them just go to town with the whole flour thing. I had in my mind that this would be a quiet, neat, educational activity.

Let's just say that mama's clean up time was just a little lengthy 45 min. job. Not just the kitchen but also tiny white foot prints all through the hardwood in the house.  Ok....so not one of my most genius moments.

I will say though that the kids really did have a great time. Lots of laughter....which I am all about activities that my lovies have a good time together. 

Although my clean up time was way more than I would have liked it to have been....it was all in the name of fun....and what's wrong with a little bit of that! 

Oh and at least there was some letter writing going on......so I can count this as part of our homeschool......right? {grin}

Granola Boy......

Homemade granola fresh out of the oven.  My handsome assistant Noah helped me make it. He even gave some ideas about what we should add. I absolutely love the aroma that fills the house.

The granola doesn't last long around here. Jared and Noah devour it rather quickly. Eating it in a bowl of milk as cereal is their favorite way to enjoy it. I prefer it loose as a snack or I sprinkle it in my yogurt.....to each his own.

After a day or two, another batch needs to be made. Perhaps it may have something to do with the mini chocolate chips I add once it has cooled. Ah yes...we are chocolate lovers in this house....and proud of it. {grin}

Beautiful Winter.....

Just the other morning we woke to this beautiful display of winter. The view was breathtaking wherever my eyes traveled. Pure white snow on everything...it really was a sight. These photos do not do God's handiwork justice. 

As I slowly walked around our house, just taking it all in, all this beauty....it hit me that this would be our last winter living in New England. After that realization, I took my time breathing in the cool air. 

God has allowed my eyes to experience many beautiful moments, and this was one of them, and I am forever grateful to have captured it....as good as I could have with my camera. So many memories of living up here flood my mind that I will never forget.

I am looking forward to the flowers in a few months....and I think I will take my time breathing in the Spring air. Of course I will have my camera around my neck capturing what will only be a memory of our lives here in New England.

Little Bruce.....

Jared and I were looking at photos of our sweet little girl and when we came to this one we both thought the same thing......she looks very much like her Pap Pap Bruce in this picture. I'm sure anyone who knows Bruce would totally agree. And Bruce I know you are reading this.....good thing you are cute!

Father Of The Year!

Numbers...

The Number of....

.....times I "usually" have to reheat my morning coffee

2 

.....negative degrees it was last week

-25

.....teeth Luke is cutting

2

.....times I load up the wood burner in one day

6

.....times we have breakfast for dinner each week

3

....books I am reading right now

4

.....jammie days we have in a week in the dead of winter 

4ish


.....times Jared makes me laugh in one day
oh so many

.....star war galactic heroes Noah has in his collection

100+

.....hugs I have given or received today from my hub and lovies

dozens


.....times I pray during the day
depends on the day {smile}

.....hours I spend each week organizing and preparing for school 

3

.....houses we have looked at on line this month

50+

.....times Lauren says "NO" in one day

countless

.....journals I write in

 5

(one for each lovie and a personal one)

.....books we read during family read aloud time

3 

.....times Nate laughs while watching Tom and Jerry

several

.....blessings God has given me

I am still counting......

Something special......

So these two have kind of a special relationship. You would not guess it by this picture, but little miss cuteness can be quite sassy with her biggest brother. 

Then....there are times like these that absolutely make me melt. I keep my camera handy on the bookshelf, so that I can capture moments like these.

Noah is totally a lover, despite his action hero personality, and he craves snuggle time with his little sis.  And I know that he is melting inside too, when she wants big brother time.

I know..I know....she still uses a nucki. When to wean her from it, we're not sure. She has been the most attached to a pacifier out of all of our lovies.

Once that faze is over...once the nucki is no longer needed....well then....they just aren't babies anymore. So if you'll forgive me...it will just take a little bit of time for this mama to let go and let her little baby girl become a big girl...sniff.

Thinking of Spring......

What is Luke up to?

Always Time for a Book.......

As a mama, I have goals that I hope to achieve with my children. And no, I am not going to list them all (that will have to be another post {grin}). Anywho, one goal I hope to achieve is to instill a love of reading in my lovies. I so enjoy watching them go to the book shelf, searching through our library for their selection, then plopping on the couch with their chosen favorite for the moment. Pages rustling through little fingers is such a sweet sound to this mama's ears. The only thing better than that is having my four lovies around me as we snuggle up on the couch for a good story. Even after they learn to read Jared and I will continue to read to them as they grow. Noah seems to share in the love of reading to others. He is always willing to read to anyone who will listen, and right now that eager listener is his little sis.  Nate is at the beginning stages of reading which is so exciting. He is so proud of himself after he finishes a short story.....and I have to say that I am pretty proud of him too. The book in the picture is one of the ones I read to the kids during our morning story time. The kids found it quite humorous and Nate decided he wanted to revisit it on his own.....that's how it all begins.