Fourteen

This silly guy turned 14 on Tuesday!  I am still not sure that I am okay with that.  I can't believe how quickly time has passed.  I remember a 3lb. 15 inch long baby boy lying in an incubator letting everyone know that he intended to fight for his life.   And then there was a 3 year old who knew just about every line of every Blue's Clues episode and recited them all day long.  And I will never forget the adorable little 5 year old who was the smallest kid in Kindergarten and also the best reader. I smile when I think of a 7 year old I knew that when he started homeschool would walk with me everyday and talk of all the pebbles he would throw in the river along the way.  I treasure the thoughts of a boy who even at 9 loved to bake with me and still cuddled up for stories.  Even 11 seems like yesterday with a child who could ride his bike up and down the street seemingly forever.  

How did time go so fast?  It is so bittersweet.  I miss my little boy but am proud of the young man he has become.  He is smart and interesting and a lot of fun to be around.  He is energetic and enthusiastic.  He is also kindhearted and loveable.  He has overcome a lot of obstacles in his 14 years and has shown us what it means to be strong.  He loves football, music, and a certain floppy eared dog.  He loves a good story and a happy ending.  He likes to bounce on the trampoline or walk on his treadmill.  He loves to work with numbers.  He likes to go to concerts with his Dad and beat his mom at Monopoly.  He is a super person!

We celebrated his birthday over the last two weeks.  It was low key which is the way he likes it.  Last week my parents came down to visit and he spent some time with them.  He got to go eat a special birthday meal with them at a restaurant that Elvis once ate at.  He likes Elvis so it was kind of thrilling for him.  On his actual birthday we ordered out pizza and then he had ice cream sandwiches instead of cake.  He doesn't like cake!  He got some video games, cds, and a NFL quilt and sham as presents.  I think he enjoyed it all.

So now he is 14 and there is no sign of him slowing down on this whole growing up thing.  What's a mom to do but look into the eyes of a young man and know in her heart he will always be her baby boy and, of course, wish him a big happy birthday!

Happy Birthday Tyler! 

Yikes!  I just realized I haven't been on here in 5 days so I am sorry if this is one of those long rambling posts. 

Christian's birthday was on Wednesday so we took the day off of school.  We got him a new trampoline for his birthday and he is really loving it.

He doesn't like sweets so we didn't have a cake but we did get chicken strips and french fries from Bojangles for dinner because that is his favorite.  He enjoyed that very much.  He had a relaxed birthday which is just the way he likes it.

On Friday we had school.  Tyler is learning about Revelation in Bible and so we did a neat project.  He was learning about the opening of the seven seals in Revelation 6.  We made a large scroll and I wrote down the references for the verses that describe the opening of each seal.

Tyler wrote down a description of what will occur at the opening of each seal.  We then place velcro to represent each seal so that as the scroll is opened you stop at each reference.

He had a lot of fun making this and it was a great way to remember our lesson.

Friday night was Mom's night for my homeschool group and we met at Booksamillion for coffee and conversation.  It was a wonderful time as it always is.  It is definitely something I look forward to each month.  It is nice to have the time out with friends that homeschool special needs children.  I think my boys also enjoy the time together.   They like to order pizza and act silly with dad.



Saturday we carved pumpkins and enjoyed the beautiful fall leaves in the backyard.  Christian is feeling a bit under the weather so unfortunately he didn't get to play outside.  He is stuffy and just has a cold I think but it is making him super cranky so he has mostly been inside.

Tyler and Lucy had a great time playing in the leaves together.  Our trampoline is filled with them!

Tyler carved his pumpkin on Saturday too.

He worked really hard and even saved every last pumpkin seed so we could roast them.

Today we mostly hung out at home and watched football.  It was a good weekend.  I didn't accomplish everything I had hoped to because Christian needed a little extra care because of his cold but that is okay. 



Tomorrow is my mom's birthday.  So... Happy Birthday Mom!  It is also my Aunt Debbie's birthday because they are twins.  So Happy Birthday Aunt Debbie too!

This is my mom and my aunt when they were 3.  Aren't they adorable?  



I'm off to fill workboxes now.  Hope everyone has a great week!  

Happy Birthday Christian!

Today my baby turns 12!  I spent several hours today looking at baby pictures and marveling just how fast time goes by.  I remember so clearly still when the doctor laid my sweet little boy in my arms.  It was truly love at first sight!  He was a big baby with a ton of hair and sweet big eyes.  He was a cuddly baby right from the start and he loved to be rocked and held.  He has the same sweet disposition yet today.
Christian was a bright, happy, and healthy baby until around 2.  At 2 years old he started to withdraw and exhibit a lot of repetitive behaviors.  At 2 1/2 he was diagnosed with severe autism along with an array of other lesser diagnosis.  It has been a long and sometimes difficult journey. 
We made a commitment to God to love Christian before he was even born.  Loving Christian is an easy thing to do though!  He has a huge amount of love to give.  He is fun and energetic with his own unique sense of humor.  He has a beautiful smile and a terrific laugh.  He struggles with many things that are easy for others but finds easy things like unconditional love and acceptance that seem difficult for many.
He is a special person created in God's image.  I learn so much from him every day.  He has taught me about the things that are truly important and to appreciate the many small miracles of life we experience every day.  I fell incredibly blessed to be his mom and honored that God entrusted us with the special gift of raising him.

Happy Birthday Christian!

Happy Birthday Ginger!

Happy Birthday to my friend Ginger!

Today is my friend Ginger's birthday.  She is a great friend, loving wife, and a mother to three beautiful adopted children.  She is a gal with a big heart that is constantly loving on others.  I hope you will stop on over at her blog today and join me in wishing her a blessed birthday!

Happy Birthday to my Man!

Tomorrow is my husband Tim's birthday.  He will be 37 years young.  He is my best friend and love of my life.  He has been a Marine for the past 18 years and still loves it.  He is also a terrific dad!   He is not a fan of big birthday celebrations but we will try to give him a special day.  His blog is www.homeschoolblogger.com/diversedad if you would like to get to know him better and maybe leave a birthday wish. I am sure he would love it! 

Happy Birthday America!

 

 

 

 

 

'Tis fine to see the Old World and travel up and down

Among the famous palaces and cities of renown,

To admire the crumblyh castles and the statues and kings

But now I think I've had enough of antiquated things.



So it's home again, and home again, America for me!

My heart is turning home again and there I long to be,

In the land of youth and freedom, beyond the ocean bars,

Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars.



Oh, London is a man's town, there's power in the air;

And Paris is a woman's town, with flowers in her hair;

And it's sweet to dream in Venice, and it's great to study Rome;

But when it comes to living there is no place like home.



I like the German fir-woods in green battalions drilled;

I like the gardens of Versailles with flashing foutains filled;

But, oh, to take your had, my dear, and ramble for a day

In the friendly western woodland where Nature has her sway!



I know that Europe's wonderful, yet something seems to lack!

The Past is too much with her, and the people looking back.

But the glory of the Present is to make the Future free--

We love our land for what she is and what she is to be.



Oh, it's home again, and home again, America for me!

I want a ship that's westward bound to plough the rolling sea,

To the blessed Land of Room Enough, beyond the ocean bars,

Where the air is full of sunlight and the flag is full of stars.



...Henry Van Dyke

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Independence Day.  I pray this country continues to be blessed by God and that we are a nation that honors Him as those who fought for the freedoms we now enjoy did.  I hope that as we all enjoy this day that we will remember to keep in our prayers our nations leaders that they may make decisions that glorify God.  We also need to remember those today in our military who sacrifice  much so that we can continue to be a free country.  Finally I pray that the God fearing people in this country will step up and be vigilant in the fight to keep America "One Nation Under  God".  I feel blessed to be an American and that God chose for me to born in this wonderful place.  I plan to spend tomorrow praising Him.   Have a super 4th of July and Happy Birthday America!

They're Back!

This year for Tyler's birthday we decided that we wouldn't give him any material presents but instead he and my husband would take a trip up to Busch Gardens in Virginia to see Brandon Heath, Mandisa, and TobyMac in concert at the Glory in the Gardens.  Christian and I did not go as we had decided it would be too much for Christian.  It was nice for Tyler to have a special vacation with his dad also.  They left on Saturday morning and got back this afternoon.  They had a great time and so I thought I would share some of their pictures. 

Just entering Virginia.

All the above pictures are of the Williamsburg Visitors Center.  I really would have liked to have seen that.  They did not have time to see much of colonial Williamsburg but they did do some shopping at the Visitors Center.  I will show you the fantastic gifts they bought me in a little bit also.  Below are a couple of pictures of the impressive map of Williamsburg found outside the visitor center.

I am in awe of the skill that must go into making something like that.  Here are a couple more pictures they took at a store by where they went to dinner.

I am just loving the colonial drumers!  The next pictures are of Busch Gardens.  I think they have captured the definition of fun there!

They had a lot more pictures than that but that seems like enough for now.  After playing around in the park they went to the big reason for their trip.  Here are some pictures of the Glory in the Gardens.

The first pictures are of Brandon Heath who though both weren't sure how much they would like but they ended up really enjoying his performance.

Next was Mandisa whom Tyler has a bit of a crush on.  Suprisingly he was not overly impressed with her performance as she didn't sing as much of her own songs as he would have liked.  She sang some Arethea Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson songs which he is unfamiliar with.  My hubby thought she did great though.

Then came TobyMac.  Tim and Tyler are two of the biggest TobyMac fans around so they were so thrilled to be able to see him perform. They both got Toby t-shirts and Tyler got a cap so they can live the moment forever!

Nice purple shoes Toby!

They had a lot of fun together and now they are both worn out.  They did remember dear old mom though.  Tyler got me these two cuties.

Because we are moving soon he says they are my "housewarming" gifts.  He really cracks me up with the things he says sometimes.  He is too cute!

My darling husband got me this cute little wood replica of The Wren Building at the College of William and Mary founded in 1693.  I have two other replicas already of other historic buildings we have visited so this is a beautiful addition to my collection.

I have saved the best for last.  One of the things I associate with Colonial America is the beautiful laterns they used so I am now overjoyed to have my own.  The fact that they came from Williamsburg makes them even more special.

Aren't they amazing?  The candles in them are battery operated but they flicker and look just like real candles.  They didn't have one at the store in Williamsburg for the small lantern but rest assured I have already ordered one.  I can't wait to find these a special spot in our new house.  I feel really blessed with my beautiful gifts.  I wish I could have went with but Christian and I had fun hanging out at home too.  Maybe next time we can all visit Williamsburg together!