Tueeesssdddaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy

 You know how I was super fired up and amazingly blessed because we had raised $900?  Multiply that by a bajillion (or about 3.75)... We're at $3,385 for TEAM Z! and $6,456 overall for the walk!!!!  It's amazing.  And we still have 10 days to go.  Every. single. cent. matters.  

This  is what my mornings look like- Work out early, come home, refill water, make homemade Vanilla Chai Latte-ish drink, my favorite tropical deodorant, and a different scent each morning :-) 

HEY! i painted my front door... inside and out.  I'll show you some more pics soon, I LOVE it!  

We had a much needed get together with friends... These glasses were an inheritance :-)  

Oh, this boy.  He falls asleep with his head mashed into yours, you move and his sweet head slips back... soon we move him to the side to lay and fall into a deeeeep sleep before we move him to bed.  you see how big he is?  The Husband is 6'2" and a solid 200 pounds.  Abe is 8.  

Pray for us.  We need wisdom and grace and peace.  We'll do the same for you.  

rise up

I love to give money to worthy causes.  I love to donate to my friends fundraisers,  to support St. Jude, March of Dimes, The Arthritis Foundation, Autism Speaks, United ALS Association, Wounded Warrior and so on. I feel good giving what I can, when I can, in hopes of helping one of our friends, one of their babies, or even a COMPLETE STRANGER live a better life

i HATE asking for money. What, exactly, don't I understand?? Do I think my friends don't love to donate to worthy causes??? Do I think they care not for me, our babies, others who live lives affected by Fragile X?? i don't know.  It's hard for me to do... but.  BUT! I'm getting over that :-)  

This year we celebrate the 10th annual Walk for Fragile X, in Canton, Il.  We received Abe's diagnosis on September 19, 2006.  We attended our first walk in April of 2007

We're in there somewhere...

see me back there with short hair, purple coat and glasses? No idea where our other 2008 pics are...

this was year #3, 2009- look how little my babies are!! 

getting bigger in 2010... 

I have no idea what happened to 2011.... But here's a few from 2012!!

a few fantastic FX mommas! 

The kids and I by one of our signs! - do you see baby bell squeezed in tight between our boys?? 

I always encouraged people to come to the walk, buy a t-shirt, give an item to be auctioned off etc.... but never collected donations.  

This year I am.  In the span of 24 hours we have raised almost $900.  And we're not stopping.  

Do you know how much research and drug trials and advocacy and informational packets cost?? Every single dollar helps. 

So :-)  

If you'd like to help us raise money for the National Fragile X Foundation- please click the link below!  Feel free to order a t-shirt through this link- you'll  choose the shirt you'd like, then you can choose to have that portion of the proceeds go to a specific team in the drop down box- TEAM Z!

If you don't want a t-shirt, but would still like to donate go here!

Thank you- to every single person who gave today!  For each donation, big or small!  I'm amazed, I'm humbled, I'm going to bed feeling blessed.

Arts and Craps

This was yesterday- and blurry, for International Autism Awareness Day!   My bathroom photography skills have not improved in my bloggin' hiatus... I'm just going with the fact that you can't see the blemish on my forehead quite as well in this blurry shot, therefore, the soft focus was so on purpose ;-)

I've been redecorating/Paring down/lightening up for spring! 

 I call this my 'chicky shelf'- the bird pic and 2/3 of wall art are from Target, vase is from my sweet friend, Nell, and the gorgeous pic of my baby chicky girl is from Lacey! The pic on the left is me skin to skin bonding with  my sweet girl the day she was born.... in between puking <--- real life, not so much movie spin! 

Watch out!!! Crafting in progress!! This will soon be a card holder for my SIL's wedding!  Many, many moons ago I was working with a sweet little guy named Jim.  He has autism.... and He is AMAZING.  He taught me more about speech therapy than 6 years of classroom instruction ever had.  He was SO EXCITED to do crafts with me!! He would ruuuuuuunnnnn out of the therapy room to his momma and say 'LOOK!!! We did Arts and CRAPS!!!" and since he was oh-so-very-correct, his wonderful momma and I never once tried to correct his choice of words!  

I am thankful beyond measure for Jim and his family.  I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they were put in my life as examples- His mom and dad showed me how to parent, how to advocate, how to support and encourage a child with special needs.  I never, never once thought that his parents were anything less than over the moon in love with Jim and his brothers and sister.  I remember smiles and giggles and praise.  I remember calm strength and an iron will to find the very best they could for their son, to shape the world into a place where Jim could thrive.  

It's my hope that I am living a life like they did.  Some day down the road, some one, some where, is going to have a child with special needs.  They're going to cry and grieve and rage.  Then... maybe they'll think of me.  Maybe they'll remember that we were happy and that our lives were full of sunshine, giggles, and praise.  I hope that they'll think of our happy babies, the places we went, the activities we do, the love that we have for each other... and they'll know that they can do it too.  

Happy day

 Happy 8th Anniversary to one of my favorite couples! 

no.... Molly and I aren't married- but our family would be totally amazing if we were :-) And technically, August was our 18th anniversary.... 225 Dobson Hall, Kirksville, Missouri! 

She and Jim were married 8 years ago today!  Tonight I  enjoyed a little humus and pretzels in their honor, along with a homemade vanilla chai latte in my mug :-) I wish them 8 to the 8th power more years of happiness.... i don't have any idea what that means, but I feel compelled to throw math verbiage in whilst speaking of the Molly ;-) 

My bebop is enjoying pre-k.  Here she is a few weeks ago,  doing some Yoga in the Gym.  Go back with the rest of the class??? NO thank you :-)  

my rotten middle man- and YES, our tree finally made it outside over break!!! WHOOOO!!! This little boy is learning like crazy- between in-depth civil war discussions and chatting about the true meaning of Easter, he's helping me grow my momma muscles.  I love his curiosity- I hope he holds on to it his entire life!!

Today was international Autism Awareness day.  My big boy does not technically (as in the Devo Ped did not give him one)  have an Autism diagnosis- although he flaps and spins and hums with the best of them, he is VERY social  <---- in his own way and on his own terms, of course :-) BUT- Autism looks a lot like Abraham... AND, even though my baby girl did NOT (as in the Devo Ped said it wasn't Autism) receive an Autism diagnosis... Autism looks a lot like Aurelia.  

SO-  while it's not something we technically live with, it's something we are very, very well acquainted with.  The slogan for today was "light it up BLUE" - and I can't think of anything bluer than my son's eyes. 

Being a momma is tricky- for ALL mommas, not just those with children with special needs. Living is hard.... good, amazing, full of joy and wonder.... and still hard.  Thinking today of those who live with an Autism diagnosis.  Praying for balance and peace.  

April- Get it!!

I hope your Easter was crammed full of wonderful.... 

I can't believe how quickly February and March passed (total old person remark), but whoosh! blink of an eye and it's APRIL!!!

Did you ever see such a beautiful bunch of babies??? 

word.  

Spring break was great- we spent a LOT of time doing things we love- i.e., I stayed in my pajamas as often as possible, and Abe washed every dish in our house.  multiple times. 

Do you see it???? I finally captured the foam rocket at the exact moment it flew from his launcher- possibly at his sister, possibly not.  

 baby girl spent quite a bit of time in the Daddy Man's boots.  I do believe they equaled at least 1/2 her body weight, so she was mighty tired by the time she took them off! 

that's my 'O MY GOODNESS IT'S APRIL AND I STILL HAVE 10 THINGS FROM MY JANUARY 'TO DO' LIST' face....  

April = much going on, much to be accomplished, much to be enjoyed.  

See you tomorrow for day 2.