60 in 60

Though most of you probably weren't counting…I was:)  Today is day 60 and this is our 60th post.  We did it!  I've enjoyed feeling compelled to write something each day.  There are so many wonderful or painful or beautiful or poignant moments in our life, and I am so grateful for this medium that inspires me to keep a journal more than anything else ever has.  I love my family.  I love to write.  I love to write about my family!  And while I've fulfilled this particular commitment, I am determined to continue blogging on an (almost) daily basis:)

Thanks for tuning in!

Jeremy

PS.  Mariah, I hope you've enjoyed following our adventures!

Climb Every Mountain

Wherever you fall on the "should they have or shouldn't they have" scale regarding the live TV musical version of The Sound of Music, you must admit it was an ambitious undertaking!  We watched just a little of it (after swim lessons and two basketball games!).  I was impressed with the sets, the singing, some of the acting, and just the sheer guts it takes to perform a 3-hour program on live TV.  Today I found a clip of Climb Every Mountain on the web.  I was very moved and watched it several times.  I've no idea how many times I've heard that song over the years.  It is, of course, beautiful.  (As a wannabe songwriter I am pretty much in awe of Rogers and Hammerstein.)  But I really listened to the words for the first time today.  And how they fit my life!

Climb every mountain,
Search high and low,
Follow every byway,
Every path you know.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
'Till you find your dream.

A dream that will need
All the love you can give,
Every day of your life
For as long as you live!

We have climbed (and continue to climb) so many mountains, forded streams and raging rivers, literally crossed oceans and ice fields to find our dream.  To find our calling in life.  And it is certainly a dream that needs all the love we can give every day of our lives for as long as we live.  It has been a most unexpected and unique path we have taken.  And one I am grateful for every day.  (And one that I'm sure Maria Von Trapp can understand pretty well;)

I was moved to tears by this rendition.  I hope you enjoy it!  (Regardless of what you thought of this version of the story, this lady can flat out sing!!!)



Jeremy

Talented Toes

Please don't think that the number of posts about Sophi is an indication of us loving her more than the others!   Believe me, there is no lack of love going on in this home.  (:  Her cute factor is definitely high right now though!    The other day, Sophi was given a hamburger for her lunch.  I turned on the TV, put her lunch on the table, and went into the office to do something on the computer.  About 20 minutes later, Sophi came in carrying this:

She hadn't wanted to finish her hamburger.  So she had gotten down from the table, found a tupperware container and lid, put the hamburger in the container, put the lid back on correctly, opened the drawer with lunch bags, retrieved her lunch bag, unzipped it, put the tupperware inside, zipped it back up, found an empty grocery bag, put the lunch bag in the grocery bag, tied the grocery bag shut, and carried in to me to "save for later."

All with her cute little feet.  

Way to go, Sophi!  (:

Elli Belly

Our sweet Elli has been having a rough patch for the last couple of months.  She has fits of screaming, arching her body, and lashing out (hitting or biting) anything nearby.  It seems to be caused by abdominal pain, but when she can't tell us, it's hard to really know.   It could be other pain, it could be sensory-processing issues, it could be behavioral-- it's so hard to figure it out when dealing with someone with such limited communication.  We have taken her in for some blood work and x-rays and are awaiting being seen by a GI specialist.   In the meantime, I am grateful for a few things.  First of all, Elli has THE BEST teachers and principal and staff we could ever hope for.  They keep in daily communication with us about how things are going at school.  They are patient when it is hard to be patient.  They love on her, but also work with her on behavioral issues.  They keep logs and try new things and are genuinely concerned for her.  (Ok, I'm not joking-- as I was typing this, I received a phone call from them to go over some things that happened today.)  It is such an amazing blessing to be able to send her to school and know that she will be loved and dealt with appropriately.  Secondly, I am so grateful for the way this house accommodates Elli-- especially when Elli is having a hard time.  She has the most amazing room, complete with a trampoline, a swing, a keyboard, and music that can be piped through speakers (otherwise she would break the CD player.)  When she is having a really hard time and we cannot do anything to help her, I can put her in this room-- which has a lock on the door-- and know she is safe.  She almost always calms down when she gets to her room.  I don't know if she is wanting to be alone or just likes her special space-- but it almost always does the trick when she is very upset.   Because of the intercom system, I can hear her and talk to her and know that she is ok.  Unless you've had a nine-year-old who can scream at the top of her lungs and who you sometimes cannot reason with and who can break things and climb on things and wreak havoc and who cannot see and therefore can get hurt easily, you probably cannot appreciate how much this room has changed our lives.  Don't get me wrong-- Elli does not spend all of her time in her room.  We usually have her upstairs with us or in the room with the piano-- but when we need to, having a safe, happy place to put her and not have to worry about her hurting herself or others has been LIFE CHANGING.  We are so grateful.

I love this girl with my whole heart.  She is an angel in our family and I don't know what we would ever do without her.  I am so grateful for all of those who take care of her and are a part of her life.  Hang in there, Elli!  We love you!

 One time I told Elli to smile for a picture and realized that maybe she just didn't know what a smile was.  So I tried to turn her cheeks up with my fingers.  Now if I tell her to smile, she puts her fingers on her cheeks.  Ha!

Christianne

It Works

Jesi came into the kitchen before school yesterday.  I was making lunches and she wanted my attention.    "Mm-hmm."….."MM-HMM."…."MM-HMMM!!!"  Finally I turned and looked at her.  Prettty sure she was seeking my delight in some aspect of her appearance, I quickly evaluated her getup to figure out what it might be.  Aha!  "Jesi, your hair is SOOOOO beautiful!  I love the curls.  It looks fantastic."  Satisfied with my level of 'blown-away-ness' she cal my responded.  "I make it work, don't I."

Go, Jess.  You do, indeed, make it work!

Love you, darling,

Dad

Of course as soon as she heard the word "picture," Lexi wanted to be involved, too!

The Tie Guys

When I was in middle school I wore ties.  Not sure what sent me in that direction, but I became known for it.  My nickname was "The Tie Guy."  (A bit of foreshadowing perhaps?  I later served a mission in Thailand.  And just before I came home a bought 300 ties very cheaply and sold them on my return to the states.  The  Thai Guy…The Thai Tie Guy…you get the idea.)

Taylor and Parker are both on the varsity basketball team for Providence Hall Jr. High.  Taylor is a starter, and Parker is the only 7th grader on the team.  Way to go, guys!  Both of them are doing very well.  On game days the team wears dress shirts and ties to school.  Now I have two handsome "Tie Guys" of my own:)

-Jer