One of those moments...

I had intended to post this and blog about it before we left for Thanksgiving, but things got busy and it just didn't happen.  So I will do it now, because I think it is important to document some things and be able to go back in a year or two to look at the changes.

Zachary has always been a very smart boy, there is no question there.  His struggles are in areas of focus, communication (socially now, but younger it was the whole ball of wax), fine motor and gross motor skills have always been a challenge too. He often gets frustrated when he has a hard time getting things and this is when the meltdowns usually occur.  He always loves to do workbooks, school work, etc.  The things he doesn't are usually when I bring out writing, lacing, shoe tying, etc.  

A week before we left I randomly handed him a dry erase board with lines on it...found it at Walgreens and it is a great tool for kids because it is lined like they have on school paper.  I asked him to write his name for me on it...I went to fold laundry and came back to this...

Now it might not seam like much to you, but it made me cry. Not only did he write his name very well, but he wrote it 13 times after my one time at the top left.  I didn't tell him how many times, he filled up the page on his own...no complaining.  He was so proud of himself and it took me a week to erase it after.  Little steps like this are what we are seeing right now.  Maturity.  Acceptance.  Harder work ethic. Desire to get better.  He still has many moments of refusal, whining and frustration, but they don't consume our lives as much and aren't as constant for him...
We are so thankful for these moments, this growth and most of all Zachary.

Special Treat...

This Thanksgiving we flew to NC to enjoy the holiday with my family...We were thankful to have our tickets from this summer on SW and were able to apply them to this trip.  The weather was perfect...felt like fall, looked like fall and we enjoyed all of it.  One highlight for us was the chance to celebrate my dad's big birthday...he turns 70 on December 19th.  We knew we weren't all going to be together on that day, so this was our chance as a family to be together with him. We had a great brunch at Grandover Hotel and then gave him his big gift, a new Kindle.  

I wish that there was more time to chat and share our feelings that day...with three children at the table, personalities, up and down to the buffet, there wasn't the chance to sit, share and laugh. But there should have been. I am sorry that we didn't get that time to fully praise and celebrate my dad...he deserves it.  

What I would have said...

"Dad you are and always have been so special to me.  Growing up we were best buddies and I always knew how much you loved me.  I felt safe.  I felt special.  I have always looked up to you to give me advice, to show me right from wrong and teach me.  I am so thankful to have such a wonderful father.  I know how many people don't have the kind of love and life I have had and I am grateful each day that you did all you could to give us that life.  Monetary things aside, you gave us the best gift. Your love, your attention and your values.  I don't think I will ever be able to put into words how much I love you.  How thankful I am every day to have you as my dad, as my friend.  I hope that you know how much I love you and you never doubt that love.  I am thankful we were all able to share this time with you, I only wish we had made it more special for you.

Happy Birthday Daddy...you are a remarkable man.  I hope that you enjoy this upcoming year and it brings you much deserved happiness, good health, pain free days and opportunities to do all the things you want.  

Visits with special friends...

I have to admit I have been so very blessed in this life to have met some amazing friends and special people.  We move a lot and goodbyes are never easy for me.  I don't think I will ever get used to hearing the news we are leaving and the impending doom I feel of saying my goodbyes...knowing that far too often I won't get to see my friends again other than on FB, emails or blogs.  I feel like this is getting harder rather than easier for me.  Maybe since the children have been born it is the change in types of relationships.  I haven't until this location made a ton of friends that were all about me...people I met and became friends with based on our friendship not just Brandon's job or my children.  I have been beyond lucky that some of the people in my children's life have become super important in mine. Teachers, caregivers, therapists...they have become friends, supporters and extended family to me and our family.  

One such special friend is Sena.  I was working at Noah Project in Abilene when I met her. I interviewed her for a job as my intern. She was a freshman at ACU, super sweet, sincere and eager to learn and do anything that we threw at her. I really loved her right off the bat and thought she was the sweetest person I had met.  The thing with Sena is, she really is that nice. She isn't a show, but she is the real deal. You don't find that often, if ever in this life.  She has a heart bigger than most, faith that is inspiring, and kindness oozes out of her. I was lucky to work with her at Noah and when I left there and had Zachary she then filled a new role for me.  She helped me so much by taking care of him quite a bit that first year.  Brandon was gone a ton and then deployed for several months.  With no family and all my close friends moving, I was so thankful to have her by my side.  She was wonderful, to him and me. I loved watching her play with Zach, listening to her talk to him and just watching him grow to love her. We have spoken about her so much over the years to him and hoped, really hoped, one day he would get to meet her again.  Well that wish came true last week.  We were thrilled when she announced that her husband and she were coming to San Antonio for a conference and wanted to make a pit stop to say hi on the way.  They had a time line and we were packing to head to NC, so the visit was quick, but wonderful. She is pregnant with her second child, a son.  She was the same sweet, kind, loving person I knew. Her husband is just as nice as she is and a perfect match in my opinion to her.  And to see her and Zach interact was awesome.  I am so thankful our paths crossed again and she was able to see us.  I am so very thankful to have someone like her as a friend.

Here are some photos of her on this trip.  The last one Erin snapped of Zach trying to see if he could feel her baby move...so sweet.  

Baking...yes, I can bake!

Yesterday we decided to bake homemade chocolate chip cookies.  If you know me, you know I would rather do the package kind any day that calls for butter and eggs and that to me is baking.  Well I wanted to bake with the kids, the real deal, so we did.  It was fun and both actually participated in the whole thing.  And shockingly my cookies came out very yummy too.  It was a lot of fun and as the pictures will show both of the kids enjoyed themselves a lot.  I might have to actually start learning to bake a few more things. I think I am up for the challenge and I know where I can find some cute helpers.

Zach and I measuring

                                                           Brandon helping too...

                               Fun stuff, we all know what happens after we mix...yes, lick the beaters!

                             Erin is our sweet tooth for sure, she cracked me up the whole time.

Lots of fun had by all of us...love these moments and memories...

Small World!

It is a small world.  I have grown to recognize that more and more over the years. Being in the military community we move around so much and always find someone that knows someone you know. The whole 7 degrees of separation experiment would be perfect in this world, but I am sure it would be more like 3 or 4 degrees.  When I moved here to San Antonio I knew two people from when we lived in Abilene.  It is actually pretty comforting to have a big family of sorts to belong to in this crazy world.  The fun of getting to see old friends when we travel and move and knowing that you can go many places in the country and find a familiar face.
When I moved here I placed Erin in a Kids Day Out program and her best friend in that class was Alyssa.  I finally met her mom toward the end of the year and we got to talking in the parking lot.  Ironically she had been station in Utah with a friend of mine about 6 years before.  They were best friends then and Amy was one of my best friends in CA.  She and I hit it off and are now friends.  So funny that our girls would wind up in the same class and become friends.
Well Friday the world got really small again.  I have been selling on ebay since Zach was a newborn. I don't sell to make a lot of money or as a job, but as a way to clean out the house and to earn some spending money.  It is fun to me. Well I got a payment from on the items that sold and an email to follow...it was from Erin...Erin in CA that basically became part of our family when Brandon was gone.  Yes, that Erin.  How funny is that?  Of all the people on ebay, what are the chances?  It made me smile and then made me miss her.  But it reminds me of how small this world is and that our paths might cross again soon. More importantly on this month of being thankful, I am reminded of how thankful I am to have her in my life and for her friendship.
Small world...

Gratitude

Gratitude.

This word doesn't begin to sum up the emotions I have and feel about the brave men and women that serve our great nation. It is simply too small to describe the magnitude of their unselfish sacrifice.

I consider myself very lucky that I know from an up close and personal point of view the life of a military person. I say that in all sincerity. I am glad I know what this world is really about and in fact I don't know much compared to many military wives. What I do know is hundreds of faces of men and women who serve this great country. I have so many friends who are in the military. Some who are currently deployed, about to go, or just got home. I am fortunate enough to not live in a bubble that doesn't let me see the reality of a country at war, the sacrifices made and the heart of soldier, a patriotic American.

My father served in the Army. He was in the 82nd Airborne. He served in Vietnam. I admire him so much and I hope he knows it.

I admire my husband. He has deployed 4 times in service of our country, leaving behind the comfort of home, his family and especially his children. I hope he knows how proud I am of him and thankful for what he does.

To all of the veterans, service members past and present, I thank you. Simply said their love of country and willingness to put their life on the line to ensure the freedom of millions of people they don't know, is remarkable.

"Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die." GK Chesterton.

This country will remain the land of the free as long as it is the home of the brave...that is a fact. We all should take time to thank our veterans and our service members, today and throughout the year. We are all so lucky to have such brave people defending us and keeping us safe. I love this country and the people that help keep it great.

Wordless Wednesday -

Sweet Sally lounging in bed...it is hard not to love this face.

Night Sky

Zach got a telescope last year for Christmas and due to a million reasons has had little time to really enjoy it. The summer it is light out until past his bedtime (yes I am a mean mommy and had bedtimes still in the summer, and yes it is still before the sun goes down). We had so much rain last year...a lot...so many nights of cloudy skies. So last night was a rare chance with daylight savings time to have a clear night on a weekend with dad home...all key elements. He was so good and enjoyed it a lot. I hope now that the sun goes down earlier we will have many more opportunities for him to gaze at the night sky.

Oreos

Erin is our sweet tooth. Hands down she loves all things sweet. I am pretty sure the unhealthy amount of Lofthouse cookies I ate while pregnant with her might be a factor (those nasty lard filled, frosting covered cookies you can get in a pack of 12 at Walmart for like $2). Either way, she loves sweets. So Brandon decided one night to show her how great oreoes and milk are together...Lots of cool points for Daddy.

Here she is learning the dunk move. :)

She is into it now...
Happy Girl!

Erin's school pumpkin patch day...

At one of Erin's preschools they have one of the best pumpkin patches in town...the one we go to as a family in fact...They do a little "field" trip to it as a class too. I chose to go with her that day and help out...it was a lot of fun, but most of all fun to watch Erin in her element of school, interacting with her teachers and friends and just being Erin.

She had a lot of fun and despite her comments of liking this school less, she seems to get along fine with everyone. She has one special friend that she adores, Jack. He was in her class for Joy Camp this summer and in her class this year...they are best buddies for sure. God Bless him for allowing her to hug him and bug him all day. He is a sweetie. And he might have won me over, he was wearing a snoopy shirt. :)

Here she is during the parachute time...she loved it!
Erin running a relay...she ate it...but got back up and ran back without a tear...tough girl!
The fact I got when I asked her if she fell...
Erin and Jack...
Looking at the pumpkins with magnifying glasses...
Young Love again...aren't they cute?
On the hayride...she somehow managed to ride twice...sneaky this one!
Group photo of her class...not sure what the deal is with the kid in the glasses, helmet and he had gloves on...strange...
Parachute again...
Going under to meet her teacher...she loved it.
A fun day and so glad I went to spend this time with her...she is such a sweet, fun loving little girl.

Halloween 2010

Here are a few photos from Halloween this year. We were fortunate enough to get to go trick or treat with some friends that live in another neighborhood. Alyssa is Erin's BF from last year and super sweet...her brother Nathan is Zach's age too and a nice boy. Her parents are great...Jan is a friend of mine here and her husband is AF as well...so we have a lot in common with this family and always have fun seeing them. It was a fun night and the kids had a good time...it was just enough time out on a school night. All in all a fun night for us and the kids!

Here is Erin and Alyssa...she was sleeping beauty (and that is a wig!)
Erin and Zach in front of a Snoopy sign...can't pass up that photo op.
Miss Erin...
Zachary...
Zach, Alyssa and Nathan...Erin refused to pose for this one...she had just woken up from a nap...we had no idea she was upstairs sleeping before we left...oh well...we learned. :)
Happy Halloween for us!!