Things We Love Lately

I love that it is pumpkin and gourd time!!!


YES!!
They are so beautiful and they are already scattered around my house.

I love that while returning with clean towels, I found these two practicing their prayers in the bathtub.


:)

I love that anytime I try to take a picture of Andy he grabs the camera and pulls it close to his face and says "Dare (there)!"


He likes a closeup.

I love these things.


L-O-V-E them.
I'm drooling right now just thinking about them. Grrrr.

These boys love their guns.

Spray guns that is.
They go outside and shoot each other all day long.
I love Christopher running through the door shouting "I deaded Andy! I dead him!"
Awww. Brotherly love.

I loved the harvest moon on the first day of fall.


They say this hasn't happened in over a decade!
I hope you got to see it.

I love that Halloween is coming.
Soooo excited!
I asked Christopher what he wanted to be for Halloween and he said Wall-e . . . . . again.


Most moms would say Yay! I don't have to make a Halloween costume this year! I am a different story. I love seeing them dress up and finding ways to make cheap, fun costumes. I have some ideas for this year.
Bet you can't wait . . . .

What do you love lately?

Roller Coaster

I like free therapy.
My last post was great.
It felt like I was shouting to the world on top of a mountain.

Not really caring if anyone heard.
It was just good to hear the words coming out of my mixed up brain and into something comprehensible.

Thank you all for your kind kind words.
You are all angels.

I have what I call my good days and, as Anne Shirley would say, days when I am in "the depths of despair."


( Remember that? I still love that book)

I know this journey is going to be a roller coaster.
Lots of ups and downs but also lots and lots of progression.
I am soooo thankful to all of my family.
They are our biggest support and Christopher's biggest fan.


(making cookies at Grandma's)

We are on this journey whether we want to or not and we are learning a lot about ourselves. Thanks everyone for your support and love.

A Listening Ear . . . . .

Life is hard.

We all know it.

I definitely know it today.

I try hard to put on a happy face and tell people, "Yep, I'm doing fine. I'm fine with the fact that my baby has autism."

Deep down I don't feel fine with it.
Deep down I'm sad and I'm angry.

I'm sad that my boy is afraid of noise. Afraid of a lawnmower across the street. Afraid of the air conditioner. Afraid of a toilet flushing. I'm sad that he gets overwhelmed in a grocery store or at a birthday party. I'm sad that he is confused by other people's emotions and can't express his own. I'm sad that he doesn't even realize what it means when mommy is crying. I'm sad that he is so obsessed with certain things that it interferes with his relationship with his brother. I'm angry that people think I'm a bad mom when my boy has a meltdown. I'm angry at some of the thoughts I have - The thought that maybe I could have done something earlier. That I gave him this. I'm angry that I search my other baby's face everyday for signs. Praying that he won't suffer the same challenges. These past couple months it has felt like this disorder has taken over him and their is not much this mommy can do but search for the right doctor, the right therapies, the right medicine, and pray like a madwoman.

I'm praying that one day I will look back at this post and realize how far we have come.
I have the faith that I will.
Thanks Blog for listening. :)

What we are up to . . . .

Christopher had his first day of school today.

It was pouring rain and I was a little worried.


If you read my last post you know why this was kind of a scary situation for me.
Especially since I decided not to send him to a special preschool.
However, Christopher came home to me calm and unafraid.


Yes!
Things went well today.


So proud of my little man.

Andy is my picky eater.
In fact, I often wonder Can a child really survive on milk alone?
Apparently they can.
I continually offer him an array of fruit, vegetables, bread, pasta, cheese, ANYTHING and this kid refuses.
The other day he started eating peas.


It was a miracle!
I was so excited I was jumping up and down.
My child is eating a vegetable!!!
It's a miracle people.

I'm surprised I haven't mentioned this before . . . . my son is a vacuum addict.
ADDICT.
He loves them.
He likes the sound, he likes the hoses, he likes EVERYTHING about them.
He eats his snacks on top of it.


We got him his own little vacuum so he would leave ours alone.
Now he thinks he just has TWO vacuums to play with and he thinks it's terrific.
Sigh.

We like food.
I could write about food every post but I refrain.

I love summer corn on the cob.


So yummy.

I have really liked these Chewy Walnut Squares lately.


So easy.
So good.

My in-laws gave us two huge bags full of peaches from their trees when we visited last weekend.

So delicious!

Andy got croup.
NOT fun.
However, he sure was cute with his little voice gone.
He saw our neighbors kitties on the fence and ran outside screaming.



Except his scream was more like a faint whisper.
He just couldn't help himself and it made me laugh.

We went to Utah and saw the BYU vs UW game.

Too bad I didn't get my annual BYU picture with my hubby.

Forgot my camera. Shucks.

Still - sooooo much fun!
Go cougars!!

What have you been up to??