A Peek Into the Final Three Weeks

It’s been a number of very full weeks! Right here’s a tiny peek into them…

Kaitlynn made the choice to give up determine skating — one thing she had been considering for awhile and felt the time had come when she discovered two of her coaches could be shifting this summer time. She completed out her testing that she needed to do after which skated her final session the final week of college.

She has discovered and grown a lot by determine skating and we are going to at all times be thankful for the way it has performed such a major position in her life. However we’re additionally excited for her to have much more time and house in her senior 12 months to have the ability to pursue different issues that she’s not been capable of as a result of skating has taken a lot of her further time.

We went to Starbucks after skating after which sat within the automotive and celebrated and recounted all of the presents and blessings of skating these previous a few years. It was a particular solution to mark this second for her. We are able to’t wait to see what this subsequent 12 months holds!

Kierstyn continues to actually get pleasure from swimming classes!

Engaged on the photograph board for Kathrynne’s commencement. I’m so grateful that Kaitlynn and Kathrynne helped me choose which photos to incorporate after which helped me create the board.

Making an attempt on her cap and robe the day earlier than the large day!

We have been so blessed to have so many members of the family on the town for Kathrynne’s commencement. It was enjoyable for them to get to get pleasure from our little youngsters!

All dressed up for the commencement and never tremendous glad about it. 🙂 Don’t fear, he solely cried for about one minute — after all the minute I used to be attempting to take this photograph — after which was glad as might be as quickly as we received into the automotive!

It’s official! She’s all finished with highschool!

One of many particular components of commencement day was seeing Kierstyn go round and work together with a number of seniors she has come to know and love. I really like that our youthful ones can carry a lot pleasure to so many youngsters!

Not one of the best household pic we took, however I needed to share this one as a result of David’s expression is priceless!

I needed to recreate this photograph that we took final 12 months with Kathrynne and her finest buddy, Isabel, at her commencement. I can’t imagine Kaitlynn will likely be a senior this 12 months!

I didn’t get many photos of the social gathering or the meals desk arrange, however right here’s what the gorgeous balloons appeared like earlier than we set this desk with Chipotle!

My hope was that the commencement and social gathering could be deeply significant for Kathrynne — and it was! From the the particular time with prolonged household, to pricey buddies who confirmed up for her social gathering (virtually 70 folks got here!), to the superb social gathering decor and meals (because of @graceemayberry and @roseandplumliving + Chipotle)… she simply felt so cherished and celebrated!

Kathrynne and I sat in our room on the finish of the day (Jesse was gone with David all evening at a sleep examine… due to course it had gotten scheduled months earlier than on the day of commencement!), and we recounted so many particular reminiscences, humorous moments, encouraging conversations, and simply the goodness of God all through the entire day.

All the pieces got here collectively so superbly despite the fact that there have been lots of of shifting components for the day. Whereas I used to be bone drained on the finish, it was the sort of exhaustion that comes with a lot pleasure and success!

One highschool commencement down, 5 to go!

We received to observe my buddy’s 10-week-old child for the weekend. He was a trooper and slept by many of the commencement social gathering after which got here with us to Silas’ out-of-town baseball match!

Micah is rising up a lot!! He simply began strolling (see the video right here) and is speaking rather a lot and needs to attempt to do every thing his older siblings do plus eat all of the issues on a regular basis!

Our screened-in porch is getting hours and hours of use today. The climate has been so lovely and the shade is simply excellent that it’s virtually at all times a pleasant temperature out right here!

Jesse and I’ve additionally been happening lengthy walks many evenings. It’s good train and recent air, we get to have some targeted time to speak whereas pushing little ones within the strollers.

Jesse snapped this image of me one morning not too long ago. I like it a lot as a result of that is my life proper now!

I posted the above image on Instagram with this caption: “Will he ever speak?” “When will he get his feeding tube out?” “What do you suppose his future will seem like?”

I get questions like this virtually every day. And I so admire how a lot folks care about our David and his future.

The reality is: I don’t have solutions. I don’t know if he’ll have a full vocabulary some day. I don’t know if he’ll get his feeding tube out. And I don’t know what the long run holds.

However I do know this: he teaches me every day that our society places quite a lot of worth on what we see outwardly. That speaking and strolling and consuming and interacting socially are the markers of success and the definition of progress.

There’s not a transparent linear progressive trajectory for David. There are a lot of unknowns for the long run. However he’s forging his personal path and he’s excelling at it.

Will we hope he learns to speak with phrases? Truthfully, as a substitute of constructing that the purpose, I’m celebrating that he has gained so many pre-verbal expertise, that he’s hardly ever pissed off with communication, and that he’s studying increasingly more methods and cues and verbal sounds to point what he needs.

Sure, the hope is that he ultimately will get his feeding tube out and eats 100% orally, however for now, we’re insanely happy with his progress in deciding he’s taken with meals, that he typically needs to eat now, and plenty of days is consuming 120+ energy orally. That’s HUGE!

Most of all, we rejoice the present he’s to our dwelling and lives and the way a lot he loves life. He doesn’t care concerning the targets others set for him or whether or not he’s hitting them. He’s simply glad to sit down and play with a ball for an hour. He doesn’t know that some folks really feel sorry for him or that he’s labeled “developmentally delayed”; he’s simply thrilled to sit down in our laps, hug us repeatedly, and play peek-a-boo and have dance events.

Day by day, David teaches me that what we regularly place a lot worth on (checking issues off an inventory, hitting targets, outward progress) isn’t the be all finish all of life. Loving folks, dwelling within the current, and totally absorbing the right here and now are among the most necessary issues we will spend our time doing. And let me let you know, David is off-the-charts profitable at these three issues!

Kaitlynn and Kierstyn made cake pops sooner or later not too long ago.

On a night stroll!

We had an surprising shock occur a number of weeks in the past: we received to start out babysitting for the little boy we fostered for 8 1/2 months again in 2020. We had been usually babysitting him the previous two years after he reunified together with his mother. However then she had gotten constant childcare and so we hadn’t seen him for nearly 6 months.

Effectively, some issues modified together with his childcare and he or she requested if we may assist out once more. We have been thrilled to take action!

So we’ve had him for 30-40 hours every week the previous few weeks and it’s been such a present. He’s 3 and stuffed with vitality, but in addition the sweetest little one!

And he ADORES Micah!

I took this photos of the 2 boys the opposite day! I simply love how increasingly more they’re changing into such buddies!

Baseball tournaments with 4 little ones (since we’ve been babysitting for C at most of them not too long ago) imply you carry a LOT of additional stuff!

We introduced spray bottles with water finally weekend’s baseball match and it was a HIT!

There you will have it: a bit peek into the previous few weeks! For those who made it by all these photos, whew! Thanks for being right here and being such cheerleaders for our household! We’re grateful for this life — even on the actually tiring days! — and we’re grateful for every of you!