Blog invites and the power of a shoe

I will still be going private, but it will require me to send invites, not a password (shows what I know!) So I'll be in the process of gathering emails to do invites. If I go private and you didn't get an invite, please request an invite! This will happen over the next few days as I gather emails. I am so glad so many still want to stay in contact because one thing I don't want to happen is to lose my adoptive parent friends and connections, and I like updating family and friends on our journey with Ty, and now more about our family as a whole.

And no, nothing has happened, but over the years I've heard of things happening, and I just want to protect that. I also just want to keep my circle closed rather than open to all. I'm sure that makes sense.

OK, this week: My list of things to do is a mile long, and Kacie is off to camp, so I should feel some motivation. Nope, none. And why? It's because of this shoe:


After being off work for almost a month, I'm finally getting to a place where I feel like I can start new things. My friend has convinced me to work out with her. I enjoy exercise, but it has been a LONG time, and I've tried to start walking schedules many times, only to fail. So this...I actually had to go buy a new pair of shoes, and I'm not much of a pink person, but wow these shoes felt good on my feet! So if I've purchased the shoes, it means I have to follow through and work out, right?

So off I go today to get my backside kicked into gear with a workout at a gym, where an instructor will probably yell at me...great. If you don't hear from me in the next week, it means I didn't survive the workout. Lord help me...

Going Private--options

Hi there,

Well, I'm going private with my blog. If you'd like a password, I'd be happy to give it to you as long as you are family, friends, or adoptive/cleft parents that I already know. Feel free to email me at my email, facebook, or on RQ (most of you know my RQ name). If none of these work for you, leave a message below and we'll figure something out.

It saddens me out to do this, but it's time. I will go private sometime this week.

Jolene

Cleft Team Update for Tyson

On June 27th, we went to Seattle to visit the cleft team. Of course, Ty was afraid of every doctor in a white coat due to having his appendix out in May.

The long and short of it, they all said, "Come back in a year."

Audiology/ENT: His hearing is "essentially normal" which means I just have a loud child. We will test again next year.

Speech Therapist: Concerned that some air is exiting the nose, so VPI is a concern. That basically means his soft palate isn't closing off to make certain sounds. But as always...it's so minimal that they aren't sure if it will improve, stay the same, or get better. So we wait a year and see.

Pediatrician: Happy with his growth and progress, no concerns!

Surgeon: No surgeries this year, expecially since he just had his appendix out. So we'll come back next year and decide if we need to do more studies on VPI or do a lip revision. The surgeon thought Ty's speech sounded great, but he also said he trusts the judgment of the therapist since she's trained to hear things that he is not trained to hear.

So that's why this post has taken so long for me to write. Basically, we just wait and see. In the meantime, we are doing speech therapy locally until we run out of our 60 visits, which will be soon. Ty is saying ABCs now, recognizes a few letters, and can write a few. I don't work on it much with him since our focus is still language. In fact, he only qualifies for speech under receptive language! It's amazing...Ty is amazing...God is amazing!

Here are pictures of Ty on his birthday, June 22nd. He is now 4 years old!

Summers...how they change

Let's recap:

Summer 08: Waiting for clearance letter to finish homestudy, so I traveled by plane, a lot, to Tahoe/Sacramento for a girls weekend, family trip to Disneyland, then a flight to Alaska and drove back to WA with my sister. Toss in two-three camping trips (in a tent) What an adventure!

Summer 09: Waiting by my computer 24/7 for Travel Approval, and finally off to China in August. No other trips--that was was the trip of a lifetime!

Summer 2010: Ty still adjusting, two camping trips in a tent, lots of little day trips, but nothing major. My dad's heart condition probably contributed to the lack of travel, but I'm happy to say he's doing great!

Summer 2011: AWESOME!!! Bought a travel trailer in April, and we're camping fanatics!

Our latest excursion was to a campground in Southwest WA, and we were about 1.5 hours from beautiful Mt. St. Helens. It was mid 80s, crystal clear, and we thought...what the heck? Let's go! For those who don't know, Mt. St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980 in WA state. I was 5 years old, and I still remember the ash, the masks, all of it. It changed the landscape completely.





And back at our campsite, here's Ty counting the petals on a flower. He does have his sweet moments!


And I have no pictures, but Kacie and I went to the American Idol concert in Everett last week and stayed in a hotel...just the two of us, and it was awesome! It was her first concert, and other than plugging her ears, she had a great time.

We are home for a few weeks now. Kacie is off to her week-long summer camp next week. So far, what a great summer!

Humbled by daily reality checks

We all have those days when nothing goes right...when it seems like it couldn't get worse...then it does. Jealousy of material things, not enough money, not enough time, wondering why the phone doesn't ring, you know the days.

I used to have a lot of these, and I still do from time to time. But for the most part, I feel blessed everyday. My house is nothing fancy, but it's a roof over my head. My clothes aren't high-end, but I have them. My kids may not have the latest and greatest toys, but trust me, they are not without.

But lately, the Lord humbles me, and I get a reality check in the form of hugs and kisses. Hugs from a little boy who spent two years in an orphanage with no one to hug him in them morning. Kisses from a little boy who only received kisses from a nanny, not a mommy or daddy.

I always thought that I'd get over the fact that our son was raised in an institution for two years, but I don't think I will, and I think that's a good thing. It's a reality check that what I think is a horrible day in my own little world could never be as bad as what my son endured for two years, and what children all over the world endure. Going to bed at night without a kiss from mommy and daddy. Hugs in the mornings, snuggle time after baths, eye contact, stories, experiences...it will give you a reality check like none other.

Material things? Ha! I'm richer than anyone could imagine. I get hugs and kisses from this little guy every day. I get daily reminders of what it truly means to have nothing except a bed that's not yours, not enough food, and not enough love. It's an experience that not everyone has, and it's humbling. The Lord has taught me lessons that neither a book not another person could teach me. I am blessed beyond measure. At times it's hard to watch others be very egocentric or not appreciate what they have, but in this process I'm also learning grace. Thank you Lord, for granting me grace too!

In family news....

Ty decided to take this hanger and pretend he's "roasting marshmallows." I think he's enjoying our camping trips!


Here are the kiddos from our trip to the ocean yesterday. Ty is multi-tasking--flying a kite and playing in the sand. Busy boy!

Camping Fun!

School got out on a Tuesday, Wednesday was Ty's birthday, and Thursday we loaded the trailer and off we went to BEAUTIFUL Lake Quinault, where I grew up. We stayed for 3 nights, and I have to tell you...I was nervous about the whole trailer camping experience. After all, I grew up tent camping, and I was pretty hard core about it, and I still am to a degree. BUT...when you wake up and have heat, that's pretty cool. And when it rained a bit on Friday, the kids just came in and played. Nice.

I couldn't find my camera the whole trip, so I was able to take these pictures on my phone. Not the greatest, but I have to put in a good word for my friends at the Rain Forest Resort. This is where we camped, and you can read my "Yelp" about it here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/rain-forest-resort-inc-quinault#hrid:8WyIfTaWz_Cr4PmNltrowA

I love this place, but if you plan to camp, you should know a few things first, but I would stay there again and again because the lake is GORGEOUS and it is literally in the rain forest, which means lush green trees. Ahhhh...great stress relief. And if you are a tent camper, there are many forest service campgrounds in the area.

OK, so here's what you really want...pics!



The World's Largest Sitka Spruce.



A little bridge on the trail to the world's largest Sitka Spruce.



The front lawn at the resort. They loved it!


Mr. Attitude