First Soccer Game of the Season

Well the MSC Under 8 Boys started the year off on a winning note!! Great job to all the boys. Sydney has another horse show coming up in October that she is getting ready for and we can't wait to see how it goes. We are also hoping the temps start to come down a little so that the afternoon soccer games and the time Sydney spends at the barn aren't so draining.

Things continue to be busy with the kids and David travelling but we are planning a couple of "family days" in Oct in Denver... to see the trees in different colours is what I miss most about my favourite season. Maybe I will feel like decorating after that trip as I used to in Canada and Detroit.

Is Fall Here Yet?!

With Michael starting soccer again and Sydney's horse show schedule starting you would think Fall is here. If you look at the calendar and lived anywhere other than were we do it would be more than knocking on our door step:). Michael played his first game of the soccer season yesterday with the temps hovering around 100 F!! I guess it's better than winter at my parents and the temps hovering around -40 F- and that's no joke!!
As with everyone else who has school aged children we are back in the groove of getting up early for school, having soccer practice and horsebacking riding Tues and Thurs nights and KIDS Rock- our church's kids program- on Wed nights... that leaves Mondays and Fridays with no activities- for now at least.
Michael's stitches are out and he looks great!! Sydney is out of the hard cast after 6 weeks and is in a hard brace for 4 more weeks- the growth plate is still not completely healed:( BUT on another note Syd's braces are off after 21 months... she grew up overnight it seems.
We also celebrated David's 50th birthday this weekend with some very good friends and a good time was had by all. I guess this catches us up for a little while at least.
And of course there is a quote from Michael this afternoon as the kids were in and out of the pool with friends and one of them said she standing on water... "Now that's ridiculous, only Jesus can stand on water!!"... I guess he really is listening to us and his teachers at church!!

Off to the Great White North

Well as July draws to a close it's time for me to go up to my parents and pick up Sydney and Michael. They have so enjoyed the month with their grandparents as they have the freedom to do things that mom hasn't let them do here at home. I just about fell off my chair a couple of weeks ago when my dad told me the two kids walked home from the pool. There was dead silence on the phone from my end... what do you mean they walked home from the pool? Do they know where they are going, was it dark (dumb question on my part being so far north it's daylight forever!) and of course my dad laughed and said he wasn't too far behind and they did just fine. Then the next day they are off to the park on their bikes with NO ADULT, again I'm silent as I'm letting it sink in. My parents live in a different world and it's the best to raise a family in or maybe I'm just biased. I was reminded that there are very few people in town that don't know my parents, me, my brothers and now Sydney and Michael and everyone is looking out for them. I was still a little startled over the bike to the park for a little bit but I need to realize that they are growing up and I need to let them grow up, at least a little bit :)
After two days of travel I will be at my parents for a 3 day stay and then 2 days to travel back. By this time next Sunday we will all be home together- the first time since June 30!!

Almost Time to Go

Well the time has flown by and I only have two days left with my brother and his family. The joy in the last 24 hrs is that Christian came home yesterday... this is the first 24 hrs he has been home since I got here. It's almost like we don't know what to do with ourselves today since there is no shuttling to the hospital... so it was cleaning time and also lots of love time for Auntie and Christian. This is a sweet boy whom God has given us to love on and learn through his adversities what God can do for us and with us. It has been 24 hrs without a twitch or a seizure which in itself is a blessing and a praise.
On another note, thanks to my dad having Skype now I'm able to talk to the kids every evening. I was worried that I would have to go 2 weeks without much interaction with Sydney and Michael since international phone calls can be EXPENSIVE!! They are loving their swimming lessons, cleaning Bammy's (my grandmother) house while she is in the hospital and doing what kids can do in a small laid back town. I almost dropped to the floor when my dad told me the other day that the kids walked home from the pool by themselves- in my mind they are 7 and 8 and too young to do that in Mesa but at my parents they are safe and Poppa wasn't too far behind in the car. I guess they need to grow up at some point... I'm not ready for this to happen yet:)
I will be back at home Thursday after 18 hrs of travel time barring any delays or problems and can't wait to see my wonderful husband even if it's only for a few days. It will be bittersweet leaving my 3 nephews, my brother and sister-in-law but with prayers and God's will they will be taken good care of.

Trip Update

As I posted last Friday I arrived to sunshine which lasted 2 days and it has been cloudy since. I guess you could say that I stand out in my long pants (I've been corrected they are trousers- pants are underwear!!) and jacket while others are in shorts.

Friday wasn't a good day for Christian and by dinner time my brother was taking him to the hospital with a new type of seizure that puts him into a trance like state and lack of swallowing ability. He has been there ever since and just when you think he will go a day without a set back there is one. My faith is in our Lord that He know's what He is doing. I've been blessed to be able to spend the mornings with Sebastian and Santiago and then the afternoons at the hospital with Christian. He actually had his eyes opened at one point this afternoon- the first in awhile.

Thank you for your prayers as this is a very special little boy. He has a 24 hour EEG that starts tomorrow so we will see what happens after that.

Finally in Scotland

Well I am finally at my brothers and able to love on my three nephews. Wed we left Mesa to go to Buffalo so that I could take the kids to my parents for the month of July. We met in Niagarga Falls so they could continue the trek north. Thursday morning I headed back to the Buffalo airport only to find out my flight to New York had been cancelled and rebooked for Friday which would have meant I wouldn' get to Edinburgh until Saturday. To make a long story short-via another airline I made it to New York and after a 2 hr delay and 8 hrs at the last airport we were airborne. we landed to sunshine so we will see how long that lasts. What a joy to be able to be here to help.

A Travelling We Will GO!!

With summer here you never know where we might end up! David has started a 12 day trip that started in Niagara Falls- the Canadian side of course! Then onto Toronto for the weekend, Conneticut Monday and part of Tuesday and then back to Toronto until Thursday and finally home. We are praying on Friday he can get his permanent crowns put on since the temporary bottom crown has come off and he has no way to deal with it on the trip:(. I can't imagine the pain the poor guy is going through... a couple of bottles of Canadian beer might help numb the pain though:)
Now onto the kids- they are at summer day camp until June19th, then they are home for the week of Summer Explosion- an awesome time at our church- then July 1st I we start our trek to my parents. By saying start I guess I should explain- we will board a flight to Buffalo at 11am, get into Buffalo around 6:30 pm, get our bags, get our rental car and head to the Canadian border. We will then wait in line for a couple of hours to get over to Niagara Falls where we will meet up with my parents. Stay overnight and then Sydney and Michael will start the 10 hour drive to my parents!! Believe it or not there is never any complaining- of course we are thankful for ds games, books, and portable dvd players.
After the kids and my parents venture off in the car heading north, I will head back to Buffalo to get on a plane to New York so that I can connect and head to Edinburgh Scotland for 2 weeks to help my brother and sister-in-law with the kids as Christian (the latest adourable addition to the family) is still having seizures and has been hospitalized every week for quite a while it seems.
I will be back at home the week of July 20 but it seems that David will be in Florida for the week I'm back before I head back to Canada the last week of July to get Sydney and Michael. This year I'm going to go all the way up to my parents to see my grandmother and of course the rest of the family. We will be back Aug 2nd so I think that pretty much takes care of our summer!!
I know I'm tired but will be all so fun and the memories of going to Nanna and Poppas will be with them forever:)