Our Week

A few quotes that I have loved this week:

to seek a life of godliness, not just religious activity

Motherhood is being humbled by their strength.

Sunday was the Seminary fireside – Jason and Sammi went.  They will be studying the Book of Mormon this year.  Such a cute and yummy giveaway!  Brother in nursery – I texted the picture to Becca. It made her sad :(, sorry baby!  Jessi loving on Brother!  She is my baby whisperer!  That night Lizzy made this cute treat for her teacher while Bec and I worked some more on her schedule over the phone.  (It was much easier to do when we were in the same zip code!).  Jason and Lizzy worked on indexing.  Lizzy really likes doing it! 

This was the first week of school – what a week!

We’ll start with Sammi.  A kind young woman Skyped with Sammi for an hour the evening before and they talked through their jitters.  Then that night we had a tender mercy.

From an email I sent:

Last night when I was going to bed, I thought , "I'll bring my phone with me and put it on my night stand" ( instead of leaving it in the bathroom where it charges.)  Weird, but I did it.  So at 10PM, I was saying my prayers and pleading for help for me, then for Becca, then for Sammi (I was going down my list), when all of a sudden my phone starts jumping around on my nightstand.  "What?" I thought. So I answer and it's Brianna!  She apologized for the lateness of the call and said that she had just thought of Sammi and how Becca wasn't here and she would be going to school all alone and would she like a ride to school tomorrow?  (I was floored.  That was so kind and insightful and generous of her to think of Sam and act immediately.) I walked upstairs and asked Sammi who said, "YES!" and I thanked her.  I texted her again to let her know what a blessing that was to us.  And her reply?  That is was a blessing to her too that even as a Senior she was a little anxious herself.

Sammi told me that she had been praying (for the millionth time) for school when she called.  Grateful!!

What a wonderful example of prayer being answered and of listening to the Spirit and acting right away!

So early that morning she left with a smile on her face.  Brianna took her to school, found her schedule with her, and showed her around.  We are so grateful!!

She was supposed to come home on the bus.  She is the first stop on that route, so I expected her around 3, to give some time for first day lateness.  Nothing.  3:30, nothing. 4, nothing.  I called transportation, and yes, High Schoolers should be home by now.  She was now officially missing.  My mind and heart are going crazy!  I am imagining terrible things, the least of which is her curled up in a ball at the bottom of some stairwell, sobbing because she doesn’t know what to do or who to talk to.  Transportation asked, “Does she have any disabilities?”  “Yes, Asperger’s”  They try putting in a call through the radios to the buses to look for her, but radio traffic is terrible with the first day of school.  They call the High School.  The school puts out an all call for her.  Nothing.  Jason and I show up at the high school.  We meet the Associate Principal handling everything on the school side.  Transportation keeps calling me with updates.  The high school calls me.  I’m crying in the AP’s office.  And finally the call we are waiting for – “We found her!”  We had told her which bus she was to get on, but someone had told her a different one.  She was on the wrong bus, and didn’t know what to do.  They got her home.  I was so grateful!  She cried.  She had been so brave.  I was so proud of her for holding it all together until she got home.  I was even more proud of her when she went back to school the next morning.  Way to go Sammi girl!  And yes, we went straight out and bought her a phone.  She nows texts me and I know where she is!

These three are now at Mittlestadt.  We still haven’t figured out drop off and pick up yet – that wheelchair makes things a bit more complicated.  Joy is doing great.  She loves school.  I am so grateful.  Bella loves going to school.  She was exhausted when she got home, but as the week progressed she is doing better.  We are only doing 1/4 day right now for Bell.  As she builds up stamina we will increase that time.  Lizzy Beth – how proud I am of her!  She has so much responsibility!  Her job is to get Joy to the cafeteria and then at the end of the day to get Joy from her classroom to our van.  She is doing a really good job controlling her and keeping her safe. (something I worry about so much!)  I ran into a teacher on Saturday who had to tell me something else awesome Lizzy is doing.  The teacher teaches the older Developmental Class.  She brings a couple of kids into Lizzy’s class.  Mrs. Beckett told me that every morning Lizzy helps her with her students.  Lizzy is the closest in age to the Joy and Bella.  I worry what the impact these little ones have on her, but it seems that it is having a great impact, that she is becoming a wonderful, sensitive, and responsible girl.  I am proud of her!

 

Miss Jessi was my least excited to go back to school.  7th Grade, hmm, whatever, same school, no big deal, she says. 

 

 

 

Tuesday morning at 6AM seminary started. That day I took brownies over to the transportation office for all of their help the day before.  They were shocked!  Evidently people don’t thank the transportation office.  The lady’s jaw literally dropped when I told her why I was there.  “You didn’t have to do this.””But I wanted to.  Y’all found her and it meant the world to me.  Truly.”  At least I didn’t cry right there in front of her!

We got to skyped with Becca!  She has called us and texted us.  I am grateful because it feels like it’s time for her to come home now.  She’s been gone a week – it’s time to come home  We will adjust.  I am so grateful for ways to talk to her and know how she is doing!

Bella had a pulmonary visit.  Se really hates anything medical.  It was a great visit!  We don’t have to come back for six months!!

My silly girl is obsessed with trying on clothes – in this picture she is wearing 8 shirts, 2 pairs of shorts, a long skirt,and two pairs of underwear!  Finally giving Miss Abby her end of school gift!  We bought her a personalized necklace, but it was handmade by a fellow trach mom.  Her son got sick at the end of the year and we didn’t receive it till school was over.  Oh well!

Therapy – we have 15 appointments a week now.  Brother is about to add O&M (orientation and mobility), and then we’ll be up to 16.  We can do it.  We can do it.  We can do it! (repeat, repeat)

Headed out to the car, Joy asked for a snack.  I told her, “When we get home.”  Evidently that is code for grab some grapes and a water bottle.  At least she’s self sufficient!  Just some home shots – loving on Husky, writing, happy Bella, Brother has learned to put toys in (Wahoo!!), and dancing in the living room!

Jason and I went to the temple on Thursday night.  We came home to find these three asleep on the couch.  The temple was awesome!

Friday – we survived!!  Comfy clothes, chips and dip to celebrate!

Sammi received her Patriarchal Blessing on Saturday morning.  What an experience! We have the kindest Patriarch.  I was grateful to be there.  Sweet Sammi cried all the way home, she was feeling so much!  I am so grateful for the knowledge that Heavenly Father loves each of my children so perfectly and individually.

We also had volleyball games that day.

My emotions have been all over the place this week.  Bec’s first week of college – she’s in two orchestras there. Has to learn 30 pieces of music.  Meeting her viola professor.  Getting to know her roommates.  Being alone.  Meeting LDS girls who invite her places.  Sammi’s highs and lows.  Jessi’s tears.  Lizzy rising to her responsibilities.  Joy and Bella going to school like big girls.  Brother and I alone for two hours a day.  The temple.  A loving God who gives Patriarchal Blessings.  Talking to another mom about how hard this mom thing really is, but how we “shouted with joy “ at the opportunity to come here!  What a week!