End of Summer

Another summer comes to a close.  It is always with excitement of whats to come in the new school year for the kids, and sadness that our summer adventures, roaming free, and Miguel going back to work is here.  This summer was distinct in so many ways. 

It started with a wonderful visit from Miguel's parents at the beginning of June.

 Paula turned 6.  We have watched her grow from a tiny baby of 8 lbs 11 oz to a smart, empowered, free spirited little girl.  She brings Miguel and I so much joy, she pushes our buttons, she shocks us with her curiosity and interest in adult things, and we are so proud of her in everyway. 

Her beauty and grace never ceases to amaze!

Then Sara danced in her recital to Toy Story...You've Got a Friend in Me.  We watched in delight at how much she has grown, her true and sincere love of dance, her passion for the "big stage", and her love of the lights, flowers, and applause.  Beyond all the above, she takes our breath away everytime we watch her dance, and we are in awe at how far her arm has come. 

We then went on the trip of a lifetime with Grandma and Grandpa to Disney.  The girls enjoyed so much, as did the adults!

The girls loved all the "magic" of Disney.  The characters, the shows, the ice cream, and the rides...scary and fun ones!

July came and went marked by our beautiful annual trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan.  We swam, we laughed, we hiked, Miguel kayaked, we ate s'mores...indulged in ice cream every night, learned about the ghosts of Sleeping Bear Dunes, made the first ever canoe trip with the girls which was a 3 hour trip...and ended with our annual summer visit to our dear friends, Emily, David, Ella, Colton, and Brigetta's house in Grand Rapids.  Our friendship is marked this year by 11 years.  Emily was with us when Miguel and I met, we were lucky enough to visit Emily and David shortly after they bought their first home, we splashed in the waters of Lake Michigan when Ella and Paula were just babies, we got pregnant at the same time with Sara and Colton, we have walked the same walk with food allergies....and here we are, I guess it's been one blessed friendship!  Thank you Emily and David for your hospitality, your patience with three little girls screaming, Sara and mine fear of dogs, and our adventures for blueberries!  Miguel still LOVES Emily's cooking and we are waiting for you to open the bed and breakfast!

We finished the summer with our dearest new addition to our family, Pongito.  I can honestly say, post bad experiance as a child, I never thought I would ever touch an animal again let alone be the owner of a dog.  But here we are, our family suddenly seems so big, and only to get "bigger" as Pongo grows into a full sized retriever!

I can say, that as all humans, there are times that we desire more.  More money, a larger home, more vacations, less work, and more material things.  And as we all do, I can say that I am no different.  But in these desires, I always remember how blessed I truly am, and how I have it all.  A wonderful husband who empowers me and the girls, who loves us dearly, and who inspires us all to find our inner passions and hobbies even if we thought we didn't have any.  I have two healthy, curious, smart, and fun loving girls who I wouldn't trade for the world.  They are truly my everything, and my whole life I wanted a sister and although I never had one, I am so blessed that the girls have each other, through the fights and all!  And now we have Pongito, we can't wait to take him camping, swimming in lake Michigan, walk the bike trails and local forest preserves and watch all of our relationships with him unfold.  Life is beautiful.  And the countdown till next summer begins!

Puppyhood

Last winter, Sara began therapuetic horseback riding.  Much to our worry, we thought that it was going to take a lot to get her to even touch the horse, let alone get on it,  and to agree to wearing pants which is part of the barn's dress code when you are riding.  At this point in Sara's life she had probably braved pants twice in her life, both times being with force due to cold weather.  We went first for a "meet and greet" with the staff and the horses.  They asked Sara to touch the horse and she stuck out one finger and quickly poked the side of the horse, and that was it.  I went home, said some extra prayers, thought some good vibes, in hopes that she would open up to the experiance.  Low and behold, she was sold the first time her three year old self in a tutu with pants underneath got on.  We are touched week in and week out by the volunteers who make the program happen, and moved spiritually by her connection with her beloved Thoka (the horse!). 

In May the barn was doing a special event at a fair.  We went out to see the older children ride, to pass a nice spring day, and enjoy as a family.  We saw the kids ride, and then we walked around the fair and off in the distance I saw a therapy dog booth.  I told Miguel...lets go over and see the dogs.  At this point, Sara was overheated, as she doesn't do extreme climates well, scared and mad because we were at a falconery booth that had the birds, and at the mention of the dogs she firmly said she wasn't going to pet any dogs.  We went to the booth much to her anger, and in two minutes she was on the ground laying on the therapy dogs, petting, face to face...and beyond any of my expectations, becuase this is a child who is TERRIFIED of animals.  It was a beautiful organization called Canine Companions for Independence, and they said that they gave dogs to individuals with all different sorts of disabilities.  We got in the car (as I was secretly loving the dogs to and with a purpose I felt that even I who is also afraid of animals could handle it...) and I told Miguel...hmm...I wonder how Sara would do with a dog. 

We got home and I said well maybe I should fill out the initial application, becuase there are two more applications after that and I thought we might never get past the first application and then there was nothing to think about.  We applied, and shortly after our vacation to Michigan we heard that they do not give companion dogs to children under 5 years old, and if we were still interested to reapply then.  So that ended the puppy hood thoughts.  Until...I told Miguel lets just go to a pet store and see how Sara does with a puppy as the therapy dogs are already older then 2 and very calm, which is much different then a puppy.  Much to our suprise she was wonderful with the puppies at the pet store, very confident, very in charge (bossy:)), and just fine...so our quest continued. 

With no intention of buying we found a breeder who is wonderful, bought the puppy on the spot, and we have the reciept prooving after about 15 days of waiting...tommorrow Pongo will be ours.  I have to say, I am not sure if we are crazy.  We put a lot of thought into this, I did a lot of soul searching, we took the girls begging and pleading in mind, and there is no turning back.  I couldn't help but think outside the box on how special the connection between human and animal can be as we have seen in Sara's therapuetic horseback riding and love for Thoka.  I see her tiny little voice grow in strength and confidence each week.  I see no can nots, for 45 minutes each week there is nothing that she can not do identically to other children.  It is not about how high her arm can reach, about how much it rotates inward, or about how far it can or can not go behind her back...actually it is just pure bliss for her.  And true or not true, I feel that Thoka is probably just as excited to see Sara as she is to see her.  Wouldn't this be wonderful, if this same amazing connection can happen for both girls in our home.  So crazy or not...here we go.  Miguel is anxiously awaiting a buddy to pal around with in the yard while he makes his kayaks and other things.  Sara is hoping to be able to put Pongo in a basket on her bike, regardless of the fact that she is terrified to ride a bike (even with training wheels) and her bike has no basket, and Pongo is going to be a very big dog for a toddler bike basket.  Paula is absolutely in love with animals and can not wait for his tail to wake her up in the mornings hitting the side of her bed.  And me....I am awaiting a transformation for us all as we welcome Pongito into our heart and our home, and I will take loosing a few pounds from the countless walks that we are about to take together as well!

We will keep you posted on our baby boy, our puppy training, and our sanity:)) 

~Betsy

Dog Days of Summer

Every summer, we like to get away, change the sceenary, step away from computers, phones, tv, fighting over toys, and just enjoy together. This past weekend we got back from our annual Sleeping Bear Dunes camping trip.  We stumbled upon Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Glen Arbor/Empire area 3 years ago, and we seem to find our way back every year.  If you haven't been there before it is a beautiful place and was voted Good Morning America's Most Beautiful Place in America.  It really is breath taking and there are so many things to do.  Here is a few of our families captured moments.

Is she not the cutest little thing toothless:)  Our 1st extended hike...1.5 mile Empire Bluff Trail.  It was a bit far for Sara, but Paula tackled it like she had been hiking for years.

Here's "cherry bear" with a bear!  Paula wasn't about to have anything to do with it, but Sara had to go by her namesake, I am still shocked she went any where close to it!

Here's Miguel and his kayak.  It almost didn't get done but he finished the construction of his Greenland Kayak with literally only minutes to spare before we hopped into the car to head North.

Empire beach:)

Every year my hope is that the girls learn something, wether it be about a time long ago through a National Park program, how to start a fire, the Native Americans of the area, how to entertain themselves without Fisher Price, or to feel empowered as young women to go on an adventure or to try something new, and grow from it.  It has been interesting to watch them grow, and change, and learn each year.  So until next year......

FTEA Ride A Thon

This winter Sara embarked upon a new journey.  Truthfully I wasn't sure if I should even investigate local riding centers for her, becuase she is terrified half to death of animals.  When I decided to put a call in, one of the things they told me is that the riders must be wearing pants.  Now you might be thinking....of course she has to wear pants, but this is Sara and she has worn pants very few times in her life and barely ever gives up the tutu and tights.  But I decided that we would give it a try.  It was the therapuetic recreation specialist in me itching to make a come back, reminding me the wonderful things that can happen with rec therapy without the kids even knowing that therapy is occuring.

So I held my breath, we showed up, I prepared for the worse, and she fell in love.  If you are not familiar with therapuetic riding, it is great.  They use the horse in a purposeful but fun way to benefit children and adults with disabilities.  For Sara, it helps her with her core strength.  Having a brachial plexus injury, her overall alignment and strength has been affected.  The gait and the movement of the horse helps with rebuilding her strength as well as her balance.  When she holds the reigns she has to hold her hands in a half way supinated position, and supination is something that all kids with BPI's have difficulty with.  When she pulls the reigns to steer the horse she works on the motion of pulling the arm back in a bent elbow position, but when she hugs the horse and helps with the taking of the horse she works on elbow extension which is something she struggles with.  The Dr. felt that it would also be really good for her shoulder.  She continues to work on confidence and communication skills as she says in the cutest little voice "Walk On" to get her horse to move.  There is nothing she can't do at riding.  She is the most adorable little three year old on I swear the largest horse ever, and she has even added her own flair to the riding when she goes every week in leggings and a tutu....who said that leggings couldn't be considered pants??.....

On May 19th Sara is going to be participating in a ride a thon to benefit FTEA and it's riders.  This experiance has really been an empowering one for her.  For the last three years Sara has been in and out of therapy and Dr.'s appointments where she has had no control over being there or not and what was going to happen at them.  But for the hour she is at therapuetic riding she is not only in control of herself but also of a very large animal.  If this doesn't empower you, I don't know what does.I am so happy she is able to have this experiance at such a lovely place and as a family we look forward to participating in the Ride A Thon.  If you would like to make a pledge please let me know. 

~Betsy

http://www.ftea.org/

Winding Down

I don't know where the time has gone.  Here it is mid April, and I feel like the school year was just starting, that we were just celebrating Christmas, and now here we are at the end of the school year.  I am so proud of the girls and how much they have grown, changed, and matured in one year.  I look back at the pictures from a year ago, and I can hardly believe it is the same child.  Tonight we were going through the old bins of clothing, get ready to purge out, sell, garage sale, donate....and anything else to spring clean.  It is shocking to see how small they once were.

Paulita has become quite the school girl.  She entered school, embraced it, learned how to read, write, add, and subtact.  Much more then I ever imagined from kindergarten and the remembrances of what my kindergarten year was full of playing school, house, blocks, and art projects.  I have smiled at each new discovery made, friendship formed,  and world problem she has taken on.  Paulita remains today, yesterday, and always my free spirit.  Miguel and I just love her to pieces and smile everytime we are reminded at how much she is completely him.  She loves nature, art, camping, planting, science, learning about other countries, and American Girls.  She has become quite the ballerina and has started tap dancing this year.  She says ballet is her favorite activity.  In judo, we have watched her inner tiger emerge, we know that she is not about to let anyone walk all over her.  After Christmas she started taking piano lessons, and tommorrow is her debut in her first recital.  She loves memorizing music and composing her own songs.  We are very proud of our little lady.

Sara is and will always be an inspiration to us.  She has grown leaps and bounds and we are completely in awe with her.  This fall she said goodbye to the days of parent tot ballet and emerged as a passionate ballerina.  One ballet class a week was not enough for this serious little student, so she began taking two days a week, and learning to tap dance.  She fell in love with the stage, the lights, the flowers, and the audience by appearing as the youngest cast member of the Nutcracker preforming at a local university with proffessional dancers.  Not a day goes by when the little princess doesn't beg me to take her to dance and to see her ballet teachers.  She wants to know when she can preform on the big stage in Chicago and every table top, hand rail, and bar that is waist high becomes a ballet bar.  She is soon to make her debut in her first recital, and the countdown has begun.  When she is not dancing she is watching movies about ballerinas, video clips on youtube about proffessional ballerinas, reading biographies about dancers from the library with Mommy, and watching the movie of the Nutcracker memorizing every part she aspires to be and how and when they enter and exit the stage and the positions of all the dancers on the stage......and yes she is only 3. In February she started participating in therapuetic horseback riding.  She quickly fell in love with this also, and the best part it is so good for her.  She continues to make slow and steady progress with her arm, and we couldn't be happier.  She has brought a light to our life, an appreciation of what we take for granted, and is truly in every way my little buddy.

As summer approaches, we look forward to spending time as a family as Miguel is off for the summer.  The girls love being able to spend time with him, and I love having help with the kids!! We hope everyone has a wonderful end of the school year and many fun filled summer adventures.

~ Betsy