Busy Busy

Caleb and I have been pretty busy the last couple of weeks with Jimmy and Ben on vacation. We have went to the movies, Chuck E Cheese, the Annual Down Syndrome group picnic, an outdoor concert, visited with friends, out to eat (probably too much:)) and countless walks and bike rides which he absolutely loves. Caleb also did some painting outside (gotta love the warm weather!) And of course, the week would not be complete if he didn't spend time throwing rocks in the water! Caleb also made some HUGE progress in an area he was having difficulty with.....Going through the carwash without freaking out! Caleb has always been deathly afraid of the carwash, in particular the huge revolving brush that comes spinning past his window. I have tried holding his hand and trying to distract him with anything I could think of, but he still managed to sneak a peek at the brush coming his way and then you guessed it, Spaz Out!! Poor little guy! Well, something amazing happened this week (amazing to me anyway), Caleb didn't Spaz Out! His eyes got big and he pulled away from his window but that was all. He told me afterward, that the carwash was the "Washcloth". Since that day a few days ago, Caleb has asked numerous times to go to the "Washcloth" AKA the Carwash! YAY!

Calendar Photoshoot

Here are a few photos from the photoshoot for our local Down Syndrome calendar. We had such a fun time! As you can see, my boys are hams for the camera.:) The photoshoot was on my birthday so it made it extra special!
The boys photo will be used for one of the winter months of the calendar, so that is why they have their winter coats on. We did get lucky and had an out of the ordinary cool day so it worked out perfect!

More Smiles:):):)

GOTCHA DAY

Caleb today:)



Caleb at the orphanage 3 years ago

Exactly three years ago today was Caleb's Gotcha Day! It's hard to believe three years have gone by already. What a blessing he has been to our family. He gives us so much love! He is very smart and funny too! He came home not knowing how to walk yet, and three weeks later was walking unassisted across the kitchen floor. His speech continues to amaze me. He tells me " I want _____ please!" He repeats everything he hears, maybe not always precisely, but I get excited about it every time. He is identifying his letters and all of his colors. He is starting to sing, he loves to paint, and he loves his wagon rides. His favorite foods are popcorn, ice cream, and chicken nuggets and fries. He also has a fascination with garage doors going up and down, and he absolutely LOVES to watch me mow the grass. He asks me to mow it several times a day, even when there is snow on the ground. While I mow, he is jumping up and down on the deck having the time of his life. Who knows, maybe he will have a lawn mowing business someday.:)
But anyway, I wanted to share how much I love my son, Caleb. Who by the way, knows he has his Mama's heart!

Caleb outside

This child LOVES to be outside! I hate to think what Caleb's life would be like being locked away inside an institution, without the chance to be outside. When I went to visit him at the orphanage, I was not allowed to take him out of the building. This picture above shows him looking out the window. He wanted me to hold him up so he could see the outside world. He longed to be out there and I couldn't wait to get him out! Today he loves every second he is outside.:) One reason I love the summer so much is because I can watch Caleb playing and running around outside enjoying his life, like it was always meant to be. What a GIFT he is!