I haven't had much time to sit down and blog lately. Lots of stuff going on, but today the TSS was working with Caleb and he was making some sounds (mostly just dadadada...) and was signing a bit for her so she grabbed her camera and made a video so she could show him what he's doing and how he sounds. He got a real kick outta it and so did I.

Unfortunately I cannot figure out how to add this video, but it was still worth mentioning.

Both Caleb and Isaac are starting to make a few sounds and they are both still learning new signs, all totaled I'm sure they have 50 to 60 signs pretty well mastered. This pleases me as I have a form of communication with them, but as their developmental teacher says, that in a way is yet another handicap as not everyone knows sign and the boys think they should :) Again, the boys are teaching so many so much, if you don't know how to sign, they'll sure teach you how to sign crackers and milk real quick!!!!

I called the pediatrician today and we got a perscription for outpatient speech therapy. We go for our evaluation next Tuesday. I'm anxious to see what the recommendation will be for them. I intentionally wanted to wait until after winter so I didnt have to bundle them up and take them out in the cold weather any more than I really had to. I dunno, they're calling for snow today April 15th...think I'm safe?

Happy Easter

Eggs are made, baskets are hidden, time to celebrate with family tomorrow but I wanted to wish all of you a very Happy Easter Holiday.

Naptime!!

Today is Good Friday and the kids have the day off school. Usually when the older three are home the twins tend to get a bit off schedule with their naps and stuff. Well, today my nephews Noah and Eric have come over to spend some time with the kids and play the Wii and just have a good ole time. I fed them lunch and they went about their playing, then I hopped on the computer to look around a bit and I realized that it was almost 2 o'clock. Yikes, time for naptime (about an hour past) I go and look for the twins and they have closed the door to their room? Hummmm? So I quietly open the door and see what they're upto and I find this:



Absolutely hysterical!!! They emptied their dresser, which is a daily thing for them these days and it must have pooped them out that they laid down and put themselves to sleep. They never just go lay down, so this is encouraging for me for sure. Oh my I'm still laughing about this.....

JCARC Run/ Walk for Someone Special

Sunday April 5th was the 30th Annual Run/Walk for Someone Special in Sykesville, PA. This is an event I remember walking in when I was in elementary school way back. I honestly have to admit I didn't even know this still was going on until recently when I started taking an interest in my local ARC. I was very excited to attend this with my family and I promoted it as best I could to get other people to attend.

Now, I'm certainly not taking the credit for this, but this was a record year both for attendance and for money earned. This is fantastic!!! I am so encouraged to promote the ARC and the activities they provide to local people with disabilities. I honestly am a bit ashamed I did not know more about them before now. This will be my mission now (after being elected their Executive Director recently) to spread the word and to "SPARK the ARC" here in my area.

For those who know nothing of the Arc. There is an Arc of the United States, you can find their website here: http://www.thearc.org Then you can click on the tab that says find a chapter and your state and from there you can see if there are any local Arc branches near you. I am still learning what all they do and how they do it, but now I know there IS help available to those in need.

Arc used to be known as the Association for Retarded Citizens, but now to be politically correct they are known as Advocacy and Resources for Citizens with Intellectual Disabilities.

Especially if you have a child with Down Syndrome, Autism, or any other Intellectual Disability I ask you to find your local branch and become a member and seek their support and offer your time and knowledge to those who may not have the resources you do. I myself, am very excited to get involved with my local community and hopefully provide things for the kids to do. My first plan of action is to start a Parent Support Group which will begin on Tuesday May 5th. I'm anxious and nervous and hopeful and nervous...(did I mention nervous?) to see what may become of this effort of mine and many friends of mine in the area. I ask that you keep this in your thoughts and prayers and I will update after our first meeting.

One year of Brownies down

Camille enjoyed her year with a new troop. Ms. Wendy was a great leader, not to mention she works at Wal-Mart and got great things for the troop for this being a community service project she did through work. They held their banquet last week and I loved the sweat shirt hoodies they got for all the girls.



And then Ms. Wendy found some really cute purses on clearance and she decorated each one of them with the girls name and some sequins and then filled them with the girls badges they earned this year. How cute was that!!!



And I gotta finish off by showing my little princess posing:

F A M I L Y

Today we laid Grandpa Hanzely to rest. It was a beautiful funeral and he had full military honors. This was the first time I ever witnessed this and it was truly amazing. Its really quite sad that at funerals everyone can open up a little more and express their love for one another and not feel as odd. It makes me think that often times we let our pride get in the way of our emotions. Everyone wants to feel loved, everyone loves someone at some time, everyone wants to be free to express love, but yet, we don't. Is it that we are simply embarrassed to tell someone that you love them? Is it that we don't want to overuse the word? Is it that we were just raised that way, to hold in our emotions and not wear our hearts on our sleeves? Why is it that its so hard to tell cousins you barely see that you love them, when you truly do? I feel I take so much for granted from each of my family members by simply enjoying time together with them, but avoiding something as simple as just giving a hug and telling them you love them. I need to do this more. You never know when it will be the last time.

I'm feeling a bit emotional having lost two loved ones within a week and a half of each other. One, my uncle, there was no good-byes, the other, grandpa Hanzely, we had three weeks of good-byes and it tore our hearts out to watch him slowly go to be with the Lord. I am hoping that this experience has made me grow a little bit more on the compassion and love aspect.

I have so much to love about my life and there are so many people whom God has put into my life for whom I am so very blessed. I hope that I may find a way to let friends, neighbors, relatives, and enemies (and even internet buddies) know that I love them. I may or may not love what they do or who they are, but I love that God has somehow placed them into MY life and I hope that I can be a true friend / relative.

Thank you Jesus for all these wonderful people you've put into my life and I pray that I might be a light to each one of them and show them the love they deserve.

Oh, and hug your family today and tell them you love them..... I DID!!!!

RIP Henry Hanzely

Today we mourn the loss of Henry Hanzely, aka Grandpa Hanzely. I have been married to Tom for almost 14 years and in that time I have grown to love and cherish his grandparents as if they were my own (I don't have any of my own left). Today at 11:11 am Grandpa took his last breath. He was diagnosed with cancer about 4 weeks ago and it was all through his body so there was nothing we could do for him but keep him pain free. He lived 85 wonderful years and we will always remember him, especially when we pick from his 35 blueberry bushes, several peach, apple, plum and nut trees here on the farm. He is now finally pain free and we praise God for giving him to us as long as he did.

Please keep Grandma (Rita) Hanzely in your prayers. As you can imagine she will be so lost without him. June would have been their 60th Wedding Anniversary, so he was all she knew.

Here is Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma with almost all of their 15 (soon to be 19) great-grandchildren Thanksgiving 2008: