In other news.....

Some pics to reminisce:

 

 

A Letter to my Son

Dear Owen,

Where do I even start with this one? My mind is reeling right now. My body craves rest, but my mind won't shut up long enough to let it. Something tells me you probably know what that feels like. Owen, I don't know how old you'll be when you read this letter. But I hope when that day comes, you read it and look at how far you've come. I hope the things I write about are just a vague memory in your head. I hope you're not ashamed that I put this out there in this tiny corner of the internet. I hope that you understand why I need to write it. For you. For me. And maybe for somebody else who is looking for hope or a kindred spirit or just searching for someone who has traveled the road we've traveled.  And Owen, I wish we didn't have to travel this road. I'm not going to lie, Owen, this road is a bitch. And I know that's not a nice word but it just is.

Owen, one week ago you sat in a room full of specialists and went through hours of testing and evaluations. And you were a freaking rockstar, Owen. Seriously. We were so proud of how you handled all of it. At the end of it, Owen, they told us you have something called autism. Autism, Owen. And your daddy and I are so sad about that. We're not sad because we're ashamed. Quite the opposite, Owen. We are so damn proud of you. We're sad because now we have to add autism to an already long list of things you struggle with. We think it's too much for your little body, Owen. It's just too much. Then while still trying to process that, yesterday Owen, we found out that you're still not growing and your doctors would like you to have a surgical procedure to place a feeding tube in your stomach, Owen. Did I mention that this is too much? I don't even know what to say other than that, Owen. 

It's just too much.

I wish life were a relay race, Owen. I wish you could sprint down the final 100 meters and pass me the baton. I would carry that damn baton for the rest of my life and let you rest on the sidelines, Owen. I am so so tired of watching you struggle. Oh man. I'm so tired of it.

But Owen, my sweet Owen, as hard as all of this is, as much as I want to scream and cry and throw things at the injustice of it all, I know you're going to prove us wrong yet again. I know this isn't going to be too much for your little body to handle because you have a big God that has never failed to carry you through the hard times. He carries me as well.

Owen, I opened my bible this morning and, through the tears,  I found 2 Corinthians. I love 2 Corinthians. Do you know what it says Owen? It says that "We are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." Oh man Owen. I see Jesus in your body. I see Jesus in your spirit. Your laughter and smile light up my world. Literally. I don't know why you have to struggle, but I know you will be a light through your struggles. You already are sweet boy.

Owen it also says "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Oh man, sweetie. I really can't wait to see you run through those gates complete and whole, physically and neurologically. I can't wait for your body to feel no pain. Can you imagine Owen? NO pain. No screaming because your stomach hurts or your clothes feel weird or the world is too loud and crazy for you. One day we are going to have such a party to celebrate you, Owen!

And Owen, about this autism thing? We're gonna figure it out together. I don't know a whole lot about it yet, but I do know that we have a great IEP team and we're gonna rock it. Kiddo, I'm going to learn everything I can learn to help you fight the best fight you can fight. We're bringing our A game. And Owen, autism is just a label. In spite of what others may think, it does not define who you are. It doesn't capture you. People may not understand it all, but you do nothing less than amaze me over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. And I see you, Owen, not a label. I really do. I just want you to always know that. We've got your back! This whole family, extended and all, we've so got your back!

So I guess what I want to say, Owen, is hang in there. Let's hang in there together. Let's take the tough days one at a time and try our hardest to rely on our God to get us through them. Owen, I'm going to try so hard to focus on your smile and your laughter and your funny little personality. Because you are a joy. You really are. Owen, I'm going to try really hard to focus on the miracle of modern medicine and what those extra proteins and fats and calories are going to mean for your little body. What it's going to mean for your growth and development. I'm going to try not to be scared about surgery and taking care of tube feeding and the logistics of it all. I'm going to try to focus on the positives, Owen.

And when we are sad, Owen, because it's inevitable to be sad sometimes, I'm going to try to remember that God holds your body and your spirit in His hand. I'm going to nuggle you and cry with you and try to remember that, ultimately, this is all "light and temporary."

Owen, this world is full of so many different people. And our lives can change in an instant. And you've changed my life for the better, Owen. Always for the better. Never forget that, Owen. Never ever.

I love you!

Love,

Your mom, your fighter, your friend.

Spring Breakin' It Mountain Style

We spring breaked it in Sparta, NC this year.

Tiny mountain town with little to do.

It was pretty wild.

The Holland's joined us for a few days. 

The first night we were snowed in with sangria.

That is not a bad situation.

I laughed. A LOT.

Nough said.

The next night was our big night out on the town. 

(Which always means burgers and bowling....)

I think it's safe to say the kids had fun.

Group Hug anyone?

And this is how we roll bowl.

lol.

And now we're back into the swing of spring and counting down the days until summer.

This Is What Happens When.......

 1. This is what Todd and I look like when we have to talk to about 80 teenagers about sex.
I'm not sure I looked up once.

2. This is what the kids look like after they've been playing in the creek when we've been quarantined to the house with pink eye. I had to do a LOT of googling, but I finally "found" created a site that said letting your child play in freezing cold, disgusting creek water helps him get over pink eye and fevers. It's doctor recommended.....

3. This is what happens when Erika and I need to do some grocery shopping and everybody has to pile in one car on the way home from Moes.

PS - Owen couldn't turn around so we told him to raise his hand. Still cracks me up.

4. This is what happens when Nana brings her camera to town and Lucy is actually behaving herself.

5. This is what happens on Easter Sunday before my camera dies.

6. This is what happens when Sean and Todd call each other to find out what to wear for Easter.

Just Kidding. It was coincidental. I think.

7. This is what happens after my camera dies on Easter Sunday and we try to get a group shot with my phone but I don't know how to work the timer and so the group shot sucks and Todd can't help us because he's still at church working in a shirt that looks just like Sean's.

8. And this is what happens when we compromise and just agree to take a bunch of individual shots with our poor, stupid mother who can't work her iphone camera and who also lets her good camera battery die on Easter Sunday. Technically though, if you think about it, it's kind of a religious analogy because the battery did take three hours to recharge and then the camera was fully resurrected..... but by then everyone was changed and I was napping. Priorities, ya know?

9. This is what happens when you insert an image of your own that includes me being zapped by lightning for comparing my camera battery to Jesus.













10. For reals though - Happy Belated Easter! I love me some Easter and even though I did not actually give out live bunnies to everyone in the kids classes, we did have fun celebrating the greatest gift of all time and I hope you did too!

The End.

Holidays On Crack

It it just me or has the holiday hype gone a little bit overboard? 

I mean, I'm all for a good holiday, but these days it's like holidays are on crack. Gone are the days of buying silly valentines, putting a heart in an envelope, and making sure you had one for every kid in the class. Now my kids come home with clever, crafty, full bags of candy from each kid that made the valentines we sent in look like we found them laying in a dump. Growing up, we had one "holiday" party at school the last day before Chrsitmas break where you got to watch  a movie and eat a candy cane. Now the kids come home for two weeks jacked up on sugar from the multiple events they have each day to celebrate every unique holiday. And as if that isn't enough, I have to go through major guilt because I don't participate in the whole Elf on a Shelf deal. And I'm not judging those who do - I'm just a bit anal at times so I don't need to invent excuses to make messes at my house, even at the expense of my kids happiness. Hey - I never claimed to be mother of the year. And St. Patrick's Day? Seriously? Again, when I was a kid, you pretty much forgot it was St. Patrick's Day and spent the day lying to everyone and telling them your underwear was green whilst begging them not to pinch you. Then you went home and cried and showed your mom all the huge whelps so she would feel really guilty for not sending you in something green.

And that was it.

Not anymore though.

Now there's leprechauns and pots of gold and messes and cards and parties with green juice and green eggs and green candy and who the heck knows what else?!

I mean, seriously?!

So the kids came home from school and made a leprechaun trap and a pot of gold and left it sitting on the table. They even used their spyware to try and catch the leprechauns before they made a mess because that's what leprechauns apparently do. And we all went to bed. And I told Todd, "we're just going to tell them their spyware worked really great and the leprechauns were too scared to come in."
Because again, do I really need to clean up after leprechauns when we do a good enough job of messing up our own home? Dammit Leprechauns, stop trying to steal our mess-making thunder!

6:30 AM the next day:

I get up to let the dogs out to do their business. The living room is a wreck. chairs are overturned, toilet paper is strewn everywhere. I think, "wow, Todd must have felt like we were curmudgeons (because we are) and made a leprechaun mess. Good for him."

I got back in bed.

7:15 AM. Todd gets up with all the kids.

7:20 AM:

TODD: Did you have to mess up every room in the house?!

ME: What are you talking about?

TODD: Every Single Room is destroyed. There's toilet paper everywhere, furniture overturned, toothpaste on the toilet seats, etc. Don't you think you went a little overboard?

ME: I didn't do that. I thought you did that?!

Oh my. I just laid back down. I didn't even want to face it so Todd went back out and annoyingly lit into the kids. Told them now they had to be reverse leprechauns and clean EVERYTHING up.

7:50 AM

I go upstairs to help Owen get dressed. I find two sullen faced bigs cleaning the boys room with tears running down their cheeks.

ISAAC: Mommy, we're really sorry. We were just trying to play a practical joke.

ME: Isaac and EG look at me. It's okay. You just took it a little bit too far, but we'll get it cleaned up. It's not the end of the world.

TODD (from downstairs): THANKS FOR PLAYING GOOD COP/BAD COP, RACHEL!!!

ME: Sigh.

8:25 AM:

Todd writes the kids an apology note for losing his temper as we scramble around looking for anything that has green in it and is remotely clean enough to send the kids to school in.

They leave. We start drinking heavily. We get ourselves out the door.

2:20 PM

I go to pick up two little boys I keep some afternoons.
Ben gets in the car dressed head to toe in blue.

ME: Ben, did you get pinched a lot today?!

BEN: No. Why?

ME: Wasn't today St. Patrick's Day?

BEN AND NOAH: No. It's on Sunday. Today's Thursday.


And that's how we roll around here.

THE END.


My three little leprechauns who need a new calendar and a momma who is aware of holiday dates:

 (This pic was taken on Wacky Wednesday. Not our Fake St Patrick's Day.)

And now to make up for all my previous holiday mess-ups and lackluster attempts, everyone in their classes is getting live bunnies for Easter this year. You're welcome.

Time Marches On.....

We have a lot of March birthdays in our family.

Get the title now? Clever huh? Get it? Time "marches" on.....March birthdays? Oh sometimes I just crack myself up. Seriously. Get it?

So we decided to have an impromptu Texas Tech Themed birthday party for my dad, brother, sister-in-law, and niece. 

(Owen stole a seat in the pic with the birthday peeps.)

Popeye and five of his almost eight grandkids.
We missed you, Livingstons!!!!

Isaac got to play some golf with his grandad and later Uncle Aaron gave him advice.
And I give both those men some mad props because I can't imagine teaching golf to a six year old would be easy, especially when he's left handed....

Backyard Fun:

Every single picture I got of Isaac and Lauren playing basketball was blurry. Every. Single. One. But man they had a good time.

So happy birthday to all the Roberts' March birthdays.

We had a blast celebrating with burgers and sangria. ;)

 Guns Up.

Dinner Convo

Owen (after spilling a trickle of milk on himself): 

AAA#^$&%*@&#^$#&*#@*$&#&#$*@(@$#&%#$*#$#$($*@#@()#Q)$!!!!!!!

Me: Owen, stop screaming and use your words.

Owen: Iiiiii Goooottttttt Weeeeettttttttt.  Sniffle sniffle.

Todd: Owen it's okay. So you got a little bit wet. Are you melting?

Owen: Nnnnnooooooooo.

Emma Grace: Yeah, at least you didn't get stabbed with a sword!

(Because apparently we normally get stabbed with swords at the dinner table?)

Great analogy, Emma Grace.

Way to make him look at the bright side.