I never want to forget this feeling so I am blogging about it!

I have not been this happy in 15 years…….since before my mom got sick.  Even then, not having been through any real trials in my life, I don’t think I had experienced pure JOY in Jesus Christ.  I look back over the past 15 years of my life and think of all the good and bad and I am in awe of God’s perfect plan. 

Let’s see where should I start…….my mom’s battle with brain cancer, watching her health deteriorate, watching her pass away, experiencing extreme grief, learning from her death, a miscarriage, then having our first child, experiencing the loss of a job twice in a row, re-establishing a life in Dallas, the Lord dropping the perfect job for Cliff in his lap, watching Cliff succeed in his new career, the loss of my grandpa, not having success with a second pregnancy, starting the adoption process, finding out we were pregnant, putting adoption on hold, having a child 11 weeks premature, knowing that it was a miracle I even went to the doctor that day, seeing the doctors save his life after 5 minutes of not breathing, choosing to have our 2 pound /29 week baby have heart surgery, seeing him make a miraculous turnaround after trusting God with that decision, finally bringing him home, having Logan rushed to the hospital after nearly losing him to a choking incident, having him diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy , accepting that we have a child with special needs, going through hours and hours of therapy, being told it may be a misdiagnosis, and then experiencing his miracle healing. 

I am tired just thinking about the past two years alone and these are just the ones that stick out in my mind.  We have had so many trials and so many joyous occasions and answers to prayers.  I just wanted to share them with you so you can see how God has been so good to our family!  I feel healed more than Logan.  After years of depression and anxiety, I can honestly say I am content and happy.  This is something I can only attribute to God.  He has healed my heart through years of trials and finally deciding to just trust in HIM.  I am in tears just thinking about how He has worked in our lives over the past years just to get us to this point.  The crazy thing is that I would not change a thing!  My joy comes from seeing how God has worked in our lives.  My joy comes from within…..from Jesus

Not only has he carried us through this past couple of years, but he has brought so many wonderful people into our lives!  I am so thankful that in the midst of our trials, we found a wonderful church like Keystone with so many beautiful people!  So much of my inspiration came from the stories and encouragement of HIS people in my life.  Thank you Lord that Your people are fearfully and wonderfully made!  I am grateful for each and every friend, old and new, that he has placed in my life! 

My prayer is that I can be an encouragement to all those who are in the midst of a trial.  I remind you.……”This too will pass”!  It really does pass and the joy on the other side is like no other.  If you are experiencing loss, sickness, unemployment, infertility, or whatever else it may be, know that God has His hand in it all and He has a perfect plan for your life.  He will carry you to the other side of your trial if you just put your trust in Him and Him alone.  So often we try to fix things ourselves and figure out what the “perfect plan” should be, but we are human and our plan does not even compare to the greatness of His ultimate plan!   It is such a great feeling to share my joy!  I hope this will encourage you to keep on trusting in Him and learning from your struggles because there is a reason for everything!  God has a plan for you too! 

Just a few details about our MIRACLE!

Things Logan can do now that he could not do just a little over a month ago before his medicine:

Run without falling.

Squat down for an extended period of time without falling over or losing his balance.

Walk the balance beam at the therapy gym without falling off.

Jump with bended knees and not lose his balance.

Jump off ledges, chairs, and other furniture without help and still land on his feet.  (Is that bad I let him jump off the furniture?)

DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!  (We love this one!)

Wake up loose and without tremors. (This is a HUGE one! He used to wake up stiff as a board and shake for long periods of time.)

Eat using utensils with ease.

Put together puzzles and play with his toys without struggling or getting frustrated. (He still has his moments of frustration, but nothing like before.  He is so much more controlled.)

Speak in 2-3 word phrases.   (Before, we were lucky to get 1-3 words total out of him at speech therapy sessions.)

Mimic what we say and respond to our questions with an appropriate answer.

Go up and down the stairs without holding the rail.  (He was crawling up and down before.)

Sleep through the night EVERY night without waking up until 9:00am.  Mommy likes this one! (Before, he would wake up in the middle of the night at least 2-3 times a week for hours at a time.  He would thrash around in his crib and cry for hours until I could calm him down enough to go back to bed.) 

This smile speaks volumes!  It is infectious!

Praise God From Whom all Blessings Flow!

Today was the day that we finally got the results from Logan’s Neurologist, Dr. Marks.  I will spare you all the details about his neurotransmitter and MRI results and just tell you what matters.  Logan DOES have Dopa-Responsive Dystonia (DRD).  Logan is responding incredibly to the medication used to reverse the symptoms of DRD.  While the MRI results did show possible signs of Cerebral Palsy from his brain bleed at birth, the CP is so mild, it is almost non-existent with the medication.  However, the doctor will keep Logan’s diagnosis as mild CP with DRD simply because it qualifies him for more medical programs.  For example, his therapy would not be covered by insurance under a DRD or developmental delay diagnosis.  He will also qualify for the early childhood program at Keller ISD with the medical CP diagnosis.  We will re access the situation in May, but as for now his treatment will remain the same.  They have increased his medication in hopes of even better results.  So far we have not seen any negative side effects.  Praise God for that!   

Dr. Marks was astounded by the vast improvement in Logan’s spasticity compared to just a few months ago.  In fact, he adjusted it on the charts to normal!  It was so incredible to see the amazement on the faces of the neurologists and office staff as they watched Logan run up and down the halls.  Dr. Marks called it a “medical miracle”.  His partner said it was “unbelievable”, as he was filled in on the results of Logan’s tests.  All I could do was smile with tears in my eyes and think to myself......”No, it’s not unbelievable.  We believed!  We had faith!.......And yes, it is a miracle! GOD’S miracle!” 

It has been a long month waiting for the results and I started to get discouraged and think maybe I was just imagining the improvements.  A few weeks ago, we received word from the nurse that his MRI showed signs of CP but that the rest of the results were still pending.  Naturally, I began to think the worst and I got a little disappointed.  However, after seeing the doctor today my joy has returned!  I am more than elated with all the positive feedback from the doctors.  Today was such an encouraging and wonderful day!  We have not had many of these days when it comes to doctor visits and test results.  What an awesome feeling to leave with so much JOY!

I am trying to find the words to express our excitement, but there really are no words.  This is HUGE and there just is nothing we can say to express or explain our graditude.  So for now, we will just hug and love on our miracle baby and his big brother, cry tears of joy, and praise GOD from whom all blessings flow.  This is one of those moments that you look to the heavens and KNOW THAT HE IS GOD and HE IS REAL!  Thank you, Lord! 

Simply Amazing Progress!!

Logan has not been to therapy all week.  I am so excited to return on Monday!  They will be SHOCKED!The progress we have seen in Logan is amazing.  I can’t believe how much he has been talking this past week.  His vocabulary has seriously quadrupled.  He repeats EVERYTHING!  This is something he just did not do about a week ago. 

He is jumping off furniture and landing on his feet.  He is walking up and down stairs without holding onto the rail.  He is running without tripping or falling.  His balance is amazing.  I have not seen him stiff or even have any tremors in over a week.  This truly is a miracle.  Cliff and I keep looking at each other and saying “Is this for real?  Are you seeing what I am?” when he does things we have never seen him do.  Even something as simple as turning the handle on his “Jack in the Box” until it pops open without stopping or getting stiff is huge.  

His smile is infectious.  He is so happy and proud of himself.  I can’t imagine what is going through his little mind. I’m sure he feels so free and excited that his body can do things he has been trying to do for over a year now.  It is an amazing thing to watch.  Thank You, Lord! 

Thanks to all of you for your prayers.  Please continue as we await the results.

Christmas Blessings!

We had a wonderful Christmas in San Antonio.  We spent most of our time over at the Duncan’s house as we have not seen them since last August.  The boys enjoyed seeing Na-Na and Pa-Paw again and getting spoiled this Christmas.  Logan continues to improve daily and it is amazing how much he is talking as well.  I am not sure if it has anything to do with the medicine, but I have definitely seen a huge difference in his speech this last week.  What a wonderful Christmas blessing this has been.  We had so much fun seeing family and spending time together.  We are SO BLESSED!!!

Logan loves to watch movies on my laptop.

Time to open all the gifts!

He is getting so big!  Love him.

Logan loves his new bike.

Corbin having a shootout with his Uncle Justin.

Naptime for all. Big and small!

I have a picture of Corbin just like this one taken 8 years ago at Nana and Pa-Paw's house.



We stopped at a rest stop on the way home to let the boys run and play!

Look what I can do!

Psalm 103:1-3
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,and forget not all his benefits,who forgives all your iniquity,who HEALS all your diseases.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD_3djunjyE&feature=youtu.be

Praise and Prayer

I am excited to give you great news about Logan!  While we are still cautiously optimistic, I feel like this news is just too great not to share.  After a bit of a scare and a rough Thursday night, Logan is finally back to normal. 

Logan woke up at 11pm Thursday night crying and screaming, “Hurt”…..“Hurt” over and over.  He could not get comfortable; he fell to his knees in pain every time I put him down, and was running a 101 temperature even after giving him Tylenol.   It was one of the most helpless, terrifying situations I have ever experienced with Logan.   I finally decided to call the Neurologist at 2:30am to see if we should take him to the ER.  While he was concerned about the fever, he seemed to think that a double dose of Motrin and heat on his back would help.  Thank God, he was right.  Logan was having muscle spasms in his back and legs from the lumbar puncture.  He finally settled down after I massaged his legs and put a heating pad on his back.  By the time Cliff got back with the Motrin, Logan was fast asleep.  Friday we took it easy, and by Saturday he was back to his normal self.

 Given all the drama on Thursday, we decided to wait until Sunday to start his medication.  I gave Logan ¼ of a Sinemet pill at noon on Sunday afternoon; he ate lunch, and then went down for a nap.

 Here is what has happened since then: 

1.) I woke Logan from his nap; he was not stiff as a board when I laid him on the changing table.  Instead, he bent his knees up towards his tummy and relaxed his hips as I changed his diaper.   

2.) Logan usually shakes almost as if he is cold when he wakes up from a nap.  The tremors are especially bad when I wake him from a deep sleep.   When I woke him from his nap yesterday, he did not shake at ALL. 

3.) We went to our CG Christmas party last night.  Cliff went outside to watch Logan while I was inside; moments later Cliff came in and asked me to come outside.  I was shocked to see Logan RUNNING across the front yard.  He was sprinting across the lawn without an abnormal gait and without falling over and over again.  He was jumping and running without losing his balance.        Unbelievable!  It was absolutely amazing to watch as I stood sobbing in awe of God’s miraculous power!  He did not fall or seem the least bit phased by the uneven ground or steps on the porch.  There are no words!  Really…………NO WORDS!

4.) When we got home we watched Logan do leap frog across the living room floor; jumping until his little heart was content.  He was bending his knees and pushing off the floor, something we have never seen.  Oh, happy joy!

5.) This morning I was so excited to go wake him up bright and early to give him another dose of medicine, and see how he would react when I woke him.  He usually shakes and has tremors that sometimes continue even as I feed him breakfast.  The tremors usually go away after he is awake for 20-30 minutes.  When I woke him this morning he was not stiff.  Again, he bent his knees up towards his chest and let his arms rest loosely above his head.  He did not have any tremors at all this morning and seemed to be quite relaxed.  Praise God!

6.) When I took him to PT, OT, and ST this morning, he was more relaxed than normal in his car seat.  He kicked his legs, bounced up and down to the music and then crossed his legs in front of him. 

7.) His therapists watched him run and jump during therapy.  I was excited to hear that they also noticed a difference in his balance and gait.  Of course, they were not as excited as me, but they were very encouraged to see the progress he has made in just two days.

8.) Even with all this good news, I am a little concerned about his loss of appetite and dizziness.  He seems to be dizzy; putting his head down, and rubbing his eyes.  Please pray that these side effects are only temporary and that he will continue to have great results from the medication.

So there you have it……….that is the wonderful news with every detail!   I will continue update you on his movements and let you know how he is doing as he continues on his medication.   Again, please pray for success and little to no side effects.

Update on Logan and Quiet Reminders That God is Faithful!

As I sat in the waiting room and watched so many sick children be called into surgery one by one, I was reminded of how fortunate we are to have Logan.  Not only did he make it through heart surgery and so many other ups and downs throughout his 76 day NICU stay, he continues to hit milestones we thought may never be possible.  He is, for all intensive purposes, a healthy and happy little boy.  He is extremely active and full of love and so much JOY!  We are so blessed to have him in our lives.  

My heart was filled with compassion for two moms in particular as I watched them while we were waiting for Logan in recovery.   It was heartbreaking to watch them as they sat alone with their bald little boys, one waiting for chemo, and the other bone marrow.  All I could do was say a prayer for them and ask for comfort as they struggle through something so much more difficult than what I am experiencing.  I ask you all to say a little pray for these moms.  God knows them by name even if we do not, and he is able to give comfort to the brokenhearted and rest to the weary.   Pray for healing for their cancer stricken little boys.  Pray that if they do not know Jesus that they will find Him through this situation.

Logan’s procedures went very well and he did not have any problems with the anesthesia.  He seems to be his normal self right now as he watches his favorite “Blue’s Clues” episode.    He will start on his first dose of Sinemet tomorrow and we are praying for miraculous results.  Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement over the past few weeks.  We will not get any results back for about 4 weeks due to the holidays, but we are confident that whatever the results, it is all in God’s plan.  I will keep you all posted on his status throughout the next month.  No matter what challenges we face ahead, we know that Logan has the will power and fight in him to make the best of any situation.  We believe and trust in faith that God has a miracle in store for our precious little boy.

"It's Just Too Big For Your Suitcase"

This is such a HUGE week for our family.  I have so much going through my head right now.  Does that make for a good or bad time to blog?  I guess we will see…..I will just share my heart and ask that you please remember Logan in your prayers on Thursday morning.  I am filled with so many conflicting emotions…………..like fear, apprehension, anxiety, but at the same time, hope, faith, and peace.  How can one person have so many things going through their mind at one time?  It is not easy to put it all into words so if I sound like I am just rambling on and on, just skip to the next paragraph.  I have not felt this overwhelmed by God’s goodness since Logan made it through heart surgery at 2 weeks old.   In fact, I am so overwhelmed, that all I want to do is share with anyone who will listen how I am in awe of His precious love for me. 

A year ago when Logan was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy we were devastated, but we were also grateful Logan would finally get the help he needed to learn coping skills to help him lead the most “normal” life possible.  What is “normal” anyway?   It was some closure to a year long struggle.  We finally felt like we had answers to what the future would hold for our sweet little boy.  As the year went on we began to accept his diagnosis and the fact that he was always going to have special needs.  We knew Logan would have many challenges ahead of him, but we also knew we would work hard as a family to help him overcome his disability.  We started extensive therapy and I began diligently working with him at home.  Logan has made remarkable improvements and hit milestones that have even surprised his therapists. 

You can imagine the shock when the same Neurologist that gave us a second opinion and confirmed Logan’s Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy diagnosis a year ago suggested, “There may be a “cure all” medication for Logan, he may have been misdiagnosed with CP, and he may have a rare condition called Dopa-Responsive Dystonia.”  It was even more shocking as he continued to explain, “This may have nothing to do with the fact that Logan was premature and just a genetic condition that is very likely hereditary.” 
   
My mind began to race…………….all his rigidity, all his instability, all his lack of balance, all his tremors may be caused by DRD and it could all be gone with medication?  He may be able to run without an abnormal gait, he may be able to walk with ease, and there may be no struggle to eat or write or put together puzzles?  All the questions and joyous thoughts began running through my mind as I sat in the doctor’s office stunned by this encouraging, yet baffling news.  Genetic?  Hereditary ? What?  This played over and over in my head as he so eloquently explained the details using his somewhat intimidating medical vocabulary.  I felt like I was in a dream as he went on to explain he wants to do a spinal tap, another MRI, and some chromosomal blood work just to confirm.  It all sounded so scary, especially the part about putting Logan under anesthesia for the procedures.  

“How could my son have DRD if nobody in my family or my husband’s family has it?” I asked.   

The doctor explained that only one parent has to have the gene and the gene carrier may or may not ever show symptoms of the disease.  DRD is so extremely rare that only about 1 in a 1000 children seen by a neurologist has this condition. Many DRD patients are misdiagnosed as CP and never tested.  The fact that Logan is being tested for DRD at such a young age is a blessing in itself, as many are not diagnosed until age 8-10 when their symptoms have worsened from not being properly treated. 

DRD is so rare that I have only met one other individual in the medical field that has even heard of this condition.  The only reason I had heard of DRD was because I briefly read about it online (being the Google queen that I am) after panicking when Logan’s first physical therapist suggested he go see a hereditary disease specialist.  At the time, we were so scared just hearing the words “hereditary disease” and so “sure” she was wrong in her thinking that we chose to take him to the referred neurologist for a second opinion instead.  Praise God she had the foresight to refer us to a neurologist she knew had experience with DRD patients.  Even though she never specifically used the words Dopa-Responsive Dystonia, as she is legally not allowed to diagnose, I have to believe that this is what she was referring to when she suggested we consider looking into the possibility of a rare genetic dystonic condition. God is always working behind the scenes and I am confident that He specifically chose her to get us to the best pediatric neurologist. 

At the time, we were so confident Logan’s developmental delays and medical issues were due to his prematurity that we did not think it would be wise to just dismiss what seemed to be a logical explanation to consider a hereditary condition.  The beautiful thing about this whole story is, had Logan not been born 11 weeks early, and had the issues he did, he would not have gotten the quality of care he has had over the past two years.  The reality is we may have never known he might have this extremely rare condition that only the most informed and specialized doctors know exists.  Coincidence?  I think NOT!  God’s sovereign plan?  Most defiantly! 

His plan was so much bigger than my brain could ever imagine!  Or as our pastor would say, “Some things are just too big for your suitcase.”  I just can’t wrap my mind around how perfectly the past two years circumstances have  all come together to create one HUGE miracle.  As I sit here and type what he has done for our family, I am in awe of his all knowing, all powerful blessings, and I am humbled by his love for us.  It is so incredible how he has worked out every detail of every day.  This is just too much to believe.  Yes, too much…………… But, I believe!  I believe it, I hope for it, and I have faith that our Lord Jesus Christ will heal our son!  I truly believe in this miracle and I BOLDLY praise and thank God in advance for healing Logan’s little body.  I cling to Hebrews 11:1 and Ephesians 3:20. 

Hebrews 11:1- Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Ephesians 3:20- Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

I consider just the possibility of a misdiagnosis alone to be a miracle.  This is a second chance I never felt would be possible……A second chance I was fine without having.  Friends, we must NEVER forget that with God, ALL things are possible!  Next time you are discouraged when your prayer is not answered as you wish, I encourage you to take heart in the fact that it is possible His answer is only “no” for now.  So often we get wrapped up in the fact that we are not getting what we want right then, that we forget God has a plan and it is all in His time.  He may be working on you as a person, and simply answering your prayer with a “yes” immediately may not be in your best interest long-term.  He knows exactly what you can handle and he knows when the best time for you to receive a blessing.  I have learned there is not always a definite “yes” or “no” answer.  So often we forget he also answers with, “wait”.  Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God” comes to mind. 

If we hadn’t experienced this past year the way we did…………..Oh, how much we would have missed!  We would not have experienced the grace and the peace that only Jesus Christ can give to those who have a child with a chronic disease.  I both accept and embrace the fact that CP may still be Logan’s diagnosis, however; I also have faith that he will be healed through Jesus Christ.  We BELIEVE!  I am so excited to finally have some answers this week.  I am sure the test results will take longer than this week, but I am ready to start the process.  We truly believe there is a miracle to come.  Wow….that was therapeutic. Thanks for listening……………….I will keep you posted on his status.  Please keep us in your prayers.  I leave you with a verse that means more to our family than ever before.

James 1:2-4- Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Answers to all our prayers!

I am so grateful that I have my Heavenly Father watching over my every need.  I need not worry because he always takes care of us.  Thank you to everyone for all your prayer.   I felt it and I know that He was listening because every detail was taken care of over the past week.  I have an overwhelming peace that the Lord has his hand in this, He has provided a way for us to finance the procedures, and He has worked out the timing of the procedures.  His plan is so much better than my plan could ever be. He is able to do so much more than I can even imagine!  God is so good, what He does is so good, and He has the PERFECT plan for our family! 

He is good, what He does is good, He has a perfect plan for our family!

Thanks to everyone for your prayers. We received confirmation that Logan will be having all three procedures done on December 15th at 7:30am. I am so thankful the neurologist was able to schedule an emergency MRI on the same day so that we do not have to wait until the end of January.  God continues to bless our family and carry us through this uncertain time.  Please continue to pray for the procedures and for a peace that surpasses all understanding. 

I am reminded of Eph. 3:20 on a daily basis!  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

Pray for Logan

Last Monday we went to Logan’s 6 month Neurology check-up. The doctor is fairly confident that Logan may not have Cerebral Palsy, but instead a rare condition called DRD (Dopa-Responsive Dystonia). Unlike Cerebral Palsy, DRD is a treatable condition that , in most cases, is completely reversible with medication. Logan will undergo a spinal tap, MRI, and extensive blood work in the next couple of weeks.  I am waiting to hear back from the scheduling department at Cook Children’s Hospital to confirm the date. He will have to be put under anesthesia for the procedures.  He may have some discomfort from the lumbar puncture, but he should recover by the next day.

While I am trying not to get my hopes up, I am on bended knees praying that Logan does not have CP as previously diagnosed.  I wasn’t sure if I was ready to share this yet as I am trying not to get too focused on what is to come, but rather focus on the Logan I love and accept as he is today. Logan is such a JOY and so full of love and life. Of course, it is hard not to hope and pray that there is a magic pill out there to make his life a little easier. In the end, I decided to share so that I can ask for your prayer during this uncertain time.

 

Please pray:

Pray that the Neurologist will be able to fit Logan in before the end of the year so we can get some answers soon and not have to pay another surgery deductible next year.

Pray that the testing goes smoothly without complication.

Pray for peace and comfort for me and Cliff while Logan is under anesthesia again.

Pray for steady hands and wisdom for the doctors/nurses working on Logan.

Pray for financial provision.

PRAY FOR A MIRICLE FOR OUR SWEET LOGAN!

Blessings

I am so blessed to have these wonderful kiddos.  Corbin is such a smart little boy.  He is doing so well in school.  On Friday, he brought home his report card with all A’s and one B.  He also got the highest you can score for conduct.  I am so proud of him.  He is becoming such a little man.  He loves his little brother so much and is such a big help to me.  Logan’s eyes light up as he screams with joy, “Bu-Bu!”, every time Corbin returns home from school.

Logan is slowly but surely saying more words and seems to understand almost everything I say.  His therapy is going very well and I feel like it is well worth the money.  At least that’s what I tell myself to feel better about dishing out almost 100 bucks a week in co-pays……ha-ha.  In Texas there is a law that allows special needs children to go to school when they turn 3 so that they will be prepared for Kindergarten.  This is such a blessing and puts my mind at ease.  I know a couple ladies from church that have their preemie kids in the program at Keller ISD.  They rave about how great it has been for their kids.  Logan will get all his therapy at no cost through the school district.  He will go in the mornings for 5 days a week next year.  I am really looking forward to this program!

Cliff is doing great and enjoying his work.  He is up for a promotion this month.  I am so proud of him and so grateful that the Lord has blessed him with a job that he loves!  We have come so far in the past five years and have made so many huge changes through faith.  I am so thankful for all the Lord’s blessings!  God is so good.

Update on the Duncan Family

I have not kept up with my blog at all!  It seems like every time I sit down to blog something happens with the boys and I am distracted.  Things are going very well for us…….here is what we have been up to in our busy lives!

Corbin is back in school and enjoying his new teacher.  He seems to be doing much better with his school work since his dyslexia was diagnosed and he is getting the proper help.  Corbin is such a great kid and has a heart of GOLD!  I love to watch him with his little brother, He just loves Logan so much and it shines through in his interaction with him every day.  I can’t believe he is already 10 years old.  He just seems so grown up. J  His thoughts and actions are so much more mature this year.  I enjoy him so much and love to just sit and talk with him about life.  He really is so caring and smart!  LOVE HIM!!!!

We had such a wonderful time reconnecting with Corbin this summer.  It was a much needed break for all of us.  We enjoyed the ship and all our excursions at each port.  Corbin’s favorite excursion was zip lining in Rotan, Honduras.  I have to say Cliff and I had fun zip lining, but our favorite was snorkeling in Belize.   We went to a private island right off the coast of Belize and snorkeled, had BBQ, and played on the beach.   It was so beautiful and we hope to return for our 20^th anniversary in a couple years.   Logan did great while we were away for 10 days.  Mary and Lou came to the house and took care of Logan so that he could continue his therapy and be in his own environment while we were gone.  What a precious gift to have in-laws and grandparents as wonderful as them!  They are such a blessing!  God has been so good to provide us with our each and every need throughout our 18 years together, and we are so blessed to have had the opportunity to make such beautiful memories this past summer!

Logan is doing great with his therapy.  His therapists are still coming to see him every week in our home.  We recently decided to get him some additional physical and speech therapy to help with some of his developmental challenges.  I can really see a difference and he seems to enjoy going to the therapy gym to learn new things.  Logan has had a rough couple of months though.  He had strep throat and a double ear infection last month, landing him in the ER with 105 degree temp.  Thankfully, they were able to break the fever and he did not have any seizures or severe reactions.   This month he got a pretty bad upper respiratory infection, and had to have daily breathing treatments and steroids for two weeks.  I think he is finally well, but we are going to keep him home for a while so he has time to fully recover and build up his immune system.  

Logan is learning new words, climbing on everything, and running all over the place.  I am so happy to see that he is such an active and happy little boy.  He has such a sweet disposition.   All his therapists tell me what a sweet and smart little boy he is, and that just warms my heart.  I am so proud Logan is such a fighter and I know he will continue to do GREAT things in the future.

Just a Few Cruise Pictures

I am adding a few cruise pictures to my blog.  I will do a more detailed blog soon. 

Speech and Occupational Therapy at Work!!

I am so happy with Logan's progress since he started the new ECI program at the beginning of the year.  I have seen great improvements in his understanding and fine motor skills.  Though it is still a work in progress, I am encouraged to see how he is improving on a daily basis.  This is just an example of what he is learning.  A week ago he could not do any interactive activity without help.  He actually understands what I am telling him now and that is SO encouraging!

I Love Being Home With My Sweet Boys!!

Things are going great for us!  I am so blessed to be home with my boys.  God knows exactly where I should be at this time in my life, and I truly believe this is the place he has prepared for me in the past 5 years!  It is so great to be able to look back over the years and see how he worked in certain circumstances to place me where I am at this particular time in my life. 

Corbin was diagnosed with Dyslexia this month.  Though it will be a challenge for him through the years, we consider it a blessing that we discovered this so early in his education.  So many people never catch it and struggle for years without any assistance.  His teacher is a true blessing….she is the one that finally noticed the Dyslexia and helped us decide to test him.  I prayed for the perfect teacher for him this year and God provided exactly what he needed.  I can see how much she loves Corbin and it warms my heart that she takes such a personal interest in my son. 

Corbin took the news well…..I am so proud of him and how he handles things like a little man.  I don’t think that he understands exactly what dyslexia is, but he understands that he “learns differently” than the other kids in his class.  I think he is just relieved to know that he is going to get the help he needs.  He has a special dyslexia teacher that is working with him on his reading and writing every day. 

Logan continues to improve daily as he learns to walk.  He is still a little off balance and walks up on his left toe, but he is walking none the less, without any assistance from braces or a walker.  All Logan’s therapists (speech, physical, occupational, nurse, and dietician) come to the house to work with him, which is incredibly convenient.  I am so blessed to be able to work with him at home on a daily basis. 

I never imagined I would have two children with special needs, but I would not change a thing.  They are both so special and have blessed our family in so many ways!  God is so good.  My prayer is that I can be the best mom possible to my boys and that I enjoy every moment I have with them.  They grow up so FAST!!! 

Christmas FUN 2010

We had a great Christmas!  I would say it was busy, but that would be an understatement....I think chaotic is more the word I am looking for. :)  I still need to go through the pictures I did take, but they won't be anything like Becca and Sara's fancy pictures. ;)

We drove to San Antonio on Tuesday, December 21^st.  The trip went surprisingly well.  Logan did fabulous and Corbin always does great in the car on long trips……other than the 35 times he asked “are we almost there?”  We arrived in the evening, dropped off the kids and the dog, and we were off to Alamo Café!  I think I was more excited about going to Alamo Café and Bill Millers than any present I got for Christmas.  I still have dreams about those Alamo Café tortillas and Bill Miller’s hash browns and brisket with BBQ sauce!  Yumo!

Wednesday, we took the boys to visit Nana (Mary) at work and she showed them off to all the office ladies.  Then it was back home for a long nap.  Logan did not sleep well in his pack and play the first night.  After naptime, I think he realized that was his new bed and he slept great the rest of the time.  We decided to stay with Mary and Lou the whole time we were in San Antonio so that Logan did not have to adjust to a new place all over again.  That night we went to Incredible Pizza Co. and Corbin was in heaven.  This place was like Chuck E Cheese on steroids…..ha-ha!  Thank you Nana and Papaw!

Thursday, we woke up early and took the boys to breakfast at our favorite breakfast restaurant, Las Palapas.  We all ate for $13.95.  You just can’t do that in Dallas!  We loved the chilaquiles and Corbin loved his bean and cheese taco with his pancakes…..ha-ha……only in SA!  Logan came home and took a nap while Cliff and Lou took Corbin to the indoor shooting range.  Dad took his three girls to lunch and shopping while Uncle Justin watched Logan and Brian and Joey watched the other three kiddos.  We had a lot of fun and great laughs with dad.  It was so fun to be with just dad and my sisters.  That night Grandma Cose joined us at dad’s house for a slide show that dad prepared for us.  We watched slides of our childhood and some of mom and dad when they first got married.  What a special time.

Friday, Christmas Eve, we went to The Dominion Country Club for family pictures!  EVERYONE was there (Dad’s kids and grand kids and Jean’s kids and grand kids).  It was smooth sailing and not as bad as we had imagined it would be with all the little ones running around!  Then back to the Duncan’s house for a nap and some last minute shopping for me.  We all met Grandma Cose’s house for a Bill Miller’s Christmas Eve dinner!  The best choice for a Christmas Eve dinner by far……and topped off with Brian’s homemade tamales.....Delicious!  We opened all our gifts and the kiddos played their little hearts out. Then back to the Duncan’s for the night…….wow that was a busy day!

Christmas morning with Mary and Lou was wonderful.   We had a big pancake breakfast/brunch and the boys played while we listened to music and watched movies.  It was so peaceful and quiet and we got some much needed rest and relaxation until about 4:30, then it was off to the Axtell house for a Christmas dinner.  Jean did a fabulous job!  The whole clan was there and we ate, drank, and were merry!  The kids played and many visitors passed through as the night went on…..about 7:00 Cliff decided he was ready to drive back to Dallas.  To make a long story short, we finally decided to leave Sunday morning instead. 

Sunday, we got up at 5:00am and did not get out the door until about 6:00am.  We were pleased not to hit any traffic on the drive home.  Logan and Corbin did great and we were home by 10:15am.  I took a power nap and then started cleaning for company and round two.

Monday morning, Cliff’s mom (Brenda), brother (Bob), his wife (Connie), their son (Marshall), and Marshall’s son (Saben- 4) and daughter (Jazmine-10) all came to visit.  Cobin had a blast playing with the kids and meeting his grandma Brenda for the first time.  It was so nice to visit with the family.  The kids played during the day and watched movies at night.  Connie and Bob took them skating one day and one night Corbin slept over at the hotel with the kids.   That was fun for him!  They tried to swim in the heated pool, but froze their little booties off!  On New Year’s Eve, Brenda went back to South Carolina and Bob and Connie watched the boys while Cliff and I went out for a nice dinner.  Bob, Connie, and Marshall took the kids back to Abilene on Saturday and flew out Sunday morning. 

I feel like I need a vacation to recover from my vacation!  What a special time it was with all my family.  I am so excited to be home with my baby and back to our routine!  I love that I can stay home with them and I am so happy to be blessed with a wonderful husband and these beautiful boys!