Get used to the Stairs

I get blue this time of year.  The end of another memory-making summer. So long, Musical: Kate, Josie and Davey were all in a musical (if you can call it that) put on by Lehi City, "101 Dalmations".  The rehearsals kept the kids entertained and singing during long summer days.  Davey met new friends and improved his wheelchair dance moves.  The directors were so good to accommodate him.  Kate was a "boxer" dog.  She was embarrassed by her boxers and boxing gloves.  I thought they were adorable.  Josie didn't have a speaking part.  Instead of being bummed, she kept saying, "Thank heavens I don't have to worry about my lines!"  Davey had a speaking part, he just never said the line.  Here are the highlights: Pa Rindy did their make-up. Grandma Peterson with five of her great grandkid superstars. So long, Family: There is nothing better than seeing our siblings, parents and cousins who live afar.  We can neve...

I love to read.  In much the way that a certain song or fragrance will elicit memories of a stage of life or a super cool moment at a high school dance, I have books seared into my memory from the moments in time when I was reading them.   When Kate was born, I was reading a book about cryptography.  Josie was born unexpectedly premature the week before Christmas.  Life was so scattered with her arrival and Christmas that I didn’t have time for reading.  I do recall that the scriptural story of Christ’s birth held special significance for me that year as I held my newborn baby.  With Davey, I was reading E. L. Konigsburg’s The View from Saturday .  The book uses a 6th grade academic competition as the backdrop for the coming together of four special students and their teacher.  The teacher is returning to the profession after a ten year absence due to a car accident that confined her to a wheelchair.   Now, I’ve seen enough X-F...

Channel 2 is doing a one year follow-up story to our fetal surgery . Matt and I aren't a fan of the coverage, but we believe the news stories had a large influence in our insurance covering the surgery.  So we are grateful for them, and we hope the new story shows the joy we have as a family. I'm nervous about 4 things.  1st, coming across like our life is soooo hard because of two kids with spina bifida. We wouldn't have it any other way, and most days are fine and dandy. 2nd, sounding like fetal surgery is the best option for everyone. Obviously we don't believe this because we chose not to have the fetal surgery with Davey.   Sometimes things can come across different when hours of footage is condescend into a two minute story.  3rd, the perception that fetal surgery is a cure for spina bifida. It's not.  4th, I feel uncomfortable with all the comparisons between Maggie and Davey. They are who they are. Well, let's see how it goes.  All I k...

Davey played in his first baseball game.  Out of all the dad's across the country attending their son's games, I think Matt's heart was bursting with the most joy.  A church group of teenage volunteers assisted the boys as they swung and "ran" to base.  His team, The Braves, is sponsored by Shriner's Hospital.   I wanted to spruce up the office, so we made book shelves that wrap around the room  and put up wrapping paper. We are doing some demo work in the master bathroom.  I look forward to sharing a bathroom with the  kids for the next six months :-\                                   Easter.   I returned home to Canyon, Texas for the weekend.  I couldn't miss the big event.  Over the years, m y  small  hometown church has become a much larger one, and I wanted to be there for the dedication ...

We love Alec.  He's a great cousin, nephew, and friend.  There are few people who love better than Alec.    He has autism.  A few weeks ago he gave a talk in Primary.  He held up the words in order to be understood.  Then he used sign language at the very end of it.  Jaisey, his mom, sent us this picture. So today our family wore blue and made blue M&M cookies to celebrate Autism Awareness Day.   Our Houston cousins showing their Alec Awesomeness Awareness all in blue. Davey and Alec Awesome Alec

One year ago we found out Maggie had spina bifida.  It's been a fantastic journey.  I love glancing over my shoulder and looking at my cute chunker in her swing.  I'm gushing with love! Matt's not a big journal writer, but I'm glad he wrote on occasion last year.  This is one of his entrys.  I am putting it on our blog today because I've really learned and been strengthened by other families who have shared their experience.  Also, if by some chance a mother clicks on our blog and is trying to make the decision whether or not to abort her child with spina bifida, I hope she'll choose to let the baby grow and become a child of destiny.  Oh ya, and if you read this, please don't write comments about our family being awesome or anything like that.  That sounds conceited!  But your niceties make my face all red and mom always said I didn't look good in red  So, no comments except on the weather. March 22, 2012 Millie and I wen...

Last year when I started to blog, I wrote a post , "Should Have. "   I feel the same way today.  I should be landing in Houston right now ready to begin our vacation.  For months, Kate, Maggie and I have looked forward to playing with family and visiting the doctors who performed Maggie's fetal surgery.  But just as I was zipping up the final piece of luggage last night, Kate started throwing up.  It continued every twenty minutes throughout the night.  Finally at 3 a.m., we accepted there was no way Kate could fly.  So I decided to go without her.  But the pit in my stomach told me I couldn't leave her.  This is our third time to cancel our Houston trip.  Before it was because of Maggie's hydocephalus. So the whole family is disappointed.  Davey and Josie were ecstatic to be babysat by neighbors, watch movies with Dad and have a sleepover with Nana and Pa.  When I got Davey off the bus, he said, "Oh man, I want yo...