Thomas Plays In His First Soccer Game!

My sweet, four year old Thomas started soccer today. He was beyond excited. Earlier today he and I went to the sports store to get him a soccer ball, soccer bag, and his shin guards. He wanted to wear his uniform all day, but we decided it would be best (for the sake of keeping it clean) to wait until after Tyler got home from school to put it on. Which he did, proudly!

Here he is warming up for the game.

Thomas scored the first goal of the game. His first goal ever. I was so excited for him. When I asked him later tonight what the best part of his day was, he replied "When I scored my goal. I felt happy" I think this might be something he always remembers.

Pushing the fluids before returning to the game.

This is Thomas friend Reed. Thomas is thrilled that they are on the same team. During the game Reed got hurt. Both he and Thomas were on the sideline waiting to go back in when I heard Thomas say to Reed "Are you OK little buddy ... It's going to be OK little buddy" So Cute! They have such a fun friendship.

Tyler's First Day Of 3rd Grade

Tyler was so excited to start his first day of school. He waited out in the car for fifteen minutes before it was time to leave for school. He just couldn't wait to get there!
Last night he packed up his backpack, cleaned up his wheelchair (from a very dirty summer), and set out his school clothes.

Thomas and I dropped Tyler off at school. Thomas wanted to stay so badly and go to kindergarten with some of his friends!
Not too soon Thomas!

On the first day of school each year we have an extra special breakfast
with balloons, a banner and their favorite foods.

A Proud Day For Mom!

This is a day that I want to remember.
About a week prior to this photo, Tyler was with me at Costco. He was browsing through the toys when he found this Crayola Color Wonder Sprayer. He showed it to me and nicely tried to get me to buy it for him right then and there. I asked Tyler if he had the ten dollars that the toy cost. He said "no". I told Tyler that he could earn the money by doing some work around the house, or that he could ask for it for Christmas or his birthday (the response that I usually give when the boys ask me for something at the store) but we were not going to bring it home that day. Tyler was not satisfied with my response at all. In fact he was so MAD!!! Tyler and I fought about this almost every day for the whole week. I was so sick of this same conversation (aka fight) with him! Then, after five days, instead of our usual "conversation" Tyler told me that he wanted to do some jobs to earn the money for the toy. I couldn't believe it! My parenting worked. I held my ground, and he learned the principle! That day Tyler picked up apples in the back yard, he vacuumed his room and our front room, and he emptied the dish washer all to earn his toy. Right when he wad done working we got in the car and headed back to Costco to get his toy with his money!!
HE DID IT!!!

HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE!!!

We started off our weekend up in Midway with a Hot Air Balloon ride. It was exciting to see everything it takes to get the balloon ready for our ride.

Here we go!

It was the most beautiful morning! The ride was so peaceful, not at all scary like i thought it would be. Tyler was just barely able to see over the edge of the basket.

Thomas had a little window to look through. There was no way for him to jump or climb out!

This is our Hot Air Balloon over the Heber Valley.

At the end of our ride we landed on a long country road.

Thomas doing what he loves the most...running!

Our Weekend At The Homestead

Swimming!

Golfing!

We all had fun feeding the ducks. We did it several times!

Thomas called this the volcano. He said that his favorite part of the weekend was going into the volcano. In actuality, it is a hot spring that just looks like a volcano on the outside. It is at the Homestead. You are able to go down into it and swim(I think we'll try that next year). This is a shot looking up and out.

This is Dad and Thomas in the Volcano.

This is Mom and Thomas on the outside.

Meeting Mike

Our last night at the Homestead, after a wonderful dinner, we were able to hear a speaker by the name of Mike Schalppi. Mike is a paraplegic and a four time Olympian with two gold metals and two bronze. He has an incredible story and an amazing outlook of life. I pray that I am able to take what he said and apply it to my life, and more importantly help my son use it throughout his life!
http://www.mikeschlappi.com/

Mike let Tyler and Thomas wear his metals and help him during his presentation.

I was hoping that this experience would have an impact on Tyler. I thought I might never know, but this morning Tyler said out of the blue "I got to wear the gold metal. Mike is in a wheel chair like me." I asked Ty "How did that make you feel?" Tyler answered " It made me feel good inside." Mike, Thank you for the hope and inspiration that you have given our family!

The Alpine Coaster

Thomas squealing with excitement captured on YOUTUBE!


Most of the times we are in Park City we stop at the resort and take the boys on the Alpine Coaster. To hear them laugh and scream on the way down the mountain makes me so happy.
Tyler and I are waiting in line for our turn. He said that the coaster was his favorite part of the weekend!

That is Thomas and Brad on their way up the mountain.

The Park City Farmers Market

Our last stop this weekend was at the farmers market. There were so many fun things to do. There was music and silly entertainment. Thomas and I got in on the hoola hooping.

Tyler and I found a farmer selling the sweetest white nectarines. Nothing beats the way food tastes straight from the farm. It was delicious.

SOLD!!

JUST ANOTHER ORDINARY MIRACLE DAY!!!!

The boys and I thought that it would be fun to document an ordinary day of our life. This may not be of interest to any one else but our family, but I have to say, that I am so happy to have this little day of our life recorded for us to remember. In all honesty, this is a typical day of ours. I am calling it "Just Another Ordinary Miracle Day" because we are so ordinary to someone looking in, but to me, all I see are miracles! I look at my life and am so in love with what I see. We are happy, healthy, we have a small yet beautiful place to live in this world, supportive family and friends, Brad is happy and fulfilled with his companies, and I could not be more blessed to be a mother. Sure we have challenges, some are very difficult but, I believe it is possible to be happy, truly happy through any thing that is going on in you life, no matter what it may be. It is the refining process for your character to be challenged and still find peace and happiness in this life. It is a beautiful life!!

I usually get my workouts done early in the morning before Brad goes to work. Today I got to sleep in! After Brad left for work, and breakfast outside with the boys, I got my workout in. Not my usual, (swim, bike, run) today my boys wanted to go rollerbalding. They love it when thye bring their bubbles, because when I go fast they hold their bubble wands out and the bubbles go flying everywhere with no effort. They giggle, and it is so much fun!

Every morning after my workouts, I drink my 1 oz of JUS! I get to start my day with enough antioxidants to help my body recover from my exercising and taking care of my boys!

Right before we left for Primary Children's Medical Center (PCMC), Aunt Jenny and cousin Carly came and took Thomas to see Charlotte's Web at the theater. Tyler and I headed to PCMC. We are going to see his Neurosurgeon. Tyler is leaking Cerebral Spinal Fluid at an incision site on his back. His spine swells and it looks like someone put a bouncy ball under his skin on his spine. We were going to see if he needs surgery to fix the issue, or if they think if will heal on its own. Lets cross our fingers for the latter.

We love to be at PCMC! We have spent so much time here that it is not scary at all! It is a happy, fun, and safe place to be.

This is Dr. Walker. He, over the past seven years, has taken such great care of Tyler. GREAT NEWS!! No Surgery Today! We are going to watch Tyler's back, have him wear an abdominal binder for the next month and pray that it resolves on its own.

This is one of Tyler's favorite places in the hospital. He gets to watch the elevators go up and down, and watch the fish swim in this glass case. We get our lunch from the cafeteria and sit here and eat together.

I am so grateful to be leaving the hospital today, and not staying to have surgery on Tyler's back! This is a miracle.

After the hospital we stopped at the grocery store to do some shopping for dinner.

Sweet Tyler fell asleep on the way home.

Shortly after we got home from the PCMC Tyler had scouts. While Tyler was at scouts Thomas and his friend Kate and I went to weed our neighborhood garden.

My friend, Laurie and I talked as we weeded our garden.

Tyler had scouts today. It was his first day in the Bear Den!

Tyler helped me by setting the dinner table.

For dinner, we had pork ribs and vegetables from our garden.

While I was cooking dinner it was a great site to see Brad come home from work and play baseball with Thomas in the back yard.

Time to eat, and enjoy that rest of the evening with my boys!
It was just another ordinary miracle day!