Monday, October 30, 2017

Ryker Turns 5!!


 Dear Ryker,

It's cliche to say, but I simply cannot believe you are already FIVE! My baby is not a baby, or toddler, and to say you are a preschooler doesn't quite feel right as you just as easily fit in with older school age peers. Daddy and I are so proud of the little boy you are and the young man you are becoming. You are kind, thoughtful, sweet, inquisitive, smart, interested and interesting, funny, and have a positive attitude most of the time. You love to explore and dig, be read to, build Legos, draw, create, play pretend, ride your bike and scooter, are becoming more interested in sports, and love to go to the Museum of Nature and Science (the "Dinosaur Museum" as you call it). You are still innocent and enjoy being with Mom and Dad so much of the time. We'll take it as long as we can get it. Thank you for being such a light in our every day lives. We love and adore you.

Love,
Mom



Birthday Anticipation
Having a birthday the day before Halloween has turned out to be really fun. Ryker has morphed his birthday and Halloween into one event that he looks forward to with much anticipation. Several weeks back we were at the grocery store together, and when Ryker saw that they had Halloween decorations out, he look at me and declared, "I can't believe they are already decorating for my birthday!" He also attributes the neighborhood Halloween decorations to everyone prepping for his birthday. It's too cute.

Birthday Celebration
We celebrated Ryker's birthday this previous weekend with family and a few friends. We had tacos, cake, presents, and just let the kids play. Ryker had been asking for a cousin sleepover as the main thing he wanted for his birthday, so Raum spent the night with all four kids sleeping in one room. Ryker loved it!





Later today on his actual birthday, we will go out to eat (Applebee's per Ryker's request), and come home to a few more presents.

Happy Birthday to our precious little boy! He wouldn't agree to staying 4, so I'll try to soak him up as much as I can as the years fly by.

Edited later: Unfortunately, Ryker, Sydney, and Myles all got a stomach bug the afternoon of Ryker's birthday, so we had to postpone our Applebee's dinner. Since Brayden had already had the stomach bug, Ryker naturally blamed it on him. While throwing up in the bathroom he yelled out, "Why did Brayden do this to me?" and later while crouched over a bowl dry heaving, he lifted his head enough to exclaim, "Let's just get rid of Brayden!" In the morning, he came into our room and asked, "Are the bugs all out of my body?" Thankfully, the bug only lasted less than 12 hours, and Gilby and I were somehow spared!

Monday, October 23, 2017

Adam's Camp - Summer 2017

This summer we had the opportunity to go to Adam's Camp at YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, CO. Adam's Camp is a family camp for children with disabilities and their families. Myles was in intensive, but still fun, therapies for five days while the other three kids attended a sibling day camp. Myles' group did one adventure activity per day including canoeing, climbing, swimming, horseback riding, and tubing. Sydney was in the Big Sibs camp and was on the go most everyday. They went climbing, swimming, miniature golfing, go cart riding, shopping, roller skating (her favorite), the two little boys were in Little Sibs camp and stayed onsite to do all sorts of preschool type activite - crafts, playground, nature hikes, scavenger hunts, etc, while Gilby and I had free time for four days in a row, which was much needed respite for us. We stayed in a cabin on the Snow Mountain Ranch property and were able to do fun things as a family in the afternoons and evenings. It was a great week!


Monday 7/31 - We arrived at camp in the afternoon to get checked in and settled. Since it was Myles' birthday, we had left home early and stopped at Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs for a pizza birthday lunch. We took the kiddos on a nature walk before meeting up with the other Adam's Camp families for a quick orientation.




Tuesday 8/1 - While the kids were at their day camps, Gilby and I went to a breakfast with other parents of campers. We then spent the day resting, reading, watching TV, and went on a little hike before having to pick up the kids. Things we don't often get a chance to do! We ended the evening flying kites out front of our cabin.


Wednesday 8/2 - Gilby was able to go golfing with another dad from the camp, and I had the whole day to myself. I sat outside of our cabin for most of the day and worked on updating family pictures and blogs. It sounds boring, but was actually just what I needed. We headed to the kiva and went on another nature hike with the kids after pickup. One of Sydney's highlights was the improvement she made with her roller skating.




Thursday 9/3 - Gilby and I went to the Hot Sulphur Springs during the day, picked up the kids and had family photos taken by the volunteer camp photographer, and then went tubing. The two oldest loved the tubing hill, but the younger two decided it was too scary after only a couple trips down.





Friday 9/4 - Hiking! One of the things I for sure wanted to do while the kids were at their camps was to go for a day hike beyond that of just a little nature walk. Gilby and I drove into Arapaho National Forest and hiked Caribou Pass Trail. It was gorgeous! Friday night the Potter family came to Snow Mountain Ranch to spend two days of their Colorado vacation with us. It was so great to catch up.






Saturday 9/5 - Adam's Camp activities wrapped up with a little program put on by all of the kids. Afterward we had a conference with Myles' therapy team. He loved all of the camp activities and made some good progress during the week. We drove to Grand Lake that night for pizza and ice cream with the Potter crew. It was fun, but also so rainy and chilly!




Sunday 9/6 - The Potters headed out after breakfast, and we surprised Sydney with a horseback riding session, which she had been asking for the whole week. It was her first time on a horse. I pictured the 1.5 hour session to be Sydney on an horse riding around a ring with an instructor giving her the basics while I watched from the side. Nope. It was a trail ride! I did not sign up to go along, and by the time I figured out she would be going off on a trail, it was too late for me to sign up because I had the boys with me. The staff kept referring to Sydney as "the unaccompanied minor" to make sure she was situated right behind the lead horse since she was the only kid without a parent! I felt horrible, but Sydney didn't mind at all. She was so brave and excited. 1.5 hours later and we picked her up at the end where she excitedly reported nothing but great things and fun stories. I was so proud of her!



A fun week that left us with memories, which will soon not be forgotten.

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Myles Turns 9!!

Myles is now 9-years-old and it strikes me as so odd that I can have an almost 10-year-old, that's a whole decade! The old cliche is true when it comes to Myles - the days are long, but the years are short. I cannot believe he is already 9, yet life with Myles, and more accurately, life with Down syndrome, does not always come worry or stress free. He is an amazing little boy who has overcome so much, and still has such zest for life. He brings joy to so many around him, and has helped to mold our family - our perspectives, our values, our view of the world - into what we are today. Myles loves his life, is testing his independence, is fiercely persistent, not as easygoing as most think, but extremely loyal to his family. He enthusiastically greets most everyone, and makes others around him feel special. We have high hopes and expectations for Myles, and are eager to see where he takes life.


Myles' birthday was also the first day of Adam's Camp and our vacation at Snow Mountain Ranch. He went out with Daddy to get his birthday donuts first thing in the morning, and then we left mid-morning to head up the mountain. We stopped at Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs for a pizza birthday lunch, present opening, and ice cream. He was pretty pumped about staying in a cabin on his birthday and kept exclaiming, "My birthday party!"


Grandma's 90th

Grandma Haugen turned 90 on June 20th and we had the honor of having her in Colorado visiting to celebrate. David, Nancy, and Grandma drove out the day before Grandma's birthday and stayed for almost a week. We hosted dinner at our house on her actual birthday, and went out to eat the following day to celebrate both Sydney and Grandma's birthdays. I have said it before, but my grandma is one of the strongest women I know and I have been lucky to have her as a role model throughout my life.







Sydney Turns 7!!

Sydney Belle. A treasured gift to our family, a joy for a daughter, an amazing sister, humble, compassionate, empathetic, smart, creative, silly, inquisitive, nosy, rule-follower, kind - a little girl wise beyond her years who tends to carry the weight of the world around her on her shoulders. A worrier by nature, but still with the ability to be carefree and have fun. I cannot believe how blessed I am to be her mom. Seven years come and gone. I miss the little baby, toddler, preschooler she was, but am loving the little girl she is becoming. Happy Birthday Sweet Girl. We love you!!


Day of Celebration...
Our tradition of donuts for breakfast on your birthday. Sydney and Daddy headed out early on the morning of the 21st to get donuts for the family.

 An impromptu park playdate with Nouvelle, one of Sydney's best friends. I am so thankful for their friendship.

 Slurpees after the park! It was hot!!

 Opening presents at Grandma and Grandpa's house after dinner out at an Italian restaurant. Sydney requested pizza and she got it!

Having Great Grandma Haugen in Colorado on Sydney's birthday was an extra special treat. Grandma's 90th birthday was the day before Sydney's 7th, so we had a fun combined celebration.

Iowa Trip

This summer we road tripped to Fort Dodge to spend 6 days, including Fourth of July, with Gilby's family. The kids did pretty great in the car as usual, but we were thankful to have the 11 hour drive behind us and get in some good cousin time. We spent lots of time hanging out with family, riding bikes/scooters, and just playing, but had at least one fun event each day. On Saturday we went to a little kiddie fair, on Sunday the kids fished with Grandpa, Gilby, Uncle Joe and Uncle Shawn, on Monday we went out to lunch and to a movie, and on Tuesday (the 4th), we went to a small town parade in Gowrie, out to lunch and back to Uncle Joe's for more playtime and fireworks. A fun time of reconnecting with our Iowa family and memory making for the kiddos.





I love this picture of Ryker and Great Grandpa Steck. Ryker was asking him all sorts of questions about the plants, dirt, and corn field behind their house. It was great.