Getting Back In The Groove

3 months.
3 months since I've posted anything.
That's quite a while - even for me! So much has happened in 3 months - it really seems like it's been longer than that. So, here's a little run down of what's been going on since July.

We found out that Abby is going to have a little girl!

They have decided on the name Ada Grace and I cannot wait! I can say (with confidence) that she will be spoiled - especially since I get to babysit her once Abby goes back to work!

Abby started her first job ever in August. She graduated from MSU on May 17, had her first interview a week later and was hired as the K-4 Special Education teacher at her old elementary school.  I know that she is going to be a wonderful teacher! Here's a picture of her getting her classroom ready for the first day of school.

Matthew started his sophomore year in high school. He got his driver's permit over the summer and is slowly learning to drive. He is getting so tall and he is now taller that his Dad!  He has a great group of friends and is constantly busy with them on days off from school.

Shane started junior high.
It doesn't seem possible that my baby boy is in junior high! I have worried about this for a while - change is not easy for him, and not only was he going to a different building, but he was going to have all new teachers and a new para, and a whole new way of doing things. All of that worry was for nothing! He has adjusted to the junior high way of life quite well. His para is great with him and we have seen so many changes in him and we are just a quarter into the school year. He goes to p.e. with his classmates, and the coach has made a point of including him and letting him have his turn when they play games. He loves Wednesday since pizza is on the snack bar menu. He gets a slice and that makes him a happy boy! He still does a lot of echolalia - but his spontaneous speech is getting more and more frequent. Once again he scored advanced on his MAP - A test in communication arts!

On a very sad note - Mom passed away on September 14. It wasn't a big surprise as her health had been really bad since May, but it was, and still is, hard to let her go. I had no idea I would miss her so much, so soon. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family to help me get through this. I talk with my sisters just about every day and we all try to get together every couple of weeks for a lunch date. We all need each other a lot right now.

That is about all that's been going on in our neck of the woods. I have been scrapping quite a bit and hopefully will start back to posting when I get something done.