An Update

I can’t do it all… did you notice?  Blogging has definitely fallen to the bottom of my “to-do” list.  I miss it.  But, I just can’t do it all…

To post one big long update or to post a bunch of small ones??  Hum… well… one big long one sounds easier…

Things have slowed down for the winter months with my photography.  Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  I began to feel a little burned out towards the end of the fall photo season.  It’s very hard to keep it all balanced.  I don’t feel that I did a very good job at balancing.  Something I will keep working on. 

Very thankful for all my customers this past year.

James got home Friday night for Christmas break.  Passed all his first semester classes (one by just a hair, yikes!)  Going back for next semester will involve the beginning of track season, indoor first & then out door.  Should keep him very busy.

He went through some hard times a little before Thanksgiving, not sure if he had made the right choice for the right college for him.  I think he’s worked through it (I HOPE) and will stay there as long as he can afford it. (scholarships & grades have to stay in place!)

Zach… well I could go on & on…I feel like he has come through the past couple weeks for the better.  I think he is seeing life a little differently.  Seems to have a better outlook on life.

The Bla*ke family appears to be doing as well as can be expected.  They are very thankful that the accident that Kurt had, a little over a week after Kipp’s death & a little over a mile from the place he died, didn’t turn out any worse than it did.  Kurt slid on the the ice & went right into the highway and hit the back end of a semi.  I just can’t imagine.

Back to Zach, his attitude at home has improved (most of the time), at school I am not so sure (got an email from a teacher), on the basketball court seems to be excellent. 

He had 14 points 3 games ago, 11 the next game, and I am not sure how many last night.  He had a good game though.  (even though they lost the last 2 by 1 point).  He is playing JV.

Legally, he should be able to get his drivers license on January 8th.  We will see.  He has a “new” car, he took me out and “taught” me how to drive it yesterday.  It’s a stick shift.  I haven’t driven one of those since we lived in Germany before he was born!  It was interesting, (he doesn’t even do that well at it) but I let him tell me how to do it all… so funny.  I think driving a stick shift must be a guy thing, way too much effort for me!

Leah’s doing pretty good.  We have our teenage moments, but for the most part it’s good.  She’s hilarious.  For example she recently put her face*book status as “in a relationship with frosty the snowman”.  And “hasn't lost her mind, her imaginary friend stole it and is asking for a ridiculous ransom of a thousand crayons for it! :(“

They had their middle school winter semi-formal…

These girls love to get dressed up!!  So much fun to watch them, the boys sure don’t get into it like the girls do!

Things are good with Lucas, I am enjoying these days with him… before hormones come in and ruin it all… sigh… he’s one great kid, that’s for sure.

Jadon is doing very well also.  His AD*HD is being controlled very well with medication at this point.  I am extremely thankful.  If you would go into his class, his classmates would tell you “Jadon never gets in trouble, he hasn’t had to pull one flag!”  (FAR CRY FROM WHERE WE WERE ONE YEAR AGO!!!!)

He’s had a couple of Christmas programs at school…

Rudolf in his class play (leading the pack)

And the 1-3 grade music program…

Hallie, Jadon & Kiahna

Kiahna has good days & bad days. 

She lost her second front tooth recently…

We got test results back from the specialist & many things were ruled out… leaving us with one answer for her issues.  She has all the symptoms of someone who was exposed to drugs or alcohol in the womb.  The label is called FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome).

Facts about FAS can be read here.

This fact is one of the hardest to swallow…

“FASD is the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation and birth defects, and a leading known cause of learning disabilities.”

It’s a very sad reality.  Someone made choices that caused this.  It’s part of the process of working through this.  Forgiving.

In our near future, I am waiting on a book & cd’s I ordered to come in… we have an appointment with a new counselor (one I have to pay for out of pocket)… we will have a new case conference at school to update her IEP.

School hasn’t been going very well.  I wonder what the best thing is to do for her.  I worry about her self esteem. I desire to see her blossom & flourish. 

Looking forward to Christmas!  The kids go to school until Wednesday this week… then they are spending Thursday with their dad (I don’t know if Kiahna will go, she hid so she wouldn’t have to go the last time we tried to get her to go along with the other kids). 

Friday we will be with my family at my parents.

Saturday we will have Christmas at home.

Leah & Lucas are going on a ski trip after Christmas with campus life.

Then after new years we are going tobogganing & to a hotel with my family.

Should be a fun busy time for us all!

Thanks for reading…

Love,

Pam