Bitter Sweet Farewell

My sister’s boyfriend, Goran, got a job in Seattle with Microsoft.  That’s the good news.  It’s also the bad news, and here’s why.  Goran is the closest thing to a brother that I’ve ever known.  He’s also been the best thing for my sister since, um… birth perhaps.  And he’s the closest thing to a best friend that my little Ari has ever had (aside from her nuclear family of course).  I could elaborate much more on the subject, and I did in the scrapbook that we threw together for him, but I’ll just say here that we are going to miss him, and we wish him everything that is good. Don’t worry, Leah will be joining him in Seattle eventually, which again… is good news and bad news.  But Friday night was all about Gogo.

Leah and Goran.

L:  My mom and dad.  R:  Leah and Goran.

  

Marci and Adam.

Long Lost Cousins

Jake’s siblings used to be local for the most part (at least three out of the five), but life has scattered the others so that now, no two siblings are within four hours of each other and we reside in four different states.  I really wish everyone were closer, because there are no truer or better friends than your own sisters and brothers, given the chance to be a part of each other’s lives and really know one another.  I’m still holding out the hope that one day everyone will be a little nearer, and the kids will play like siblings and grow up not remembering what it was like to be without each other.  And while that might never come to pass, we have these times in the interim. 

We had Aunt Ali and cousins Vance and Madison over for dinner and a swim, and you’d never know that the cousins have only met each other fewer than ten times – and more like four for the younger ones – in their short lives.  That’s the thing about family (and the friends that are like family) – you pick up right where you left off.  No one had to tell them to kiss and hug and play nicer than nice.  They just know, and that’s so cool.

   

Making muscles.

Aquatherapy

I had to make a hard decision last month that was between letting Ari try out a new therapy, Aquatic Therapy or Aquatherapy (physical therapy in the water) or keeping her with the same trusted physical therapist that she’s been with since she was two months old.  I thought about it long and hard, and eventually Ari’s love for the water and potential to gain from this new therapy won out over my difficulty with change and my loyalties to her previous PT.  I am glad that I made the choice that I did, even if I do spend 1.5 hours in the car once a week and who knows how much gas money to make this work.  Ari loves it so far, which is no surprise since she is my little mermaid girl, and water can make anything more fun… even physical therapy. 

Miss Melissa, our PT, has been doing lots of stretching, positioning, and weight-bearing exercises with Ari as well as beginning to work on cruising in the water.  I love her fresh approach to therapy and am feeling very encouraged by her optimistic outlook on Ari’s potential for walking.  Like I do, Melissa thinks that Ari should be working towards the goal of using a walker for the socialization, peer opportunities, and physical health benefits of weight-bearing and standing; even if it means bypassing a mastery of crawling and/or kneeling first.  Up and at ‘em!

  

Lake Buddies

The last time we went camping, about two months ago, I made a promise to my family and myself that we would go again before the summer was over.  I made good on that promise over the Fourth of July weekend when we and our friends, the Stotens, spent two nights up at Fool Hollow Lake in Show Low, AZ.  Grammy and Papa even decided to join us for one of the nights we were there.  The weather was about as perfect as we could have wished for, our seven kids (ages 5 and under!) loved being with each other, save for a few skirmishes that are to be expected; and we pretty much didn’t stop playing from the moment we arrived.

The lake was gorgeous from all angles, which was a pleasant surprise compared to our last spot at Lake Pleasant (ironic enough), which was fun, but only pretty and clean at about two spots along the shoreline. Here, nature reigned. Even the stars were amazing. As far as camping goes, this was a luxury locale. While I can’t proclaim myself a nature enthusiast or the camping version of a gourmand, I do know clean bathrooms with hot water showers and handicap accessible everything when I see it. On the small flipside, with beautiful weather and trees and lakes come mosquitoes (a rarity in Phoenix), and little Ari got swarmed. As soon as I heard my first buzz on night one, I turned to look at Ari. At that moment, she had about ten or more mosquitoes sucking on her at the same time, and she had this very uncomfortable look on her face. Poor thing is super sensitive to the bites, because she has never been around mosquitoes before, so her bites swelled up and then bruised.

 

Gabe and Miles were inseparable the whole trip, while Ari was most interested in baby Lars and next interested in Masie and Lyla, and Bella played with the girls when she wasn’t fast enough to keep up with the boys.  The boys tried to catch fish and flying creatures with their nets.  They didn’t get to taste success, but it didn’t stop them from trying.  If anyone knew how to catch the water creatures, it was their mama, Emrie!  She caught a water snake and a crawfish on the same day with her lightning quick hands.  I am still so impressed.

  

This is Bella in a nutshell.  She is trying to net a duck.

 

Gabe and Bella swam out into the middle of the lake, and Gabe had to be forced to swim back to shore, because he was bound and determined to catch Luke, who had swam clear to the other side of the lake.  It’s a really nice change of pace to see Gabe’s confidence in the water (and elsewhere) blossoming.

We were so excited when we heard that Grammy and Papa decided to join us.  When they’re around, the kids don’t whine, the load is lighter, and everyone smiles more.

   

Campfires were forbidden again, so we ate popsicles and played with glow bracelets instead (courtesy of Grammy).

    

Our campsite was perched on the edge of a cliff.  It was not what I’d consider a safe spot, but there was no way for us to know this when we booked.  I thought that it was going to back right up to the shoreline, judging from the map, but this was just not the case.  There was a bit of anxiety felt from time to time, as it’s not easy to keep an eye on seven little bodies every minute.  Once the kids learned the rules, it was pretty manageable, and they only ventured that way within reasonable limits to throw rocks off the edge. 

     

Jake paddled Ari and I out to the other side of the lake on our tube. 

  

This one wants to do everything that her brother wants to do and then some.  She feels so proud when she gets the chance, and of course, I beam with pride for her.  It’s not easy though, and Daddy and I are having a harder and harder time keeping up.  She is, after all, pushing 40 lbs. (a heavy 40 at that) and she wants to go down the slide and do everything else a bazillion times.  Daddy’s hitting the gym every day in hopes that he can keep up with her as she grows.

     

Camping with the Stotens was such a great experience.  Another one I hope our children will remember.  Like all the one’s worth remembering, it wasn’t always easy, but it was worth it.  The fact remains that our physical limitations and our circumstances might define what we have, or even at times what we are, but they will never define who we are.  And who we are is adventurous, spontaneous, and fun-loving.  Both regimented and free-spirited at the same time.  I love to push our limits, because it reminds me that we can.  And that is always worth it.