Happy October!!!

Hello, everyone, and welcome to October! Has this year gone by quickly for anyone else?! It seems to have just blown by out here! I suppose that is what happens when you look at time in terms of rotations and block leaves as opposed to by months! Well, whatever works, because I cannot wait to get out of the desert! And I know a few family members that wouldn't mind us getting out of it too!

For those of you that are always asking about my schoolwork, I would first like to say thank you! You have all been such great motivators and supporters! Secondly, I want to update you and let you know that I completed my final exams yesterday afternoon for my General Studies program. I could not be happier about being done with the first semester! I do not yet have my grades for them, as they have to be mailed back to the school and graded there, but whichever way it goes, they are DONE! Once they are graded, I will be re-enrolling for semester two, which begins my core classes. Yay!

Not a lot has changed since the last time I wrote. Robert is still working a lot. Trey is finishing up his cross-country season this Saturday. Wil is getting taller but still skinny as a rail and acting just like me when I was a kid. (Oh, boy...) Alex is talking better, which is a good thing because he doesn't stop talking very often. We do have to go get more x-rays taken of his legs in the next two weeks, though, so the orthopedist can see if they need corrected. He was not so willing to allow the doctor to examine them yesterday, so we have to go with the x-rays. Wish us luck that he will allow them to be taken! 

Now, I leave you in good spirits with the many faces of Alex! He wanted to do a mini photo shoot with my phone, and I knew you would get as much of a kick out of it as I did!

 

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Just a Quickie...

Hello, again! We haven't been up to a whole lot with Papa Shu having been on rotation, and me working on my courses. BUT, I do have some quick updates for you!

First of all, I have to toot my own horn a little bit. I have FINALLY completed my English Composition course! Woohoo!! I have been working on it (and putting it off) for way longer than I should have! I submitted my final exam last week, but a couple days later, my last essay was returned for me to rewrite. Well, that was a blow to my self-esteem for sure! I rewrote it and got it turned in today. Hopefully, it will get a passing grade, and I can get to my next semester and core classes!! I got to a low point and wasn't sure I was ever going to get through this. Robert was nothing but supportive and pushed me to get it done, helping me by talking with me about my subjects I had to write about and giving me his opinion on things. I probably would have just given up on it if he wasn't here to build my confidence back up. Getting a passing grade on my last essay and the overall course would help a whole lot too, though. Just saying! Once the last two are graded, my final exams for Biology and Psychology will be sent out for me to do, and I will be DONE with my General Studies Certificate! YES!! So ready to get there!

Now onto Trey. We didn't think he was going to get to be in cross-country since he hadn't really shown much interest in it at the beginning of the school, but mostly because he hadn't turned in his sports physical and permission slip. After turning those things in this past Friday (since he wants to play basketball this fall), he was told he could go ahead and finish the cross-country season! (Meets just started a couple weeks ago.) He was super excited! His first practice was this morning. He ran 2 miles in 14 minutes, 9 seconds! That's faster than Robert did on his last PT test, and it's a heck of a lot faster than I can walk/jog it! He has his first meet this Thursday. I don't know yet what he will be doing (distance-wise), but I am sure he will be amazing at it!

William doesn't really have too much going on. But he says he has the best teacher in 3rd grade, and he tells me every week (if not almost every day) that his teacher "makes learning fun!" I am glad he likes her so much, because he tends to not like school sometimes. I think the majority of kids go through that, but he worries me with it being so young. I've said it before, but we are going to have our work cut out for us with him. Ha! He is so much like me in so many ways... it's almost scary! ;) I would like to think I turned out okay, though, so I am sure William will too... maybe even better!

Alex, for those of you that haven't heard, has caught up on his talking! He had his evaluation last Monday and is being released from the program (his in-home therapy)! They said he is no longer behind and in need of their services. Considering where he was in January (not talking at all) and where he is now (can't get a quiet moment when he's awake), I would have to agree with them! They are also putting in a referral with the preschool here on post. He will be given another evaluation by the preschool to see if he needs to be in the speech classes. If they say he still needs some work, they will accept him and put him in those classes. If they say he doesn't need those classes, he can still start preschool at the age of 3. So, it is a win/win I'd say!

That's about all I have for updates today! Besides, Peyton Manning is going to be taking the field shortly, so I need to get dinner going! (I miss seeing him in Blue and White, but I still love watching him play!)

Quote of the Day: "A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money." --John Ruskin

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Sesame Street!

I should be writing my last essay of my English Composition course, but it is so much easier to talk about things I love instead. Lucky for you all, I'm a procrastinator! Ha!

Last week, the wonderful USO brought some of Sesame Street's finest out here to the desert to visit with us and put on a show! Naturally, I had to take Alex to see Elmo and Cookie Monster! We had so much fun, but I am thankful it was only a half an hour or so show. He got pretty tired of staying in one general area for too long. He did, however, get up and dance a little bit! His main concern was trying to figure out where Cookie Monster and Elmo went when they were hiding behind the curtain. So, when they weren't out there dancing and talking, he was constantly asking where they were. And, of course, when they came back out, he had to point and announce it to me. Whatever keeps him interested, right? 

I decided not to take my camera (it is about shot, to be honest), but I had my phone and took quite a few. If I were to share them all, this would be too long of a post. These are some of my favorites! Enjoy!

Alex and me before the show. He loves that toy! :)

 As I said, he loves that toy. I think his eye speak for themselves in the left picture.

 The girl's name was Katie, and she was sad that she had to move away (her dad is in the military).

 CM was busting a move. Too cool!

 I think they were doing the "Elmo Slide" in this one. 

 Dancing on the left... pointing out Elmo on the right. :)

And, he's done... 

We had such a fabulous time! Truth be told, I think I enjoyed it more than Alex, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.  :) Don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge them. They have more of an effect when you can see them better!

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Giving You a Smile...

I got out and took a couple pictures today. It seems like forever since I have done that. I dislike living out here so much. I have been in kind of a funk for the last, oh, I don't know, 10 months?! But, I am getting past it and making the best of our next two years or so here.

So, I found a couple of pictures on there including the ones I took today that I figured you would all enjoy.

Alex has found a new way of getting the toys from the bottom :)

 Flowers in our front yard... under our giant, bonsai-looking tree.

Alex was signing "flowers".

Our more-succesful-than-last-year attempt of growing grass in the desert.

A ground view of the grass.... looks like there is more than there is. :)

And just to leave you on with a smile...

He didn't want his picture taken and was trying to take the camera from me. Still handsome as ever, though, if I do say so myself! ;)

Happy Tuesday, everyone! :)

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Short Little Tidbit...

Hello! We were just sitting here watching Alex play with Papa Shu's Kindle Fire and thought you all might like to see how great he is doing! He still isn't caught up to where he should be, but I know he is getting the help he needs with Ms. Karen and Ms. Sharon. He has come so far since we started this journey with him, and I know he is only going to continue to grow!

*Please excuse the awful quality of this video... it was taken on my "certified pre-owned" cell.

*Also, don't mind Robert hacking up a lung in the background. He has been sick since coming back from his last detail.

I hope you have all had a great Monday, and, if not, I hope this at least gave you a smile!

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