Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Is There a Doctor In The House??

...Or better yet, how about a barber??? This doctor in training can barely see his patients past his wildly long hair.






It is so hot tonight that I looked for some cool pj's for Reid...cool as in "not hot" and found his scrubs that sweet Zoey and her family gifted Reid when we visited her in the hospital. I decided the light material would work for his jammies tonight...and well you can see he decided he would "ham it up" a bit once Luke brought him his Dr. bag to finish off the outfit. Oh and this hair of his... a little unruly and way past due for a haircut but boy do I dread the screams and tantrums haircuts illicit from this second son of mine...thus the new surfer hairdo he has been sporting lately by default, but I think a little trim at least is in order for this "doctor in training".

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Long Beach Memorial Shootings...just so very sad

If you live in this area you are familiar with the news story of 3 men who worked in the outpatient pharmacy at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center who were killed, one was the shooter that took his own life just outside of the hospital. This is where Reid was born and where we've had both his heart surgeries. Toby and I read the news online just after it was first announced and my mind went right away to two men that I have seen every month for the last 27 months since Reid's birth, as that is where I pick up his prescriptions. They said the shooter was named Mario and I told Toby I thought I knew who he was, I told him Mario had called and left a message here at the home about a prescription I had faxed in. I listened to my old messages to see if I still had that one saved, and it was no longer there...but still I could not get the image out of my head of the man I have seen so many times that I was sure was named Mario...who had joked with me, always gave me extra supplies of droppers, and chit chatted about the weather with, he even scolded me once for not wearing a jacket on a really cold night....actually it was that night that after picking up yet another prescription that I wrote this post "If Hospital Walls Could Speak". But, as the day went on and the news kept coming in it sounded like those that had been killed were from a different pharmacy outside of the hospital, I guessed I was wrong and was thankful because I could not imagine the one I pictured as "Mario" to actually be the killer, he was too kind, too friendly and jovial. But, sadly today I read the latest news and saw a picture of the victims and the shooter...and I am so sad to say two of these men are who my mind first went to when I heard the story. It makes no sense, I was just up there last week and saw both, Mr. Mario Ramirez and Mr. Hugo Bustamante, I had not met the other gentleman. I am still in such disbelief and my heart goes out to all the families. This is just so, so sad.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Blog Makeover/ Under Construction

Well, it has been a few days since I accidentally deleted my airplane background, I've mourned it, and have now decided to move on. I have decided that I am ready for a blog makeover though I don't know exactly what the end result will look like but I am playing around with a few ideas in my head... the end result will not come any time in the near, near future so in the mean time I am keeping the header I downloaded even though it doesn't say Raising Reid and His Big Brother Luke...

and this is why...

As I searched for different backgrounds and tried them on my blog to see how they look I must have changed my mind a dozen times... it was getting late and I was getting tired and decided to try one last one...the one you see on my blog now. I did not really pay attention to the title of the heading, I just thought it was cute, but as I was about to shut down my computer for the night I noticed the words..."The Best is Yet to Be" and my eyes filled with water.  Those that know us well know that the last year and a half have been a very trying time for us as we have tried to navigate our way through some circumstances, actually having nothing to do with Down syndrome or heart surgeries. There have been times I have grown weary of the circumstances but in the end the only response that made any sense to us was and still is to be patient as we make our way...The words "The Best is Yet to Be" made me stop, take a deep breath ... and reminded me to stay the course, to keep believing...and so the title stays until I can get the other one made that will again say "Raising Reid and his Big Brother...Luke".

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

SO INSPIRING... Young Man with DS Owns His Own Art Company



OH WOW....What an amazing life this young man is leading! Watching this clip just filled my heart! I am so impressed with how clear his speech is....and even more impressed with Dylan's passion for life! Visit Dylan's website to read more about his Visual and Performing Arts Company... DK Arts

*** Pause my music at the bottom before listening to the clip.

Monday, April 13, 2009

WHAAA....I accidentally deleted my blog background that I LOVED!

OH MAN.....I am so sad right now! I accidentally deleted my airplane blog background that I loved so much from "The Cutest Blog on The Block" site...and I cannot seem to find the template on their site anymore to download again....

Whaaaa... I am so bummed. I miss my cute little airplanes! Sigh, well if I can't find it again I guess part of this Spring break will be tackling a new look. Whaa...sniffle, sniffle!!

Oh How I love...LOVE... Spring Break!!!!!!

I did not realize just how much both Luke and I needed Spring break! I am LOVING, LOVING, LOVING our time together...just me and the boys. Today we started our first official day off by meeting friends, visiting from Texas, at the park by the Seal Beach Pier and then headed down to touch our feet in the water, followed by ice cream on Main Street. Beautiful weather, beautiful park, beautiful beach, yummy ice cream...aghhhhhh....I love, love, love it!!
Oh how I love these two....

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter from our home to yours....
....and a little "Good Friday" story. Friday evening we entered church and the atmosphere was quiet and reverent as you would expect at a Good Friday service, until our little Mr. Luke enters the scene. It took Luke 2 seconds to see that there were two crosses that had been placed up on either side of the sanctuary...with the intent for people to write any prayers, or burdens, or particular sin they struggle with on a designated paper and to nail it to the cross. Luke quickly wrote one out (asking God to watch over his little brother Reid and his heart...I just love this kid!!). Toby walked him up to a cross and I was not paying much attention to where they were in line, I was just enjoying the quiet, almost still environment except for the melodic tap, tap, tap of the hammers...until I heard the loudest...WHAP, WHAP, WHAP.... and giggles from some of the church members. Oh yes, I did not even need to look up to know that that was my "do everything with 120% might and ferver Luke"...including nailing a prayer to a cross in church. Sigh... :)