Well.....

The past two days have been something else, that is all I can say... Yesterday I was on my way to pick up Wayne's paycheck. I was about 3 miles from home. A huge doe ran out in front of me and I hit it. It did $2000 worth of damage to my car. So yesterday I was running doing errands and I stopped at a body shop to get a quote on getting the car fixed. They opened the hood and then it took them all most 45 minutes to get it to shut again.... I am so glad for insurance and I can get a rental while my car is being repaired.

Last night I took Ariel and 2 of her friends shopping. I didn't know that it could take so long for girls to try on swimsuits, lol... We spent three hours in one store!!!! lololol....It was fun though. Ariel was able to get a few things as her maw maw bought her a swimsuit earlier in the week. And the other two girls were happy with the swimsuits that they got. Then I took them all to Pizza Hut for Pizza :) We had fun last night.

Today was the day for the Flag Corp tryouts. Ariel made the team. She said that she messed up and froze, but I guess it wasn't that bad since she made it ;) And she didn't drop the pole when she did the toss!!!! I am sooooo very proud of her. She has gotten so involved with school this year, I just wish her grades showed it. Hopefully next year will be better grade wise.

The school year will be over this coming week on June 7th. Cody has graduation from elementary school and will be going to Junior High next year. My baby is getting big :(

You know it is amazing at how when you are young and in school it seems like life moves soooo slow and you can't wait until you graduate from school. Now that I am in my 40's life goes by so very quickly. I wish that it would slow down and my children would stay smaller longer. But they are growing up and way too fast. It is hard to believe that I am a grandma now. Dominick, what can I say... I can't wait to be able to hold you in my arms little man. Your mommy grew up way to fast and I think that you will too. I think you are going to be all grown before I get to see you. Germany is way to far away! But you know I am so very proud of your mommy! She has really grown up and I can see from all of the pictures that she sends to me and from talking to her on the phone that you have the best mommy ever and she loves you with all of her heart and soul. You and your daddy mean the world to her. I am so happy that Jesus thought that your mommy was special enough to give you to her. She really needed you and you needed her. I love you Tiffany and Dominick (and Matt too :) ).

Joey has really started to grow lately. It is so hard to believe that he is 16 now. We have had a hard 16 years learning to help you with your Autism. This past school year you have come so far! And you are finally growing! You are now as tall as me, which I know 5 foot isn't that tall, but for how little you are, you are now a giant! It seems like everyday that you come home from school you have learned something new too. You are always in such a good mood when you get off of the school bus.

Your teacher has been wonderful with you this year and really cares about you learning. It is rare to find a teacher that really does care...And even though he is a substitute teacher because our school district is lacking qualified teachers, he loves you and cares for you. I truly believe that it is because he knows what it is like because he also has a special needs child and understands how hard it is to find people who really care about how far you go in this life and that you will have to be guided in whatever you do for the rest of your life. He knows that you can learn and will not accept it when people try to say that "these kids" can't learn, we know that they and you can learn! You are proving that by leaps and bounds this year! I am so very proud of you and thank God for giving you to me. You have taught me so many things Joey. You have taught me patience, kindness, love for everyone and many more things. Oh yes you can get on my nerves, but you are so very special to me and I love you so much. I hope that one day you will be able to read and when you do that you will be able to read this.

Ariel, my youngest daughter, my baby girl. You scared me when you were little because of being developmentally delayed. I asked God why me? What did I do so wrong to have two children with special needs. I was told by 2 people that God gave you to me because I was the only one that he could trust to take care of you and Joey. And with persistance, love and hard work you overcame your disability. I am so proud of the young woman that you have become. You have such a sweet spirit and geniunely love people. I am so glad at the interest that you have taken in participating in extracurricular activities at school. I know that you really didn't like band, but I think that me pushing you to be in band has really helped. I know that I pushed you into being in track, but you found out that you loved it and I am so proud of you! And now you have made it on the Flag Corp team! WOW!!! I never had the courage to do what you are doing in school. You are such a shining light and you spread that light wherever you go and with whoever you meet. Keep it up and keep your determination and you will succeed in everything that you choose to do in your life.

And now my baby, Cody....You are my wild man. You know I always joke at the fact that we knew the doctors on a first name basis at the emergency room by the time that you were two years old, lolol... You would get into and try everything. And you still do, but just don't get hurt as often. You are so much like your daddy. It is almost as if I didn't have anything to do with you. You don't look like me, except for the brown eyes and you don't act anything like me. You are definitly daddy's boy; unless you want to cuddle then you are mommy's boy :) You love to do whatever your daddy does. You love to take things apart and find out how they work, now if I can just get you to clean up your mess when you are done then I will have made progress! There aren't too many boys that can say that they have done the things that you have done. Change the oil in a car, help to change an engine in a car, have your CPR/First aid card. Have sprayed water from a firehose. You are so gung ho with everything that you do. You know you never let the fact of you being short right now stop you from being in basketball for the last three year. It didn't stop you knowing that you were the smallest person on the team. You showed them was a big person you are and that you are part of a team. And then this year, your team won the County Championship game! I am so proud of you! You are such a caring little man too. You don't like it when people's feelings are hurt and you want to alway's help them. You really flip out when someone says something about Joey too. You are his protector and I am so proud and happy that Joey has a brother like you to protect him when he is away from me. I am proud of you Cody. I love the boy that you are now and I can't wait to see the man that you become.

Gosh, I don't know what got me into this kick tonight, but it has made me feel so good to sit and write this to each of you and hope that one day you will read it and know how much I love each of you and cherish each of you. You are all so very special to me and I love you all. And remember that you can come to me and talk to me about anything and that I will love each of you know matter what. I love ya'll :)