Trip to Northern California

A couple of weeks ago we took a trip up to No. Cal. The main purpose of the trip was to see my brother, Scott, while he was on leave before going on his next deployment (he's in the Marines - HOO-RAH). Unfortunately, I was pretty bad about taking pictures until the last couple of days, so there were quite a few festivities that didn't get documented. I think there's still enough pictures for you to get the idea.

Caleb posing with Uncle Scott and Auntie Remy

Lunch with Grandpa Steve. Unfortunately Caleb was in a bit of a foul mood at this point and didn't want his picture taken.

Still a bit photo-phobic while reading with Emma (whose house we stayed at while we were there, along with her parents Christina and Ben, whom I failed to get a picture of).

Playing in the bumper boats at Christina's parents house...I don't think we can go to the pool without one of these ever again. He absolutely loved it (see video below).

Don't shoot!

This was a really good trip for getting Caleb acclimated to dogs. We started out pretty small with Hershey, whom he loved to chase around the deck.

Then we took a sidetrip to San Jose to visit a couple of people, both of which had some smaller dogs. By the end of the below visit, Caleb was saying, "I want the doggie to kiss me!" This is HUGE, since he has NEVER liked dogs to get near him.

Posing with my buddy Angie. She's a dear friend from Undergraduate school at San Jose State. This was the first time she got to meet Caleb. She's, of course, heard and read all about him over the years, though.

We also met a new friend, Robyn, who also has Ullrich CMD. Her parents recently renovated their home to make much of it accessible for Robyn. I left with many great ideas, and Caleb had a blast playing with her.

Here they are playing in her accessible play house.

Here's the video of Caleb playing in the bumper boats.

It was a great trip visiting with family and friends, but we did leave with somewhat of a heavy heart. It was difficult to say "See ya later" to my baby brother this time (sorry, dude. I know you could probably kill me with your bare hands and stuff, but you'll always be my baby brother). It was also hard for Jeff and I to realize that it is just becoming more and more difficult to travel with Caleb. He requires so much equipment and modifications of his environment that it's just getting more and more challenging to be away from home. We did have lots of fun, though.

Touching Story

A couple of days ago I got a message from one of our neighbors, Kelle, that said her oldest daughter, Kylie, had a little something for Caleb. I thought she must've misspoken because it is their youngest, Maleia, that is in LOOOOOVE with Caleb. Whenever Maleia sees Caleb walking in the neighborhood, she practically starts shaking with excitement and wants desperately to say hi to him and give him a hug.

When I called Kelle back, she restated that Kylie had something for Caleb and could she just send her up to give it to him. When they arrived I saw that Kylie was holding a little baggie with some money in it. She explained that she had had a lemonade stand the week before and wanted to donate half of the money to kids with Muscular Dystrophy. She went on to explain that she would be having a few more lemonade stands this summer and would split up the money the same way.

Kelle told me that Kylie came up with this idea on her own! What an amazing heart this little girl has. We are continually humbled at Caleb's ability to touch so many people's lives, and the amount of support we receive on a daily basis.

Yep, He's Actually Reading!

Below is a video of Caleb's latest feat: Reading! This is pretty awesome for a kid who's not even 4 yet. This is a story that he's obviously practiced a few times. It may not have the greatest plot, but it gets the point across. Enjoy!

Don't forget to pause the music on the right to hear the video better.

Thank You, Maria!!!

Most of you have at least heard of Maria. She has been such a blessing to our family and our home since Caleb was 4 months old. She has not only cared for Caleb while I needed to work, but she has loved Caleb! She helped us keep our sanity while I finished graduate school by being someone we could trust with Caleb whole-heartedly, not to mention keeping our house clean! Maria has always accomodated our whacky hours, multiple changes in schedules, different appointments, and has always done so with a huge smile. Unfortunately, with Caleb's hours for school increasing next year, we could no longer offer enough hours. Although she will not be coming to our home to care for Caleb on a daily basis anymore, Maria is still a part of our family and will continue to be part of our lives.

We love you, Maria, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking such good care of all of us for the last few years! We can only hope that the next family you are helping appreciates what an angel you truly are.

Last Day of School

We just got a new camera because our other one broke. But I realized there were still a bunch of pictures on the old one that I never posted about, so ya'll get to read a bunch of posts that are pretty out-dated (but still fun).

A few weeks ago was Caleb's last day of school. All the kids sang a couple of songs for the moms and dads, then we all ate snacks together.

All the kids getting ready to sing.

Holding hands with some friends.

This moment brought tears to my eyes:

Here is Caleb helping another little boy with the hand motions to "Wheels on the Bus." He kept hollering, "Miss Kristin, I'm helping!" This is such a great example of why this program is so important for Caleb - he gets the opportunity to be surrounded by such diverse needs and gets to be the one to do the helping rather than always being the one who needs help.

Thank you for a fantastic year, Miss Kristin! We are really looking forward to another great year with you (Caleb's already asking when he gets to go back to school).