What's Important

Because the news I see is depressing.....here's pics to remind me what's truly important in my life, right now and always.  I hate no one and do my best to love all regardless of party affiliations or color or size or age or religion or any of that nonsensical labeling of our differences.  .....for me and really I think most....we need and want love and the most basic things that equal a full heart, a comfortable home that provides our necessities, and a daily purpose that leads us right back to that full heart and home.  .....The conversation of one most tragic event should not be talked about so much as to believe this was a nation simmering.  Actually the nation at large is full of loving and kind people...I feel certain most people are good and would like to get their work done and get back to those they care about and to the things they enjoy.  Pockets of hate will exist in this world no matter what actions we take.  I value those that are so passionate about the current news but I truly believe the hateful people causing the tragedies simply lack those basics needs of love and home.  I'm not so smart as to know the solution of spreading love versus hate but I think it has something to do with starting at home and modeling to all you meet what is the difference in right and wrong, what is good and kind, what is helpful and loving to your neighbor and the strangers you pass daily.  I think it starts with empathy....understanding and listening to the other before you seek to be understood.  Blame and pointing and being the one that knows better simply leads to two more differences to argue about....how about looking for a win-win.  For today my win-win is I understand people are upset and I pray they can find some peace because they surely have work to be done that has nothing to do with the 24/7 news going on...they want to get home or take care of their home, eat something, love on their people and so forth......

My  Loves...in no particular order...and mainly pics from this last month with a few randoms of the year thrown in......

Nature at Antelope Island

My husband.....

Friends...

My littlest....

Messes/Art.....

Friends.....

Walks...

Seeing my boys love their pets....

Holidays and Traditions....

Sawyer...

Oh no....Chocolate.....

Random yummies with someone I love......

Adorable moments.....

Awww....my baby, Connor....

T-ball...

Planting pumpkins just for friends.....

My first baby......Tristan with the woman we all love, Nika....

Swinging...

Fishing.....

Jumping....

Achieving.....

Fun times!.....

Summer loving......

Fixing and improving.....

Celebrating...

Traveling....

Dreams becoming reality...

Making those memories...

Finding our joys....

My man taking care of us and getting us down to the basics....

Random happy moments.....

Ahhh....my peaceful babies....

Absolute, simple, joy....

Random silliness from my most favorite person.

Connor silliness....

My brave boy.....

The faces of wonder from their first fireworks.....

The wonder of magic from their Pop-pop....

A new interest?......

An expanding, diverse, awesome, instantly loved family....

Little boys......

Cousins....

Grandma time....

Travel memories.....

Hummingbird discoveries.....

Random Picnics....

Grandparents.....

Family....

Lottery dreaming with Pap-pap...

Pigging out Amish style....

Putt-putt....

3 generations.....

Friends turned family.....

Simple, awesome, beautiful times....

Long time friends...

Uncles going that extra mile.....

Games/Cheating Farkle players....

Chicken fights....

Boating.....

Not enough time....

Random beauty of a simpler time.....that's actually right here, right now.....

Powerful random storms that remind you how very small you are....

God showing off.....

So gorgeous....

Beautiful Architecture and time taken to stop and notice.....

Sawyer love....my middle baby....

Connor love...my living symbol of strength....

Celebrating a lifetime of love.....

Celebrating a new life to come...and praying this little one will always know he/she is loved beyond measure and has a beautiful purpose of belonging in this amazing world.

Autism Awareness Month/Inclusion Awareness Month

I just read the absolute best book ....Love That Boy by Ron Fournier.

So great that it's got me actually writing a blog post.

I think those that know us best are keenly aware we're not huge awareness types.  We feel that you're aware of different diseases and the like if it personally touches you.  It turns people off of us big time but through the years our skin has thickened.  We're okay.  This is the first year I posted a picture on facebook acknowledging this is even Autism Awareness Month....which I soooooo want to change to Inclusion Awareness Month or How to be a Good Citizen Awareness month.

Anywho, I am dang near obsessive about reading books on autism.  I continuously live in this hope that a book will predict my boys' futures.  It won't.  My head knows this but......

So, on a whim I downloaded a book about a father and his Asperger's son.  This isn't my normal book because thus far, I don't know a soul with Asperger's... though the more I learn, the more I'm convinced nearly everyone I know is somewhere on this great spectrum we call autism.

Here are the notes I took from the book (once again, Love that Boy by Ron Fournier):

These notes are specifically for me as a mom and general person of the world:
1.  Teach yourself and kids to Do good...Do your Best....Don't worry about what other people think!
2.  Remember:  Sense of Purpose equals Happiness.  Happiness should not mean pleasure!!!!
3.  True happiness is almost always doing hard but good things over, and over, and OVER! (important for Sawyer who has a fit that everything is so hard...poor love...we're working on this)
4.....3 keys to success (and your kiddos' success)
            1...emotional mastery
             2...self-esteem
             3....ownership of the course of your life   (all very hard for the autistic but must be core goals)

Now the notes I have written as school stuff:
1.  From a school motto in Arlington, VA/the Principal's message...."I expect you to invite them to your cliques, and to your parties, and to stand up for them if anybody acts against them."  (this is what inclusion means to me!....not that they'll get all those invites but really, invite them to your table at school...teach everyone to be good)
2.  A culture of community and competence (a note I took for loving the words expressed here)
3.  Teach them to be good citizens...not to just read and write.  (and this is not just for my boys but all kids!!!  Please!)
4.  Next IEP meeting...be specific to 1) more in-class assistance and 2) social skills training  ...if there is a problem for the school ask specifically "so you're telling me that you can't educate my son?"....then if necessary call Utah Parents Resource


........to me, this is all so very excellent and valuable.  I really, really loved this book.  These are all fridge worthy notes.  And my timing to find this book is impeccable.  We are starting ABA (applied behavioral analysis) with the actual intake assessment happening this Friday.  The school, our pediatrician and after a few not so great attempts at social groups, have all suggested that we need this....so, we're getting the ball rolling.  This list will be with me as I ask questions and learn.

Cute pic moment:

.........and this is it......terribly written for the blog world but all I can manage because there is school and things on the calendar.

Trust me....this is a great book.  Written by a hugely successful reporter than has the best quotes from the very best books.  And this is written to those that could push aside their expectations and learn more about acceptance...to me, a great book on how to be a citizen of the world that can look beyond themselves.  ......I could totally get behind an Inclusion/Acceptance of All Awareness Month.

Phone dump

Salt Lake City's LDS temple.... very pretty plus we saw famous Phil from Modern Family while we were walking the grounds!

This was at Salt Lake City's City Creek Mall....very pretty.

A really pretty shot of the temple.

We've had quite a bit of snow this winter.  Luckily, the boys had a great time sledding while their grandmother was here.

This was taken at Hill AFB.

Brothers......nice.

A trip to Antelope Island right after a big snow had us seeing so much wildlife.  

Porcupine pic-a-boo.

I have truly never seen so many buck in my life.  Easily saw 10 to 12 in various groups.  They were huge.

Small start to valentine project.

Salt and Pepper shakers of pigs with wings....a personal favorite....right up there with unicorns.

A very tech-savvy Christmas this year.

I personally love doing up my kitchen at Christmas.  We spend so much time in there and everything just looks sooooooo cozy with the twinkly lights and Christmas houses.

Cookies with grandma.  I had made a couple of different kinds of dough and thought I'd only made enough for a few dozen..........4+ hours later.....we were sick of baking cookies!!!!

This was actually the breaking of the wishbone from our turkey...done a bit later than Thanksgiving.  Oops.

Darth Vader....awesome-sauce!!!!  I was quite proud of this makeup since he couldn't wear a mask to school.

This little guy had wanted to be a pumpkin since mid September....and then the morning of, he had doubts.  Fortunately, I think he discovered quickly that we all thought he was one dang cute pumpkin.....he loves the attention.

I started an epic and awesome hair cut and then...........he screwed it up trying to fix a 'spot'....bless his heart.....he ended up having to basically shave his head after his 'fix'.

Small hike with the daughter-in-law and rest of family in Ogden.

We finally went to the annual bison round-up at Antelope Island.  I can only say it was cooler than I could of imagined.   ........just go if you can.

No order whatsoever......simply wanted to get 2016 pics on here.    We had an awesome year.  I like to think I'll blog and do wonderful online things but it's not top priority so.......there you have it.  ....may 2017 be as awesome as this past year!!!!!