For the Love of Ivey

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So many fun things have been going on in the past few weeks.  So many memories made.  So much to tell, but that'll have to wait.  For now pictures will do.  First, our Taylor got married.  Apparently I have never sat down and written out this amazing miracle of Taylor in our live, although I've mentioned her a few times, but not often by name; nevertheless, she is back in Georgia (temporarily) and married.  Second, Ivey completed her first sprint triathlon. Our friend Beth made that possible.  That is also another amazing story, but for the moment, I can only post pictures.  And they are all great pictures! 

The best of my Christian growth occurs in the mainstream of life, not in the quietness of my study. -Gwen

Meet two of Ivey's most favorite toys on this Earth.  The other is her music cube.  Three toys of preference and the girl likes what she likes - that's it!!    However, we have had Tad and Lilyfor several years now and they are finally at their bittersweet end.  She has killed them from playing them so much.  I cannot find them ANYWHERE!!!  So if you have these stashed in the attic somewhere - please send them our way!!  Or if you magically run across them somewhere get them and I will pay you back.  These are the small ones that can hang and you just push their little tummies to hear them.  It took a few years to teach Ivey how to find their tummies to play them all by herself. It took lots of work.  Now I have tried every similar toy out there - she just ignores them or tosses them.  So please help me find these sweet toys!!!   They make her so happy.

It has all been so hard here lately, and on such a different level than the past. It's the parts of life that were neglected due to the demands of such a special needs child. What now? How do we bridge this? Marriage is so different. Somedays we dont even know how it should be. How after all this time have things gone so pear shaped? She's fine, but I feel so lost here lately. And, she falls on such a far sided spectrum of the special need scale. I find myself getting frustrated sometimes with parents with special needs children who can walk, talk -eat.. It's so lonely even amongst the special ones.... So my kindred spirit across the states has said what I've been searching for, in many ways. So if you are a special needs parent you might really want to read her post. I have several times. Little Wonders (just click)

To be honest, things have been tough for the last few months. It's hard to explain just why even though I know exactly why. Life has come in the past five years and it's not through yet. And the roller coaster ride has ensued with tosses and turns- loops I never imagined. All angles of life are impacted. To be honest- it sucks. But one thing I am slowly realizing- where I have been struggling to find my personal self in Ivey's world, beyond that of a primary caregiver to a very special needs child who consumes more time than most would be willing to sacrifice, amongst the life of my past I can't get back to, where I am constantly evaluating my position in comparison to someone else and their assumed successful life of assumed possibilities -that is merely available on appearances -for me a price has been paid in the earnings of giving up freedoms and personal time, hobbies and a career, sometimes there's not even enough air to breath. Most view that as a loss. The...

Better late than never.  Special Olympics was in the spring....  A free slideshow design by Smilebox