We’re baaaaaack!

Second term of horseback riding therapy is in the books, and this time, we have done some big things! To start off this term, Owen got some boots and a new helmet for riding. One of his favorite things to receive after going to therapy or doctors appointments are the stickers, so as his routine of grabbing one when he is done has turned into putting them on his helmet now. It will be fun to see them all add up over time!

This term in a few words would be: challenging, successful, tired (because parenting lol) and cold!

Being in the winter months, we were bundled up snug most of the time, it was really cold this year! Ick. There were some days that we didn’t go because it wasn’t safe to have O out in it, and even though we are inside the arena and in the barn on these days, we try and keep Owen indoors above a certain temperature so that his joints don’t hurt him.

To summarize, Owen learned some responsibilities around the barn, had a really fun day doing all the chores and cleaning his favorite horse. He actually loved going back and forth to fill up the water and enjoyed brushing her for longer than I thought he would. He was so proud, you could just see it on his sweet face…

May 15, 2019 will be a day that I will never ever forget.

A lot goes into a day like this. Not just physically, but emotionally. This day, overall, was overwhelming, but in the most comforting sense and in all aspects. Our community has gone above and beyond for us to make sure that we know that we are loved and we will always be forever grateful. So, before I go into our busy, heartfelt, most wonderful celebration day, from the bottom of our hearts… just thank you. With Owen switching schools now in our journey, I as his mama, imagined having some kind of ‘graduation’ for him. This entire day, thanks to so many of you, was more than what I ever pictured and well deserved for our boy.

I opened my eyes at 5:45 am. I could hear the first birds chirping and see the tiny bit of sunshine peek through my bedroom window as my husband wrapped his arms around me and I began to cry. It’s time. The day is here and all the feels hit me at once.

“Today is a big one babe,” he said. “Are you ready for it? It’s okay, we got this.”
Yes, we got this. Let’s do this. This is my purpose. I can make it through this.

While I’m sitting here on my delayed plane and have already missed my connecting flight, my mind is wandering and thinking deeply about recent trips and conversations.

This specific one takes me back to my evening flight home from Napa, CA a few weeks ago, when God purposefully placed me next to a woman and knew that we needed each other in that moment. I was heading home from a Women Warriors planning weekend and MPS Napa 5k, deep with emotion on Owen’s Story, my purpose, and his diagnosis. We made small talk and talked about how she was from around my hometown area but now lives states away. She was home because her mom just passed. We chit chatted, I told her about Owen’s Story and she told me beautiful memories of her mama and wishes for her dad for the future without her by his side. We related to each other in different ways and comforted each other in others.

I gave her Owen’s infamous traced print from our shop, “one day at a time,” and together our eyes teared up and there was a moment of silence.

Time is valuable.
Time is priceless.
Time is quickly taken for granted and it’s something you never get back.
Time is happening right now, right in front of you.
What are you doing with your time? Who are you spending it with?

For some people, ‘we have more time.’ There is time to ‘do it later, not right now, but soon… another time…’

But really… this individual, this family, this community going through this disease…
We don’t have much time.

Ever since we’ve moved into our home on the corner of College Avenue, the house next to us has been empty. There is a ton of character that flows through it, as it’s an old house and has original fireplaces, built-in church pews, etc but has always just needed a lot of work. We would peek out the window each time someone would walk through it with their real estate agent, wondering if they were the perfect fit… but nothing. Everyone would walk through it and we would never see them again.

Until NOW. We have new neighbors!!!
And to say that they are the ‘perfect fit’ would be an understatement!

The last couple weeks have been a bit hard… emotionally.

We’ve officially started the process of transferring schools from public school to the special ed school. As of Monday April 1st, he’s been going to school for half days at his small public school from now until the end of the school year to create a happier day overall for him while attending and being a part of the things he still loves and having less frustration in the school day as the afternoon approaches. He still gets to play and be with his friends, attend therapies as usual and specialty classes such as music and art with his classmates. He enjoys and is known to have a happy and social lunch time with friends too, so mama picks him up now after lunch!

As much as we were praying to be able to keep him with all of his friends through elementary school (5th grade here), he’s no longer obtaining information on the cognitive levels of his peers (which is just fine!) and is still steady at a 3-4 year old level of understanding + conversations. Since Owen goes to school more for socializing rather than learning at his level of 2nd grade, we know that at his new school he will absolutely THRIVE and enjoy it just as much as he’s always loved any school he’s attended.

This was the very beginning of a very important and special chapter in Owen’s Story. We have completed our very first term in therapeutic horseback riding. I take a lot of photos and videos at this therapy every week, for obvious reasons of seeing him relaxed and happy, but sometimes he has hard days with it too and I want to remember everything that comes with this journey. These horses have made an impact already and I’m so excited to have them be a part of our story to create a sense of comfort and be able to help Owen physically and socially in many ways.

For those who are local to us and looking into it, we go to New Kingdom Trailriders in Sherrard, IL and highly recommend it. It is a place for those with disabilities and their staff is so great. They thrive for success, happiness, they focus to meet each individuals needs and love to show the strong bond that is made between them and a horse that they get to call their own. Owen looks so forward to seeing ‘my Riley and Mack’ every week.

Here is a throwback sneak peek into our orientation night - visiting the horses and Owen’s first time seeing the place and other photos from first term. The 2nd term is going wonderful and I already can’t wait to share it with all of you!

First term: Owen + Riley

Today I googled what sizes pull ups and diapers came in. What size would my 113 pound 8 year old wear? Clearly we are out of the baby sizes, and we are going to eventually be back in them full time due to this disease, but for now, where do I start for days like this? And goodness graciousss, why haven’t I researched this until now anyway? Adult sizes, here we go. Hmm… I should definitely get some of those bed pads for the furniture too… ‘add to cart.’

It’s been a messy morning. I think you already get the picture. Also, never did I ever think that I would be writing a blog post about poo. Ha! Some days they are like this, some days aren’t bad at all and then there are some days I have to go to his school to clean him up a little bit. But here is a little visual for you for awareness sake. And now that I look at this photo, it really is my life, haha. And what better way to give a sneak peek into one of the shirts that will be in our shop this year!

It’s been day whatever since I’ve washed my hair, tomorrow is the day. My coffee has been the closest thing to a ‘bff’ around here lately. The tattoo on my right finger reminds me to ‘smile’ through it, the purple awareness bracelets and cross tattoo on my wrist that you can’t see, remind me to keep going and always have faith while holding onto all of the hard days, like this one, with a small handful of the only clean underwear he has left. One of the new shirts I designed reminds me (and hopefully so many of you) that you are created for a purpose, this just happens to be one of mine.

Just. Keep. Going.

This weekend we were snowed in! These photos actually show the road plowed, haha but all up until, everything was covered in a blanket of about 12 inches.

This is the first time this winter that we have actually gotten to play in the snow and wanted to show you that some kiddos have sensory issues of all kinds that also have to be taken into consideration when doing something, which to some of us, may just seem simple, easy and fun.

It started off with Paisley just wanting to go out and play, so I asked Owen if he wanted to go out and he said “um, no thank you.” This is a normal response from him when it comes to playing in the snow. So we decided that we would open the window and sit and watch her. (Being the thoughtful big sis that she is…) She told me to grab a baking tray like we used to when he was little and she would put some snow on it for him so that they could still play together. So there he sat, in the window with his guys, tossed them back and forth to her and they were happily playing together. She made him laugh but throwing snow, making a snow angel and eating the snow. Brother B then decided that he wanted to go out and oh, boy! Owen then decided he wanted to put his hat on! We watched B shovel a little and Paisley be silly and then once his pup went out to play, he looked at me with excitement! I knew he felt a ‘safe’ feeling.

There are days and moments where all I do is take a single photo to remember the moment and then put my phone away to soak it all in. And then there are times where I want to capture every single moment that I can to help tell the whole story, to share with all of you and have on hand for our kids to look back on. The kind of memories that I know the kids won’t remember as they get older when they are younger when soaking in all of the details that is happening and making my mama heart burst at the seams and just so happy. This weekend that has been documented was just that. A Christmas story for our family that is 1000% worth remembering, down to the very last detail that I could have possibly seen with my own eyes.