THANK YOU EVANSTON RED DEVILS... These kids are AWESOME

During the Evanston High School Varsity Games they always have a 50/50 cash drawing and the Castle Rock shoot-out!! This is Tanner when his name was called for the Shoot-out.. And the next game we went to he won the 50/50 which was 65.00 (Lucky kid)



Now to meet the people that are
"ROCK-STARS"
If you are visiting this blog for the first-time and live in Evanston, Wyoming. The next time you see one of our WONDERFUL High School students running around town. Just smile at them, because that is the best way I can think of to thank them all. This kids have all taken my Tanner under their wing.. He is the "cool" kid that everyone wants to hang with. This kids go above and beyond anything any High School student should. They love my kid and they dont care what other people say.. So to any of you that are their parents, their coaches, or their teachers. These are GREAT kids that need to know that one mom out there watching them is VERY proud of the way you have raised your kids, coached them and taught them!!!
Thank you Evanston Red Devils!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


One of Tanner's Favorite people..... Thank Tyler #34

I was unable to download all the pictures of our basketball games...We had over 1,000...YES\1,000.. So if you want pictures from any home games let me know!!

Do You EVER feel GUILTY????

At work today a co-worker asked me if I felt "GUILTY" when I found out that Tanner had special needs...Without a second of thought I said NO!!! I knew from the minute I saw him that there was something very "special" about him. I told her that I was more upset with the Doctors that would never listen to my concerns about him and that so many of them told me that... he was just a boy and that I should not compare him to his sister, because boys development is noticably slower than girls". I was upset that because of the Doctors SLOWWWWW response to his needs that I lost those precious years of much needed therapies... BUT NEVER DID I FEEL GUILT.

Sure, there were those days when I cried ohhhhh how i cried.. When the specialist told me that he would never do this or he could not do that...I CRIED!!! When we have to hold him down for them to put the wires on his head for EEG's, when they have to draw blood from his little-chubby arm, when they have to move him to the front of the class so he can hear....I cry, not for me but for him because he knows there is something different about him. When he sees other kids that are his age and they are doing things he cant do yet. Like riding a bike, tying their own shoes, zipping up their own coats, or the best is doing up their own pants. (THANK heavens that elastic pants are still cool).

But, then I feel PRIDE.. It's the kinda pride that you just can't explain. It's when you see your kids go up to the child in the wheelchair or with a walker and they help them or run over to say hi to them while all the other kids run past them. That is something I always wanted to teach my kids, But with Tanner it just came natural.. His compassion for others is something MOST adults would be jealous of..

So to sum up her question.... NO,I never ever felt GUILT!!!!!!! I feel honored that Heavenly Father knew I was strong enough to have such a "SPECIAL" spirit in my home and in my life...

One Step at a Time!!!

Tonight for the first time ever I sat at my parents house as the gentleman from the University of Wkyoming was asking us questions to finish up Tanner's DD waiver process. This IS finally the last step..
We were all sitting there Mom, Dad, Me Paul and the kiddos. As he asked the first round of questions it wasnt too bad we were able to get to at least question 10 before the 1 and 0 were our answers.. This I think was much easier for my Mom and I then the men there. To have to actually admit his functioning skills is probually the HARDEST thing for me, because I have always hidden what I do for him from so many people.
Then we got to the final section which is my least favorite part, That would be the Personal Cares section. This is the part where you have to actually speak up and let your childs NEEDS known.. The fact that my 10 year old is not able to wash his hands and face alone without verbal cues, The fact that my 10 year old is NOT able to dress and care for himself alone opened my eyes yet again.
Over the last 2 years since Tanner's diagnoises and all the therapies we have put him in he is NOW able to make friends at school. As a matter of fact on Friday night he took me on a date. Knowing a couple of girls from the office with boys the same age I invited them to join us. It was AMAZING.. The boys laughed and visited.. I laughed and visited and at the end of the 3 hour dinner I thought to myself, "DAMN, look how far we have come Tann".. Yes we have a long ways to go and probually many more melt-downs,.. But we had one successful dinner and his FIRST ever boys NIGHT out,,

I really miss my Idaho Friends

The holidays are over and it makes you greatful for what you have. This year being home for the entire Holiday Season was WONDERFUL!!!
I do however greatly miss my dear friends in Idaho.. And that has been hard, I am not overly friendly and they all broke right through the wall. So to all my Idaho friends.. I MISS YOU ALL!!!!!
I hope to see you all again soon and at the rate you are all announcing NEW babies it should be for all your showers.. PLAN THEM ALL THE SAME WEEKEND, THEN I WONT MISS ONE.

It makes you thankful for great friends, you know the ones that are your family and take you under their wings when you are alone or away from your family.. that is what you all meant to me.. I hope and pray you all have a wonderful 2011.