Living Life

I haven't had much to post about this month. Our lives are pretty uneventful for the most part. Last week, Lucas' brother and his wife went out of town with their kids. They invited us to house sit for them for 4 days. It was so nice of them to open their home to us. They have a beautiful home and an awesome pool. The kids were in heaven and we spent most of our days swimming. It was a nice little break from our normal routine. My sister and her family usually go to Florida for the month of August to visit her in-laws. She also asked us to house sit and use her pool. Needless to say, we are very spoiled and are really enjoying this summer. We went to the lake with Lucas' brother Jon and his family a few weeks ago. It was so fun to spend that time with the cousins and get out on the lake. When we docked, Lucas and I jumped out with Tyrone and Niamh. We left Gavin on the boat with my sister-in-law Rachelle and her kids while we went to get our car. Tyrone was very concerned and kept asking where Gavin was. Lucas thought it was funny to tell Tyrone that we had thrown Gavin in the lake and that he was gone. Tyrone burst into tears and was unconsolable until he actually saw Gavin. It was so sweet and heart breaking at the same time. Gavin & Tyrone have been fighting like dogs for the past few weeks. I am really looking forward to when school starts back, but it warmed my heart to see how much Tyrone loves his brother. He looks up to Gavin so much and it brings me such joy to see how close they are.

30 years alive

My 30th Birthday was on July 9. I was really looking forward to turning 30, I don't know why. A lot of people dread arriving at this year of their life but for me I was so ready. Maybe because I am so mature and all :) This year was really special because Lucas and I arranged a staycation here in town. We dropped the kids at my mam's in Alamo and we stayed at the Mirage for 3 days. It was seriously the most amazing birthday I have ever had. We got a killer deal on a Mercedes to drive around (Lucas' brother works for Mercedes, so we got a fantastic hook-up.) That was really the icing on the cake. We also got to see the Cirque du Soleil show LOVE. It was out of this world and I found myself once again falling in love with The Beatles. We ate at all our favorite yummy places, Lucilles, The Yardhouse & The Cheesecake Factory to name a few. Our room was spectacular, we had a strip view and our room was upgraded by a sweet friend. Lucas even tried his hand at some Roulette and we walked away twice with $100, only starting with $10. We really missed our kids, but that time together was priceles to us. We're already planning our Anniversary this December.

Independance Day

We celebrated the 4th of July in Alamo with my family this year. I really look forward to going to Alamo to enjoy the parade and the kids really enjoy the games and booths there. This year was really perfect. It wasn't as hot as it usually is on July 4th and it was just a really laid back day. We made different pizzas for lunch. My sister Trudi made the best BBQ chicken pizza EVER. My family surprised me with a birthday cake and presents for my birthday which was the next week. The kids had a blast swimming and lighting sparklers. In the evening we went down to the church ballfield where everyone congregates with blankets and chairs to enjoy the fireworks. They always do an amazing job with the fireworks and the patriotic music they play along with the fireworks always brings a tear to the eye. It was one of my best 4th of July's by far. I'm so happy to be able to adopt this holiday and I'm so grateful for all the men and women who fought for this country to be a free land. God Bless America.

Niamh Liberty

Gavin & Tyrone after the money spray

Gavin with his "Harry Potter" sparkler

Beverley, Trudi, Mam & Me

Lewis, Bev, Niamh & Mam

Lucas & Me

The boys with their lightsabers

Gavin & Tyrone learn to swim

For the past 2 summers, Lucas and I have talked about signing the boys up for swimming lessons. We always procrastinate and before we know it, the summer is long gone. We spent a week in June taking care of Lucas' brothers 4 children. We were able to use their awesome pool everyday, all day long. One day both Gavin & Tyrone wanted to take their life jackets off and try to swim. And they did. It was awesome, a miracle :) They were so happy and confident and I am still amazed how they taught themselves to swim. Gavin has always been a little fish and he is very confident and can swim under water and come up to breathe every now and then. Tyrone loves to follow his older brother. He doesn't trust himself quite as much but he is getting better and better each time we go swimming. I am so proud of my little men!

A Day with Nana

The day after school got out for the summer, my sister Kim and I took our kids up to Alamo to visit their Nana. My mam has goats, chickens, ducks and cats. She had acquired a calf who had to be bottle fed because her mom died giving birth and an African lamb who also had to be nursed to health. The kids love playing with the animals and they love having the freedom to run and play. We also went to "Little Ash" which is a local warm springs swimming hole. It was so much fun and the kids loved the fact that the water was warm. Needless to say, the kids passed out on the way home after a busy day.




Ryan, Baili, Jacob, Niamh, Gavin, Nana, Tyrone & Kami

Giants

So a few months ago I was preparing my lesson for church and was reading in Genesis about Giants. It doesn't say much about them, just that even the Giants feared Enoch and his people. I was very interested and wished I knew more. Today on facebook I saw this picture of giant bones found in Russia and thought I would share. It's pretty amazing, I think so anyway.

Celebrating Gavin

May has been a crazy month for us. We are on the go all the time. It has been a big month for Gavin especially. First of all his first soccer season ended. The Blazers won the last few games and had a pretty good season. It was great to see each player get better throughout the season. Gavin learned a lot. We are planning on putting him on The Blazer team next fall. To celebrate the end of the season the team and their families went to "Pump it up" where we jumped and had pizza and cake. Gavin got a trophy which he was very excited about.



Gavin also graduated from Kindergarten. He had a graduation. All the children sang songs they had learned over the year and received little diplomas. Gavin sat in the front row and he sang every single word of every song, even one in Spanish. I was overcome with pride as I watched my first born be so grown up and confident as he sang and kept his eyes on me the whole time. I have worried about Gavin all year long. Although he has caught up in his speech and has come so far with that, he still has a major issue with staying focused and paying attention. I have felt for a long time that he may have ADHD, he doesn't show as much hyperactivity, but he struggles with inattentiveness and finishing tasks without being constantly reminded and prompted. I also found out this week that Gavin is no longer eligible for special education services within the school district. So he was exited from the program. He will continue on to first grade and that makes me nervous that he won't be able to keep up in a regular ed class. He will have a resource teacher who will be available if he needs extra help with reading, math etc. I visited with his pediatrician this week and we decided to start him on some medication. I am very nervous about having him on medication, but I am willing to try it for a month and see if it makes any difference. I have done a lot of research online and he definitely shows a lot of the symptoms of ADHD. You always want the best for your children and it's so hard when it's your first born and you are really learning as you go. I don't have all the answers and I get so frustrated with him sometimes, when it really is not his fault. Gavin's doctor assured me that she put her own son on this medication several years ago and it has done wonders for him and his self esteem especially. I hope and pray I am doing the right thing. I also heard that altering your child's diet can affect ADHD. I'm willing to try anything.
Aside from all of this, Gavin is a very smart and amazing boy. He surprises me all the time. He has come so far in his development already and I know he will continue to make strides where that is concerned. I am so proud of him and I love him so much.




P.S, These events took place on two different days. Notice Gavin is wearing the same shirt. He is obsessed with Bulldogs right now and wears this shirt as much as he can.