God's grace and Nathan Broome

Today, I want to tell you a little more about my "typical" child, Nathan. Six years ago, he came into the world in a "not-so-typical" way and every time I think of it, I am reminded of what a miracle he is and how good God is everyday. He really is in the details.

On October 31, 2005, a Monday, I went to work like I did every other Monday. At the time, I worked at a local hospital as an occupational therapist. I was 26 weeks 4 days into my pregnancy. I didn't feel great that morning, but none of my mornings felt that great. (You see, I wasn't one of those cute pregnant women with the basketball in front. No, I carried it all over. I waddled. I was tired all of the time. Every joint hurt. Just thought that was how pregnant women felt.) My intentions that day were to finish my caseload at the hospital, then see a couple of home health patients in the afternoon. That morning, I was moving around slower than usual. I was having some mild low back discomfort, but nothing big, or so I thought. By lunch time, I was so tired and just wanted to find a mat in the rehab gym to lie down on for a little while. I remember having to call my home health patients and reschedule them for later in the afternoon because I was not finished at the hospital. A co-worker even offered to stay for me so I could go home and rest. I told her I would be fine. As I was trying to rest, my fellow therapists were growing concerned about me. I called the doctor around 12:30 to get an appointment but they couldn't see me until 2:00 pm. I tried to rest but just felt awful so my boss ended up taking me via wheelchair to my doctor's office so I could maybe get in earlier than planned. The office was in a building connected to the hospital so it only took a few minutes to get there, but by the time we arrived, I was starting to have serious pain. It was 1:30 p.m. The nurses heard me crying in the waiting area and got me back to a room. They had a hard time finding a doctor because it was their lunch hour and they were either rounding or in surgery. Finally, they found a doctor. He checked me and I remember him saying something about the baby's head. He told me I was going to have a baby very soon. What?

In a storyline that could have been an "ER" episode, they couldn't find a stretcher so they picked me up, put me in a wheelchair, told me not to push (uh...impossible) and ran with me down the hall toward the hospital with the doctor running in front of us. He was on his cell phone talking to the 7th floor, telling them to get a surgery room ready and call a neonatologist. My boss was still with me, running along side while on my cell phone calling my husband, who worked 40 minutes away in Mississippi, to tell him I was in labor and come to the hospital quickly. When I get to the room, there were already several people there waiting on me. They lifted me onto a table and told me not to push. Yea, right. Tried but that didn't work. One nurse was coaching me on how to breathe while putting papers in front of me to sign for admittance to the hospital. I was in shock. Could he survive? Would I survive? How did this happen? Will I see Roger again? Every time the door opened, I looked to see if it was Roger all while the nurse was trying to get me to focus...breathe...push...It only took 3 or 4 pushes and my little boy was born. He cried and it was the sweetest sound I had ever heard. He weighed 2 pounds 6 ounces and was 14 1/4 inches long. It was 2:30 in the afternoon. They immediately started working on him while awaiting the ambulance and team from the local children's hospital who would take him to the NICU.

The nurse took me in to a regular room and my husband soon arrived. We were both a little in disbelief. This was our first child and we certainly weren't expecting this. (We were scheduled for our child birth class a couple of weeks from then. This wasn't the right order!) The transport team wheeled our little guy into the room so we could see him - 2-3 minutes at most. Ten little fingers and ten tiny toes. He even had a little hair on his head. I could already see that he had a cowlick! He was amazing. So perfect. We tried to take it all in for the short time he was there. We had never seen someone so small. And he was ours. Hard to comprehend at the time. Then they had to take him away. The neonatologist arrived to tell us what to expect during our NICU stay. We had no idea what a roller coaster ride we were in for. Our sweet baby was soon on his way to a new place and we were still there trying to wrap our minds around it all.

We named him Nathan Grant. Nathan means "gift from God." He is exactly that. He spent the next 2 1/2 months in the NICU. It was an incredibly difficult time. He battled a serious bowel infection while there called necrotizing enterocolotis which we thought might take his life. He was so sick. It was so hard to watch him go through this. Surgeons rounded on him daily to assess whether or not to remove part of his intestines. Difficult really isn't adequate to describe what we went through.

But God....I love those words. But God spared his life. God worked in amazing ways through our circumstances. He healed our little boy and surgery was not necessary. Nathan had the most minor of intracranial hemorrhages (hemorrhaging is common in preemies) - which resolved, and even his retinopathy was the mildest it could possibly be. God's hand was on every detail of his life. We were blessed to bring Nathan home on January 13, 2006, 2 1/2 weeks before his original due date. He weighed 5 pounds 14 ounces when we he was discharged from the hospital.

He is a miracle in our lives. God was so gracious in sending us this little boy. Nathan is a tremendous blessing. His only delays are in speech but he has received speech therapy since he was 2 1/2 years old and he has almost overcome these deficits! All praise to God! He is an active, imaginative, and creative little boy. I couldn't imagine life without him.

God was so evident in the events of October 31, 2005 and the many days and weeks that followed while in the hospital. He continues to amaze me. The fact that I worked in the hospital that was connected to my doctor's office building...The fact that I could have gone home at lunch instead of staying at the hospital, but I didn't...The fact that I was supposed to be at a patient's home for his therapy at the time I went into labor, but I wasn't...quite possibly saved our lives. The outcome could have been so different. God worked in and through that experience. My faith was strengthened as I watched it all unfold. His grace, power, and mercy were on full display. And I am so thankful. My prayer is that my precious gift from God will grow into a young man who loves the Lord, fears the Lord, and serves Him faithfully. I pray that He will continue to work in and through Nathan. May God receive the glory for it all!

Happy Birthday my sweet Nathan!

A busy October and some really great kids

I am so far behind on my blogging. It seems as though life is moving at warp speed since school began. There are so many things going on in my life right now! I guess I had just forgotten how busy October is.

Earlier in the month, Roger and I were able to go to the Alabama/ Vanderbilt game in Tuscaloosa for homecoming. It was so much fun! We had a blast. First, Alabama won, so that was great. Second, it was Roger's first Bama game and he loved it. Most importantly, it was an opportunity for us to get away together for a night, which was much needed and enjoyed!

Last weekend, I had an opportunity to go back to my hometown, Hanceville, Alabama, and visit with high school friends at our school's homecoming. It was fun and so good to see how everyone is doing these days, how we have changed, how we have not changed. Lots of reminiscing. It was a "pre-reunion" so to speak. Our 20th high school reunion is next year (wow! we are old!). Looking forward to seeing even more friends then.

Nathan's kindergarten class is busy too. Next week, he gets to go on a field trip to a pumpkin patch with his class. He is so excited and I know it will be fun. His class also has Nursery Rhyme Day. Nathan has chosen "Humpty Dumpty" for his rhyme so I am trying to get something together to make him look like an egg. His only request is that I don't make him look like a cracked egg! Apparently, the thought of the fall off of that wall doesn't set well with him. I told him that even if I made him look cracked, it wouldn't hurt. No use though. No scrambling. A whole Humpty Dumpty he will be.

Today, Luke got to go on his first field trip of the year with his preschool class at Little Tree. I want to say a big thank you to Scott Parks and the students of Project Outreach at Spanish Fort High School for making it all possible. Project Outreach is a group of high school students who have an interest in working with special needs kids. They have a heart for them too. From the moment we arrived, they welcomed the kids and really worked to engage the kids in all the activities. They all had a great time. I really appreciate the time and effort that they put into making this day happen for our kids - kids that they don't know, kids that may not understand what is going on, kids that may not be able to verbalize anything to them. Yet, they didn't stop trying to talk to the kids or trying to get to know them. They wanted the kids to have a great time. A fun day was had by all. It takes a lot of work to put something like this together and to see the number of young people there with an interest in helping these kids, my son included, was so encouraging. So much of what I see in the news about teens is negative. That is why I wanted to take the time to write this. These young women and men are reaching out beyond themselves to learn about and care about those who are different, those who have special needs. They aren't self absorbed, "me first" kind of kids but rather kind, caring, and sincere young adults who want to make a difference in people's lives. I wish there were more programs out there like this in our schools. Bullying is a problems in schools, especially with autistic students as the targets. Programs such as this one could go a long way in decreasing bullying and breaking down stereotypes that people with disabilities are somehow not capable. Sure, some things are out of reach, but there is so much they can do. There is so much they can offer. Get to know someone with autism or down's syndrome or CP or anything and your life will be richer for it. Disability or not, we are all human and when we see each other as just that, the differences don't matter quite so much. I hope these are the kinds of kids that my son will one day have the privilege of calling "friends."

So, kuddos to Mr. Parks and his students. Thanks you for your time and effort to put it all together. Even more, thank you for caring. Thank you for seeing our kids as kids, not disabilities. The world is a little nicer place because of programs like Project Outreach and the special people that are a part of it.

So blessed....but still another reminder

The boys are involved in program at church called AWANA. AWANA stands for "Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed" and it comes from 2 Timothy 2:15 which states "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." It is a wonderful program that encourages scripture memory and teaches about God, His Word, and missions. Nathan is in Sparks which is for kindergarten through 2nd grade and Luke is in Cubbies for 3 and 4 year olds. It is amazing the amount of scripture that they can learn at this age. I love it!

Although Luke is old enough for Cubbies, Roger and I contemplated holding him back, simply because he cannnot recite the verses. His communication is still limited. But receptively , he gets it. He understands so much. We didn't want to limit what he could learn, especially God's Word, just because he could not say it yet. We are blessed to have wonderful workers in AWANA. The Cubbies workers are fantastic. They are loving, caring people who have a heart for the children and instilling God's Word in their hearts. So I am glad we chose to let Luke be a Cubbie this year. I know it will only benefit him.

Last night was parents night at Cubbies. I was hesitant to go as I was afraid I might be a distraction for Luke. I should have went with my instinct. Despite the many remarks we have received that Luke has been a great little Cubbie, listening and attentive, last night he was anything but that. He moved around almost constantly, was more vocal and more disruptive. It was like wrestling a little bear cub! During Bible verse time, he did not want to sit but rather tried to rummage through my purse to get my iPhone so he could find his favorite app. I was constatnly trying to redirect him without causing more distraction. It was difficult for me. I didn't want him to disrupt the others just because I was there and yet, if I had left, it would have probably caused a bigger problem because he was used to me being there. The workers assured me that he never acts this way when I am not there. I am so glad! By the end of the night, I was exhausted, physically and emotionally.

It was a hard night for me. I was so excited to see all that he is learning in Cubbies. It is a great program. The kids are precious and are like sponges, soaking up these life giving words. I know Luke is gaining from this but it was still tough. I am so glad that he is able to be a part of the class and be around his typically developing peers without being too much of a distraction. But at the same time, it was hard for me to see him with all of his peers. You see, sometimes I forget about the autism. Sounds crazy, I know. But, it is true. When we are at home or around family, this is our norm. Differences aren't so notable. But when he is with his friends, his deficits are very obvious. And, at this age, friends are starting to notice that he is different. I am so glad that he doesn't know that he is different. There are so many reasons you want your child to stand out in the crowd, like being one of character, integrity, dependability... but standing out because they act a little different and can't talk isn't one of them. That is how last night hit me. My heart was heavy for my son. Oh, how I want him to be like his friends. What I wouldn't give to hear him talk like them and do the things they are able to do.

I don't want to sound like a pity party. I have been known to have those. I am so grateful for that little boy. He is more than precious to me and he brings our family joy every day. It's just hard sometimes when I am reminded of how he is different than others. I know God has great things in store for Luke. God created him . He is fearfully and wonderfully made. I know this. God will work in him for Luke's good and His own glory. I believe that wholeheartedly because it is in God's Word. I know all these things but somtimes, it is just hard to see so clearly the challenges facing your child. My prayer is that as we walk through life, one day at a time, we will be mindful of all the wonderful blessings and abilities Luke has, not focus on what he can't do right now. We pray that the verses that we talk to Luke about will be hidden in his precious heart and God will use them in a mighty way to work in Luke's life and reach others for Him.

Lots of rain and lots of thinking

Labor Day weekend is here. Tropical Storm Lee is visiting and raining on everything. My mind has chosen now to go into overdrive. I have been thinking. It is kind of quiet right now so I can actually do that. But, if this sounds a little all over the place, well, that is sometimes how my thinking goes. More often than I would like, I find myself thinking about this whole autism thing. I can't imagine why...

When this diagnosis became a part of our family, I never really felt compelled to cry out to God "why Luke, why us?" I am not saying that to pat myself on the back. Not at all. When my questions finally came, they were more like "Are you sure God? This is scary. You think Roger and I can handle this?" Maybe a little like Moses. (Yes, I know it is a stretch.) I can just hear him say "God, are you sure you want ME to lead your people out of captivity? But, I have this speech problem." I know Roger and I don't have to lead throngs of people to the Promised Land but the task we face seems monumental. Our goal is not to "fix" Luke because he is not broken. Autism is just apart of who he is. We want to help him learn and grow into the little boy God created him to be.

Parenting in and of itself is a big deal. Period. Throw in autism or really anything else and it just seems that much harder. I have tried to imagine what life without autism would be like, to have two typically developing little boys. Little league, scouts,...boy stuff. Then it hit me, why can't Luke do those things too? I am doing the very thing that I don't want others to do-limit his opportunities based on a diagnosis. Shame on me. Maybe he will, maybe not. Just have to wait and see. And before Luke came along, I still had Nathan, my precious little boy without autism, and you know, we faced plenty of challenges with him and still do. What makes me think that life without autism would somehow be challenge free? The challenges are different, some more difficult than others, but they are still there. Everyone has "something" to deal with. Autism just happens to be our "something."

The adversity that comes along with autism can be overwhelming. Some children are more affected than others. Some deal with social issues, some with behavioral problems, some with communication deficits, and some with all of the above. It is a spectrum disorder and a big spectrum it is. Luke's primary problem is his deficit with expressive communication. In school terms, Luke is a very compliant little boy. He is very receptive and understands so much, he just has trouble getting it out. We know many others on the autism road with us who have many more hurdles to go through. There was a time that I felt guilty for even thinking that our lives were tough. I saw too many other children fighting this disorder with seemingly more obstacles ahead. A sweet lady who had been in my shoes many years before told me this as I expressed my guilt to her: "Let's say you have a broken arm. You go to the ER and see another person with two broken arms. You think 'wow, they really have it bad.' Yes, they may have it bad and have a harder time than you but it doesn't mean that your broken arm doesn't hurt." I hope that makes sense. It did to me. There are those who are dealing with more difficult situations, but it doesn't mean that ours doesn't hurt too.

So, as I think about our "tough" life I realize how blessed I am. I am not trying to minimize anything and act like I have it all figured out. I just know Who is in control. Life is hard and, on this side of heaven, it will always be. I, unlike Moses, have the whole story. I may be walking in unknown territory but I know the faithfulness of God. He is true to His Word. He has revealed Himself to me and my family through the trials that we have faced. I know that I am not alone. God has given me so much to be thankful for- faith, family, life...He is changing my "Are you sure God?" to "God, I am still scared. Show me what to do. I can't do this on my own." Dependence on God is a very liberating thing. Some may say that I am using God as a crutch. You know, I do lean on Him. He never fails. I can tell you that He is the Rock on which I stand. Without Him, I have no hope. I am so thankful that He doesn't give me blessings according to my abilities or lack thereof. I would have none. He is a very gracious and loving God. That is one thing I know more and more about with every passing day.

Like I said in the beginning, this probably sounds all over the place. Sometimes it is hard to organize everything going on in my head. I hope this makes some sort of sense. All I know is that I am tired and my head feels a little less crowded now. Going to listen to tropical storm Lee pour it's torrential rain on us and call it a night. :-)

Our first year with autism

A year ago today, autism became a part of our family. Of course, it's not like all of the sudden Luke had autism. We had been suspecting it for a few months. It just became official that day. August 23, 2010 was when it became real. It is hard to believe that a year has already passed. So much has happened.

A year ago, Luke was a vocal little boy but his speech was mostly unintelligible. He had a handful of word approximations like "bu" for bubbles and "da" for daddy. Because of his communication deficits, there were many tantrums and occasional meltdowns. There was growing frustration for everyone in the family. We didn't know how to handle it. Over the past year, his communication has greatly improved. He can use a few simple signs and he has so many word approximations that I have lost count! Even for those who are not around him often, if paying attention to the context of the situation when he is vocal, many can understand him! He has even put two words together-not often, but it is emerging! (My favorite is "chi chee" for chili cheese corn chips.) With an increase in his communication skills have come a decrease in his behavioral problems. Of course, he is a 3 year old so there are still tantrums on occasion but all-out meltdowns are few and far between. This is a huge praise!

A year ago, Luke was content in class or nursery at church but he didn't really interact with others. He preferred to stay to himself. Now, he is engaged in what is going on around him. He takes part in class activities. He is part of the group. Most of the time, he is a happy little guy. I have even seen him show empathy which kids with autism just don't do (or so I thought from all the reading I had done). He saw a little boy fall at the playground and start crying. Luke couldn't take his eyes off of him. He made a sad face and whimpered as he pointed to the boy. I reassured him that the little boy was ok. It was like he had to make sure of that. It was so sweet and so encouraging. He is so aware of what is going on! He even tries to initiate play with others on rare occasions. And now, he plays with his brother more at home and is often seen imitating him in play. This is so fun to watch!

A year ago, Luke really didn't make eye contact and he often wouldn't respond when his name was called. Now, not only does he make great eye contact, he smiles and greets people - even strangers. He waves and says "bye" when leaving church or school. He more consistently responds when someone calls his name. He has become my social butterfly of sorts. I love it!

A year ago, my life changed in a big way, not only mine but that of every member of my family. So many challenges. So many questions. "How do we do this?" ran through my head many times. Roger and I were scared and many times felt lonely. "Who understands what we are going through?" We know that God has been with us and that He understands. He has never left us, just as He promised in His Word. But something about having a diagnosis can bring on a sense of isolation. There were times it felt like no one understood what we were dealing with. Over the past year, God has opened so many doors. He has brought many amazing people into our lives. The early intervention occupational therapist and speech therapist were wonderful and Luke responded so well to them. The teachers and staff at Goodwill Easter Seals Child Development Center were terrific with him. They were exactly what he needed (and I did too)! They taught Luke and our family so much. Now, he is at a new school for kids on the autism spectrum. He has a fantastic teacher that he likes and to which he responds. I know we will all be learning a lot from them this year (weekly parent training sessions start this week!). Of course, I cannot forget the precious children and families we have met and befriended who are on the autism journey along side us. These are people we may have never known had autism not come into our lives. We understand each other. The struggles, the victories. We get it. Autism has bonded us in a special way. We are blessed because they are in our lives.

So, we are not celebrating this one year anniversay with cake or candles or balloons. Not that kind of anniversary. This year, we are celebrating with thankfulness. Thankful that God has been with us and has gone before us down this road. His grace truly is sufficient. Thankful that, along the way, we have seen the victories in seemingly small things (but the small things are big) among the challenges. Thankful that we are not alone and we know this. God is with us and so is a community of people who cheer and cry with us because they are going through it too. We are blessed to have a very supportive family who have been with us every step of the way. We have so many who lift us up in prayer as well and I certainly am thankful for them because if we need anything, it's prayer. Prayer for wisdom, direction, progress; Luke's teachers, his doctors; our patience,our strength; Nathan and understanding...the list goes on. God has been so gracious to us. Luke is a blessing and we are learning so much about him, about God, and about life because of this road we are on. I am thankful for that. It's progress for all of us. And I am thankful for hope. Thank you God for hope.

Taking a breath...and advice

The past couple of weeks have gone by like a whirlwind. They have been filled with fun, excitement, lots of activity, and lots of change. They have been both refreshing and exhausting. Now, it's Friday. I feel like I can take a breath. And thanks to the grandparents, who wanted the boys to come over for the night, I have time to write about it.

Last week, we were fortunate to take a family vacation to Orange Beach. I had been looking forward to it all summer as we were in need of a getaway to rest and recharge. We had a wonderful time. The weather was nice and the view from our 11th floor condo at Caribe was beautiful. Until this year, the sand and saltwater didn't really appeal to the boys. They would much rather play at the pool which was okay too. On this trip, they truly enjoyed the beach. They loved playing in the sand and splashing in the waves. It was great to see them have so much fun together. My in-laws came with us this year. It was such a blessing. Not only did Roger and I enjoy their company, but we were also fortunate enough to enjoy a night out because of their help with the little ones. A vacation with small children is so nice but not necessarily relaxing so it was especially nice to have that time with Roger. It was hard to come home...but, we did. Home from vacation on Friday, attempt at recovery from vacation over the weekend, then first day of school for Luke on Monday. Whew! What was I thinking?

So, Monday rolled around and Luke started his new preschool, The Little Tree. I am thrilled to report that he had a phenomenal first day! He was happy, friendly, and didn't even have a single tee-tee accident! No tears either - from him or me! (For those who know me well, this may come as a surprise - not that he didn't cry but that I didn't!). Nathan and I had a couple of days together and enjoyed them completely. Then, Wednesday rolled around. Nathan's first day of Kindergarten. I walked him to the door of his classroom. He smiled with the teacher so I could get a picture, then he went in and started his day. Okay, this was hard for me. But, I sucked it up - no tears - and went home, not quite sure what to do with myself. I wanted to hang out at the school for a while...maybe make copies or cut out shapes or something...for any teacher...just to be there...kinda check in from time to time. Pitiful! My little guy, who usually has a hard time separating from me, did great! I was the one having the hard time. I had just talked to him about being brave and having courage and that God was with him. Now, I was having to repeat those words to myself! I survived the day and was so anxious to pick him up. He was all smiles when he got in the car. I am thrilled to report that he had a great first day too! He had a shakey start on Thursday, with a few tears, but today, he bravely got out at the carpool line and went in without me! Yea!!! and boo-hoo!!! That was a big step for him today. I guess it was for me too. He is getting to be such a big boy! I was so proud of him and he was proud of himself too!

I can't help but smile as I think about Nathan as he carried on a pretend conversation on his play phone in the car to Luke ( as Luke was still at school). He was speaking quietly so I didn't let on that I was listening to him. He said "Lukey, is school okay? Don't worry. Be brave. God is with you." That brought a big smile to my face, and tears too. It was so sweet. He is listening. Maybe he is taking it to heart.

So, here I am at the end of this busy week, well, couple of weeks really. I am sitting, breathing, and trying to collect my thoughts. Life is happening so fast. I don't want to miss anything. So many memories have been made over these last two weeks. Big moments in my sons' lives. Am I ready for all of this? I don't know...I hope so...one day at a time. Maybe I too will take that advice and not worry but be brave. I know God is with me. I can rest on that without a doubt.

Until Later.....

This is an emotional week for me.  Yes, I know, most weeks are emotional weeks for me.  But this week happens to be Luke's last at the Goodwill Easter Seals Child Devolopment Center (GESCDC).  I might as well bring the tissue with me on Friday because I am sure I will cry...sniff, sniff. It is so hard to say goodbye, especially to people who have been such a big part of my family's life.

It was in November of 2010 that I received a call for the director (Anne) that a spot had become available for Luke at this school.  It couldn't have come at a better time.  Roger and I were both at our wit's end trying to figure out this autism thing and how to help Luke.  We didn't know how to handle the screaming and the meltdowns.  It was stressful to say the least.  We were so excited that he could be in a program that could help him.  Not only did it help Luke, it helped our family as well. 

He began the program on November 29, 2010. (He didn't cry at drop off, but I did!) This was a big step for him and for me. I didn't know what to expect. How would he do? Transitions can be very difficult for kids with autism. He completely surprised me and transitioned remarkably well. In fact, the first day, he went into his class with a smile and every day since then has been the same. He loves the people there. They are an integral part of his life. Under their instruction and care, Luke has made great progress. His communication skills have improved. He has many more word approximations in his vocabulary, he uses simple signs more consistently to indicate his needs, and he is engaged in what is going on around him. He can recognize his name and match numbers. He is even making progress with potty training! (Ms. April is awesome!) The list goes on and on...not to forget the wonderful friends we have made along the way. I credit his success to God and the amazing people He has used to teach Luke. (Thank you Ms. Maria, Ms Toni, Ms. April). They are all special to me.

Over these months, I have grown to love the people who work there. The director, teachers, and assistants have all been nothing less than wonderfulThey have been supportive, encouraging, and informative. There have been days when I just looked like I needed a hug and was met with open arms(Thanks Anne!). They are like family. Their work is priceless. Not only are they good at what they do, they are also invested in the children. They really care. (Thank you Ms. Mickie, Ms. Toni). They look at these children with disabilities and see them first as children, not disabilities. They face challenges every day they go to work but they press on and are dedicated to their work and their children. I respect them so much for what they do.

But even more importantly, they have been so good to my little guy Luke. He loves going there. He is greeted with smiles each morning and, on most mornings, he flashes those sweet dimples and smiles back. (Thanks Ms. Diane, Ms. Eleanor, Ms. Bobbi, Ms. Jodi, Ms. Christy!) It is such a comfort to know your child is in good hands. He has been in great hands.

As this chapter comes to an end and a new one will soon begin, I look back with gratitude and look forward with hope. Thankful for progress already made and expectant of the progress that is to come. I am so thankful for the GESCDC and I will be forever grateful for the care they have given Luke. I know that he will miss them. I will miss them too! So, I won't say good-bye. I will just say..."until later."