First and foremost, we come to you with grateful hearts for the way you extended Love and support to us as we trusted the Lord to provide for Isaia's Speech Therapy camp. We were able to meet all the needs for camp, hotel,gas and food. We could not have done that without your support and the Lord's promptings. It was a little uncomfortable to ask and yet it was so humbling to know that we have such an amazing team behind us through so many ups and downs these past few years.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you !!!
It has been nearly a month since we left for Speech Therapy Camp. It was an amazing experience and we are continuing to see the results each day. It was a very intense program. He had speech for 4 hours every afternoon. He worked with two incredible Dr's and a wonderful Grad student named Erin. We have learned so much about apraxia and ways to help Isaia work through his sounds. He gained so much confidence and met some great friends. We were given a phonics program to use at home that they used during camp. It has really been a bridge to open him to the word world!!
One of the most memorable comments he made to me was on the way to camp one day..he said"Mom, I really like my new friends here at camp because they all talk a little different, but no one laughs and says stuff like some kids do back home" I asked what he meant and he told me how lots of times, kids tell him he is talking a foreign language and laugh about it, he says it's ok but it's nice to not feel different. My mama heart was sad to hear that,but also grateful he was able to open up and share with me. I always fight back the concerns as he goes out with kids, wondering how difficult it will be for him to communicate and when he will reach his frustration and just shut down. Some days it's hard when he wants to say something and he tries and tries and we just don't get it. Camp Candoo gave him so much encouragement to keep trying, speak slow and also some new ways to make sounds more clear. We are so thankful we were able to experience this camp.
The week before camp was rushed with Graduation prep. Our first Homeschool grad,Aaron-AJ. I am very thankful for the other moms who really were the brain behind the ceremony. We have home-schooled since he was Kindergarten age, until this year when he went to Olympic College for Running Start. It has been a wonderful season,stretching and learning together as a family. We are so proud of the young man he has grown into. He is working through the summer and then headed off to Bible School in the fall for a gap year program, and then work on earning his pilots license.At this point he would like to be a missionary pilot one day, we will see where the Lord takes him :-)
We arrived home from camp as the older kids were returning from our church youth camp, the Friday of Fourth of July weekend. We spent the weekend at a slow pace. Just being back together again. The past three weeks had been a whirlwind.
On Tuesday after the 4th, I started school at Olympic College and so it has just not slowed down. I am taking a full load and realizing how stretched I can or can not be. Algebra 2 has brought me to a new level of studying,(and frustration) it has been 25 years since I did math on this level, but summer quarter has no mercy with 4 hour night classes and only 6 weeks to squeeze it in. SO, you just gotta do what you gotta do !!
Kids are trying to help out around the house more and Katie has taken on much of the meal prep and planning which has been a great help to me. So thankful for her heart and love for cooking ! She is also babysitting a couple mornings a week which has been fun for her.
All this to say , I am working on Thank you notes,and with everything else they are a work in progress.
Jerry had a great eval at our last visit to the Spinal Cord Injury Unit at the VA. His walking continues to improve. He was fitted for some new types of orthotic -like products that are being made to help with his gait. I am working on a progress video I will share soon. ( when I find some extra time). He has came so far this past year, I am so proud of how hard he has worked. The road ahead is still long but the progress each day gives us hope and reminds us how far we have came.
Summer for Sarah is busy with swim team and swim meets. She is loving it and it keeps us on the go.She received a scholarship and will be attending a sailing camp in the Harbor this summer.She is pretty excited for that opportunity.
Just wanted to give an update on life here and let you all know how Blessed we are by each of you. Stay encouraged friends, seek Joy today.
Much Love to you all,
Tammy,Jerry,AJ, Katie, Sarah and Isaia
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