Tuesday Adventure

Well on Tuesday we set out to help Courtney learn to ride a bike without training wheels. We attempted last fall, but quickly decided she was definitely not ready for the big time yet. So, I went with high hopes and low expectations to the end of the driveway to embark on try #2.

The first 15 minutes were torture. Us bending over, jogging, holding onto the back of her seat as she proceded to pedal around and around leaning to one side or the other. Uggg.... no back was meant for this job. Decided to take another approach. Put feet down and wander around cul-de-sac just trying to figure out balance. After a slight improvement in that departement Eric took over and decided he'd use his recently formulated motorcycle skills to teach her how to balance. Whatever he told her it worked. Within a half an hour she could ride straight for a hundred feet or so without any assistance. We attemped some turning and stopping with some success and called it a night. She was so excited and we were so excited for her.

Wednesday, immediately after school she just wanted to get back on her bike to perfect it of course. Though not perfection - she's definitely got it. My baby is growing up!

Memories....

Tonight I was looking thru some photos to hang and I found several old videos of the kids. We don't have hardly any videos of them as little tikes - sometimes I think it was because I knew I didn't want to go back to that place with Andrew. However, I did find some.

It brought back vivid memories of Andrew wandering around the house doing his funny little dance. We thought it was cute.....how was I supposed to know it was a way for him to grasp his surroundings because he was high from the gluten and dairy in his food. He danced and danced around the slide until Courtney's wails interuped his trance. He tottled on over to her - threw something at her - and then bent over to kiss her head. He then held both her hands and said something in "Andrew talk" and caressed her head only to give her several more kisses.

I remember begging God to allow him to speak - to allow me to hear "I love you mommy" at least once in my life from him. Oh how far we have come, but at the same time I wonder how many of the little ways did he express his love for me that I missed. The video made me cry, because though he couldn't speak to us, he obviously had so much love in his heart. Her cries pulled him out of his autism place to a place of intimacy with her and I had no idea that existed.

I often hear "I love you mom" from him now and rarely much sympathy and love for his sister...he...he. But, I am grateful for the reminders that despite what we think is the worst part of our lives, God gives us little bits of himself, little glimpses of love and hope if we just keep our eyes open to it. I intend on keeping my eyes peeled for the little blessings, the little clues as to what God has in store for us, and I'm not going to do my best not to get overwhelmed by the seemingly overwhelming obsticles that arrise.

Despite the autism....there is no child with a more beautiful and captivating smile.

Elijah Warren

The office that was.....

This weekend was a bit of a suprise for my father-in-law. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law and myself conspired to do an extreme makeover on his office. To say it was messy and disorganized was an understatment, but we were determined to help him get organized and give him a great new workspace. I started this process last weekend, so for the last seven days I have had little sleep, and dragged poor Andrew all over the South Metro during his spring break in preparation for the actual "makevoer day". The poor kid was a trooper. One morning we hit 2 Goodwills, Menards, Joann Fabrics, Walmart & IKEA.

So we loaded up the van - with ALL seats removed and the entire bed/cab of my dad's truck and headed on down to Cannon Falls on Friday. Freshly painted file cabinets, newly uppolstered chairs, fun new photography projects, and 4 cans of paint were all part of the "new" look to be created.


So.....it took about 24 hours....and a little bit of coaxing for poor Bryan to buckle down with the piles of paper - but now we are finished. And here are the results..... My favorite addition was this art. I had this shadow box I purchased at IKEA, but I didn't like the photos in it so I grabbed Eric's tackle box and set out to take some new photos. I came up with some that I loved and switched um out....awwww such sweet victory when I get something to look the way I want it to.

We actually had a fabulous time enjoying one another company and working together to accomplish such a big project. Thank you Bryan for being such a good sport - and I hope that you are able to adapt quickly to the "new" way of doing things :) We love you.

A note from Eric.

Andrew wanted a donut this morning and I said no. So he said "I'm calling the police." and grabbed the phone on the table. He then pretended to dial and said "Hi police, this is Andrew Skillestad. My dad won't give me a donut so you need to take him to jail. OK thanks."

Hawaii Part II

So the second reason I went to Hawaii was to work.....I know fun. But actually I very much enjoyed myself. Between meetings and playing "trading spaces" with the condo I kept very busy. Here's some pics of the finished rooms. The teal one already had everything in it except for paint and curtains and art. The blue room was all from scratch and it sure was fun furniture shopping with dad....he....he. (are you sure you want that night stand....it's $50 more than that one) All of the art I made myself - bought super cheap frames, put stuff on it, and even took the pictures. Guess if you need great photos - Hawaii is the place to take them :)

Mandisa - You Wouldn't Cry

Sometimes I just need a vivid picture of heaven. Though the song is titled "You Wouldn't Cry" it made me cry. I love when my spirit is sensative to my true home.

Blue has never been bluer.
True has never been truer.
Honey never tasted so sweet
There's a song in the breeze
A million voices of praise
A rose has never smelled redder
The sun has never been brighter
If I could find the right words to say
If you could look at my face
If you could just see this place
You wouldn't cry for me today.

Listen and be moved: http://widget.nabbr.com/mandisa.html Song 11