Amanda and the Hendersons

 The toad discovered at Natural Bridge  I have been slacking so much on my blog this summer....I cant decide what to write about...There has been so much good that I cant pick and choose the best!  We have been busy, playing, laughing, running, soaking up sun.  I feel like a kid again....I have removed all schedules, bed times, structure.  We are going with the flow, riding the waves....and it feels good.  I know for certain I may regret the removal of all organization when my kids throw down a massive fight as I try to prepare them for the upcoming school year.....but in the scheme of things it will be worth it.   We have spent much time together as a family, I don't miss the shift work of days passed.  Devan is home for dinner each night and we enjoy family breakfast each morning.  We are enjoying each other so much each day. Squeezing every drop from this life sponge sitting before us! This summer has even brought me to a ...

Watching Parky watch Mickey Mouse, We are in Denver, Parklen is taking his steroid treatments like a champ........Tuesday he slept through the entire 3 hour infusion. yesterday he relaxed and today he is chillin out like nobodies business!!   He hasn't showed any signs of side effects at all....no crazy roid rage (usually he has this horrible), no rashes, nothing.  The more time that I spend here the more I am thankful for our home, for family that helps me out, for friends that help me emotionally cope.....for my own bed.  I am thankful that there is such a wonderful hospital so close to us, and, although I don't love the drive, I am thankful that our every day is far from this place.  That even though we have to travel a lot to see the doctors, our real world is somewhere else.  Yesterday we hit the zoo after Parky's treatment.  It was the highlight for the boys, despite the rain that forced us to wait in the car and only have slightly ...

Summer time is the BEST time, the best time for everything. The best time for eating, playing, loving, laughing and growing. I love summer, I love summer and I LOVE summer.   Having the boys makes summer that much more fun! I made a promise to myself to not let the summer pass us by, I swore that I would not let school come with out sucking every bit of enjoyment I could out of the summertime!!!  Watching them takes me back to being a kid, gives me that feeling of simple bliss, little worry and fun. We have been on a roll, Parky has been feeling pretty good which has made our adbentures(adventures) all the better!!! I made a summer list for our family a few weeks ago and I am pretty proud of myself for the things we can cross off.  I am typically the type of person that makes a list, I love lists, and sometimes I am good at following through, but mostly, things come up and I have to let it go.  Not this list.... The boys and I have gone somewhere...

This post will, no doubt, be completely random. . . .as to match the randomness of my thoughts lately. I have been thinking about things this week, things that are hard to think about.  I try to stay away from the down thoughts. . . .try not to ask the dreaded question.. . . . . . Why? Parklen and I have been in Denver this week......in the hospital since yesterday.  He has been through so much in his 3 short years.....so much.  I watch him struggle with different things in life, things that Paysen does with out a problem.  I watch him go through days when he feels sick and does little more than lay around.  I have seen him have days when he feels better and sucks every bit out of life.  Our last family hike was cut short because Parky didn't feel well, you can always tell by looking at his eyes, and if you miss that cue. . .you can't miss the crying.  He was ready to go almost as soon as we loaded him into the pack.  Payse...

So very much has happened since the last post.     We have been on some family hikes in the recent weeks. One hike included our dog pushing Parklen into the river and Paysen falling into Cactus, the next had Paysen with Poison Ivy, and Parklen feeling so sick he cried the entire time.  One thing is for sure, nothing is normal about our family, everything we do has its quirks. . .its stumbles and mishaps.  But if you ask the boys, they love every adventure we go on.  Parky is drying off after his fall into the Platte. On our hikes, Paysen and I are partners.  He "helps" me along the path.  We celebrated Parky's birthday a couple weeks ago, Cant believe he is three. . . .the time goes more quickly with each passing day.. I wish I had a pause, and rewind button...... Parklen had an Ant hill cake this year, honestly I was just too exhausted to do anything better.  I will make up for it next year I'm sure.  And really. . . .he was ju...

I don't like to slide, I don't like to swing, but when we are at the park, you CAN take pictures of me!!! Yes, I love home-made whipped cream On this day I think of you. . . . The things I have been taught through your very existence. I think of the power in your smile. On this day I think about the days when we thought we would lose you. The feeling we had standing over the hospital bed. I think of the fear. On this day I think of the many trials, The drives we have taken to the hospital, I think of our bond. On this day I think of the day you were born, The moment I met you, I think of the joy. On this day I think of your chubby cheeks, The way they feel when I kiss them, I think of your cuteness.. On this day I think of your strength, The bravery you show, I think of your courage. On this day I think of your spirit, The light you carry with you, I think of the many lives you have touched. On this day I shed some tears, The happy kind, I think of my baby. White Ch...

For over a year and a half we have had a wonderful woman in our lives.  She has come to our home once a week, three times a month. . . . She is Parky's Special "teacher."  At our house we call her his therapist. . . .She has worked with him on motor skills, both fine and gross, She has helped him with problem solving, letters, shapes, colors and more. But the thing she has done the best is make him feel special, smart and important.  Parklen doesn't get a whole lot of social interaction. . .mostly because he cant.  Other kids are sick, or he is.  He doesn't go to pre-school like his brother, barely even gets to go to church.  But Bre would come, she would come to play,  with just him.  She wasn't there to poke him with needles, to check his heart, to look in his ears, to give him medicine. . . She was just there to play.  Parklen has stood at the window each week watching as she comes down the road. . .once he spots her he runs to hide s...