Remembering 2009-A Bittersweet Time

One year ago and my look how they grow!

Gym Force @ FSU Makenzie competing her floor routine, she did really well at this competition and was given the bronze medal for vault champion. As they say,"she's got a 10 on her mind and whew she's looking fine!"

Jarett made Ojos Dios, translated God's Eyes at Mrs. Nicole Hale's house for Art lessons every other week. A saving grace for me the last home school year, especially during deployment and great coffee too :)

First field trip of the year in January of 2009, to the Firehouse, Engine CO. 35 This is by far the "hottest" guy working there that day! LOL

The morning of deployment November of last year, was bittersweet. It was another holiday season James would be gone from home, half a year to get through without a father/husband but it was our last separation for his career. YAY!

Justist is excited to be able to share in the celebration with his Dad, for his birthdat although 4 months early at the time. November 2008(oops, not actually 09, is it?)

A day well remembered last Fall, in late November I surprised James & Makenzie with a birthday party to celebrate early since daddy would be deployed during both birthdays! Such a delightful smile.

The past year has been filled with wonderful moments that I will forever treasure, some times there were moments of pain and suffering but nothing that couldn't be overcome. Our children continue to thrive, James and I will always learn the role of advocates not just parents for Justist and we've grown stronger as a couple in the recent months. We are blessed to be right where we belong with those were with...family, our family. God has had favor with us to give us our health and wealth, as well as each other, for that there is nothing to add-but thanks to those who support and love us.

Love, Shelain
Happy@Home

When the wait is over...

So after two months of waiting after having seen a family counselor and our Pediatrician while James was away, we finally got a referral to see a Behavioral Analyst and Justist was formally evaluated cognitively and psychologically. However, let me say after the consultation with the Peds doc and the interview with the family counselor, they both agreed Justist had Aspergers Syndrome but couldn't formally diagnose it. We thought, what is that really? Well the Behavioral Analyst of course we'll be able to explain more in detail and how it will affect our son if indeed it is a true diagnosis. So we waited for our appt with the Analyst for about two months. The first apptointment is an intake, just to ask questions to gather info and see how our family (i.e.) the children interact with one another in a social setting, followed up by another appt for the testing/eval. After another lengthy delay of 3 weeks James(finally home) and I go in to meet with the Psychologist for a feedback meeting and get the results after everything has been compiled.

Our 9 year old son Justist, has been diagnosed with multiple disorders which stem from Asperger's Sydrome which is an Autism Spectrum Disorder to include ADHD and ODD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Oppositional Defiance Disorder. These are all classified as nuerobiological disorders which affect cognitive function. A great quote I recently read from a book about ASDs says, "A person with AS has no more control over how he or she views the world and interprets what is seen, heard, felt or understood than a person who has suffered a stroke or developed Alzheimer's disease. Asperger Syndrome is the result of anomalies in the physical brain, not emotional or behavioral problems, although those certainly can result from it." (OASIS Guide to Asperger Syndrome)
Shelain~


Hello to all our family and friends who are reading this blog and thank you for all your prayers and support for our family, especially while I was away. Justist and I have always had a "special" relationship, he's truly been my little buddy from the very first time we laid eyes upon each other. With that said, it was humbling to discover that our son, always full of fun and a blast to be around had AS. What does that mean? After the panic subsided, I have committed myself to help him in any way shape or form.

I know it's common for people to make light of "serious" circumstances, but as a family we've taken some level of comfort in knowing his limitations and helping him in as best we can, but with that said, Justist is truly a unique child, and says some of the most profound things you've ever heard. Shelain and I have come to understand some of his behaviors and found true enjoyment in them. He's so brutally honest you can't help but laugh (at times!!). It has helped us tremendously just knowing and educating ourselves (thank you Shelain for giving me the abridged version) of what to expect from our child with AS.

Justist is our unique 9 year old we love and adore. He has always been a joy to be around and knowing his limitations have made it even more enjoyable. He's a great kid on his way to becoming a great young man!!

More to come....

James

When Something Is Wrong

Well we have decided as a family to change the cause or outreach of our family blog, to tell the story of our son Justist and raise awareness for Autism. Along the way, as his parents, especially as a mother it gives me an outlet to express what our lives are like to the ones closest to our hearts.

It has been said, "that Mom knows best." My subtle discoveries with Justist began well over a year ago in January 2008, James was deployed and I just noticed that Justist wasn't himself. He would become agitated when the routine in his life would change and he would shut me out. I simply thought this was just because Daddy was gone away and that the routine changes were another reminder of something else different in his life. But throughtout those 3 months he became less of a happy child and more of an angry kid who was withdrawing and unwilling to make regular eye contact with me. But alas, Daddy was back at home so we told ourselves it was just a phase and went on our merry way. Besides that summer, Justist developed regular migraines and we had greater worries on our hands because it was then that a CT scan would show us that he had a cyst on the brain that would require us to see a Nuerosurgeon for evaluation which they are still watching yearly. It is with much thanksgiving though that I can say his migraines are well maintained with medication and his cyst and scans are so far unremarkable!

However, this fall as our third deployment came upon us and Daddy was gone again for 6 months this time. I saw again, even more the kid who would withdraw and became angry regularly. He now showed me as we were admidst the home school year that studies were becoming a struggle for him, in that he couldn't focus for long periods of time and certain subjects caused him anxiety to the point of tears. More importantly the relationship he had with Jarett and Makenzie were becoming strained, he would get mad at them if he couldn't control them or they didn't do the things he wanted to do or weren't interested in what he was talking about. At this point I knew this isn't my son, not in the sense that it's the boy I know him to be! He was trapped in there somewhere....
Then the same night, my older son Jarett says"mommy, Justist has always been different, not in a bad way but just different from other kids." I knew then it was time to go to get help and so started our journey, first with the Pediatrician and DO. A journey to unlock the door to our son~

Thanks for your support,
Happy@Home


http://yachclub.blogspot.com/

Spring has come...

So today was the second day of Spring, Saturday and the first day of Soccer season. A great day for me, a full day of activity after only a week post-op from arthroscopic surgery on my knee. Thank you to each of you who have sent there well wishes and prayed for me and my recovery, I covet your continued your prayers as I have a ways to go!
Today, was a beautiful balmy day not typical of a Spring day as for the weather. Sunny but breezy and cool. Perfect none the less, in the sense that I got another opportunity to see how children are such amazing individuals even in families. Makenzie and Justist both are playing soccer for the first time and both loved playing their first game! Makenzie was focused and intent to get the job done of being on defense at goal and that she did, she came out of the box and stopped it every time kicking the ball down field. While Justist is a lover of sports, he was more interested in his peers and being part of the team and the action on the field!
Although, a busy and tiresome day of sports and friends to visit with afterwards it was a wonderful day! Thank you Upward Sports League for blessing our family again with the Deployed Military Member Scholarship, we appreciate the opportunity to come out and play!

Happy@Home,
Shelain

Countdown 77 days

Facebook..... most of you have heard of this website, where people can look up loved ones, lost ones and reconnect or just share their lives. Well my father introduced me to this wonderful website a few months ago, and right away I was hooked! It was an outlet for me at the end of my day, as a home school mother and wife to a deployed husband to connect with other adults and share the common bond of friendship. With that said, three months have gone by in the time since I have discovered Facebook and have updated this blog.

Countdown is here, more than half the deployment has gone by and ONLY 77 days are left until James returns home to our family. This deployment has been the greatest challenge of my life but, "all things work together for good."Romans 8:28 It is my opinion in life there are no mistakes but lessons learned, some harder than others!

On the other hand, I have watched our beautiful children grow and become more self reliant and pull together as a team to be strong in everything they do, whether sports or adventure or even adversity. In the months past, Makenzie has competed in the sport of gymnastics at 3 different locations/competitions. She has had the fun-filled oppurtunity of participating in cheerleading for the first time this year. Justist has had an awesome time playing basketball for the first time ever, with a wonderful sports league ~ Upward! Now Justist & Makenzie will begin a season of soccer together with Upward this coming weekend, they are both very excited! Jarett at the time of this writing has achieved a goal he set his mind to over six months ago and recently has reaped the benefits of his hard work and determination... he has been invited on a USAG gymnastics boys competitive team! As for me, the mother of these amazing children I am always on the move and now that will include 5-days a week at the gymnastics gym, for practices for BOTH of my gymnasts. I am a very proud mother, and thank God for the bounty of blessings he bestows upon me and our family!

Love,
Shelain

Happy@Home

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all, may each of you that we know and love be in good health this time of year and always. I trust you will remember Christ in Christmas as it is His birth we celebrate this day. Please let us not also forget those that cannot be home with us but are away protecting our freedom here at home so we can have the pleasure to enjoy our festivities with friends and loved ones. May God richly bless us all as we remember the gift born to us this day in a manger some thousand years ago...

Happy Holidays
from home

One week since we said goodbye ...... today

Bittersweet... is the best way to describe how we feel here at home. We're glad it's already been one whole week gone by but on the other hand, we can't believe he's been gone that long and how many more weeks we have to endure.

Our goodbyes were sweet and managed with smiles, not tears. There wasn't any apparent sadness just a simple knowledge of knowing the inevitable had arrived and as a family it was time to stand up and do what has to be done. We will stand strong in our faith, for the Lord says, "do not be weary in well doing."

Thanks to each and everyone of you who are faithful to pray and encourage us. Extra special thanks to those in this last week who have come to my rescue personally, I love you and am grateful beyond words.

25 more weeks to go and counting, it's easier this way then counting a multitude of days!

Happy@home,
Shelain