Our Little Boy

As some of you may or may not know, Isaac was referred to a team of autism specialist at his two year check up (in July). Last week he was diagnosed with Autism and motor coordination disorder. We had a feeling that it was coming but still felt overwhelmed to have it confirmed. We feel fortunate that we have caugh it at a young age when early intervention is key. Incase you don't know Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. We are hopeful that he will make great strides with treatment eventhough he will never be "cured" of autism. Isaac's tested higher than his age in cognitive abilities which makes us very optimistic. This isn't something that we ever thought we would have to face but we love our little boy more than ever. We are currently wading through all of the hoops and paperwork of setting up therapies, applying for grant money, insurance coverages, and educating ourselves about autism. Wish us luck.

Hanging Lake

A few weeks ago Charlotte and I accompanied Garrett on a quick business trip to Grand Junction. During the drive home we decided to take advantage of not having Isaac with us (he went camping with Grandma and Grandpa). So we stopped at Wal-mart to buy me shoes (I only had flip flops) and water. We set out to hike Hanging Lake just outside of Glenwood. It's a good thing the snuggli was in the trunk. By far one of the best, take your breath away, spectacular, kick your butt, beautiful Colorado hikes ever! If you haven't done this one you really should. You climb about 1,000 feet over 2.5 miles, it's crazy steep but totally worth it at the top. The crystal clear pond is full of fish.

Upper waterfall

Family Pics

What a workout! I think Mom and Dad need naps after this event. Coordinating outfits, making sure everyone looks good, getting to the studio on time, and getting Isaac to sit still for more than 2 seconds. Some how we made it through. Thank goodness for fruit snacks, they are great for bribing.

Here's to a Super Dooper Dad!

i LOVE Daddy because he . . .

holds me

teaches me
welcomed me
snuggles with me
carries me
laughes with me

sleeps with me
trick or treats with me
bowls with me
throws me
hugs me

cares for me
gave me good looks
takes me
swims with me
plays with me

Garrett is a great dad! He is always willing to change a diaper, feed a bottle, dry a tear, give a hug, and just be there for Isaac and Charlotte. We love him so much. Happy Father's Day!

Baby Blessing

Charlotte was blessed on April 13th. We had quite the crowd in our little ward. We are grateful that so many of our family members could make it! Thank you to everyone who particiapted.
After party! If there's fruit around Isaac is sure to be eating it. I think he finished off the fruit bowl! At least it's not candy, right?

Charlotte slept through her entire party.

Breckenridge

We had a little family vacation a few weeks back. Isaac had his first ride on the snowboard.
Charlotte did a lot of sleeping in the snuggli.
During the entire trip Isaac kept sticking his tongue out. I think he liked the way it felt in the wind.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Aunt Karen and Uncle Ron came to visit for a few days so we had to pack in as much fun as possible. The Capital, Maggiano's, Downtown Aquarium, The Molly Brown House, farkel (some call it 'greedy'), lemon meringue pie, and Heidi's. We met Paige, their grandaughter- what a sweetheart she is. The time we spent together was lots of fun.

Unlce Ron, Aunt Karen, Paige, Mom, Isaac, Sarah & Charlotte.

Why is it that dad's always get the urge to put their kids in danger by throwing them? Evan and Garrett thought it would be good Easton (err, Easter) fun to throw their boys, Martin & Isaac, as high in the air as possible. What funny pictures. The big boys (Alex & Kimball) wanted in the fun, but are growing up faster than Evan & Garrett's muscles!

The kids had a fun time coloring Easter eggs. Too bad that on the way home we ran over a bunny! We pulled over to see if it was of the Easter variety, but we didn't see any broken eggs- thank goodness. We feel bad for the little guy who is now stuck to our tires; oh well, at least they don't have a hard time reproducing- Happy Easter!

All the Aunts & kids (except Charlotte)

Those of you who know Isaac, it doesn't surprise you that during the Easter egg hunt with his cousins, he couldn't care less about finding goodies- he just wanted to figure out how the light turns on...

...Or figure out how to open the garage with the little handle-thingy...

...Who cares about the candy- how does this toy work?

What goes in must come out... At least that's the moto for our house. Just about everything in our house has been replaced, remodeled, or thrown out. We are very excited to have a 2nd bathroom in our house in the near future. Honey, are you reading this? The bathroom will be done soon, right?! This pic is for the rebate on our new toilet. In order to get the rebate we have to provide a picture with a broken tank & bowl- Garrett swore that the hole in the toilet was 'man-made' by him. Sad thing is that Garrett wasn't posing for this picture!

Can you say bad hair day? Isaac now has a haircut to match Dad's. Garrett buzzed it all off but he had to have a little fun first. So this is what Isaac might look like in 50 years. We laugh out loud everytime we see this shot of Isaac- hilarious!