Goodbye California

I am just going to combine all the rest of the Califrornia photos and put them into one blog. This wedding was the weekend before we left and it was friends from the MBA program who got married. We had such fun meeting up with friends here after everyone had been in different locations for the Summer's internships.

This was our second date in 4 moths and it was rather anticipated!!!! So much bonding time with the kids over the Summer, it was nice to escape for the evening.

Okay, this is a funny one just for our family. This was right next to our apartments. We went once for family night but it was just something we would pass so many times each day, we thought it would be a funny thing to remember later on.

This was the children's museum we went to at least once a week. ALL the children loved it.

The tech museum.

At the tech museum the children loved typing in there name and the machine would get the blocks and spell it out for them.

The beautiful, long California nights meant picnics and tennis. Where we lived there were free tennis courts everywhere!! We don't have any real good photos of these events but there was some good rivalry going on.

The other date. It was my first concert ever and we went and saw Coldplay. It was very FUN and I am glad Dave was with me for my first concert. I felt 16 all over again.

Another picnc.

Always posing!

We had an MBA picnic for those who were in the San Francisco area during the summer. Lots of fun.

Some of us gathered for a photo. The beautiful couple on the left, Becky and Troy babysat for us for the concert.

At the beginning of the Summer I did a few great day trips with Megan and the children. We had them over for dinner one night before the baby came. She had a little boy a few months ago called Cal.

Living in California for 3 months was a fantastic experience! It took a little readjusting but we managed. Living in a 2 bedroom apartment was INTERESTING to say the least. I did have a few moments of insanity. Like at bedtime I had turned into grumpy mum. One child was trying to sleep in the kids bedroom, one was on our bed "trying " to go to bed and 2 were in our tiny living room and I just wanted some SPACE and there was no where to go!!!! (Those nights Dave would send me off running in hope I came back a happy person. A good trick he has learnt!) All the incredible adventures we went on made up for it.

The chldren became very creative when they didn't have a backyard. We had 2 balconys a few feet apart and one time the first few days we were there, wating for the furniture and TV to arrive, Savannah and Hyrum were testing them out and "seeing: if they could get from one balcony to the other, spiderman style. (Fortunately we are on the first floor, and it was a safe falling distance!!!) but I heard this casual but concerned yell from Savannah who had somehow become stuck in the process of getting from a to b. I had to laugh at the fantastic way they were trying to entertain themselves!! Isaac and Bethany were cheering from the balcony and I was just happy that they were out of my way so I could organise things. Savannah was a little offended when I was laughing. I am happy to say that they did not attempt this again. One balcony was designated "kids only" and they got some little plants to grow, special sticks and rocks, (which were 'apparently' rare and worth a lot of money!!!) and other things that they had collected on our trips like nuts that the squirrels ate and special flowers to attract butterflies. Love it! One of the things me and the kids miss the most was the lazy days at the pool! Goodbye California! In the next few months we shall see where life leads us next!

Half Moon Bay

Halfmoon Bay was great! So nice to finally get to a beach after so long! The water was cold (about 14C). I was planning on staying out of the water, but Dave continued to taunt me by calling me a 'coward or sook'. I think he knew full well that this would result in me needing to prove that I am not and so I succumbed to the pressure. Although Dave and I went under the water, none of us really 'swam'. More like dip our feet in. It was cute to see Isaac running away from the waves. The children, Dave and I did mention how we missed our beautiful Perth beaches. Funny little things make you a little homesick and the beach always does this to us. We loved having the sand between our toes. We are just not used to the "black" sand sticking to our bodies and making a real mess!

Santana Row

The last week before we headed home for Provo, we decided to do something fun for FHE night. (Because we didn't do anything fun whilst in California!) There is this beautiful, expensive, funky street, 1 mile away from us called Santana Row. Fancy restaurants and boutique stores line the streets. We enjoyed window shopping and looking around the lovely fancy gardens and watching the bands playing. I made the mistake of "popping" into one store at the "sale" items and then turned around to see little Beth all decked out with the latest accesesories. A very impressive attempt for a 5 year old. At the end we went to this very yummy shop and spent $10 on 2 very yummy gourmet treats to share amongst us. Being students again we have learnt to enjoy the experience, but in little amounts. The children are getting very good at sharing and not complaining for "more!" (Well, as good as can be!)

Hyrum, the photographer.

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come!

People were already using the chess set. We had heard about this though and I had told Hyrum about it so he was a little sad that we couldn't play. (Evil mum was secretly thrilled that it was being used!)

Hyurm asked if this was the type of car dad would get when he graduated? Driving the minivan through here is a little out of place. Within the space of 10 minutes we saw 2 Lamborghinis and 3 Ferrarris, not to mention numerous other European cars.

So much money was put into maintaining the gorgeous gardens. So pretty.

Triple chocolate mouse cake and banana choc delight. Yummy. We just had to keep reminding Hyrum that when it was his turn, not to take GIANT bites.

The Isaac fan club

"At a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity" Eleanor Rooselvelt

With Isaac's delay due to siezures, this quote struck me to the core. At 14 months Isaac started on epilepsy medication and it was like a little switch was turned on and he began to enjoy the world around him and became curioius with life and the beautiful things around him. It was such a blessing and a relief when he started becoming curious, something, I have simply taken for granted with my other children.

Our beautiful Isaac turned 2 last month and it was the first time in all my children's little lives that I have truly appreciated "celebrating" a birthday. I remember clearly, being outside on this picnic table a year ago celebrating Isaac's first birthday. We were in the middle of many medical appointments, and hospitial visits. The doctors had a huge list of concerns and tests to do and we were waiting for results. We hadn't yet had him on medication for his siezures and as we were singing happy birthday for him, I had tears in my eyes worrying over his little future.

In one year, he has come soooooo far. And yet he has sooooooooooo far to go. Once again, after returning from a wonderful summer in California, we are in the middle of heavy medical appointments with horrible diagnosis and concerns for his future. Once again, we are waiting to try new drugs for his seizures as he is at the highest dosage of the medication he is currently on and his seizures are once agaiin out of control. In the last 2 days, they have gotten worse. All week I have been on the phone to therapists or specalists and it has been a little draining.

However, through these trials, are tender mercies. Both Dave and my family have fasted and prayed for our little man and this week we have seen such a huge amount of blessings coming our way. In ths photo, this is one of our beautiful neighbors, the Lloyds and they are very loved by us. Susan is just one of our many tender mercies. Dinners, friends commiting to do therapy with him once a week, wonderful new therapist helping him out, friends reseraching medicines and other medical information for me, flowers, kind & thoughtful words, hugs, shared tears, the list could go on and it has helped strengthen us so we can carry on and fight a good fight. The news that mum and dad are coming over for a few weeks in November was the icing on the cake for us. We are so excited and appreciative for this.

Isaac brings nothing but joy to this family and he wll always smile for you. He hates to see anyone sad, and if he see's a frown on you face, he will come and give you a big hug.

Isaac adores Susan. Whenever he see's her, he has to give her a bigggggg hug!

His siblings just adore him and what a huge blessing this has been. They help read him books and do therapy. In every prayer we all think of Isaac and it just brings our family closer together. It also takes the load off me a little. Isaac is the happiest when he is surround by his brother and sisters.

He just loves to have fun!



Isaac
Isaac has done soooooo much in this chair. He is just wonderful and happy when we are out and hiking. Gives dad a great work out too!

My beautiful boys.

He is not the best in the car on the long trips we have made. So this doesn't really tell the story very well!

My mini-mum!! Savannah is extremely sensitive and worried about Isaac. We sure appreciate all her effort!

This isn't a fantasitc picture, but it is one of my favorites, because it shows a beautiful moment with all my children in it. Isaac sat down loving looking at the flowers and the nature and the others flopped down beside him and had some wonderful moments together, whilst Dave and I had some even more incredible, non-interuptiing children moments together. Priceless!

This is a happy moment for me, because just a few months before, he didn't even understand the concept of drawing or paints etc. He has come so far!

Super loved by his siblings!

It just makes me so happy to see him playing and getting it!! Months ago, he didn't even know how to push a car on the carpet. Some of his therapy was to show him simply, how to play with toys correctly!

The children's museum in San Jose, California was fantastic for stimulationg his curiosity.

One of my favorite shots of Isaac. He really looks like his older brother in this photo.

Some of these photos are just for my documenting. Even though Isaac has huge developmental delays, once he finally got used to using utensils, he has been our best and tidiest eater. He always has to use a a spoon or fork and it keeps him amused and tidy.

This was a very fun day out with Megan, but my camera stopped working. We were on a train, which took us all around these beautiful redwood trees, in California and we had a magical time on this slow and powerful steam train. In this picture, Isaac is having a silent seizure. His eyes flutter and he just looks very sleepy. It pulls my heart strings every time I see one, and that can be 10 times in 5 minutes!!! You don't want to have to dwell on it and the seizures are a constant reminder for us.

I remember when Hyrum was this age, he constantly had a lot of anger and aggression issues. He had also had already spent half his life in time outs!!! To this day, I have not seen Isaac use this emotion at all. He has a gentle, placid, easy going nature and it just adds to his sweet nature. It's what gets me through the hard days.