Update #123 from Linda and Rob

Hello! Hope this finds you all well and warm.

Thanks to this beautiful snow, we had no school yesterday or today. Yeah! A chance to organize a few things and get Christmas decorations up. We even got a tree on Sunday before the blizzard hit in full force. We were remembering last year, when we showed up at our usual tree farm to get our tree, and found a sign that said "closed for the season"! Much better this year!

Beth is coming home next week and we can't wait. She's been at Stanford since August, with one quick visit in October to celebrate my mom's birthday. We miss her lots, but are so excited to see where life is taking her!

I was just reading our post from a year ago, and it struck me how things change and how they stay the same. We talked about Steve's speech improving, and it continues to do that. Just very slowly and in certain environments, but better all the time. We play "Taboo" often and are amazed at how well he does with that game, and how something not designed for therapy is such good therapy! He makes attempts at talking on the phone now, which is challenging but good stuff.

A year ago he had a feeding tube and we talked about scheduling a swallow study. Well, as it turned out we've never done the study, but his doctor removed the tube in her office because she saw how ridiculous it was for him to still have it. Healing was tricky for many reasons, and it ended up taking much longer than expected. But it's a thing of the past now, and he has the scars to prove it!

He's doing much of the same therapy that he was a year ago, except that we've been able to add swimming since the tube is gone. I was thinking about all the therapies he does and the kindness that makes it possible for those to happen. I was also thinking about the people who are not officially therapists, but do things with Steve that help him. A teacher once told me that everyone is a teacher, and I am convinced that everyone is also a therapist! Every person at Willowbrook, where Steve goes for therapy twice each week, is a source of support and encouragement for Steve and our family. Jennie plays tennis with Steve every week, which is so good for his hand/eye coordination, strength, and posture, among other things. The owner of SportsClub of West Bloomfield lets us use the facility, so Steve is able to work out twice each week. The Farmington YMCA worked out a plan with us so that we can take him to their therapeutic pool at least once each week. Gail, Rob, and I swim with Steve and make up exercises as we go along. Eric and Theresa come to our house weekly to give Steve a massage and provide such good company for him. Lots of jokes get told during that time! Steve has friends who visit weekly, and include him in many of the things they do. Others text regularly, which is his best way to communicate in a "normal" way. One of Steve's good friends is going to start coming over one night each week to help get Steve on the eliptical and provide him with some laughs, we're sure! A good friend of ours is about to help us build a mat table, which we desperately need for stretching. The people where Steve horseback rides have become such good friends and sources of support to him, from his teacher to the office staff to the volunteers who walk along with him as he rides. All such blessings in our lives, as are every single one of you who reads this and keeps Steve in your thoughts.

We hope you know that you are always welcome in our home. Steve loves the company, as do we. Please feel free to visit, or we can put you to "work" if you'd like that!

We'd like to close this the same way we did a year ago, with a quote from a Christmas card we love:

"It's a time to slow down, let go, help those who need it, love them, too...and maybe that's the way we find our peace and joy. Not by taking on the whole world all at once, but just the part that fits in our hand."

As always, thanks for fitting Steve in your hand. Merry Christmas!

Love,
Linda and Rob