The past 5 days...

So much has happened the past 5 days, I figured I better get half way caught up before this journey is over.

Last week Hallie participated in the Drill Team Little Girls clinic. After it was over, she informed me once again that she hates dancing...lol. Guess she won't take after her mommy!





We decided to do one last little get away with the kids, so last Friday my parents, brother Kael and his family, and our family went to Salt Lake. We had so much fun Friday night with the kids at Jungle Jims (kind of a mini indoor amusement park). The next morning we took them to Cowabunga Bay. It was SO cute, and the kids had a blast. We finished off the evening with dinner at The Mayan. Then it was time to say goodbye…which was heartbreaking, but not as bad as I thought. Here are some pictures from Jungle Jims, Cowabunga Bay, and The Mayan:









G.J. and I headed out at 6 a.m. or so to the airport Sunday morning. The flight from Salt Lake to Cincinnati was not too bad. The flight from Cincinnati to Hartford Connecticut was not as enjoyable. There was a woman behind us with a stuffy/runny nose who desperately needed a tissue or something….She was complaining about a little boy around 6 years old and his dad that was sitting ahead of us. Next to us was a very old lady who got totally drunk and she was nodding off, then the little boy would scream and wake her up and she would be so mad. Remember this little boy…..he plays a part later in my post.

For anyone who has driven in the East….it is QUITE the experience. There are massively tall trees surrounding narrowly winding streets. Pair that with the WORST rain storm I had seen in a very long time, not knowing where we were going, along with being tired from the travels of the day, and we were pooped, but arrived safely!
The first morning was great. What really got me was gathering in a large room with all 90 of the participants from 11 countries, 22 states, ages 20-56 with Autistic kids aged 1-29. There were pictures of all the kids on the walls. Seeing Kayler up there brought G.J. and I both to tears. I haven’t seen G.J. cry for YEARS…seriously….and we both just got so emotional.

This is where the little boy from the flight comes in. I had no idea sitting behind him as people were being so rude about his behavior that he may be autistic. Imagine my shock when I saw him and his parents at lunchtime, he was here for treatment, what a small world. It made me sad, because I know that people are judgmental like that about Kayler, and if they only knew. It was a great lesson for me.

By the time the day ended, I was tired in every way. Emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc. We finished up the day with dinner, meeting with new friends, and we took a drive to a quaint little town called Great Barrington and enjoyed an ice cream and came back and checked our email under the stars with the locusts buzzing in the background.

Today we continued to make friends and learn a lot. I would love to explain the types of things we are learning, but it truly is so involved….maybe another post, another day. It is amazing the unseen bond we have with all these people. To be surrounded by such beautiful scenery, having G.J. here with me, and knowing that my kids are home safe and sound makes me very happy and emotional. I am so incredibly grateful to my parents and my in laws for the help they are giving with the kids. I am also so grateful for my neighbors Candace, Brian, and Jhett for keeping our house, yard, and fish safe.

Throughout the day, I can’t help but be amazed at how much worse some people have it. Kayler definitely has his problems, but the majority of people here have children who can’t even speak or communicate in any way.

Tonight we had free time from 4 p.m. on. We decided to travel around a bit. We found another cute town and did some shopping, ate dinner, and visited the cutest candy store I have ever seen.

Tomorrow will be our first “counseling” session. This means we will meet one on one and talk about Kayler specifically, and I am SO excited about that. So that’s all for now. Enjoy the beautiful pictures!!!