I am amazed at the beauty surrounding me. Virginia is a canvas for God's creativity today. I took some pics...enjoy.

a four month summary!

I can't believe it has been so long since I blogged. Summer has been so busy. Mom fell and had a compression fracture in her back and spent time in the hospital and in a nursing home for rehab. She is home now. I am trying to figure out how to get her to the poles (she wasn't home for early voting). I am going to ask for curbside voting. We shall see. It seems to be very important to her to vote this election.. So I am on the mission.

Halloween was good. Brady was a mighty knight and very self-controlled about his candy. He even decided he had enough after about 13 houses and asked to go home. Amazing. I have never had a child that thought he had enough candy.

Matt found out about 2 weeks ago that he is being transferred to Atlanta. We have only been in VA for 6 months so moving was a big surprise. The good thing about it is that we will be closer to family and the bad thing is that we will be far from Jay and Jane. We will really miss being near them. I know Brady will especially miss them. They will just have to come to Atlanta ALOT.

We had lots of company this summer and that truly kept us going! LeeAnn, Thomas and Andrew came, Nan and Abbe came, Dustin came, Taylor came, Vanessa, Ayden and Casey came, Marianna came, and Jack came....I think that covers it. We loved every visit!

Brady started kindergarten with flying colors. No shadow at all in class with him. He has two full months of good behaviour. We are so proud of him. He is also learning in the group setting at as any typical child would. I was a little concerned about this because his entire life has been one on one therapy - but he is not having any problems...way to go on the generalization programs!

We have a new consultant and a wonderful college student doing therapy with Brady. After a whole day of kindergarten, he only needs a few sessions a week. We mostly do homework and follow up on classroom subjects.

Brady rides the regular school bus with all the kids. It is a highlight of his day. He loves it. I met more people at the bus stop than I met all summer. It is a good social time.

Ok so I will be talking to you all. Check out my facebook. I would love to chat with you there. I still have my myspace too. Take care and God bless. Until next time.....M

Alas, no bread tree.

Ok, yesterday Brady mixed and baked unleavened bread in Sunday school. Sooo now he knows where bread comes from. ( as opposed to trying to grow the bread tree). He seemed very satisfied.
Miss you all
M

Well we are completely into growing things and springtime. Brady grew three beans in a cup that I am pretty sure were from the tale of the giant. So we transplanted them into a bin and wala! Brady's Garden was born. He is also taking a shot at growing peanuts. He is so proud.
We have also seen baby birds and rabbits around our house.

Our friends from NC, the Bullards, were here on vacation this week. We had some quality time with them and their son, Jacob. I babysat Jacob for 2.5 years before all of the therapy began. He is 6 now. He slept over and the boys were so cute together. Time apart didn't matter at all. And I got some good Jacob love. Jacob new thing is Star Wars, so Matt was instantly admired for his knowledge.

Last Weekend, Dustin came for a visit. It was so WONDERFUL to have him here. We went to Busch Gardens and rode all the rollercoasters. It was great. Just being with him makes me so so happy.

We are getting very excited for Jay and Jane to be here. Looking so forward to spending time with them.

Well that about catches up.

One more thing. Brady was scraping the seeds off of his hamburger bun the other night. I asked him if he didn't like the seeds. He said he did, but he was going to grow a bread tree!

I love it.

Colonial Williamsburg

Hey there, We hit Colonial Williamsburg in a 100 degree heat index. But we made it long enough to see some very cool things. The actors are so engrossed into their roles and very knowledgable. It was a good experience. Not sure a 4 year old appreciates much yet, but we had a good time together.

Got the pics of LeeAnn's trip to see us.

Ok, I posted the pics! Enjoy.

Friends came to visit!!!

LeeAnn, Thomas, and Andrew Lee, our across the street neighbors from Spartanburg, came and spent three days and three nights with us while Matt was in Atlanta. What a great feeling to have close friends near. We went to the pool, we went to the Yankee Candle outlet (where Santa spent one on one time with our boys) and downtown Williamsburg, and we spent 8 hours at Busch Gardens with all three kids. They were great. No problems, no meltdowns and no sunburns (except me).
I can't wait until our next round of company! Dustin is scheduled to come in two weeks, and then my in laws are coming with their moving truck and my brother for a moving trip/visit.I will post some pictures when LeeAnn sends them. She was much better than me about having the camera handy. Hope all of you are doing well. Mom is so much better. Thanks for your prayers.

Hey - Brady and I checked out Busch Gardens this afternoon. Because we live here, we pay for one day and get the whole summer. You just can't beat that. Well it is Friday and it is Memorial Day weekend AND it was High School Day at the park, but we managed to have a great time. We explored Dragonland (most known for exciting the 10 and under crowd). We rode 5 rides there. Everything from a dinosaur egg ferris wheel to the carousel. Then we took the big boat ride (mom's choice) and the train ride around the park. Brady nearly fell asleep on the train so we hit McDonalds and came home. I confess we did try to ride one medium roller coaster but Brady was just a hair too short to ride with a responsible adult. (mom's disappointment) I am so tired I am sighing while I am typing. BUT totally worth it.

Exploring VA

Today Matt, Brady and I explored Ft. Monroe and Norfolk Naval Base. It was a great day trip. Fort Monroe is so different from other bases I have seen. Lots of classic old homes with lots of Generals and Colonels living in them. Their names and rank are on signs on their front steps. Very nice. We even got to go to the beach on Chesapeake Bay. (That was my favorite stop). Next we went onto the Naval base and were able to walk on the piers with the carrier, The Theodore Roosevelt, parked right beside. We took a couple of safe pics, and were warned that if we took pictures in a certain direction we would be arrested....camera down for sure. It was amazing to see how huge these carriers are with all the radar and flight decks. When yall come...we will go back if you want. Oh yes, and we drove through the tunnel (1.5 miles of it) under the bay. I LOVE Tunnels. Missed yall.

Visiting Friends

Hey there,

We visited Spartanburg, SC over Mother's day and had a fantastic time. Seeing our friends made it so special. We actually were able to spend quite a bit of time with lots of people over 3 days. Especially the very very important ones. Going to church was like coming home. My heart was far away with Taylor, Will , and Dustin on Mother's day. I just had to get enough sugar from Brady to cover them all. (He thought that got old quick).

Where in the world are the Veretts?

Hey there,

I am so sorry it has been soooooo long.

We are all fine. However, Mom has had a terrible bout with pnuemonia. We are now on our second antibiotic and a nebulizer(sp) at home. We pretty much had to beg to keep her out of the hospital, but we were successful. Brady has been sick and I hurt my neck and am now in Physical Therapy (which is helping). I hate all that negative stuff, but it is totally my excuse for not posting. Soooo here is the good stuff. School is going fantastic for Brady, The weather is absolutely beautiful along with the scenery, and I have made a couple of friends. We are still visiting churches. Matt is good. He has been traveling some. Matt's parents came for a visit and found a house in downtown Colonial Williamsburg right next to William and Mary College. TAlk about location! It is so fun downtown. We went to Indiana to visit Brady's GREAT grandparents and Great Aunt and Uncle in Indiana. They live near Purdue University where Matt's uncle is a professor. We also met up with Aunt Marianna there :o)So we are really doing ok. I can't wait to visit Spartanburg this weekend. I miss our SC friends a bunch. Yall take care and let me know what is going on.

Here we go.

Packing!!!!! We are getting ready to go to VA. I am sad to leave, but very excited to be with Matt. I will post some pics when we get there. Feels like I am leaving a trail of love across the country. :o)

Found a house!

Well, we found a house. It is in the right school district for Brady (based on our research). We are moving in about a month to Williamsburg, VA. I am really a little excited about all of the historical places and things we can do and see.
Matt had a birthday yesterday. We had a nice family get together - just us and grandparents. Very low key and nice. I also got my birthday present early because Matt will be gone when I slide further down that hill toward those big numbers. :o) I got footy pajamas!!!!! they are precious. We have this thing about footy pjs. I bought Brady some and Daddy was not pleased. Thought I was shaming the boy...so he bought me some. Well guess what...I love them! hehe
Picture to follow.
What do you guys think? Is 4 yrs old too big for footy pjs?

The return of the storm

Well Altheus returned in all her fury on Wednesday night and by Thurs am I was in the ER. Jack, my brother, was the next of kin in charge of taking care of me initially. I had friends show up and call, Mom, Jay and Jane helped with Brady, Dustin came to the hospital and Matt came home. I had to go back on Friday morning for more shots because it just wouldn't let up. They did a Cat Scan to make sure nothing else was going on. Thank goodness nothing was. I will tell you that God works on you when you are weak. He reveals things to your heart. I had become pretty darn independent. Not always a bad thing, but I guess I had been holding lots in. Remember my comment about "I can't remember the last Time I really cried"??? Well once it started, there has been no stopping it. I know that some of this emotional letting is just getting rid of all the medicine they put in me. But I REALLY didn't want Matt to go back to VA, so we did the next best thing. We cancelled therapy, pulled Brady out of school for 4 days and came back with him. :o) I realized once again how much I love and need him. I hated to miss school and therapy, but I really felt like I had no choice. I have done a lot of praying and relaxing. Yesterday I felt like physicallly I made a big jump forward. I still am sore in lots of places, but my heart is feeling better. I feel so loved because of all of you who called and said you were thinking of me and pryaing for me. Thank you all so much. I love ya....

Hurricane Altheus

Ok- today I was in the Storm of a Migraine headache. It was bad, but I made it. It was the first one this year, so in the tradition of terrible storms this one was named Altheus.

Professor Brady

Today we taught the 3/4 yr olds at church. I say "we" because Brady designated himself teacher along with me. When class started we all sat down on the carpet to pray and talk about how we should act and treat each other. Well Brady took over. He Said "excuse me" and then proceded to introduce me (Miss Mama) and himself (Professor Brady). He sat up front with me, called me Miss Mama the entire class and when I addressed him as "Brady", he corrected me. He was Professor Brady. He was actually a very good assistant teacher. Who knew!!

Wednesday Syndrome

In studying behavioral therapy, I have learned that when something occurs over and over again the same way, you should come to expect it and adapt to it....well I guess I haven't learned a thing this past year. We have a syndrome in our house called "Wednesday". This is a typical picture of Brady on a Wednesday between 5:00 and 6:00pm - yes he is fast asleep! Wednesday is Brady's longest day of therapy. We have two hours in early AM, School from 11:30 to 2:00, Therapy from 3:00-5:00 ( usually a playdate that we look very forward too), and then Therapy from 5:00 to 6:00. It is a marathon. Sometimes he falls asleep writing or working during that last hour, but most of the time he makes it. As a result he ususally falls as early as 7:00pm. Every time, I think "wow a few hours to myself". The looming consequences seem to vanish from my memory. I watch taped shows that I have been saving since Brady's diagnosis in May 2005. I get very excited...eat a whole meal...oh how the immediate gratification is endless....

Then I snuggle up to him about 9:00, watch tv bed (not cartoons) until 10:00 and go to sleep.

THEN at approximately 2:30 or 3:00am I hear this,,,,"Mom, I'm hungry, lets do a puzzle, Can I have some juice, Is Spongebob on yet?" Then the triggered response to "Wednesday" tells me...Why didn't you keep him up or why didn't go to bed at 8:00? I absolutely Never get it right. So I have been up since 3:00. I just made Brady his lunch (it is 7:00am). The good news is I just went to check on him in the dining room and he said, "Mom, I just love you". :o) ahhhh

Now what was I saying?????

Make new friends, but keep the old.

Well we made it through the week. Brady is better and I actually enjoyed staying home all week with him. It was cold and we snuggled a lot. Matt was here and that was great. Man I am going to miss Spartanburg. I LOVE our church family so much. They have been here through it all with Brady. Their support, love, and some of them even volunteered to be trained for therapy! I am not giving them up! We have been so fortunate in the church family area. God has now placed us in two caring, loving churches and given me new friends here in SC that I never imagined. I still have people in the Edmond Church that I love dearly. ( you know who you are) Even though we don't talk much...(at least until this blogging thing caught on-now we can keep up with each other)...I feel close to them. I trust that God has a friend waiting for me in Virginia. She might be in church, or she might be across the street.
Wherever she is she could never take your places, but I know she will be an addition to my heart. Those of you already occupying my heart are there for good.

Vacation??????

Sunday AM Brady expressed a desire to go the doctor because, "I am sick mama". So logical. Today we went. Not only does Brady have Strep, but he also tested positive for the flu! He is a sick puppy. No school or therapy until Friday! I don't even know what to do with myself. I have forgotten what life is like without therapy and he probably has no memory of life without it. It will be some good mama/son time. I guess we will work on Brady's scrapbook. It is about a year behind. Brady didn't get a flu shot this year because it still is produced with thermerisol (mercury). Thermerisol is debated as having contributed to onsets of autism. BUT today the doc told me that the FDA lowered the age that a child can take the flu vaccine in a mist to 2 yrs old. There is no mercury in the mist so next year hopefully we will be able to avoid this without worrying that prevention might be worse than the disease.
Anyway..call me you guys....I'll be home for sure!

The weekend

Well our weekend started with Matt coming home!! Then Brady got sick. But somehow when Matt is here, it just doesn't seem to so bad. I think Brady's nose didn't run for approximately 3 days since before Christmas and then it started again. He is coughing pretty bad so we are staying in now. I guess we will go see the doc on Monday. My only regret is that I missed Jane's Lasagna tonight. I saw Dustin today. That always makes me a happy girl too! Hope your weekend is going well. It is snowing again, but not sticking. It looks pretty coming down.

SNOW

It is ...................................snowing/raining/ sleeting the whole bit....but it is so beautiful...
I can't wait to go outside. School is out so all the kids will be playing. It is going to be a fun day!

Choosing a candidate????????

Today I am awake early..as usual, but I new God was calling me to read. I opened my bible to Matthew which is where i start most readings. It took me (after a few verses )to refer to 1 Corinthians. My thoughts are toward the election. I am worried - it seems every time I feel supportive toward a candidate, I am disappointed. These are men (and woman), they are going to disappoint us. I felt relief in knowing that God will choose our next president - everyone is not counting on me to choose correctly. hehe
So here is the verse that spoke to me about our elections:
1 Corinthians 3:20-22
And again the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise; that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's (I love that "your's" is singular possessive - only his) Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are your's.
I have other thoughts today..serious concerns for people I love. They are still in the private stages. If you find yourself praying today and my name comes to your mind. Please pray for these unspoken things in my heart. Thanks and I hope God shines from your faces today so others can see him.

Brand new me.

Hello world! Wow that feels big. I didn't really make a resolution, but I did however set some goals. Seems like I have been taking care of others the very best I can, but not taking care of me. So this year I am going to make time to take care of myself a little bit better. I am going to get my teeth worked on, make sure I get a check up etc. etc. BUT since I am moving and will have to change docs, I started on more fun things. Lets see....I had my toes done, I had my nails done, I had my hair cut (short and scary), I have been using tanning cream. hmmmm did I forget anything, oh yea, I bought some BIG hoop earings, and bought wrinkle cream made in Greece (BTW,it works). Now in my observation I felt guilt for spending the money, but I do feel a little more confident. So I think I can check off these things as a success. ]
Got to go...somehow I worked in a massage! If this keeps up, I will be in "resolutions anonymous" by February.
"Hello, My name is Montie and am going crazy keeping my resolution."
Smile, I am kidding. In fact I couldn't wait to get back home during my nail appt.