Settling In

How can it be Wednesday already?

Settling back into my "real" life isn't all that easy.  How does anyone with two (or more) children get anything done?  I haven't cooked a meal since I've been home.  Dinners have been as follows:  Taco Bell, Chinese, pizza delivery.  Unpacking, catching up on yard work, laundry, and blogging seems an almost impossible task.  And in the midst of all of that I'm trying to organize my junk for a garage sale in September.  Aaaaaahhhhhh!

If living in our Michigan apartment taught me anything, it is that we have way too much STUFF and need to de-clutter, unload, and sell STAT.  You would be AMAZED at what you DO NOT NEED.

Speaking of Michigan, the rest of our trip was just as wonderful as the start.  Colten continued to make progress and gain confidence.  I am in awe of his hard work and perseverance as he learns (and struggles) to speak.  Phrases are starting to pop out spontaneously and I can't believe how much he's grown.  We will be forever indebted to Nancy Kaufman and all the wonderful SLPs and OTs at her center.  I don't want to share too much about our experience, because, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm guest blogging for Tori Starling over at Jakes Journey.  I'm hoping to get that piece done before I leave for New Jersey next Friday.  Say a prayer for me.

Without further ado, here are some highlights from the rest of our trip.

You can't be married to a football coach and be living 40 minutes from Ann Arbor and not go see this:

Lucky for me, it worked out that we were in Ann Arbor for their annual Art Festival.  So I got to peruse some art, ogle some handmade jewelry, enjoy Oberon wheat beer from Kalamazoo, and people watch (by far the BEST part of any street fair).

Think:  Blue Moon but better.

We also went to the Hands On Children's Museum in Ann Arbor.  They have $5 admission on Thursday nights after 5pm.  What a great place!  So much to do!  Colten had a blast!

Don't worry that's not a real alligator.
The boy LOVED the magnetic fishing exhibit!

There was so much to do in the Detroit metro area, but we loved the Detroit Zoo so much we went twice!

Steve managed to snap a photo at the exact moment
that the wind changed and I got blasted with water.

Carousel

Dora and Diego 4D Aventure

Train Ride - Me and the Hubs

Coopy Scoops gets his Choo Choo on.

We fell in love with the people of Michigan.  What a warm, hospitable, and welcoming place!  We met the sweetest little family at the playground one day.  Colten and their daughter Cassidy hit it off, us parents were chatting, Aubry and Cooper were drooling at each other (literally).  It was such a nice way to spend the morning.  Then this sweet, sweet family invited us to Cassidy's third birthday party the next weekend at that very same park.  And if you know anything about the Sanzos you'll know we went.  I mean who misses a party?  I am still in awe of how nice it was for them to include us and how funny it was to introduce ourselves to their family as some random people they met at the park.  At first they thought we were kidding, but then we were like "no really..."  :)

Partying it up with Coopy.

Watching the birthday girl open presents.

There are so many things that I will miss about Michigan.  And while I won't miss the traffic on Orchard Lake Road, I'll miss just about everything else.  I'll miss our little apartment (even with the leak in the laundry room and the lack of internet).  I'll miss getting to spend every day with my husband and our sweet boys.  I'll miss never feeling overwhelmed because there was always someone there to help.  I'll miss Kaufman Children's Center being across the street.  I'll miss Colten being able to play with precious little boys who are just like him, and not like him all at the same time.  Even at three I think he learned how freeing it can be to realize that you are not alone, that there are other people just like you fighting hard, and harder, battles.  I'll miss Falafel King and Olga's.  I'll miss Whole Foods and $3 bottles of wine (and $12 maple syrup).  Lucky for Steve I drink WAY more wine than maple syrup!  I'll miss the amazing, strong mamas who became my instant friends.  Those ladies who are fighting alongside me in the trenches against Apraxia, who celebrated every word and validated every struggle.  Who I know in my heart of hearts will be my friends for life.

What an amazing trip it was.  What a blessing to be able to do this for our child.  I will cherish these three weeks forever, for they will always be, in my mind, the beginning of Colten's recovery.  And I know, I just know, we'll be back - and that my baby is going to be okay.

Love y'all,  (you can thank my new southern girlfriends for that)

xoxo

Jenny