It has been a long while!

Hello to everyone who is still checking this site out! I know it has been forever, but Corey and I are still watching finances before we start paying for the internet again. We are down in Mass for "boys weekend" and I hopped on to give everyone a quick update. Ryan is 3 now and he is loving it! He has gotten huge; at his well-child check up we found out he has jumped to the 90th percentile for height! We have an ECT (early childhood team meeting) for him at the end of the month. He is eligible for speech and occupational therapy. His articulation is a little off so his connected speech is often difficult to understand. His system also needs a lot of help to stay regulated. We are hoping with some services before Kindergarten, we can teach him some skills to be more successful. Despite having some difficulties, he is still a bundle of love. All of his teachers adore him and admire his spunk!

Just the other night, Corey was laughing about something that Ryan didn't understand. Ryan began to "laugh" just because everyone else was, but he quickly got bored. He turned to his father and said, "Take a deep breathe, Dad."

Ryan left the dinner table recently to use the bathroom. He was taking a while so I got up to check on him. I knocked, but opened the door without waiting for an answer to hear, "Leave me privacy, Mom!" How dare I?

The house is going well. We have about two thirds of the wood we need for winter and money saved for getting the chimneys cleaned, more wood, and oil when we run low. We got our new Maine inspired fire pit and inaugurated it when my sisters came to visit last weekend. The three of us planted tulips and daffodils in the side yard for spring. We decorated for fall outside and planted my favorite flowers in the planter box: red, orange, and cream mums. Corey finished up the breezeway, painting it a creamy, olive green. We have picked out some faux stone panels and Aron will order it for us at cost when we have the extra money to put it up behind the stove. We are going to wait though because we are hoping to invest in a pellet stove this spring for next winter. Work is going fantastically for both of us. Corey had his review yesterday and was told how highly the company values his effort and how much of a future they see for him there as the company grows. It is what Corey wanted and it was really nice to have it put into words. I had my review a few weeks ago and recieved a raise. I was recently asked to take on more responsibility and I am loving the fulfillment my new responsibilites give me. I have also become a mentor for a lovely woman named Julie. Her son is on the spectrum and she loved so much what our program provides children, she left her job and came to work with us! My family is doing great! My parents are taking some steps forward in thier relationship again and I am so happy for them and all of us. Dad seems to really enjoy his new job and his leg is healing. Thanks to his recent stay at the hospital, they have found the source of all the infections and he is taking steps to solve it. Corey's family is also doing well. Gram hasn't had to go back to the hospital since her stay in August during Brian's wedding celebrations. Her energy has returned and she hasn't had to increase her dialysis sessions like we all feared. Becs is doing alright with the change to Worcester and has been promoted at work. Chris is back to hunting and he and Ali are enjoying thier new place. All in all, we aren't complaining about our future. Ryan is our pride and joy and we couldn't ask for much more right now.