Christmas Message.......a little early

As a side not to the below post.  Since posting this, I have  found out that Joshua's sources were incorrect and the little boy that was lost in Nova Scotia was not the grandson of the family we stayed with.  Although that gives us relief for the family we know, it is still a heartbreak for the family we don't know and they are still in my thoughts and prayers.

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I haven't posted for a while.  Have some ready to go, just need to add photos.  I am missing a crucial piece of equipment however, the cord for the camera to download my photos!!  So, this isn't what I intended to post.  I usually try to keep my comments upbeat and happy.  Not today, but hopefully I will have a good message. 

Just after dinner tonight, Jim asked me if I remembered the family that we had stayed with in Sydney, Nova Scotia, when we went to pick Joshua up from his mission.  I have a pretty good memory, so of course I did!  Joshua had told Jim today that their grandson had died.  He was 7 and had autism.  Jim had told Joshua not to tell me because I already worry and fret over Samuel, didn't want to add more fuel to that particular fire!  But, it was troubling him.

Click on the link below for the story

James Delorey

I've read similar stories in the newspaper and heard them on the news.  My heart always goes out to families who lose a child.  But this time, even though I didn't know James and his parents, I have met his grandparents and Joshua spent a great deal of time with this family.  The pain and grief of losing a child can be overwhelming, it crushes you.  The fact that little James had autism only makes it more "real" to me.

Such sadness at this time of year, when everything is supposed to be "merry and bright."  I hope that the family can draw comfort from remembering the birth of the Savior.  A little baby that was born into this world to give us all hope, to give us all peace, to show the way back to our Heavenly Father.  Back to our Heavenly Father where we will hold our loved ones and cry tears of happiness instead of tears of sadness.

 Tonight, and in the days to come, I will say an extra prayer for the Delorey family and for all those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.  In a Christmas address, Gordon B. Hinckley said,        

 “all of us stand a little taller at Christmas. All of us feel a little more generous, a little more forgiving. All of us are disposed to be a little more kind. And this is of the very essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Those words have been going around in my head.  It is a message we should remember all year.  Sometimes it takes a tragedy to remind us of what is important and what we need to be doing,  Tonight I held my wonderful little boy, who happens to have autism, a little closer.  I gave my 17-year-old daughter a extra hug.  After I finish this, I will go and tell my husband again that I love him. Tomorrow I am going to put a rose on the grave of our little Emma.  Next Thursday I get to give my oldest son a hug after several months of not seeing him. 

I have much to be thankful for this Christmas season.

Sally-Ann 

Birthdays, Halloween & Things In-between!

Last week was very, very busy!

Monday afternoon, Jessica had a piano recital/Halloween party and Samuel had his first Occupational Therapy session.  After that it was MacDonalds for dinner and then we went in search of the the

GREAT PUMPKIN

for

Family Home Evening

Jim and I spent Tuesday evening at a seminar on Autism at St. Joseph's Hospital.  It was very informative.

9am Wednesday morning, Jim and I made a decision that is going to change our lives forever. 

We took Samuel to look at Golden Retriever puppies.

We pick up our puppy on Saturday at 5pm

Puppy proofing our house has been worse than baby proofing our house.

Paradise Golden Retrievers

Samuel and I then zipped across town for a hearing test.  Sam passed with flying colours.

Wednesday evening, Jim and Jessica went to a special college open house at church.  The different Latter-day Saint schools were represented and had information on their school for high school seniors.

Sam and I went to church to make some copies for the boy scouts and afterwards we went to

for a

This is probably Samuel's second favorite food!!!

Can't remember which day I took this photo.  We had some Italian bread to go along with our dinner, Jim was trying to teach Sam how to tear a piece off the loaf.........Sam just said, "Tank you," and took the whole thing!

Thursday, at approximately 6am, Samuel turned 4-years-old! 

We had Halloween cup cakes to celebrate.  Later that day, not at 6am.

Jessica had a harp concert that night.  Jim and Sam stayed at home and did manly things like wrestling, spitting and watching baseball.  There was possibly some more cup cake consumption that took place.  No one would admit it, but there was a lack of cup cakes on the plate and a copious amount of crumbs on the couch.

Friday night

Saturday morning was SAT prep class for Jessica.

I cleaned the house.

and then...........

Samuel had never carved a pumpkin before.  Last year we didn't get a pumpkin because we were in Canada.

Jessica passing on her knowlege of removing pumpkin guts.

Of all the tools we had on hand, spoons proved to be the best thing to dig out guts.

Great big globs of ooey gooey pumpkin guts

ooey gooey pumpkin guts

ooey gooey pumpkin guts

Great big globs of ooey gooey pumpkin guts

and me without a spoon!

.............wait a minute........we do have spoons!!!

Being our resident artist, Jessica took over the carving.  A simple ghoulish smile was not good enough for her this year.

Samuel was just exhausted by the whole thing!!!

I know this is a bit out of focus, but Sam followed me around saying, "CHEESE", until I took a photo!!!!  He kept getting up really close and then backing away.

We spent the afternoon melting at a Trunk and Treat at church.  Great activity, but boy was it hot!!  Sam was very excited when he discovered that all he had to say was, "Trick or Treat," and people put candy in his bag!

Right before we headed off to go trick or treating.

Can you tell what Jessica carved on the pumpkin??

Jessica went to a Halloween party, she took off before I could get a picture of her, so this one will just have to do!!!!

Sunday was a normal busy Sunday!

Monday, we finally got to give Samuel his birthday cake.

Samuel loves "Blue's Clues", so that is the cake he got to enjoy!

Sam's puppy will probably be named Blue

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday dear Saaaaam

Happy birthday to you!!!!

Sally-Ann

Devils, and Wombats, and Roos, OH MY! Tasmanian Devils that is..........

DEVILS

WOMBATS

and ROOS

Oh my!!!!

Our main destination for our last Thursday in Australia was.........

Trowunna Wildlife Park

Each time we come back to Tasmania, this is one of the places we make sure we visit.

Joshua, Jessica and friend

I'm the king of the castle...........

Feeding kangaroos is a very tickley experience

Sam loved the cockatoos, they kept saying "Hello" to him everytime he started to walk away and then they all had a bit of a dance - Sam included!!  Joshua and Jessica fed the kangaroos a couple of bags of food and wandered around.  Sam hadn't had a "accident" the entire trip, preceeded to wet his pants, his spare pants and then a extra pair that I found tucked down the bottom of his bag.  Sam and I went and sat in the car and had a snack of Teddy Bear Biscuits.

On the drive to the wildlife park, the big kids had spied a Honey Farm store and museum in the middle of a tiny town called Chudleigh........of course, they wanted to stop and take a look......never mind that their little brother was pantless!

It was a cute place, suprisingly interesting!!!

They breed very big bees in Tasmania

The shop had anything and everything that you could possibly imagine......as long as it was to do with bees and honey!

They didn't have pants for Sam.........Jim wouldn't let me buy a yellow and black striped pair of tights for him.   They would have kept his bare little legs warm.........

It was fun tasting all the different types of honey.  Leatherwood is one of my favourites.

Bye-bye bees

We went to Deloriane to have a picnic lunch.  There is a nice park by the river, with a fun playground.  We did make a pit stop at St. Vinnies and picked up a nice pair of trousers for Samuel.  We didn't want any pantless Purdys running around the town.

We headed back towards Ulverstone.  Stopped off at Graham and Dianne's.

That afternoon we went and visited Dad's grave.

Another good day,  can't believe that our trip is nearly over!

Sally-Ann