This was such a surreal moment this evening. The moon was such a sight!!

Garrett loves seeing the bus come up the driveway.

Garrett forgot to pack his LittleKinz Monkey named "Monk-Me." It was left and Nina and Pop's house in Alabama, but it arrived via Pony Express yesterday, and he was oh-so-happy!

Have I mentioned that Addie and Ainslee LOVE mail? No need for toys or games these days. As long as you keep writing them, they will keep writing you. This was their letter-writing campaign yesterday before lunch.

And then they walk to the mailbox. You can just see the mailbox on the left of this photo. We are so excited to see Addie want to walk like this. It's such a blessing. She finally has energy!!!

Today was busy. We skipped school today, and that was needed! The girls have been working so hard on their lessons while I have been not as focused as needed since I am still trying to get us settled in. This morning the girls had their third week of homeschool gymnastics at the Caldwell YMCA. They look so cute in their little leotards and shorts, and they can both do back bends now from standing!!! Ainslee is working on trying to walk it over now, and she is so proud. Addie is so graceful and simply beautiful on the balance beam!

Next we drove to meet Garrett's school class at the Boise Zoo...VERY neat zoo!! We had picnic lunch with his class, then took him to his first visit with our local pediatrician as Garrett is getting a cold. She thinks he just has an upper respiratory cold, but then she noted that he has one ear tube missing and one hanging on barely. This was his fifth set of tubes, and each time they come out, he gets chronic ear infections and he needs new ones. I am praying this time he is really ready to go without them.

Next, we checked out Costco, grabbed some Golden Arches (McDonalds) and headed to the YMCA an hour earlier for swim team. Garrett got to play in the indoor splash park and beach for an hour before the staff turned off the spray toys, and then my friend Karen and I walked to the park with Garrett. It was wonderful to see Garrett, even though not at the top of his game, RUNNING across two soccer fields to get to the park. I was in tears!! Then he played there for about an hour before we had to pick up the girls at the YMCA. If the past month is any indication of how much Garrett can do in this new climate, I have SO much MORE hope for his long-term energy and health. I know I have mentioned it before, more than twice, but he really has had more physical freedom than ever. He is free to play, to move about outdoors, and is no longer handicapped by the heat. Next....buy him his winter gear and hope he likes it!!!

We tried to Skype with Grouchy tonight with no luck. We did it the other night, and it worked beautifully.....once I got our sound turned up!!! DUH!!

Tomorrow Garrett is home and we will try to squeak into a new week of lessons for the girls' homeschool work. We are in week 4 now, finally! They are doing so well. I am so proud of them.

We started Ainslee on an ADHD medicine last month, and we are seeing her become more mature and organized, less impulsive, and less hungry. Before the medicine, she was wanting to eat anytime she wasn't busy. I think that was her way of getting moving....although doesn't make sense in most ways!! Lately I have caught her organizing her bedroom doo-dads, refolding and organizing her clothes, organizing her desk items, remembering to do things I ask of her...it really is amazing, and she is STILL AINSLEE!!! We have put this off for three years, feeling like we didn't want to "drug" our child, but just before the move, I caved and talked to our Louisiana pediatrician for the second time. She agreed it was time, and we prayed and started it. We are pleased with the results, and I pray that she will grow into her brilliant, busy brain and not need it before too many years pass.

I had an amazing horseback ride with Addie yesterday. It's a long post of its own, but let's say that she is on her way to healing her heart and mind from her broken arm accident off of Lucy last November. It took some work and some tears and struggle, but she's back in the saddle without white knuckles holding on anymore, and all because she could get back on her baby, Ernie. Thanks, Vicki, for the idea!!!!!

Off to bed too late for the girls and me. Garrett has a new humidifier and some Vicks vapor going into the air. I pray he sleeps well, avoids another ear infection, and wakes up happy and ready to "farm!"

Godspeed,

CL