Saturday, December 27, 2008

Family Christmas Photos

Well, this is as good as it gets.....the last picture taken, ended up the winner.....
My mother-n-law got me this huge scrapbooking kit! :)
I just so happened to have my camera ready and got this great picture of Lon hugging Eli. :)
Just me and my boy - he sure does a great Elvis impersonation, eh?

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Christmas Eve with Grandpa Jerry

Thank you Grandpa Jerry for all the wonderful gifts! 
Three new DVD's, a huge teddy bear, and four soft blankets.
 
Wall-E came with a pillow, Mickey Mouse came with a doll, and Spiderman and Cars are fleece.
Unfortunately, not all of the pics turned out....will have to take more later....cause the fleece ones are neat!
Is it just me, or is Mickey giving two thumbs up?
Plus, we got a package from my sister Shiela today.  Wonderful knitted hats, scarves, slippers, homemade earrings, and beautiful pressed flowers in glass coasters!  We are so spoiled! :)  Thanks, Shi!
Isn't Eli styling in his new hat from his Auntie?

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Santa Claus Has Been To Town

Waiting for Santa....


I decided to keep Eli in his stroller this year....and the pics turned out great. Santa usually has a hard time holding Eli and then the pics turn out weird. (See last year's pictures here) I think this was a good solution.
Looks like I'll need to make Eli some kind of Christmas blanket for next year's picture.....however, I do love his giraffe blanket! :)

I don't think I'll ever get tired of that grumpy little face.....LOL!
He has impeccable timing!

This year, I asked Mrs. Claus to pose with Eli....
I just love the adoring look on her face....this is too precious to me....

As we were leaving the Santa room....we ran into Eli's little pre-school buddy, Edgar.
He has CP, too. His Mom and I are hoping to get together soon. Edgar is such a sweetie!
Hey, Eli, a penny for your thoughts!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

If You're Tired and You Know It....FALL ASLEEP!

My sleepyhead fell asleep in his Bronco about 10 minutes ago....while digesting his breakfast.
How precious is this?

I'm always worried about if he gets kinks in his neck, though!?



Well, the 15 minute nap is over as I type this.....better go change his poopy pants...he's been sitting in it long enough! (I know, I know...TMI!)

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Happy Birthday, Lon!

Happy Birthday, Honey!  I love you.
Thanks for taking such good care of us!
Have a wonderful day!
11/15/08
Lazy Boys
10/04/06
Sweet Kisses

9/14/05
The day we finally got to take our baby home!
(After he spent 3 weeks in the NICU)

Friday, December 12, 2008

Tool Time with Eli

"Stop! Hammer time!"

Christmas is a weird time of year for us. Eli doesn't understand the concept of "holidays" and "presents" - so there are no stories of Santa around here.
If Eli needs something we buy it for him. Pretty simple.

I went Christmas shopping for him the other day....because Toys R Us had an awesome sale. I knew I wanted to get my THREE YEAR OLD BOY a toolbox for Christmas. It was on sale for $4.99 on Wednesday only.

Well, when I got to looking at what they had...there was a step stool workbench - which is just what I wanted! You see, all the big boy workbenches are for kids to stand at...which just wouldn't work well for Eli. He needs to be able to sit on the floor in my lap to play.

When I saw this I just had to have it! And of course I COULDN'T wait for Christmas to give it to him! So, on what would have been his Grandma Twila's 66th Birthday - we played with his new toys! We spent about 10 minutes playing. It was getting close to bedtime, and when he's sleepy he's usually pretty easy going....


Checking out the vice......


...holding a T-Square!

Eli is doing really well holding onto objects for extended periods of time.
The day after these pics were taken, we were playing and he held his wrench for almost 4 minutes! 4 minutes people! This is HUGE in our world! It's very big acheivement for him. :)
His teachers and therapist will be so proud when I get to brag to them! It's actually one of his goals at preschool! :)



Hmm...what tool shall I reach for next?

How about a saw!

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....and finallly - it was just too much work to keep going....
how does Bob the Builder do it? LOL!

My boy was down for the count! Nigh' Night...Sweet Dreams my baby bug...

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Happy Birthday, Momma!

This is my Momma.  Being a ham at my best friends' wedding!
     It was September.  This was the [first] time she decided to shave her head, because she was tired of the bleached out/permed/fried hair she had.  (She ended up doing this several more times in her life!  Ugh!)
     So, she was hamming it up, making music with the beer bottle, and every so often pulling her hat back to show the newly shorn head!
I was so embarrassed, to say the least!
My Aunt and Cousin are probably crying at remembering this event!  It was a hoot!
     Then to top the evening off....when Amy (my BFF) went to throw her bouquet....all the girls were waiting below the balcony where she was standing, with high hopes of catching the coveted "good luck charm", right?... (I was already married, so I was watching it all from across the room)....Amy tosses the bouquet....and MY MOM comes FLYING from the sidelines, about knocks everyone over, and catches the bouquet!
Yup.  That's my Momma!
You know why she did it?  Because at my wedding 7 months prior, Amy caught my bouquet....and my Mom saw the heartbreak in my niece Amelia's eyes, because she almost had it, and wanted it so bad!  This was Mom's way at getting back at Amy for catching my bouquet!  Annialating her friends!  LOL!
Oh, do I miss my Momma!  Today would have been her 66th Birthday
Thanks for letting me share one of my MANY crazy stories about her!  I hope you got a laugh out of it???  :)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

West Coast Gangsta


"Are YOU lookin' at ME?"

We did our Christmas card photo shoot yesterday...and even though this did not make the final cut.....it is one of my favorites!

If Eli could talk...can you imagine the attitude I would get from him! LOL!
With two smart alick parents he didn't have a chance....so, even though he doesn't have the voice...he sure got THE LOOK!

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Goodbye, Janelle - A New Kitty - Sunset - and BRONCO RIDING!

Janelle, the intern PT, had her last day on Friday. We'll miss you!

She grew to love Eli, (like everyone who meets him does!), and she shed a few tears as she said goodbye.
Eli was so tired during therapy, but rather than fuss...he was Mr. Complacent. :) It was a good day.
(sorry if I spelled your name wrong!)
Eli walking in the KidWalk Gait Trainer again. He does SO GOOD in this! It just doesn't have enough (or any) head support for him.

















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The newest addition to the "Berkheimer Bunch":
Holly Hobbie Kitty - makes 14 again!
We did put a sign up at the mailboxes on our road...
we'll see if anyone claims her? She's still just a kitty and sweet as can be!
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Not a great pic - just a pretty colored sunset!
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BRONCO RIDING WITH DADDY!
It was a beautiful sunny day on November 29th!!
(the black cat is Stanley - so nosey and so friendly!)
(yes, that's his DVD player attached to his Bronco!)

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Computer is down...

My laptop is in the shop....so I'm having to use the hubby's computer.  (Much to his dismay!)
I don't have all my pictures...and I get a little out of breath just thinking about it!  What if the shop burns down?  What if someone breaks in and steals things?  Omigosh!
How crazy is it that we (maybe just me?) are so connected/addicted/attached to our computers?  I love being connected to my family and friends at just the click of a button!  It's a lifesaver for a stay at home Mom, I tell ya!
So, I share with you today one of my all time favorite pics of my boy....because it happens to be in Lon's computer for me to access!
Gotta LOVE that smile!   Eh?

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Our Thanksgiving Table

UPDATED:

Here is what the table looked like on Thanksgiving as we sat down to eat. All of the food was fabulous....just like always, and we totally stuffed ourselves! (Pun intended)
My MIL getting the juices to make the gravy....pretty good lookin' turkey, ain't it?

The Salad for the Vegetarian Hubby, and The Good Husband - doing dishes after the meal :)
Me - after all was eaten and cleaned up. I sat down to put together the scrapbook page I made. We each wrote down what we were thankful for.
(well, maybe not all was cleaned up - that is my pumpkin pie sitting in front of me!)
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ORIGINAL POST: "Happy Thanksgiving"

We are staying home this year, and having Lonnie's family over to our new home for dinner.
I'm very excited! I'm attemping my dear Gram's Banana Cream Pie - wish me luck! It's a pie filling from scratch on the stove....yikes...I've never done that before!

I have many things to be thankful for this year!
- My beautiful and AWESOME son!
- My loving and thoughtful husband!
- An everloving, ever-forgiving Lord and Savior in Jesus!
- Our beautiful home
- My family - lots and lots of wonderful family :)
- Friends who help make each day a little easier....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A friend of mine sent this verse to me, and I just love it! I hope you find comfort in it, too!

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice!
Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.
Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more
wonderful than the human mind can understand.
His peace will guard you hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7



My practice run...making sure all the dishes fit! Just in case I forget to take pictures amongst all the hustle and bustle of getting the meal on the table.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Everybody Dance Now! - Eli in a KidWalk Gait Trainer


"You Do the Hokey Pokey and You Turn Yourself Around...That's What It's All About!"

"I Want To Rock & Roll All Night and Party Every Day"

"Shake Your Groove Thang, It's a Funky Thang"

"Bust A Move"

"Jump Around, Jump Up, Jump Up and Get Down"

"Everybody Dance Now"

"I Want To See You Belly Dance"

"The Rhythym Is Gonna Get You"

Help me out everybody - what are some other great songs and lyrics I could use for this awesome photo of my boy walking in a KidWalk Gait Trainer? LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR IDEAS! I'd love to hear them.....

We were so proud of him...he did AWESOME in this...even better than in his Bronco! We are looking at getting one, but want to try him in it a few more times before we spend the money.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

MckWonderful World of MckMama

Hello my name is Amy and I'm a Blogaholic.

A woman that I've never met and probably never will, writes a blog called My Charming Kids. I look forward to it everyday...more than anything else I do online. (Well, besides post on my own blog of course!) Click on the hyperlinks to connect to her blog. (She's also in my list of blogs to the right)

To catch you up quickly on [part] of her story:
She has four children. Ages 3, 2, 1 and newborn! She is an awesome Mom, who loves the Lord, talks about Him openly, praises Him constantly, and shares her wonderfully blessed world with the rest of us "Blogaholics". Her parenting advice alone makes the blog worthwhile! But she gives photography tips, is an incredible decorator, has 'give the photo a title' contests, and her children are just absolutely beautiful!
She was pregnant this year with a baby boy she named Stellan. He had a heart defect and the doctors told her he wouldn't live outside the womb. Well, her blog became so popular, people all over the world were praying for Baby Stellan! And guess what God did? He healed Stellan!
The power of prayer still exists! She calls herself MckMama and all her kids have cute little nicknames with a McDonald's like theme.....it's a fun blog! You gotta go check it out.....soon you'll be addicted, too!
She is having a "Small Fryday Contest" to try and get even more readers over to her blog, because she is going to do a fundraiser soon for another blog String of Pearls. An organization that helps women who have been diagnosed with a fatal diagnosis for their unborn babies.

God can work miracles in many ways, and the internet can be one of them. The way Moms can connect through difficult situations, via online groups and blogs is truly a blessing. I don't know what I would have done without my online friends after my Eli was born! I belong to some wonderful Cerebral Palsy groups that have helped me through many situations.

God is good. All the time. We just have to give him the credit he deserves! :)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Goodbye Hisser

Our dear old cat Hisser had to be put down today, after
we got the shocking test results of Feline AIDS.

It is transmitted through bite wounds and has a higher occurence in male cats.
It doesn't live long enough on food or water dishes to transfer that way....and we were glad, because we didn't want the rest of our herd to get sick!

Lonnie found Hisser on the side of the road after he was hit by a car.
His jaw was broken and he had other injuries. Lon lovingly nursed him back to health, but Hisser was so scared all he would do is hiss at Lonnie - hence the name!
He was over 10 years old.....we hope he enjoyed his days of loooooong naps at our house.
We will miss him. Rest in peace, Little Hissy, I hope you feel better now!

Wordless Wednesday - What a Laugh!


Sunday, November 16, 2008

Me Love Me Some FLOWBEE!

As you can imagine, it is quite difficult to cut Eli's hair.

The combination of not being able to hold his head up very long, arching back and looking to the right, and slobbering lots......makes "haircutting day" few and far between! I dread it...and Eli hates it when it's happening. I hurry as fast as I can with the clippers, and try to keep the hairs out of his mouth....but it's just plain stressful!



So - my dear readers - I present to you the best invention ever.............
the FLOWBEE!!!

You just plug in the hair cutting part to an electrical outlet, hook the hose up to your vacuum and it sucks the hair up as it cuts! Genius people! Absolute brilliance!

I gave Eli this awesome haircut in less than five minutes - with no clean-up afterwards!
Yeah, baby - that's what I'm talkin' about!
Ok -is it just me or did this haircut and pose make my son look instantly older!??? He sure ain't a baby anymore!
(I type this as he lays asleep in my arms just like one! Aren't I lucky! How many of you get to snuggle with your three year olds for naptime? hee hee)

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Now most of you look at the picture below and say, "Uh, what is so special about that, Aim?"
Well, let me tell you! Look closely - he's holding his first finger! It's the first time I've ever seen him do this! To make it even more special he opened his right hand up just as I took the picture.

It made my heart melt! This is one of the things most parents take for granted. A child grabbing his hands together! It's one of the first things that happens, right? Not for us!

As the Mom to a special needs child, it was a milestone we waited well over two years to see! Eli found his hands just this year! So, each time I see him holding onto himself - I savor it. I photograph it. I document, if only in my mind....with great anticipation for what might come next.....will he ever grab his toes?

This is where I must give thanks to the Lord! He made my beautiful son, He knows the timing for all Eli will accomplish. He is teaching me patience and understanding at a level I never knew existed! He is good......really good!
Amen.