Sunday, May 24, 2009

Happenings at the Hester House



Time is marching on awfully fast lately. In the last month, Cheney has been to South Africa and back, been to Orlando for his senior class trip, gone to his senior formal and Davin has completed three weeks of intensive physical therapy. All of the events were exciting in lots of different ways. Cheney's trip to South Africa seemed incredible. What an experience! He was able to share with some people, bond with a boy at an orphanage, and visit a gaming reservation. Davin's three weeks of PT was amazing! I keep waiting for him to stop progressing since he is older now. This time amazed me and amazed his therapists. It is hard to describe it to you because he did not start walking or talking or anything like that, but my boy was putting different things that he has learned to do over the years together. He was deciding to do things without being asked to do them I(and let's face it, sometimes begging...). Davin was keeping himself in a hands and knees position and then keeping his balance to stand up on his knees. Wow! Davin really didn't have balance just a few years ago. He is pretty awesome. I think Davin has a different work ethic now that he is older and that has helped him, too. We are no longer begging him with games, etc, but he is just doing what he needs to do. Cheney's formal was very exciting, too. Davin made the final decision concerning Cheney's tux and it was fun to help him get ready to go.

Okay, the big news coming up is that Cheney has decided where he is going to college!!!!!!!! I can not tell you what a struggle this has been. Should he go far, should he stay, and on and on. We were waiting on the financial info for one more school (his top choice) and when that finally came back after quite a bit of time, it seemed clear what God had for Cheney for the fall. The sad part is that in August, we will be driving our son to Illinois and dropping him off. He will be attending Wheaton College. The good news is that Bethany has moved back home and will be living here from now on since she will be doing her four day placement next semester and it is local. So, I am trading one for one!

The other big news in our house is that my Bethany is bringing home a boy for us to meet on Thursday night. Okay, I guess you have to call someone who is 25 a man:) Anyway, Bethany has not been one to date. She has always known what she is looking for and was pretty quick to rule a guy out. It seems that this guy is a bit different and it has been fun to hear her talk about him. Since she has never been boy-crazy as a teenager and has waited so patiently, we have never heard her talk about someone like this. Fun stuff. Of course, Alan is waiting to see what he thinks when he meets him. He also let Bethany know that if he doesn't approve, the deal is off. You have to love having a Dad who cares:)

As we go through all of these exciting things, I am reminded of two families who have had their lives turned upside down. I continue to pray for Brett and Paige and all they have before them.

Monday, May 04, 2009

Mom, can you?.......

My kids have often times called me and asked, "Mom, can you.....?". Lots of times it involved making some kind of food for something at school. Today Cheney called me after school and asked if I could make tacos for his Spanish IV class for tomorrow. My mind started running. Would chips and salsa be what he had in mind? I considered sending that with him and he wouldn't have complained, but instead thought through what I had in my house and came up with most of the fixings for chicken quesadillas. (Sorry, I am pretty sure I am spelling that wrong.) I had Cheney call a couple friends to see if they could fill in the empty spots for me. We got our part done and it's all packed up and ready to go for tomorrow.

Every time I do something for Cheney this year with school, I think about how his school years are almost over. I am so thankful for every time that my kids called and asked, "Mom, can you....?" I'm glad they knew I would do it. I'm glad they knew they could feel free to ask me. I will truly miss those phone calls or questions after school. Davin can not ask me and in his classrooms, there are usually so many adults, they do all of the stuff like that.