Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley. c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved.

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability- to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip- to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very, very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things... about Holland.

Monday, June 7, 2010

SAN DIEGO, JUNE 2010

We absolutely LOVE going to San Diego.  It might have something to do with where we stay and the fact that it only costs us gas money and grocery money, but we just can't get enough!  I begged Will to leave me and the boys there for another week (or two) but he wouldn't.  So I made him promise to take me back for my birthday in a month.  It was so fun and relaxing, we didn't do anything but swim and go to the Bates Nut Farm (a fav with the boys)...  I had to secretly pay them to let Will go... jk, but seriously we had a blast!  I was so happy my parents were there with us too.  We don't get to see them very often anymore since they spend all their time at the Vineyard nowadays.  It is always fun to be with them.  Hal and Becky (my dad's cousin) were there this time too and they threw a barbeque... always good food and fun.  Can't wait to go back!   













Mitch LOVES it!  He loves it when Will flips him and tosses him in the water!  He even loved the "suiclide"!  The slide is so fast we call it the suiclide. lol













It took some convincing to get Major in the water this time. lol!




BATES NUT FARM













Maj is happy now, but he had a fight with one of the sheep and the sheep made off with his whole bag of corn and Maj got a battle wound on his eye... poor guy.







this is the closest Maj would get after that        



The boys are afraid to feed the Geese so we have to :)      

Mitch is bored!





cute little lambi's  


Mitch and Grandpa




Oh oh, Maj got in trouble... my mom got the biggest kick out of Major just standing there with his nose smushed in the corner.  The "nose in the corner" thing never worked for Maddock but it sure works for Major!












Back to the pool for some more fun in the sun!




                                                                                                                                                    This is definitely my favorite spot:)








Posted by Courtney at 2:32 PM 7 comments

Friday, May 28, 2010

THE GRADUATE



The big Maddock man did it!  He graduated from Kindergarten!  We are so proud of him!  The program was too cute, they sang songs about what they learned all year and they each had a little part to say.  He had his assessment the next day and he is officially a 1st grader!  WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU MADDOCK!

Here he is getting his diploma!  Proud moment!

Here he is with his teacher, Mrs. Price.  She was such a great teacher and Maddock loved her!  Thank you Mrs. Price!



Posted by Courtney at 12:54 PM 1 comments

WE FINALLY MADE IT!


Well folks, we finally made it to Arizona to see my grandma and the new temple.  It was such a fun trip!  We always have so much fun when we go to Thatcher.  Grandma is the most gracious host (as always).  My aunt and uncle are so fun to spend time with too... they always take us out to eat at "Shorty's", where my uncle has a running tab:)  Believe it or not (grandma couldn't believe it) but I did not order a fried ice cream!  They have THE BEST fried ice cream ever!  lol!  We hit all of the yummy mexican restaurants to get our fill of mexican food before we come home to Utah where there is none.  We hit El Charro where they have the best Chilaca's in the world.  We even hit the new one Mechy's and it wasn't too bad.  We also went to Tony's for my uncle's birthday.  I think I gained 10 pounds on this trip from all the yummy food!  The only thing I regret (I am such an idiot) is that when we went to the temple with grandma, I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE!  How dumb?  There we were all dressed up and with grandma and I just forgot!?!  I am sure there will be another opportunity:)  All in all, it was a fantastic time, as usual.

LOL!  This is at my cousin's house.  They built this huge "pirate ship" tree house but all I could think of was "I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD!"

Maj ridin the John Deere with a big ole smile

There's Maddock with his big smile

and Mitch was enjoying the warmth and sunshine

This was THE CRAZIEST thing I've ever seen!  Their cattle come right up to the fence to watch everything that is happening. You are now entering "The Twilight Zone"  LOL! 

SO FUNNY!

Maddock and Ryder talkin to the cows

These two had so much fun in this little car it was so fun to watch


sweet grandma always loves to just sit and watch the kids play

I love this woman!  She is so special to me.

My kids love her too!  I am so grateful for the blessing it is for my kids to be able to know grandma and what a wonderful woman she is.

Mitch reached and pulled for grandma the whole time we were there.  Unfortunately she can't pick him up anymore but he was sure trying.  I think Mitch knows grandpa and wanted to give her a big hug from him:)




Posted by Courtney at 12:32 PM 2 comments

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Gila Valley Temple

I can not wait to get down to Thatcher and see this temple!  I have never been to the temple with my grandma whom I am very close with.  This would be such a great opportunity to go with her and attend a session because it is so close to her house.  She has a view of this temple right outside her kitchen window and I just can't wait to go see her and experience this with her.  Our family has such a great history in Thatcher.  Some of my fondest memories of childhood are of our times spent in Thatcher.  My great, great, great, great grandfather settled the town of Thatcher and both of my parents grew up there.  This is also where I attended Eastern Arizona College.  I would go to my grandparents house everyday for lunch and I grew very close to my grandma in those times.  She is such an example of charity and her pure love of Christ strengthens me everyday.  She is an amazing woman and I can only hope that I become even half of the woman she is.  I love her so much.


Posted by Courtney at 2:47 PM 2 comments

Saturday, April 24, 2010

PINEWOOD DERBY

I have never had the privilege of going to a pinewood derby.  This was very entertaining and I am not just talking about the actual race, I am talking about the preparations!  I have never seen anything like it!  haha!  I got to watch Will meticulously build this car for Mitch and we enjoyed watching a little rivalry between us and a neighbor build and build and we CRUSHED him!  haha!  Mitch's car was appropriately named "The Ballard Killer". This was so much fun!  Can't wait until next year!
Go Mitch!
Yep... that is the FIRST PLACE trophy!  haha SUCKA
Posted by Courtney at 12:05 PM 1 comments
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