Field Trip: Little Dell Reservoir

Little Dell Reservoir

Today, Bertrand's class had a field trip to Little Dell Reservoir to go canoeing courtesy of Splore, a great local organization that provides opportunities for adventure to people with physical and/or cognitive disabilities.  And, an adventure it was!  The entire class--including Victoria--had a fantastic time.  :)

On the school bus and ready to go!

Headed down to the boat ramp.

The very first canoe to be loaded and pushing off.

Victoria serves as scout, pointing the way.

Canoeing on a very windy day.

Paddling further out.

Pointing at Mama back on shore.

Paddling out to see some Canada Geese.

Being joined by a classmate in another canoe.

On the way back to shore.

Bertrand was singing a happy song.

Docking and unloading the canoe.

A very happy boater.

Canoeing wiped us out!

Can I go again?!

Surrounded by classmates/friends.

Little sister photobomb.

Boy, was canoeing fun or what?!

Can't wait to do this again next year!

Animals Inside Out

Today, Bertrand left school a bit early to see the "Animals Inside Out" exhibit at The Leonardo, a local science museum.

Bertrand could see every exhibit unimpeded from his wheelchair since we went at an off-peak time.

Both kids loved the exhibit!

Victoria's most recent fascination has been with skeletons, muscles, and fossils.  Now, thanks to this exhibit, we can add organs (heart, lungs, stomach, etc.) to that list.

It's hard to see from these photos, but this bull is huge.  Bertrand was impressed.

The future doctor (PhD? MD? both?) examines her patient/research subject.

This giraffe was a favorite.

After the exhibit, the kids wanted a snack, so we hit the patisserie across the street.

Victoria cheerfully shared her "eclair fraiser" with Buddy.  

(He also polished off a third of mommy's kouign-amann bread pudding.)

As we left, Victoria declared the outing "a great adventure!"  We all agreed.  :)

Mother's Day 2014

This was the best mother's day yet!  I am so proud and lucky to be these munchkins' mommy.  :)

NGLY1 Benefit for Jordan & Jessie!

The community of Jackson County, Georgia, USA is rallying around one of our amazing NGLY1 families: the Stinchcombs!

The Stinchcombs have one son and three daughters. Two of their daughters have recently been diagnosed through genetic testing they both suffer from the same very rare mutation in their DNA called N-Glycanase Deficiency, otherwise known as NGLY1. There are only 9 living children in the world with this rare genetic disease.

Everyday life for this amazingly resilient family is tough. Both girls who suffer from NGLY1 do not speak, they can not walk, they wear diapers, drink special formula, use wheel chairs and are completely dependent on their parents to meet all of their needs without ANY outside help.

Traveling anywhere as a family or even to the grocery store, is nearly impossible. The one thing that could change the quality of life for this precious family would be handicap accessible transportation equipped with a lift and large enough to accommodate the girls' two wheel chairs and the other two children. That is the goal of this fundraiser: helping them achieve mobility so their family can function more like an every day family! Please help us achieve this goal and beyond!

One $100 ticket admits two for dinner.

For tickets or donation information, please call Greg Reidling at 770-560-4628.

Salt Lake ComicCon, April 2014

We took the kids to Salt Lake ComicCon yesterday, and we all had a lot of fun.


Victoria met a wookie:

She also made a "Fairy Bat Princess" costume:

We all got to play on the bridge:

Victoria Turns Three!

Victoria Elizabeth turned three!

It's hard to believe it's already been three years.

It feels like she has already brought a lifetime of joy to our family. 

Victoria is 100% little girl.  She loves pink. She loves sparkles.

And, she is fearless.

She constantly impresses with her intelligence, her athleticism and her kind heart.

Victoria has never met a stranger.  

She will start a conversation with anyone... and talk their ear off.

(This can be interesting--particularly in public restrooms.)

She loves to tell stories and read--especially to Buddy and "baby Winston".

She is already the proudest big sister ever.  :)

Victoria is an animal lover; in particular she loves cats and snakes.

But, she has a soft spot for dogs too.  :)

She "officially" changed our dog Penny's name to "Bolt."

We are constantly amazed at what a potent personality was packed into such a tiny package.

Happy birthday to our "little miss sunshine"!

Bertrand, Mama, and Daddy love you.

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All photos by Staci Cummings of Sweet Envy Photography.