Wolves' den

Many of you know, or have heard me rant, about the difficulties I have in finding Ethan appropriate activities to participate in. In fact, the reason for the Raleigh move was to place Ethan in capable hands, peer groups, and an established autism network. Although I know Ethan has benefited greatly from his TEACCH based school programs in NC I always wondered if he needed more peer modeling. I believe NC was a necessary stepping stone for what I have discovered this summer. For comparison, Raleigh supplied 1 month of summer school with his autism specified class and we supplemented with an amazing Y camp geared towards children with autism. All planned out... safe, right? Well, this summer, KY offered nothing but a "Have a Great summer" & a smile. Yes, a little scary & shocking. Desperate for structure and interaction, I got creative and contacted the Wolves' Den summer program. This camp is not specified anything, it is a structured camp at a school with regular kiddos running around. Ethan spends his entire 4 hrs with them, assisted by his former school aide to help monitor his picture schedule. HE IS DOING FANTASTIC!!!!!!! The children were a bit curious of his uniqueness at first but have warmed up and have become very inclusive. The staff has been open minded, accommodating, and a God send for us. Well my lesson received is to make opportunities don't just take the ones specified for you.

I want to say thankyou to all of them, specifically Ruth who is moving out of town at the end of this week. You have a special place in Emans heart as well as mine. God Bless you and yours.

The Gorge

Ethan has become quite the little hiker and is working on 2mi+ in rocky terrain. We decided to test his skills at Rock Bridge. It has a nice ridge top hike with a descent into a cove filled with ferns, a water fall, and of course, the Rock Bridge. Rhett has some spectacular pics from his manual that I need to scan in. Coming soon...

Finally,

Alright lovely ladies, Girls Trip 2008 happened in April and I am just now getting my digital pics out and circulating..oops. I loved Key West, especially the catamaran/sea kayak excursion. Whether having a toast, smiling in the company of friends, or taking a moment for yourself.. I always treasure my best friends.

Much love to you all,
katie b

World Famous Dad

Happy Father's Day!

Everytime I look at this photo of Ethan I think of what an extraordinary figure Rhett is in his life. Why this photo? Rhett took this picture of Ethan. Though always a beautiful child (Teehee..mom glowing) he is never this revealing when the camera comes out! Full eye contact...eyes are the gateway to the soul.

Capital Expo

The Capital Expo is a festival with amusement rides, food vendors, and the local arts movement. Rhett decided to give his venue in the Kentucky Coffeetree Cafe where he donated a "MO Chair" for everyone's sitting pleasure. The MO is a modern interpretation of the Morris chair from the Arts and Crafts movement. You can check it out on http://www.efcabineture.com/MO_Chair.html

Kitchen remodel

Our quaint, stone home we purchased in December has taken on a retreat/cabin feel. The basis on our purchase was depedant on all the hidden potential in the 2 acre land and home itself. I know alot of "handy" people have fallen victim to DIY phenomena but I lucky have an expert craftsman at my disposal. I failed to mention earlier that Rhett has an art degree and design/builds custom cabinetry and furniture. In other words,

I described everything I wanted in my kitchen like an efficient recycle system, ridiculous pantry, appliance garage, and display shelving.

Did I mention I couldn't slam a drawer or door if I tried, they make unbelievable hinges called BluMotions ... by the way, the 8 yr old tested the "slam" theory, the hinge won! He got the good effort award of a snack at the bar for participating in the test. Anyway, enjoy the pics.

We are discovering the hidden jewels of the city of Frankfort, Ky. We moved here in December to rekindle our strong family network for our son, Ethan. The move has definitely revived "the nature lover" in the entire household. Well, the little jewel of the day, and almost everyday for that matter, is Cove Springs Nature Preserve. It is located about 2 miles from our front door and is a beautiful piece of property traversed with numerous trails, waterfalls, and a meadow. Ethan tends to shy away from new experiences but when he heard the soothing sound of the waterfalls and the cool breeze blowing through the cove trails, he was hooked. Routine being a strong suit in his personality, we go daily after school.