All Children are Special, Some are Just "Special" in Different Ways!

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week!  Fall has truly breezed by!

The kids are all well adjusted to school now. 

Lauren is loving life as a college student.  She has immersed herself in not only her studies (she currently has at least 100% in every class!), but is also actively involved in Campus Focus, the college ministry of The Chapel in Akron, as well as community service projects and her Honors College Residence Hall.  We are all looking forward to her being home for the holidays!

Justin is the Junior Class President of BGHS, just finished up the fall play and is now auditioning for the spring musical.  He is balancing his challenging classes with two part time jobs (he is a bagger at Kroger and a dishwasher at Nazareth Hall, a banquet facility just outside of town), as well as preparing for The Event in Orlando in December.  He does not get much sleep, but is still thriving!

Logan has re-adjusted to school work and homework and has done very well.  He also just auditioned with a modeling/acting agent in Toledo and hopes to begin getting some jobs with them after the new year.

Ethan is adjusting to a larger volume of work in the 4th grade.  He is also finishing up his Independent Study for PACE, the gifted program in BG.  He will present on his topic, "Bigfoot" next Tuesday.  We are amazed at the depth of his understanding and how "professional" his powerpoint looks!

Jameson is doing well in the Bowling Green Preschool program.  We have seen huge strides in his ability to focus and a lessening in the severity and intensity of his meltdowns.  He continues to both challenge us and bless us daily.  He has such a hilarious sense of humor and is daily telling us "one-liners" that become Michael's well read Facebook status updates.

Michael is doing a little bit (or rather, "a lot bit") of everything these days.  He is loving his SEARCH Community on campus, as well as the men's movement, Vanguard, that he and a friend created for the university.  He dabbles in lots of other things, as well, including his dissertation which will hopefully be done in February!

I have been busy keeping up with all my talented children, which is no small task given their many interests!  I also feel like I am immersing myself more and more into the foster care "culture."  I went on a 3 day trip to Nashville this fall to attend a conference regarding adopted children.  I also just finished up a 6 week seminar on understanding and caring for a child who lives with the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome.

I am also a part of an online community for people who have rare genetic disorders.  Via that group, I just came across this video...

This video speaks volumes to me about raising any child, but even more specifically, the "special" children God places in our lives...