Welcome 2012!!

It is crazy to think that another year is starting. The last 5 have gone by with such a blur. From 2007 when we moved into a newly built home to 2008 when we found out Chase has myoclonic epilepsy. From that we spent most of 2009 in 5 sessions of therapy a week to get him to where he needed to be. In 2009 he received his AUTISM diagnosis and was a year of driving all over GODS green earth to therapy and programs for my little man. The costs that year to just barely make it through all his testing and therapy topped out at 42K that year. Thank the Lord Eric still had a great paying job. And in 2010 we decided to open a health food store all while managing him starting a full time public autism ESE program and the other two being in kindergarten and 2nd grade. WHAT WAS I THINKING?? Well we survived! 2011 was the year we closed the store, Eric lost his job and tried to play catch up with everything we got ourselves into.

So with all that being said we start 2012 with a clean slate. Well maybe not but at least I am trying to look at it that way. So many things can go one way or the other this year. Chase has come a long way in his own little world. He is HAPPY all the time except those few melt downs that I have no explanation for. He is trying so hard to communicate with us. We are blessed he has a sister that works so hard to understand him and a brother that wants so hard for him to just be part of the family.

There are so many of our friends that truly see what it is like to live with a child that has Autism and we are so grateful that they understand us. We are always on guard. Never taking a break from what he could get himself into. We do live in a hole with all doors locked so he can't runaway. And we do turn down many offers to go to parties or events because it is just too much for us. But it doesn't mean that we do not want to it just means that we can not handle the situation and actually enjoy oursleves. We are so thankful that many of our friends come to our house just because it works out better for our Chase.

What 2012 has to offer us we have no idea but we are super excited to see!!!