Fall Festivities

This fall has been particularly enjoyable, since for the first time, both Zach AND Wesley have participated in the fall festivities.  We have enjoyed including Wesley in our family activities and watching his excitement as he experiences them for the first time.

When Mike and Zach carved pumpkins, Wesley was right there with the spoon ready to help scoop out the insides.  He was fascinated by the process and thoroughly enjoyed taking the tops on and off of the pumpkins.  Of course the highlight for him was when we put candles inside and lit them.  The glow of the candlelight was just mesmerizing to him!

We enjoyed trick-or-treating as a family this year too.  I brought the boys over to the outlet mall near our house before Mike came home, and they loved going into each store and getting candy.  After a while Wesley became a bit frustrated at the prospect of receiving candy only to watch it be placed into his bag for a later time.  So, he enjoyed a lollipop while Zach skipped along in front of the stroller excitedly looking for the stores participating in the event.  Once Mike came home, we enjoyed trick-or-treating as a family on our street, and Wesley was thrilled to walk up to each door and reach into the bowl to pick out a treat.  He was a bit confused, though, as to why he couldn't then enter each house and make himself at home.

After Halloween, we began preparing for Thanksgiving.  Wesley LOVES crafts, so his occupational therapist helped him make a turkey this year.  It is such a joy to watch the look of concentration and complete satisfaction on his face when he is squeezing a glue bottle or pressing items together with glue.  So when his OT used autumn leaves for the turkey's feathers and Wesley was able to glue them onto his turkey, he was completely delighted.

Zach also enjoyed creating turkey crafts at school and dressing as a Pilgrim for his class's Pilgrim party.  He proudly wore his costume at school, and was even more excited that God provided an opportunity for me to help out in his class.  Throughout the morning I would catch him looking over at me and smiling, so happy that I was there to share this event with him.  He has so much fun at school and does such an excellent job there, and I was thankful that God gave me this time to be with him and enjoy this part of his life with him before the baby is born.

One thing I am particularly thankful for this season is how much God has worked in Wesley's life and Zach's heart, that we are now able to enjoy activities as a family.  It warms my heart to see Wesley come over to Zach, watch him closely, and then push his way in for a turn at whatever activity Zach is engaged in.  What joy it brings me to see my boys trick-or-treating together and hear Zach informing people "I'm getting Smarties for my brother, because those are his favorite!".  I love watching the expressions on Wesley's face as he concentrates, trying to understand what is going on and how he might be able to participate.

As I watch my boys together, I thank God for blessing me with such a wonderful family.