Thanksgiving is of course a time to reflect upon the things for which we are thankful. But like I told Faith the other day, I think we both thank God every day for the blessings he has bestowed upon us. Each night, we read a scripture together (it's usually one Faith has memorized such as Psalm 23 or John 3:16-21). After our scripture, we recite "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). At the end of that verse, we add our little cheer, "Do good deeds! Say nice things! Be kind!" This little cheer is just a way to remind both of us, that's how God wants us to act every day. Then we pray, which often begins by thanking God for all that He has done for us and then we pray for others. But the other night after prayer time, I asked Faith to tell me some things she was really thankful for. I told her what I was thankful for as well. This year, we are feeling especially thankful for ...
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Joh to the Rescue - A Birthday Story
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One of Faith's favorite things to do is call her Auntie Johanna (Joh for short) and listen to her cat, Ruby purr over the phone. (Faith also likes to hear stories about Joh's dog, Rosie). Sometimes getting Ruby to purr is more challenging than at other times but Joh usually succeeds in getting Ruby to purr at least once during our weekly phone call.
Faith and Auntie Joh during our last visit to Ontario in October 2014
You might not be too impressed by a purring cat but this cat purrs like none other (and I've had a lot of cats growing up!) Even over the phone her purring sounds like a small engine. Sometimes Joh will get Ruby to purr several times, and the next day Faith will tell everyone, "Ruby purred a million times over the phone last night!"
We are convinced we need to get her a cat of her own, or at least one of those stuffed cats that looks and sounds real!
Ruby the Purring Kitty Cat
Something else Faith loves to do is make up stories. We do something similar to Mad Libs where I write the outline and let Faith fill in the blanks. Faith wanted to make a special story for Joh's birthday (which is today!) So here it is...
JOH TO THE RESCUE!
Once upon a time there was a (adjective) nice lady in Peterborough named Johanna. (Her niece Faith calls her Auntie Joh). She loved her (adjective) quick dog, Rosie and her (adjective) silly cat Ruby. One day at (time) 6:00, Rosie the Greyhound went up to Joh and started (noise) squeaking.
Rosie started going crazy, but Joh couldn't figure out what was wrong. Suddenly, Rosie grabbed Ruby's (noun) garbage with her (body part) legs. Joh realized Rosie was trying to tell her something about Ruby.
Joh called, "Ruby! Ruby!"
She looked all around the house for her. She looked under the (piece of furniture) TV and even by the (furniture) pantry. Joh was trying hard not to get (emotion) mad. Finally, Joh took Rosie outside. The sky was (color) blue and it was (weather) cloudy.
"Where could Ruby be?" She asked Rosie.
Joh looked up and noticed one of her upstairs windows was open. She had opened it to get some fresh air inside while she was (verb) playing golf.
"Ruby must have gotten out the window," she told Rosie.
Rosie the Greyhound
Rosie barked and then (verb) kicked Joh. Together they walked all around calling for Ruby. Finally, they heard a (type of noise) big loud siren. Joh looked over and there was Ruby in the neighbor's (noun) grass.
Rosie started barking again and Joh saw that Ruby was in danger. A great big (color) brown and white (animal) frog with (number) 0 legs was going to snatch Ruby in its mouth.
Joh acted like (superhero) Super Woman and in a flash (verb) turned on the lights in front of the animal and scared it away. She scooped Ruby up with her (body part) head and went back home.
Just as they reached the front door, Grandmother and Grandfather arrived to celebrate Joh's birthday. Everyone went inside and when Joh told them about Ruby, Grandmother exclaimed, "Wow! It was Joh to the rescue!'
It had been the most (adjective) crazy birthday ever for Joh. They all celebrated with (flavor) chocolate cake with (color) brown frosting. There were lots of (drink) apple juice too. Rosie got (number) 3 extra treats and Ruby got to have (number) 18 scoops of food. That evening, Ruby was so happy Joh had rescued her, she purred (number) 19 times into the phone when Faith called.
They all lived happily ever after.
THE END
We really do hope you have a wonderful birthday, Auntie Joh. We love you! Here is Faith singing Happy Birthday - although she was being more of a goofball than anything!
A while back I had asked Faith what she wanted to do for her birthday. A concert? NDSU Bison game? A mini trip somewhere? Nope, nope, and nope. All she wanted for her birthday was to have a party at the church. She then started naming names of people she wanted to invite. And then she just kept inviting people. (And even recruiting people to help decorate). It was going to be a big party! Birthday cookies! Her birthday celebration actually began on Friday. Instead of sharing cupcakes this year with her day program peers and staff, she wanted her Auntie Dawn to make monster cookies for everyone. Faith was so excited to stop by Dawn's office on Friday morning to pick up the cookies. That evening, I took her to adaptive dance at Northern Plains Dance and was surprised to learn she had a different helper for the evening - her good friend, Maddie! They had fun, but I think Faith just wanted to visit with her instead of dance! After getting home, Faith relaxed to watch...
Thanksgiving is of course a time to reflect upon the things for which we are thankful. But like I told Faith the other day, I think we both thank God every day for the blessings he has bestowed upon us. Each night, we read a scripture together (it's usually one Faith has memorized such as Psalm 23 or John 3:16-21). After our scripture, we recite "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). At the end of that verse, we add our little cheer, "Do good deeds! Say nice things! Be kind!" This little cheer is just a way to remind both of us, that's how God wants us to act every day. Then we pray, which often begins by thanking God for all that He has done for us and then we pray for others. But the other night after prayer time, I asked Faith to tell me some things she was really thankful for. I told her what I was thankful for as well. This year, we are feeling especially thankful for ...
I swear we just flipped the calendar to August and now September is right around the corner. How can that be? School has started for some of Faith's cousins and the air is a bit brisk during the morning hours. Fall is definitely my favorite season, but for Faith, I think she likes Spring better. She loves it when winter is finally over and there are no more threats of snowstorms to ruin her plans! That being said, she is looking forward to some things next month and during the upcoming fall season. 1. Fall Leaves/Fun Flavors One of my favorite parts of transporting Faith back and forth to her therapies and day program is that we get to cross the Missouri River twice a day. We love looking at all the trees by the river, the boats in the water, and even some wildlife like antelope, wild turkeys, and lots of birds. Along with the pretty leaves, there is a cool crisp feel to the air, and the mosquitoes are long gone. Lots of fun flavors make their comeback in coffee shops ...
November 17 marks World Prematurity Day . One might wonder why awareness needs to be raised about premature births. Well, I can tell you firsthand that it is a really good thing when more people are aware of the risks and complications, not to mention the emotional toll, of having a baby born too early. Having a baby born prematurely is not something most expectant parents think about until it happens to them. Most moms-to-be who first learn they are pregnant automatically think they have seven or eight months to prepare for one of the biggest days of their life. Expectant parents usually have one response when asked if they are hoping for a boy or a girl - "As long as the baby's healthy." But sadly, sometimes that's not always the case - especially if the baby is born too early. I will never forget the book I was reading shortly after finding out I was pregnant with Faith - "What to Expect When You're Expecting." It was a great resource that o...
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