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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Faith's Fun-Filled 4th of July
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Faith and I had the best 4th of July ever! We started the day bright and early to go to the parade in Mandan. We haven't been there for many years, so I was surprised that she wanted to go. I think maybe it was because she heard everyone at her day program talking about it and making their own plans.
Faith's grandpa went along with us, as well as her auntie Dawn (my youngest sister). Thanks to Dawn's connections with people who live in Mandan, we were able to park the van at her friend's house and then he drove us down to Main Street. Then, thanks to another friend of hers, we were able to enjoy the parade underneath a canopy right in the front row. I could not be more grateful to her friends for making it such so convenient for us!
One reason I was glad not to go to the parade in the past, was all the planning, parking, and walking it takes, not to mention sitting in the sun for almost 3 hours! Someone might wonder why it takes all that just to go to a parade.
Mandan has been hosting this parade for 144 years and between 20,000 and 25,000 people come to it. Because of the crowds, parking is a major issue and gets a little trickier for accessible vehicles because you can't just put the ramp down anywhere! But thankfully, Dawn had it all planned out and everything went very smoothly. In the end, Faith had a great time, and of course she and Grandpa made friends with those sitting around us.
After waiting for over an hour, the parade finally gets to us on Main Street!
One of my favorite parts was seeing all the horses!
It was a fun time with Grandpa and Auntie Dawn!
After getting home, Faith needed a feeding and a bit of rest before going to our next event, a barbecue at Grandma and Grandpa's. There were hot dogs, burgers, chips, pasta salads, and of course plenty of desserts! My niece and her family were there as well and had fun lighting off little fireworks. Not even the rain could deter them.
Enjoying the cooler weather on the front porch at Grandma and Grandpa's.
Weatherwise, it was an unusual 4th of July because it was so cool outside. I was thankful for this, as a couple of years ago it was 107 degrees in July. However, it was actually a little too cool, especially for sitting outside on the Capital grounds to watch a concert and fireworks.
At our previous apartment, I would wheel Faith out to the sidewalk where we could watch the fireworks from a distance. However, in our new place, it wasn't really possible to do that. So, I asked if she wanted to just go to the Capital instead. Not only was there a fireworks display, but there was also a free concert put on by the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra (BMSO). This was the main reason Faith was so excited to go, because one of our friends from church played in the symphony.
After going back home for her final feeding of the day, we got ready to go to the fireworks event. I opened the closet and debated what to bring along. I grabbed a couple of sweatshirts and fuzzy blankets. I would soon find out I wished I had grabbed our winter gear instead! Not only was it barely 60 degrees, but the wind was blowing a bit, too. Plus, the clouds were hiding the sun. But at least there were no mosquitoes!
My sister came along with us again and we were glad to find an accessible parking spot fairly quickly. After running into some old friends of ours and finding a place to park Faith's chair and our lawn chairs, we hunkered down to enjoy the concert. Everyone around us was bundled up (except for some of the kids, who the cold didn't seem to bother at all!) Faith didn't seem bothered by it either, but she did have the warmest fuzzy blanket!
Getting ready for the concert to start!
The Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra gets ready to perform.
The sun peaked out for just a little bit!
Despite being chilly, it was a really nice event. The symphony was fantastic and together with a few singers, performed some really cool music, such as Purple Rain and Let's Go Crazy by Prince, a few songs by the Eagles, and Islands in the Stream. There were also a few songs that celebrated North Dakota and many patriotic numbers as well.
The symphony also played a United States Armed Forces medley and had members of the audience stand when they heard their official service song. I thought that was really neat! When the military members stood during their song, the rest of the audience applauded them. A few of my favorite songs the symphony played were Battle Hymn of the Republic and God Bless the USA.
Finally, it got dark (which doesn't happen until about 10:15 in North Dakota during the summer) and they were able to do the fireworks display. It really was a wonderful event, and I look forward to going again next year. Hopefully it will be a bit warmer, though!
Faith was so happy to see the fireworks!
All in all, it was a wonderful day to celebrate our country's birthday and remember how blessed we are to enjoy the freedoms that we have!
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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