Fun in Pictures

Since our last post, we have been busy celebrating lots of birthdays, made a trip to babysit Aurora, and enjoyed family with a nice Easter celebration.  Thus, I am going to tell our big events in pictures. Not pictured is Randy's birthday celebrated 4-15-17 and pictures from New York as they are on the phone.  :)

Emily's first birthday 2-1-17 celebrated 2-5-17

Dave enjoying his birthday 2-12-17 celebrated 2-11-17

Ava ready for her 4th birthday 3-8-17 celebrated 3-4-17.

Auntie and Grandpa enjoying the help for blowing out the candles 3-5-17

Oliver's first birthday 4-1-17 celebrated 4-2-17 with bow tie and tux.

Adelynn  ready to turn 7 years old 4-8-17 celebrated 4-15-17.

Easter Fun!  4-16-17

Spring!

Hello again from Austin! It wasn't too long ago that we posted, but now the bluebonnets and wildflowers are out and spring is here.

Over spring break, Mom and Aunt Lynne drove down for a short visit. We made a pear-cardamom pie with almond crust that was really good :). Mom and I rented a pickup truck from Home Depot and got a cubic yard of dirt to start a raised garden in our backyard. We'll see if I can keep everything alive. Thank you Mom for all of your help!

The 2003 Toyota Echo and the Rivers' 2007 Nissan Versa have moved on to the next stage of their lives. Both cars served us well and it was sad to see them go. We got a Toyota Prius over Christmas break and really like it. It regularly gets 50 or more miles per gallon on my drives to and from work. When it came time for James to pick a car, we tried a few different ones and he kept saying he liked the Prius better (but didn't want to get the exact same car). Come to find out there are three different models, Prius C, Prius, and Prius V. The Prius C is smaller and doesn't have the same split rear window and it still gets the same gas mileage, (the Prius V is bigger and gets 10 fewer mpg) so now we are a two Prius family.

Contest season went well. Both orchestras earned a trophy. The non-varsity orchestra received straight one ratings and the varsity received an average of one ratings on the stage and in the sight-reading room. It has taken a while, but I think the relationships are starting to form with the 7th and 8th graders. The 6th graders didn't know the previous teacher, so it was easier to bond with them earlier in the year. We have Solo and Ensemble Festival, Beginner / Mariachi Festival, Spring Trip, and Spring Concert left before the end of the year.

James helped host over 3,500 visitors on UT's campus over spring break. They had their biggest event of the year today, Best of Texas, and 700 admitted students attended with their families. Work is keeping him busy as are the final two classes of his master's degree. He has 150 hours of an internship this summer and will then have a master's in Higher Education Leadership and Policy.

The kitties are back to normal after Rimsky's bout of vertigo. Rimsky went in to the vet for his yearly shots and they decided his ears needed cleaning (apparently he has very waxy ears). He was allergic to the cleaner and spent the next three days recovering. The day after his appointment, he hadn't been eating and was acting very lethargic, so when he came out to sit on my lap and his eyes were shaking back and forth and he couldn't stand up with out wobbling, I took him back to the vet. They said he had vertigo and gave him a dose of Dramamine for cats. It helped his eyes stop moving so much but he kept shaking his head and falling to one side for a few more days. He did recover, though, and is back to his usual shenanigans.

Happy Spring to everyone! May your lives allow you a few moments to stop and smell the roses (or other spring flowers if you don't have roses).

Lots of Love,
Hannah and James
 

James smelling the yummy pear-cardamom pie with almond crust

The garden after Mom and I finished. We planted: basil, oregano, mint, rosemary, eggplant, green beans, onions, peppers of all kinds (sweet and spicy), fennel, and strawberries. It wasn't time for tomatoes yet, so I hope to add those soon. And a little bit of Kansas with the windmill, which moves and changes direction with the wind.

New cars: Prius C on the left and Prius on the right

When an orchestra student has too much time on their hands...

Members of the Longhorn Band performing before the Best of Texas welcome session

Duncan comforting Rimsky

Celebrations!

It’s been a time of celebrations, National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, National Pig Day and Pa and my birthdays!  (not too mention all the other birthdays that have already happened since the first of the year)

This year for National Eating Disorder Awareness, I made positive notes to post at work.  I didn’t think about the fact that our once women’s bathroom is now unisex.  One of my male co workers got quite a kick out of the notes saying “Look how pretty you are” or “no make up needed you look great”.

March 1 was National Pig Day.  Let’s see a hand of everyone who celebrated.  Just as I thought. The celebration included me providing donuts for work and spreading the word what day it was, serving hamburgers from my pig platter and wearing my pig leggings in the comfort of home.  I thought if I showed up in the pig leggings at work that might push it a bit.  I have discovered that one leg has more pigs than the other leg and I’m embarrassed to say that this bothers me a whole lot.

Birthday gift but perfect for Pig Day as well

March 5 we celebrated my birthday and Pa’s.  It was a fun evening with yummy food (no one can cook like Ma), great company and fun gifts. 

On my actual birthday, we went out to eat at Village Inn.  The hash browns were delightful.

Of course, around the celebrating, we have to go about day to day life.  Tim is counting his weeks until he can be done teaching the high school kids on Wednesday night.  He remembered about week 2 that he much prefers adults!  He is trying something new for Lent and gave up chocolate.  I was going to make Snickerdoodles for him for dessert but then realized they were his favorite and so it wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice. (eating something without chocolate).  No snickerdoodles were baked! He moved his mom here to Brookdale Senior Living the end of January.  She is settling in. It seems to be a pretty nice facility.  His pooches are doing well. They had to help host guests during the fire evacuation.  Sam (from my work), Matt, their two coon dogs and their turtle stayed with us while they were evacuated.  They were fortunate to only lose one chicken in the fires.  I told them I think the turtle was a first for us-don’t remember babysitting any turtles for anyone through the years.

Camp is less than 100 days away.  The best laid plans-which included me not doing another camp season- didn’t happen.  So, here we go.  I’m in charge of scheduling staff this year which is an added duty but we are making a conscience effort to get agendas finished early.  Thankfully, there’s not many gray hairs left to get on my head or I’m sure I’d collect some more.

Everyone take care.  Love Auntie and Tim

Rivers Ripple

So, I wrote this during Valentine's week...and didn't get pictures added until today! Ha-thus is life right now...Happy Valentine's Week!  The girls enjoyed celebrating at home and at school on Tuesday.  We've also been enjoying the unseasonably warm days over the past few weeks with trips to the park and zoo.
Dan has had the most changes to share--he has begun work on his Masters Degree through Friends University.  It takes him out of the house on Tuesday evenings and keeps his down time during work and at a few other times filled with homework.  His Masters Degree will be in Information Systems.  He has been playing on and off with several different bands and was recently asked to join 90 Proof, a cover band that plays weddings, some bars, and casinos.  He is excited to get back into the music scene more seriously.  Work has been going well too--a few of his projects have been recognized at the corporate level and brought to attention.
Sarah continues to drive the Rivers Taxi most mornings a week.  Fun fact--Olivia has to be at school at 8:45am.  The LATEST we can possibly leave our house is 8:32am.  Yes, we make it--no, I don't speed--no, this isn't our every morning.  She's looking forward to planning the final MOPS meetings in the next week and has already given word that she will not return to MOPS leadership next fall.  It is time for focus elsewhere.  Special Needs Support Group has gone well and is continuing to gain new faces.  She aims to make it to the Y for exercise 2x a week, often with her friend, Jenn.  PiYo is her new favorite class (a combo of Pilates and Yoga, with a cardio element).  And Sarah has managed to finish two books since Christmas--The Magnolia Story (Chip and Joanna Gaines) and An Uncompliated Life (Paul Daughtery).
Olivia just had her conference, and the report was a good one.  She's sweet, has a great smile, and happy attitude.  She's working hard in math and on her reading.  Sarah has been volunteering in her class once a month, which has been fun to do and see what they are up to.  Olivia has been doing gymnastics, but is ready for a break.  She plans to play soccer in the spring again and will likely swim in the next month.  She loves to play outside right now--whether it is chilly or not.  She is often the lead on whatever play idea she and Kinley are pursuing.
Kinley switched classrooms and lead teachers in preschool in January and it has thrown her some.  She also started tap in dance and does not appreciate the tap shoes, but works hard for her teacher.  We have been struggling with Kinley's sleep, itchy skin, emotional ups and downs, to name a few things for awhile now.  She definitely has some sensory processing differences (thus the reason she prefers only certain outfits), but after a birthday party in January where she had a cup of orange Kool-aid she was up for 1.5 hours in the middle of the night (yet, again).  For some reason it clicked that the dyes in that drink might be a problem and that the random up in the middle of the nights might be linked.  A little research and parents report: rashs, itchy skin, behaviors, emotional extremes, leg cramps, sleep disturbances.  All of these we have experienced with Kinley.  We have done an elimination of artificial food dyes and artificial flavors from her diet, and seen improvement after 2 weeks of consistency with the elimination.  Turns out artificial food dyes and flavors are in many of our foods. (Just read your labels...).  Kinley has been sleeping better (only up one or two nights after accidental exposures), not complaining of her legs hurting, her skin looks better, and her emotional extremes have become manageable and much more 4 year old typical.  Kinley has been a troooper.  We will happily help provide some alternatives for Kinley to enjoy at parties and gatherings.
Emily turned 1 on February 1st.  So many mixed emotions!  She is getting a little refocusing with her therapies and approaches that are in the works.  We will start some treadmill training next week with the hope this repetiation will help her process and organize walking sooner --research shows by up to 6 months compared to non-treadmill training.  Sarah has also stepped up working on transitional movements in our home therapy and we are noticing some differences in her moving abilities.  Here's to some form of creeping or crawling in her future!  Emily still has a smile that will melt your heart and charms those she is around.  She is taking everything in and learning new things!
Brisco is grateful that the coyotes are on the other side of the fence and spends his days with Dan in the basement soaking up the space heater.  Ahh, to be a retired doggie.  ;)
As always, feel free to ask us any questions you might have!  Our days are full and filled, but these young child/baby days are fleeting.