Friday-Eve

As I'm writing this, it's Thursday night. Or, as I'm calling it: Friday-Eve. Yep, I'm at that point.

This morning, we headed back down to Little Rock for Joshua's Therapeutic Recreation. Today was fitness day, and the FRIENDS were going to the gym. And then they were eating lunch at the Center...and doing some sort of crafts.

I did some running around, and then went to the mall. Holly met me there. She had been in an orientation class all morning, at the hospital. We ate lunch there at the mall. I was going to take her shopping, but she wasn't feeling well...so I told her to just go on home.

I went to pick up Joshua, and we headed straight to the grocery once we got back to town. After we got everything put away, I asked Joshua if he wanted to get in the pooah (that's how Joshua pronounces "pool"). He swam laps in the shallow-end, and played pool basketball (he can swim like a beast IF HE CAN TOUCH. If he can't touch, he thinks he will sink like a rock...and then he will sink like a rock. It's a mind thing, we know, but whatever. Not gonna ever change him). I pulled him around the pooah in his large ring. Jim came home from work, and he and Joshua went to the gym while I worked on dinner.

After I got in from swimming, I was so tired! I really wasn't feeling cooking dinner. Or eating dinner. Or getting up out of my chair! But I did...and we had a good dinner, just the 3 of us. Holly and Aaron-the-son-in-law came over for a little while, and we enjoyed visiting with them.

I posted this on my Facebook last night, and I'll just put in on here as well...so that I can remember:

When you give birth to an extraordinary little human like Joshua, people seem to feel compelled to tell you what you should and should not do...what they think is best: early intervention, therapies, programs, etc. And I listen, because MOST PEOPLE MEAN WELL. And because I don't know everything, and someone might make a really good suggestion.

And then I pray about it. 

And, because I'm the one who is running him around, I try my best to follow what God lays on my heart...and make the decisions that work best for Joshua and for our family at the time.

I am so very thankful for the TR program that Joshua attends. It's not a job, but they do work hard as a group on many things. And it's not school, but they are always learning. It's not play, but they do have fun. It's not "adult day care," but the parents and care-givers know and trust that all of the FRIENDS are safe there.

And while the FRIENDS love to be together having fun, they love it best when they are volunteering or helping others.

This program is something Joshua does that is ALL HIS. On the days when the drive seems long, I remind myself that he can't just jump in the car and drive himself to see his FRIENDS.

He told me one time that these FRIENDS are like his family. I love seeing these relationships grow and develop. Some days they fuss and some days they love...but they always, ALWAYS have each other's backs.

We've done our share of rushing around as parents of our 4 kids, but now? It's a privilege and a blessing to walk through life at a slower pace with this precious oldest child of ours. So very thankful for Ms. Sherrie, Ms. Michaela, Mrs. Angel, and Ms. Kendra for investing in all of our TR FRIENDS.

"We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord." Romans 15:2