Changes, changes and more changes...

Well, it's been a long time since I've posted anything here. Summer has flown by and fall is probably right around the corner. For us, things have been changing.

• Gabriel finished up his days at HeadStart. After 2 years there, it was sad to see him stop going but while we will miss everyone, it was time for him to move on.
• Our fish Blue/Azul died after being with us for 2.5 years. We brought him to IL with us from MI in a chinese soup container with holes in the top. He was a great beta fish.
• Gabriel started Kindergarten at Gates Elementary, just 3 blocks from our house. He goes to a special Kindergarten class in the morning and lunch and then goes to a regular Kindergarten class in the afternoon with a 1:1 aide. He is doing wonderful and is just in the beginning phases of learning to read.
• We all went on vacation to Fountain, MI (near Ludington) for a week. We rented a great house with my sister and her family and had a fun time.
• The girls visited us in IL for a month and Gabriel had a great time playing with them.
• Gabriel left HeadStart and we started him at a local daycare center called Hometown. I'm not thrilled with them but they are ok for now. We've been looking for someone to come to our home and watch him but it's hard to find someone for morning and afternoons and not have to pay a fortune.
• Just about a week ago, we lost Gracie to cancer. We recently found out that although we had her leg amputated to get rid of the bone cancer, it (or something new) had spread and infected her lymph nodes. We chose to keep her at home and comfortable until she wasn't any more. That came last week. She couldn't eat, drink, poop or walk...we knew it was time. It was heartbreaking to put her to sleep but we all know that she's in cat heaven now and is whole again and not hurting. That's what counts. We had her cremated. We love her and I miss her everday.
• We took Gabriel to a cool indoor waterpark called Coco Key in Rockford, IL for an overnight stay and play just before he started Kindergarten. We had a great time swimming, swimming, swimming.

All in all, we've had a good summer and enjoyed alot of outdoor time, swimming, yard work, landscaping and more. Hope all of you are well too.