Saying Goodbye~

Today my sweet friend Dianne says her final Goodbye to her beloved Husband

The love of her life, her high school sweetheart♥

We love you Dianne and are with you there today in 

spirit~

 

Therapy Camp

We She did it!!

3 weeks of Constraint Therapy Camp are done!

What a wonderful program, with amazing results that we hope will continue.

Lucy was a trooper everyday...her first cast left a bruise and sore on her upper arm, so a second cast was made, and two days later she had irritation on her arm from a little extra padding that was put inside.  Once we removed that, we were good to go!

Every Friday morning, the cast was taken off and the kids participated in a community experience using bilateral movement.  Our first week was swimming, our second week was circus school, and our last Friday was a party at the beach :)

(top 2 pics from "circus school")

Our day at Sanca (School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts) was so fun.  Lucy enjoyed it so much.  The owner is a wonderful lady and a pediatric nurse when she is not running
"circus school".  Jo works exclusively with children with special needs and really felt like she could do some wonderful things for Lucy on the trampoline, trapeze, tight wire, etc...so Lucy will begin circus school next week!!

 During our first week it was Halloween in July :)  The kids all got to trick or treat through the therapy center :)

  

Week 3 celebrated the start of the Olympics!

Lucy represented Team China!!

Every morning Lucy "fed her pig" and on the last Friday the pigs were weighed

1lb 13oz!!

Way to go Lucy!

We met 3 wonderful families with children at all different levels of disabilities, some much more severe than others.  The kids were all so sweet and cheered each other on everyday.

We will return in 3 months for an evaluation to access how much input the brain has retained.

In the meantime, here at home we can continue to encourage "lefty" to do lots more, because we know it is able!

 

Celebrating 4 years♥

Today we celebrated 4 years with our precious Girl

(I wish I would have started taking her picture with her "first photo" from the beginning, I love seeing her bloom)

To follow tradition we let Lucy decide how we spend her day.  We always talk about that wonderful day in China and what we did then :)

So hear was today's agenda

Starbucks ~ for her favorite Black Tea Lemonade

Kohls ~ to do a little shopping

Library

Grocery store ~ for the ingredients for her dinner request of Taco Salad

Grammy and Papa came for dinner and brought Lucy's favorite dessert ...Dilly Bars!!

Grammy surprised Lucy with a beach bag she has been wanting full of lots of fun
beach "necessities" :)

Powell was going away for the weekend she he took Lucy on a special date before he left ...that's why he's missing from this photo :)

Seriously???  I don't know who's cuter...Blake or Smokey!

Happy Gotcha Day Lucy Joy Jingxuan♥

We love you to the moon and back, and our lives would never be the same without you in it!

We love you Sweet Girl

xoxo

Book Video from Lucy

I was downloading videos from my Flip Camera and found this video from Lucy.

I did not record this one :) ...she set up the camera and filmed this one herself :)

Enjoy!

Lucy goes to therapy camp

As I have shared here before, Lucy was born with a benign brain cyst which affects motor development on the left side of her body, or hemi-plegia (you can read her diagnosis story HERE).  

She attends therapy weekly where she receives LOTS of occupational therapy for her fine motor skills, but her therapist suggested we attend this intense 3 week constraint therapy, as she felt is would be a huge benefit for Lucy.

So, Monday Lucy's "good" right arm was casted from above the elbow to her fingertips.  This obviously limits movement and function with that arm, but tells the brain we are using "lefty".  She attends camp Monday thru Friday for 3 hours with 3 other children all with varying degrees of hemi-plegia/cerebral palsy.  

To be very honest, this is not easy or fun for Lucy, and for me, very hard to watch and not just do everything for her.  Lucy has very limited ability with her left hand, hence the term "helper hand", that is exactly all it is for her.  

The amazing thing, is that in 3 days I ALREADY see more function with her left hand!  She is eating (slowly) with it, gaining mobility and strength...I think at the end of 3 weeks, we will see some amazing results.

This type of therapy causes the brain to work SO hard that she is exhausted at the end of every session and sleeps the whole way home, but WOW is she a little trooper!!

 (oh, just showing off her supination skills :)

Today, our sweet friend Delaney came down when we got home from therapy to surprise Lucy with a makeover!!

She did her makeup  :)

her hair "chalked" and styled

fingers and toes painted :)

Thank you Delaney for taking the time to make Lucy feel so loved and special!!

So, if you don't mind me asking :) would you say a little prayer for Lucy as she goes through her therapy?

Lucy, LUSH & Layla

Lucy received this gift card from Layla over at The Lettered Cottage as a very sweet "thank you" for the Kids Decorating video she filmed.

With the purchases she made, Lucy did another video for Layla of her "3 Favorite LUSH Products".  Layla is sharing that video on her blog today, and she is also doing a GIVE AWAY of a LUSH gift card!!  Now you can try some of Lucy's favorites, or find your own!!

So, hurry on over to TLC!!

Also, Lucy would LOVE if you would subscribe to her YouTube channel (HERE)
We love reading the comments and if you like a video give it a "thumbs up"
(thumbs up button located under the video on YouTube :)

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday America

Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July!