Making Progress - Quinn at PT

Quinn attends physical therapy 2 days a week at Gillette Childrens. We have been recently working on his gait (walking) pattern. He uses a walker to help him get around when he gets fatigued and works out on the treadmill to help him gain some strength. We are so thankful to have such a wonderful physical therapist!!

Merry Christmas

Bella got a new winter jacket - she loved it!

Santa came!

Happy boys!

We wish all our family and friends a Merry Christmas. May you find peace and joy!

Benjamin is 4!

The Big Birthday Boy!

Benjamin turned 4 on December 18! He had a baseball-themed birthday party and LOVED every minute of it. We had lots of family and some friends come to celebrate. I can't believe he is already 4, everyone told me how fast time would pass. He is becoming a sweet, loving, active little boy and there are still times that I wish I could freeze time and never let him grow-up. We love you Ben!!!

A Beatty Family Christmas

All the kids getting ready for Santa!

Ben isn't so afraid of Santa anymore, I think he realizes that the man bears gifts!

The best present I could ask for!

We had our annual Beatty Family Christmas party the weekend before Christmas. A big thanks to Chad and Cyndi for hosting it again this year. Great food, a visit from Santa, and all our favorite relatives makes for a great night!

Ben's Pre-school Christmas Program

We attended Ben's Pre-school Christmas program on December 15 at Word of Peace. He was so proud to stand up there and sing his songs. It was adorable and all the little ones sounded wonderful!

Santa!

The boys got to visit Santa on Sunday at Rosedale Mall. They were very excited while we were waiting in line but Quinn wasn't too sure once had to actually go sit with Santa. Thankfully we had his blankie with and that makes everything better! Ben asked for Mack from Cars and Quinn wanted another McQueen. They got to leave with candy canes and coloring books and they both told Santa Ho Ho Ho!

Family Game Time!

The boys had their first experience playing a board game with Mama and Daddy. It was a fierce competition but Daddy was the winner at the end. Everyone was happy - Quinn liked just moving his game piece anywhere on the board!

We're back!!

Go Wild!

The past year and a half have been beyond crazy and I had let the blog go for a little bit. I've decided it's time to come back - not everyone is on Facebook that we want to keep in touch with too!

Here is a quick recap of the past 18 months since my last post:

Ben will be 4 in December and started pre-school this September at our church. He LOVES it and likes his friends that he has made. He will be having a baseball-themed birthday party this December and CANNOT wait. Chris told him a few weeks ago that his birthday will be after the snow comes and now he gets excited EVERYTIME it snows. He is such a sweet boy and had a really tight bond with his Mama (Grandma Sharon). Just to clarify, he calls me Mommy and my mom is Mama. We got the boys John Deere 12 volt tractors this past summer and Ben has become a pretty good driver! Quinn, not so much...

Speaking of Quinn: he will turn 3 in April 2012. He continues his journey with Transverse Myelitis but does NOT let that slow him down. He is amazing to watch, he can figure out a way to do things that we never thought he would be able to do. We are about to start PT again, Gillette Children's has been amazing and we are excited to work with our favorite PT, Melissa, again! Quinn is always on the go, it tires me out just to watch him! Quinn is now a part of HopeKids which is a program for kids with serious illnesses that provides fun activities and outings. So far we have been to the circus and a Wild hockey game. The boys are going to the MN Children's Museum with my parents on Thursday night. It will be only open to HoepKids and their families. It is a very wonderful program to be a part of, it gives us something to look forward to instead of hospital visits and doctor appointments!

Bella (the dog) just had her 2nd ACL surgery and is currently recuperating at home. She is now 5 years old - time flies.

Gaby (the cat) is still holding his own with the boys - he likes to remind them that he has claws and teeth every now and then.

We are very excited to be taking our first "real" vacation this winter. We are heading to Orlando to Disney World for 5 days! Cannot wait!!

I am making a pledge to keep this updated, I am starting my New Years Resolutions early!

Take care everyone!