Wow, once again it's been a year since I posted last, lol.  I'm STILL super busy with school, but finally done with all the classes needed for my associates RN degree and preparing to enter the nursing program in the fall.  I can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel! 

I guess my biggest news is that Blake is potty trained!  Yay!  We have waited for this for almost 7 years.  It happened just a week or 2 before his 7th birthday.  He was #1 trained a few months ago...we just started sending him to school in underwear, and he never had an accident!  For about 2 months after that he would still sneak off to do the other in his underwear.  A couple times we caught him in time to get him on the potty, and one day we just found him sitting on the potty all by himself!  The rest is history.  Since he has been #2 trained he has had no accidents.  (Still in pull ups at night, but who cares?) His little sister Alli (now 4) potty trained just before him, so now after years and years of changing diapers we are finally diaper free.  Weird.  One of my biggest worries was sending him to kindergarten not potty trained, and now that weight has been lifted and it is such a relief.

Speaking of kindergarten, he will be starting in the fall.  New school, new teacher, new friends.  And he will be going all day; until now he has been going half days so this will be a big change for him.  He is not a morning person...most days I have to wake him at 11 or later so he will not be happy at first.  But hopefully he will get used to it.  Alli will be starting preschool in the fall also, which is perfect timing for me to be at nursing school all day.  My oldest Paige is going into her junior year and currently taking driver's ed, Savannah is going into 4th and Ty is going into 5th.  My stepson Jacob just turned 13 so now we have 2 teens.  Lord help us. 

Blake is talking like crazy and just learned to write his name.  He recently performed in his first school program with a typical pre k class, and sang his solo in front of everyone, beautifully.  I can't believe we wondered if he would ever talk.  If you are reading this and your child has special needs, don't ever, ever give up hope.  They can do amazing things, they just need more time!

We just got back from our 2nd PTLS family reunion, in WI this year. It was so awesome to see the other families again.  Every time I leave with so much happiness but feel so sad because 2 days is just not long enough.  These are the only people who know what we have been through and although some of us have never met there is an unbreakable bond that will last a lifetime.  I will post pics if I can figure out how.  =.)  There is nothing like seeing Blake playing with other kids just like him, and seeing my other kids treating the other PTLS kids just like they would Blake.  Words can't describe how happy that makes me.

That is about it for now.  Updates are fewer and farther between now because he is older, and progress isn't as quick as when he was a baby.  But I will update when I can, or when anything exciting happens. 

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