The first week of Christmas break was spent at Keystone Colorado with our cousins from Oregon, Chris and Annika.  Mackenzie did lots of adaptive skiing and had fun.  However, our last night there she got sick and was vomiting most of the night.  The entire time we were at Keystone, Mackenzie had only one seizure! 

{The adaptive skiing crew, including dad and cousin, Chris}

We all had a great time with the cousins!

Christmas was celebrated at home - just the 5 of us.  Little brother, Zachary, is now a year old and very entertaining.

School is going well for Mackenze.  She is now in 5th grade - her last year in elementary school.  She is really growning up quickly!

We are approaching yet another anniversary of the 'incident' that took our 4 year old girl from us.  Its been 7 years since our last hug, kiss, 'i love you', etc.

Mackenzie has been on a brain stimulant, Amantadine, since March 2011.  We get reports from school and therapy that she is more attentive and alert than she was before the medication.

She got a new walker, a Rifton Gait Trainer - bright pink- back in October.  We will have to get a picture of her using it.  Some days she does extremely well and walks the hallway at therapy with little to no assistance.  Other days, she screams and cries the entire time and the PT has to move her feet for her.  I would say that she has more good days than bad though.

She also got a new standing in December.  We haven't had much oppurtunity to use it given our busy schedules, the baby in the house, and Mackenzie's growth (she is nearly 75 lbs and 55 inches now).

Speaking of Mackenzie's growth - she is at the upper limit of her Britax carseat.  We are exploring our options for what to do next because just a seatbelt doesn't provide the added support that she needs.

I guess that's all for now.

Happy New Year to all!

{this is me at camp}
I am having a wonderful summer break.

I have been attending Respite Care, Inc. 3 days a week this summer.  It is a really fun facility for special needs children and their siblings.  We do arts and crafts and watch movies and play games.  I really enjoy it and am completely wiped out and ready for bed when I get home at night.

Right after school ended - we took a roadtrip to the Pacific Northwest.  We visited my mom's family in Oregon and Washington.  I even got to spend 2 nights with grandpa & grandma (while mom & dad stayed at the hotel) - I was so excited!!  I wish I could see more of them.  I really enjoyed the car trip and didn't complain hardly at all - my little brother complained enough for both of us.

{me enjoying the hotel pool}

I also attended Easter Seals "Talking With Technology" camp again this year with my favorite personal aide, Amy Reed.  I had a ton of fun at camp!  The only bad part was the fire alarm that went off one night while I was sleeping - I was NOT at all happy about having to get up and leave the cabin!  Oh yeah, I also wasn't fond of the zip line this year.  I hope I never have to do that again.

The good news is that I got to ride horses - I LOVE to ride horses!  My parents don't get me out on my horse, Charlie, nearly enough.

I ate all my meals while at camp and didn't need any G-tube feeds.  I also didn't have any seizures all week.

{still happy at camp}

I enjoy my little brother most of the time.  Sometimes Daddy will put us on the floor together.  I am careful not to hit or kick him but sometimes he pulls my hair and it really upsets me.

I have become bored with my communication device and this is frustrating to my Augmentative Communication therapist (and good friend) - she is desperately trying other options to help me communicate.  I never really used the device for my parents anyway.  They usually know what I want when I get fussy.

I got a new Mulholland walker in December but it had to be returned because it wasn't very stable.  Now I am using a Rifton Gait Trainer and some days I do very well with it.

2 more weeks til school starts again - I'm going to be a 5th grader now!  My last year of Elementary school makes mommy very sad.  She says it's because I am growning up to fast.

Well, that's all for now.

I miss and love you all.

~Keni

The last few months of 2010 were quite busy at my home.  I started 4th grade in mid-August.  I was glad to be back in school and have something to occupy my time all day... its boring sitting around the house all day.

In November Zachary Ryan, my little brother, joined our family.   I love my brother but I miss being the center of my mom's world. 

 {my little  brother}

Over Christmas break I went snowskiing for the first time!  It was SO MUCH fun!

{Adaptive Skiing} 

In December I also got my own walker.  Its a Mulholland Walkabout.

{My walker} 

Home from "Talking with Technology" camp.  Keni had a blast but is happy to be home with her family (and her own bed) again. 

There was a zip-line, horseback riding, dancing, arts & crafts, and tons more fun stuff!! 

We want to say "Thank You" to Amy once again for coming out here and attending camp with Keni - it meant alot to have someone we trust with her this past week.  We miss you already!

{Happy to be in bed after my first full day of camp}

{Rock climbing to go down the zip line}

{Wow - what a day!}

Just returning from our summer roadtrip.  Visited the Grand Canyon and took a helicopter tour... Keni did okay for about the first 10 minutes then she was not happy with the very bumpy ride.  Its a good thing we took the SHORT tour.

Hoover Dam is cool but there is quite a bit of road construction right now - oh and a checkpoint to go through before you cross the dam (anti-terrorism checkpoint).

Las Vegas is awesome but very crowded -especially after dark.  We stayed in the Bellagio Hotel and Casino and our room overlooked the fountains.  Keni got ill the first night and was not well at all the next day.  She tolerated some sight-seeing and then slept for several hours.  She felt better for the trip home but still not 100%. 

{I feel awful!}

We had a great time with our friends Sarah & Nicole.

Just returned from a Spring Break vacation to San Antonio Texas.  Keni did excellent on the road trip.

We all really enjoyed the visits with good friends.

{Daddy & I in Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico}

We are planning to send Keni to a "Talking with Technology" camp this summer.  It is a week-long sleepover camp run through the Denver Children's Hospital.  It trains and encourages the use of augmentative communication devices.  It will be a good opportunity for Keni.  The only issue is that parents are not allowed - given our serious trust issues this is very difficult for us.  We decided to send an aide that is like family to us (we luv u Amy).  It will be a very difficult week for me, but I am excited for Keni.

{Me - Roswell, New Mexico}

Keni found a chair that she is able to sit in without help!!  We are so proud of her.  She is doing some really good walking (still with upper body support), but she isn't interested in practicing to sit or sit-to-stand - all she wants to do is walk. 

{sitting in my rocking chair} 

Her seizures have not improved at all - may have even gotten worse.  We saw the neurologist (Dr. Tim Allen :-) ) last week.  He is still hopeful that the VNS will work for her.  He says that the longer it is in - the better the chances of it working.  We are also in agreement about keeping her off anti-seizure medication.

 I am getting better about taking the time to feed her orally.  She is getting much less formula now-a-days.  She still gets a can of formula in the morning because she doesn't care to eat breakfast.  In addition, she will often get a can of formula before bed depending on what time we eat and how much she takes in orally.