Jaden discovers South Padre Island

Jaden went to the beach for the first time ever this weekend and he had a blast. Talk about a kid with no fear. He walked in, and kept walking till a big wave knocked him off of his feet. It was awesome. What a blessing. You may be thinking "I can't believe you've never taken him to the beach". Well he has been to the water line but he's never gotten in the water because of his G-tube. The G-tube has been out for a while now so it's full speed ahead.
We had a divine appointment while we were there too. We met a family of 4 which included a teenager with down syndrome. It was so inspiring. He is 17 years old. He is getting his black belt in Tae Kwon Do, he's on the swim team, drama club, loves girls, wants to get married, have a family, speaks very well and is very athletic. We got a glimpse of the future for Jaden and it was great.

Well, as you can see, Jaden is doing very well. Thank God. I guess I'm gonna have to get him a real set soon.

Jaden is now 5 Years Old. Yeah!

I'm so excited that Jaden turned 5 years old yesterday. He is such a blessing to Gloria and me. We've learned a lot from him throughout the years. It is by the grace of God that he has overcome all of his challenges so far and we are humbled by His mercy. It also has a lot to do with the love and support that he receives from our friends and family. Parents of special kids know when people love your child and I just want to say thank you for loving Jaden. He is always met with a smile and a hug and it warms our hearts to see him be included and accepted without apprehension. For his birthday we took him to have one of his favorite foods, a burger, then to a movie. It was his first time to go to a movie so it was extra special. The movie we saw was a concert by the Jonas Brothers in 3D and you know Jaden, he loves anything that includes music. The 3D aspect made it seem like we were actually there. He had his mouth open in awe the whole time. It was great. Anyway, thanks again for loving on our boy.

2008 Was GREAT!

Recapping 2008 we see that it was the year of major accomplishments for our family. We are so thankful to God for his constant work in our lives and we know it couldn't happen without all of the prayers that come from our family and friends. Here is a list of the mile stones reached by Jaden in 2008.

First, Jaden kicked his "bawdoh"(bottle). Second, he underwent his final heart surgery and as a result, became a great "eater". Third, Jaden got rid of his feeding tube, something we thought would never happen. And finally, Jaden is now potty trained. WOW!!!! We also have to mention that 2008 was an exceptionally healthy year for him as well. Jaden maybe had 2 colds, no major tummy issues and his breathing has improved 100%. Last, but definitely not least, sleepless nights have improved by about 75%. PRAISE GOD!!!

When we look at what Jaden has done, we see the great truth in God's word found in Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

We look forward to another great NEW YEAR!!

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Fall '08 Update

Jaden is doing very well. Praise God! He's growing taller and heavier and doing well in school. We are still working on potty training. It's not very pleasant having to change a 4yr. old's diaper you know. He had a great Halloween and Thanksgiving with family and friends and we're looking forward to Christmas. Check out the pics of our handsome boy.

Aye, Aye, Ike!

Well, Ike came and went without so much as a drop of rain. Praise God! We were definitely ready for it though. We boarded up, gassed up, and were totally prepared, but all we ended up getting was depressed from sitting in a dark boarded up house waiting for the unknown.
It was like when you were in elementary school. You're waiting in the principal's office knowing you were about to get paddled, but then, you get off with just a warning. Yeah, something like that!
Anyway, Gloria snapped some pictures of me and Jaden removing the boards and getting back to normal. He is such a good helper, especially if it requires outdoor activity. Because like any other 4yr. old boy, he loves to be outside.