Photo Challenge

One of my blogger friends had a link to a photo challenge today and I thought it was neat, so I decided to go look for one of Isaiah having fun. I knew exactly what picture I wanted to use but it took me a while to track it down. I didn't have a copy on my computer but lucky for me, Amy had uploaded it to Snapfish so I was able to snag it there.

This is Isaiah in July 2007 at Disneyland. We (Amy, Isaiah, and I) flew out to San Diego to see Shaun and Jenny and spend a couple of days at Disneyland. Poor Jenny, she was pregnant with Alexander and it was wicked hot. Even so, I think we all managed to have a good time and would love to go back. (I'm just a kid at heart and I would love to spend a whole week at a Disney resort. Some day...)

Here is the picture. Doesn't it look like he's just having the best time of his life?

He was ecstatic. I think this was one of the rides that he wanted to ride over and over again.

Wearing Just His Feet

The other day, Isaiah's neighbor friend, Sophia, was outside playing in the sprinkler. Isaiah asked if he could go out to play with her.

Isaiah:  Can I wear just my feet outside? Sophia is only wearing her feet.
Amy:   Do you mean you want to go barefoot?
Isaiah:  That's what I said. Wear just my feet.

I made a mistake...

Isaiah doesn't want just his day, he wants a business trip. To the farm. Without Amy and Rex.

His theory is that since Amy went on a business trip last month to Atlanta and Rex went on a business trip last week, he should have his own business trip as well.

Last weekend, they were getting ready to go to the farm and Isaiah asked how many days he should pack for. Amy told him they'd be gone four days. He came out of his room with his biggest suitcase, packed full. He was going prepared. When he saw Amy's and Rex's bags he was indignant. "You aren't going to the farm. Only me is going to the farm."

Amy said, "How do you think you're going to get there?" Isaiah thought a minute and then said, fine they could just drop him off but they couldn't stay.

That didn't happen.

He gets his "business trip" next month when his Aunt Christie comes to pick him up.

Adventure Time

Amy was out of town last week on business, so Rex had to take total care of Isaiah. That’s a first for him because he’s the one usually doing the traveling for business. One night after his bath, Isaiah decided to talk to him about one of his favorite television shows, Adventure Time.

Isaiah: Dad, why doesn’t Mom like Adventure Time?
Rex: I don’t know, Isaiah. Why do you think she doesn’t like it?
Isaiah: I don’t know. I can’t understand it. It has realistic fiction, so it “could” happen. Right?

Seriously – realistic fiction? What a crack-up he is.

Grandma, You're Gonna Miss Me...

Me: Where are you going?
Isaiah: Well, mom had her day (Mother's Day) and dad is going to have his day (Father's Day), so I'm going to have my day, too.
Me: Oh... so, what are you going to do on your day?
Isaiah: I'm going to go to Nana's house. You know, my new grandma. She lives on a farm.
Me: Yes, I know. When are you going?
Isaiah: Oh, someday soon. When dad gets back from his trip. You'll miss me while I'm gone.

Yes, I will...

Isaiah’s Mother’s Day Prayer

I admit, the whole scene was all my fault… Rex fixed dinner for us for Mother’s Day and I asked Isaiah if he was going to say grace. He told me it was his dad’s turn. Rex said, “Go ahead, Isaiah. You can say grace.”

Isaiah: “But Dad, it’s your turn.”

Rex: “That’s OK – you go ahead this time.”

(We all held hands around the table; Isaiah, Rex, Kris [my sister], and me.)

Isaiah (after giving me and Rex the “evil eye”): (in my best Isaiah-type of pronunciation)
     “Dear heaveny fader, bless this food which we are about to receive.
      Help it to nourish our bodies.
      Please make my dad to take his turn.”

Me: :::snort:::cough:::snicker (Isaiah glared at me and pulled his hands back.): “I’m sorry, Isaiah. I needed to sneeze.”

Rex (gently coaxing Isaiah to continue): “It’s OK, Isaiah. You can keep going.”

Isaiah:
     “Dear heaveny fader, bless this food which we are about to receive.
      Help it to nourish our bodies.
      Please help me to always win.”

Me: :::snort:::cough:::bust a gut laughing (Isaiah glared at me and pulled his hands back again): “I’m sorry, Isaiah. I need to go to the bathroom. I should have gone before we sat down to eat.” (I exited the table as quickly as I could and continued laughing in the bathroom until I could compose myself. At this point, I really did have to go; I was laughing so hard that I very nearly didn’t make it to the bathroom.)

Before I came back, Rex had a side conversation with Isaiah:

Rex: “Isaiah, remember how we are supposed to pray for nice things, not always asking for stuff like winning or taking turns.”

Isaiah: “OK…”

He starts over…
     “Dear heaveny fader, bless this food which we are about to receive.
      Help it to nourish our bodies.
      Please make my grandma to not laugh.”

Kris had to cover her face and cough.

Isaiah gave her the evil eye, too and finished the prayer before I came back to the table. Kris said she’s not too sure what exactly the rest of the prayer consisted of because she was biting her lip so hard to keep from laughing that the pain was all she could concentrate on.

Happy Birthday!

Wednesday was little man's 8th birthday. It's so hard to believe that it's been eight years since I got the phone call to let me know that he had been born. I know exactly where I was... in a hotel restaurant, in Kentucky, with my sister (Kris) and her two children because her son was graduating from Army boot camp. It was Easter Sunday and a glorious morning.

Isaiah has come so far in the past few years - from being non-verbal, to speaking his own language, to showing affection and receiving affection (letting people other than immediate family touch him). He went through stages where he couldn't stand to be touched by anyone other than Amy, Ron, Keith, and me. Now, he's a hugger and readily accepts affection from GiGi (great-grandma), cousins, aunts, uncles, and other adults who love him. He especially loves getting attention and affection from his new dad. We are so grateful to have Rex in Isaiah's life and so fortunate to be able to call him family.

Amy and Rex went to his school for lunch on his birthday. He had wanted his mom to come and eat with him, so they told him they would both come for his birthday. Amy said he enjoyed it but told them they didn't need to come again; she thinks he missed sitting with his friends. Little man is definitely growing up.

Memories of Isaiah over the years:


March, 2004



1st Birthday



And, now he's 2!

Turning 3 - he'd lived with us for four months

Zoo, Spring 2007. One of my favorite pictures

Turning 5! Wow - getting big!



Halloween, 2009



Turning 7; April 2010



8th Birthday

Each picture that I look at brings back specific memories of a fun time, an event, or something that Isaiah either said or did. As I look back on the years that Amy and Isaiah spent with us, I can only thank God for allowing our lives to be so greatly enriched by the presence of this wonderful little man.

We love you, Isaiah! Happy Birthday!!!