Merrill and Roberta Simon and Family

That is what LisaMarie has, sheer guts and determination. She is amazing and we are so tickled to be her parents. Last school year LisaMarie said she wanted to do Cross Country. As her Mom, I thought it a wee bit strange to say the very least. Of all of our children, LisaMarie is the most like me. Lets just get it right on out here and say it, weight is a struggle. Still we said okay and she went for it. Last year was good. She hung in there and she ran. She was proud. So were we!! This school year rolled around and boy howdy  she asked again to do Cross Country. We said yes. She has grown, her body is changing and she enjoys running. How fun is that? She paces herself, knowing that what she wants to do is beat her time and only her time. She is not out to set any school records, it is a competition against herself. She runs, her coaches run with her during all of her practices. She starts out at the end of the pack, but she runs. She does not stop. She does not complain, she runs.

My mind has been heavy in thought these last few months. I have really been thinking a lot about our adult children. Merrill and I have come to the conclusion that raising children that have some sort of disability is the easier part. The harder part is learning how to accept the fact that they become adults with a disability. It is painful on many levels. We have seen marriages that do not last, relationships that are often painful, their children neglected and then their rights taken away and their children now adopted by someone else. We have had to go to court to keep our grandparents rights, but reality is, rights or not, the "new family" often wants to forget about the "old family". Face it, as parents of adopted children, we know all to well that path is easier. Some have gone to prison, several to jail, one is "wanted" and another one registers. It is a very hard and vicious cycle for them. Jobs come and go, mostly they do not work. They have

Okay, I admit, getting to this blog is a near impossible task with so many children at home. I need to work differently at it...notice I did not say harder. I know there is a way to go at it and succeed. For right now let's just focus on all that has been going on. The kids are growing up. It is hard to believe that Montana is now 18 months old. He has his challenges, but he is a pretty happy little guy. He is now crawling really well and pulling up to stand. He still only says mama but I am sure in his own sweet time he will be talking our ears off. Now officially and legally forever, Montana Remington Hayes Simon. He is a keeper and we are happy he is ours!!  Bib On Bib Off   Still loving Cheese Balls!!!  Yeppers Mom, I am standing!!! Then there are the Twins...will they forever be called the Twins :o) Macylea and McCoy. They keep us on our toes. They make us wonderful how we will make it, but at the same time we see how far they have come since we got th