Autism Blooms Where Planted!

               

      Today’s post is prompted by a little “discussion” that Keith and I had on Sunday… Lately I have been feeling “funky” for lack of a better term (actually I know a million other words I could use, but I choose not to); migraines have been particularly vile and other assorted “joys” have reappeared, ugh. So yes, I was not in a particularly wondrous mood on Sunday. Angelique and I left church after sacrament meeting and that was that. Our little “discussion” turned Laman-like on my part and I even said that I wasn’t sure we should have moved to Minnesota. Needless to say, Keith wasn’t particularly pleased with the statement. But look! This pie chart, albeit rather humorous, is nonetheless somewhat accurate!

This year has been ridiculous, the weather is downright bipolar and yeah, I am sick of its ups and downs because they made me sick. No, I am not being dramatic, they make me literally sick! I mean they affect my health! ☺ Anyway, today’s post is mostly for my sake, to remind me that indeed we were meant to come here to Minnesota, AKA South Canada (see picture below ☺) and that I do love it here when I feel well. Even when I have to rake and tend the yard and deadhead the flowers and weed and… ☺

Have a fabulous day in your corner of the world! Here’s the 2008 “flashback”!             

                                          

                                            Our Move to Minnesota

April 2007

I mentioned our relocation to Minnesota in April 2007; we moved from Pennsylvania after spending eleven years there and certainly not after a great number of prayers and a lot of pondering. I had started to feel nudged by the Spirit that something needed to change in our increasingly busy lives.

After going back to work part-time in September 2002, I subsequently accepted a full-time teaching position in August 2004. After two full school years of such intense schedules, with my health, Ben’s needs, and caring for the rest of the family, I was starting to feel out of balance. At the time I was also the first counselor in our ward Relief Society presidency. I just felt overwhelmed but more profoundly than that, I felt that the Lord was showing me that I could not be all things to all people at the same time.

My health started to decline, symptoms of MS and fibromyalgia started to come back more regularly, I was tired all the time. I could barely take care of my children. I fell in the stairs at home again the very day I had decided to hand in my resignation. It is funny in a way because I had been doubting at that very instant whether it was what I should be doing, even though I had prayed about it and Keith was supportive of me – he always is, if I want to work, if I want to stay home... After that fall in the stairs I resigned, and that started the process that led us to move to Minnesota.

I knew that Ben was getting older and that autism would affect him differently then. Middle school is a difficult period for typically developing kids, why would it spare children with autism? He would need me to be home, this was the right time for me to be home again with my children as I had been with them when they were babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Once again, little did I know what the Holy Ghost was truly preparing me for! But how grateful I am for the mercy of an all knowing Heavenly Father who cares for us so much, and who, if we are willing to listen and do His will and follow, will make our crooked paths straight.

Keith eventually was offered two positions, one in Ohio, one in Minnesota. The Lord made us choose, we had to use our agency. (I would have to remember it was my choice to come here when the Minnesota winter threatened to swallow me whole!) But He blessed us tremendously with Keith’s employment so that I would not have to work and could indeed stay home to take care of Ben and the girls, something that would become crucial as adolescence was approaching.

Our move to Minnesota also brought many spiritual blessings to Ben personally. He is now very included in his Young Men’s organization at Church. He attends his Sunday School class with his appropriate age group. Brad Taylor is the former Bishop of the Medicine Lake Ward and the teacher of that class; he is an awesome youth motivator, he truly brings out the best in all the youth.  

Ben loves to attend all the activities with “his young men” as he calls them. He goes to Young Men on Wednesday night for Mutual, he also even was on the Church youth volleyball team! Again Brad Taylor was the coach. The other young men seem supportive of Ben and understand his disability, that he cannot do all things like they can. I am so grateful to those youth and the leaders who make sure Ben is included. Jim Jackson is also his advisor and a model of patience!