Enchanted Island...

Recker has had so much fun getting together with friends (Dylan, Scout, and Olive) and going to the Zoo and Encanto Park's Enchanted Island. We had a BLAST! I might have more fun than him, but whats new? But I must say he did soooo well at both, little to NO meltdowns (maybe a little one when i pulled him away from the splash pad at the zoo) but i am so proud! We love the zoo, and Recker loves to ride the camels and i give in every time because he is soooo calm and relaxed afterwards, SOOOOO WORTH IT! Enchanted Island was everything that it would seem, $3 for unlimited rides and splash pad! We did the teacups, train ride and rode the FASTEST carousel I've ever been on. When he started that bad boy up lindsay and i both had to grab onto a pole because we would have flown off that thing. His favorite was the Splash Pad! He played for a good 15 minutes and then he just shut down. I looked up and he was standing in the middle with his eyes glued tightly shut and his hands over his ears squeezing harder than I've ever seen. This is not a new thing, but it is definitely becoming more frequent, and brought on easier than ever before. It was just so overstimulating, the sound of the mini rollarcoaster next to the splash pad, all the different water holes popping up and all the kids screaming and running around. It was just too much for him to handle, so he just absolutely shut down. I called his name and he wouldn't respond. I got up and walked over to see if he would look at me, he wouldn't even open his eyes to see who was touching him. So i picked him up soaking wet and had him come sit on my lap, hoping he would relax. It was the longest and worst he has had yet. We decided to go grab dinner at 5 guys afterwards and made it home just in time to put the tired kids to bed....it was a PERFECT day! I am so grateful for such amazing friends that are understanding and patient with Recker and try to understand his Autism and actually ask questions.....THANK YOU Lacy, Lindsay and Ashley!!

[Phoenix Zoo]

[Enchanted Park]

 

[As Lindsay put it, This was just a delayed response to what

had just happened in the parking lot 5 minutes earlier]

(This was the best we could get while driving and the kids 

screaming in the back seat for more bugles)

Shout Out!

Today is Jeremy's Birthday and i just wanted to give him a small shout out! He is amazing and the past year for us has been incredibly crazy and so difficult and I know that I wouldn't have been able to do it without him. I love that after almost 4 years he still surprises me and keeps me on my toes! He is my best friend and one of the funniest people I know, constantly making Recker and I laugh. We are completely opposite in every way and we love it! I Love you jeremy and can't wait to keep celebrating your birthday year after year!

Bad Girls....

This past weekend was the first of many to come Williams Girls trips! Mom, Kaitlyn, Chloe and I (hales we missed you) drove down to L.A. to shop and get stuff for Blake & Chloe's wedding in May. We absolutely love Chloe and I am so excited to have her join our family! Anyways this trip was seriously a constant laugh sesh! All we did was laugh and walk and shop and EAT! Here is our trip via instagram & videos!

[We all decided we're OBSESSED with

Glendale, Ca. Absolutely Stunning]

[Santee St./"The Alley"]

[oh you know, just a bong mask, nbd]

[We decided to live it up and keep it classy with

Steve at Glendale Motel]

[So excited for Madewell to come to AZ!!]

[Downtown Glendale was incredible, 

shopping galore, food and it was just beautiful]

[Have you met Kaitlyn? Enough said. She is 

PURE amazing! I completely LOVE her and

her ability to make ANYONE laugh and 

her talent to make random friends]

[i didn't bring enough money for all the

Fabric that i wanted. My imagination

was going CRAZYYY in those shops!]

[opened the car door and my hair fleeeeew out! To 

say the drive home was windy is an 

understatement!]

[Home Sweet Home]

Thanks Mom for making this happen!! You're the BEST!!

ps watch this...

World Autism Awareness Day!

Please visit our Autism Blog to learn more about 

WORLD Autism Awareness Day!!

We are selling these light bulbs to raise money for Team Recker for the

Autism Speaks Walk Now for Autism walk this year.

By participating in this event, you are helping to change the future for all who struggle with autism, you're helping us get one step closer to finding what causes autism, how to prevent and treat it, and ultimately a cure so no family ever hears those words again. Until then, we walk to find answers and raise awareness about the devastating toll that autism has had on families like ours.

Recker needs you to help make tomorrow be about little league, school lunches and first words rather than therapy, doctor appointments and despair. Together, we will find the missing pieces.

 Please contact me via email (kaylaroussel@gmail.com) or phone (602) 460-7302 to purchase one!!

OUR FAMILY AUTISM BLOG

www.ourholland.blogspot.com

Friday March 1, 2012

So on Friday's jeremy and i watch this show on ABC called "What would you do?" it secretly sets people up in situations where they can stand up for whats right and help someone out or they can walk away and not do anything. So EVERYTIME i watch this show i end up in tears (not really a surprise, its not hard to put me in tears ask my sisters). I can't help but get emotional about others sticking up and helping someone, doing a good deed and just going out of their way to say or do something nice for someone selflessly. I felt the same way when i recently saw a slideshow about World Autism Awareness Day. Maybe because i was (and like to think i still am) young and never watched the news or never was personally affected by autism, i had never heard of the LIGHT IT UP BLUE day. But as i watched this slideshow it brought me to tears, it is a day dedicated to spreading information about Autism and how prevalent it is and honestly could easily affect anyone, Autism doesn't discriminate. I thought i'd share some photos and videos sharing what it is all about! A month from TODAY is World Autism Awareness Day (by Autism Speaks), April 2! 

These are such a few of the buildings world wide that supported Autism Awareness Day/Month!

LIGHT IT UP BLUE SLIDESHOW