Blessed

What an amazing Christmas we had. It was so fun to go to our annual Mangum christmas eve party. Mangum is my mom maiden name, So the whole Mangum family goes to my Grammys and have a blast!!
We have dinner, go caroling on a hay ride, come back to the house for yummy desserts and then the MAN comes! Thats right Santa Clause comes. All the little ones sit on his lap and recieve gifts.
This year was so amazing! Kanton ran right up to Santa and was jumping up and down, he was so excited!! When it was his turn to sit on his lap, he went up all by himself and did great!!
This, so far, has been the best Christmas! Kanton was finally excited for the whole thing and was really understanding the concept of it all! We had so much fun!
Christmas time has always been a struggle for us. We usually live pay check to pay check, and now that we've started taking Kanton to a new Dr. its even worse.
We were very worried about the gift situation. But oh my, Kanton sure got more then his fare share of things this year.
We have been so extremely blessed with the ward that we live in and the friends we have, And of course our families.
We got SO much help for Kanton, we are so extremely GREATFUL!!
On Christmas Eve night, when we got home from the Mangum party, there were two big bags FULL of stuff, 1 Gift bag and a goodie plate left at our door.
Our hearts are extremely full! It is so hard to put into words the joy that we have and how Blessed we are to have people in our lives that are able to do things like that.
We hope you all had a super christmas day with all your loved ones.
We have one more party over new years, so we are looking forward to more Cheer!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

WOW, were'd the TIME go??

So, I am just amazed at how fast the rest of this year is flyin' by. We have had quite a fun December so far.
We were able to get some of the lab results from the new Dr. that were taking Kanton to. So now we actullay know what is going on in his body.
Its really hard to explain, but basically the parts inside his body that makes you able to absorb the important nutrients and things from food, doesnt work.
That is why Kantons brain doesnt work properly. He's not getting the good stuff from food that makes us all function right.
That is also why he is SO DANG skinny and cant gain weight.
So starting Nove.22 the Dr. started Kanton on a bunch of supplements to help him with the absorption he needs. We backed off on 1 supplement that he had been taking since Sep. and added 4 more, one at a time. Then next month we will have to start giving him Vitiman B12 shots every 3 days for 2 months, then we'll reevaluate and go from there.
So Im not looking forward to giving him shots. In fact Im down right freakin' out about the whole thing. But OH WELL, Im willing to do what ever it takes.
I know that all this stuff in helping! Kanton is doing SO GOOD!! Hes like a new improved kid.
Plus I took him to the Dr. yesterday and he has gained 3 lbs since the 22nd of Nov. Kanton has weighed between 32 & 35 lbs for the past 2 1/2 years. We just may be able to hit 40 lbs by Kinderkarten next fall.

On to the fun stuff! (not really) We have all be so sick this past month. I was so sick for over a month, then Kanton got it and now Rob has come down with it! So fun!!
That is why I took Kanton to the Dr. yesterday. He just cant get better. Well he's on the verg of pnemonia AGAIN. SO NOT GOOD! The Dr. put him on a strong antibiotic and said we needed to watch him closley.
Please keep him in your prayers!

We are all looking forward to Christmas. Kanton is really understanding the concept this year, so we are excited!
Hope you all have a Wonderful Christmas and may the spirit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be a reminder of what this amazing time of year is for.
Hope you have Super New Year to Come!!
Love to you all!

Picture updates...

Just wanted to post some pics to show you all how much fun we have been having....



On Sunday the 14th, Rob decided to do some raking in our back yard. We have 1 HUGE tree. All the leaves that you see in the next few pics has come from that tree.
This is Kanton and some of his friends that live upstairs. They all had such a blast!!



Rob and Kanton had so much fun! I love watching them play together!!



Of course I couldnt resist!! I always loved playin' in the leaves when I was a kid. So now that Kanton loves playin' in them, it gives me a chance to make more awsome memories playin' in the leaves.




Like Father Like Son!!

Rob just couldnt resist diving into the leafs.

This pic just kills me. Our back yard slopes down quit a bit, so Rob just had to push Kanton on his bike into the pile. Just look at Kanton!! The best time of his life!

I also LOVE pic. After MANY tries I finally got one where Kanon is airborn!!

Kanton just loves to be outside. He's always finding something fun to do. This paticular day, some how Kanton and I got locked out of the house. So I decided to take some pics.

(Rob was home teaching, so luckely we didnt have to be out too long.)

This year for Halloween Rob and I decided to dress up. Kanton sure had a good time.

We went out to my parents house so Kanton to trick or treat. Grammy and Papa sure loved the surprized to see all of us dressed for a night of fun.

Kanton had to get some dental work done. He always has such a hard time just going to the office, so the Dentist decided they should put him out to do the work, the cleaning, and take x-rays.

They let him watch a movie while we were waiting for the Dentist to take him to O.R.

He did better than I thought he would. Of course when they took him back he screamed like crazy, that was really hard to hear and just walk away. It was a pretty awful day.

The next day it was like nothing ever happend.

Can you believe how BIG Kanton is getting. I dont have a little baby any more. I was like all of a sudden over night, I have a big boy!

Kanton has a really good friend from his last years class at school named Jordan. Jordan and a year older so he went on to Kindergarten when school started back up in Sep.

Jordan and His mom invited us to come the a Halloween Carnival at Jordans school.

In this pic were waiting in line to play one of the games.

I LOVE THIS PIC!!!

This is Kanton and his cousin Nattie Mae in our front yard. Back in October my sister that lives in Idaho came to visit.

Kanton and Nattie have lots of fun together. Kanton is 4 and Nattie 3. Its nice for him to be able to play with her. The next cousin in the line (age) will be 9 next month, so its a little hard to play with the rest of the cousins.

We love our Nattie mae. Shes so good for Kanton. She is such a WHIPPER SNAPPER and such a smarty. I really feel she helps Kanton come out of himself we were all together, you see one of his issues is being aroung lots of people.

Cant wait to see you for the Holidays!!

MOVING ON...

This past week has been pretty evenful.
We got a letter last week from Davis School District informing us that they have reviewed Kantons file and they approve the request for a change. Kanton is MOVING on!!! We are so excited! He has made so much progress and is learning so much. They have decided he no longer needs to be in the special ed. program. This is a day we have been waiting for since he got his Autism diagnoses.
We had a meeting this week and he will now be attending Orchard Elementary in Bountiful. This will truely be such a blessing for me. He was attending Centerville Elementary. So I would drop him off and have to figure out something to do for 2 1/2 hours. It was just to costley to drive back and forth, so I spent the time there in Centerville, usually at the library.
His new school is just a couple streets away from our house. Now I will be able to get so much more done.
Friday was his last day. His teachers and the moms of the other kids were so sweet. They gave Kanton a little certificate and had cookies and a cute card that said Congradulations.
Monday he has an Eye appt. so he wont be going to school, so Tuesday will be his first day at his new school with his new class. He will continue to go 4 days a week from 9 - 11:30 am.
Thing are going to be very different from the other class, so Im really nervious for him.
One of the major issues Kanton has is he doesnt deal with change very well. He gets anxious and stressed out very easy. Im hoping it wont take too long for him to adjust.
We are so pround of Kanton!! We want nothing but the best for him.
Keep up the great work Pumpkin and keep MOVING ON!!
Mommy and Daddy love you!!
I'll post again soon to let ya'll know how things turn out!

" SURE YOU CAN.."

Things have been a little difficult for me this month. I have been having a real hard time with "LIFE."
For those of you that know me well know that I have struggled with depression since I was very young. I have been on and off meds. since I was a kid. Because of my stupidity, I let my meds. run out and my Dr. is very hard to get into.
So, here I am off meds. DANGER, DANGER!!!
I have been waiting for a month to get into my Dr. Good news, my apt. is finally next week. Hopefully it wont take too long to get back on track!!

Since I have been off my meds. life has become such a struggle for me. I have really been thinking about my life and the many struggles I have had to deal with, but yet all the blessings I have been given because of those struggles.
I want to tell you, incase you didnt know, my world revolves around my sweet Kanton!! It has been such a struggle, yet such a blessing to be his mom. I have learned so much from him. Not only about being a mom or about having a child with special needs, but I have learned so much about myself.
My sweet Kanton is a miricle!! There are so many things that the Dr.'s in the beginning thought he may never do, but he is nothing but a fighter and one smart cookie!! He has done everything and so much more!!
He is such a reminder, EVERYDAY, that my Heavenly Father love me and is very mindful of the things I struggle with.
One day as I was driving to my parents, which is at least once a week. I was having a moment and voiced my frustration with life. I said out loud, " I am so tired, I dont know if I can do this anymore." Then came a very sweet voice from the back of my car, " SURE YOU CAN, MOM!" It was at that time that I stopped and thought to myself, "I CAN!!" No matter what this life throws at me and the issues that I deal with, within myself. I can! I can do it. I have come so far and made it through so many different things in life! And here I am!
I still have many mountains to climb and I know there will be mamy times that I fall, but I know that I CAN!!!
So for those of you, and I know there are many, that struggle dealing with the demons from within yourself and you feel as if you cant keep going just know that your not alone and know, "SURE YOU CAN!!!"

3 Event Update...

So Kanton started school September 8th. He did AWSOME!!! I was so amazed at how well he did. He was so excited to start and meet all new friends. He has the same teacher and 2 of the same aides. Other than that nobody is the same, ever the kids. His teacher was so thrilled with the progress he has made that we've decided to try and transition his to mainstreem pre-school two days a week and then stay in the special Ed. program the other two days a week, so he will still have the 4 days a week. I was so excited when his teacher recommended that to me. I am so proud of Kanton and all that he has done this past year!



In my last post I had mentioned that we were taking Kanton to a new Dr. This Dr. is amazing. His knowledge of things really thrills me. So we talked with Dr. Humphreys for almost 2 hours, explaining averything about Kanton, starting from birth until now. Its always so emotional for me to think back over the past 4 years. Starting with the issues Kanton and I both had at delivery and right after he was born all the way to now. The emotions I feel arent all bad, there are many good ones too.
I am so extremely greatful for Kanton and the sweet spirit that he has brought to our home. He has taught me so many things, not only about being a mother of a special needs child, but also about myself and my relationship with other, especially my husband. I look forward to many, many more years of learning and growth.
Ok, so back to the Dr. visit. The Dr. decided that he wanted to do a stomach x-ray, blood work and a pee test. In the mean time he started Kanton on fish oil and magnesium citrate. We have already seen an improvment in his behavior. So we are looking forward to what the Dr. has to say after he gets the results from the different test. I'll be sure to update on that....


Now for the Autism Carnival!! Kanton Had so much fun. Doing all of the relays and playing on all of the bounce houses.

Of course We all love the free lunch that we get. Hotdogs, chips, apples, cookies, Creamies and a drink. Cant beat that for free!!

Kanton is starting to get interested in sports. It really cool to watch him try to hit the balls and to catch them when thrown to him. I look forward to the time we will sign him up on his own team.

At the carnival they have a scavenger hunt for all the kids. Kanton loved looking for all of the things scattered all over then ground. He was so proud to show me all the things he had found.

So as you can tell the Autism Carnival was success!!! We are already looking forward to next years.

So there you have it, all the updates from the last post. I'll be sure to keep ya posted on the test results and what the Dr. decides and also what happens with pre-school.

Love to you all!!!

3 Up coming Events....

Well, we finally got a call from Kantons teacher. He starts school September 8th. He will be going in the morning now, 9 am to 11:30. Hopefully it wont be too hard for Kanton to get use to. He usually sleeps until 9. Maybe it wont be so bad if I can get him to go to sleep earlier. Thats my goal for this coming school year!!!
So we have finally decided to take Kanton to an Autism specialist. His behavior has gotten so bad this summer, Rob and I are at our wits end. We just dont have any more ideas and we are both going crazy!!! So his appt. will be September 4th. It will be interesting to see what happens. Im hoping that the Dr. will want to do a blood pannel to see if Kanton is lacking any thing or has too much of something. Then maybe we can help by supplementing or detoxing or something! Im really looking forward to see what the Dr. has to say about Kanton and his behavior.
On September 11th, we are taking Kanton to an Autism Carnival. We went last year , Kanton had so much fun, we hace decided to take him every year.

Well, now you know of 3 different things that are coming up for us, We will have to keep you posted on everything and hopefully post some pictures too!!
Ta Ta for now!!!

Update...

Howdy there strangers, I havent forgotten you all. Blogging is kindof a hard thing for me. So here is an update since the last time...
Rob and I celebrated our 6th yr. anniversary on July 30th. We had a really nice night. Rob took me to dinner at the Roof. For those of you that have never been there, It is on the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and sits on the west side of the building. The west wall is complete windows. It was really cool to look out over the valley. There was a major storm while we were there eating, we could see it move across the valley. Was a pretty neat thing.
Some times it doesnt feel like we've been married for 6 yrs. Than other times I feel like we've been together for ever!!! We've had a lot of ups and downs in our 6 yrs. together, but I want my Sweet Handsome to know that I am so greatful for him in my life. I wouldnt want to be on this journey with anybody else but him. I LOVE YOU ROBERT!!!

As for Kanton, he had an eye follow up and still has to wear a patch, for another 3 months. The poor kid is getting so sick of it. Its getting harder and harder to get him to wear it. But were troopin along.
This summer has been a bit of a struggle for Kanton. His behavior has gotten so much more aggressive and mean and of course definante. So we have been working with a chart. He gets a sticker on his chart when hes a good boy; that means no hitting, kicking, bitting and screaming. Also doing what he is asked. If he gets at least 1 sticker a day for a whole week he gets a prize. So far he has earned a Dr. kit and a Zuh Zuh pet. He seems to be mellowing out, but I am hoping that when school starts again, it will help.
We havent gotten a phone call to let us know when school starts and where he'll be going, but Im pretty sure he wont start until after Labor Day. So I'll keep ya posted on that.

Well, I guess thats it for this time... TOOTLES

Well its already been a month since the last post. Time sure does fly.
Summer seems to be crusin'. I cant believe its almost August. It seems like nothing has happens, yet so much at the same time.
Since the last post Kanton had a session of swim lessons. He sure enjoys the water. He is getting more use to being in the water and getting more daring with the things he will do.
Kanton has had to wear a patch on his eye, again. That has been a bit of a challenge, but for the most part I think we've done pretty good. His follow up appointment will be the beginning of August. So it will be interesting to see what will happen then.

All three of us took a trip down to Cedar City, to visit with Robs family, over the 4th of July. We all had such a good time.
Kanton has such a blast playing with all his cousins. It was really hard for us to leave, cause he doesnt really have too many people to play with here, that are his age.
We sure enjoyed catching up with the family and trying to build our relationship. Hopefully we can see them all again soon.

This coming weekend, over the 24th of July, we have a family reunion for my moms side. We are looking forward to it. We will be caming for a couple days at Cherry Hill water park.
When I was a little girl we use to have BIG family reunions every year there. It has been a very long time since we've had a reunion there. Im sure looking forward to see all the family and playing in the sun and water.

Hope you all have been having a fun summer and that your keeping cool!!!

Fathers Salute..

I just wanted to write a little before Fathers Day, cause I know it will probably be next month when I get back.

I just wanted to Thank my sweet Dad for always being there for me and my family. My dad is one of those guys that would do what ever he can for you as long as it is within his means.

The first song on my play list a for him. When I was a little girl he would always sing cute little songs to me and this one is my favorite.

Thank you DAD for always making me feel like a princess.

As for Rob, I am so extremely greatful for you!!! Kanton is so lucky to have you in his life. I love watching the two of you playing and having fun either in the house or out in the yard, (fixing the lawn mower) I look forward to many more years with you. I also look forward to watching your and Kantons relationship grow!!!

Happy Fathers Day.

Summer time....

Its been a fun summer already. We were finally able to plant our garden. It has been exciting to see the progress the plants make. We are sure looking forward to eating from it this year, we planted a lot more than we did last year...
Well we decided to talk Kanton to Lagoon! We were a little nervious that he would have a hard time, but to our surprise he absolutley loved it!!!! I was shocked at how well he did. He loved going on all the rides for the little one, ALL BY HIMSELF!!! He only got scard 1 time and it didnt last long. He even went on the Tidalwave with Rob and I, that was a big shocker too!! We had a fun time, it has been years since both Rob or I had been there, I cant believe how much things had changed.

The following day a really good friend of mine called to see if we wanted to go up to Millcreek Canyon for a weenie roast. We sure had tons of fun. Its nice to have good friends to go and do things with. Our friends have two little boys. There oldest went to pre-school with Kanton.(thats how we met) Kanton sure loves to play with those cute little guys. There little boy is also on the spectrum, so its so good to be with people that understand just what were going through...We had a blast and hope to do it more often. Thanks for the invite Christina!!!

Last but not least, Kanton had a eye Dr. apt. to see how things are going with his eye. The surgery last year seems (so far) to be a success. The only problem is he is still not using his eye, so unfortunatly we have to start patching again. Its been pretty hard for him to get use to, but we have been trying to keep him side tracked while he is wearing it. He only has to wear it for two hours a day, thats not bad. We have follow up in August to see how things are going. So wish us luck on patching for the next two months.

Hope you all have enjoyed your summer so far.... Hopefully Ill have lots more to post in the future!!

Since Mothers Day was last sunday I thought Id blog a little about my day.
First off, Rob came to me last Friday and asked me if I had any plans to go anywhere on Saturday. Well, I did! I was going to go to a boutique with one of my friends, but she got sick. So I thought I would take Kanton out to see his Papa. (they are best buds)
But Rob says to me " I need you home between 10 & 2. So I decided to just stay home.
Saturday comes and it was nice for Kanton that we stayed home cause he was able to play with the kids from up stairs.
So NOTHING happened between 10 & 2. Rob got home a little after 2 and like I said NOTHING.
So He went to make a phone call. We decided to go shopping for veggies to plant in our garden. Around 6pm Rob gets a call, he was pretty sneaky about it. Then he told me that when we get home we need to go up stairs.
When we got home I went downs to our place and pretty soon here comes Kanton and Rob with FLOWERS and Kanton yelling " Happy Birthday -- I said WHAT??" Then Rob whispered something in his ear and then he yelled " Happy Mothers Day!!!" It was way too cute.
The flowers were beautiful. My favorite flower is a Gerber Daisy. For those of you that dont know what that is, its the big daisy that always comes in bright vibrant colors.
So thats what my flowers were... I LOVED THEM!!
As for Sunday not only was it Mothers Day, it was also my moms birthday. So I had my Mom and Dad to our house for dinner.
It was sure nice to have them out for a visit. Our place it pretty small, so its not often we have dinner guests.
Kanton was so excited to give his Grammy her birthday and mothers day gifts. It is a lot of fun to be able to see the joy in his eyes when he gets to do things hes excited for.

Well Kanton only has one more week of school, then were out for summer break. I am sure looking forward to it. Kanton is getting harder and harder everyday!! Its pretty bad when a 4 year old tells you he doesnt want to go to school. So I think it is going to be a relief for him to not have to go for a while.
But I will tell you one thing, I am going to miss my ALONE time. Its been nice to have 2 hours everyday to myself. I am also going to miss all the moms of the kids in his class. All of the kids but 1 are moving on to kindergarten. I have made some really good friendships with these special ladies, and learned a ton from them all. Hopefully we can stay in touch.
Rob and I are trying to figure out something for Kanton to do this summer. He took swim lessons back before he got sick and he keeps asking to do it again, so were thinking about that. We are also looking at a tumbling class. He gets to go to a free class tonight, so we will have to see how he likes it. Then we will decide.
Hope to up date you SOONER than later..... TOOTALS

OK, so Im not doing too good at blogging again. Its been too long. But it has been an interesting few months.
Kanton had a birthday the beginning of April. We had a family party at the Kangaroo Zoo and then went back to our house for food and presants. It was so fun!!! I did get some fun pics that I'll have to upload when I get a min.
It is so hard to believe that Kanton is already 4. It seems like it was just yesterday that he was born. I cant believe all of the progress he has made in the past year.
He is amazing and I am so proud to be his Mama...
Well, we are having some interesting situations going on with our family and some really close friends and it has helped me realize how much my family means to me and who our good friends are.
It is so amazing to me what some people take for granted and how they will just expect things to happen, and how UNGREATFUL people can be.
Anyhow....
I am so greatful for my awsome family and the good friends that we do have. Thanks for all you do for us...
Until next time..... BYE BYE

I just wanted to post some pics of Kanton since it has been a while. So for those of you that didnt know Kanton got glasses a few months ago. I'll tell you what.... It has been so dang hard to get him to wear them!! He is doing a lot better now. He knows that he absolutaley has to wear them to school!!

Then there are a couple pics from the hospital when he was there while he had Pneumonia. He was such a trooper. It was really scarry for all of us!!

Last but not least. Kanton was able to play with one of his favorite friends. (thats what he calls his cousin Nattie Mae) Nattie Mae and her family (my sister) live in Idaho and we dont get to see them very often. So Kanton and Nattie Mae always have such a fun time when they come visit.

Last week they were here while they had spring break. It was sure tons of fun to play and visit.

This week we are looking forward to visiting with my other sister and her family that live in Wyoming. They will be here for there spring break.

We are also looking forward to our spring break next week.

Hope you all have a wonderful spring break, when ever you get to have it!!

TOOTALS!!!

EVENTFUL WEEKS....

So can I just tell you, we have had a pretty eventful last 3 to 4 weeks at our house!!!!
It all started with me having some interesting female issues. So after going to the hospital and an interesting byopsy done to see if I had endometrail cancer. (so painful!!) We waited for a week to find out if I had the dreaded "C" word...
I'll just tell you, that was one of the longest and most emotional weeks of my life!!! I have never prayed so much... The following Tuesday the Dr. called and our prayers had been answered, He told me it all looked good; NO CANCER!!!
Now Im just playing the waiting game. I need to have more tests done, but have to wait for a bit to do those.
Later that same week that I found out all was ok, Kanton came down with a pretty yucky cold. So he was home from school for the whole next week.
He started to improve the end of last week, so I sent him to school on Thursday.
Friday (a week ago today) we had a trip to Cedar City planned. (Thats were Robs family is) Kanton was acting funny. Just laying around, he'd throw up when he would cough, we thought it was just cause of the phlem moving around from his cold.
Well, we go to Cedar and for the next few days Kanton just got worse!! Sleeping all the time, throwing up, burning up with a fever!!
So Sunday when we came home we went straight to the urgent care. They told us he had a doulble ear infection and mild bronchitis. They sent us home with an antibiotic and an inhaler.
After giving him both meds, he fell asleep around 10:30 p.m. Around 11:30 he woke up and couldnt breath, AT ALL!!!
I was SO SCARED!! As a mother, i will never forget the look on Kantons face. He looked at me with the fear of " mama, help me"!!!
So needless to say I woke up Rob and we rushed Kanton to the ER.
After being there for about 4 hours and a chest x-ray, they decided Kanton had a Bactirial Pneumonia. Very scary!!
So they admitted him and we were they at the hospital for a couple days, recieving major doses of IV antibitotics.
They released him Tuesday night. Hes made big improvments and is getting somewhat back to himself.
We had a follow up with his Dr. yesterday and all seems to be on the mend. We will see her again in 2 weeks.
So there you have it!!! I bet you all wish you could have such eventful weeks like that....
Im almost afraid to say that I think all is starting to mellow out... Keep your fingers crossed and of course say a little pray for our Family.

We love you all so dearly!! And we thank all of you family and friends that have shown your love and concern on our behalf.
May you all be well and happy....

Apointment Crazy....

Ok... So I know I have been slacking on my blogging, but its been a little crazy since Christmas.
Trying to get Kanton back to school and back to his normal routine after the long Christmas break has been a little bit of a fight. And of course now with the changes at church for the new year. It's been really fun around our house.
We have all had Dr. apointments this past week and Rob is doing good. However, he is having some sleep issues, so he has to get a sleep test done in a couple weeks.
As for Kanton, we had to take him to a new eye Dr. cause of our insurance changing, AGAIN!!! The Dr. was up at Primarys so I felt pretty good about that. They were all really good with him and very patient. The eye surgery that he had in August was a success, so Im very pleased with that. The Dr. did say that young kids that have had this eye surgery do better with glasses, so fun for us.... Kanton now has to have glasses. I'll post a pic. as soon as he gets them.
As for me, I've had a few different apointments. I had to have an ultra sound of my tummy today, to I'll know something next week on that. And next friday I get to have an Endoscopy.
What joys we all have...
I'll try to remember to post all of the results from ALL the Dr. apt.
Hope all is good with everyone and we love ya...