Rewind Summer 2010- Wild Life

As summer began to wind down we had some wild life visit our yard.  First I had several of my friends over to Pamper our Piggies.  (get it we had piggies)  As a fundraiser for Hurricane Riley's Storm Chasers, Riley's Buddy Walk Team, I invited the girls over to play.  My friend Danita provide mini pedicures with a foot soak and massage and I provided snacks and drinks.  We raised over $160 and had a great evening. 

Kacey, Dawn, Susan and Cheryl relaxing

Amy and Angie smelling all the good Sentsy smells

While the girls played Justin took the boys to play as well.  This is Riley when he returned home from boys night. 

Not long after the Piggies went home the deer arrived. 

That would be a 4point buck in our backyard

Bambie came a few days later

We live in the city and I still think its strange to have deer just wandering around. 

I think this is our sign that fall is creeping in on us well that and the fact that Rex started second grade today. 

Rewind Summer 2010- Camping

After the Ds Connections picnic we decided to try out camping with the boys.  We took Rex camping in 2008 and he had a blast but we had left Riley home with Gramma and Grampa that trip since he wasn't walking yet and we just couldn't picture a tent with him.   The resort we had the picnic at had such a nice faciilty and easy beach access we decided to give it a try.  We joined Kacey and family for a short one night camping trip.  We all had a lot of fun.  The kids had an absolute blast.  It was hard to get Rex out of the lake.  He was loving the water!  Riley had fun playing in the sand and splashing around.  The best part of camping with friends is that Rex and Riley both had buddies to play with.  Riley and Ella played so well together. 

Justin and were planning on making another camping trip over Labor day with my parents since they travel with the 5th wheel I was hoping for a bit more comfortable bed.  Possibly one that didn't try to swallow me during the night.  Its not going to work out so we'll have to look forward to next summer for some more camping adventures. 

Tent City...  we lived in the little two in the back.  Rex and Justin on the left and Riley and I in the right.  I keep holding out buying a bigger ten in hopes of getting a little trailer.  Next summer I might have to give in if the 4 of us want to go again.

Rex being Rex while hanging out at the campfire

Chillin with dad in front of the fire

Yummy!!!  Riley's first smores.

Riley and I sunngled into our airmattress before it tried to swallow us

Breakfast with a view 

The Lake

I'm pausing the rewinding of Summer 2010...

...to accept a bloggy award by my new friend Kristina over at The Churchill Family.  I love to get awards.  I'm may be silly but I always am excited hear that someone is reading my blog and even more excited to know its not my mother. 

Here are the Rules


1. Thank and link back to the person who gave it to you.


2. Share SEVEN things about yourself.

3. Pass the award on to 15 bloggers who you recently discovered, and who you think are totally awesome.

4. Contact the bloggers and let them know that they have won.

OK so lets see if I can come up with seven interesting facts to share about me. 

1.  I love sharing stories about Rex and Riley via this blog but I wish everyone that stopped by would actually leave a comment.  Way more fun to get feed back.

2.  I'm a planner.  I usually have a big plan and then change it 45 times before I come to the final version. 

3.  I hate cancer.  I hate that my family is dealing with it and wish that no one ever had to go thru that pain again.

4.  I love naps.  There is something very luxurious about sleeping during the middle of the day. 

5.  I dream of having a big house with a beautiful and well equipped kitchen and enough closets to hide everything in the house. 

6.  Am learning to live in the moment.   Worry is not preparation nor solution for anything.

7.  I want to run a train and learn to run a  5K to prove that I can and to lose weight.



There is no way I'm going to come up with 15 new blogs. Sorry guys.  I haven't added many new reads but the few below are great.


The Rocking Pony  shares a real life story of a family dealing with day to day ups and down in a very real way!

Soaking Up The Sunny Side of Life  This young teacher finds a way to find the good in the mundane of everyday life.  I love this fresh but not to sticky sweet view of the world


Monkey Musings  this mom of a large family has a son with Ds that is as cute as a button.  Her family is beautiful but it was her son that drew me in. 

Rewind Summer 2010 - swim lessons

The boys took swim lessons.  Rex has before but we skipped last summer and they weren't exactly on our radar for this summer.  He really needs to learn to swim better and I'm not sure why I think this will magically happen but apparently I do because I hadn't even thought of lessons until Kacey called to see if Rex would like to take them with Hunter.  Well the day we stood in line to register the big boys we decided to give it a whirl and sign the little kids up too.  So Rex and Hunter were in the same class and so were Riley and Ella. 

Here they are on the first day of Pee Wee class waiting to meet their teacher and get in the water. Their lifeguard was a great sport.  He didn't even bat an eye lash on the first night when he discovered he had two Lil guys with Ds in class.  I may not have mentioned it when I registered the Ri man.   They kids did great.  I was super impressed!  By the second week they would hold on to the side (they aren't tall enough to touch in the shallow end)  and they would do their bobs by straightening their arms and going under water.  Often Riley's eyes and mouth was open but even that improved as the lessons went on.  Riley will be repeating the Pee Wee class because he hates being on his back.  As soon as he conquers that he will be on to the Super Pee Wees! 

The first night I was afraid to ask the lifeguard if Riley left marks he was grabbing on so tight when they did the back float.  I think that's truly white knuckling it!

Apparently I didn't take much for photos of Rex.  You can see him on the end in the orange.  He really was there too.  I won't name names but someone whose children were in class with mine and that has the fancy camera left for vacation with out leaving all the good photos so you are stuck with mine. 

Rewind Summer 2010 Ds Connections picnic

We have been fortunate enough to be part of a group called Ds Connections as they have started to form a great networking and support system of families and friends that are all connected thru Down syndrome.  Don't be mistaken this group is not a support group... its a lets get together and celebrate group.  It has been the greatest group of ladies and families for me to me and be a part of.  There is a common bond of the crazy that our lives can sometimes be and the connection of Ds but its all about support and living in the moment and knowing that while life is crazy there are others traveling a similar path and we can all learn and share and lean on each other. 

The summer picnic was at Spirit lake ID which is only about an hour drive from Spokane.  So I can't exactly read very well and showed up later that the late we already thought we were left home.  Oh well it was still a great day at the lake and the kids had a blast. 

We played with our friend Elliot. 

Rex didn't want to get out of the water the entire day.  He loved being able to relax a bit in the float.

Riley and Ella played hard in the sand.  They loved going thru the rocks.

Rex and Hunter had so much fun in the water. 

I'm pretty sure Justin had just as much fun as the boys!

Rewind Summer 2010 - Summer Baseball

Rex loves baseball!  I think its his favorite sport and I'm sure he would choose baseball over soccer if he had to.  For that reason I am thankful that he can play summer baseball and not give up soccer.  I loved playing softball growing up but lil guy baseball while fun is not action packed.  I have to admit that I would miss soccer and his great little team if he gave it up.  So for now we play summer baseball and Rex loves every minute of it.  He had a great season and learned a lot.  There were some great hits and nice catches in the outfield.  He made some new friends and had a great summer!

This appears to be a swing and a miss...

but this was a nice hit over second base. 

Riley is a great fan.  He acutally was very well behaved at the games this year.  His favorite part was the snacks.  He learned which moms carried the best snacks and he would perform for treats. 

Rex was super super excited to play catcher.  95 degrees outside and he excited about extra pads and shin guards.  Boys are weird!  He is built solid like a catcher so maybe I should encourage... 

Riley so badly wants to be like Rex.  He idolizes him.  Rex left his gear out and while we weren't looking Riley got all geared up to play ball.  So proud of himself!!

Rewind Summer 2010 - July 4

We spent the 4th of July holiday at our family friends lake cabin.  Growing up my family had a cabin next door and our families have remained close.  It doesn't seem like the 4th of July if we aren't at Newman Lake.  It was a cool day but the boys still had a ton of fun in the water. 

This is the shot of the boys that I submitted and was selected to be played in the Time square Buddy Walk video on Sept 25, 2010

Riley even shared his Jack Black look with us as I tried to take a photo of him with my parents.  We were all sitting by the lake enjoying the fireworks.  It was a fun day!

Rewind Summer 2010 - July 3 2010

My family on my Dad's side gathered at Coeurd'lane Lake to celebrate family and summer.  It was a fun day spent with the cousins that that live pretty close.  We missed my Uncle Nick and Aunt Diana and their family but since they live in Indiana and Michigan it was a bit of a long drive for an afternoon gathering.  As you can see I have a lot of cousins. We Hein's take that go forth and multiply stuff pretty seriously.  Since we don't get together as often as we should my  lil cousin Tiffany was nice and forced us all onto the deck to take a Hein family photo.  You can see we were pretty good sports and smiled and everything. 

It wasn't until the support beams on the deck started to crack....

That people started to squirm and make a run for it!

I love that the cameras on timers caught our expressions as we heard the big CRACK as the beams started to spil.  But fear not there were no Hein's injured in the filiming of these photos.  There will be some repair work to the deck but all in all it was a fun memory of a great day. 

August 22, 2002

This was a fabulous day in my life.  Rex Thomas, my first born son arrived and my world has never been the same.  It is hard to believe that 8 years have rolled by so quickly.  With each new stage in his life I think I have found my favorite but then he moves on to the next and I love that just as much or more.  Rex is currently getting ready to start the 2nd grade.  Hard to believe the summer is winding down and school starts in a week.  I'm going to to blame our wonderfully busy summer on my bad blogging and I promise to fix that.  I hope this next week I'll be able to do a rewind and catch you all up on the fun that the last two months have contained. 

Back to the point at hand.  My baby is turning in to a young man right before my very eyes.  He has such a sensitive soul and yet is such a gross boy all at the same time it a perfect mix.  Rex is such a fabulous big brother to Riley its amazes me on a regular basis.  He is Riley's biggest fan, his mentor and his accomplice all wrapped into one amazing young man. 

Rex is a huge sports fan and just about to start his third year of soccer.  He is also turning into a serious little cub scout.  He is a Wolf this year and the Den just had the honor of presenting the Colors at a Spokane Indians baseball game last night.  Pretty sweet way to spend the evening before your 8th birthday if you ask me.  Rex was able to carry the Den's flag and took his job very seriously.  The kids had a blast and all the families enjoyed the game as well. 

Happy Birthday Rex!  I love you!

Rex was super excited to get a Cougs outfit from plain Gramma! 

Count them...8 big candles!!!

Just so you know I'm alive!

The Kibbe's July 2010