Happy Halloween!

Bennett enjoyed Halloween a lot more this year - he actually went to about 8 houses! He was also the cutest spider I'm sure anyone has ever seen. The first three pictures show this year's jack o'lanterns. There were carved from this summer's pride and joy - 3 beautiful pumpkins grown in our garden! They are spectacular if I do say so myself! You can also see Bennett sitting on my cousin Lucy's 200 pound pumpkin and then a great shot of him with both Lucy and Henry.

Overall, a great Halloween despite the nasty weather - cold and windy. I'm not sure who had more fun - Daddy or Bennett?

H1N1

Well, we did it - we were all vaccinated yesterday for the H1N1 virus. It was a bit of an ordeal that involved a long wait and Bennett being up long past his bed time but it was worth it for the peace of mind I now have. Jim and I had the full dose and Bennett had a half dose. The other half will follow in 3 weeks.

I have never had a flu shot in my life. However, something about this new virus was scaring me. I was on the fence all summer and then started leaning towards it this fall. Yesterday morning when I woke up and turned on the TV the lead story on the news was the tragic death of a healthy 12 year old boy from the H1N1 virus. That made up my mind. I'm happy to report that we're all feeling well with no side effects so far.

It seems like we're really starting to have a second wave of the flu virus in our community and we all know someone who is sick. I feel like there is only so much washing our hands can do. I just hope getting the vaccine will provide some protection and the benefits will outweigh any risks. It wasn't an easy decision but I believe for now it was the right one.

In other news, Bennett saw a pediatric orthopedic surgeon this morning from the Shriner's Hospital in Montreal. It was all good news - his hip xrays were normal and the doctor was really happy with his progress. We don't need to see him again for a year and that's ok with me! We love good news around here!

Sorry...

I apologize to anyone still checking this blog for updates (probably just my mother). Time has been flying by. We're all good - just busy with life it seems. But I want to get this blog back up and running with regular posts - I certainly don't have a shortage of things to say!

We have been busy camping all fall and were the last ones to leave the park on Thanksgiving weekend. It was a bit cold at times but wonderful still. It's my favourite time of year - changing colours, crisp days, no bugs - perfect for sitting by a campfire. Bennett started his second session of the PATH program after Labour Day. He is now in the senior program and goes 3 mornings a week. He has two new therapists - OT and physio. I'm getting to know them and my first impression has been great. We do miss our old therapists though.

Murphy is doing well. He is going through his rowdy teenage phase right now and if it wasn't for Bennett getting him in trouble all the time I would say that he's the best puppy ever. He is getting very big - he's about 70 pounds of pure exuberance and love which can be a bit much at times.

Here's a video from one of weekends in our trailer - a rainy night but as you can see that didn't dampen our spirits.

Another camping video of Daddy and Bennett snuggling. You can see at the end that Bennett was getting tired of me taking his picture.

I'll be back again soon. For anyone still hanging out here - thanks for your patience!!!