Fall Family Photos: Two Rivers Park (September 2014)

Although I haven't blogged in ages, I wanted to add these wonderful family photos taken by Jennifer McHam. I am so blessed & fortunate to have Jenny in my close group of friends and she continually uses her gifts to capture "the real us." Alex is eight years old and Carson just turned five..and we have our hands full with these two high energy, bigger than life personalities. God chose Alex and Carson for our family from the beginning, and I am thankful to be "the mommy." Carson especially scores bonus points because not long after the photo shoot, we met the Darby's for dinner and Carson fell asleep in DeDe's arms at the table. It spurred on a full week of stomach virus for everyone but Me ("The Mommy") aka "Professional bowl runner" but Daddy did have to go and get an IV it was that rough. Fun times, fun times indeed. I digress. Life is good. We are blessed beyond measure.

~Alexis Elizabeth, age 8 (third grade)

Full of curiosity, creativity and such a "free spirit"

             ~ Carson Kyle, age 5 (Pre-K)
our brilliant little miracle man...he forges his own path....

The Darby Family ~ 2 Rivers Park

Our British Service lab, Hope, joined us for many photos.  She's been the PERFECT new addition to our family.  She is the most brilliant, loving, "her soul runs deep" dog and we are indulging every moment we can with her.  She is from heaven.

Mommy gets some fun play time with the kids...

The Darby Divas

This daddy loves his daughter so much!  I love watching their bond grow stronger.  He is so good to his little angel.

"Make me fly, Daddy!"

The Newlyweds....well it's been 12 years actually and 2 kids later.  He still looks like he's very much in love.

And she is proud of the man she married and loves him more now than she ever has. She glows when he is near.

True love

;) Love this man!

Siblings - a blessing I didn't have growing up....so incredibly rewarding watching these two grow closer.  She is a nurturer and he is a rowdy, full-of-it-boy that helps her read and spell :)  Yes, she's in third grade, yet Carson loves to quiz her for Spelling tests.

And sharing secrets...

And protecting each other...they know they are on the "Darby team" and we watch out for our team!

Our masterpieces, my life's most cherished works

I am so thankful for THIS family.

"If we have souls, they're made of the love we share. Undimmed by time, unbound by death."

Love this quote.

Clarification of ASD article

The intriguing part of this report for our family specifically is the GI inflammation and the published connection to ASD.  I wanted to note that Carson was never given the MMR vaccine.  Click on the link to read the publication - that is what I am so excited about!

http://www.rescuepost.com/files/walker-et-al-2013.pdf

HUGE news for ASD parents. Check this out: http://www.rescuepost.com/files/walker-et-al-2013.pdf

**Dr Krigsman is our GI doc.  So thankful for this report!  Share the news.

Two landmark events -a government concession in the US Vaccine Court, and a groundbreaking scientific paper – confirm that physician, scientist, and AMC Director, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, and the parents were right all along.
In a recently published December 13, 2012 vaccine court ruling, hundreds of thousands of dollars were awarded to Ryan Mojabi,[i] whose parents described how “MMR vaccinations," caused a "severe and debilitating injury to his brain, diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder ('ASD')."
Later the same month, the government suffered a second major defeat when young Emily Moller from Houston won compensation following vaccine-related brain injury that, once again, involved MMR and resulted in autism.
The cases follows similar successful petitions in the Italian and US courts (including Hannah Poling[ii], Bailey Banks[iii], Misty Hyatt[iv], Kienan Freeman[v], Valentino Bocca[vi], and Julia Grimes[vii]) in which the governments conceded or the court ruled that vaccines had caused brain injury. In turn, this injury led to an ASD diagnosis. MMR vaccine was the common denominator in these cases.
And today, scientists and physicians from Wake Forest University, New York, and Venezuela, reported findings that not only confirm the presence of intestinal disease in children with autism and intestinal symptoms, but also indicate that this disease may be novel.[viii]
Using sophisticated laboratory methods Dr. Steve Walker and his colleagues endorsed Wakefield’s original findings by showing molecular changes in the children’s intestinal tissues that were highly distinctive and clearly abnormal.

From 1998 Dr. Wakefield discovered and reported intestinal disease in children with autism.[ix]Based upon the medical histories of the children he linked their disease and their autistic regression to the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR vaccine). He has since been subjected to relentless personal and professional attacks in the media, and from governments, doctors and the pharmaceutical industry. In the wake of demonstrably false and highly damaging allegations of scientific fraud by British journalist Brian Deer and the British Medical Journal, Dr. Wakefield is pursuing defamation proceedings against them in Texas.[x]
While repeated studies from around the world confirmed Wakefield’s bowel disease in autistic children[xi]and his position that safety studies of the MMR are inadequate,[xii]Dr. Wakefield’s career has been destroyed by false allegations.^X Despite this he continues to work tirelessly to help solve the autism catastrophe.
The incidence of autism has rocketed to a risk of around 1 in 25 for children born today. Meanwhile governments, absent any explanation and fearing loss of public trust, continue to deny the vaccine-autism connection despite the concessions in vaccine court.
Speaking from his home in Austin, Texas, Dr. Wakefield said,“there can be very little doubt that vaccines can and do cause autism. In these children, the evidence for an adverse reaction involving brain injury following the MMR that progresses to an autism diagnosis is compelling. It’s now a question of the body count. The parents’ story was right all along. Governments must stop playing with words while children continue to be damaged. My hope is that recognition of the intestinal disease in these children will lead to the relief of their suffering. This is long, long overdue.”
Dr. Andrew Wakefield is a best selling author,⁹founder of the autism research non-profit Strategic Autism Initiative (SAI), and Director of the Autism Media Channel.
See:
“Identification of Unique Gene Expression Profile in Children with Regressive Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Ileocolitis” PLOS ONE March 8, 2013, available online at:http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0058058
To see an exclusive interview with one of the study’s key authors Dr. Arthur Krigsman, go to Autism Media Channel

http://www.rescuepost.com/files/walker-et-al-2013.pdf

Still here....barely ;)

Hi family & friends,
I miss blogging and promise I haven't thrown in the towel....entirely.  Just wanted to post a few pics from last year...we are doing well and the kids are fantastic (Alex is almost 8 and Carson is 4 1/2).  My dad is in the hospital and has been since New Year's Eve so life just isn't ours at the moment (but Dad is fighting is GOING to be okay, praise the Lord).  But look at how cute these kids are :)  They are my everything.  Love and miss you all.

I think this is my very favorite pic of the kids.  EVER. Cutness overload.

Family photo the Old Mill in Little Rock, September 2012 - sis in law took this shot :)

Here are our Fall 2012 family pictures taken by Jennifer McHam in the Argenta downtown district in Little Rock:

Our beauty...she will be EIGHT in February - ahhh!

And here is our 4 year old mess.  He is doing SO well.  I can't believe how far he has come.  He makes everyday worth waking up for!

Our masterpieces

I love, love this picture of me & my little man.  Such joy!

The Christmas Card money shot! Love Carson's little face here

Happy 2013 to you all!  I still have pictures from DISNEY WORLD from 2011 to add, that's how far behind I am...but just had to take a moment to say heeeeey to the world.  Love!

TALENT SHOW!

May 8th, 2012 - this was a huge night for our family!  Our sweet Alex made the talent show at her school.  There was quite a bit of competition too - we were so sad for several of Alex's dear friends that didn't make it.  I was shocked at how many people auditioned and how many were not chosen.  The day she found out she made it, she had very mixed emotions.  At first, she was more upset for her friends that didn't make the show (which was precious!)  It was a great teaching moment, because we all know that you can win everything ;) The talent show represented the entire school, grades K-5th.

Our little Diva decided to sing The Little Mermaid's "Part of Your World" song.  She did SUCH a fantastic job!  YaYa came in all the way from Texas, DeDe and Pops came, of course Daddy and I were there and Alex even had her own cheering section of friends and family!  It meant the world that so many of our friends came out in support!

Enough typing...the pics and the performance tell it all.  YOU ROCKED BABY GIRL!  And by the way, we LOVED that you waved to all of your fans.  You acted like a seasoned professional but it was only your first time on stage.  Now we have that footage for when you make it big someday ;)  Love you and so proud baby!

Our little Ariel is ready to go!

I wish she would stop being so camera shy - seriously!  All you have to do is show her a camera and she takes over.

Insane in the membrane

YaYa + Alex = BFF

DeDe and Pops are her biggest fans

Proud parents

Daddy got a kiss!

Precious

Mommy was sooooo proud!

Alex showed us some of her art displayed on the way in....

A few adoring fans, Kylie and Macy

The sweetest lady asked Alex to sign her program.  Her first autograph!  Love it!

Walking out with the best grandmas on the planet!

Click here to see the Diva in action!

Happies!

There is where we are in our universe...today:

• Carson is potty trained - woohoo!
• Had the best Mother's Day ever (there have only been 7 so far, but I'll take it).
• Alex has lost 4 teeth now - 2 by us pulling them, 2 via the dentist (yikes!)
• Alex's last day of school is May 30th.  I can't believe we are at the end of her 1st grade year.
• Carson is doing so so good!  Reading like no 3 year old's business ;)  He's just the most precious child!  I am so thankful for his angelic spirit.  He's pushed us a LOT lately, but his core is pure gold.
• Nathan is doing great at his job.  His 1 year anniversary with LWSI is coming in July - he has made me so proud
• My DAD GOT A JOB!!!!!!  And his first pay check on Monday.  God is so so good!  We are incredibly proud of him, and them for making it this far.  HANG IN THERE GUYS :)
• We are loving our life in Little Rock.  We never questioned the move, but it is nice when God continues to reaffirm your leaps of faith :)