Orchestra Concert

Blake and Derek once gain played in the school orchestra concert. They are both quite good musicians. I'm always very impressed at how well they play. They both play violin and piano.

Pirates!

The Popes came to visit. We went to see a Jazz v. Lakers game. While they were here we went to Pirate Island for lunch.

Spring Soccer

Derek has been playing spring soccer. It's been a little hard for Blake. He choose to play football and take Karate lessons instead of playing soccer. The problem is when he goes to the games he really wants to play. in fact, once when they didn't have any substitutes and Derek got hurt, Blake found his way in the game for a minute.

Derek is a really good soccer play and he ends up scoring most of the goals. I can't help but imagine how good the team would be if they had both Blake and Derek on the team.

Blake plays around wit the team during half-time.

If he can't get in the game, Blake loves stealing my camera and taking pictures. After one of the games we looked over and he arranged a team photo shoot. He gave directions and posed the whole team as if it was team picture day and he was a professional photographer. He seems to know that if you act like your are official, everyone will follow your directions. Here is the photo he took:

While Derek is playing soccer the rest of the family hangs out.

Winter

We keep hoping Spring will arrive. These were taken just a couple of weeks ago. It was a pretty heavy snow fall for April.

These were actually taken in back in January.

... and these were taken in December.

Jazz Game

Back in February I got a chance to go a Jazz/Bulls game with my business partner, Lane. We had good seats and I brought my camera. It turned out to be an eventful game. It was Carlos Boozers first return to Salt Lake  after leaving to play for Chicago. The next day the head coach, Jerry Sloan, quit. A couple weeks later the Jazz traded Daron Williams. It's a very different team now.

I caught a lot of the extracurricular activity. None of these shots are fouls. 

This is Boozer getting his shot blocked.

Christmas Card Photos

We have some very cute kids. These are big versions of the photos we took back in December and used for our Christmas cards. We just took them in the yard. I really like the way they turned out.

Now I Can

In March we were able to get Brandon in for another session of intensive therapy at Now I Can. Brandon's tone had been increasing with his growth since December. We noticed it especially after his constraint casting in December. He gained function but actually lost some flexibility and range of motion which isn't what you'd expect with more use of his left hand. We applied for a grant through the United Health Care Children's Fund and were so grateful to get what we needed to fund his therapy. It helped him so much and in so many ways! Here are some pictures of his hard work there.

Here he is working wearing the Neuro suit which helps him

with body awareness and proper use of his body

Here he is goofing off in the Spider Cage. He would always say "watch this" and then do

a bunch of crazy balancing moves he could only pull off with 8 bungees attached! It was so funny.

Brandon and Nacole

Brandon and Sergio

He went for 4 hours a day for 3 weeks and it was during the afternoon when he'd normally be taking a nap. He fell asleep during therapy more than once! Here he is sleeping on Nacole while he's standing up.

It was truly intense not just for Brandon, but for the whole family. We were there a lot. Although Brandon frequently cried through his stretching, he begged to go back each day. I love this kid and his huge spirit.

We are so fond of Now I Can and all the people who work there. They are like family and they truly change lives there! We have been to a few events that have been held to help raise funds for them. Last November we went to a girls basketball game at UVU. He got to go out on the floor and welcome the team. He loved it! Unfortunately you can't really see him in any of the pictures :( But all the kids had a blast!

Just last weekend there was a Battle of the Bands type of event put on by some BYU students and Jarrett Burns and his new band were participating and raising funds for Now I Can. We've fallen in love with his music since he did the benefit concert last summer for Now I Can. He and his drummer Brandon wrote a song about Now I Can and when it was announed that they'd be playing it somehow my Brandon thought it would be him and he demanded to go up on stage. Thanks to Tracey for taking him up for a few minutes. He got to play Brandon's drums and meet a fellow glasses-wearing Brandon and that calmed him right down.

Here he is entertaining some of the Now I Can peeps.

After the band played he went up on stage for a brief "interview" with a few Now I Can friends. It was absolutely adorable and he just loves being in the spotlight!

Here's some video of his hard work. I hope it works. He

has been jumping off of everything since then!

Now I Can is doing their annual "Run to Walk" fundraiser May 14. They do a 5k and a 1 mile, so if you or anyone you know wants to participate you can sign up www.runtowalk.com. If you sign up by Friday it is cheaper and if you sign up please let us know because everyone who runs for Brandon will basically be giving him a $5 therapy credit and Nationwide Insurance has donated $250 that will go to one child's therapy at Now I Can! Each participant will receive an entry form that they can write in Brandon's name and enter it in the drawing at the Nationwide table.