Zoomars

Matthew and I had some time to oursleves today so we decided to head over to Zoomars so Matthew could have fun at the petting zoo. I am not much of a "petting zoo" person but Matthew enoyed himself and even though photos don't show it, he was all smiles. The crowd towards the end was a little much for him but overall, he had a great time.

Look at that adorable face, melts my heart every day.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today was Daddy’s Birthday! Matthew loved singing “Happy Birthday” to Daddy and helping him blow out the candle on his GFCF golf cake. It did not turn out as I planned but Matthew saw it and said “Aw wa bice deen tate” (I want bite green cake). He gobbled up the frosting, picked at the cake, licked his fingers clean and enjoyed himself immensely.

I asked Mark what his birthday wish was and his answer was no surprise…Recovery for Matthew. That being said, we are constantly marveling at what Matthew has accomplished this past year. Our sweet boy has come so far and we were reminiscing about this time last year. We hoped but could not have imagined the progress our little guy would make. We have seen Matthew blossom into such a smart, funny, mischievous and charming child who is full of curiosity and has a zest for life and a huge capacity to love those close to him. Having autism has thrown challenges his way, but Matthew is beating them all. Autism is a diagnosis he has and regardless of what others may think, it in NO WAY has him and will not dictate or write his story. Mark said that seeing Matthew make such strides and advancements is the best present he could ever get.

Matthew and Mommy love you Daddy!

Birthday kisses from Matthew....Delicious!

Grandpa and Grandma Sumida

Matthew had such a treat today....a visit from Grandpa and Grandma Sumida. He was so excited to see them and spend some time together. He has a big soft spot for his grandparents and just loves them. It has become kind of a "thing" that we go to lunch and Grandpa rides the carousel with Matthew.

Kisses with Grandpa

Grandma is so sweet and took Matthew to the pet store, always a favorite stop where ever we go. Grandmas are something special!

We love those memorable times with Grandpa and Grandma, they are what weekends are for!

A Day at Sea World

We decided to take advantage of our passes to Sea World and the beautiful weather so we headed down there to spend the day with friends. Good weather, good friends and a passel of happy kids....who could ask for more. Matthew had so much fun and loved being with his adorable little pals!

Our friends who make these times so memorable....

Our wild and crazy bunch!

So glad we have you guys in our lives. You are all very special to us!

Family Fun

We went to spend the day with Keiko and her family today. We have not spent time with them since the wedding and we were excited to get together, chat and hang out. With all the stress of the past few weeks it was a really a nice break and fun afternoon. It was wonderful to see how happy they all were, as if they had always been a family and this was how things were meant to be. We could not be more thrilled to see such love and happiness in that household. Matthew had fun with the boys and we were able to enjoy some adult time while the boys played with Matthew. The most beautiful thing for us was to see Matthew interact with all three boys and want to be with them. He was crawling all over them and calling them by name. A few short months ago he would not have acknowledged their presence and today he wanted to take them all home with us when we left. It is a reminder to Mark and I of all that is possible.