Saunders Excellent Adventures: Fall 2014

Fall 2014

Fall turned out to be a busy season for us.

Jon completed his contract and had some time off.

Here are some of the highlights...

Down syndrome Buddy Walk

We raised money to help Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona run their programs, and we attended the Buddy Walk in Tempe, AZ.

Sunny's friends and co-workers at Starbucks also had walkers and raised money for the event.

The Buddy Walk was held at Tempe Diablo Stadium

Home of Angels Spring Training.

Kyle did a fantastic job tossing the football!

We had fun together....next year, maybe we will make our own t-shirts!

With the Starbucks Team

Left to Right: ??, Jessie, Brian, Tate, Kyle, Ruth, Me, Jon, Sunny, Scott

Kyle fell in love with Jessie...he wasn't going to walk unless she was right there!

What a good lookin' guy!

We walked around the outside of the stadium...and the Walk was very well attended.

Some of the "Misses Arizona"

Super Heroes!

He gave a wide-berth to Ronald McDonald though...wouldn't go near him.

Hi fived members of the arena football team and he had had blast!

Dancing to Radio Disney.

Jessie was the preferred partner.

After the Buddy Walk we had lunch at Portillo's,

which has good food and Jon loved the Chicago dog ~ and yes,

it had fluorescent green relish so you know it was authentic!

Near Portillo's was a Halloween store.

Kyle found a few things he "needed"!

Yes! Captain America does exist!

Scott's Birthday!

Sunny made Scott's cake! It was yummy!

Brother's -- aren't they cute?

Birthday dinner at Black Angus

Sunny and Scott

Happy Birthday! Love this man!

Time for cake!

Mitch Visits

At the end of September, Mitch and some of his friends came for a short visit.

They went to a Diamondback's game....and did a couple of stadium tours.

But many activities were curtailed by the rain!

It rained hard....these pictures were taken after about 10 minutes of rain....the flower pots were filled and our "dry river" wasn't dry anymore.

They had all been swimming....but that was cut a little short by the lightning!

It was fun to have them all -- hope they will come back!

Scottsdale

We took an afternoon trip to Scottsdale.

And had fun in the hat store!

Sunny meets the Native's.

We had lunch and wandered through the shops.

It was lots of fun!

Sunny's Birthday!

I don't know what happened to the pictures from Sunny's birthday but I can't find them!

We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and then rode the double-decker carousel at the mall.

It was fun! I know I took pictures, but I can't find where I filed them!

So -- please take my word for it --

We celebrated Sunny's birthday!

18 October

Color Dash 5k

Sunny and I took part in the Color Dash 5k -- I was a little over-confident that I could run the entire thing. I've been able to do a 5k on the treadmill -- alas -- I didn't take into account the heat/humidity and the crush of humanity on a small course with colored cornstarch being tossed at several stations!

So, Sunny indulged me and we walked most of it.....although we did run across the finish line...TWICE.

It took two laps to complete the 5k. The first time, the blue cornstarch was flying and so think in the air that it was hard to breathe. One of the "tossers" wound up and threw a handful right in the face of the lady in front of me....and it hit me too....I had blue cornstarch coating my sunglasses...I couldn't even see. Then I heard that we had another lap and whined and moaned. Sunny said, "C'mon. We can do this." And we did!

Before/After

The money raised went to benefit Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona.

Over $17,000 was raised!

Derek's Birthday!

Derek celebrated his birthday in Gunnison with Mark and Jodi and the family.

Jodi made sure he had a birthday cake and celebration!

Halloween

Jon and Sunny carved pumpkins.

Sunny, using the drill to create stars.

From blank -- to fabulous!

Yes! Jon put out Halloween lights!

For the first time in years -- we had more 10 trick-or-treaters!

It was awesome!

Jon's Birthday!

He resisted, dug in his heels, and denied...

but 50 came to him anyway!

Oh yes -- 50 is a GREAT age to be!

Respite and Therapy

Kyle qualified for services through DDD

(Department of Developmental Disabilities)

He qualifies for respite services, and he began "working" at

Hoofbeats with Heart.

Hoofbeats is a hippotherapy program where individuals with disabilities can receive therapy assisted by horses.

Kyle "works" with Nathan, for two hours each afternoon on Tuesday's and Thursday's.

Kyle loves it. He gets to help muck stalls and feed.

At the Hoofbeats farm, they have a Brahman Bull named Ghandi.

Two donkeys. Goats. Pigs. Chickens. Horses and one animal,

named Oreo, who is part goat, part sheep.

Kyle also qualifies for Speech therapy and Occupational Therapy.

With his speech therapy, he gets to ride a horse.

His horse is named, Hans.

He's big -- about 17 hands high, and he likes to bite.

Kyle helping Michaelina,

(pronounced: mitch - uh - leena)

brush Hans. Hans is wearing a fly mask.

Oh yes! It's awesome!

Kyle's lead, and sidewalker's are Michaelina's kids,

Kira and Kiernan.

One day, Kyle wanted a picture and

Hans actually posed!

Kyle really loves going to ride! His speech is improving too.

Thanksgiving

Derek drove down for Thanksgiving!

It's a LOOOOONG drive! It would be helpful if there were an interstate between Las Vegas and Phoenix.....alas....there isn't!

So fun to have Derek home!

Drew and Papa came for Thanksgiving too!

Kyle and Drew playing video games.

They had a blast together.

Pile on Drew!

Pile on Scott!

Kyle made our Thanksgiving centerpiece at school.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Drew style on the left.

Kyle style on the right.

They each had a BOOST too.

Captain DEREK America!

Ghost Town for a chili dog!

And a ride on the zipline!

Drew whooped all the way down!

Derek was not as impressed.

Jon and Sunny put up the Christmas tree on Thanksgiving afternoon so that we could decorate while everyone was still here.

Decorated and ready for the season!

Clark's Visit

Clark came for a visit and shared his birthday with us!

He let Kyle help blow out the candles...not that he really had a choice.

While he was here, he and Jon did some exploring....

Clark did some bike riding....

.....in the Superstition Mountains.

Tombstone

They went to Tombstone and spent a day.

I think Clark lost the shoot-out.

Come back soon Clark.

November 30th

Kyle was trying to scare Sunny, he stepped funny,

Sunny heard a loud "pop" and Kyle sat down.

There was no discoloration or swelling.

But when he asked for his walker and wouldn't put weight on his foot,

we took him off to the doctor's office.

Pitiful....

Fun at the doctor's office....

x-ray's revealed a break on the side of his foot.

A very common break -- according to the doctor, and one where you would hear it "pop".

So Kyle got a new boot.

Sporting Clark's helmet....backwards.

The x-rays revealed what could have been ligament damage

an congenital anomaly.

We were sent to get an MRI.

He did great! Dad stood right there with him and he held still.

When he has an MRI of his neck -- he has to be sedated... but this was a walk in the park and he did it all in one "take".

MRI results --

--he has a ruptured ligament -- that looks like an old injury.

Jon and I looked at each other in puzzlement.

The doctor xrayed his right foot also....same anatomy.

It appears that he doesn't have a ligament in his ankle. Either that, or it's so thin that it doesn't show up on the MRI. The doctor was amazed that Kyle could walk.

No one ever told him he couldn't -- so why wouldn't he?