Our team

In order for me to be all of the places that I need to be, requires a lot of babysitting. Most of the appointments I have with Chance are not little kid friendly. And they aren't really big kid friendly either as death by boredom is plausible. A big kid would only be excited for so long watching Chance raise his hands for the beeps, or listening to test results or sitting in on therapy sessions. Plus, most of the time, you have to be really quiet. The fact that I have four kids and am not now mentally unstable from trying to keep them all in line and quiet for all of the appointments, can be directly attributed to my generous neighbors.

I believe that God provides a way when you need help and many times He uses other people to fulfill the need. Such is the case with our family. I have several set appointments each week and I am able to do what needs to be done because women in my neighborhood watch my other kids. They also step up and watch my kids when I have other appointments added in like an implant mapping or doctors appointments. I joke that certain neighbors are all going to start checking their caller I.D. so that they can avoid my calls. Amazingly enough though, I have never felt like they feel put out. I try to be very sensitive of my neighbors time and if I can take the kids I will. I also try to call if I am running late at an appointment to verify with them that I am not messing up their schedule for the day if I am later than expected. I do try to help my neighbors out when I can by watching their kids so that they can volunteer in their kids classrooms, go to doctors appointments by themselves and I take their little ones when they take their older kids to sports events. But the truth is, they watch my kids far more often than I watch their kids. I am quite excited to report, that one of our neighbors is pregnant and I am now able to give back a bit by watching her kids during doctors appointments. These are the same neighbors who I joke with that by the time our kids are teenagers, we will owe them enough babysitting that they can go on a cruise for 2 or 3 months while leaving their kids with us.

These women have shown me what it means to serve your neighbor. They are so generous with their time. I have been touched time and again by their willingness to take my kids even at the last minute sometimes. I love these women. I don't know that they will ever know how their generous spirits have helped me and my family. And my kids feel comfortable in their homes. They have friends in these homes and are just added to the lunch table or taken along for the car pool when needed. These woman are friends as well as neighbors. We will forever be grateful for them.

We moved here only a few months before finding out that Chance was deaf. We truly feel that we were sent here to this neighborhood because we needed to be here. When we found out that Chance was deaf, I made it a point to inform our neighbors so that they would realize that if they talked to Chance and he did not respond, they would know why. And for safety reasons. Chance could not hear cars and neighbors needed to be aware of him. One neighbor warmed my heart when her reaction right after I told her was,"Well, we'll just make sure that he knows that we love him." These people will be with us forever. They jumped in and helped in a time when we needed them. I honestly don't know how I would be able to do what I do with out them.

I will forever try to be more aware now of people around me who may need my help. You just never know the burden that you can help lift off of someone when you are willing to help.