Yea!!! Christmas Is Coming!

I am getting so excited!  Christmas is coming!  Here is what it looks like at our house.  When I see all these decorations go up, I know that a fun, special time is on it's way.

When things start looking like this, I KNOW it's Christmas time.



I love my countdown calendar. Mom doesn't have to remind me to move Santa to the next day. I do it all on my own as soon as I get up in the morning.



I get so excited when Mom hangs up our stockings. I love all the goodies that Santa puts there when he comes to my house.

My spinning, rocking chair sits right next to this. Oh how I LOVE to sit here and look at the Christmas lights on the tree.

I love my singing Santa, plus Mom's reminder that "He who has not Christmas in his heart will not find it under the tree."

This is one of our Nativity scenes. Mom says this is what Christmas is all about...Jesus being born. She said without Christ, there would be no Christmas. You know, I can't see well at all, I can't hear at all, my mind doesn't comprehend a lot of things, I can't speak at all, but my Spirit and heart work well. I can feel and understand things that work through the Spirit, and I have proved that to Mom many times.

I'm a happy, excited guy, and am really looking forward to Christmas.  I love Jesus and Santa.  Mom said she and I are going to make some Pumpkin Bread today to give to people...yea!  Hope we can make a gluten-free one for me!
                                                                        
Posted by My Mom

The Case Of The Missing Camera

Winter is on it's way here at the Baker home and a lot has happened since Mom last posted for me.  I'd better let you know that there won't be any pictures for a while, at least until Mom gets a new camera. 

Here's the story . . . .

After Halloween, Mom left her camera in it's case, on the counter for a couple of days.  Silly Mommy, you'd think she'd know better by now that you DON'T leave anything like that within my reach.  I got up during the night and YEP, I TOOK IT!  I encased that sucker in tape, string and more tape.  She saw this little square shaped thing in my bucket one day, but didn't think anything of it, as I always have weird shaped things encased in tape in my bucket.  I ended up throwing it in the trash when I cleaned out my bucket.    A few days later she went to get her camera to download my Halloween pictures and a few others, and that's when she noticed her camera was missing.  The case was there, but no camera.  She spent about a week  looking everywhere for it.  After much looking and even praying, she remembered this little square thing she saw in my bucket one morning.  Her brain light came on and she realized THAT was her camera.  Of course by then, the trash had been picked up and it is somewhere in the Franklin Co. landfill.  So the case of the missing camera has been solved.  Silly, silly Mommy!  She is still learning lessons the hard way.

Okay, so guess what I was for Halloween?  I'll give you a couple of hints...it's my favorite kind of candy.  Mom always keeps a GIANT bag of it handy to reward me for my toileting efforts.  If you know me well, then you guessed right . . . That's right I was an M&M peanut!!!  Mom was a M&M plain candy.

I REALLY love Halloween.  I LOVE wearing costumes and getting candy.  After all these years, I've got this thing down pat.  While wearing my costume, I sign 'trick-or-treat', then I take one candy (but a lot of times people throw me off by having me take more), then I sign 'Thank You', and quickly move on.  The only thing I haven't figured out is . . . where does all that candy I got go, once we get home!
(*Mom's note -  because of Jeff's Celiacs Disease, there's a lot of candy he can't have, so Dad thoughtfully eats it so Jeff won't get sick.)

Moving on . . . I have a new CSW (Community Support Worker).  Her name is Toni Kelly.  She just started working for/with me on Tuesday.  So far I'm trying to be good and not test her too much.  I think she's going to be good.  Of course, she's not my buddy Kalin, but I guess I can be flexible if I have to be.  Kalin got a  job with more hours and full benefits, so even though I miss him, Mom and I understand that it's better for him & his wife.  When Mom gets a new camera, I'll have her post a picture of Toni and me.  So far, she and I have gone shopping and swimming this week.  Oh, and my CSW and buddy Daniel, (he worked with me until school started in August) will be working with me on Fridays & Saturdays until Track season starts.  So I'm a happy guy!  I get to get out and do lots of fun things without Mom.  I love her, but I do need a break from her always telling me what to do.  Mom's can be funny that way, and guys need a little space.  I think it's good for her too, as she can be so 'clingy' concerning me sometimes.


Posted by My Mom

Good Bye Summer - Hello Fall

Even with Mom recovering from back surgery, I have had a GREAT Summer!!

Daniel Seamons worked with me most of the summer and I had a good time with him, doing all my favorite and fun things.

In late August, my good friend and buddy, Kalin Hansen, came home from going to school abroad in Chile.  He brought home with him his beautiful wife Karen, that he met and married while he spent a year there.  Mom said things worked out really great because just as Daniel was going back to school, Kalin came home and wanted to be my support worker again.  We are working around his college classes, but he takes me out from noon to five, M-W-F.  Tues. & Thurs. it's only from three to five.  But I'm having so much fun.

Here's a picture of me and my good buddy Kalin.

We do a lot of things together. We go shopping, to the movies, bowling, play basketball & soccer, go to the park. We went to both the Franklin County Fair and the Logan, UT. fair. I had a ball at both!  Below are some pictures of the fun things we've been doing . .

   Kicking the soccer ball around. . .

Just relaxing and tying string on the merry-go-round at the park.  I love things than spin around.

  Playing on some of the equipment at the park.

 Bowling . . .

 Shucks, I only got 8 pins.

I like to go shopping and look at all the cool things, learning to keep my hands to myself, and deciding what I want to buy.  This cool skull is what I picked out and I LOVE IT!!  We're in the car on the way home, and I'm worn out from shopping.

My all-time FAVORITE thing to do is swimming!

I was teasing Kalin.  He kept signing for me to 'smile' for the camera.  So I just signed 'smile' right back at him.  Mom says I have a fun sense of humor. 

Ahhhh . . . the joys of life.  I LOVE this chair!!  It also keeps me up out of the water so I don't drink the pool water.  I still don't understand why they don't want me to do that.

 Yep . . this is the life alright.  I could stay here all day!       

I'm a happy guy.  Life is WONDERFUL!!  I'm king of my house, my family loves me, I get all the string, tape, and balloons that I want, and I've got a great buddy to do things with!  What more could a guy like me ask for?  Yep, I'm happy and blessed.
Posted by My Mom

Since Mom is FINALLY trying to get my blog updated, she's now going to post about my dental check-up from last month. When I get my dental work done, I have to go into the operating room in the hospital. I don't entend to let ANYONE get into my mouth unless I'm out cold. So, that's what they do....put me out cold. It's no big deal for me. I go in happy, the dentist cleans my teeth or does any work that needs doing, then I wake up, go home, and I'm usually happy. It was a piece of cake because I had no cavities this time.

Before.....
During.....

After.....

See, a piece of cake!

Posted by Mom

THE BIRTHDAY BOY!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I had a great birthday!! I got lots of birthday wishes from so many of you....Thank you for remembering me.

Because I get 'over stimulated' when there's lots of people around, it was just Mom, Dad and me. Mom made me this yummy Tagliatelle gluten-free pasta w/shrimp, veggies, in a garlic cream cheese sauce for dinner dinner. Mom is cool, she knows how much I love pasta! Oooo it was good. Then, for desssert I had an awesome gluten-free choc brownie/ice cream birthday cake.

Here's a picture of me before blowing out my candles.

Here's a picture of me enjoying my birthday cake...YUM!

Here I am playing with one of my birthday presents....I LOVE these things!

I stayed up really late on my birthday playing with the toys I got. Then, the next morning I did the same thing. I was so engrossed building things, that I completely forgot that I like to eat every two hours. I didn't stop until after lunch, and only then, because Dad made me come eat some lunch. And get this, I didn't take a nap at all that day!!!!! I ALWAYS take a nap sometime during the day. Man, I was just too busy! Yes sir, it was a great birthday!!

Posted by My Mom

A Letter To My Son

My Darling Son,

Soon you will be 27!! As I look at those years, I realize they have gone by so very quickly. As your birthday approaches there are things I wish I could say to you. Because of the challenges that afflict your body, and bind your mind, you would not understand. As I morn the loss of the verbal communication that we can never have here on earth, the feelings within my heart spill out of me with no place to go.

As other young men your age move on from their missions, graduate college, have jobs, get married and start having families, do you ever wonder what your future has in store? No, I suppose not, as the future is not anything you can comprehend. Because of your mind, what others consider "normal" everyday hopes and dreams, have been taken from you. But dear Jeff, after this long earthy journey ends, you will be given all that you have missed out on in this life.

If you were capable of ever asking, Why am I here? - This is the answer that I would give you. YOU ARE HERE TO BE MY TEACHER, and a teacher to those around you. One day, in the next life, you will be able to open this gift with joy and understanding.

First, you taught me what it means to experience the kind of love that exists only between a mother and her child. Sometimes I thought I would expire from sheer elation. Sometimes I thought I would expire from sheer exhaustion. Both could claim Mother love to be their sire.

From the very beginning of your life, you suffered with many life-threatening health conditions, surgeries, and physical challenges; you taught me patience, tolerance and long-suffering. You also taught me about sacrifice, charity, service, and what it means to forget one's self. I yearned with every fiber of my being-would have given every fiber of my being, to have you whole. But that was not to be. You then taught me to accept and cherish you for who you were, not for what might have been. You have taught me to study, learn, fight and to never give up.

Throughout the years you have taught me what is truly important in this world and quite frankly, what is not. Most of all, you have taught me what it means to align my will with that of God. To know that, in every case, His ways, His means, His timetable, His truth, are all that is worth having. You have taught me how much He loves me, and how much trust He has placed in me, by allowing me to have you in my life. I know that if I am ever to return and live with Him, I needed all the things that only you, would and could teach me.

You, my son, ARE A TEACHER, and the gift of knowledge has no price!

Thank you for all that you have taught me. I love you beyond measure, forever, and always.
Your loving Mother

Posted by My Mom

There's Going To Be a Lot of Catching Up To Do Someday!

In February Mom's back started getting bad. She has had a lot of pain ever since! Something about a bulging disc pressing on a bunch of nerves. Nothing seems to be working and the doctor is talking surgery. To be quite honest, she's been no fun at all. Plus, she hasn't posted anything at all for me. I've been having lots of fun this summer with my support worker Daniel. He's a cool guy, and I like doing things with him.

My great Dad has been doing almost everything for me and for Mom. He has learned how to help me with all my personal cares, fix my food, clean up after me, and well, basically everything that Mom always did. I wanted Mom to post this for me, just so you guys know I'm still around, happy and enjoying life.

Posted by My Mom