Reflections

Gavin’s second birthday has come and gone.

WOW.

Where has time gone, and why hasn’t anyone figured out how to make that pause button for life? Reflecting to the past 2 years, I think we are finally getting to a place where there is a little less sadness. I’ve touched on this a little here and there. Our activism has helped to work through some of those emotions, and even face them when you do not want to (through interviews, speeches and the like). We have turned into walking fundraisers, but it is not all who we are – and the same with this blog. I have been offered some exciting opportunities, and I will share when I can, but I am trying to find a way to fit it all in?

This blog post has no real direction, so bare with me.

My time constraint is the biggest struggle right now. With the foundation moving to a full time job, I cannot neglect the basis of where this all started. Things have happened so quickly (again, where is that pause button), that it’s nice to have moments where Gavins birthday allows me to reflect. We have a life before Gavin, and a life after. The basis the same, but the direction, somewhat different.

Foundation work is a full time job for me now (not paid people, we’re all volunteer). The best non-paid job I have ever experienced! No salary could make me want to do anything different right now in my life. But finding that balance is key, with everything! Family, friends, business, etc.. We have found, we are saying NO better. When we first started fundraising, we jumped at every opportunity, now we are getting to a point where we don’t feel like we need to. We are taking a moment to breathe, and stay consistent with our belief when we started the foundation, that we will not do a function if it interferes with all of the family being together. Landon is involved in sports, and his interests are just as important as Gavin’s, or ours. We have actually opted out of a possibility of a foundation function because Landon had a game, etc. This weekend we skipped a fundraiser, etc. We feel good about it though! We are getting a little bit of control and focus on the center of us, which is our family. We’ve never lost sight, it’s just the nature of the beast, when an opportunity is given to you, you jump!

I am so grateful for our family and friends taking on their own fundraising, at work, school and in their community. I cannot thank you enough!

Upon reflecting on this 2 year milestone, which is Gavin’s birthday… we are being wiser with our choices and I am proud that we are. Not that there are regrets, it’s just relevant to understand where it could be getting crazy at times. To get back to the post, and my reason for it… I will pop in with foundation posts, but the substance of the blog will be the relevance of why I started this, and that is Gavin! It’s nice to have this blog NOT be about our foundation in a way. I know that sounds weird, but it is refreshing. It’s a way for me to compartmentalize things – and I like it that way.

We have all of our websites that is foundation based. You can find all of them in nav bars. I want to try to keep the blog, back to Gavin, our journey and his progress. Of course, I will throw things in here about GRSF, but for the most part, it will not be.

Oh… to keep you all back on track with our upcoming events, you know we have our Facebook pages, Gavin’s Groupies and the Gavin R Stevens Foundation. We also have our mailing list, that I know many of you are on and I AM SO SORRY for the lack of monthly newsletters. We will be utilizing that tool again to get back on track with keeping everyone up to date with us. You can sign up on Hands Down Monkey, which is where this all started, and the home of Gavin’s Groupies! We have some exciting info coming on upcoming events, as well as our online stores. So, make sure you are signed up. We will NOT share email addresses, nor will we clutter your inbox. Promise!

These momentous milestones are a good time to reflect, and it has given me a chance to reorganize some things. Life can get so busy, it is easy to not reflect, because you are so busy. I am going to try to reflect more, it’s refreshing. :)

I’m going to leave you with Gavin’s FAVORITE toy right now.. the “round and round” as he calls it. I think I have mentioned it, but he LOVES it! It gives him a lot of confidence too, as he feels good about himself when he can climb on or off, at his will, and he has the control to manipulate the speed. He can go “round and round” as fast or as slow as he likes, or he can just spin it and also manipulate the speed that way. This toy came highly recommended to me from a fellow LCA mommy, back when Gavin was just a few months old. Just now is he really liking it, or loving it. I highly recommend it as well, if you are looking for a new toy to fulfill sensory motor development, as well as vestibular stimulation.

This is his other favorite toy right now. His brother. His big brother who is on constant look out for his safety! Landon’s nerves are on edge with Gavin learning to walk, I have had to talk to him about allowing Gavin to fall (of course not in harms way) sometimes, because that is how he learns. He is such an AWESOME brother to him! They are both so lucky to have one another.

Just keep in mind, 2 seconds after I snapped this picture, Gavin was getting mad at Landon for “helping” him. Landon gets mad because he wants to help him. It’s this dynamic of support, comfort and independence. I love watching it grow, and enjoying each level that this brotherhood brings.

Reflection. I will be doing more of it, and looking back at the importance. I’m grateful for this blog to give me an avenue to express it, if I have zero readers or a million. It’s a place to personally reflect. I am so glad I have this to see the beginning of our journey with Gavin, and see where we have become. Not just with our activism, but more importantly than anything, our acceptance and joy with what God has given us.

I hope you find times to reflect. It’s so easy not to, but can bring such a firm grounding of where you are when you truly know where you have been!

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”