One day to go

I was asked by a few people if I was going to be keeping a blog and decided that having a record of our trip, even for just us to read, would be nice. So, here it is.

Cast of Characters (emphasis on Characters)

Me : Christy

Hubby: Brandon

Oldest Son: Josh

Youngest Son: Zach

Personal Support Worker: Ben

Just some background. Brandon and I have been married for 11 years in July. We actually met in a chat room and the rest is history. This year is Brandon's 6th year working with St Paul's Church in Bloomingdale Illinois and because of that he is getting 3 months sabbatical. When we started talking about taking a Sabbatical we knew that financially we were not able to pack up and travel anywhere. Brandon applied for and received a grant from the Lilly Foundation for about $50,000. We dreamed big and are now just hours away from leaving on this amazing journey.

Josh and Zach both have Autism Spectrum Disorders which will play a lot into this blog as much of what we decided to do this summer had to accommodate their disability. Josh has a form or autism called Aspergers which is typically more high functioning with sensory and social issues. Zach has more moderate/severe classic autism. Josh tends to be my avoider. He is oversensitive to stimulus and gets overwhelmed easily. Zach is a sensory seeker which is why many of you see him climbing, jumping, and running. Zach is also under-sensitive to outside stimuli which is why when you hug him he likes a strong squeeze as opposed to a light hug. You will see many examples of how these different approaches shape how the boys approach this trip.

Last of all is Ben, he's our PSW and will be with us for the summer helping out and being a third set of eyes. I'll talk more about Ben later.

Glad you can join us!!