Trail Ride with Praying Hands Ranch

We were blessed with another gorgeous Colorado weekend for the Praying Hands Ranch trail ride yesterday. Praying Hands Ranch is where Jake has taken his hippotherapy (horse lessons) since last January and this was an outdoor ride for their annual fundraiser. They brought several horses from the Ranch so about 10 kids could participate in the ride.


Both Jake and Luke had so much fun getting to ride outside. It seemed like every time they had a lesson this summer, it was too hot or on the verge of raining so all their classes were in the arena. All the student riders had someone leading their horse along with two "side-walkers" to make sure they were safe. Todd and I walked with them on the trail and it was great to see how well Jake did. Riding on natural terrain vs. in a flat arena takes a lot more core strength and work. Add to that, we were on the trail for over an hour and it was in the mid-80's. He did such a good job staying evenly balanced. There were times during his lessons this summer where he tended to lean/slide more to the left as he'd get tired. It was very encouraging to see that the increased strength he has gained the last few months enabled him to stay seated evenly  in his saddle the entire ride. 
 
We haven't been able to get back to horse therapy since school started simply because Jake is just too physically tired after a day at school. We're hoping  that within the next few months it's something we can add back to his schedule. Seeing how much both boys enjoyed the outdoor ride made me realize how beneficial it  really is for them. Physically for Jake and emotionally for both of them.

We were treated to a delicious BBQ at the end of the ride. Everyone was pretty wiped out, but it was a great day.

Challenge Air

Jake and Luke got the opportunity to take a flight in a small plane again this weekend. Jake was pretty nervous since he got queasy last time and wasn't really sure he wanted to do it. I think the fact that Todd was going with them this time helped ease his nervousness a little.

Jake was supposed to sit upfront as co-pilot but offered it to Luke since he sat upfront last time when they did the flight for scouts. Luke was pretty excited and even got to fly the plane. The airport was only about 20 minutes away and their flight took them in a big loop over Aurora Reservoir and our house which was pretty cool. They all had a really good time and were grinning ear to ear when they landed.

Lately I've been struggling with my mixed emotions and feelings over the many incredible opportunities Jake has been given simply because he had a stroke. While I fully acknowledge that his life has been full of many new challenges and limitations since his aneurysm burst, it feels odd accepting things because of it. Part of what makes it hard is I know there are so many kids who would love to go on the field of a Rockies game or take a flight in a small plane that never get the chance. While we are extremely grateful, it's a strange thing to come to terms with. I guess I just need to view it as a blessing he gets some special opportunities to help offset many of his day-to-day struggles.

Rock Climbing - Eldorado Canyon

What an amazing Sunday! The weather couldn't have been nicer and we got to spend a good portion of the day at Eldorado Canyon in Boulder. It was absolutely beautiful! We got to take the boys rock climbing with six other kids though an outing arranged by Children's Hospital stroke clinic and the Boulder Climbing Gym.

While both the boys have done quite a bit of climbing inside on man-made rock walls, neither of them have had the opportunity to actually climb using harnesses and ropes on real rocks. It's a completely different experience. Instead of having strategically placed "rocks" like inside, they had to figure out how to get up a fairly slippery rock face using what nature created. I was so impressed with both of them. Luke often stops part way up the inside walls because he gets freaked out by how high he is. He didn't have that problem today at all. (That's him to the left.) He climbed route after route all the way to the top. It was so great to see the look of satisfaction on his face when he'd get to the top, I was so proud of him.

Then of course there is our determined Jake. When he first started out, he was really struggling and I was questioning if coming was such a good idea. He was having such a hard time finding places that felt stable enough to hold his feet as well as trusting if his left leg could support him. As he was taking his first few "steps," Todd was helping place his feet until he got the feel for it.  Seeing how hard it was for him, I honestly expected him to go a short way up and come back down. I should have known better, he just kept going. Once again, I stood there watching him with tears literally running down my face. He was having to work so much harder than everyone else but he just didn't give up. I hate that things are so much more difficult for him, but at the same time, I am so incredibly proud of his sheer will and determination. I stood there and watched as he got all the way to the top of his first course. His smile as he looked down at us showed every bit of pride he felt having made it to the top.

He was wiped out after that, so spent about an hour resting. He decided he wanted to go once more before we left but "just a little way up". This time, he was putting significant weight on his left leg and was reaching with his left arm. It was very slow going, but it was so incredible to watch. He would get to the place he wanted and then would decide to go a little further. I took some video and am so happy I have this in addition to the pictures. Watching him just fills my heart and makes me so thankful that he is even able to do this. (Sorry about the background chatter, the lady behind me didn't realize I was filming.)  http://youtu.be/0U28AkrF3Ms

Uneventful Week

Jake has had a pretty uneventful week, which lately is a good thing! His stamina seems to be improving little by little with the slight adjustments we made to his school schedule a few weeks ago. He is really enjoying band now since they are actually getting to play music. It took a little while to get all the instruments assigned to the kids and he was getting pretty antsy to start drumming.

He still isn't doing much outside of school other than once a week stretch and acupuncture. We haven't been to scouts since school started and we postponed horse therapy which was due to start August 27th. For the first time since school started, he had a friend over a few hours today which was nice. It can be hard to keep his activities so limited, but we really don't have a choice. School is taking pretty much all his energy right now. He starts OT again this week, so we'll see how that goes.

Not much else to report, back to the Bronco game - go Broncos!