Orion and the Backhoe

Today Orion got a fun hands on lesson in operating a backhoe! How great! Our family friend Jerry Roberts showed Orion how to move the correct levers so that he could shovel, dig, and drop out the dirt. It was great watching Orion learning a trade! Orion will write his own version following. Thanks for caring! Love, Orion's Nana Colleen

Operatering the mini-backhoe felt like a bus that had a big giant machine on it. It was a lot of fun. I wanted to try it out when Jerry offered to show me how to work it. It made me happy to work with something like that. Once, when I moved the hydraulics of the mini-backhoe to the side really fast it almost hit my dad and he had to duck. We thought it was funny, but I learned this machine is serious.

Orions favorite restaurant

The Counter Cafe on Lamar seems to be Orion's favorite eating establishment. Yesterday morning when we arrived, immediately the 2 waitresses and the owner all greeted Orion like he was the King of England! They really showered their love and affection upon him. Apparently, he and his dad have been going there since they opened and when Orion was in the hospital they hooked Matthew up a few times with some of their great meals and constantly asked about Ri's well being during that dark time.

The food is fabulous there! I might not be Dale Rice, but I've not tasted better crab cakes anywhere else. Orion loves the steak and eggs and is also really partial to the biscuits with honey. He related that all the while he was in the hospital he dreamed of eating here and numerous times asked his dad to bring him some take-out food from Counter Cafe. Unfortunately, Orion wasn't able to eat much of anything for so long while he was hospitalized and when he was able, he was whisked off to San Antonio. If it were up to him, he would eat every meal there!

I guess it's good that we don't hav ethe money to eat out as often as we'd like or else I/we would be much heftier than we'd like. Instead we do have a huge amount of love and affection for all of you who love and care for the cute little red head. As always, thank you for your prayers.

Love to all, Orion's Nana Colleen

When in need

Yesterday, I had a bit of trouble when a portion of my sewer system broke. Now that's not exactly a conversation most people enjoy discussing but everyone needs a decent sewage system. When Matthew and Orion volunteered to come over and help do some digging as well as other chores I needed to finish, I quickly accepted their offer of assistance.

Like most kids, Orion enjoyed running, jumping, and hiding in the ditch that was trenched, that is until I told him what might still be in that corridor of dirt and of who knows what else. He stopped jumping into it pretty quickly after that. And no more hide and seek there either.

I was thinking how extremely fortunate we all are to have the cute little red head alive and well with us, no matter what kind of a ditch he chooses to play in. Thank you God for this intelligent and vibrant child in our lives!

Thank you for caring! Love to all, Orion's Nana Colleen

Not Just Mail benefit for Ri

Hello all you smiling faces who love the cute little red head boy!

A very good friend, Francine Tucker, is again spearheading another benefit for Orion. The following is a letter she sent out to everyone she knows.

"Hello Friends,
I am currently working on another event for Orion, the nine year old who nearly lost his life from a ruptured AVM in his brain. In a few weeks, Not Just Mail, the boutique and mail center in Cedar Park, will be celebrating their fifth year anniversary! In celebration of their anniversary, Hope and Mike Biba (owners ), will provide free food, free beer and live music on Sunday, October 12 from 2-5 located at 1525 Cypress Creek Rd. Ste. H Cedar Park, TX 78613 . Local artisans will be vending their handmade jewelry, pottery, and more! There will also be a great raffle....more to come soon!!!! There will be a silent auction a week before the event at the shop, so if you are in the area, stop by and make a bid. I will be sending out a preview of the items soon!!! Please mark this event on your calenders, it should be a great time...all for a great cause!!!
If you know anyone how would like to donate items for a silent auction, please let me know.... Or if you have know anyone who is crafty and would like to sell their pieces, please email this to them! So tell your friends and family, and please join us for this exciting event, bringing the community together! Not Just Mail www.notjustmailonline.com/ would like to have all donations for the silent auction by the last week of September, so if you will be able to provide any help or know anyone who can, please contact me by Wednesday, September 24. Thank you for all you help you can provide!Francine francinemarietucker@yahoo.com "

Thank you again, Francine!

Please keep up your prayers for Orion and his folks. We all survive the ups and downs of life on love and prayers. We appreciate your concern and good wishes. I will try to place more information on the little boy as I can, even if it is just pictures. I'm sorry I have been a bit lax in doing this.

Thank you notes

Although this picture was taken more than a year ago, it captures the mood that seems to be within Orion right now. He is as patient as he can be with his limitations, yet he is impatient to get back to doing things as well as he used to. The medical staff had told us that it may be a year or more, as far as they can tell, before Ri can expect to be well, or as well as possible. They have been amazed at how well he has progressed, as have all of us viewing him first hand. So when I asked him to get started on writing our long overdue thank you notes, he just looked at me funny. I asked him what was up. He showed me.

He can't write very well at all. He took the pen in his right hand but had to grasp his right hand with his left to make it work. I bit my lip and tried to keep the tears from stinging my eyes. I have been with him as often as I can when he is at his dads and I just did not know that this was still such a limitation for him. After all, he is so good on the video games which take such hand/eye coordination. Why is it that he can't write properly? The brain is so complex. Just as he has overcome so many other obstacles, I'm sure that with his strength and determination, he will re-learn to properly read and write. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. We do appreciate everything each of you has done for us and we are especially grateful for your love and prayers! And sooner or later we will get the thank you notes out!

Love to all, Orion's Nana Colleen

No eye patch!

As of yesterday Orion does not have to wear his eye patch any more! Cool deal! The medical folk at Dell Children's Hospital informed the cute little redhead that, although he still has a bit of double vision, they felt the eye patch was no longer needed. Hurrah!!! Yet another milestone!

With his father at their home today, Orion showed me some of his jujitsu moves using his poor dad as his "assistant". I felt sorry for Matthew, getting his joints hit upon and bent back some. I know it hurt but Matthew didn't seem to mind. Orion remembers his sensa's instructions and put on a good show for me. His little sister Scarlett was not so impressed. She just wanted Orion to play with her. She really adores her big brother.

This picture shows her sitting with Orion as they play "Off Road ATV". She was so happy sitting there with the control in her little hands pushing invalid buttons that she just knew were making things happen on the screen.

But a little one who will celebrate her first birthday in a couple of weeks can only sit there for so long. She then got off the couch so as to hand Orion the play station box and messed things up for a bit by dropping it. Orion wasn't too happy but took it all in stride. After all, not only was that his cute little sister whom he doesn't get to see very often, but he and his dad do have one of the largest collections of legos that I've ever seen. So the lego-master started playing with his legos knowing his dad would help him fix the play station later. Life is good!

Please continue to keep Orion in your prayers as he could not be doing so well without your love and good wishes. Thank you so very much! If you would like to send a message to him but would rather not put something on this blog, please feel free to email him/them at orionandmatt@gmail.com

Love always, Orion's Nana Colleen