Fun Days

 Life in the Beckwith Household has been busy!!!!I am never sure where the hours and days go!

As is usually the case, Maddy's days are filled with time at the barn! She continues to improve in both riding skill and confidence. Her joy is infectious, and she could not love her Lila Bean more! She is loping and cantering every lesson and is working towards her goal of learning to jump. She is like a sponge absorbing everything Mandy throws at her and working hard to do her best and meet her goals. The confidence she is gaining at the barn continues to spill over into the other areas of life. She shocked me last week by auditioning for a solo or duet in Choir. She has also told Ms. Joli (her dance teacher) that she would like a solo in an upcoming recital. It is so fun to watch her thrive and blossom during this time. I love all of the time her and I get in the car and at the barn. It gives us a chance to have conversations and connect and create special memories. While the end of our time at our previous barn was so difficult, we are SO grateful and happy for where we have landed and to be making friends and enjoying the love and kindness that is the foundation of everything at Stable Strides. 

I also had a parent teacher conference about Ms. Maddy Moo. Her teacher is thrilled with how she is doing. According to her teacher she is a sweet, diligent, hardworking student and a joy to have in class. The most exciting report was that despite her dyslexia she is reading above grade level with very high accuracy and comprehension. School does not come easy for Mad, and I am so proud of her for pushing through the challenges to do her best. And she gets to see the fruits of her labors as her tutor decided based on her success that we should drop tutoring to one day a week!

As for my Bug...he is also working extremely hard. Due to a scheduling mix up he wound up with 18 credit hours this semester including some honors courses and math (his biggest struggle academically). He is busting his butt trying to stay on top of his workload while also handling his medical care, being on the esports team, participating in bible study, and volunteering. He will be happy when it's time for Christmas break!! Alex has always pushed beyond what anyone thought was possible and that continues to be true. He has a ton of friends, is close to his professors and an active participant in all areas of campus life. While also still being the best big brother! Maddy and Alex love their time together and are currently reading the same series of books for fun so they can chat and compare. Their relationship is so special to watch.  He even agreed to take a trip to the barn this weekend to look at horses and meet Lila!

For those who didn't see on Facebook, we had a really special surprise this weekend! Our Erin came to visit! Erin was Alex’s nurse for a number of years. She was with me during some of Alex's toughest years and while Bruce lived and worked in San Antonio. She is so much more than "Alex's nurse" she is a member of our family and a dear friend to me. She stopped working for us 6 years ago when she gave birth to her first child and moved away several years ago, but we continue to keep in touch! Getting to hug her and spend an hour chatting was such a gift! Boy, do we miss her and her family.

As for a medical update... Alex seems to be completely recovered from his infection and hospitalization a few weeks ago. We have also continued to receive all of his necessary fluids and nutrition. Maddy is doing pretty well. There is some concern that her knees are worsening so we continue to watch and wait until she has grown enough to perform the surgery needed. She has a ton of appointments coming up over the next month as we continue to try and keep her doing the best we can. As for me, still not much to report... we continue to struggle to find the correct dosage of thyroid medication. I have been anemic for months and have completed one iron infusion with another scheduled this week. I am "starting over" with a new GI in November as my PCP refuses to give up hope of finding answers and relief from severe pain anytime I eat. I had some new symptoms also crop up these last few weeks that have led to a few more tests over the next couple weeks. And to add to the fun, Bruce decided he didn't want to be left out, so he was in the ER and diagnosed with gallstones. He will schedule an appointment with a surgeon to follow up!

This weekend is a big weekend for the kids... Maddy will be showing at the Appaloosa World Show in Fort Worth. If you are local and would like to come watch, please reach out. If you are not local here is the link to watch on live stream. She is competing in 5 classes, two on Friday and 3 on Saturday. Friday. We expect to start around 4 on Friday and Saturday around 9. Appaloosa World Show LiveStream

Alex will be participating in his 10th year of Extra Life this weekend as well! If you would like to know more or support him the following link is to his page. Alex Beckwith Extra Life

Thank you to everyone who continues to support us with love, friendship and prayers.

Ali