There is joy in the world and we only have to open our hearts to see it. Sometimes, it is a challenge to deal with the daily issues that come with parenting a child on the Autism Spectrum. Over time, I have learned there is also an incredible amount of joy in our family because we live with Autism.
A few years ago I wrote two different articles about JOY!: "Music Can Be The Bridge" and "6 Hour EEG"

Clean slate. Mulligans. Do overs.
We can wipe a chalk board clean, some people use Mulligans in golf, and in a friendly game of darts you might be lucky if your opponent allows you a do over when you hit them in the shoulder instead of the board.
Life isn't about do overs. In life, we are given the opportunity to learn from our experiences, grow from our mistakes, and we can decide what attitude we will have along the way. Pretty simple when you think about. Living it is another story.
2009 has been a tremendous year for AutismSpot:

We are in the second trimester of our third pregnancy. Sam is eight (almost nine) and Luke is now five years old. It's been almost a decade since our first pregnancy and it is amazing how little has changed. Don't get me wrong, there are all kinds of new contraptions, toys, fancy car seats, websites, and other advances that have occurred in the past ten years. What hasn't changed is the lack of information regarding the causes of Autism.

Beep Beep Beep.
Security Breached.
Mason has never been what many autism parents refer to as “a runner”. He tends to keep close to Rashele and I most of the time. As of late though, he’s had a growing curiosity with the flowers he and his siblings recently planted in the pots that reside on our front porch. His desire to water and observe them daily is a requirement.
Much to our dismay we recently discovered that Mason can now unlock both deadbolts on our front door and make a getaway.

I've never thought of myself as having a shortage of friends. While I would love to have more friends that I could go hang out with on a moments notice, I know that period in my life is long behind me. I've been blessed with some great lifelong friends that despite changes in our lives, if given the opportunity, could pick right up where we left off.