When opportunities present themselves, we need to have the courage to act on them. Our family did just that this summer. We got a job offer to return to our first career love- TEACHING- and be closer to our families, after 12 years of living away. We decided to accept the offer, and move to UTAH. We have been here for almost 3 months. It was pretty stressful there for a while, but we have all made the adjustments in school, and are making buddies, and looking for a permanent home.
We have gotten to see our Great- Grandparents for the first time for some of our kids, and 7 years for others. It was awesome to spend time with them and listen to Great-Grandpa's World War 2 stories, and look at his memorabilia.
I think the best is Great Grandma's Lap- and her persistence to still teach someone how to tie their shoes.
We got to see great things on our adventure out west we took a week to travel, and see sights along our way. Hey why not, I don't know when we would travel back like that again. The kids got to see amazing sights, and learn so much.
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| Riding in a Covered Wagon pulled by Oxen in Illinois |
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| Lots of Farm Land |
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| Crossing the Mississippi River- admiring the lilly Fields |
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| Floods in Missouri- |
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| Wild Horses in Wyoming |
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| Just the other side of Devil's Gate is UTAH! |
So what does this mean for the More than Tics Support Group?
We had our last get together in June with everyone and said our goodbyes to Ohio. The families that have participated so far, are still in contact with each other. I still have contact information for TS families that want to continue to meet other TS families. There isn't a family support group meeting any more, however, we would encourage you to continue to reach out to others, and educate others in Ohio. Tanner had such a great opportunity as the Ambassador, and this is the same kind of opportunity you can apply for each year through
www.tsaohio.org. They have applications there and select new ambassadors to go to D.C. each spring. PLEASE APPLY! Have courage to do things that bring you out of your comfort zone, and provide opportunities for your family. Tanner gained so much confidence and really came to know and empathize with other kids. He had courage to get out of his comfort zone and put himself out there to help other kids. It wasn't always easy but it was so incredibly rewarding for both of us. We met and became friends with amazing kids and families, who just like you, needed to know they weren't alone in their TS Journey.
Tanner now is a junior at Roy High School in Roy Utah. He decided to join the swim team this year and has enjoyed it. He loves that his tics aren't as bad, and also for the goals and accomplishments he has made so far. This is the first time for him to EVER swim competitively. Another act of courage, and trying something for the first time.
We want to continue to help families with TS, although we do not live in Ohio any longer, we still have our list of contacts, and information of clinicians, and other families who would like to connect with other TS Families. Please feel free to contact us
