Our Happy Place

The pool is our happy place. 

In the water I'm not defined or confined by my wheelchair. 

I can hold William on my hip & even WALK with him. 

It's truly MAGIC!

I didn't even realize it, but I use one hand to hold onto Will & then I single arm dip us down to the ground to transfer into the pool. 

Then I set Will to the side while I transfer into the water first. 

Once we got used to the chilly water temperature & started splashing and 

playing Willam warmed right up.

When it comes time to get out I set William on the edge first and then I get myself out of the pool, which is more challenging than you'd think. 

Since I'm mostly paralyzed from the waist down, I'm basically lifting dead weight. But once I get the majority of my legs out of the water I do a little twist so I'm back sitting on the edge.

Daddy's able to get way more height & all the smiles. 

It's not hard to get smiles out of this kid when we are in the 

water splashing & being thrown around. 

I love how these photos capture how I get in and out of the pool without fully-functioning legs. 

First I have to push myself up out of the pool high enough that I can twist my body and sit on the edge. 

After getting out of the water my legs go stiff and I have to force them down so I can get back into my wheelchair. Meanwhile, William was on the runaway. 

It was so much fun working with Mersadi Olson Photography to capture the 

simple & magical moments in the water.