On the Move

Joseph is on the Move
Classes have begun for the spring semester at the UofU for Joseph. He is a non-matriculated grad student (not yet officially accepted into the grad program). His classes in the Public Administration Department include:

• Administration Theory
• Research Design
• Disabilities Study Forum

Joseph's work in his internship at the Disabilities Law Center is very exciting and he really loves it. On Monday he was interviewed at length by KUTV's Rod Decker and was on the KUTV News at Noon, 5PM and again at 6PM. (We'll see if we can get some footage to include in a future post). A big refinery fire bumped it from the 10PM news.

The big issue is the budget cuts necessary because of the economic downturn. The State will be cutting budgets drastically, the question is where? Joseph has really enjoyed attending Appropriation Committee meetings and visiting with many different senators and representatives. He had a really engaging private visit with the Speaker of the House David Clark (R) in his office for 30 minutes on Jan 12.

At noon this coming Wednesday (21st) Joseph will be speaking at the UofU's Hinckley Institute in a forum: Service, Politics and Disabilities (See the program here: http://www.hinckley.utah.edu/events/forums/Jan_forums.pdf ). He also has several visits with other media outlets in the coming days. He makes a pretty effective spokesman for those with disabilities. Some of the potential loss of State funding could have a huge impact on our family.

Tim is on the Move
On Jan. 12th Tim had his followup visit to the surgeon on his leg. He took his thumb drive and talked the Dr. out of the X-rays. They show the plate, screws and pin Dr. Butterfield installed in Tim's Fibula. (click on this link: http://www.amicusvisualsolutions.com/cgi-bin/reference.cgi?topic=0711072_FibulaFixation to see an illustration of how it works, and click here to Enlarge a different one).

The next day he was back at work using his cool new scooter instead of crutches. Joseph clued him into the option, showing his dad photos of several styles downloaded from the internet. After the Dr. faxed a perscription, IHC delivered it to the house. The scooter is awesome on the straightaways, not so speedy to do a U-turn. At church today the kids were all jealous. In two more weeks Tim can walk on his new boot.

Gloria: the Bearings That Keep Us All Moving
The only reason the males in the Taggart household can move at all is because of Gloria's sacrifice and constant hard work. As transportation coordinator she has had to drive everyone everywhere this past little bit. Tim is anxious to try driving this coming week. He will just have to wait to put his protective boot on when he gets where he going. We'll hope for the best.

Welcome 2009

Happy New Year

It's 2009. Joseph, Gloria and Tim celebrated the New Year with a barn dance and feast at home (okay would you believe a snack and sitting with feet up?) Our friends Pam and Tyler brought over the pictured balloon, it was the festive moment here. But we are excited for the prospects of a new year.

Let It Snow

The snow just keeps coming. It is truly beautiful from the inside out. We need the moisture here in The Great American Desert of Utah so we are grateful for it.

Tim's Leg

It's mending. . . He's been off work since the accident trying to use his annual leave befoe he loses it. So far his rehab by sitting around is progressing. Gloria and Elizabeth changed the dressing today (providing the photo op). The grandkids think it is amazing.

Three Years Ago Today

Today is the third anniversary of Joseph's accidentin Guatemala (he is mistaken on the date in the video). It has been a fascinating journey for us all over the course of those three years. The result is a great deal of gratitude and love for all those who have helped, directly and through prayers and faith. There is also a feeling that life is to be lived and enjoyed through every obstacle. Our opportunities to grow come from the challenges. We thought you might be interested in the video Joseph's friend shot as they were trying to get Joseph to a hospital (on a lawnchair in the back of a pickup truck on a barge). Notice his amazing positive attitude. It is amazing still.

Joseph Today

"Life goes on" it is true, but "Come what may and love it" is closer to the message. Joseph is loving his experience as an intern with the Disability Law Center. He is especially interested in interacting with the state representatives and senators. He finds fascinating the difference in attitude among them toward those with disabilities. It has been helpful in many instances for Joseph to be able to share personal experiences. He is an example of a person with disabilities who has the potential of becoming a long-term productive tax paying citizen . . . because of state programs which are helping. The idea of cutting funding to those type of programs is a problem of selling off tomorrows for a bargain today.

2009

'Tomorrow' is a challenge for all of us, but as our family looks forward to 2009 we do so in faith and confidence, knowing that we can trust in the Lord, that we can work our hardest, and that we have family and friends throughout the world that share our hopes, dreams and aspirations.