Max loves Baseball!

Max plays on a Special Olympics Baseball team. He loves it. Here are videos of him at practice.

Max Loves to Swim.

Max had his first swim meet for the year. It was around 60 degrees and he still loved swimming. 

Max swimming the 50 yard Freestyle and came in 2nd. 

Max swimming 50 yard Butterfly.

Max's first time swimming Backstroke. So proud of him. 

Max swimming 100 yards freestyle. 

A letter I wrote to Max

Dearest Awesome Max,

There are so many blessings that I have received since the moment you were put in my arms.

The most value blessing I have received is to be around you and feel your awesome spirit. You are a light to many and that even includes me. You are like a light house that helps me to stay focus on the purpose of life. You stand tall never wavering even when times get tough. Like the light houses that stand tall handle any type of storm. That is, you. You can handle storms even during difficult times.

Your smile is always a blessing to me. Because it helps me to see there is always a reason to smile.

Your desire to be honest helps me to see the value to always being truthful.

Your energy is like the light that shines out of the light house. It makes it easier to focus and see the right path that Heavenly Father wants us to travel on.

Max you are a priceless gift from God. You have been an instrument of helping him by your example. You are truly an angel and a messenger to me and many others.

Your testimony is the most precious procession you will ever have on earth. It the one item no one can take from you. It's a way to share with others how powerful faith, truth and living the commandments can help us to be happy.

I have truly enjoyed spending the summer with you. We have done fun activities, like watching TV, going to the batting cages, visiting with Grandma and taking one Saturday trip to Flagstaff. Those have been fun, but the real fun has been being together.

This coming school year is going to be a new adventure for you with PE, swim and taking algebra. The wonderful thing about these adventures is you will do great. You will continue to shine your light for all those around you.

Always remember that you are a child of God. You are the most valuable gift to me. Thank you for being so wonderful.

When you were little, and I was sick you came in my room and put your hands on my head and tried to give me a blessing. Even when you were little you knew the power of the Priesthood. You knew that a blessing can heal those that are sick.

Max please remember that the most important person you can have a relationship with is God and keeping open commutation with Him and always having the Holy Ghost with you to guide you during times of stress, frustration, anger and even during happy moments.

Max, you are a fabulous person and please don't let anyone tell you differently. If you stay close to the Holy Ghost it will help you to stay strong. It will help you to be strong and give you guidance when someone tries to get you to take drugs. It will help you to say no and make friends with those who chose not to do those bad things.

Max, thank you for being so special. Thank you for being so loving and kind. Thank you for being such a wonderful son, brother, and friend to others. Thank you for being such a wonderful Uncle.

I love you to the moon and back. I will love you always and forever,

I Love you, Mom :).

Max's Thoughts and Sayings

I have been writing down what Max has been saying over the years and I thought it was time to share them on his blog.

Max’s saying…

Max bends closer to the mirror, "Mom I can see the autism in my eyes, do you see it Mom?"

While I tucked Max in bed, he says, On the outside I look different than I feel in the inside."

Max asked me to tuck him in to bed and I said tonight will be the last time I tuck you in as a 13 years old. Max said, “tomorrow will be the first time for you to tuck me in as a 14 year old and when I get big I can take care of you when you are old. I'm the youngest and will live longer so I can take care of you."
Max you amazing.

Well, I want to take care of you when you are old.

August 15, 2009

We went to a Luau last night, and while there found out Max loves to Hawaiian dance.  Max got to dance on the stage, and it was hilarious, cute, and amazing to see him perform.  He asked me today if he can learn to dance.

The last two days Max has been praying for the homeless.  Asking Heavenly Father to keep them safe and help them have a place to be happy.  That they will be loved by everyone and we can love them too.

Max said, “Mama what do you think of my trick?”  I ask him what trick…he says, “Mama I put a cough drop in my mouth and made it disappear…It gave me a breath to breathe.   Isn’t that neat Mama.  I’m magic.”

November 24, 2009

Tomorrow is going to be fun.  I have a luncheon date with my son who has autism and his classmates.  Turkey soup, yum.

December 16, 2009

Sociologist told me today that Max will never be able to comprehend what he reads in a story. I don’t believe her.  She told me his IQ, and it’s disturbing.   Yes, he has autism, and yes he is unable to do what a nine year old can do, but I can say one thing, he is a valuable child of God. Oh, he can count, he can write his ABC’s, and he can read a little.

June 3, 2010

Max speaks with worry.  “Mom, There are bugs in the computer.”  I asked him if he saw any bugs and he stated, “No, it’s just the computer won’t work and there are bugs stopping it from working.”  So, if your computer isn’t working you might want to check for bugs.  No viruses come to our computers just bugs; just ask Max he knows everything.  Life without Max would be a substantial bore.

July 25, 2010

Max said, " Rain is as beautiful as a bride."

August 22, 2010

Max said tonight, "Mom I don't have a Grandpa anymore." Trent said, "Max you have two of them up in Heaven." My eyes began to produce tears as I heard Max say..."Really, they are in Heaven?"

September 1, 2010

Tonight, when getting ready for family prayer Max was asked to say prayer.  He said; “No let’s have someone else…Malachi why don’t you say prayer?”  We all began to giggle while Max became more serious and He spoke louder, Malachi say it…say a word… seven, six, five four, Malachi say a word…do I need to count to get you to say a word.”

September 14, 2010

As I helped Max get on his scout shirt, he informed me, that I’m a slow poke and his is fast poke.

October 23, 2010

Max said, “Mama it’s been four years since you have seen Grandma and Grandpa. Do you miss them?” I smiled. “Yes, Max I miss them.” He looked at me with tender eyes. “You will need to die to see them again. I guess Jesus wants you to have a test to see if you can live without them.” My eyes became misty after Max’s words of wisdom. 

October 27, 2010

Max loves his glow in the dark skeleton costume I made him.  I sewed the skeleton bones on the front and back of his costume.  He      was thrilled to wear it to his Halloween party at speech today to show his friends.  Max’s innocence and simply ways bring a smile to my face.  God has dearly blessed me with compassionate, intellectual children and I love them.

November 2, 2010

Max asked.  "Mom were magazines made when you were little or was that too long ago?"

November 8, 2010

Max asked me yesterday.  “Mom in the olden days, when you were little, was there an Air Force?”  I guess he thinks I’m ancient.

November 29, 2010

Max said, "Mom it's hard buying a gift for Michael because he is grown up.  If he was little like me, it would be easier.  I think I will get him Disney jackets for a Christmas present."

December 1, 2010

Max opened his car door window and said, “Ah, I feel like a spirit.”  Haylee asked why and he said, “Because I feel good like when I obey Jesus. “Then a while later he said he and his brother are viola brothers because they both play the viola. 

 January 11, 2011

 Max informed me on Sunday while I was helping him shower.

“Mom I want you to know I’m going on my mission to Utah, getting married in Colorado and living in New York with my wife and you and dad.”

You know, Max has been a shining light and a blessing to me and all those around him. It's been a difficult journey at times to find the right road to travel on to help Max, but it's well worth it to see him develop into the amazing young man that he has become. 

January 29, 2011

Max is going on his first Cub Scout hike this morning.  Malachi is going to go with him.

February 1, 2011

Today Max and I watched all episodes of Mario Brothers, Veggie tales, and Bob the builder.  While we sat together Max put his arm around me, “Mom everybody, but Jesus and Heavenly Father have a lot more to learn.”  Then three minutes later he said, “Milk is just like snow.”

April 1, 2011

Max is singing Gloria In Excelsis Deo. I love it.

May 23, 2011

Max gave family prayer tonight.  “Bless everyone that lives in the house and everyone that lives out of the house.  Bless that Malachi will get all his homework done.”

It was short and sweet.

May 27, 2011

“Mom I know why I go to therapy, because I have autism and you want me to be typical.”

July 27, 2011

Max started to cry when I put his brother Michael's scout shirt on him.  He said, "Mom I can't wear that everyone will think I'm Michael."

September 30, 2011

Max will be home any minute.  Can't wait to hear what questions he has.  Last night, I told him the beef soup I made would make him bigger. It was the only way to get him to eat it. 

First thing he asked this morning, "Do I look bigger?  Look at me mom, I'm taller and will soon be bigger than Michael."

February 17, 2013

Mom I want to go home because I had a headache.   I think that I should stay home.  

 If you have a headache and you need to go home, then you shouldn't play on your I pod or watch tv

Okay mom I 'll stay at church  

And what can I do.

 Mom I don't want to talk about Malachi mission or write about because it’s hard.  Because me and him were so close

March 13, 2013

I will turn 13 on March 18, 2013 and it will be in 1 month

Be on the baseball team is the best because I think that it is the best.

Minecraft is the funniest game Because i think that it is interesting because you get to craft your own world.

My mom asked Siri a bunch of questions and we laughed to every question and we thought that it was funny.

 April 13, 2013 

“At the end of the rainbow there is a pot filled with people saying nice things.”  Written by my son Max, who has Autism

June 3, 2013

Me: how was I so lucky to get you?

Max: "you asked God for me and so if you ask God, he will give you what you want."

June 23, 2013

I walk in footsteps and I don’t understand who I come. From the world it is confusing because it is commanded because I am Mormon, and Mormons have a belief that God created them. By max well Reynolds 

May 24, 2014

Love hearing Max play his viola.

In October of 2014 Max had a meltdown at the special Olympics. The coach removed his band on his arm because he the relay team he was supposed to swim with was not able to make it. So they put Max on another relay team. As the coach put a new band on Max's wrist with someone else's name as the swimmer he got upset to the point he told me he is not going to swim. He placed his hands on my shoulders and with tears in his eyes said, "Mom I'm not going to be charge with identify Thief and swim as someone else. That is wrong mom, wrong." I told him we will see what we can do. Max opened my backpack and I asked him what he needed. " I need a pin mom, I want to put my name on my wristband." I told him to wait a minute. Thankfully the head coach was close by. I approach her hoping she would see  the frustration on my face. I explain to her the problem and she went and got Max a new wristband with his name on it and different relay team. Max didn't care about the numbers he cared about being arrested for identify thief.
Max said, "if Jesus Christ was President of the United States our country would be better, and the people would work together.

March 28, 2015

Max singing the National Anthem. Could not hear because the girl he sang with drowned him out.

September 2, 2015

Max prayer

"Please help those men that used bad words they will stop and become mature.

Bless Grandma that Angels will comes get her and the raise of heaven open to bring her peace. "

November 21, 2016

Max says, "I think my sister has arectaphobia because she is afraid of spiders." 

Every day he educates me with a new word I have never heard of. He has been a blessing and a joy in my life, and I love him dearly.

November 3, 2017

I told Max he has been a blessing and has taught me to stay on my toes. Max said, "It's been hard for you to keep on your toes." 

I asked him what do you mean keep on my toes?

He said, "You have had to fellow me when I took things down or was destructive and wild." 

You know Max I would not replace you for you anything.

Max said, "Well I have calmed down and I'm not as destructive as I was then." 

I said, "Well I'm glad I have you."

Max prayer

"Please help those men that used bad words they will stop and become mature.

Bless Grandma that Angels will comes get her and the raise of heaven open to bring her peace. "

Max says if he was a general, he would have a dance before the war and then after the war have a party and hand out certificates and then release the people to go home.  

I would like to share my testimony with you. For those who don't know me my name is Max. I have been planning this for a month now. You probably asking what am I going to be talking about, I'm talking about my family first and how I can get family back together in order to get my family back together I must love them as Christ loved me. You may be asking what is Christ's love it's called brotherly kindness . Bothering kindness is obtained only through God's diligence. God's diligence is only obtained through obeying God's 10 commandments. read exodus 20: 3-17 for what the commandments are. Moses 1:39 

Max gave an amazing testimony. He shared how when you are playing baseball and you aim for a target and miss there are consequences. He shared how when he was a in the tent at Whitney and the wind was blowing and he couldn't sleep because he was scared so he prayed for help to sleep. All because of bob the marmot. I named a marmot bob when I was with Noah, Jared and Jonathan at about two miles from the top of mount Whitney.

Max was voted for the third time.

Max was voted for the third time again to be in the Mr. Wonderful pageant at school. After the school realized that he was a super senior they have decided instead to have him be a judge for the pageant.

Here is the letter about him being voted in being the pageant.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your peers thought that you were so amazing that they knew to nominate you for Mr. Wonderful! If you're interested in winning a big cash prize for simply being yourself, then prove your friends right and fill out the packet attached to this email. Once you've printed and completed the form, stop by room 7000 and drop it off in the designated "Mr. Wonderful" box. We are so excited to see what you bring to the stage and we wish you the best of luck! Look forward to next weeks episode to find out who's going to be The Bachelor in Paradise!

He is so excited to be a guest judge at the pageant. 

Max tasted a cucumber!!!

Since Max was a little boy he has never wanted to eat anything that is green. 

When he was in forth grade he received from his teacher a coupon 

to get a free hamburger at In and Out Burger. 

When he saw the pickles on the hamburger he refused 

to eat it even after I took the pickles off of it. 

All because a green food touched his hamburger. 

On January 16, 2019 that all changed. He tried a small piece of cucumber and celery. 

I hope he can learn to enjoy salads someday like I do. 

I have been encouraging him to eat lettuce, cucumbers, celery and other green foods. 

Max had an adventure

Over the weekend we went out for lunch at a new restaurant called 

Not My Typical Deli

Max ordered a Spaghetti sandwich. 

From the video above you can tell he loved the sandwich. 

A bag of chips and pickle also came with the sandwich.

 He would not eat the pickle, because he doesn't like to eat anything green.

 He has been that way since he was a little boy. 

Max is going to put in a application to work there. 

Here is a Gilbert newspaper article that was written on this restaurant. 

NYT Deli isn’t your typical eatery

By Srianthi Perera

NYT (Not Your Typical) Deli takes its name from its staff.

About 70 percent of its young adult employees are autistic or have development disabilities.

“Kids with autism have a hard time getting a job because there’s that sigma that they can’t function. And they can,” said Pam DePalma, co-owner and manager. “It’s just once they’ve learned the job, they’ve got it. And they’re probably some of the best employees you would have.

“There’s no drama, they want to be here, they show up on time, for the most part, they’re happy and eager to please, and it’s really a great staff,” she added.

The delicatessen features a good selection of hot and cold chef-designed sandwiches, hot dogs, chop salads and bakery desserts. It’s located in Gilbert Town Square, in the vicinity of the Regal Gilbert Stadium.

The new location has been a blessing, too. It was earlier housed in smaller premises at Val Vista Drive and Baseline Road and moved here in December.

“It’s so much better over here,” DePalma said.

The larger site, which can seat 60 patrons inside and up to 40 outside, has space for One More Bite Bakery and Bergies Coffee Roast House. Plans are being made to add dinner hours during Fridays and the weekend to attract theater patrons.  

NYT Deli is owned by Chef W and his wife, Chef Vanessa Luna, as well as Pam and Chuck DePalma, who take care of the business side.

“We were troubled by the fact that there aren’t very many transition programs for kids when they get out of high school if they’re not going to college,” said Pam, whose son, Daniel, is autistic.

Daniel brings food out, buses tables and does dishes in the kitchen.

Although the transition was “a little difficult” for him and for the staff, they adapted in time, Pam said. “It’s just different way of thinking and processing and we train differently,” she said. Sometimes, it may take saying something differently so that they understand it or it just might be repetition.”

The deli is planning to hire more autistic workers in the future. It’s also working with Square One, a non-profit, which is focused on empowering capable adults with disabilities with unique opportunities.

Currently, the unemployment rate for adults with autism in Arizona is nearly 90 percent.

 NYT Deli is located at 1166 S. Gilbert Road, Suite 101, Gilbert. Open hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.