31 for 21: I'm Borrowing

There are so many great posts out there and I found this one on  Tina's blog, and she found it on Dana Nieder's blog, Uncommon Sense.  Dana is the author.

I loved it, because I could so see myself in her description.  I remember when I first found out about Em I frantically and insanely thought I could turn back time. For a few seconds I seriously thought there must be a way to go back, you know a re-do.  It was the strangest feeling ever, I think I really lost it for a minute.


Amsterdam International

Parents of “normal” kids who are friends with parents of kids with special needs often say things like “Wow! How do you do it? I wouldn’t be able to handle everything---you guys are amazing!” (Well, thank you very much.) But there’s no special manual, no magical positive attitude serum, no guide to embodying strength and serenity . . . people just do what they have to do. You rise to the occasion, and embrace your sense of humor (or grow a new one). You come to love your life, and it’s hard to imagine it a different way (although when you try, it may sting a little). But things weren’t always like this . . . at first, you ricocheted around the stages of grief, and it was hard to see the sun through the clouds. And forget the damn tulips or windmills. In the beginning you’re stuck in Amsterdam International Airport. And no one ever talks about how much it sucks.

You briskly walk off of the plane into the airport thinking “There-must-be-a-way-to-fix-this-please-please-don’t-make-me-have-to-stay-here-THIS-ISN’T-WHAT-I-WANTED-please-just-take-it-back”. The airport is covered with signs in Dutch that don’t help, and several well-meaning airport professionals try to calm you into realizing that you are here (oh, and since they’re shutting down the airport today, you can never leave. Never never. This is your new reality.). Their tone and smiles are reassuring, and for a moment you feel a little bit more calm . . . but the pit in your stomach doesn’t leave and a new wave of panic isn’t far off.

(Although you don’t know it yet, this will become a pattern. You will often come to a place of almost acceptance, only to quickly re-become devastated or infuriated about this goddamned unfair deviation to Holland. At first this will happen several times a day, but it will taper to several times a week, and then only occasionally.)

A flash of realization---your family and friends are waiting. Some in Italy, some back home . . . all wanting to hear about your arrival in Rome. Now what is there to say? And how do you say it? You settle on leaving an outgoing voicemail that says “We’ve arrived, the flight was fine, more news to come” because really, what else can you say? You’re not even sure what to tell yourself about Holland, let alone your loved ones.

(Although you don’t know it yet, this will become a pattern. How can you talk to people about Holland? If they sweetly offer reassurances, it’s hard to find comfort in them . . . they’ve never been to Holland, after all.


And their attempts at sympathy? While genuine, you don’t need their pity . . . their pity says “Wow, things must really suck for you” . . . and when you’re just trying to hold yourself together, that doesn’t help. When you hear someone else say that things are bad, it’s hard to maintain your denial, to keep up your everything-is-just-fine-thank-you-very-much outer shell. Pity hits too close to home, and you can’t admit to yourself how terrible it feels to be stuck in Holland, because then you will undoubtedly collapse into a pile of raw, wailing agony. So you have to deflect and hold yourself together . . . deflect and hold yourself together.)

You sneak sideways glances at your travel companion, who also was ready for Italy. You have no idea how (s)he’s handling this massive change in plans, and can’t bring yourself to ask. You think “Please, please don’t leave me here. Stay with me. We can find the right things to say to each other, I think. Maybe we can have a good life here.” But the terror of a mutual breakdown, of admitting that you’re deep in a pit of raw misery, of saying it out loud and thereby making it reality, is too strong. So you say nothing.

(Although you don’t know it yet, this may become a pattern. It will get easier with practice, but it will always be difficult to talk with your partner about your residency in Holland. Your emotions won’t often line up---you’ll be accepting things and trying to build a home just as he starts clamoring for appointments with more diplomats who may be able to “fix” it all. And then you’ll switch, you moving into anger and him into acceptance. You will be afraid of sharing your depression, because it might be contagious---how can you share all of the things you hate about Holland without worrying that you’re just showing your partner all of the reasons that he should sink into depression, too?)

And what you keep thinking but can’t bring yourself to say aloud is that you would give anything to go back in time a few months. You wish you never bought the tickets. It seems that no traveler is ever supposed to say “I wish I never even got on the plane. I just want to be back at home.” But it’s true, and it makes you feel terrible about yourself, which is just fantastic . . . a giant dose of guilt is just what a terrified lonely lost tourist needs.

Although you don’t know it yet, this is the part that will fade. After you’re ready, and get out of the airport, you will get to know Holland and you won’t regret the fact that you have traveled. Oh, you will long for Italy from time to time, and want to rage against the unfairness from time to time, but you will get past the little voice that once said “Take this back from me. I don’t want this trip at all.”

Each traveler has to find their own way out of the airport. Some people navigate through the corridors in a pretty direct path (the corridors can lead right in a row: Denial to Anger to Bargaining to Depression to Acceptance). More commonly, you shuffle and wind around . . . leaving the Depression hallway to find yourself somehow back in Anger again. You may be here for months.

But you will leave the airport. You will.

And as you learn more about Holland, and see how much it has to offer, you will grow to love it.

And it will change who you are, for the better.

(copyright - Dana Nieder, 10/2010.

31 for 21 : Wordless Wednesday

31 for 21: A Fundraiser for Lera

Lera's forever family is having a fundraiser. Check it out.  Very cool t- shirt!!!

31 for 31: Another True fact

Em will never starve to death. Any kid that knows where the food is and how to get it will be OK in this world. Shows assertiveness! Don't wait for what you want , go get it yourself!! 
Of course in this house those are really good words to live by!

31 for 21:Thankful Sunday

I'm getting in under the wire!!!! But I'm in!  have to make it short and sweet this week, my Hubby is timing me. Since I'm using his computer, guess I can't put up a fight.


I had to run to the dollar store the other day. We've had a lot on our minds lately and pretty heavy hearts over our finances. Anyway, I got what I needed and was on my way to check out.  I didn't want to go down isles I didn't need, no need to tempt myself. I love the dollar store but you can easily get carried away.  Well I went to the last isle and then realized it was all gift bags and  I wasn't interested, so I backed up. Staring me straight in the eye was this   

I took it as a personal message.  I had to laugh because I'm always telling God to just give it to me straight. No hidden messages or things I have to figure out. I'm no good at that. I need it in black and white! LOL  Well I guess I got it.

It's a gift bag BTW!

And it was surrounded by other bags with inspirational messages on them. I don't know how long I stood there reading them,  because I am convinced Jesus is always in the background finagling things for us, I found a dollar in a pair of jeans before I went to the store. See He even covered the cost of the bag . 


So I am thankful for Jesus showing us that He is present in our lives , He knows our needs and He is with us, even in the Dollar Store.

31 for 21: Against All Odds

It is documented that approximately 75% of babies with down syndrome die in utero, another 80 - 90% are aborted, and another 60% are born with heart defects.
I could go on and on with stats and percentages but you've all heard them.


This post is for any one on the fence right now. You see I don't know if anyone reading this is pregnant. I have no way of telling who you are when you come to my blog. This post may very well fall on deaf ears, so to speak, or it my save a life. 


Our Sweets beat the odds, incredible odds just to see the light of day. They are strong, tough and determined. They are courageous and beautiful. They bring joy and happiness to every life they come in contact with. And the world and your life will be a better place with them in it. 


If you were recently handed a diagnosis of Down syndrome, take a deep breath and regroup. I swear it's nothing like you think it is . It's a gazillion times better.


If anyone told me about two years ago I would ever be writing these words I would have told them , that they would have a better chance of growing wings. I was one of those people who said, " special needs children are wonderful, but for someone else, someone who can handle it".  I was even so bold as to say, " God knows I couldn't handle that, He would never give us a child with Special needs", guess He heard that one, LOL!!!


If you are in this situation what I'm trying to say is, we all were. And isn't it odd that we are all so HAPPY now??? Isn't that worth a little research? I challenge you to find a family completely miserable because they have a child with Ds. I tried when I was pregnant. I spent hours surfing the Internet looking for one heart broken family who would tell me how awful Ds was, how it had ruined their lives. I couldn't find them. All I found were happy families and their beautiful and happy children. I couldn't believe it at first. It was hard for me to accept. But it's true.
I had to see it to believe it. The second I saw Miss Em, I knew it. I knew all those families that I found, were telling the truth. 

Our children enter this world against all odds. They want to live! They deserve to live and be loved, and celebrated just like any other child. They are a gift from God, handed to you, ever so gently.

For you created my inmost being;   you knit me together in my mother's womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
       psalm, 139

31 for 21: My First Post

I thought I would catch anyone new to my blog up on Em's beginning. This month is an appropriate time to re- post my first post.


This Is Us, written on April 14, 2009

Today is day one. My first post. It's pretty primitive compared to what's out there, but it is a start.Let me introduce ourselves,I'm Stephanie and my husbands name is Peter, then there is Aniela,22, Olivia,11, Sophia, 9, Bella,7, Andrew,5, and our daughter Emilia Faith who was born on October 22,2008,with Down Syndrome. That day turned out to be the happiest day of my life, but the months before her birth were far from happy. On May 21,2008 I went for a level 2 ultrasound, for no other reason than my "advanced" age (39). I just wanted to get in, get out and get on with my perfectly normal pregnancy. This was my fifth baby, and if there was one thing I could do it was have healthy babies. Well, the technician came in and did her thing, now we had to wait for the doctor. We didn't wait long. Great a quick acquittal, and we're out of here.Wrong. Seems the baby had an echogenic bowel. That is when the bowels appear bright white on the ultrasound.The only part of the baby that is supposed to show up white is bone, everything else is gray or black.It's not a huge issue the doctor assured me, but it is a soft marker. "A soft marker for what"? I asked. "Down Syndrome" the doctor replied. The feelings that immediately came over me were fear, I can't handle a special needs baby, our lives are basically  over, and doubt, how will we ever be happy again, and, guilt, what have I done! Were we greedy to want just one more baby? Anger, lots and lots of anger. Who is this guy? How can he sit there and tell me I could be having a baby with DS. Then of course came the mother of all questions from the doctor. "What do you want to do with this pregnancy"? Well, let me think about that, for starters, how about I walk out of here the same way I walked in -PREGNANT ! To say I freaked out completely would be the understatement of the year, no the century. I even got the bright idea to take the AFP quad test. Bad idea, it came back positive. Within 2 days my odds of a healthy baby went from 1/75 to 1/2 . Things were not looking good.I took a crash DS course on the Internet to try to educate myself as much as possible. The good and the bad. We gathered the kids and told them as gently as possible that most likely our new baby would be born with DS. I had this beautiful image in my head that after we told them there would be a few tears , then immediate acceptance and a group hug. Wrong again. What there was, was loud wailing, fears of losing friends, fear of the baby looking different .Every one ran off crying and slamming doors. My husband Peter and I sat there with our mouths hanging open.Who were those kids, that's not how we are raising our children. Then my husband assured me, to give them time and they will come around . The first one on the scene was Bella, and what did this little sweet thing say? "we'll just love her".One by one they came around, and with the incredible support of friends and family we managed to get through the next 4 months of my pregnancy.It wasn't easy, I had at least one meltdown a day. There were days that I just wanted to walk away from it all. Doubt took over many times."I can't do this ",was how I began every prayer.Doctors visits, that in the past had always been something I looked forward to became stressful. Doctors were always too willing to remind me that 75% of "theses babies" die in utero, or (and this was one of my favorites) "the baby looks great, good heart, good measurements, but something catastrophic could still happen". Isn't that nice! But we went on, what else could we do.Finally it was October 21, my last doctors appointment, my due date was Oct 24, done with these stressful visits. Wrong yet again. My doctor suggested one last ultrasound since it had been a month since my last one. Fine, I'm 3 days away from due date, what could possibly go wrong. Well, after the ultrasound the doctor had a strange look on her face,"you have no amniotic fluid left, did your water break?" Ok
I have never felt the presence of God stronger than at that moment. This has been an extremely long post, but when I found out that Emilia most likely would be born with DS, I searched online for hope. I had no place else to turn. The doctors don't tell you things will be OK.They don't tell you, sure there is a very likely chance of some serious health issues and this is going to be the most challenging time of your life, but hang in there,have faith,whatever the out come, this is your baby,the one God picked especially for you.It's not a mistake,or a burden,it's a blessing. If I can be a comfort to someone ,who is where I was just a few months ago,that's great.I found a lot of comfort and support reading about families with children who have DS,and that life goes on and it goes on beautifully.

31 for 21 : Remember Lera?

Of course you do! No one can forget this Sweetie. For anyone who is new to my blog, Lera is  an orphan, She now has a family committed to her. She lost two forever families and had aged out. It looked as though without a miracle she would spend the rest of her life in an institution. We all prayed for her and posted pleas for her, and I'm sure we all cried for her.  Jesus heard our prayers. Lera was saved by a most beautiful family.


I have never written a post like this before but I feel so compelled to do so, I just cannot ignore it. Lera's forever family still needs to raise a lot of money. And seriously this little one really just needs to get home.I feel like I need to stay involved in some way until she's home. I can't explain it, but I feel almost a responsibility to help in what ever way I can. This little girl stole my heart. And knowing she has a family who is committed to her doesn't relinquish me from my responsibilities. She still isn't home. And they still need so much money. We prayed for this family to come along for Lera and I feel like we should all follow it through. Do you know what I'm trying to say? Gosh, I hope so. 

Please drop by and see how they are doing, and if you can, please help. Every single dollar is one dollar closer. There is no such thing as a small donation. If you've stopped praying for Lera because you thought she was safe, please start praying again. Yes, she is safe but she is not HOME.


Please guys, let's rally one more time for Lera and get her home. how incredible would it be if Lera's family was fully funded by the end of October. In honor of Lera and Down syndrome Awareness Month, lets do it!!!!


And could I ask you all to add a link to her blog, maybe a few words and let's get the posts out there that Lera and her family still need our help!!! And if everyone could add her button to their sidebar?

Thank you!!!

31 for 21 : A True Fact

My very own true fact. 
And it is:  While the cat (Mommy ) is not away but actually standing right there saying, "no,no!!" the mouse will play...

and play,

and play,

and play,

and play,

and then leave, her work here is done. Time to move on to bigger and better messes.

I'm loving two!!! 

31 for 21, My Favorite

As a small group of political and church leaders looked on,
 Jesus lifts a mentally handicapped child out of her high- chair, kisses her and sits her on His knee, He dips a crust of bread in wine and feeds it to her, morsel by morsel.


As He does so, Jesus says: "I know what you are thinking. You need a sign. What better one could I give than to make this little one whole and new?
I could do it ; but I will not.
I am the Lord and not a conjurer.
I gave this mite a gift I denied all of you- eternal innocence.
To you she looks imperfect, but to me she is flawless, like the bud that dies unopened or the fledgling that falls from the nest to be devoured by ants. 
She will never offend me , as all of you have done.
She will never pervert or destroy the work of my hands.
She is necessary to you.
She will evoke the kindness that will keep you human.
Her infirmity will prompt you gratitude for your own good fortune.
More! She will remind you that every day I am who I am, that my ways are not your ways and that the smallest dust mite whirled in the darkest space does not fall out of my hand...
I have chosen you.
This little one is my sign to you.
Treasure her!"



I don't know who wrote this but it is one of my absolute favorite's. The hand of Jesus Himself must have been guiding their pen and whispering the words in to their ears. I keep it on my fridge and can't even count the times that I have read it. 

31 for 21, Doug Billings

Another blessing found on facebook... Doug Billings. I've been reading his inspirational and heart felt writings and thought this would be a perfect time to share with anyone who hasn't had the pleasure yet. 

 

If you haven't read,Down Syndrome and the divine chromosome, today should be the day.

 

 

 

31 for 21, Thankful Sunday

I'm so tired!! We are all completely wiped out from our Buddy Walk today. It was awesome!! We had a huge turnout, and cuteness everywhere you looked. 

Miss Em walked...

and walked...

and walked...

and walked????

OK, now you can carry me.

There was a firetruck for exploring

Oooooo, this day was great!!!

 And I am thankful for all the support from friends and "family"
today. We are truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives.

31 For 21, Thank You Moms...

I was just friended by a woman on facebook. A woman I never met, a woman who lives on the other side of the country. Not unusual, right? I mean people have hundreds of "friends" on FB. How many do you actually know? Probably just a handful. 


I never really got into the idea of FB. I mean, I don't have time to tell everyone my cat just threw up or I need a cup of coffee. And does anyone really care? Then probably, some time after I started my blog, I decided to just check it out, see if I could get any friends. Curiosity got the best of me.  My thoughts were to connect with old friends. That was cool. I did find a couple and for that reason alone I stayed on FB.   Then something wonderful happened, I started getting friend requests from people I didn't know, but people I was certainly connected to.  How did they find me? Who were these people? 

Other Moms, other moms just like me. I realized there was yet another world out there. Another form of support and information for families who have a child with Down syndrome.

As a mom with a younger child I look for direction from someone who as already been where I am right now. It's easy for a new mother to find a role model. It could be her own mother, or sister, a friend maybe. But what about the mom who has a child with Ds? My mom was a good mother but she doesn't know what it's like to have a child with Ds.  Of course the taking care of and nurturing , diaper changing, etc, is all the same. What I'm talking about is the therapies, and the doctors and inclusion, and bullying. Dealing with people who don't accept your child, who don't think they are just the cutest thing on two feet. Doctors who just p*ss you off. And the myriad of other issues that can arise without a moments notice. Issues that can be resolved. But, how? That's the question. So who has the answer?


Other moms. Moms who have paved the path, moms who went full steam ahead, moms who didn't take no for an answer. The mothers who dared to question the doctors and the schools and society. The moms who insisted their child was worth it. 

The mothers of the children who have become the adults. The first advocates, raising the first generation of self advocates.  


So am I preaching that all the answers can be found on FB. Of course not. If it were only that easy, right?

But, getting back to the woman who sent me the friend request. Her son is forty- eight years old. What a wealth of information she is. I'm sure of it. There is a couple who attend my church. Their son is Fifty!! and I would be remiss if i didn't mention Joyce, Sarah's mother. Joyce,you are amazing! 

They are the pioneers! They were caring for their children when people were telling them not to! In a time when it wasn't "acceptable". 
Moms with adult children are a blessing to us with younger children. They are our most valuable source of information.   

And today, on day two of Down syndrome Awareness Month I want to say THANK YOU!!!! 
Thank you for paving the way. Thank you for making things better for our children, for lighting our way, and being  extraordinary role models.

Here We Go,,, 31 for 21

If you haven't heard yet, October is Down syndrome awareness month. If you are new to my blog or a new parent to a child with Ds, or just found out you are carrying a child with Ds, this post is for you.


I thought my first post this month should be a congratulatory one. So to all of you who are just entering this beautiful world Welcome and Congratulations!


My daughter will turn two... gulp, this month and I have spent the last two years learning about her and her incredibly interesting extra chrom. I've learned medical facts up the wazoo! I've learned all about the "stats" The expected age of accomplishments.   I've learned all about Speech Therapy and OT and PT and Food clinics. I'm learning about schools and sign language and Music Therapy.  I've read books and talked to doctors and researched until I was dizzy.


And  do you know what the most important thing I found out was? It was the one thing I didn't learn from all the medical info or the stats that I felt the need to memorize or any session with her PT, OT or ST.  I didn't learn it from a book or a doctors office, and I definitely didn't learn it from researching on the Internet.


I learned the most important thing about Down syndrome from my daughter Emilia Faith . She taught me that after all is said and done, she's just a kid. She's just like any other little girl. 


She plays and laughs. She sleeps and poops. imagine that!
She loves to look at herself in the mirror, she loves to be outside, and of course TV, rocks! She listens to music and can keep a beat. She hugs and kisses her baby doll. She loves to eat, Tacos are her favorite along with any kind of pie. If you have an Oreo you'd better hide it, or she will stalk you until your pinned against a wall and have no choice but to hand it over. Her new favorite pass time is bouncing a ball. It simply puts her in hysterics.


She also knows how to throw a whopper of a tantrum, expects her way all the time and has a cheesy smile she saves for special occasions. She hears the word 'NO" at least 100 times a day, and acknowledges maybe one or two of them.   
If you read this any where else you would say to yourself, "sounds like a typical two year old to me".


Well that's exactly what she is. You see they 're not going to tell you that when they hand you a diagnosis of Ds. If they did the abortion rate wouldn't be around 90%. 


When I found out I was pregnant with Olivia, my first born, and a "typical" child. They didn't tell me there would be health scares and high fevers, stomach bugs and puke all over. They didn't tell me there would be days, that were so bad ,I would just sit and cry or days I wished I didn't have to let her go, How about the days when she's hurt and your heart is breaking for her. How about her first real disappointment , the kind you can't fix.  They don't warn you that hey, raising any kid is hard, and there is no such thing as a typical or "normal" child. There are struggles and there are hurdles to fly over, with all children 


And I know what you're thinking. What about all the health issues that come along with Ds. And yes, I know they are scary.
But... are they so scary that a child with say a heart condition isn't worth giving the chance to live?  If an unborn child is diagnosed with a heart condition and does not have Ds, and another child is diagnosed with the same heart condition and does have Ds, which one do you think has a better chance of being born?
 
My point being, health issues can come along with any child. Most can be treated. And every child deserves a chance to live.

If you are a new parent with a child who has Ds, then you understand the love you have for your baby. It's the most unbelievable feeling. 
If by some chance you're reading this and are carrying a child with Ds. Please find comfort. Don't be afraid. 
And if by some chance you are carrying a child with Ds and are uncertain what to do. Don't give up on your baby. You are carrying the sweetest gift you will ever be given. Hang on to him/her with all you might.

Life Is Good...I was tagged!

Becca from The Bates Motel and, mom to the gorgeous Miss Sammi, tagged me. Probably just what I needed right now,because Life is good! Circumstances and some situations in life are not always good , but life itself is!


These questions were not that easy to answer. I really had to put my thinking cap on.


1.If you blog anonymously, are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?


No I do not blog as Anon. I never have.  I am glad I didn't start out blogging as Anon, because when I started blogging I was looking for support.
I found it a comfort that people new my name and who I was. I don't have anything against people who do blog anonymously, it 's there choice.  It's what ever you feel comfortable with.


2. Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side.


There are many!!!  One that is apparent to most who know me is my need  to have the last word. Whether it be a good one or a not so good one, it's mine! I have been known to drag out discussions to a physically exhausting length, just to get the last grunt. 




3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?




Now these questions are getting pretty deep. Well I see someone who had to find her voice. With the birth of Em I became an instant advocate, no longer allowed to sit silently. I also see my youth fading...fast, but I see that I am living the happiest days of my life.


4. What is your favorite summer cold drink?


I wish I had some interesting concoction to name here but it's, just a plain old iced tea. Actually, Lipton diet ice tea. 


5. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it? 


I think if I were to answer no to this question I wouldn't be living life, I would just be existing. Life should be full of accomplishments waiting to be accomplished. I have a list, and it's pretty long. My most heart felt one is adoption.  We would love to adopt.


7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the class shy person, or always ditching school?




OK I'm flying past this one , I was a wild and reckless youth, I was always ditching! Enough said!


8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment in your life, what do you see?


It would be the moment I just couldn't turn a deaf ear to Jesus any more. He had been tugging at me for quite some time to come back to Him. During my teen and young adult years I put Jesus and the Church into the background, way in the back. I thought I knew better. HA! But that nagging to come back would not go away.Good thing Jesus is so persistent.




9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?


Surprisingly I don't have a hard time writing about myself. I want my blog to be a place where people can relate to what I'm writing about. If I'm not sharing some personal stuff I feel my blog wouldn't be what I intended it to be.



10. If you had the choice to sit and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?


This is an easy one. Give me a book and some quiet time any day of the week.  


OK, now I'm supposed to tag some unsuspecting reader. if you've already been tagged sorry, if not lets hear your answers. 


Bulldogma, from Adasperdown Town


Tina, from My Precious Saira


Cheryl, from Ruby's Life


Rochelle, from The Life and Times of Aidan and Alayna

Wordless Wednesday

It's Official!

I am now a member of the DSSRI Board of Directors! I've been bursting to tell this news since July but I had to wait to see if it all really would happen.


I filled out an application back in March, with little or no hope. And honestly I was OK with that. Whatever happened , happened.  Being on the Board wasn't something I was looking to do, the opportunity just sort of fell into my lap. 

I got the official word that I was elected onto the board in July, and the first meeting would be August 23rd. Now, I was getting excited!!


Well this is where it kind of gets silly. Guess where I was on August 23rd at 7:00pm? I was at the mall school shopping and having a grand ol' time with the family!!!!

Totally blew off the first meeting and made a "great" first impression!  I didn't realize it until the next day when I received an email from the coordinator thanking everyone present at the meeting for coming. I sat there reading that email in shock. I looked on my calendar and I had marked off the wrong date. I was all set to go to the meeting on the 27th
I got that sick feeling like when you were in school and you knew you were caught in the wrong and there was no way out. I sent an email apologizing and expected to be asked to step down before I even got a chance to step in. 
But low and behold all was forgiven and I promised to make it to the next meeting on the correct night! Which was last night. I was so nervous, I was on the verge of making myself sick. All I kept thinking was everyone would be thinking , "oh here's the gal that blew us off last month". 

Let me just say that yet again I worked myself into a nervous tither for no reason. Everyone was very kind and welcoming.  I think I'm really going to enjoy this!


My first "assignment ", our Buddy Walk on Sunday!








 

Apples, Apples Everywhere...

But mostly in our mouths! Yum! I lost count of how many Miss Em had.

I can't eat another apple... but they're so good!

Emmie did lots of walking

lots of cuteness

I know I just had an apple on my hands, where did it go?

And lots of fun!

Thankful Sunday

Now that school and the craziness has started again the weeks are going by even faster. The kids have been in school for almost a month already. Wasn't I just sitting here posting that it was almost the first day of school?


Once October hits time will go by even faster. There are lots of activities in October, and then dare I say the holidays will be upon us. 


I have something very amazing to be thankful for this week, but you have to go read it for yourselves. I've left links to this blog before . Linny is simply amazing. She organized a day of prayer and fasting, not just for herself,  she opened it up to every one's requests. Take a moment to read some of the requests, and I'm sure you will be feeling thankful. 
Then read here how prayers were answered.


I can't wait until she does this again.


I'm thankful for the birthday present Sophia made for me, a slide show of all our photos. It's just beautiful.

And I'm thankful that yesterday while I was out, Miss Sophia took it upon herself to clean the house. something I didn't feel like doing at all yesterday. What  a great feeling it was to walk in and see a clean and organized home!

And we are all thankful for this costume! Miss E's Godmother Melinda bought it for her. 


There will definitely be more pictures of Miss E in  this costume through the month of October!




Blessings to you all this Sunday!

True Friends

Don't worry Butsey, even though there's another cat hanging around you'll always be my favorite... Love Em



Miss Em adores our cat.She follows him everywhere. She sits and just stares at him. She is learning to "do nice". We are really working hard in this area! Sometimes she tries to rearrange parts of his body, like his tail, or ears, and he tolerates it all. He is the kindest and most patient beast I've ever seen. And when she digs into his Turkey and Giblet pate, he is more than willing to share. He's been through all six kids and has NEVER raised a paw to any of them. We all love you Butsey!