~The Adorkables~

Blessed!

2011-12-28T17:14:00.001-06:00

This year has been amazing and busy and I am so glad to have been actively involved in it. ;-)
I would love to be updating more with this post, but I have to make dinner.
I do want to say, I hope that everyone had a lovely Christmas. We were very blessed with special gifts and kind company. :)

I also wish to everyone closure of this year, and a nice new fresh 2012!
May you overcome struggles you weren't able to in 2011, and if you don't have any struggles, may you continue to receive wonderful blessings!<3

On the note of blessings...

You can HELP these kids all get to their Angel Tree goal of $1000.

Reece's Rainbow helps children find their forever families and last I checked there were five kids within $30 of the $600. The goal is $1000 for each child on the Angel Tree within the next three days. Donations are tax deductible, and with a donation of $35 or more you will receive an ornament with the picture of the child you donated to on it!

I miss all of you I haven't been able to keep up with, and very much hope to gain some time management skills in the future so I can be more active in the blogging community!

Bye for now!

The "Terrible" Almost Twos!

2011-07-31T23:48:00.001-05:00

Dear Kheaven,
You're sleeping right now, but there are many reminders of some of the ways we spent our day today...

I finally picked up all the movies you took out of the new bins I put them in, so you couldn't get them. It's extra helpful that you decided to take them all out of their individual cases as well. Mommy likes sorting! :) I think you like sorting too. I saw what you did with the shoes on the shoe shelf... you sorted them into a big pile on the floor!

I think It's wonderful your climbing abilities are superb. Who else do I have who would take all the pens out of the cup on my computer desk? At least the computer keyboard isn't missing any keys at the moment. I was afraid we'd never find "C" yesterday.

Oh dear son, bathing you is always a joy! I love how you splash and giggle. I find it fascinating that the shower is the only place you choose to go from the sitting position to a stand without using anything to pull yourself up. This has been going on for at least a month now, so I'm getting used to it! Today you had two baths, but I suppose with meals like manicotti and pancakes with syrup will do that to an almost two year old. I thought your hair looked fabulous with that maple syrup gel you put in it! You are quite the stylish stud!

I look forward to doing many of the same things tomorrow, and probably some new things too. Every day is an adventure when YOU'RE almost two!

Love,
Your Tired Mommy

Kheaven has definitely been keeping me on my toes lately. He is closely supervised during his many excursions, but through exploring we learn and as far as dumping things out go, I'm not too inconvenienced picking all his messes up. ;-)

Some of Kheav's favorite things to do, other than sort and organize, are singing songs with hand motions, reading books and pointing at the words and making a woof or growl sound for every animal he sees, pulling hair :(, and eating.

Single-Momming It: My Beautiful Detour

2011-07-25T23:27:00.000-05:00

It's not constant, but I hear a lot of, "I don't know how you do it with THREE kids, all by YOURSELF!?"

I'm not by myself.
Yes, I'm a single mom. My home consists of me, a six year old, a three and a half year old, an almost two year old, a crazy mouse who thinks it's his mission in life to escape from whatever enclosure I put him in, and possibly hundreds of tiny Sea Monkeys.

I like my home.
I love my kids.
As of right now I tolerate my pets. :-P :-)

I live states away from family and the friends I grew up with. Sometimes I miss them dearly. I hate that some of them feel pain because I'm further away than what makes them comfortable. In other places I've lived, Virginia, California... I've found pseudo families... People have taken me (and Austin at the time) in and we were part of their family. I miss them too, but they're even further away than my blood relatives.

I love my family.
I love my friends, the ones who are just like family, the ones who I grew up with, and the ones that are right in the town I live in now.

I don't have a lot of friends where I live now. I don't think I need a lot though. Since having more than one child it seems the new friends I make typically have children and husbands. :-) I love spending time with them while their hubbies are at work. I love seeing their kids grow, through Facebook and in person. I love that my kids are friends with their kids!

I have noticed/realized that my friends with kids who are married seem almost as "single" as me when it comes to raising our kids. Not all of them, and yes, they get a few more "breaks" than I do... but I get "breaks" with other things. And it almost seems to me that in being single, I have more opportunities to interact with more people and my kids are exposed to more as well. I know plenty of people who are with someone have/can make many opportunities to socialize and be around more people than those they live with. Just as often I believe, though, that when you (or I, to be more specific) have someone I am perfectly content to live in a bubble with that someone.

...I went to see some family and friends in Wisconsin in the beginning of the month and on my way home there was a detour. I was so nervous b/c I didn't have a map specific for the area, my phone wasn't in service, and it was just me and the kids!! The detour signs were all for a highway that was parallel with the one I wanted to be on, but it wasn't the number for the one I wanted to be on. SO, I wanted to be on 59, but 59 was closed where I needed to be on it, all the detour signs were for 45... not for 59. I wasn't positive where I was going to end up. I knew I was really close to Kansas, I just wasn't sure when I was going to get their, or which way was going to lead me to where I wanted to go. There were a lot of hills, and there were a lot of curves. It was completely unfamiliar territory!! I went really slow because when you can't see what's ahead of you, well, you don't know!! I would go up hills and all I could see was the sky and the fields or trees beside me and I didn't know if the road dropped off over the hill, I didn't know if there was a curve right away, or a tractor or a huge truck coming from the other direction, or a deer... There could have been anything!

Eventually I found a town and in ten minutes I was over the Missouri River and in Kansas City, Kansas. I couldn't believe all that excitement was so close to an area I know fairly well. I got to thinking... Everyone should be forced to take a detour to get to where they want to go! Haha... I have an adventurous spirit, what can I say. :-) Well, being the thinky person that I am, I applied my "detour quote" to real life.

Being a "single" mom is a detour... My kids, (don't judge me) have been detours... My LIFE has pretty much, mostly been a detour... and it has been BEAUTIFUL. Sometimes I feel so lost, but I know where I want to be. I DON'T know if I'm on the right road all the time. I do know what direction I want to go, and I know, most of the time I'm pretty close. :-)

January 2011=Complete!

2011-01-31T08:29:00.000-06:00

January seems to have whizzed right by!

I have found that updating my facebook informs more family members and friends than blogging does. So, I have been doing that lately.

Some MAIN things...

Kheaven:

-Cruising along/between furniture wonderfully.

-Can point to my eyes, nose, and mouth when asked.

-Continues to say/do new things everyday!!

(Yesterday he said, "I will," after his sister said it.)

-He has a neurology appointment in a little over a week. Hopefully all is well!

Here's a pic of the handsome baby-man:

Austin:

-Caught on to addition with no problem at all.
-Is working on word problems and doing great!
-Is doing MUCH better in phonics and sounding out words!

-Has been listening and helping out around the house wonderfully. :)

**If you have kids and let them use the computer,

visit this website for kids, www.starfall.com! It's awesome!!**

Austin dressed himself and posed himself for this picture.

He then had me turn a copy of it sepia

b/c he wanted to make it look like an "old picture."

I love his creativity!

Nayeli:

My amazing little princess turned three!!

It was a wonderful day. Honestly it all seemed to go in slow motion, in a good way. It was in the 70's and we all played outside and went for a walk. Then we played at the park and headed to McDonalds where we had and shared cake with new friends! After that we headed home and opened presents. She is the BEST present opener EVER. She gets excited about everything! It's precious.

The headbands in this pic of her were some of her presents... She wanted them all on, cuz she's cool like that. ;-)

Other than turning three Nayeli

-Is learning some Spanish.

-Super interested in reading, so we are constantly looking at books.

-Sometimes she makes up stories to get her brothers in trouble. lol...

We're working on fixing that.

I'm glad she's creative in her own ways too though!

-She also sings all the time!

:-)

I have been doing pretty good at keeping up with most of my new goals. As I mentioned, we had McDonalds for Nayeli's birthday, which isn't on my list of healthy things to eat... McDonalds is a weakness when time is an issue or it's a busy day and we're out and about. I'm sure eventually it will be eliminated almost completely though.

For my photography I have been taking at least one picture everyday. It's a 365 Project and at the end of the year I will look back at all the photos I have and see my year. Each day I try to take a picture that encompasses the theme/main thing in that day. It doesn't happen that way everyday, but more than I thought it would. :-)

Happy end of January/beginning of February!

♥

Tugging My Heart Strings

2011-01-18T09:32:00.001-06:00

I keep hearing songs... love songs I suppose... and I can't help but feel they're for the babies without homes. A baby that's mine... who's waiting, or who hasn't even been born. I feel connected already and I can't wait until the day I bring him/her home. It's so strange. I have never felt so compelled about anything in my life!

Hi There 2011!

2011-01-01T23:51:00.001-06:00

It doesn't really matter how one year ends and another begins, each has it ups and downs. Every day is a chance to make new choices, to take a step in becoming who we want to be, to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of others.

The new year doesn't typically mean a lot to me. I try to take a day at a time. I do like to reflect a little more around the end of one year and the beginning of another... I also like to re-evaluate my goals and make adjustments if needed.

Don’t Buy “Stuff.”
The kids have enough toys. I have enough “things.” We ALL have enough clothes! There should be no reason, other than impulse to buy things. Yes, sometimes it feels good to make a purchase, but we just end up with more than we need and all that stuff is completely overwhelming!
Eat Fresh!
After watching Food Inc. I am completely motivated to eat better. I have been working on this, and sometimes it doesn’t feel like the cheapest choice to make, but after doing it for a few months I’ve found that it is cheaper than the way I was eating before, by about $150, at least. Before I started buying almost all of my food from the organic section at the store I was spending $500 a month on food. Now I’m down to $350. I am also working on eating what’s in season and when the Farmer’s Market opens back up I am hoping to become more acquainted with it!
Keep Up With Housework.
During this time apart from Austin I have had time and energy to catch up on some housework. I still have a little way to go, but by the time he is back I should have things how I have wanted them for a very long time. It is my goal to keep up with this throughout 2011 and beyond! I plan on being held accountable to this by posting pix either here or in a blog every week of my home. Even if that means I have to clean to take the pix... Then I HAVE to clean. ;-)

Along with what's listed I want to work on some different things with my photography... I want to read the Bible more, maybe get all the way through it finally... And I'm sure there are other things I'm forgetting to mention, but they're on a piece of paper or in my head somewhere. :)

Here's wishing everyone a positive perspective on life, hope when all seems lost, strength at your weakest points, and the ability to recognize the moments that make it all worth it!

Donating

2011-01-01T06:14:00.001-06:00

I was on RR tonight... I felt called to make a donation. There are so many things my own family needs right now. Tomorrow I am going out to use some gift cards I got for Christmas. There is a list of things we need/that would benefit us. I am going to make a donation based on what's left. I am going to pray about my purchases and see if I really need the things I am picking up, and if I can get other things that I do need with the gift cards... That way the money I would be using for what I really need can go to a child on RR.

I have been contemplating single adoption. I know that if I get myself more organized and figure out how to do paperwork... and get a vehicle, and a home... that I can do it. God will provide.♥

Ohhh Boys!!

2010-12-02T05:18:00.000-06:00

Linking up with Greg's General Store today for Thankful Thursday!

I am thankful for my oh-so-amazing children,

the fact that all of our needs and many of our wants are met,

a warm place to call home in this cold season,

a flexible job that allows me to be available as a parent,

friends who are like family,

family who are like friends,

social networking, which makes it easier to keep in touch with those I love who are far away,

and so much more!

Austin @10 months/Kheaven @14 months

Things are going well in our home this autumn.

Austin's got some standardized testing coming up. Last time he did great in everything but phonemic awareness. His education specialist is going to start working with him once a week to make sure he doesn't get behind in that area.

Kheaven continues to be very vocal. The other day he said robot, over and over again. He's always amazing! There are some issues with his infant child development team right now and we are praying for all of them. It's a mix between them or their family members being VERY sick... and it's heartbreaking because they all have the sweetest hearts. Until we can see them again we are working on communicating using words and signing and also working on standing, cruising and guided walking. :)

Nayeli is my quiet learner. She observes everything around her and then one day she shows me she knows it. She has started drawing more recently and is very good at circles and faces. It's beautiful and she gets so excited when she makes a picture. She's been getting into some things lately and continues to color in books and rip pages, but we're working on it!

I have been working more over the past month and it's great. I work at night while the kids are sleeping and get home on time to get a little sleep before they wake up. J is still helping watch them when I work, and when he's not available my close friend/Kheaven's God-mother watches them.

Austin's birthday/Thanksgiving was wonderful! We enjoyed the company of each other and made new friends as well. We visited with one of my co-worker's family for the holiday and they were very kind and welcoming. There were plenty of kids there for them to play and interact with and they loved it!

Thank you to all of our family and friends who sent a gift!

♥

AND, this was us on Thanksgiving/Austin's 6th birthday!

♥My heart is full.♥
What are you thankful for this Thursday?!

Ahh! I love stages of development!

2010-11-25T02:59:00.000-06:00

Kheaven has been super spongy the past week or so. Actually, it's been the past three weeks, because it seems like I noticed it the day after Halloween. :-D

Tonight for instance, he has
said/sang Amen after prayer with the kids,
sang la, la, la,
sounded like he tried to say birthday, came out "berrrrduh"
said, "yeah" when I was reading the book, "I Can, Can You?"
let go of me to stand on his own, but then grabbed back on quickly...
moved between pieces of furniture while cruising,
made "gassy" noises using his tongue while crawling into the bathroom,
picked up a fake flower, held it over his head and said "umbrella" - When I said, "No, that's a flower," he held it to his nose and sniffed it! :)

There were a few other things he did that were just... amazing... :)
All my littles are amazing.
Sometimes I think I'm just going to burst with love and appreciation of them!

Austi is six today... I keep thinking about how absolutely adorable Nayeli is going to look in the dress my Grammy made for her. I'll post pix of that. :)

Happy Thanksgiving on time!

Speak for Someone Who Can't

2010-11-21T02:42:00.000-06:00

Tonight a newborn baby boy with Down syndrome is fighting for his life in Arkansas Children's Hospital. He was born a twin and the adoptive parents chose only to take the baby without Ds. The adoption agency put a DNR (do not resuscitate) order on this baby.There are families who want to adopt this baby but we must get Governor Beebe to lift the DNR order so this baby lives long enough to unite with his forever family.

E-mail the governor.
http://governor.arkansas.gov/contact/index.php

Please feel free to use any part of my e-mail as your own.

My e-mail:
Dear Governor Beebe,
It has been brought to my attention that there is a child in an Arkansas hospital that was born with Down syndrome. He was a twin and his adoptive parents decided to take his healthy sibling and leave him. The adoption agency put a DNR order on him and it can only be lifted by you.

I am the parent of an amazing 14 month old who has Down syndrome. He is healthy and vibrant and I know he will be a productive member of society someday. Please give this precious life a chance. He may hold answers to the cure for Alzeimers, heart disease, or something else. If nothing else he will make a difference in the life of a family who very much wants to adopt him.

Just because the family he was originally meant to be with didn't want him doesn't mean there aren't others out there. There are. As a member of several Down syndrome communities I have seen an outreach in the past 24 hours. Please, Governor, please lift the DNR order.

Sincerely,
Amy Green
Proud parent of a child with Down syndrome.

Autumn, Finally

2010-11-14T04:21:00.000-06:00

Life hasn't been easy for the past month or so. God is giving me strength, I believe, because if he wasn't I wouldn't be able to type this now. Jeremy and I are no longer together. I see no point in trying to hide it, or not writing about it. I'm public about a lot of my life, I always have been. Sometimes people find strength in the observations of another's struggle. Maybe some good can come of this?

The kids are doing well! Halloween was fine, we all still went out trick-or-treating as a family, and that was nice since he's been living with a friend lately. From what I can tell the kids take their emotional cues from me. If I'm okay, they're okay... It's good to see them okay, because then I think I must be holding it together nicely. ;-)

^LOOK!^ Cheese-heads in Kansas. There IS a reason I love it here!

Kheaven was in the hospital at the beginning of the month with croup. We spent three days there, with him getting breathing treatments and shots of steroids. A couple of days after he was released both of the other kids and myself got sick. We are all on the tail end of it now though, and I am SO glad! Sick babies while you're a sick mama is NO fun!

I am very blessed to have the support system I have. My co-workers, especially, have been extraordinary. They are my pseudo-family. :) I am also very blessed to have a non-coworker "family member," Kheaven's God-mother. She has been very helpful and supportive. I shouldn't forget to mention Kheaven's Infant Child Development team. They are and always have been amazing people! I know that I will endure and eventually life will seem normal to me again.

I will continue to update when I can. If I don't have the chance to update beforehand.

♥Happy Thanksgiving to all!♥

A Letter for Nayeli Belly Boo

2010-10-28T23:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Booboo,
You are a beautiful, amazing princess! I love watching you develop your sweet, silly personality. I think it's great that you can play rough with your big brother, and soft and gentle with your little brother. You are incredibly smart! I can't believe you can count to 20 and say the seven continents and your just over two and a half!!

I love your high pitched voice and how you sing and dance all the time. I love the faces you make all the time.

I love our time together now, but I also look forward to the future. I hope I can always let you know how sweet and smart and special you are to me. I know we'll have our conflicts, but I hope that we can always come to an understanding.

Your so little and already such an incredible little person, I can only imagine that you'll get better with time.

I love YOU Nayeli!♥

I Don't Know When

2010-10-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

My dream of adoption feels like it's going to be put on hold for possibly longer than I thought. It's still my dream though. I don't know when I'll write again, but this post is just to say that I'll be back. :)

Six in a Month?!

2010-10-25T18:21:00.000-05:00

Austin is going to be six on ONE MONTH!
My first baby is getting SO big. I can hardly believe it!
He is such an experienced little person.
He has lived in California, Wisconsin and Kansas.
He rolled over when he was two weeks old.
He sat on his very own, from a crawl at six months old.
He didn't walk until he was 13 months old, but when he was a year and a half he ran face first into a bookshelf.
He needed stitches for that.
When he was little he wouldn't go anywhere without a ball.
Now he can sit and draw for hours and hours.
He loves studying Spanish.
He's fascinated by plants and bugs.
He's a good singer, and is usually singing or humming something.
He is an exceptional big brother and super loving and helpful most of the time. :)
He is friendly and caring.
He takes pride in the fact that he has friends ALL over the country!
He is thoughtful and empathetic.
He is an animal lover.
He's a picky eater.
He LOVES candy and sweet things.(He gets that from his dad. I try to keep him in check though.)
He says he doesn't like school, but he does very well in it.
I love looking back at where he's been, and I look forward to where he'll be.

♥I'm so glad to be raising such an incredible little boy.♥

Happy last month of being five Buggy!!!

A Letter to Kheaven (@13 Months)

2010-10-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

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Dear Kheaven,
You're AMAZING! Your smile and your laugh light up the world... not just my world, but THE world. You are strong and fast and sooo curious! I love how you mimic the things I say and the faces I make. I love the silly noises you find on your own. I love that you are so ticklish that when I pick you up you laugh. I love that having you in my life has made me grateful for more than I used to be.

Kheaven, I believe that you are capable of whatever you put your mind to! You have been surprising me since the day you were born and I know that you will continue to surprise me. I hope that I will always give you room to grow and learn. I hope that I won't expect more than you can give, pressure you in any unhealthy ways, or make you feel like you're not right where you should be. I hope that we are able to communicate our wants and needs with each other calmly and that I will truly hear the things you want/need.

I thank God every day for you. You are one of my most treasured blessings.♥

Once Upon A Time...

2010-10-20T09:17:00.000-05:00

There was a beautiful princess...

Such a beautiful princess was she!

♥

Another busy day ahead, but there's always time for pictures... right?

My Lovey Loves

2010-10-19T20:18:00.000-05:00

I've been so busy playin' with these beautiful little people that I hardly can find the time to blog.

In the spirit of keeping up with the 31 for 21 challenge I leave you with more pictures.

We know autumn will be here soon... til then, short sleeves work.

The Camera Loves Him!

2010-10-18T16:55:00.001-05:00

My baba will be six on Thanksgiving!!

He's still a hammy man!

♥

2010-10-17T17:01:00.000-05:00

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Something you may not know, in other parts of the world children with Ds are put in institutions if they are not adopted by the age of five. There are people trying to adopt these precious children, and if you find it in your heart, you can help.

http://www.reecesrainbow.org/sponsorsader.html
http://thenewfaceofdowns.org/adoption/

Both links will bring you to a page where you can make a donation. No amount is too small. These children deserve a chance.♥

Sword fight!

2010-10-16T21:22:00.000-05:00

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If you have another/other kids and are expecting or have already had a child with Ds... Don't worry, they'll be accepted and loved just the same!

♥Love it!♥

Friday Photo Flashback: 1995

2010-10-15T00:30:00.000-05:00

I haven't done a photo flashback in about a year I think?

Three kiddos keeps me busy.

***

This is my little brother, Isaiah!

He's 16 now, but wasn't he so cute?!

(Haha, he still is pretty cute. :-P)

It'd help me with comparisons if Kheaven had teeth yet!

They're not twins, but definitely related!

(You can tell more in other pix and in person. If I had more time I'd find them, but this will have to do!)

A Memory

2010-10-14T00:04:00.000-05:00

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Kheaven rolled over back to front for the first time a few days before his six month birthday.

We were visiting WI at the time.

These pix, courtesy of my mom, are not of his first time rolling over, but it was the day after.

TADA!

2010-10-13T22:42:00.001-05:00

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“A funny phenomenon occurs when you have a child with Down Syndrome.
After falling in love with your baby’s beautiful physical features
especially those slightly slanting, almond-shaped eyes,
you feel an almost instant kinship and affection for other children with Down Syndrome.
Families with a loved one with Down Syndrome share a common bond
that’s difficult to describe.♥"

I don't know why, but the statement above is true for me.

Another Flashback

2010-10-12T18:11:00.000-05:00

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-This was written mid-October 2009.-

"There should be no more hushed tones, somber faces or sorrowful apologies. The news of Down syndrome ought to be delivered with smiles, congratulations, a hearty slap on the back and a look of envy from every doctor in the world."

Jill kocian

I remember the day my doctor asked if I wanted the Triple Screen Test done. I said, “No, because it won’t matter anyway, and I don’t want to stress out for the possibility of having something be wrong, as I will not have an amnio done regardless.”

Fast forward to the day my family welcomed our precious Kheaven Zane into the world, September 21. I had been in labor for roughly two weeks and finally my body decided to keep progressing. My J dropped me off at the hospital and went home to get some more rest with the other two kiddos in our bunch. I made a few phone calls, and waited to see if this was in fact the day, as I had been in and out of the hospital for the previous two weeks.

It was the day! Six hours after being admitted to the hospital I gave birth to a beautiful 6lb 8oz boy with a head full of hair! My child, and hair! It just didn’t make sense, I knew something must be wrong! (Just kidding.)

I cried harder when Kheaven was born than with either of my other children. I conceived him a couple of months after a previous miscarriage, had been worried about miscarrying him in the beginning and I deeply wanted another child. It wasn’t an easy pregnancy, but mine never were. There weren’t any complications other than light spotting in the beginning though.

About two hours after I had Kheaven the doctor came in all befuddled. *My poor doctor. He mentioned that he noticed some of the soft markers for DS and that he would have another pediatrician come and take a look at him. He was all nervous and apologizing, and I was so confused… No tests had been done yet, and every soft marker he mentioned was a feature on my partner or myself. Cute little ears with kinks… wide set, almond shaped eyes… a little gap between his big toe and the rest of his toes. The only thing that was of any concern to me or my partner was this cute little roll on his neck.

Well, I told the doctor not to worry, and that everything would be fine, until we had the test done there was no cause for alarm, and even after that Kheaven was still perfect.

Ten days later I receive a voicemail, from my doctor…

A chill went down my spine and it was my first instinct to run the bathroom and vomit. Although only four days earlier the doctor was thinking he had ordered the chromosomal test for nothing after looking Kheaven over when he was less swollen from birth the results came back positive for T21.

Doc asked if I was okay and if I had any questions… Questions… Um, YES I had questions, though at the time I had NO idea what they were. He gave me the phone number of a college mate who also had a child with DS and said to call him as soon as I could, and he would be able to answer questions for me.

Even though I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around anything, two hours later I called the man and talked to him a little bit about everything. I had missed that he had a daughter with DS from the convo with my doctor, I’m sure I missed a bit from that convo. I cried for a few hours after getting the news, but eventually the tears subsided.

The next few days I cried myself to sleep, but during the day I was strong for myself, my family, my friends, and of course my two other children. I didn’t know why I was crying so much anyway. I knew I wanted my baby, knew I loved him more than anything along with my other two children. Knew I was blessed just to have him when I thought I may not be able to have anymore kids.

Eventually I figured out I wasn’t crying because of the diagnosis. I was crying because if anyone tells you your child is at risk for a number of problems, that they may face ridicule and more challenges than most people will ever have to face it’s a little disconcerting.

I joined online forums, found blogs, and kept in touch with my first contacts and kept reading everything I could… I’m still reading. I love my son so much and want to give him every opportunity to be the best he can be. Everyone struggles somewhere in their lives, it’s just part of life.

Kheaven is very healthy as of now, he nurses well, lifts his head and even rolled over a few days ago. He’s already amazing me, and I only hope for more. He’s my Handsome beloved, gift from God and I will NOT take him for granted.

*Some people may think my doctor's reaction was not appropriate, that maybe it would have scared/upset me more because he seemed perturbed by the news. I believe he responded that way because he had been my doctor through my miscarriage and new how much I loved and was excited for Kheaven. I do hope the experiences he had with my family and the way we responded will encourage him in the future to not be so upset when delivering the new of a possible/positive diagnosis for Down syndrome though.

"Those who do not run away from our pains but touch them with compassion bring healing and new strength," Henri Nouwen observes. "If you will risk sitting in the solitude your heart to reflect on your story, then Jesus will meet you there. He will lead you along a path that restores your true self."

Looking Back

2010-10-11T16:47:00.000-05:00

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Found some journaling I did a while back and thought I'd share. Ten whole months ago. Some things have changed and some are the same. It's what I was feeling then.

1/6/10
At work a man came up and asked where to find ear drops. He was shorter than average. He had a jolly looking plumpness to him. I couldn’t help but notice his almond shaped eyes, and the way he sounded when he spoke. I knew he had Down syndrome. Only the second person with Ds for me to encounter at work. I wanted to get out from behind the counter and hug him… lol… oy. I did abandon the customer I was already engaged with to help this jolly looking man. I was completely distracted, hoping someone would help him find what he needed, and I was so happy when he decided to check out and came back through my line! I probably could have talked to him all day. Time stood still as I enjoyed and analyzed him. He said he was about to head out to see the Globetrotters. I was jealous. I asked if he was going with on a bus, or with a group of friends, and he said, “No, I’m driving, I have to get back for work tomorrow.” I was surprised, although I shouldn’t have been. The transaction went to fast. I still had too many questions. I badgered the carryout Julie, she knew him, I wanted to know how old he was, what his job was… and more. He looked older, and I wondered how old. I had just read a few days prior the world record holder for someone with DS was 80, but before that it was 68. This man looked in his 50’s.

I felt a little bad. Why do I want to hug strangers? I wouldn’t expect a customer without Ds to hug me, although some have… but I have yearned for hugs from people with Ds when I have encountered them. Maybe it’s because of the first lady I met with Down syndrome, Tammy. We met in the grocery store. I hardly remember having a hug that good ever. It was perfect. Or maybe those hugs make me feel like it’s going to be okay. I like to have a tough exterior. I KNOW everything is going to be okay. Things are great now, but there’s still a stigma about the situation that sometimes it’s hard to shake. In reality, everything is fine, but in “normal world” I should have issues… Or not, but I heard from so many people since the beginning that I was “doing so well.” I wondered, um, should I not be? I mean, what’s wrong?

*I saw Tammy again, I excited said hi and went directly to her for a hug. I don’t know her, but I love her. I love her hugs too.

1/10/10
I read a comment beneath one of my friends pictures. She was complaining about the way she looked, another friend tried to build her up by cutting down her brother… Then my friend commented back, “At least I don’t look mentally retarded like him.”
Do “mentally retarded” people not look good? I’m confused. My son is gorgeous. I was told at a conference about Ds, given by someone who has a son with and is a researcher of Ds that “everyone with Ds has some form of mental or physical retardation.”
I know my friend wasn’t trying to offend me or anyone else, but it stung. It was my first encounter with this feeling.

Speaking of feelings…
I don’t like when people say “They’re (meaning people with Ds) the happiest people.” --”They’re”--
Ick… my son is an individual.
I don’t like that my ECSD teacher refers to people with Ds as Downs… she does it A LOT. At first I thought this wouldn’t bother me, ya know, when I was reading everyone else’s blog saying that it did. People aren’t trying to be offensive… BUT, she’s a teacher, working with kids who have Ds and the parents of those kids. She should know what is politically correct.

K’s ENT did the same thing, “Oh, I worked with the “Downs” in Oklahoma."
Really?

Another thing I have a little issue with… I have observed that while parents of kids with Ds advocate that they want their children treated like anyone else, and they (the parents) emphasize how their children are more like the typical developing child than not, and they emphasize their children are not “Down syndrome,” but they are individuals… while they do all that it seems like some of them use their child’s diagnosis to get things. They play the “Ds” card. Kheaven is only three months… I may do it someday, but I don’t know if I think it’s right or not.
I also saw a status update that got me thinking… “I love someone who has Down syndrome.” -- I thought about copying and pasting it, after all, I love someone with Ds too! But I thought about my other updates… the things I say… I would NoT say that. I would just say I love Kheaven. I would not single out my children, or anyone else with a differentness in a status update… I would not say, I love someone with glasses, although now I think maybe I should to get the update poster thinking… I would not say I love someone who has IBS… you get my point. So yes, I do love someone with Ds, but I just love him… either way. It's the same with my other kids.

A break from the negativity… Last night I worked with a woman who has a background in early childhood education. I told her about K having Ds and she was cool… After I talked for a bit she said, I’ve worked with some kids who have Ds and they’re not the “happy all the time” people always say they are, they have normal feelings and get upset like anyone else.
Yep.

Our First Buddy Walk

2010-10-10T22:10:00.047-05:00

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Our First Buddy Walk

Wichita, KS

10/9/10

^By his sign^

^Walk, walk, walk^

^He wins!^

^Checkin' out the medal some more.^

^With his Dah^

^With the God-mom, watchin' sis play^

^Ready for more^

^Basketball^

^Football^

^Face Painting^

^Fishing^

^More fishing^

^The McDonalds and Nayeli^

(Toby Jr. came to live with his "Forever Family" just a couple of months ago!♥)

What a day!

Too much to Bear? I don't think so!

2010-10-09T01:27:00.005-05:00

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One of my fellow blogging moms asked the following as a comment to my last blog post, Life is Worth Fighting For:
"I ask this out of complete respect and mean absolutely no disrespect. How do you deal with the future knowing that he may never be able to leave your home or care? What are your plans for him when you and your husband have passed away and he is an adult male w/Ds unable to care for himself? That would be my biggest concern if I were a parent of a child w/Ds. To have to care for them for the rest of their lives- that seems like almost too much to bear."

So many answers are racing into my mind that it's surprising me. Therefore, I feel the need to answer in blog form as opposed to a reply e-mail message or comment. It's a good, natural question. I faced it the day I found out Kheaven had Ds. I dealt with almost any negative feeling I could have felt at that time, then I moved on!

I'm going to break the comment apart and try to answer it piece by piece first.

"How do you deal with the future knowing that he may never be able to leave your home or care?"
I'm excited for the future! I honestly would love to adopt a child with Down syndrome in the future. I think if Kheaven, or any adopted child I would have, cannot live independently, it would be a joy to live with and care for them rest of my life. I'm the mom! Caring is what I do!!

I suppose what scares me is independence. What will I do if Kheaven is fully capable of caring for himself and wants to move away?! What will I do if I can't be there for him in a spit second if he needs me?! How am I going to deal with this for any of my children?!?! ;)

My dream... haha... My dream is that my kids will love me and the environment they grow up in SO much that they will want to live in an attachment to my home or next door to me. That's a lot for me to ask considering I have not lived in the same state as my family for a year since I graduated. That's my dream though. If they don't want to be that close I'm hoping for visits on holidays and the weekends.

"What are your plans for him when you and your husband have passed away and he is an adult male w/Ds unable to care for himself?"
First of all, many adults with Down syndrome are capable of caring for themselves. They have learning delays, but they still can learn the things anyone else can learn, and they can do the things anyone else can do. They just have to work harder for it.

Who will take care of you when you're older? Do you know for certain you'll die before you're incapable of caring for yourself. I don't know that for myself. My dream... (Here I go with dreaming again.) My dream is that if I live a FULL life, and if my children lead FULL lives and are around that one of them will want to care for Kheaven if I'm gone or incapable of it myself. I do not expect this of them, but it's a dream. If there is no one there for Kheaven I would think he'll be put in a nursing home/care facility. I don't imagine he'll have a hard time making friends, especially if it's a facility that specializes in care for people with Ds or other special needs. He may just have the time of his life there! :)

" ...my biggest concern if I were a parent of a child w/Ds. To have to care for them for the rest of their lives- that seems like almost too much to bear."
It's a morbid thought, but could one of my children, or your children, or anyone's children fall down the stairs and need to be cared for the rest of their life? Yes... Could we have a 24 year old get into a tragic car accident and need to be cared for the rest of their life? Yes. Would you love your child any less for these reasons? I wouldn't. Yes it's more to bear, but it's not too much!

I had a miscarriage before I had Kheaven. Losing that baby felt like "too much to bear." Any parent who has lost a child must have had, "too much to bear."

Caring for my child, my son, is a blessing not a burden.♥

We really are MORE ALIKE than different! It's one of those things that I know from experience that it would be hard to know unless you're in the situation... but that's why parents, why I, do this 31 for 21 blog. We want others to see that our kids are kids, we are parents. Life is a little different but we are not worlds apart.

Life is Worth Fighting For

2010-10-08T01:13:00.000-05:00

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SoOo...
Blogging about Kheaven's Down syndrome is completely awkward for me. Really. :)

I'm doing it though because Google is what I turned to when I had questions about Ds, and from Google I was directed to blogs. From those blogs I was directed to more and more and more blogs. From ALL of these blogs I found families that were just like mine but with an extra chromosome.

I'm also doing it because 90-93%(the statistics vary) of women who find out prenatally that they are carrying a child who may have Ds decide to abort. It hurts my heart and soul to know that they give up the chance to know and love a wonderful little child who, should they believe it or not, they would love as much as any other child they may have. Life will never be perfect for anyone, we are never given guarantees. You can have a baby with Ds who will be bright, healthy, and happy. You can have a typically developing child who has a world of "problems." You just never know.

I hope that by looking at and reading about my son, and any other child you find from bloggers that you would just give your baby a chance if you're faced with that decision.

♥He/She is SO worth it.♥

Up, Up, and Away!

2010-10-07T21:22:00.001-05:00

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Kheaven started cruising along furniture yesterday, and today he climbed all the way up on the couch!

People with, and without, Down syndrome can often surprise you!

♥We're more alike than different.♥

A Comedian in the Making

2010-10-06T21:43:00.002-05:00

The only thing I did to "enhance" this photo was lighten my princess' eyes, and I used Picnik's mascara feature to define her lashes and lips a little more.

~Brotherly/Sisterly Love~

2010-10-06T20:26:00.000-05:00

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While having a special needs sib presents challenges, it also comes with opportunities. Kids who grow up with a sibling with special health or developmental needs may have more of a chance to develop many good qualities, including:

patience
kindness and supportiveness
acceptance of differences
compassion and helpfulness
empathy for others and insight into coping with challenges
dependability and loyalty that may come from standing up for their brother or sister.

The above info was taken from The University of Michigan Health System Website.

I Never Knew...

2010-10-05T16:49:00.000-05:00

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Before having Kheaven the idea of having a child with "special needs" scared me. I didn't know if I'd be good enough. I thought I'd have to spread myself thin. I thought it would be a burden.

It's not a burden. At least, it's not anymore of a "burden" than caring for any other child. I have the same hopes and fears for all of my children.

I hope that I can raise them all in an environment where they can become the best them possible!

Having a child with "special needs" has blessed my life in that I am grateful for every moment, from dirty diapers to milestones. I feel like my life has been tremendously enhanced. It's so weird that I used to fear the opposite.♥

We're All Different, Doesn't That Make Us the Same?

2010-10-04T18:36:00.000-05:00

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Down syndrome was named after the person who first documented that he recognized the characteristics associated with the syndrome. Many parents of children with Ds believe it should be called "Up" syndrome instead. ;-)

...

However, just because our babies/children are often smiley does not mean they are ALWAYS happy.

People with Ds have a wide range of emotions, just like anyone else!

Health Stuff

2010-10-03T19:25:00.000-05:00

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Kheaven had an appointment with a pediatric neurologist last Thursday. He's had some head shaking since about four months of age. Sometimes it seems this is directly related to his Nystagmus.(wiggly eyes) It has never interfered with how he does things, at not to my knowledge. He had an EEG done a while back but the results came back that it wasn't seizure related. Because the head shaking has changed from shaking no, to nodding yes, to wobbling like a bobble head they decided to do another EEG. It also came back negative for seizures. So, thankfully, we don't need seizure medication. I have read that it can take a typically vibrant child and sort of make them zone out.

Anyway, since it's not related to seizures and since he has Nystagmus the neurologist gave me the following scenarios...
*It's a tick and nothing more.
*It's "Spasmus Nutans" which can also just be a tick that goes away by about age three.
*It's "Spasmus Nutans" caused by a cyst or tumor in the mid-line of his brain.

I'm not so excited about that last scenario, though going into the appointment I knew the reason we were getting the shaking checked up on is because it can be a sign of a tumor.

The plan is, Kheaven is going to have an MRI done on his brain. Since he's a little, wiggly baby he needs to be sedated for it. After the MRI we'll have another appointment, the same day, with the neurologist and he'll tell me what's going on.

I am praying for the best. I hope that anyone reading this will say a prayer as well.

October Is...

2010-10-02T20:23:00.000-05:00

Down Syndrome Awareness Month

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So... It was ONE YEAR ago that I found out my new baby had an extra chromosome.

Down Syndrome IS a genetic condition caused by a chromosomal abnormality. Atypical cell development results in 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46 chromosomes. As a result, there is some degree of cognitive disability and other developmental delays.

For people who don't know much or anything about Down syndrome it may seem scary at first. New parents and family members aren't always excited about the word "delay" being associated with their child. It's not so bad though!

Throughout the past year I have been very blessed that Kheaven's "delays" have been slight, and in some cases he was not delayed at all!

Kheaven amazed me at 2.5 weeks when he rolled over for the first time.

He astounded me when at three months he mimicked sever words and even a sentence, "I love you."

He started to "army" crawl right "on time" as well.

Kheaven just turned one a little over a week ago and has only been sitting for two months.

He just began to pull himself to stand and he has only done it a few times.

He has no teeth.

The time frame isn't so important. The drive I have witnessed in him, the drive I feel in myself and see in other families, who are part of the special needs community and who are not, that is what matters!

I hope over the next 29 days that I can blog about something you don't know. I hope I can shed light on something you don't understand. If you do know and understand this all, I guess this will be an opportunity to get to know me a little better.

Happy Birthday To My Baby Love

2010-09-21T23:47:00.000-05:00

~Last Day Under One Year Old~

**Celebrating ONE YEAR!**

It has been one AMAZING year with sweet Kheaven Zane!

Looking forward to year two!!

I Heart Faces: Thy Trusty Old Probe

2010-09-13T00:46:00.000-05:00

To see more things that go "vroom" go to I Heart Faces!

Adoption: Maeve and Money Matters

2010-09-06T14:26:00.000-05:00

Her birthday is January 6, 2010. She has six fingers!

I love her.

If I could I would get her RIGHT NOW!

"I was looking up ways to raise money for adoption and found this:

We didn't have to finance our adoption: We adopted two children through the state foster care system, and received foster care payments, WIC, mileage reimbursement, clothing vouchers, and day care and medical services while the children were in our care. The state also paid our attorney fees. We will receive a monthly stipend and medical benefits until the children are 18. There are so many children who need parents, and thanks to adoption support programs, finances don't have to be a barrier."
Maeve MacSteves

Nothing like having a name/thought/feeling jump out at you. I've never even seen the name before yesterday.

Here's a list of some of the sites I'm looking at right now...

The Adoption Guide

Unique Ways to Raise Money for Adoption

Raising Money for Adoption

How to Raise Money for Your Adoption

How to Raise Money to Adopt a Child

Adoption: A Thought, A Yearning

2010-09-06T14:01:00.000-05:00

I have always wanted to adopt. I have dreamed about it, but not in detail. After my youngest son was born with Down syndrome I became a part of a large online community, through which I was directed to Reece's Rainbow.

I don't think I ever contemplated adopting a child with special needs. I had a big enough fear about giving birth to a child with special needs, so willingly taking that on wasn't on my list of things to do. After looking through Reece's Rainbow the desire I have become increasingly aware of my desire to adopt. Having my baby made me realize I can handle a child with special needs. Not just handle though, the word makes me laugh. I love and cherish my son! He is amazing and I know another little one, with Down syndrome or without would be a blessing.

Financially I am not in a place to adopt right now. Career-wise, we are just starting to be on the right path. We live in a two bedroom apartment with five people, so our housing situation is not suitable for another family member yet. We are starting our journey though. I have been in contact with and am following blogs of people who are going through the adoption process. I am looking up and plotting out ways to save money, whether it's raising it or just not spending what we already have.

I feel determined, and I want to profess this publicly so I stay on course. I want to be held accountable. This is my dream. If there was ever a calling in my life, this is it. The feeling runs deep within me, it overtakes me. Whoever the baby or babies are that we're going to adopt, I love them, I know I do. I can't wait to meet them and to hold them... They might not even be born yet, but I am here for them, getting ready for them.

This is my family's journey. One of our many adventures!

I Heart Faces: They Wear Their Sunglasses at Night

2010-08-15T23:14:00.001-05:00

Don't MESS with these two!

Okayyy, they're not both wearing sunglasses. But Science goggles work too.
RIGHT?!

And 3D glasses?

Gosh it looks fun to be a kid!

So glad I'm a witness (and often a participant) of this duos adventures.

;-)
The future's looking bright, especially if you go visit I Heart Faces and check out the other cool peeps who gotta wear shades.

The First Day of School

2010-08-13T04:05:00.000-05:00

Can't believe my little buggy's a kidneybeaner!

They weren't excited at all.

;-)

It was a good day!

And He Sits!

2010-08-05T19:40:00.000-05:00

Kheaven is, without a doubt, an amazing baby.

He rolled over at two and half weeks old, said "I love you," at three months, started "army" crawling at seven/eight months old... He's even been able to hold himself at a standing position while holding on to furniture for a month or so, but he hasn't been able to sit.

I don't mind it horribly. I love holding my sweet, silly little baby man. Today though, after our physical therapist cut her appointment short he decided it was time!

~The way it happened was... Today was Miracle Treat Day, a day where if you buy a Blizzard from DQ at least one dollar of the proceeds goes to the Children's Miracle Network. Knowing that we planned, in advance, a DQ run.

After Kheaven's appointment I rushed off for our tasty treat! Upon my return I split a Blizzard between Austin and Nayeli and began to eat my own. I realized I should take a picture of the kids, for our own memories and also to post my cuties enjoying their ice cream on the Children's Miracle Network facebook page. So I got out my camera and snapped a couple pix of the kiddos.

I saw Kheaven on the floor and thought, well, he's cute, might as well get a pic of him too. I began shooting. I got down on my stomach to get a couple of different angles... after my shooting spree I removed the camera from in front of my face and looked at Kheaven...

He was sitting! And I got it all on camera! :-) My jaw dropped and I looked at Jeremey and stuttered, "Uh... uh..." He asked what and I proceeded to tell him that unbeknownst to me our baby just sat up for the first time from a crawl while I was looking at and taking pictures of him. :-)

He's done it again already today and I am SO proud. I called the physical therapist and let her know. She was proud too. :-) I guess all he needed was her showing him the right way to go from crawling to sitting. :-)

*Happy Sigh*

Okay, there's my happy/proud mommy rant. I'm sure there will be more. Take care everyone!

Summer Lovin'

2010-07-28T19:54:00.000-05:00

We are busy enjoying some of the last days of summer around here. We recently made a visit to Tananyika Wildlife Park and are hoping to get to the Wichita Botanical Gardens before school starts. We loved seeing and learning about the animals at the park. Austin and Nayeli got to feel a lemur, goats, turtles, giraffes and rabbits. Austin and I also got to share our very first camel ride with one another.

I am so blessed to be able to spend the majority of my time with my beautiful children.

♥

Aside from turning on and off the stove, Austin made eggs all by himself the other day!

~Love in our home is sharing first experiences.~

We finally had a day where as far as I know there were no heat advisories in effect! We took advantage of the "cooler" weather by playing outside, snapping a few pictures, and taking a wagon ride!

~Love in our home is keeping each other entertained.~

Austin and Nayeli have both been great helping Kheaven to sit and stand lately.

~Love in our home is teaching each other and helping each other learn new things!~

Austin wanted to give Nayeli a ride in the wagon. It looks like Kheaven wanted to help!

~Love in our home is taking turns, and sharing tasks.~

After our walk Austin and Nayeli were content to enjoy their sleeping baby brother.

~Love in our home is being grateful for and enjoying the little things.~

To share what love looks like in your home visit One So Blessed.

Some of My Favorites of the 4th!

2010-07-10T19:36:00.000-05:00

I made sure to take some pictures of the kids before heading to the park for our picnic...

I KNOW how fast they destroy white shirts. ;-)

And tonight,

almost a week later,

we get to have our fireworks!

(We have last weeks rain to thank for that.)

Let Freedom Ring!

2010-07-03T16:50:00.000-05:00

HAPPY

INDEPENCE

DAY

Top to Bottom: Austin (7mo), Nayeli (15mo), Kheaven (9mo)

♥God Bless the U.S.A.!!!♥

I Heart Faces: Pets

2010-06-28T04:13:00.000-05:00

Our only pet right now is a hamster and he's not very photogenic.

For the I ♥ Faces photo challenge this week I decided to go back to about three years ago when we had Freckles.

Austin ♥ed Freckles!

I ♥ their faces!

What faces do you ♥?

Are they for real?!

2010-06-26T18:36:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if I'm raising a baby, a toddler and a pre-schooler or if somehow I've been relocated to an alternate universe where my children are all of a sudden pre-teens. Austin wasn't really a sassy toddler. It was just him and me,(no siblings to compete with for attention) and he, as far as I can remember, seemed to listen wonderfully. Nayeli has been a little more demanding. I expect this from her, because she's my little princess. The fact that she now defies me using complete sentences is a little disheartening. I wonder why she's so reluctant to just come when I call her name... When I call for her a second time she yells back, "Why?" I call her again and she says in a snobby tone, "What mama?!" I don't think I talk to her, or anyone else like that. Does she get it from Disney movies? TV? Or is this just how she is?

(She hasn't put her "cell phone" down in three days!!!)

Austin has become more of a free thinker than he was in his toddler days. He too now questions my authority. For anything I ask or say it seems I must have an explanation. My least favorite thing is when I tell him not to do, or to stop doing, something he asks, "What will happen if I don't?" It's not an unacceptable question, but I feel like he should know the answer... a time out, or grounding from a game or toy, depending on the situation. When he asks it feels like I can tell that he's weighing what he wants to do with the consequence. This is probably a good skill for him to develop, but inside I'm thinking, "Do what I say because I say it. I'm your mother and that's how it should be!"

(Is he telling me to talk to his hand?!)

Kheaven got upset today because I wouldn't let him have a plastic bag. He LoVeS crinkly things. There's no way I'm letting him play with a plastic bag though. I replaced the bag with a crinkly toy. He was very upset and proceeded to start crawling toward the bag. (It had the supplies I needed for cleaning out the hamster's cage in it.) I moved it again and it was the end of him. He pushed himself up on his arms as far as he could and threw himself over. It was a fit. Nine months old and throwing his first fit isn't too bad I suppose.

(Time for music lessons, already?!)

:-) I "complain" but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I guess I didn't expect my children to be this way so early in life, but I'll just use practice for when they're this way and their older... I pray by then they understand respect and have enough for me to not do some (if not all) of these things. And of course, the wonderful things that fill my heart with enormous amounts of love and joy occur more than the "teenagey" things.

Where We've Been and What We've Been Up To

2010-06-23T14:26:00.000-05:00

Spring/Summer has brought many adventures this year so far. We have enjoyed rock/fossil hunting near Wilson Lake, several trips to Wichita for various reasons, including the NDSSW Annual picnic, and we've also been to Kanopolis Lake and Mushroom State Park as the picture collages in the previous post show.

Wilson Lake

Gramma Glora's Porch (During visit for NDSSW)

Sleeping on the way home from one of our excursions.

Kheaven is crawling now! He mostly does the army crawl, but he is starting to alternate his legs when he moves. He can also stand while holding on to furniture and/or fingers. He loves to give kisses, sing and play pat-a-cake. The coolest thing he's done as far as motor skills go recently is pop open a flip top on a water bottle!

Nayeli keeps learning new words and using them in sentences. She is starting to have real conversations and she loves talking on her toy cell phone! At the park she compliments other little girls, saying how much she likes their shoes or hair. She is quite the entertaining sprite! This past week she decided she wanted to try and sit on her baby brother twice. He didn't seem to mind, but I wasn't ecstatic about it. She climbs on him like she wants him to crawl around with her on his back. Silly girl!

Austin is having fun running around outside, kicking the soccer ball around, and playing basketball. We had a couple of storms last week and they didn't knock the basketball hoop down, but instead bent and snapped. We may need to work on getting a new one.

Austin with some of his best friends.

I have been going through all of our things getting ready for my very first rummage sale. I can't say I'm excited because I have NO IDEA what I'm doing! I am far too much of a perfectionist to just have things outside for people to buy... and working in retail for ten years isn't helping. I want everything to look like it would in a store to optimize selling, and that's just too much work!

Some things we're looking forward to doing in the near future are visiting our local water park and possibly visiting WI in August just before school starts! We've been busy and had so many fun times during that busy-ness! Hope all of you have been having a great spring/summer as well!!!

:) Enjoying Summer :)

2010-06-05T12:56:00.000-05:00

♥Kansas♥

What Would You Do?

2010-05-20T12:29:00.001-05:00

Last night I watched ABC's "What Would You Do?" I cried for the entire segment having to do with the grocery store carry out, and I cried for part of the next segment having to do with gay couples. I think the people who spoke up for those who faced intolerance should be commended. I typically do not have/show strong opinions on things, for fear of being targeted myself. I think that's why the majority of people don't stick up for other's who need it. In the segment about homosexuals there was a man who stood up for them who said he was the child of two holocaust survivors and that people not sticking of for others is what led to the holocaust. He was adamant about not being a part of something like that, and speaking up for issues when needed. I agree with him. Well, I, with my new found sense of advocacy, saw this update on my facebook today:

Fond du Lac thinks your special, riding the short bus wearing a helmet licking the windows kind of special... but special non the less
25 minutes ago · Comment ·
Melissa Espree Smith likes this.
Nicholas Waldschmidt
my mom said if i stops licking the windowz i can takes off mi helmut
21 minutes ago · Flag
Amy Rose Green
"Fond du Lac" should be more considerate about what they post. Generally a funny page, but this could be considered offensive. Dislike Fond du Lac. :(
15 minutes ago ·
Fond du Lac
I don't think I'll be more considerate of what I post. There is a disclaimer.
14 minutes ago · Flag
Fond du Lac
I take that back. My apologies to all the window licking kids who rode the short bus that are offended.
13 minutes ago · Flag
Amy Sherman
Can I still eat my crayons?????
11 minutes ago · Flag
Roy Houston
That seems pretty left handed too don't ya think?
9 minutes ago · Flag
Fond du Lac
Offensive and offensive. People with PICA may be offended by the crayon eating comment. Left handed people may be offended by that comment
8 minutes ago · Flag
Amy Rose Green
Just trying to have a voice for those without one. Am I going to see racial prejudices on here too? Or are you going to bash homosexuals? People with physical and intellectual disabilities are people too. You share your opinion, I was sharing mine too.
6 minutes ago ·
Fond du Lac
since when are people who lick windows classified with homosexuals?
5 minutes ago · Flag
Fond du Lac
smile, laugh, it's a joke. It's not your page, and nobody's forcing you to be on it
4 minutes ago · Flag
Amy Rose Green
I know that, I'd laugh, but it's not funny. I already stated generally I think you have a funny page, but I think this is rude. Homosexual's may be classified with people "who lick windows" in the sense that they are two groups that are discriminated against.

http://abcnews.go.com/WhatWouldYouDo
2 minutes ago ·
Amy Sherman
OMG People, have a friggin sense of humor already!!! Geez, no one is trying to be offensive, just funny, get off the soap box before someone knocks you off!!!!
about a minute ago · Flag
Amy Sherman
This is why I left Fondy 25 yrs ago and don't come back!!!!!!
about a minute ago · Flag
Amy Rose Green
I don't live there anymore, and sweety, I have a precious baby with Ds. He can't talk yet, so I talk for him.

If you read all that you see how I responded. I had to leave the group after my last comment. I was trying to find unlike after people were arguing that I was wrong, but I kept getting notifications and felt inclined to continue sticking up for my beliefs. In 15 minutes I was ONE of over 1500 people who decided to take a stand, granted all of them were not online within those 15 minutes.

I honestly don't believe it was a funny post... I was hoping that the author of the page would rethink what he/she posted, but that came up a mute point.

I hope I handled the situation well. I hope that I can continue to be a voice for Kheaven, and others. And I hope that some time my feelings, and the sharing of my feelings will cause people to reflect and maybe make a change for the better.

On a lighter note, not all of my blogs are going to be like this and the previous one. These are just the issues that I have found I MAKE time to blog about.

Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind

2010-03-11T01:30:00.001-06:00

Tonight, a younger, not-so-mature co-worker said some things. They were really hurtful things. I had physical pain because of his words. I became sick. I'm not going to talk about them in detail because I don't want to hurt other people, or cause them to be angry. I think anger is not the way to spread love, and I think love is a cure for what hurt me tonight. Love, and understanding.

I knew that there would be challenges because of Kheaven's diagnosis of down syndrome. I focused on the things that could happen to him. I didn't put a lot of thought on other people, though I read that was the only thing that ever really hurt other parents. I read the words, but it wasn't personal to me. It was personal tonight. My co-worker didn't mean to hurt me, I know that.

What got to me was that someone was reffering to a group without true knowledge of that group, saying awful things, having no idea that those things were very personal to me. My baby has said "I love you" since he was three months old. He says "mama" and "brother" and "Ohhh boy" and has repeated a number of other words. He is the smartest baby I have met at his age. Even if he wasn't, even if he didn't have that gift, he would still not deserve to be classified and thought of the way my co-worker did.

My co-worker tried to make up for it by saying his cousin has Ds, which just made me more confused... and then he said, "but your baby's cute."

-???!!!-

All babies are a gift, all babies have gifts! So many of the children that I read about with special needs, and without, touch peoples lives. The blogs I read are mainly Christian mommies, mommies of children with special needs, and photographers. They are all beautiful people who leave imprints on my heart.

I am sad because of the negative things I heard tonight. I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about them at all because I don't want to spread the negativity. I know the truth, and that's what matters. I'm sorry to the other parents I know who go through similar things. I didn't know what it felt like, and now I do. I'm sorry. I don't know your kids, or any of you that well. I know what I read about you. You all do hold a special place in my heart though. I learn from you, and I feel your pain and your joy when I read about your lives. And as sorry as I am that any of us have to go through this, I am happy that we can lean on and learn from each other.

i heart faces: "Jump for Joy!"

2010-03-09T14:01:00.000-06:00

I was going to skip this weeks i heart faces challenge, as I didn't have any decent jumping pictures in my photo library. However, yesterday when we decided to go outside it happened to be raining. :-) Of course, Austi, being the boy that he is, just HAD to jump in the puddles. :-) He was definitely full of joy while doing it too.

We ♥ spring!

I'm Gonna Miss This: Baby in a Bassinet

2010-03-06T04:13:00.002-06:00

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

Jeremy and I got out the crib for Kheaven earlier today. (last night) He went to sleep just perfectly in it. I can't believe no more bassinet til who knows when... if again. Wow. I'm going to miss this moment.

I love it right now though.

I love watching my kids grow. I love seeing the wonderful little people they're becoming. I love the moments where I know I'm definitely doing some things right. There have been so many moments lately, so many times my heart is so big and I can't imagine life being much better.

♥

I am so blessed.

♥

Thank you God.

♥

I was thinking earlier how much of a gift my children are, and how even though they were created through me and carried by me that they are God's. I feel so great that He's given me the opportunity to raise them. I was also thinking about adoption and how I would come about having adopted children differently than biological children, but that they would be just the same in the sense that God would be trusting me with them and I would be blessed by having them. :) One baby at a time though.

Lol... If I can even say that.

I have two babies right now!

*Dreamy Sigh*

K's getting baptized 3/21. It will be his six month birthday and World Down Syndrome Awareness day.

I'm excited!

I'll miss moments like my babies being baptized too someday.

And yet I know there's always more to look forward to!

Is it Monday Again, Already?!

2010-03-01T01:19:00.001-06:00

OKAY, it's not THAT bad!

It's just time for another i heart faces photo challenge!

:-)

This week is Hilarious Outtakes and who doesn't love a funny/akward photo?!

;-)

As you can tell from the above two pictures my kids L♥VE to eat nummy snacks!

I'm not sure what Austin was doing but Nayeli had a bad case of brain freeze after eating some Blue Moon ice cream a little too fast.

At least there's still a hint of a smile on her face.

She must have liked it.

:-)

^This^ is my aunt, my God-mother, my daughter's

God-mother...

There are signs saying not to do what she's doing.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

I ♥ her face!

What faces do you ♥?

i heart faces: "Hands-On Fun"

2010-02-22T11:24:00.000-06:00

Yay!! I think this is my first i heart faces entry for 2010! This week "Hands-On Fun" theme seems like a good place to jump in. Hands are one of my favorite things to photograph! This picture is of my son Austin, his best friend and his best friends best friend. Sidewalk chalk and bottled water made for some GrEEn hands on this hot summer day in Aug of '09.
:-D

I'm 25!

2010-02-21T01:58:00.000-06:00

So J just asked me if it felt any different to be a quarter of a century old. Nice, eh? I never thought of it that way before. ;)

I realized shortly after my last blog that my daugther's b-day wasn't for another three weeks. I'm going to attribute that to running on low. It's A LOT of work parenting three, working and going to school! I don't know how my friends who went to universities with a baby did it?! Although one is different than three.

I have been having a great time with life since I last blogged. There have been three days warm enough to get outside and comfortably play! And I get to bring Kheaven with too!! The birds are starting to come back and Austin and Nayeli LOVE mimicking them! I am enjoying teaching them different types of birds and their calls. I may have to break out the Kansas Native Bird Book!

Austin is doing well in pre-school but I feel that he definitely learns more at home with me. Nayeli is being two... My grammy reminded me that two is still a baby and I admit it's hard to keep in mind with how independent she is. I make a point to remind myself now though and sometimes it makes parenting her a little more easy. Kheaven is doing GREAT! He is a wonderful baby, and just a baby in general and that makes him fantastic.

I have found myself working on organizing a bit more lately... It's a process, but the more I do it the better I feel about it and the easier it's becoming!

I was curious... to the blogging moms out there... how do you do it? Do you ever sleep? I haven't been able to update for a while and I truly enjoy the blogging community and keeping my extended family and friends in the loop. Where do you find time to blog?.. and keep up with other peoples blogs as well. I think that part of the reason I have shyed away from blogger for a little while is that I am interested in sharing my life and I am interested in reading about everyone elses life, but if I really kept up with it all I wouldn't have my own life. It was different when I was pregnant with Kheaven and right after I first had him when he was up all the time. I had time then. Now with the time I used to have for blogging I so enjoy sleeping.

I suppose I'll leave you all with some pictures. :)

Have a great 21st day of Feb!

That's all... I need to save some for I heart faces contests now.

WW: She'll be Two in Two Weeks

2010-01-06T20:45:00.000-06:00

LOV*E

2009-12-29T18:39:00.003-06:00

L*O*V*E

Queen Amy | MySpace Video

i heart faces: Hilarious Outtakes

2009-12-29T02:07:00.002-06:00

This picture was from Kheaven's first month. I can't tell if that's an excited face or a hungry face. It makes me smile either way!

I love his mohawk in this picture!

Finding a "silly" picture of Nayeli is VERY difficult, but after thinking about it for a few minutes I recalled this particular one.

"Discovering One's Hand"

^It appears to have been a triumphant feat for the little one.

"First Pickle"

The title says it all!

And those are my "Hilarious Outtakes" for this weeks photo challenge at i ♥ faces.

Hope to see you there!

2009-12-25T11:03:00.000-06:00

from our family to yours,

Merry Christmas!

): Back to Work - No Time for Blog :(

2009-12-23T15:39:00.000-06:00

I know it had to happen sooner or later, but I am working again. It's really not that much at all, but it still takes away time and energy that I had been able to spend blogging. :-P

Happy Holidays!!!

We are expecting some bad weather here over the next few days so we will be sitting tight in our nice warm home. We may venture out to look at lights and visit with Santa, and possibly see a movie or two... but mostly we will be playing games, doing projects and singing Christmas songs.

Nana and Pop are wanting to brave the weather to come and visit us, but if they don't make it we will see them when the weather does permit it.

All the presents from Grandpa P. are under the tree and teasing ALL of us. I can't wait!!! I think I may be more excited than the kiddos. :-O

I'm sort of excited for more snow too. The last snow wasn't good for making snowmen, and I want to!

Kheaven just turned three months old. He is doing wonderfully! It's just under a month until Nayeli is two and she is doing great as well! Austin has been helpful and wonderful as usual. He has been into playing Mario brothers on the original Nintendo lately. It's fun to play the game with him. It brings me back to being little. :-)

That's all for now. Hopefully I can find a way to blog more soon.

God bless everyone this holiday season, and I hope your 2010's start out magnificently!

(Christmas pictures to come soon.)

KZ Two Months, One Week, and a Day Old

2009-11-29T14:30:00.000-06:00

That's all.

:-)

Happy 5th Birthday to My Buggy Boy!

2009-11-25T23:56:00.000-06:00

There was no denying you were gonna be a cute kid!

WONDERfull at ONE!

A Totally CooL Two Year Old!

Full of life and glee at THREE!

Thoughtful and friendly at FOUR!

FaBuLoUs!!! at FIVE!

(poor little man woke up with pink eye)

I'm sooo glad he's in my life. The best five years ever, no doubt!

i heart faces: Sun Flare

2009-11-23T13:29:00.000-06:00

Since Austin was old enough to toddle around outside I have loved taking pictures with the sun behind him. He is my sunshine!

This is one I took about two years ago or so.

To see more "flare" go to i ♥ faces!

Elk Falls Outhouse Contest 2009

2009-11-22T22:35:00.000-06:00

In the Midst of Autumn

2009-11-15T20:24:00.001-06:00

It's been a little more difficult for me to blog as much lately. Kheaven doesn't sleep all the time anymore and even though he probably only sees a doctor/specialist twice a month it seems like we're going to an appointment every week... And actually everyone, but Kheaven and Jeremy, still have been sick. So we really have been going to the doctor that much!

The pretty little welcome sign and candle above are my present for being Julie @Foursons 100th follower! She also sent this cute little pumpkin.

Nayeli is inlove with it for reasons beyond me, but she's cute about it... Any time she's gotten her hands on it she shouts "Punk! Punk!" :-)

Even through all the sickness Austin hasn't missed any preschool. The last letter he brought home was "G," and his last class he got to go on a fieldtrip to the library. They watched a puppet show with a spider and a flower. The spider loved the flower, or so Austin says.

When my family was visiting my grandparents gave Austin some presents in advance for his b-day. That is actually coming up not this week but next week. He's going to be FIVE already! ..tear.. :-) I'm so proud of the little person he is growing into though.

The picture below is him with his Crayola Color Explosion Glow Board!

I L♥ve It!!

Nayeli is over her double eye/double ear infection. Because of the antibiotics she was on she also got a fungal infection, but that's almost gone too now. We helped support the economy by filling all her perscriptions though! She continues to talk more, and more, and more, every day! She's so fun to listen to and to watch! The following picture was her dressed in her brothers shoes and my hat. She was just playing dressup, or she ReaLLy wanted to go outside. Either way she was adorable.

Kheaven has been his wonderful self. He has had a little bit of a stuffy nose, but nothing saline drops and a boogy sucker haven't helped. He has rolled over a total of eight times now and he will be eight weeks old tomorrow. (I think I can stop counting when he rolls over now.)

He has been doing this thing lately during tummy time where it looks like he is trying to crawl for things we lay out in front of him. Mostly it's just a lot of kicking of the alternating feet, but he does manage to scoot a little.

I was at Old Navy the other day and I found the cutest shirt on clearance for him...

:-)

The other night I went out for my friend Julia's birthday. This was my first time going out with friends, without the kids, since April of 2008. I really end up missing them when I'm without them, but it was great to have a night out and meet some new friends.

All that being said I will leave you with my friendly neighborhood squirrel.

Family

2009-11-08T22:43:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of being visited by some of my family from Wisconsin! They only stayed a few days, but it was wonderful to see them, and I got to snap a few pictures too. The kids especially enjoyed the visit and the presents they got from their Gramma J. Can't wait to see them all again. :)

My Grammy

My Mama (the kids "Gramma J")

My God-mom & My Baby

My Grandpa & My Big Boy

My Grandpa & My Princess

I love having people around to take pictures of and was happy that they let me take their pictures!

The Loves of My Life

2009-11-01T01:11:00.001-05:00

Halloween 2009

***************************************************************

**EDIT: We do NOT have the flu, this was posted on a door in the neighborhood we trick-or-treated in. I thought a picture was neccessary cuz it's sort of a sign of the times. Swine Flu pandemic 2009.

Thanks for the well wishes though.**

***************************************************************

You can't see it the best in this picture, unless you click on it that is, but the sign on this door says, "We have the flu, Sorry!"

Makes me wonder how many people/little kids were stuck inside. I hope they all get better soon and got to enjoy autumn festivities in some way shape or form.

Austin was lucky enough to have two costumes this year... one was Optimus Prime, the other was Dan Bakugan as shown in a previous post.

Here he is as the transformer.

Nayeli was my little pink ladybug!

My TRANSFORMING little pink ladybug.

Kheaven was my little mono. (That's monkey in spanish.)

Jeremy was a blast from the past in a leisure suit from his uncle.

He looks all proud of his little trick-or-treater.
(This was the first year he got off of work for the occasion.)

Austi as DB again and the sweet little ladybug. They seem all grown up able to get hold they're bags up all their own and everything. :) I love 'em!

Hope everyone out there had a safe and happy halloween.

And now...

Happy All Saints Sunday!

:-D

WW: DO NOT leave children unattended!

2009-10-28T23:25:00.000-05:00

...one of the many reasons you cannot leave children unattended when there is water in the tub... I answered my phone, two feet away from the bathroom door, said, "I'm giving the kids a bath." and then heard Austin, "MOM, Nayeli's in the bathtub!"... I was ready to give her a piece of my mind, but I couldn't stop laughing.

I Heart Faces: Halloween Dress Up

2009-10-27T08:05:00.001-05:00

"Dan Bakugan"

Austin looking at himself in the mirror, admiring the costume his Gramma J got him while she was here visiting.

To see more cute trick-or-treaters and whatnot visit I ♥ Faces!

I'm gonna miss this...

2009-10-24T21:25:00.000-05:00

I'm going to miss getting away with wearing a hoodie to keep warm for the next three/four months.

I think she might miss it too. Those big, bulky winter jackets are so restricting.

Hope everyone is enjoying this lovely autumn!

Friday Photo Flashback: Halloween 1992?

2009-10-23T12:48:00.000-05:00

I am FINALLY getting a chance to post after a week of not. I have been preparing for visitors and just enjoying all three of my sweet kiddos. Kheaven is a month old now! I can't believe how fast it went.

Hope you enjoy this flashback!

My brother and I as Raggedy Ann and Andy in costumes my grammy made for us.

Several times we dressed opposite each other for halloween. Thinking back it was fun, I'm not sure I felt that way back then though. :-P

The creepy vampire behind us is my dad. :-)

Good times!

I'm Gonna Miss This... Babies

2009-10-17T20:23:00.001-05:00

I'm going to miss my babies being small enough to look like this when they randomly pass out on the couch...
(Austin and Nayeli pictured below, before Nayeli was even a month old.)

I'm going to miss them randomly falling asleep as well...

But when they're bigger they might get in the way if they just fall asleep anywhere...

and they may be harder to wake up and impossible to move at that point.

(Kheaven and Nayeli pictured below... before Kheaven is even a month old.)

OH, I bet I'll miss it anyway. :)

For more missable moments go see Pam's blog and as always feel free to leave your own!

Friday Photo Flashback: Virginia

2009-10-16T19:27:00.000-05:00

I love this day!

Back when I was 18, shortly after graduating hs, starting college, getting engaged, then dropping out of college I moved to Norfolk, VA. What can I say, I was a little... to say the least, crazy! I had wanted to live in VA since I was a freshman in hs and to me it was the bees knees that I had the chance to ACTUALLY do it! Not too much hesitation from me, I knew I would go back to college so off I went! Not too long after I was married, and a month after that I was pregnant with my oldest, Austin! My grandparents came out for a visit about a week after I found out I was pregnant... bringing the rest of my belongings that I had left behind when I went away from home.

So here I am, all of 19 years and two months old, in front of my very first apartment on Flowerfield Road. It was a five minute walk from the ocean, a ten minute walk from a wonderous botanical garden, and the perfect place for a dreamer like me to be. LOCATION I have to say, was probably the best of my "situations" at the time, but like I said, I was a dreamer. ;-)

I had what I needed and to me that was enough.

This was back when I thought Bob the Builder had all the answers...

"Can we fix it?!... YES WE CAN!"
(Hey, that sounds like Obama!.. lol, he must have watched Bob a few times himself. :-P)

The tiniest kitchen I've ever known. It was okay though, I lived off of burritos and cookies. SUCH a healthy diet for a pregnant young lady. :-P

The driving range was a wonderful place to let off steam and keep those arms looking tone.

And Virgnia Beach... just around the corner and over the bridge from where I lived... One of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It's not the place for everybody, but when sea shells and the ocean are a couple of your favorite things, oh it hits the spot. It also helps that I was a wannabe city girl from the very first time I recall seeing a skyline and forward.

Norfolk: Population 234, 440

VA Beach: Population 433, 746.

Gotta love those big numbers.

Forget the fact that I heard gunshots every so often from my apartment... I didn't care! Yes, I cared for the people who were being shot at, but I was at home in my heart.

Despite those large numbers and the excitment of the hustle and bustle freeway driving brought... my favorite places were those that were just mine. I treasured "magical" moments on walks from my apartment to the Little Creek Branch of the Norfolk Public Library, the quiet of secluded/abandoned beaches...

These were my favorite things in Virginia, places it was just me and God.

And lucky me, God IS wherever I am Virgnia or not!

Thankful Thursday and 4 of 52!

2009-10-15T18:48:00.003-05:00

Today is the first time I'm participating in Sonya's Thankful Thursday over at Truth for the Journey.

I am thankful for SO much, but right now the following is what is specifically on my mind!

1. I am thankful that Kheaven's cirumcision went well today. I was so nervous about it and I am so grateful it is done and there were no complications.

2. I am thankful for my family doctor. I have been reading the book "Gifts" for the past couple of weeks, and their are so many families who find out about their child's diagnosis of down syndrome in a less than desirable manner. I am very lucky to have the doctor I do. He was very compassionate while telling me of Kheaven's DS markers, and he was very positive when the outcome came back that K does have DS. I feel so very blessed because of the way he has reacted to it all, especially reading about how a lot of others were treated when they found out.

3. I am sooo thankful that I have family coming to visit tomorrow! and yet more family coming in a little over a week. :-D

4. I am thankful for all the new friends I have been making... online, offline, everywhere! I am thankful there are people in the world I can relate to on all sorts of different levels. I am thankful I have the chance to meet and interact with these people. This week I am especially grateful for the friends I have made who are specifically my age and who are in similar places in their lives. :-D Yay!

5. I am always thankful for the life I have with my children. The other night while Kheaven was asleep I had the chance to wrap my arms around both Austin and Nayeli as we cuddled and watched the Santa Clause. I am thankful that my children are so cuddly and lovey, and I am thankful they have a long enough attention span to let me hold them for almost an hour. ;-) They're all so wonderful!

One more thing I'm thankful for...

It's really too bad that it's sooo apparent how much I'm lacking sleep.

Actually, it's how much I look like I'm lacking sleep.

Kheaven's only been waking up twice a night for the past few days!

Hallelujah!

I Heart Faces: Excited!

2009-10-12T10:27:00.000-05:00

This week for I ♥ Faces excited theme I thought I'd pull this picture I took of Austin a few weeks ago out. He was SO excited to find fallen leaves and he and his sissy had so much fun scooping them up and throwing them around. I'm afraid Autumn may have skipped us this year. As you can see he's in shorts in this picture, there really weren't THAT many leaves on the ground, and on Saturday we got SnOw already! :-S Oy! Maybe it will get warm again for a little bit... Just for Trick-or-Treating??? Maybe? ;-)

For more "excited" faces go to I ♥ Faces! While your at it submit your own! ;-)

Friday Photo Flashback: Grandpa

2009-10-09T13:30:00.000-05:00

Grandpa
I met him when I was four or five...

He is one of the funniest guys I've ever met.
He can yell loud, and has from time to time.
He was always playing basketball, or hunting, or fishing, or working on TVs.
I love him.

On his wedding day.

...I didn't get to see grandpa last time I was in WI visiting.
He was in the hospital.
He had just had his 5th heart attack.
They were trying to figure out what to do.
I wanted to see him, but it was a short visit,

time and transportation were issues.

Grandpa and Grandma summer 2007,
The last time I remember seeing grandpa look really healthy.
He's older than any man in his family ever lived to be.
Even though his heart (the muscle) isn't strong,

it (in the metaphorical sense) is good.

He's going to go to heaven,

and it will be good.
I wasn't sad when he got sick,
because I know he'll be okay.

But now, after a stay in the hospital, they have sent him home to be under hospice care...

There's nothing they can do.

I know he's going to heaven.
I will miss his laugh though.

I will miss his yell.
I will miss him bombing people with wrapping paper at Christmas time.
I will miss his hugs.

I wish he could meet Kheaven.

I wish the kids would have a chance to know him and be "picked on" by him like I did.
They'll have my dad, and my dad is a lot like his dad, my grandpa,

so I guess a big part of him will live on...

Even in me a little, as I can yell with the best of them, especially at sporting events!
And, I have no problem bombing people with wrapping paper.

52 Weeks: 3 of 52

2009-10-08T06:14:00.000-05:00

On Thursdays post a picture of you and one or more or your children at Carin's 52 Weeks Challenge.

This week enjoy a picture of our madd family!

Thanks for posting that video Jen, I can't wait to show my son when he wakes up!

Wordless Wednesday: Tummy Time+

2009-10-07T03:25:00.000-05:00

Well, almost wordless. Less words than normal?..

For MORE "Wordless Wednesday" stop by 5 Minutes for Mom!

Tummy Time

^A poor pic of my little K-Man a little upset from being on his tummy...

Or maybe it was all the joyful screeches coming from his all too hyper siblings

that put this sour look on his oh-so-sweet face.

Seems like they're playing nice together... Right?

But then there's a shift in the mood...

Austin is holding Nayeli back.

She wants to drive into the bowling pins,

that Austin worked so hard to set up all in a row...

He can't allow it.

OH NO! Open palm!! The look on her face!!

The look on HIS face!

...

Oh dear.

Whatever shall we do with these littles???

Hitting is NOT okay!

(The night went on just fine, incase you wondered.

She apologized,

they took turns bowling and running over the pins...

Oh my little darlings,

how I love them so!)

I Heart Faces: My Favorite Things

2009-10-06T03:23:00.000-05:00

No contest at I ♥ Faces this week, but a grand opportunity to open up a little bit about some things I ♥! You can too!! ;-)

I wanted to do this post this morning, and then I started thinking about my favorite things. I would be at the computer for hours, possibly days if I decided to share all of my favorite things. LIFE! is my favorite thing! There is so much in it that is exciting and wonderful and I am so blessed to have the life I have! I can't take a picture of life, but in the following "short" list of my favorite things you'll get an idea, a very small idea, of some of the things that make my life wonderful and my heart sing!

My Favorite Things

God
I love knowing I am never alone,
and that I don't ever have to worry because God has my back!

My wonderful Children, as if you didn't know!
I feel so lucky and honored to be a part of
and an influence on their lives
and what they may be like in the future. :-D

Children in general.
They see things as they are and don't judge!
I think every child deserves the chance to grow up to the best of their potential.
I hope that when my own little ones are bigger and have friends over to the house that I am everyones "mom." :-)

Church retreats/Christian concerts/
Being around people who understand how much I love God and why,
and who feel the same way!

Autumn!!!

Such a beautiful season. I love the others as well it's true,

but Autumn is here and I welcome it with open arms, a big rake,

and a bounce in my knees to jump in all those awesome leaf piles!

♥Camping♥

I haven't been camping in a couple of years, but I LOVE it,
I cannot wait until the next time I get to camp again!

SwInGiNg!

Such a free feeling to feel the wind brush past your face.
And when you look up you feel like you can touch the sky!

♥

Bowling... and Feet!
But really, I love feet, no idea why, I just do!

Asian Decor
There just seems to be something magical/mystical about the style.

Singing/Dancing/Performing :-)
Oh, I guess just positive attention in any form. ;-)

Modeling
This goes back to that attention thing. ;-)

The Beach... The Ocean...
The sounds, the smell, the life. Little creatures to be caught,
treasures in the forms of sea shells and sand dollars.

AND one musn't forget chasing seagulls.
:-P

Sunsets.
Like the bow on a present,
a beautiful sunset is the perfect finishing touch

for a day full of all of my favorite things!

I'M Gonna Miss This Moment!

2009-10-03T23:35:00.000-05:00

To see more missable moments click the button below.
You're bound to find something to make you smile! ;-)

I'm going to miss ALL my "babies" willing to be in, fitting in, and smiling for pictures I take by holding the camera out in front of us. ;-)

^See^ Even Kheav is smiling! :-D

♥