A peek at my party!

Mom sure made a big deal over me turning one! She thought it went by way too fast. I was pretty excited for the big day after watching April and Daddy open all of their presents the week before! First thing in the morning they let me open a few presents. I had so much fun tossing them around. They made fun noises!

Mom has always decorated everyone's door on their birthday. Then you get to walk through it! I might not be able to walk... but it sure was fun pulling on all of those strings!

"WOW" was all I could say when I saw all of the colorful presents waiting for me! Oh... and the cake.... I couldn't wait!

Mom couldn't get over how different it was to have a "boy" birthday! She was loving all the balls and cars I was opening! So was I!

There it was..... the cake I had been keeping an eye on! I thought they were going to feed it to me, but no! They wanted me to dig in! I didn't like the feel of the cake. It made me messy and felt kind of funny. I didn't cry, but I didn't touch it either unless they made me!

It was a fun day! I was pretty spoiled, but then again, I always am! I just had my one year well baby check-up and I need to gain some serious weight. Maybe I should consider eating cake every day! Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

Justin is ONE!

It is so hard to believe that you are ONE today! It feels just like yesterday when I was told that I was finally going to get my little boy.....

..... on May 1st, 2008 we were so blessed to have you join our family!

Daddy was on cloud nine that day and continues to be your #1 fan! We fought over holding you that day and we still do.... boy you're spoiled!

You chose to come to a home with the sweetest sisters on earth! They were so proud to hold their baby brother. You were the first one they wanted to see after school. Here it is a year later, and nothing has changed!

We had a hard time getting you checked out of the hospital. You decided to fail your hearing test, your bilirubin was too high, and your body temperature was too low. Somehow, we were able to bring you home....

..... and we have enjoyed every second of it! You have come into our home to take us on a beautiful journey. We are beyond blessed to have such a sweet angel to look up to. You are an amazing little boy and continue to show us how strong we all can really be. I love you sweet angel and look forward to all the many birthday years I get to enjoy with you. Happy Birthday little guy!

My rock!

I absolutely LOVE this! I had a not so good week a few weeks back. I was told by many people that I would have my ups and downs caring for a child with Down syndrome. I had my first "down" time... and for no particular reason. I just did. I guess it comes with the territory. None of my feelings were anger or upset with the sweet child I was given, but frustration for him and the challenges he will face. I felt very alone that week. But I am so good and 100% okay now! I had to remind myself that attitude is a decision. How could I possibly be feeling so overwhelmed when my sweet little boy is so full of happy smiles that brighten everyone around him, including me?! With all that said.... I have decided to not go private after all. I have stumbled upon some amazing families through blogging. I would love to be there for someone else who was looking for some encouragement just as I was. I am so thankful for my little Justin. He is my rock!

Lock down...

Tyler has been on me since the day I started blogging to make our blog private. I never thought it was necessary. I have taken polls on facebook and talked to many people about it. There seem to be many pro's and con's.... but I have decided to go on lock down! I know there are many of you who check out my blog that I don't know about. Anyone is welcome to read about our boring life.... I just need your e-mail address to add you! It will probably be happening in the next few weeks. Thanks bunches!

Happy Birthday babe!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER!

You have gone from being this cute little boy and grown to be the amazing Daddy and Husband that I love so much....

You mean the world to me and our little family! I love you more than words can express and I am so thankful and lucky to have you in my life. I hope your day is just as wonderful as you are!

Happy 10th Birthday!

6 weeks

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN!
Our baby girl is growing up. I can't believe how quickly these ten years have gone by. We would be totally lost with out this sweetheart in our family. She is an amazing daughter and absolutely wonderful to her sisters and brother. I have cherished each one of these years as her mother and look forward to the many more years of memories we have ahead of us! I love you baby girl!

Just because...

Welcome to Holland

by Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience, to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. Michelangelo's David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland ?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland ?? I signed up for Italy! All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say: "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very, very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things... about Holland.

Spring Break Run Down...

Wednesday the kids got out of school early so that Spring Break could begin! We decided to start the break off right away with a trip to Jumpin' Jacks! The kids could have stayed longer than the 2 hours we were there... but us Mommies had sore booties from sitting so long!

Friday I treated these cuties to a movie. I was a little hesitant to join them, after all, it was Hannah Montana. But ladies.... take your girls! It was a great movie! They had such a great time! Thanks Alissa for letting Brynn play while we went!

Great Grandma invited us to an Easter Egg Hunt at her apartment Saturday morning. The kids were so excited! They had a fun time running after the eggs, eating cookies, winning prizes from the raffle, and visiting the Easter Bunny! Thank you Great Grandma!

Uncle Chad and his band (Travisty) had a show in Provo Saturday night. We decided our kids needed to become his "groupies!" It took all of them some getting used to with how loud it was, but they had a great time with their cousins watching their cool uncle perform!

Now Spring Break is over.... it will definitely be missed!

HAPPY EASTER!!

Proud Mommy moments....

Today is just one of those days..... I am a very proud mommy! Justin had his therapy this past Tuesday and one thing (among many others) we have been working on is getting him to grab a snack out of my hand and put it in his mouth. What would come so naturally easy to a typical child doesn't come so easy for him. What one child can do in one step, we have to teach him in ten steps over, and over again. Practice will make perfect! I was so proud of him when he finally was able to grab that little treat out of my hand! He didn't realize that it was stuck under his thumb, but at least he was able to get it! I just had to put his hand toward his mouth, and in it went! We have also been working on sign language for "more." Right now he has no idea what Mommy is doing, or why I have his hands move.... but he will get it!

These pictures are some of my recent favorites! I absolutely adore my kids with all of my heart and love how much they love each other! I think these pictures are just so sweet!

Family fun!

Who doesn't look forward to a Saturday full of fun?! Once Daddy came home from a short day of work, we decided to head out to lunch and a movie! We saw Monsters vs. Aliens. The kids loved it! Any movie that can keep Brynn's attention is awesome! (I think it would have been so much better in 3D... but Brynn wasn't about to wear the 3D glasses.) Justin watched the first 5 minutes, then decided that napping was a much better idea!

After the fun time as a family, April said she would love to spend some time alone with me. (Gotta take advantage of those days while I can!) Tyler was the cool Dad and hubby that he is, and sent us on our way! We spent 4 hours together. I am so sad that I forgot my camera. We had so much fun picking out the kids' Easter clothes together. She is a bargain shopper like me and I LOVE IT! I think her favorite part was our pit stop at the Chocolate Factory where we shared a yummy carameled apple! I love a Saturday that is full of fun!

11 months already!?

Today my sweet little man is already 11 months old. Do you realize what that means? Just one more month from now he will be the big O-N-E.... I'm not too happy about that. He is growing up much faster than I'd like. I feel very blessed to have him because of the fact that he is still a baby in many ways. I don't have to let that go as quickly as I did with my girls. He isn't crawling, cruising furniture or walking like most 11 month olds.... but he is getting so much bigger and stronger! His personality is really coming out now. He's just so much fun to have around! Random post... I know... but that's what I was feeling all day today. I love my baby!