Birthday Party

We are just a few days away from Jennifer's 3rd birthday, hard to believe I know. So over the weekend we had a family party for her. There were grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and great-grandparents. And of course lots of food. Jennifer thought it was a great time because all the attention was focused on her! She does love to be the center of attention. There were lots of presents and Jennifer took her time opening each one, I think she wanted to saver the moment of seeing each gift. The weather was a little chilly but we did play outside for a little bit. Grandma Stewart brought some cool bubble wands and bubbles to play with, the kids thought they were pretty neat. Here are some pictures from the party and of us playing outside at the park.

Back to normal

Do you ever have the feeling that you are just running through life? Things come and go and come and go, you think you can slow down for a little bit but then something else comes along and there you go again. That is the way things have been around here lately. It seems we have been running through life sprinting lately. Which if you know Bill and I we are not really sprinters! We are more of the jogging type so running along at a sprinters pace will catch up with us eventually. I do feel as though we will get to jog again maybe even slow down to a walk, wouldn't that be nice?! But I don't think it will be for a few more weeks. Jennifer's birthday is coming up and along with it comes a list of "stuff" to do. We have appointments, check-ups, visits, phone calls, more appointments but most importantly a party! When I look at our calendar and schedule all of Jennifer's "stuff" I am reminded that we will be sprinting for a while longer. When I typed the subject for my entry a few days ago I really did think life was getting back to normal at our house but oh how things change in just a few short days! In amoungst all the craziness that has been our life lately I am still trying to take the time to cherish the little things and I find that it is what keeps me going, it allows me to keep the sprinters pace when I really just want to stop and walk while everything passes right on by. If I slow down and walk I will miss the things like Jennifer laying under a bench at theraphy and telling her therapist nite-nite, Jennifer making grandma climb up her play set and go down the slide, Jennifer and Bill putting dishes away together, reading stories at bedtime in a new "big-girl" bed with Jennifer, hearing Bill say Jennifer Michelle as the two are outside playing- I can only imagine what trouble she is causing and laugh to myself. Life if flying by and there are days when it is just too crazy but I do have to admit I would not want to miss one sweet moment of it!

Jennifer telling everyone "HI"!! See looks to make sure everyone sees her!

Although we are not really potty training on a regular basis Jennifer will sit on the toliet before bath time, we left her for just a few seconds and she had the whole roll of toliet paper gone, lucky for us most of it was on the floor!

Bill is going to make Jennifer a golfer! While at his mom's house Bill just had to hit a few balls and of course Jennifer thought she needed to also so the next day Bill went and got Jennifer her own set of clubs. She does like them, in fact this morning we were hitting balls around the living room! Hopefully she will be better than her mother!

You may be wondering what in world Jennifer is doing here. One morning she was playing in her room, I checked on her once and she was talking to herself in the mirror, when she saw me she told me bye-bye. A few minutes later she comes out of her room with a pair of tights half way on her legs and pair over her head! She thought it was the funny thing! She started walking around just laughing at herself. It was too funny not to take a picture.

A poem

Yesterday a friend of mine sent me a sweet poem and I decided that I wanted to share it with you all.

Down Syndrome Creed
My face may be different but my feelings the same.

I laugh and I cry and take pride in my gains.

I was sent here among you to teach and to love

as God in the heavens looks down from above.

To Him I'm no different, His love knows no bounds;

It's those here among you, in cities and towns

that judge me by standards that man has imparted,

but this family I've chosen will help me get started.

For I'm one of the children, so special and few,

that came here to learn the same lessons as you.

That love is acceptance, it must come from the heart;

we all have the same purpose, though not the same start.

The Lord gave me life to live and embrace,

and I'll do it as you do, but at my own pace.

I'm not sure who wrote the poem but I so love the words. There are often times when we meet new people (or when people we have already known meet Jennifer) that a strange look comes across their face, we can tell it is a look of pity or sadness. And to be honest when I see those looks I often smile inside, because those people clearly do not know my daughter! They simply see something that is different, that don't look beyond, because when you do you begin to see something more. Jennifer makes you smile and laugh, she brings so much joy where ever she goes. And as I said in my previous post, she may not seem to know much by the worlds standards but it doesn't take long and Jennifer will show you what she knows! So I encourage you next time you see someone with a face different than yours don't stop and judge, stop and learn! You may not even know the story, the potential, the love, the gift from God Himself, the person you are about to meet could change your heart, your mind, your attitude, you never know what you might learn.

I hate to put something on without pictures so I decided I would put on some of my favorite pictures of Jennifer from about a year ago at this time. It is fun to see how she has changed in just a short year! She has changed yet some things are still the same (the last picture of her dancing on the table with Bill!).

Cherish

The word cherish has become my new favorite word over the past few weeks. I looked it up to see exactly what it means and I now I love it even more. It means, to hold dear: treat with care and affection, to keep deeply in mind. I have always cherished my daughter but I am learning to cherish her in new ways. Ways that I truly do hold dear. As the craziness of life happens around us I am often reminded to slow down and enjoy the little things and try not to get caught up in all that is happening. Lately it seems everyone is talking about all that their children are accomplishing and doing. It seems as parents we always want our children to be doing something, we want them to always be succeding at something. Jennifer has taught us from the begginning that things need to be a little slower paced, things will happen when they happen, there is no need to rush. So as I listen to others and sometimes begin to wonder what my child is doing, I stop and think of the little things. It dosen't really matter that she can't spell her name, or sing the ABC's (although in her mind she can and does), she counts in a way others don't understand, she dosen't know her colors or shapes but let's face she is not even three. And while some people think she has so much learn, I would have to say it dosen't really matter. She will learn all of these things in her own way and on her own timing and years from now let's be honest who will care how old she was when she accomplished these things. Life is more important than ABC's and 123's. It is about cherishing the small things, singing in the basement and using markers for microphones, getting all the underware out of mom's drawer and putting them on your head, getting exciting about having bubbles put in the bath, being able to get out of bed on your own and waking mom and dad up, going outside on a winter day and getting to swing, hanging out with dad in the garage, my list could go on and on. These are just a few of the little things that we have learned to cherish in our house. Things may be slower paced around here but it truly gives us more to cherish. Oh how fun to finger paint! The picture below pretty much explains itself!

Jennifer is getting dressed up to help dad work outside, it was kind of chilly.

Jennifer loves to help vacum, if you look close it was such hard work she had to do it without her pants on! Below Jennifer is hanging out with dad behind the coffee table!

Winter fun!

Ok so really winter is not fun. In fact we are getting a little sick of it here. In fact Jennifer has made some attempts to run (or crawl through the snow) to the back yard to swing. The one day she crawled through the snow and was laying by the gate repeating "swing, swing". Lucky for her Bill put a swing up in our basement earlier this winter so she has the opportunity to swing inside. In order to pass the time Jennifer has also been doing some painting projects in the basement and the other day her and Bill played with shaving cream. Two very fun activities!

Check out the beautiful painting, she is a wonderful artist!

The finshed product- what a master piece! Jennifer really gets into her work! She had paint all over her face, in her hair, all over her arms, she had a much needed bath when she was done.Shaving cream was a fun new experience! Of course just like everything else it had to go on the her face, in her hair and everywhere, but it was fun.

Swinging in the basement-what fun!

More Christmas pictures

Here are some more Christmas pictures...
Jennifer got a baby for Christmas and she love her to pieces. The baby walks and talks when you push her hand. Jennifer takes the baby for rides in her car, reads to the baby, feeds the baby, it is really kind of sweet.

Jennifer with her cousins Cole and Logan. Logan looks just like Bill when he was little, it is actually kind of scary how much they look alike. And it is even scarier how much Jennifer and Logan act like each other. What one dosen't do the other will, they can't be left alone for any amount of time!

Jennifer loves her new kitchen. (Ok I just really love her in the hat and apron that's why I chose this picture!)

This Christmas decoration became Jennifer's hat for a few weeks. She would put the bucket on her head and walk around the house laughing at herself. She thinks she is pretty funny!

Hope you have enjoyed our Christmas pictures! Until next time...

Happy 2008

Happy New Year everyone!! I hope that you all had a great holiday season. Our family had a great holiday, it was busy but fun. Jennifer of course was all about Christmas this year. She didn't really care who the present was for she was going to open it. Some of her cousins didn't really think it was so cute. Jennifer loaded up on all kinds of new toys so our living room has now been taken over by large toys. Jennifer now spends her days driving her car, cooking at her kitchen, vacuming, playing with babies, playing cars, pushing her shopping cart, the list goes on and on. Her are a few pictures of Jennifer with some new toys...

Jennifer and daddy looking under the tree to see if there are any presents for them.She looks like a professional chef dosen't she! Jennifer got a kitchen for Christmas and some friends gave her a hat and apron, she loves to put them on and take them off, put them on, take them off... you get the idea

Jennifer got a potty seat for Christmas, how exciting!! It is a good thing that she gets excited about everything, to her it was a great gift, even though she really didn't get what it was. (Just to note she has used the potty successfully two times to date.)Vacuming can be so much hard work that your pants just fall right off! Or last least for Jennifer it is.

That is it for now, I will put some more holiday photos on in the next few days. Until next time...