Catching up post

It's been quite awhile since I have posted because we are all just getting over being sick.  Not terribly sick, just allergies/gunky noses/coughing type of sick.  Sick or not, we have been one busy family....

Our local Buddy Walk was last Saturday.  The day was cool and overcast but then cleared up to make for perfect walking weather!

Buddy Walk 2011

 We had a GREAT turnout!

Rachel and Faith handing out Reece's Rainbow fliers!

We hosted the Reece's Rainbow table again this year.

Holly walking in the Buddy Walk with Sarah and Sydney!

Jason walking with Justin in the Buddy Walk!

Sarah meeting big brother Wesley for the very first time!!!

  
Sydney meeting Wesley for the very first time!!!

Volleyball!

Rachel's volleyball season is going really, really well!!!

Bleachers are not stroller friendly so we usually sit on the sidelines to watch the games.

Best view in the house!

Household fun!

The newly emptied-out bottom two shelves of our bookcase has become quite the hot-spot for playing these days.

 

Holly taking a walk with Sydney.  Perfectly in step!!

Holly showing Sarah some weeds wild flowers!

Jason entertaining the little ones

YUMMY!

Three types of Down syndrome

Did you know that people who have Down syndrome have the same exact healthy chromosomes as everyone else!?!  Why yes, yes, they do!  They simply have one extra #21, so three copies of 21 instead of two.  People without Ds have 23 pairs of chromosomes while people with Ds have 23 pairs, plus one extra  #21.   

There are three types of Down syndrome:

1. Full or Complete Trisomy 21
2. Mosaic Down syndrome
3. Translocation Down syndrome

90% of  people with Ds have the extra #21 in every cell in their body...called Full or Complete Trisomy 21.  About 5% of people with Ds have the extra #21 only in certain cells...called Mosaic Ds.  About 5% of people with Ds have part of the extra #21 connected to another chromosome...called Translocation Ds.


So there you have it in a nut shell.  The three different types of Down syndrome.

"31 for 21"....I'm up for a challenge

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and every year for the past 5 years, there has been a "31 for 21 Challenge" that was started by an amazing momma, Tricia, who also has a daughter with Ds.  The point of the challenge is to blog every-single-day for 31 straight days to raise awareness about Down syndrome.


I'm up for a challenge.


So, I'll try.  To blog every day.  With 10 kids, 5 of whom are 5 and under, still in diapers, all 5 littles have Ds....ummmmm, we'll see if I can blog every-single-day.  I'll try.

Happy Down syndrome month!!! 

Kids in the fireplace! Good thing it's summer!!

NOPE!  Believe it or not, I do not know everything when it comes to raising kids.   Yes, I have 10 kids and 25 years of parenting experience but Sarah and Sydney pulled a new one on me today.

They got into the fireplace!

So I did what any good mom would do.....I grabbed the camera! LOL!

 I stepped out of the living room for literally less than one minute and came back to discover my daughters having a blast in the fireplace.

It's summer and our fireplace has long been unused.  Don't worry, I would NEVER step out of the living room for any amount of time if there had been a fire going!!

I guess it's time to get out the 'ol fireplace safety glass thingy before winter sets in.  Or maybe, we'll just forgo all fires year!   Yes, we'll do just that.

So let this be an early warning and good lesson to all you with mobile toddlers out there.....get those fireplaces secured NOW before winter sets in and you start that first fire!

Photo Friday

Sometimes words just get in the way.

Enjoy the pics!

Sydney not quite sure if she likes her first bath at home or not

Okay, maybe this is not so bad!

Okay, so maybe this is FUN!

Big sis Holly giving tips to Rachel's volleyball team

Rachel ~ AWESOME volleyball player!

Over the net!

Our Four Reece's Rainbow miracles!!

Eating yummy Manicotti and green beans

All FULL!

Sarah and Michael playing on the newly emptied out bottom shelf of our bookcase

Sydney!

SISTERS!!!

Silly siblings!

The youngest 5 of our kids!  

Meeting mommy ~ and brothers and sisters for the first time!

Meeting Sydney and Sarah for the very first time was amazing!  They are both so precious and loved beyond measure.   

My dear friends, Bethann and Melony, joined us at the airport and took amazing pictures and video of our first meeting.  What priceless pictures and video's these are to us!  Thank you both so much!  

Sean, Melony and Bethann ~ treasured friends!

Enjoy!

Rachel and Kayla anxiously waiting to greet their new sisters!

Justin, Matthew and Michael waiting to meet their new sisters with mommy!

Mommy meeting Sydney for the first time!  Pure love!

Cradling Sydney for the first time

Mommy's first kiss to Sydney

Looking directly into the eyes of your new daughter...priceless!!

Meeting Sarah for the first time.  Pure JOY!!

Coming to mommy!

Nuzzling Sarah for the first time

Sarah finally in mommy's arms

Meeting Justin, Matthew and Michael

Our youngest 6 children!

Sydney meeting Justin!

Welcoming Holly HOME and Sarah meeting oldest sister, Kayla, for the first time

Welcoming Jason HOME!

Kayla holding Sarah

First family photo ~ minus biggest brother, Wesley.

As many of you know, Jeff and I adopted Sarah and Sydney in quite the unusual way.  Jeff adopted the girls alone and I will adopt them here in America.  Ukraine allows this type of adoption only under very strict guidelines.  The couple has to be married (which we are, 26 years this year!) and the person not adopting in Ukraine has to have a dire medical reason that does not allowed him/her to travel OR be over the required age limit.  The first is our reason since I had to stay home to care for Michael while he recovers from previous surgeries and is being prepared for his final surgery.


I did not travel to Ukraine at all so the first time I met Sarah and Sydney was literally when Jeff brought them home 9-9-11.  Jeff traveled without me with two of our older children on each of two trips to Ukraine.  We Skyped and texted so I could be a part of the experience but it was not quite the same as being there.  I did get to Skype with Sarah and Sydney after "Gotcha Day" and talked to them but it was nothing like holding them in my arms for the very first time and kissing their precious cheeks.

God has been so gracious throughout this whole adoption journey!  He literally moved mountains time and again to bring our girls home.  There are two less orphans in the world today and we give Him all the glory!