Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day

Last night we went to Monkey Joe's (a inflatable jumpy thing place-I'm good at explaining things) with our local Ds support group to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day.

Jonathan just wanted to sit there and bounce. He didn't like that he couldn't walk very well.

"Oh there you are... stop stalking me."

Rachel

Rebekah

Contrary to what this picture would have you believe, Chunky Monkey like the slide. Just wanted one of us to be at the bottom before he went down.

Elijah getting ready to go down with Anna behind him.

Ha! This picture cracks me up. Just chilling at the bottom of the slide.

Isaac at the top, and a blurry Anna.

Is there a rule about going down head first? If there is, leave it up to Elijah to break it! ;) Great sensory input for him though!

We weren't the only family there though.. there were a bunch of other cute kids too!

Like Mr. Lucas! Adopted from the orphanage I visited in Ukraine!

And Micah, Lucas's brother, adopted domestically. You can visit their mama's blog here.

And Ruby and her family! Sister to Lilya (who I assume was there... she's the only one I didn't see!), who is from Ukraine, her family paved the way for our adoption, and I traveled with them to NDSC in July. This was the only picture I got of her
that's focused enough to post! She didn't stop moving, not even to say hi to me! :)

A fun night, celebrating some fun kids!!

Down Syndrome Awareness Walk!

Day 6 of 31 for 21! Today we had our Down Syndrome Awareness Walk! It was pretty cold, but we all had a great time! :)

Our team! Named after....

Carter, Jonathan, and Elijah!

Our team!!!

Elijah.. yes, I made his hat. :)

Love these two! So cute!!

Brothers!

The 4 boys from Ukraine!

The 5 Ukrainians!! Lucas, Carter, Jonathan, Elijah, and Lilya (who is a true Ukrainian, and wouldn't sit on the ground, hence why I'm in the picture too! I'm not Ukrainian, no matter how much I want to live there!)!

Lucas is from Krivoy Rog, actually from the same orphanage I met Logan at! Carter and Lilya are from Kiev, Jonathan is from Kramatorsk, and Elijah is from Simferopel! 5 adopted Ukrainians, from 4 different orphanages, now in 4 different families that love them very much!

Elijah wouldn't show me his face. Yes, the leaf is actually as big as it looks!

I told him to say cheese!

Elijah on the slide!

Ruby and Braden! I loved seeing the Zoromski's again today as I haven't seen them since I went to DC with them in July! :) Loved seeing Dax too, he's gotten soo big! He's barely a baby anymore!

They were hiding from me! :)

Lilya!

Rubes hiding :)

What a fun day!!! :)

Also, my mom, Rachel, Ashley (Carter's mama), Michelle (Lilya, Ruby, Braden and Dax's mama), and Ruthann (Lucas's mama) either have blogged about today or will soon I'm sure. :)

DS Awareness Walk!

Alrighty! It's Day 2 of the 31 for 21 challenge! As promised, the DS Walk!

Yesterday was our 2nd Annual Local Down Syndrome Awareness Walk! If you follow my mom's blog at all you probably have heard her talking about walk the past few weeks and asking people to join our team! And I would say, by the size of our team, her posts paid off! :) Our team -

Our team! (How much you wanna bet mom will steal this part for her post?? I know she will!)
Back row - Left to right - "Big" Rachel G holding Jonathan, Mrs. Rheann E, me, Mom, Dad hiding behind the balloons holding Elijah, Mr. G, Josh G, Kaitlyn K, Mrs. G, Grandma Eileen B, Anita F, Auntie Debbie (aka Auntie Crackers), and "Big" Rebekah G.
Front row - Left to Right - Alexa E, Andrew E, Erik E, Anna, Isaac, "Little" Rachel in stroller, and Rebekah.

Other pictures from the day -

Rachel, and a foot!

That's who the foot belongs too! Jonathan!

My FAVORITE picture of the day - Left to right - Me, Micah, Lucas, and Rachel!!! ♥ Lucas recently came home from the orphanage I was at last summer where Logan is at! ♥ And this is the first time I've met him! :) I just gotta say, he and his brother are MUCH cuter in person!!! :) You can visit his mama's blog here.

Rachel from Signing Time!!!
Rachel Coleman, Mom, Elijah, Rachel, Rachel, Jonathan, and me!

 The WALK!

"Big" Rachel and Jonathan! 

Our team (kinda) walking!

No wonder it was so cold! We were right on the lake!

And we finished off the day with a performance from Rachel!

So last year, I met Lilya (she was there this year, but I didn't get to see her much... ):) for the first time at the walk, this year I met Lucas, I wonder who I will meet next year! :) I can't wait 'till next year!!

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And I can't wait till I can see Lyla at a DS Walk! Maybe that's who I'll see next year!