Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day!

I posted about WDSD, but Sunday night we celebrated with our local Down syndrome support group!

 

Go check out the pictures on my mom's blog! :)

Chosen!

Some things are too good for words. So I don't have many. The 4 most important are....

GRETA HAS A FAMILY!!!

My sweet love. She has waited over 15 years. 15 years of being rejected, and today, she is CHOSEN.

The sweatshirt I was wearing when I met her 3 months ago says "Chosen Adopted Loved". Today she is chosen, soon she will be adopted, and even though she is already loved from afar, soon SHE will KNOW she is LOVED.

I met her just over 3 months ago, and it's been 3 months since I said goodbye to her. 3 months since I whispered in her and promised her I would make sure her mama found her.

Her mama found her, her mama loves her, and her mama is going to bring her HOME!

Praising God here today through my happy tears. In awe of how GOOD he is.

I kept my promise to Greta, and He also keeps his promises. God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy!

Time is still ticking.

We keep going about our lives.

Doing what we do. Trying to keep up with life.

But guess what? Time is still ticking.

The days are passing, and weeks are slipping away.

And with the passing weeks, the months start ticking by too.

Precious weeks, days, minutes. Wasted.

Months we can't loose.

Because she's not with her family.

And we are running out of time to find her a family.

How long must she wait?

She doesn't have much time before the clock hits zero.

And then it will be too late.
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The tiny girl who needs a family. || Adopting the tiny girl - FAQ's

What today is really about.

Today is World Down Syndrome Day!

March 21st, or 3/21, standing for 3 of the 21st chromosome.

I have three siblings with Down syndrome, and many other little friends with Down syndrome, all who I love to pieces.

But here's the thing.

I'm not here to tell you about how special people with Down syndrome are, and why we should celebrate them today.

Because I don't think today is about celebrating them.

I think today is about making a point of pointing out to people that people with Down syndrome should be accepted like everyone else.

When I see one of my siblings or one of my other little friends with Down syndrome, I forget in the every day that they have Down syndrome.

When I look at Elijah, I see Elijah, not my-brother-with-Down-syndrome. It's part of who he is, not something that makes him different than everyone else.

Obviously, there are doctor appointments, therapies, and challenges that come up because of their diagnosis, but even then it doesn't scream Down syndrome at me.

I don't think it's much different than when I see someone with blonde hair. I notice it, but not every time I look at them, and it's not what I think about when I look at them.

I'm not trying to take away from the fact they have blonde hair by not pointing it out to them, and I'm not trying to take away the fact someone has Down syndrome by not pointing it out to them.

Today is about acceptance. Accepting people with special needs for who they are, and not treating them different than anyone else.

I'm not saying not to be more patient and understanding when they don't behave perfectly, and I know with some things you have to take their diagnosis into account.

But, you don't have to constantly thinking about the fact they have Down syndrome, and treating them like it.

When we are out and about, yes, I still notice if there is an adult across the restaurant who has Down syndrome. But do I need to to go over with one of my siblings and introduce myself? Absolutely not. Sure, I'll smile at them if they smile at me as they walk by, or I'll say thank you and smile at them if they hold the door open for me. But I won't do anything more than I would do anyone else. I don't introduce myself and my sibling with Down syndrome to point out they are both the same and different than everyone else.

Acceptance.

If you see a woman who is a complete stranger with no hair, do you go up to them and tell them that your sister-in-law also had breast cancer? Or smile sympathetically at them and stare at their head? Why should it be any different with someone with Down syndrome?

Be patient, listen carefully if they try to talk to you, but don't act like they are different.

Because they are as different from people without Down syndrome as you are from me.

Do you the same face and body type as me? Nope, and they don't have the same one as you. You accept me for who I am, so accept them as who they are.


Happy World Down Syndrome Day!

Her 9th Birthday and 1st Celebrated

Today, my beautiful little sister turned 9.

Her first birthday with a family!

She waited over 8 long years, and now she is loved, and cherished, and knows what it means to be in a family.

And we are so grateful and blessed she is our ours!

Happy Birthday Grace!

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We celebrated her birthday on Sunday with family and friends who love her.

She quite enjoyed licking the beater with frosting on it!

We decided to write her name in Ukrainian and Olena looks prettier than Grace. :)

9 cupcakes and candles! A 9 for this year, and one for each of the 8 birthdays she's missed!

We haven't had any birthdays since she came home, so she didn't get to see anyone else practice. But she still did pretty well and got at least one out! She was blowing, but very gently. :)

So Elijah helped her!

Of course she loved the cupcake!

Opening presents! Clothes are fun when you've never gotten any for your birthday before!

Signing "monkey" while reading her new Five Little Monkeys book!

A doll she can brush the hair on!

And another dolly she can brush the hair!

If you didn't get the memo, she loves to brush hair and can be found most days with a hair brush in her hand!

A beautiful handmade quilt for a beautiful girl!

Happy Birthday Princess Grace! We are so glad you get to celebrate with us!