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Yearly Archives: 2010

corner view: take a different perspective

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Try embracing ability rather than fearing disability.

In this country most children with Down syndrome are typically able to get the care and love they need to thrive. This past week there was a disturbing story going around Facebook of an infant with Down syndrome in Arkansas. He and his twin brother were intended to be adopted at birth. Sadly only one infant went home. The other was given a DNR order.  Since then, advocacy groups have stepped in and the DNR order has been lifted. Please join those of us in the Down syndrome community as we pray for the continued health of this little darling as he waits for a homestudy-ready family in Arkansas to step up and bring him into his forever family and that he gets the medical intervention that is needed in order for him to live.

Thankfully, this story is the exception here in this country. In Eastern Europe and other parts of the world this isn’t the case.  As November draws to a close and with it National Adoption Month; I thought I would take this week’s corner view as an opportunity to share a wonderful organization with you. An organization that takes a different perspective on the value of the lives of children born with Down syndrome in countries where that is seen as a burden rather than a blessing.  Reece’s Rainbow is a non-profit organization that helps children who have Down syndrome (and other disabilities) internationally find their “Forever Families”. During November and December they sponsor an Angel Tree where you can see pictures of some of these sweet children and donate to their adoption fund. This money will go towards the costs of funding an adoption for one of these sweet children. If you donate at least $35 before December 15, you will receive an ornament with a picture of the child you donated to on it.

I wrote about this topic last year. And as I went through my archives this year to look at it again I was tickled to see one of the little angels from this tree, Mallory as one of the pictures I had high-lighted again. Dear Sandra and her lovely family have joined the ranks of forever families and brought her home just this past season. You can read about their journey here in adopting Mallory and Peach. There are so many lovely families that have given the gift of a forever family and a chance at life itself for these children. Jennifer’s, Lisa’s, Lacey‘s and Michelle’s to name a very small few.

Visit these blogs, consider adoption or donating to one of these sweet children. Let your heart and eyes see how different life can be if you just choose to see it that way.

Here are just a few of the sweet angels needing forever families:

See what’s going on around the world:

jane – ian – bonnie – joyce – kim – kay – trinsch – ritva – francesca – state of bliss – cabrizette – isabelle – janis – kari – jgy – lise – cate – otli – dorte – b – sophie – mcgillicutty – sunnymama – daan – ibb – pienduzz – kelleyn – ninja – sammi – theresa – cherry b – juliette – shokoofeh – cole – grey lemon – lucylaine – lynn – skywriting – anna – dorit – conny – l´atelier – kamana – anne marie – rosamaría – victoria – tikjewit – juniper – annabel – andrea valerie – merel – soisses – mlle paradis – cacahuete – wander chow – barbara – emily – tally – nadine – don – flowtops – susanna – tania – dana – ingrid – tzivia – lollipop – mari – mezza

Gratitude Journal

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1. fall colors in the local garden

2. family pictures turning out oh so bright and lovely

3. a new camera with which to shoot them

4. a yummy baked penne and loaf of Italian bread made from fixins in the pantry

5. a 4 year old asking for Beatrix Potter books

6. a 4 year old’s concern over whether or not Peter Rabbit’s father was rescued from Old Mr. McGregor’s garden

7. a bagel-park playdate

8. communion over seasonally inappropriate little girl clothes and realizing that the same fix was had in each home.

9. seeing the 20 month old really and truly crawling

10. November Sky Colorscapes

11. reminders of life’s randomness

12. support either way

13. a happy phone call with laughter over the smallness of this world

14. Girl’s Night Out and the discovery of a new cheese

15. 2 Buck Chuck taking the lead

16. my job and my kind co-workers

17. sweet feedback and confidence boosters on my photographs and perspective

18. Trader Joe’s!

19. sparkley shoes on little feet

20. last minute invites!

21. babies in fleecie nightgowns

Quailday: The Toddler Diaries…

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See that huge smile? Well this week’s theme is a collection of reports of the recent naughties at school. Or as I like to call it- ” A-cute case of the Naughties”. I have to say though between that huge grin of pride and the wrench my heart takes when her little lower lip quiver pulls it out of my chest; she tends to not get nearly the discipline she should for her antics…sigh…life’s just unfair I guess!

10/13: She was exceptionally mischievous today. When I first got there, the toddlers were out on the playground. I scooped her up and took her down the big slide twice and then she stole my keys out of my pocket, dropped them, and laughed.

Then we played with blocks and cups stacking them up and knocking them over. She kept grabbing one and crawling away with it. When I would ask her to give it to me she did that cute thing where she holds them really close to her and turns away with a little grin.

 10/18: I got out her toys and put them on one of the round tables. She crawled over to me slowly with lots of pretend sleep breaks.

10/27: Sorry we made such a mess. She was a little toddler tornado today.

10/28: She got distracted from the story by one of the toddler’s awesome new baby mohawk and kept petting the top of his head. He got annoyed and held her hand to make her stop and they sat there holding hands for a couple minutes. Then she decided to crawl around to the other toddlers and give them pats on the back.

11/2: Ms. Ashleigh told me that she’s noticed she will be sitting at the round tables and when she turns away and looks back over there, she will have pulled herself up to stand against them. She still wouldn’t do it without any help for me though… little stinker. 

11/16/10:  Then she went on a bit of a hair pulling spree. She saw one girl’s hair and grabbed it. I told her “no pulling” and “be gentle” and she pouted at me. Then she crawled over to a table and stood up to get to her toys I put on it. We played with her toys for a while, reaching for them and dropping them in the bucket. Then she saw another boy nearby at the table and shuffled a few steps over to him (She moves her feet so much more to get to other toddlers at the table than when I’m trying to get her to reach). She patted him on the head and then pulled his hair before I could stop her.

Good thing it’s a-cute and not chronic!

corner view: anything goes

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 This week’s theme was anything goes. Perfect for this little collection of odd shots I’ve had the pleasure of taking this fall. I’m pretty routine in the things I look forward to shooting- my kids and flowers. I don’t venture out from those happy little shots very often at all. And when I do, usually I’m not too very fond of what I get. But these shots really made me smile. Mostly because I can hardly believe they came from my camera! We’ve started having little playdates in a park in our town that has a sweet boardwalk through a wooded area that empties out into one of the local lakes. The water level below the boardwalk really varies week to week. About a month ago there were a few feet  though that attracted some happy little fish and voila- these images blessed me!

See what’s going on around the world:

jane – ian – bonnie – joyce – kim – kay – trinsch – ritva – francesca – state of bliss – cabrizette – isabelle – janis – kari – jgy – lise – cate – otli – dorte – b – sophie – mcgillicutty – sunnymama – daan – ibb – pienduzz – kelleyn – ninja – sammi – theresa – cherry b – juliette – shokoofeh – cole – grey lemon – lucylaine – lynn – skywriting – anna – dorit – conny – l´atelier – kamana – anne marie – rosamaría – victoria – tikjewit – juniper – annabel – andrea valerie – merel – soisses – mlle paradis – cacahuete – wander chow – barbara – emily – tally – nadine – don – flowtops – susanna – tania – dana – ingrid – tzivia – lollipop – mari – mezza