Happy 25th Birthday, Rachel! Twenty-five years have passed too quickly. I often find myself reflecting near your birthday. I think about how you and we have been loved and embraced- even before you were born. I think about the way […]
World Down Syndrome Day (#WDSD21) is Thursday, March 21. It is a day recognized by the UN, countries, and organizations around the world where we celebrate the lives of individuals with Down syndrome. We also try to raise awareness and […]
Dear Rachel, How are you 24? Wasn’t it only yesterday that you announced your arrival with a loud scream and those precious little hands in the air? Those blue eyes had me from the start. For many years, one of […]
Last year during National Down Syndrome Awareness Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month, I shared “My Real Thoughts About Adult Life” in what became one of my most popular blogs ever. Rachel had just gone to work at a […]
I’m reviving an old blog, Auditions: Paralyzed by Fear. Originally written in 2011, I talk about how Rachel became involved in theatre and her first audition paved the way for me to overcome my own fears. During National Down Syndrome […]
Yesterday was World Cancer Day. My husband Jonathan is almost 23 years cancer free. He had a colorectal tumor removed 23 years ago yesterday. We are blessed. Twenty-three years ago today, our world changed forever when we learned our unborn […]
A few weeks back I wrote a blog about my real feelings and thoughts about adult life. Almost 1,000 hits in two days. That’s a big number for me. I also had a plethora of Facebook comments, and many of […]
This blog has been hard for me to write. Almost didn’t write it. Emotional. But here we go. Rachel just got a job at a local grocery store chain. She is a courtesy clerk which is just a fancy name […]
Today, Rachel turns 22. The week of her birthday, I usually find myself reflecting a lot on years gone by. We have had some standout birthday bashes to celebrate this girl. From ladybug, Veggie Tales, Elmo, Hannah Montana, Build-a-Bear, Pump-it-Up, […]
Rachel graduated from Project SEARCH* Friday night. It was a lovely celebration. She was very proud. The other graduates, all of the employees, and family members were proud. We were and are super proud of Rachel. Still, this wasn’t Rachel’s […]