So if you can please click the button below and VOTE FOR ISAAC!! :
The code will produce this on your website:
Grab This Button
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Two more days to VOTE! National Photo Contest
Issac and Caleb have been entered into a National Charity Photo contest to benefit a wonderful organization called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. This group takes portraits of terminally ill or still born infants for their parents to keep forever. This is for a Great Cause and wouldn't it be wonderful to see a child with special needs in the running for the National Prize of $5000 and a Cannon Camera? Right now Isaac is still in the running in 9th place. I would only take a few votes to get him back up to number one. I know in these hard economic times people don't have a lot of money to donate, but if you could throw a $1 or even $5 vote in for ISAAC that would be greatly appreciated. When you make your donation you receive an email to print out and keep as a charitable donation for your 2009 tax return.
So if you can please click the button below and VOTE FOR ISAAC!! :
The code will produce this on your website:
Grab This Button
So if you can please click the button below and VOTE FOR ISAAC!! :
The code will produce this on your website:
Grab This Button
Thursday, March 26, 2009
HIGHS and lows of my week
This has defiantly been a VERY emotional week for me. I have had emotions as high and high can go and pretty darn low too. I'll start with bad news and end on good news.
First, My dad's brother passed away on Sunday evening, just as quickly as my dad did 4 years ago. One minute they're here and the next they're gone, no warning, no goodbyes. Uncle Don Wykoff passed away while shopping for supplies to build a shed with my cousin. He was only 55 years old. My dad passed when he was 52. This is the third uncle to pass away in their 50's. My dad had 5 brothers and 1 sister. So far all men have passed away in their 50's, honestly thats quite scary for me. So today I am grieving at the loss of my uncle who was like the biggest teddy bear you could ever meet. He loved hugging you and he had the most incredible smile. He will be missed.
Second, my husbands grandfather was diagnosed with cancer through out his body three weeks ago. He's under the care of hospice now and he's deteriorating very rapidly. We were told by hospice yesterday that they expect him to meet the Lord within the week. So this is going to be an incredibly hard week for me and my family. My grandparents have been gone for 13 years and I have adopted Tom's grandparents as my own. Please keep Henry and Rita Hanzely in your prayers.
Third, the HIGH that I experienced this week was a huge blessing from God and I will not take it lightly. I have been praying and researching about forming a local support group for families with children with Down Syndrome. Its been about 6 months in the works. I had a To Do list that I was going through to get the first meeting under way. One of the last things I wanted to do was contact the local ARC to ask for advice and any recommendations to get families to participate. The more I talked to them the more they said I belong on the board of the ARC. I'll admit I had my blinder on and I just wanted a DS group, nothing more. I asked for prayers from friends and family and the most incredible opportunity presented itself. I was asked to attend the ARC board meeting on Tuesday. I went as a parent hoping to have some input on activities they hold there and I left as the new Executive Director!! Can you believe that? It now lays in my hands the opportunities we can provide to the local children with disabilities. This is an amazing honor and one I won't take lightly. I was going to start something with or without the ARC, but why try to reinvent the wheel? They are already a 501c non-profit, they own an 8 acre camp with a nice meeting building equipped with a kitchen, another building with classrooms, a small playground, a fenced in pond with fish, and much more!! I am praising God for this chance to do something and to make a difference. I pray that God will lead my actions and motivations to get things done and I ask for prayers from all of you as well.
This has been one week for sure. As for the kids Caleb and Isaac are coming down with something, I don't know what but they're not themselves. Tristin, Camille and Elijah enjoyed meeting and playing with some of their cousins that are in town for my uncles funeral. And my husband Tom is trying to get through tax season with the knowledge that his grandfather is growing weaker. UGH.. "This too shall pass"
First, My dad's brother passed away on Sunday evening, just as quickly as my dad did 4 years ago. One minute they're here and the next they're gone, no warning, no goodbyes. Uncle Don Wykoff passed away while shopping for supplies to build a shed with my cousin. He was only 55 years old. My dad passed when he was 52. This is the third uncle to pass away in their 50's. My dad had 5 brothers and 1 sister. So far all men have passed away in their 50's, honestly thats quite scary for me. So today I am grieving at the loss of my uncle who was like the biggest teddy bear you could ever meet. He loved hugging you and he had the most incredible smile. He will be missed.
Second, my husbands grandfather was diagnosed with cancer through out his body three weeks ago. He's under the care of hospice now and he's deteriorating very rapidly. We were told by hospice yesterday that they expect him to meet the Lord within the week. So this is going to be an incredibly hard week for me and my family. My grandparents have been gone for 13 years and I have adopted Tom's grandparents as my own. Please keep Henry and Rita Hanzely in your prayers.
Third, the HIGH that I experienced this week was a huge blessing from God and I will not take it lightly. I have been praying and researching about forming a local support group for families with children with Down Syndrome. Its been about 6 months in the works. I had a To Do list that I was going through to get the first meeting under way. One of the last things I wanted to do was contact the local ARC to ask for advice and any recommendations to get families to participate. The more I talked to them the more they said I belong on the board of the ARC. I'll admit I had my blinder on and I just wanted a DS group, nothing more. I asked for prayers from friends and family and the most incredible opportunity presented itself. I was asked to attend the ARC board meeting on Tuesday. I went as a parent hoping to have some input on activities they hold there and I left as the new Executive Director!! Can you believe that? It now lays in my hands the opportunities we can provide to the local children with disabilities. This is an amazing honor and one I won't take lightly. I was going to start something with or without the ARC, but why try to reinvent the wheel? They are already a 501c non-profit, they own an 8 acre camp with a nice meeting building equipped with a kitchen, another building with classrooms, a small playground, a fenced in pond with fish, and much more!! I am praising God for this chance to do something and to make a difference. I pray that God will lead my actions and motivations to get things done and I ask for prayers from all of you as well.
This has been one week for sure. As for the kids Caleb and Isaac are coming down with something, I don't know what but they're not themselves. Tristin, Camille and Elijah enjoyed meeting and playing with some of their cousins that are in town for my uncles funeral. And my husband Tom is trying to get through tax season with the knowledge that his grandfather is growing weaker. UGH.. "This too shall pass"
Monday, March 23, 2009
My Spring Teaser
As some of you may know, my husbands family owns a very nice Nursery and Garden Center. They are working very hard to get it ready to open and especially to bring in some Easter flowers soon. My inlaws own a retail Garden Center and my father in laws brother owns 14 Greenhouses here on our 80 acre family farm that he grows flowers for wholesale purposes. I LOVE LOVE LOVE being able to walk up to the greenhouse in March when its still in the 40's outside and your getting a bit discouraged that spring may never come and see blooming plants. Oh what a feeling for sure!!!
Here are a few photos from our most recent visit the other day:
So be patient, its coming (spring that is) and as always shop at Hanzely's Nursery and Garden Center if you want the best bloomin baskets around :)
Here are a few photos from our most recent visit the other day:
So be patient, its coming (spring that is) and as always shop at Hanzely's Nursery and Garden Center if you want the best bloomin baskets around :)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Picture Happy
Today the boys were in a good mood today! To celebrate world Down Syndrome Day with the twins I grabbed my camera and we took some photos. Ever wonder how hard it is to get one or two good photos of twins??....
It was all worth it and we all had a good time laughing and repositioning the boys and signing, blowing razberries, and making peek a boo games with them to get them to look at the camera. Fun..fun..fun :)
It was all worth it and we all had a good time laughing and repositioning the boys and signing, blowing razberries, and making peek a boo games with them to get them to look at the camera. Fun..fun..fun :)
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I didnt do it....no wait..... I did do it
Isaac decided to demonstrate his artistic abilities today on my kitchen wall..
And then he proudly turned and gave me a nice smile to go along with his work:
You know if I wasn't so happy that he was using a pencil to do something rather productive and really proud of himself for doing it, I would have been mad about having to find a big eraser to clean my walls off. It is kinda unfair to my other three older children. If they would have written on my wall like that, they would have had a time out. Not Isaac, he was to proud. And I have to admit, I was kinda proud too! Just DONT do it again mister :)
And then he proudly turned and gave me a nice smile to go along with his work:
You know if I wasn't so happy that he was using a pencil to do something rather productive and really proud of himself for doing it, I would have been mad about having to find a big eraser to clean my walls off. It is kinda unfair to my other three older children. If they would have written on my wall like that, they would have had a time out. Not Isaac, he was to proud. And I have to admit, I was kinda proud too! Just DONT do it again mister :)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Comfy Chair
Today I went into the boys room to find that they had worked together to move the sand table over by the fish tank (which is half way across the room) and they both found a way to climb up and into the table to sit and watch Barney. I guess they just felt closer to him that way :)
We have Glasses again...
The hard thing about glasses with twins is that you can't fool them at all. If one does not have his glasses on, the other will NOT keep his one either. So, over Christmas Caleb lost a screw in his glasses and by the time I got to the eye doctors office to get them fixed about three weeks had passed. Okay, back in business and starting to wear them again. THEN. Isaac's glasses lost a screw and again, it took me about three weeks to get into the eye doctors to get them fixed. SO here were are again. UGH! Lets see how long these last.
Monday, March 9, 2009
An Elijah Funny...
The other day Elijah and Camille were bickering back and forth and back and forth. It was out of control and they were not listening to me. The twin's TSS was at our house working with them and she said tried to talk to Elijah. Here was their conversation:
TSS: Elijah you need to talk nice to you sister.
Elijah: What do I say
TSS: Tell her she's the next best thing to sliced bread
Elijah: (yelling across house to sister) Camille you make me feel like bread!!
TSS: Elijah you need to talk nice to you sister.
Elijah: What do I say
TSS: Tell her she's the next best thing to sliced bread
Elijah: (yelling across house to sister) Camille you make me feel like bread!!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Bubble Bath
I was giving the boys a bath the other day and I must have gotten distracted as I was pouring the bubble bath into the water. I didn't realize it until I had gotten the second boy undress and put into the tub. I was laughing so hard. The bubbles were actually almost higher than the boys shoulders. After letting them play for a bit I let the water out and they still played in just bubbles for another 15 minutes. I couldn't resist taking pictures. Of course I couldnt find my camera quickly, so these photos are from my cell phone.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Twins first day of preschool
Today was a long awaited day for us. When the boys turned three they graduated out of early intervention and into an IU (intermediate unit) preschool through the school district. Due to their low immunities we chose to keep home services for that through the winter cold and flu season. We applied for them to go to a local preschool geared towards children with autism and we just started that today. They will go once a week for 3 hours. We were approved for two days a week but with their other therapies and their busy schedule we could only fit once a week in right now. But today was the first day in the whole 3 1/2 year old life they went to be with someone other than mommy, or a well known relative or friend. They did fantastic! I was so happy when I went back to pick them up and found them both sitting at a table engaged in silly putty and puzzles.
Here is Caleb before we left for school this morning:
Here is Isaac before we left for school:
Here is Caleb playing at school:
Here is Isaac trying to escape:
Here is Caleb before we left for school this morning:
Here is Isaac before we left for school:
Here is Caleb playing at school:
Here is Isaac trying to escape:
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