Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thanksgiving. Show all posts
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
In Thanksgiving
In honor of Thanksgiving, I decided to re-post my guest blog from A Little Bit Downsy on to my blog, to express how thankful I am for the community of families touched by Down syndrome. We all come together, from different parts of the world, with different beliefs, and join as a family to help each other. Many blessings to you!
Goodland, Kansas, population 4,948, is the county seat of Sherman County in Northwestern Kansas. The town is just 4.4 square miles big. It sits just 17 miles from the Colorado border, but is 176 miles from Denver, the nearest major city. The closest major city on the Kansas side is Hays, 212 miles away. Goodland is known for it's vast open fields of sunflowers and wheat.
In a small rural community such as this, it's very easy to feel alone. The nights are quiet, the days pass slowly. Socializing is most likely to occur in the aisles of Wal-mart. Everyone knows you, knows who you dated in high school, where you went to college, and which bank you use. The same doctor delivered most of your classmates and if you have a cough, he'll whip up a special syrup for you to take. "Newcomers" are defined as someone who moved into the city in the past 15 years, versus being born there. And it takes years to branch out past relatives as friends when you are a newcomer.
When my husband, Doug, and I decided to move to Goodland, we knew we'd go through an adjustment period. We were so used to our busy social life in the town where we graduated from college. Our life had been so hectic and stressful, we relished the idea of a calmer way of life. We comfortably made the transition, learning to eat most meals at home, instead of at our favorite restaurants, watching videos on Friday night instead of going to see live bands. Enjoying family gatherings with his parents, watching football or basketball together while our baby crawled around the house. We slowly started meeting people through golfing at the country club, and participating in MOPs. This was way before the days of Facebook and high speed internet. We rarely used the old lap top computer at home with it's painfully slow dial up internet connection. Occasional trips back east to visit my parents gave us time to catch up with friends.
So when our second son, Sean, was born and later diagnosed with Down Syndrome, our support network was scattered and loose. Of course we had the love and support of our families, but we searched for the strength from others like us. Other parents of children with Down Syndrome or other disabilities. Since our local hospital wasn't able to meet Sean's medical needs, we went to Denver to see specialists. The Mile High Down Syndrome Society offers great resources to Colorado families, but since we'd be returning to Kansas, they didn't have information for us. We got a few pieces of paper printed off and stapled together telling us medical facts about Down Syndrome and included a list of online resources to read.
When we returned home and connected with our family doctor, he referred us to the Early Education Service Center that would offer therapy for Sean until he was old enough to go to school. One of the first things we asked them to do was to connect us with another family. Unfortunately, we learned that he was the only person under 18 (that's as old as they had service information for) in the entire northwest area of Kansas that had Down Syndrome. Their service covers 13 counties, a total of 12,000 square miles, and Sean was the only person with Down Syndrome in that area at the time of his birth. Talk about feeling alone.
We were sad, scared, uncertain, uneducated about Down Syndrome and we felt like the only people we'd ever known in this situation. We grasped at straws to think of who else might offer us advice. I had a vague memory of a person I once did a committee work with that had a daughter with Down Syndrome, so I did track him down and email him a couple of times. My dad surprised me by telling me that his first wife has twin boys one of whom has Down Syndrome from a prior marriage. and that he had lived with them during their marriage. I'd always known of his first marriage, and the twins, but had never realized one had Down Syndrome. I pulled out the old 35 mm photos from the late 60's and closely looked at the faces of two six year old boys. Yes, I could see it now. They looked to similar, but one was slightly different.
Yet we still had no one close to us, no one raising their child the same age as us, no one to ask questions that ran through our minds and we were afraid to speak aloud. We pulled out the pages from the Denver hospital and looked at the resource list again. We wanted to find people, not facts. We wanted stories and photos, not statistics and charts. One caught my eye: www.downsyn.com a parent-to-parent support website, it said. I plugged in the old lap top and slowly watched the pages load. The peach colored backdrop, adorned with cherubs, appeared.
I.found.home.
Any and every question I could think of was asked and answered. Photos, videos, stories, resources, reviews, opinions, SUPPORT. Warm open arms. Suddenly, we were no longer alone and I was so thankful. I leaned on downsyn.com for support so much of Sean's first year of life. It was the lifeline we needed in addition to the love and support we had from our families and friends.
When Sean was 12 months old, we finally saw another person with Down Syndrome in person. We had gone to a nearby small town to visit their fairgrounds. While watching some horse riders performing various cowboy competitions, a family with a teenage daughter with Down Syndrome walked past us. They stopped for a few minutes just rows away to watch the horses. Doug and I no longer watched what happened in the arena, but instead intently observed the family in front of us. We stretched to hear them, to hear her talk, to see what they said, to wonder what their life was like.
A glimpse into our future?
How desperately I wanted them to turn around, look into Sean's eyes and see that he was a part of the T21 club! Instead, they moved along and as much as I longed to chase after them, I held back.
A few weeks later we went to the Mile High Buddy Walk and completely surrounded ourselves with families like ours. The experience was overwhelmingly emotional and moving. Months later, we moved to our current city and joined a Down Syndrome support group that meets just an hour away. We quickly met other families and built in-person support.
No matter where you are and what stage of acceptance you are at, there is always help out there. There is comfort in those connections. I hope each parent that feels alone can make a connection.
Images of Goodland, Kansas, used in this post were found on google images. I left watermarks as they appeared and thank these photographers for capturing the Western Kansas beauty!
Goodland, Kansas, population 4,948, is the county seat of Sherman County in Northwestern Kansas. The town is just 4.4 square miles big. It sits just 17 miles from the Colorado border, but is 176 miles from Denver, the nearest major city. The closest major city on the Kansas side is Hays, 212 miles away. Goodland is known for it's vast open fields of sunflowers and wheat.
In a small rural community such as this, it's very easy to feel alone. The nights are quiet, the days pass slowly. Socializing is most likely to occur in the aisles of Wal-mart. Everyone knows you, knows who you dated in high school, where you went to college, and which bank you use. The same doctor delivered most of your classmates and if you have a cough, he'll whip up a special syrup for you to take. "Newcomers" are defined as someone who moved into the city in the past 15 years, versus being born there. And it takes years to branch out past relatives as friends when you are a newcomer.
When my husband, Doug, and I decided to move to Goodland, we knew we'd go through an adjustment period. We were so used to our busy social life in the town where we graduated from college. Our life had been so hectic and stressful, we relished the idea of a calmer way of life. We comfortably made the transition, learning to eat most meals at home, instead of at our favorite restaurants, watching videos on Friday night instead of going to see live bands. Enjoying family gatherings with his parents, watching football or basketball together while our baby crawled around the house. We slowly started meeting people through golfing at the country club, and participating in MOPs. This was way before the days of Facebook and high speed internet. We rarely used the old lap top computer at home with it's painfully slow dial up internet connection. Occasional trips back east to visit my parents gave us time to catch up with friends.
So when our second son, Sean, was born and later diagnosed with Down Syndrome, our support network was scattered and loose. Of course we had the love and support of our families, but we searched for the strength from others like us. Other parents of children with Down Syndrome or other disabilities. Since our local hospital wasn't able to meet Sean's medical needs, we went to Denver to see specialists. The Mile High Down Syndrome Society offers great resources to Colorado families, but since we'd be returning to Kansas, they didn't have information for us. We got a few pieces of paper printed off and stapled together telling us medical facts about Down Syndrome and included a list of online resources to read.
When we returned home and connected with our family doctor, he referred us to the Early Education Service Center that would offer therapy for Sean until he was old enough to go to school. One of the first things we asked them to do was to connect us with another family. Unfortunately, we learned that he was the only person under 18 (that's as old as they had service information for) in the entire northwest area of Kansas that had Down Syndrome. Their service covers 13 counties, a total of 12,000 square miles, and Sean was the only person with Down Syndrome in that area at the time of his birth. Talk about feeling alone.
We were sad, scared, uncertain, uneducated about Down Syndrome and we felt like the only people we'd ever known in this situation. We grasped at straws to think of who else might offer us advice. I had a vague memory of a person I once did a committee work with that had a daughter with Down Syndrome, so I did track him down and email him a couple of times. My dad surprised me by telling me that his first wife has twin boys one of whom has Down Syndrome from a prior marriage. and that he had lived with them during their marriage. I'd always known of his first marriage, and the twins, but had never realized one had Down Syndrome. I pulled out the old 35 mm photos from the late 60's and closely looked at the faces of two six year old boys. Yes, I could see it now. They looked to similar, but one was slightly different.
Yet we still had no one close to us, no one raising their child the same age as us, no one to ask questions that ran through our minds and we were afraid to speak aloud. We pulled out the pages from the Denver hospital and looked at the resource list again. We wanted to find people, not facts. We wanted stories and photos, not statistics and charts. One caught my eye: www.downsyn.com a parent-to-parent support website, it said. I plugged in the old lap top and slowly watched the pages load. The peach colored backdrop, adorned with cherubs, appeared.
I.found.home.
Any and every question I could think of was asked and answered. Photos, videos, stories, resources, reviews, opinions, SUPPORT. Warm open arms. Suddenly, we were no longer alone and I was so thankful. I leaned on downsyn.com for support so much of Sean's first year of life. It was the lifeline we needed in addition to the love and support we had from our families and friends.
When Sean was 12 months old, we finally saw another person with Down Syndrome in person. We had gone to a nearby small town to visit their fairgrounds. While watching some horse riders performing various cowboy competitions, a family with a teenage daughter with Down Syndrome walked past us. They stopped for a few minutes just rows away to watch the horses. Doug and I no longer watched what happened in the arena, but instead intently observed the family in front of us. We stretched to hear them, to hear her talk, to see what they said, to wonder what their life was like.
A glimpse into our future?
How desperately I wanted them to turn around, look into Sean's eyes and see that he was a part of the T21 club! Instead, they moved along and as much as I longed to chase after them, I held back.
A few weeks later we went to the Mile High Buddy Walk and completely surrounded ourselves with families like ours. The experience was overwhelmingly emotional and moving. Months later, we moved to our current city and joined a Down Syndrome support group that meets just an hour away. We quickly met other families and built in-person support.
No matter where you are and what stage of acceptance you are at, there is always help out there. There is comfort in those connections. I hope each parent that feels alone can make a connection.
Images of Goodland, Kansas, used in this post were found on google images. I left watermarks as they appeared and thank these photographers for capturing the Western Kansas beauty!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Hello, November! Time for Baking Season!
Ahhh, beautiful November! Weather is changing, leaves are dropping, pumpkins greeting us on the porch. Perfect time to start fall baking and cooking!
Today I made up a batch of Lisa's Pumpkin Bars. They are quick to bake, make the house smell like Thanksgiving and are absolutely yummy! Here's the recipe for you to try.
Pumpkin Bars
Combine in a large bowl:
4 eggs
1 cup veg oil
2 cups sugar
1- 15 oz can pumpkin
Sift together in a separate bowl, then add to above:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Mix it all well, then pour into a greased jelly roll pan (aka baking pan with sides.) Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes. Cool, then cut into bars.
You can eat it plain or sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Have it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Heck, its' even good for breakfast! Enjoy!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Parenting is just a Picnic in the Park
We had a nice, long, mostly relaxing weekend in town for Thanksgiving. It was so nice to get to go over to my in-law's house for meals and just chill out! We had some great food and fun times with the kids and relatives.
Our official Thanksgiving Dinner at the Town Club photo.
Some chilling in the loft time.
Even the weather was warm enough to allow a little picnic in the park.
Sometimes most of the time, I have a hard time just sitting and relaxing. I always see contentedness as an opportunity to get up and get something done. You know, "hey the baby's napping. Cool, now I can fold laundry." Or "the kids are playing nicely! I should get the dishes done." Even my nursing breaks are used to read online instead of just resting. I think that's why knitting is going to be good for me. It's relaxing, requires sitting, and doesn't allow much multi-tasking. I have several projects on needles, but some are gifts so I can't show them yet. Hopefully I can keep finding these little windows to work on them.
This morning it was a frosty 29 degrees outside, so I feel Old Man Winter approaching. It's making me have ambitious thoughts about Christmas decorating and stirring my interest in holiday shopping. December always goes by so darn fast!
Our official Thanksgiving Dinner at the Town Club photo.
Some chilling in the loft time.
Even the weather was warm enough to allow a little picnic in the park.
This morning it was a frosty 29 degrees outside, so I feel Old Man Winter approaching. It's making me have ambitious thoughts about Christmas decorating and stirring my interest in holiday shopping. December always goes by so darn fast!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thanksgiving with Gramma & Grampa
The Pilgrim and the Native American are ready to eat!
Grampa carves the bird.
Gramma puts out veggies faster than Aidan can gobble them up.
The Turkey Day girls!
Daddy and his Ella Bean.
No pictures of Mommy, she was too busy chowing on the feast. And no pictures of Unc Curt, he spent the day in and out of consciousness due to having elbow surgery the day before.
The kids had fun, they ate a little, played a little, and napped a lot. We finally got smarter than Sean and brought a baby gate over so he couldn't excape the loft and make us search the whole building for him. Doug and I enjoyed some relaxing in front of the tv with the family. We've spent Black Friday hanging out at home. No crazy shopping for us!
Grampa carves the bird.
Gramma puts out veggies faster than Aidan can gobble them up.
The Turkey Day girls!
Daddy and his Ella Bean.
No pictures of Mommy, she was too busy chowing on the feast. And no pictures of Unc Curt, he spent the day in and out of consciousness due to having elbow surgery the day before.
The kids had fun, they ate a little, played a little, and napped a lot. We finally got smarter than Sean and brought a baby gate over so he couldn't excape the loft and make us search the whole building for him. Doug and I enjoyed some relaxing in front of the tv with the family. We've spent Black Friday hanging out at home. No crazy shopping for us!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
I am Thankful for...
Jennifer at Life with 4 Kiddos tagged me to write six things about myself. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'm going to twist this to say six things I am thankful for. Feel free to do the same on your blog or in the comments here!
1. I am thankful that I have three wonderful kids. They may not always be healthy or happy or obedient, but they do always give love, bring me joy and fill me with a sense of wholeness.
2. I am thankful that I have a husband that tolerates my moodiness, loves me when I have trouble loving myself, works hard to provide for his family, is a talented musician, loves to spend time with each of our children doing activities they love (even if that means watching the same shows a million times or playing video games or walking around soothing a fussy baby) and is a person that makes people laugh.
3. I am thankful that we have parents that support us emotionally, physically and financially. Our children are being raised by their whole family, not just Doug and I. It is a pleasure to see them grow with the love of their grandparents in their lives. We are so blessed!
4. I am thankful that we have the support of and friendship with our siblings. It is wonderful to raise our children with yours and enjoy the friendships they have built with their cousins.
5. I am thankful that we have found a church to belong to again. It was missing in our lives for awhile and we felt it.
6. I am thankful for my friends online, in real life far and near. I have learned so much from each of you!
Happy Thanksgiving friends and family!
1. I am thankful that I have three wonderful kids. They may not always be healthy or happy or obedient, but they do always give love, bring me joy and fill me with a sense of wholeness.
2. I am thankful that I have a husband that tolerates my moodiness, loves me when I have trouble loving myself, works hard to provide for his family, is a talented musician, loves to spend time with each of our children doing activities they love (even if that means watching the same shows a million times or playing video games or walking around soothing a fussy baby) and is a person that makes people laugh.
3. I am thankful that we have parents that support us emotionally, physically and financially. Our children are being raised by their whole family, not just Doug and I. It is a pleasure to see them grow with the love of their grandparents in their lives. We are so blessed!
4. I am thankful that we have the support of and friendship with our siblings. It is wonderful to raise our children with yours and enjoy the friendships they have built with their cousins.
5. I am thankful that we have found a church to belong to again. It was missing in our lives for awhile and we felt it.
6. I am thankful for my friends online, in real life far and near. I have learned so much from each of you!
Happy Thanksgiving friends and family!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Snowman, Snowman, Snowman
We had a nice long holiday and are ready to catch up again. We spent a couple days with my family, enjoyed a visit from my big sister, Ann, and her daughter, Kari. Unfortunately I realized on the drive to my mom's that I had forgotten to pack our camera! Kari took some photos, and let Aidan take several as well, so hopefully I will get some shots of everyone together. We had lots of yummy Thanksgiving feasting and hit the stores for Black Friday shopping. Aidan and Sean had so much fun playing with their cousins. We only get to see Ann and Kari once a year, so he had a hard time remembering who they are. After spending a couple of hours making Playdough snowmen, snow forts and snowballs; I think they will have a clear memory of Kari! We came home in time to visit with Doug's family that drove down from KC. It started snowing as we pulled into town, so we had perfect timing for once. Grandma Janice hosted some great meals in the loft and the kids had fun chasing each other around the office building. Saturday afternoon, Aidan and cousin Mackenzie scrapped what little snow we got into a snowman! They did a great job making it, but the sun was their enemy so it didn't last long at all. 
Aidan woke up feeling crummy today, so we skipped school and stretched out the holiday one more day. He seems to be back to himself now, so it's back to school tomorrow. I know he won't admit it, but I am sure he misses seeing his teachers and friends. Hope everyone else had a great vacation, too. Speaking of school, here's a little clip from the school concert that fits this post!
Aidan woke up feeling crummy today, so we skipped school and stretched out the holiday one more day. He seems to be back to himself now, so it's back to school tomorrow. I know he won't admit it, but I am sure he misses seeing his teachers and friends. Hope everyone else had a great vacation, too. Speaking of school, here's a little clip from the school concert that fits this post!
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