Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2009!

Wow! What a couple weeks we have had...wrapping up a wonderful year 2009. So ready to start the new year 2010 though! The holidays were wonderful...busy to say the least, but a great time with friends and family. Jared's sweet grandmother passed away a week before Christmas...had a wonderful memorial/graveside service for her on December 22nd. Christmas Eve we always spend with my mom and my brothers and their families. We started out mid morning with some crafts and food all day long. The kids made stamped cards with their Great, Great Aunt June, made some hand-painted mugs, ceramic ornaments for the tree and some craft bead crafts...so much fun! We opened presents and had a kid talent show. Mom made a wonderful dinner for all of us. We were happy to have our Grandma Laverne spend the day with us as well.
Christmas Day started BRIGHT and early at 5:30...am! Kids were sooooo excited to see if Santa brought what they wanted. They were quite pleased to get the number #1 items! and so much more! My husband and I decided to give each other gifts this year as well, but I wasn't as creative as he was...MY FAVORITE gift of the season was my blog printed into a beautiful hardcover book. He used www.sharedbook.com and they did a wonderful job! So every Christmas I am hoping for another volume to be added to my collection. SO neat! Ok, so enough typing here...let's get on to so many pictures...:)






American Girl Bitty Twins : Morgan and Maile


A telescope and microscope from Grammy and Papa!

Nothing better than a huge coloring book and new crayons from Big Papa and Grammy!

Christmas morning chilling on his new lion! He loves snuggling and wrestling him!

Mind Flex...this is what he wanted sooooo bad! Santa brought it to him, but we had to return it...such a hoax! He got a RIPSTICK instead...:)

Holding up his stocking filled!

Kaylee holding hers...

5:30 am....waiting to come out!

Christmas EVE!

My mom with her 8 grandchildren...

Big cousin Alyssa hanging out with Brayden...

We sang Christmas carols with the chimes...Brayden LOVED it!

2009 was a wonderful year...hoping 2010 is even better!

Merry Christmas!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

Our dear Great Grammy Rosie....

She is resting peacefully right now, in the hospital...surrounded by those who LOVE her dearly. This is Jared's grandmother. She is a wonderful lady and has come down with Pneumonia this past week...and has now taken over her body. She has been fighting it these last couple of days...I am sending a prayer request to have her feel comfort right now and know that we all love her and will miss her dearly, but know that we will be reunited someday! I had a few pics on our computer doing what she LOVED most...loving on the babies! This first one was with Kaylee as a newborn and then a few of Brayden and her...She loves her grandbabies and great-grandbabies, that is forsure....

Know we love you Grammy....HUGS! and kisses!

Wordless Wednesday....I Believe

2 years ago...

2 years ago ....December 5th...Jared and I heard the confirmation diagnosis of our youngest son...your Amniocentesis confirmed your child has Down syndrome. Something a parent never wants to hear...something is wrong with my baby? How could this be? How did this happen? So many fears, thoughts, tears, anger, heavy emotions....

Wow! I can remember this day like it was yesterday...IF only I could go back 2 years and hear that diagnosis all over again...and say, Wonderful...our life is going to be wonderful and we are going to be blessed beyond belief! I can not wait to meet this special angel from God...I hope at least one person can read this blog post today and be touched by it. There may be parents out there that have just found out prenatally like we did, that their child had Down syndrome, or there may be parents that have just had a baby and was diagnosed at birth with Down syndrome...I want you to know you are not alone and there are so many of us on this wonderful journey. YES, WONDERFUL! We all go through some kind of grieving process for the child we thought we were going to have, but trust me...with time...a calmness comes over you and you will begin to look forward to meeting this special blessing from God.

I couldn't be any happier in life...I have a wonderful husband who loves me unconditionally and supports me in everything I do, I have 3 amazing children...having gone through the trials in life has made me that much stronger of a woman and made me appreciate so much more to life!

So yes, 2 years later...I thank God everyday for our special little angel baby and I thank Brayden for teaching us so much already in the 19 months he has been with us...Love you baby!