18-Year-Old Model With Down Syndrome Will Walk at New York Fashion Week, Change the World

Interview featured in Redbook must read!

Summer Fun!

Crazy busy summer between camps, Maine, work and 2 weddings! Oh, and falling down slicing your thumb on your ceramic travel mug and having surgery to repair the nerve you managed to mangle in the process, but these guys know how to rip it up!

A Proud Defining Moment!

We had Asa's IEP meeting yesterday for going into 2nd Grade! He knew we were going to be coming to school for a meeting, so yesterday he told his teacher he wanted to make a video of himself reading to share with us! It took everything in me not to break down into happy proud tears. A truly defining moment! The video was a little longer and had to be shortened because of file size, but the best part was in the last frame, he corrected himself from saying play and to reading kick!

Neglect

I know I neglect you tired old blog. My last post was in the grip of winter. Spring is slowly (very, very slowly) blooming and we did go in search of warmer weather. We returned to the sun warmed beaches of Emerald Isle NC for April vacation. I think it's totally worth the 14 hour drive... The memories are worth it (uh-em Jenna).

This hole was already here, it delivered days of enjoyment!

First model with Down syndrome to walk the runway at NYC Fashion Week

Meet the first model with Down syndrome to walk the runway at Fashion Week

Snow Day

We had SNOWFUN yesterday! Cousins came over for a sledding party. Nothing like a cardboard boat covered in duck tape and pulled behind the Ranger!

Gracyn and cousin Tucker

 The adults had fun too being pulled and purposely dumped! :) :)

Today Asa had a snow day, it is the 3rd snow day in 3 weeks!

Asa helping Grampy run the snowblower

Dad Refuses to Give Up Newborn Son With Down syndrome

Wow!

Dad Refuses to Give Up Newborn With Down syndrome click on link to read story - yup I funded! 

Leo and His Dad's GoFundMe page click here!

Wordless Wednesday

January Hibernation

I feel like the bear from "Bear Snores On" by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman. I want to stay in bed because it is too cold outside, I want to hibernate in the house! Anything below 15 degrees is just crazy and average highs for the past 2 weeks have been mostly this! Though the days are getting longer and the sun just a little bit brighter in the sky, there is hope that Spring isn't too far away! I'm not blogging much because I'm frozen in Northern New England... We did not have the massive snow that hit the coast but it would of been fun to play in :) :) We only have about 6 inches on the ground. Looking forward to February, one month closer to Spring...

Quote of the Day

I'm not blogging as much as I'd like! But I do religiously read the blogs I follow :) Kelle Hampton at Enjoying the Small Things made me cry today, but it was a warm fuzzy cry and this is the paragraph that got me, and it got me good. She hit the nail on the head and smashed the ball out of the ballpark. Inspiring words... Kelle is an amazing writer and mom, her daughter Nella happens to have extra good stuff just like Super Ace :)

"I can’t make everything better for Nella, I can’t magically change the way her brain works or fix her muscle tone or promise that she won’t have moments of feeling different from others in life. But I can do my part in making the world a kinder place for her to thrive—for all my kids to thrive. “It’s like this,” I told my friend Annie the other day, “With all the world’s sorrow and problems and heartache and hatred, it can feel so overwhelming sometimes to think that we can do anything to fix it. But if someone came and told me there was one thing I could do that was guaranteed to fix it—no matter how small that fix was and no matter how silly the task assigned was, I’d do it. If someone handed me a wrench and promised me that if I turned that wrench to the right every day, it would help make Nella feel more accepted and capable and valued, I’d turn that damn wrench right, every moment of every day until I died.” 

Bravo Kelle, well said... I ditto that wrench...

Yankee Christmas 2014 and a New Family Member

We had our annual family Christmas on my mother's side dubbed "Yankee Christmas" this past weekend. Santa makes a visit with a sack full of toys for all the wonderful little girls and boys.I have 3 uncles and 2 aunts, meaning my grandparents had a natural Brady Bunch, equaling a VERY LARGE extended family to date. This gathering includes 4 generations and a traditional reading of "What Christmas Means To Me". This is a short or however long you'd like writing by the family member who's next on the generation timeline. Many have the tissues handy cause it's usually heartfelt and a tear jerker! Last Sunday completed the 3rd generation of readings and hopefully next year the 1st of the 4th generation (my 2nd cousin Logan) will continue the tradition.

Yankee Christmas reading by Camden

Asa and Gracyn looking for reindeer with grampy

see the binoculars :)

Santa's arrival

Santa asking Asa if he's been a good boy...

He said "Yes"

Gracyn was last to be called by Santa and he was so desperate to tell him he "sawd" reindeer tracks out the window! AND he "sawd" him at Home Depot too! :) :)

We also have a new family member - his name is Ranger and he is 9 weeks old. He is a Cane Corso "aka" Italian Mastiff.

Christmas Tree Hunting

It was snowy and cold for our annual Christmas Tree Hunt.

Ace was looking for the horse and donkey that are usually in the pasture across the way.

Someone was unhappy, cold, and didn't want to walk through the snow. Apparent by the look!

Finding the trunk!

Cutting...

Audience

Gonna help carrying his tree...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

We are in the 6"-12" swath...

Leaves, Weddings, Buddy Walk and Doctor's Appointments

We've had quite the adventurous week.

The boys got buried in leaves by Grampy and then would "magically" appear.

We went to my cousin Scott's wedding in Bolton Valley, Vermont.

Misty Mountain Morning

The decent down...

down...

down...

And ended the weekend with the Buddy Walk for the Northern New England Down Syndrome Congress at Fisher Cat Stadium!

Asa's fan club, Ms. Patricia's girls, Sara, Gracie and Esther (I hope I got them all right Ms. Patricia!)

looking down at the walkers.

AND we started the week at the Doctor's. Eye appointment yesterday.

Back again this morning to get some antibiotics to ward off Pneumonia!