Once a year, our friends and family come together to honor our girls. It is a day of love and acceptance. A day of understanding and respect. If there were such a thing as Down syndrome Island... this would be it. A place where people just get it... they get our love for these two chicks above. Extra chromosomes and all.
As I pulled around the bend to bring the Buddy Walk site into full view... I burst into tears. This day is so important to me and it always brings so much emotion to the surface. Having so many people come together to promote awareness for Down syndrome... I cannot even put into words how this makes me feel. Me lurves it.
Happiness. Pure joy. Love.
That is all I see when I look back at these pictures from our walk.
Ain't no wet ground and mud gonna stop us.
Rachel Coleman from Signing Time was there... we love us some Rachel! Her videos are a huge hit among kids... and it is because of her that so many of our kids with Down syndrome can easily learn sign language.
And she totally could live on Down syndrome Island... she would fit right in!
We are so blessed to have always received tremendous support from friends that we met in Russia while adopting Nika. Their son... Sasha... grew up with Nika in the same groupa in their baby home... and they live 15 minutes from us.
I have a special attachment to Sasha... he and Nika were adopted on the same day. I will never forget the look on his face when he came running in the room showing off his new clothes just before he and Nika were sprung from the baby home. Oh my gosh... his happiness over just an outfit was freakin adorable... if that does not put things into perspective for you, I am not sure what does.
Our families traveled to Moscow together to complete our adoptions. Nika was so young and oblivious to what was going on... but Sasha was not. We were able to experience not only the adoption of a younger child, but also an older child that was very aware of what was happening. The good times and the bad times... it really helped us gain perspective as to the true emotion a child goes through in an international adoption.
Nika and Sasha are thriving today... and I feel so blessed to have this connection.
Dora! Oh, how we love our Dora.
Oh, Elmo and Spiderman... we love you too!
Mostly... I just love these three so much.
Great pictures...and im a little jealous that Rachel was at your walk!!!:))
ReplyDeleteummm...who told those three they could grow up so fast? M is such a handsome boy and those girls....well you and daddy better get ready to kick those boys away:)
ReplyDeleteLooks like such a fun day our buddy walk is on the 29 and can't wait
What a beautiful day! It's so great to see Sasha and Nika thriving! And, holy cow- Mason is just growing, growing, growing! He's going to pass up Kyle soon! :)
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