A blog about faith and being a mom.
A news anchor of Oakland, California’s Frank Somerville recently gave viewers a glimpse of his normal life, off the television set. This photo of him taking the braids out of his daughter’s hair got an overwhelming response.
So for those of you who think tv can be glamorous, this is how i spent my morning, learning how to take out my daughter’s braids. It takes a long time and a lot of patience!
While I’m excited and thankful to be returning to Dancing With The Stars, not everyone is thrilled I’m coming back. [Read more...]
If you ever see me out for dinner with Tripp, you might see a scene like this one. He loves to pray — especially before meals and before bed! And his prayers are more than the “thanks for the food” kind. He prays for all of our family and all of his friends from day care by name.
Soooo cute.
Plus, he makes everyone close their eyes, too!
More photos, photos, photos!
Many of you don’t know that my brother is in his second tour of duty in a combat zone. Maybe that’s why this video, of Sgt. Jeremy Cooney arriving home from Afghanistan, touched me so much. His son, who has cerebral palsy, learned to walk during his deployment as a surprise for his dad. As you watch the video of Sgt. Cooney seeing his son walk for the first time, let’s also remember the men who never got to be welcomed home.
Thank you, military families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. You are in our hearts today.
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In the United States, would you believe ninety-two percent of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted before they get a chance to take a breath? When I hear this statistic, it makes me want to burst into tears. I can’t imagine a world without Trig — he is the best brother! (Okay, you’re not too bad either, Track!)
It’s crazy how in love with Trig we all are. When Tripp is acting up — which he does often! — I sometimes joke with my mom.
“Hey, want to trade kids?” I laugh.
Willow and I always talk about how lovable Trig is, and how we’d take him over any so-called “normal” kid anyday! He’s way cooler than people with fewer chromosomes. I’d have a Down syndrome baby in a heartbeat, and I know anyone else would if they saw any sort of glimpse of how perfect my little brother is.
I saw this photo on Facebook, which takes the silly “I am the 99%” slogan of the Occupy Wall Street guys and turns it on its head. I’m not sure if you can read the small print from the photo, but it reads:
I have Down Syndrome, and my parents didn’t abort me.
I am one of the 8%.
I may never be the captain of a high school team.
I may never win a national spelling bee.
I might not go to an Ivy League college.
It might take me a little longer to learn sometimes.
I might not ever be the tallest, fastest, or smartest.
BUT…
I will show you how to love unconditionally.
I will show you how to be joyful no matter what.
I will not have your handicaps of malice, hatred, prejudice, discontentment, and arrogance.
My parents and family love me exactly how I am.
I am fearfully and wonderfully made!
Pretty powerful, huh?
It goes on:
In America, the abortion rate for a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome is 92%. In a society that’s so obsessed with perfect children, competition, better performance, and plastic surgery, Down syndrome is a death sentence. We are guilty of genocide, creating the master race by killing 9 out of every 10 babies with a genetic anomaly.
Did you hear that, Occupy Wall Street guys? That’s something really worth protesting.
Please share this post on your personal Facebook pages, because together we can raise awareness about this national tragedy!
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Well, there’s been a lot of action on my blog this week! I welcome all my new readers… even you guys who don’t agree with me on my recent post. Today, I’m posting something uplifting… something we can all agree on. This Mother’s Day weekend, as you run around town looking for a gift for Mom, this video will inspire you. It’s a mother telling the story of her blind son’s birth and life, one piece of paper at a time. I love the different emotions she shows on her face between the papers… you can tell she’s been through a lot, but she’s not broken and is not in despair.
Anyway, if there are any struggling mothers out there this weekend, you might find inspiration in this mom’s determination and love.
And for the rest of you — here’s a hint: all Moms love chocolate!
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Easter is one of the most meaningful days of the year, made better if you’re surrounded by family and tradition.
This year, I got together Easter baskets for Piper, Trig, and Tripp. Then Willow, my mom and I played the “Easter bunny” in the morning and gave them their baskets full of tin foil covered candy. It was so fun to see the kids’ wide-eyed expression as they sorted through the fake green grass to find the goodies! Then, after they’re on a sugar high from all the chocolate, we went to church. The kids wore their brightly colored new clothes, we sang songs about Christ’s resurrection, and then we headed to my grandma and grandpa’s.
That’s where our entire family met up for the big Easter egg hunt. My grandpa took this annual hunt seriously, as he always does. Because he hid money in them, he really made them work… he hid the eggs in ditches, in trees, in clumps of grass, on the outside wall of his shed, and around that 14 foot tall stack of elk antlers in his yard!
Instead of putting the eggs in the middle of a stretch of the yard, to make it easier for Tripp and Trig, he hid them so well that we seriously couldn’t even see a single egg with the naked eye. It took all my cousins hours to find the eggs, and they ended up finding faded eggs from the year before. (We had to make sure they didn’t pop those in their mouths!)
It was insane, and I’m sure my grandpa spent weeks preparing. (Any wonder where my mom gets her competitive spirit?) What are your Easter traditions?
However you celebrated, I hope it was surrounded by people you love.
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