Missing Emma

So tonight Lucy and I were looking at all our fun pictures and she said to me "mom, I really miss Emma. Can we look at pictures of her?" So then I thought that I would post a video of her! How funny. The first video EVER that I am posting is...of our dog:)
The people who are living in our house are taking great care of her. They even taught her how to shake and lay down!! So you know the saying, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." Well, that's not true!
Anyway---just thought we would try out a video and share.

5 things you HATE to admit...AGAIN!!

Now I am going to be a good sport and start again and think of 5 new things since Lisa tagged me again...watch out. Some of you might be tagged again at the end. Ok...so here we go.

1. This one I have to repeat!! I LOVE to clean. I guess it's a stress reliever. I know...it might sound silly but I am a pretty neat person. Our neighbors probably think I'm too clean as I vacuum everyday and they hear it!!

2. I LOVE soda. Oh my goodness. Over here...people are coffee drinkers. I had a playdate here a couple weeks ago and they were laughing at me because I had the soda sitting out on the counter at 9:30 in the morning! I am S-L-O-W-L-Y getting used to coffee but I need LOTS of cream and LOTS of sugar! Either one...as long as it had caffine in it.

3. I hate to admit that now that Lincoln will sit and actually watch movies(Elmo)...he might watch a little too much for his own good. I think his first word is going to be "Elmo."

4. I HATE to cook. And I'm not good at it so why should I do it? It's a GREAT thing that I have made friends who are willing to get me "american" groceries, otherwise I think our family might go hungry. It's so stinkin expensive to eat out here so like I said...thank God for friends!!

5. And this one is a repeat...I have the need for speed. Nick's camaro does that trick! I love to jump in and race around in it. He loves it when I admit this one! We are going to a race this weekend. Oh, I can feel the love!! What a great date!

Alrighty...there you have it. Now...since I really don't know who to tag...it's up to you guys to admit again! So, come on...don't be shy. I'll be checking to see who will go ahead and just...ADMIT!

Down Syndrome Awareness Month

I have been meaning to post this since the begining of the month and have had so many other fun pictures that I've forgotten.
This month is Down Syndrome Awareness month and I just wanted to share with everyone my favorite poem! A nurse brought this poem to Nick and I the night of Lincoln's heart surgery on Dec. 19th 2006. I have it hanging in his room and it is a friendly reiminder about life.
Lincoln is the best gift ever. As well as Lucy and every other child we are going to have! Lincoln has made me realize LOTS in life and he's only 2 years old. He is here for a reason and I couldn't be happier. I think I am speaking for my family and friends as well.
He has already brought so much laughter and joy into our lives.
Lincoln has touched each person's life and will continue to do so.
Just a few pictures of the little guy and then the poem!
















"Welcome to Holland"
By Emily Perl Kingsley, 1987. All rights reserved.

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss. But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.