A touching Letter

Dear Blogger friends I have missed reading all your wonderful blogs. I just can't seem to manage the time to do everything this Christmas season so my blogging has been put on hold. I just can't do it all I guess. Hopefully I'll get to catch up soon. I hope everyone is having a wonderful and enjoyable Christmas. I know my family has especially enjoyed our time together this year.

I wanted to share this letter that was given to my teacher assistant who drives a bus. She has given me permission to share it. It is a letter written to her by an 8 year old girl that rides on her bus. She is writing in reference to the other children on her bus. I was so touched by this letter. Please take the time to read it. The top of the letter reads "Believe the Spirit".

The last line wouldn't copy all the way but says "I miss people being good."

Happy Birthday Abby!

My oldest turned the big 13 today! It just doesn't seem right. She is an official teenager. I'm sure we are in for a lot of fun days ahead. Let the fun begin!

I've finally took a little time to post some of our TN pictures.

Mattie loved exploring Grandma's house. She got a lot of walking practice!

Mattie sneaking into her sister's make-up case.

This is one of the horses in the field across from Grandma & Granddaddy's house. They have a beautiful view. The girls loved feeding her apples.

Mattie did not care for the horse at all.

Bristol Speedway Light show. We were freezing! The only heated place were the bathrooms. It is sad when you are happy hanging out in the bathroom!

Tis the Season.....

for being very busy! I guess it isn't going to slow down either. Our family went to Tennessee for Thanksgiving. We had a really nice visit with Matt's family. It was Mattie's first time leaving our state. We went to Bristol Motor Speedway for their Christmas lights show. Matt is very excited to say he actually got to drive on the race track...even if it was only 5 miles an hour. (Pictures to come later I hope.)

Mattie has been quite busy herself. She is getting to be such a big girl. She now walks from her daycare class to the car while holding my hand. It may take us an hour to get there but she loves it. She is climbing on anything that she can reach. She also has found the love of cabinets and drawers. Let's say there is no rest for the weary anymore! I've also found that along with all this new found freedom has come the ability to whine when things don't go her way. Mattie has always been happy go lucky so it is strange hearing her fuss. It usually only last a couple seconds before she is distracted but I'm sure we will be in for longer episodes as she gets older.

Our next hurdle: Mattie, Christmas tree, and wrapped presents. This should be interesting!

Thanksgiving Fun

Mattie had her Thanksgiving feast at school. All the kids were adorable in their pilgrim and Native American outfits. Mattie even had Moccasins that we purchased during our summer vacation in the mountains. I am so thankful that she is at the school daycare where I work. It is wonderful seeing her everyday and participating in these fun events. Here are some cute pictures.

See Mattie's turkey handprint!

I love this bulletin board with all the kids hand and footprints made into turkeys!

Mattie's Hand

table topper with thankful feathers

Thankful D-G continued

Oh my! I'm not doing very well at this Thankful thing. I guess I'll be doing this for the next year if I don't get on the ball. So let's see how many I can add into this post.

Thankful *D*

Digital Cameras

I can't imagine life without digital cameras! I love the ability to delete all those awful pictures. I would love to have a new camera, especially one of those fancy dancy ones. Maybe one day I'll have one but for now, I am very thankful to have the one I own.

Thankful *E*

East Carolina University

How can I not be thankful for my alma mater? I loved attending East Carolina! I loved being a Marching Pirate and all my experiences with college. They have an awesome teaching program. I love East Carolina football, softball, and basketball!

Thankful *F*

Family and Friends

Of course, I am SO thankful for my family and friends! I can't even say enough or really put into words how much they mean to me. I know that I can call anyone of them and they would be there for me. They are always there through the good times and the bad. I can't ask for anything more!

Thankful *G*

Girlfriends

I am so thankful for all my girlfriends!! They are such a wonderful support! I love my ladies nites! Again, I can't even say enough about them. I love each one of them for who they are and what they bring to the group. We always have the best time and they are always there for you. They were such an awesome support for me after finding out that Mattie had Down syndrome. Their acceptance and love is what helped me through those scary moments of the unknown. They really are the best!

Thankful A-Z *C*

Thankful *C* is for Caroline

Caroline is our middle child that couldn't wait to enter our world. She was born 5 weeks early and spent a couple weeks in the NICU. Right from the beginning we knew she would be our spitfire of a child. Caroline is all about fairness and equality. She is sensitive and kindhearted. She cries over movies, stories, and even blogs that share struggles with sick children. She has a wise soul. Caroline loves school and organization. She is very helpful around the house. She keeps her room very clean and will even surprise us with cleaning up around the house. Caroline loves softball and especially catching. She is rough and tough plus fashion girl all rolled into one. I am so thankful for my little girl!

Thankful A-Z *B*

WooHoo! Two days in a row! I haven't done this in a long time. So here we go.

Thankful *B* stand for Buddy Walk and Blogger Friends

2009

2008

I had a hard time choosing between these two so I decided on both. I am so thankful for the opportunity to attend the Buddy Walk each year. What is the Buddy Walk? It is a way to celebrate National Down syndrome Awareness month and promote acceptance, inclusion, and empowerment of people with Down syndrome. And to top that all off, we have an awesome time meeting other family and raising money for a great cause. My goal is to maybe one day have a Buddy Walk in my own town.

I am so very thankful for all my blogger friends. I originally began my blog in hopes of "meeting" other families who were walking the same walk as us. Others that I could talk and share experiences. In the process, I have found many amazing families from all walks of life. I have to say this has been an awesome experience. I feel like I "know" a lot of you and for my local "peeps" thanks for supporting me too!