HAPPY HALLOWEEN! **WARNING** SCARY IMAGE....

Happy Halloween! BEWARE! The image you are

about to see is VERY SCARY!!!

Are you ready?????
















HAHAHAHAHA!!! Ok, not very scary, but you have to admit- that's funny!
(Ok, get over it now, it's just a joke....)

On another note, I made it all the way to 31 days for Down Syndrome Awareness Month! 31 days of blogging and I never skipped a day! So tomorrow, I will be VERY busy taking Cadence to Soccer Buddies, Skyler & I have dance rehearsals since there is a competition next weekend and Skyler will be having her 10th birthday party on Saturday night. Monday will bring lots of pictures, so check back then! Have a fun and safe HALLOWEEN! XOXO

That was the longest ballot....

....in history! Whew! An hour later and I'm finish and ready to mail in my ballot. It's so long that it will require extra postage to mail it. I was surprised it even required a stamp at all! I vote for prepaid postage ballots...

IF YOU LIVE IN COLORADO...

PLEASE VOTE "YES" ON AMENDMENT 51!!

This admendment will increase funding for the developmentally disabled for services! Currently, there is a 2+ years wait for the Medicaid Waiver here in Colorado for children who are developmentally disabled under the age of 18. They cannot get services or have to pay rediculous amounts out of pocket to afford health care, physical therapy, speech therapy,etc. Several years ago, we got Cadence on the list and he was lucky enough to get off the list and on Medicaid only after 4 months. We are very grateful that his healthcare and services are covered since they would not be or we would have to pay a large amount out of pocket if he were on a private or group insurance plan. To learn more about Amendment 51, please click HERE.

***UPDATE*** I am sad to report that the citizens of Colorado do not think my son and others like him are literally worth 2 cents (the amendment would have taken 2 cents from every $10 to help provide services for the developmentally disabled in Colorado). Thank you so much, Coloradans, for opening my eyes to the greed and heartlessness of the community I live in. It must feel good that you can hide anonymously behind a ballot. God forbid YOUR child ever need special services here in Colorado. That's ok, I guess I'll be putting on my boxing gloves and seeing you in the ring!

Stories in Pictures...

Skyler thanking Grandma & Grandpa DeYoung
for her birthday gifts. We went to Bamboo Garden
so Skyler could have her favorite- Lo Mein!

Skyler opening her birthday gifts at Bamboo Garden- looks

like a new pair of warm, fuzzy slippers!

Sunday night, we went to Boo at the Zoo and represented

Dance Unlimited. The kids had fun handing out candy & flyers

to trick-or-treaters.....and had fun trick-or-treating themselves!

Sunday was also the Colorado Springs Down Syndrome

Association's Annual Halloween party at Mr. Biggs. As you

can see, Cadence's loves the giant sandbox!

Driving the firetruck at Little Biggtown- hours of fun!

A Birthday Tribute to Skyler MacKenzie....

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Please enjoy this heartfelt slideshow and turn up your speakers! The song "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman reminds us of how fast they grow up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SKYLER!!

Happy 10th Birthday to my beautiful little girl! Check back later for a slideshow of Skyler's 10 whole years on earth! I love you, baby!

It's So Close....

I really struggled whether I should post anything related to politics on this blog, but then I thought, "Wait a second, this is MY blog and I can say whatever the heck I want to say." So if you don't agree with things I say, that's fine...just go start your own blog and say what YOU wanna say on YOUR blog! So, with that in mind, I'm going to post this e-mail I got today regarding the upcoming election. Keep in mind, I am a registered Independent- my vote could have gone to ANYONE. And I've decided to keep GOD in my country- whether YOU like it or not!

It's called:

I'm Voting Democrat (read on to learn why I am actually NOT voting Democrat)

I'm voting Democrat because English has no place being the official language in America.
I'm voting Democrat because it's better to turn corn into fuel than it is to eat.
I'm voting Democrat because I'd rather pay $4 for a gallon of gas than allow drilling for oil off the coasts of America
I'm voting Democrat because I think the government will do a better job of spending my money than I could.
I'm voting Democrat because when we pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq, I know the Islamic terrorists will stop trying to kill us because they'll think we're a good and decent country.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe people who can't tell us if it will rain in two or three days, can now tell us the polar ice caps will disappear in ten years if I don't start riding a bicycle, build a windmill or inflate my tires to proper levels.
I'm voting Democrat because it's alright to kill millions of babies as long as we keep violent, convicted murderers on death row alive.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe businesses in America should not be allowed to make profits. Businesses should just break even and give the rest to the government so politicians and bureaucrats can redistribute the money the way they think it should be redistributed.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe guns, and not the people misusing them, are the cause of crimes and killings.
I'm voting Democrat because when someone with a weapon threatens my family or me, I know the government can respond faster through a call to 911 than I can with a gun in my hand.
I'm voting Democrat because oil companies' 5% profit on a gallon of gas are obscene, but government taxes of 18% on the same gallon of gas are just fine.
I'm voting Democrat because I believe three or four elitist liberals should rewrite the Constitution every few months to suit some fringe element that could never get their agenda past voters.
I'm voting Democrat because illegal aliens are not criminals, are not sucking up resources through government aid, hospital services, education, or social service, but are just people trying to make a better life by coming to America illegally. We can't blame them for that, can we?
I'm voting Democrat because now I can now marry whatever I want, so I've decided to marry my horse.
Makes ya wonder why anyone would ever vote Republican, doesn't it?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANGELA!

Wow! October is full of birthdays! There's Brandon's Mom, my sister Michelle, my sister Angela (Today!) and Skyler (tomorrow!). So Happy Birthday, Angela!! Ang and her family just moved to Minnesota last weekend, so I guess a nice, new house was a GREAT birthday present. (And just for the record, Angela is the one on the far right!)

Oh Deer...and Elk!

Last week, Brandon left to go hunting for 5 days in the mountains of Colorado with a group of avid hunters. They even rode on horseback to get to and from the hunting grounds! Unfortunately, Brandon did not get the elk or deer he had a tag for, but most of the others did. So yesterday, they set up a "butcher" shop in the ship in the back and spent the entire day processing and packaging ground meat, roasts, steaks, etc. I'm not sure what the total poundage of meat was, but all freezers were full by the end of the day. You can see by the antlers how big these elk were. Oh, and by the way, Brandon did get an antelope during bow season a few weeks ago. (Just wanted to let you know he DID bring home the bacon...or antelope).

Fondue, Pumpkins and Fight Club?

Last night started out as a nice, low-key night with good friends. We made cheese & chocolate fondue and it was a HIT! We also grilled steaks...mmmm. After dinner, the kids painted pumpkins- even the little guys had fun. As the night wore on, we decided it would be fun to put on boxing gloves and have "Fight Club" with our husbands...only they couldn't hit back! LOL. It may have had something to do with the wine we had with our fondue....seemed like a good idea at the time!

Skyler's School Pic

I think these turned out pretty good. Yep, I'll take 'em.

Another Awesome Raffle!!

Wanna have a chance to win a $200 VISA GIFTCARD or a $100 TOYS-R-US GIFTCARD? For only $5 per chance, you can be entered in this great drawing AND help a family bring an orphan with Down syndrome home to his Forever Family! With the holidays quickly approaching, those giftcards would sure come in handy. So hop on over HERE and help bring Ean home!

A New Sport!

Well, Skyler has decided to add basketball to her roster of activities! She had her first practice tonight and will have practice 2 times a week with 2 games a month. Seems pretty reasonable to me! She just got back a little bit ago and LOVED it. Brandon is going to take her to get some good basketball shoes this weekend so she'll be set. Does this look like a basketball star to you?

School Pictures!

Ok, I had to laugh when I got these yesterday. I am not quite sure what Cadence was doing/saying/thinking here. But I never spend a whole lot on his school pictures as they are usually not that great. I know they don't really take alot of time to get the kids to smile great, but sheesh...Oh, well. At least they captured the moment! Skyler should get hers back on Friday, so we'll see if hers are any better!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MICHELLE!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful sister, Michelle! Umm...29, right?! LOL

(Michelle is on the left, my Mom is on the right)

A Very Special Gift

In keeping with the theme of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I'd like to post a sweet little poem about gifts coming in unexpected packages. Poems like these always catch my eye and have expressed the way I feel about Cadence and Down syndrome. So without further ado, I present- A Very Special Gift.

Very Special Gift
By S. Guevara

Once upon a time, three angels were busily working in the miracle factory. They were responsible for wrapping up all the little miracles and sending them on their way. Normally they wrapped each one in bright, sturdy paper with big, shiny ribbons. They stamped it with a delivery date and away it would go to the parents who eagerly awaited its arrival. Things usually ran pretty smoothly.

One day, however, down the conveyer belt came a little miracle that made the angels pause. "Oh my," said the first angel "this one's uhm...well...different." "Yes, he is unique" said the second angel. "Well I think he is quite special," said the first angel "but I don't think he will quite fit our standard wrapping procedures.

"And the second angel added, "And we know he's special, but will everyone else?" "Not a problem," said the third angel "obliviously a special miracle deserves extra special wrapping; and of course we'll send him off with our most heartfelt blessings. Then everyone will see how special he is." "What a wonderful idea!" replied the others.

So they searched the shelves high and low for their finest paper, and their most delicate ribbons. When they were done, they stood back and admired their work. "Beautiful!" they all agreed. "Now for our blessings," said the third angel "for it is time for him to go."

"I will bless him with innocence and happiness," said the first angel. "And I will bless him with strength to face the many challenges that lie ahead," said the second angel. "And I will bless him with an inner beauty that will shine on all who look upon him," said the third angel.Before sending him off, the third angel, who was very wise, gently tucked a note inside.


And it said:


Dear Parents,
Today you have received a very special gift.
It may not be what you were expecting,
And you may be disappointed, angry and hurt.
But please know that he comes with many blessings,
And, while there may be pain, he will bring you much joy
He will take you in a very difficult journey,
But you will meet many wonderful people.
He will teach you patience and understanding
And make you reach deep inside yourselves
to find a source of strength and faith you never knew you had.
He will enrich your lives,
And will touch the hearts of all who meet him.
He may be fragile,
But he has great inner strength.
So please handle him with care,
Give him lots of attention,
Shower him with hugs and kisses,
Love him with all your heart,
And he will blossom before your eyes.
His spirit will shine like the brightest star for all to see,
And you will know that you are truly blessed.

In Case You Missed SNL Last Night!

This was really funny....

A few of my favorite things

Since my camera battery died this weekend and I can't find the charger, I was not able to take pictures of our busy weekend. Nothing really exciting to share anyway, just a normal weekend around here. I did want to get pics at Cade's soccer class, but that'll have to wait til next week. So, I thought I'd put together a list of my favorite websites and ones I frequent. I thought this would actually be interesting for myself. :)

(in no particular order)



http://www.reecesrainbow.com/

http://www.youtube.com/

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.craigslist.com/

http://www.ebay.com/

http://www.weather.com/

http://www.downsyn.com/

http://www.facebook.com/

http://www.lemarssentinel.com/

http://www.food.com/

http://www.allrecipes.com/

http://www.expedia.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/

http://www.onetruemedia.com/

http://www.kidscamps.com/

http://www.summercamps.com/

http://www.vrbo.com/

http://www.idealbite.com/

http://www.itunes.com/

http://www.self.com/

www.donorgarden.org

and of course, all my favorite blogs :)

Ok, it's a start. I know there's lots more, but my brain is fried tonight. I will update & add as I can remember them. LOL!

YOUR VOTE IS NEEDED....

...and not just for the upcoming Presidential election! On some Monday mornings, when my kids are in school, I will head down the road to High Plains Helping Hands Food Pantry and fill boxes and grocery bags with food & supplies for area needy families. I like going here- the people are nice and it's fun knowing I can help someone who really needs and appreciates it. The Colorado Springs Hub ( a small local newspaper) is taking a survey on local charities called the "YOUR HEART COMMUNITY FUND". The winner will receive a write-up and recognition for their charity, making it more visible to the community. I am not sure at this time if there is any monetary contribution to the charity itself. So anyway, please be a friend and VOTE for Helping Hands and read the article below about the pantry.


High Plains Helping Hands, Inc. a 501(c)3 Organization exists to feed the poor in Falcon and to the north and east. We will accomplish this by providing hope through presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through food distribution, and through resources and educational opportunities for those in need. We desire an environment of unconditional acceptance & peace where all can be empowered and equipped to allow God the opportunity to better their circumstances.
Out here on the eastern plains, the views are unobstructed and vast. Large parcels of land with old homesteads are quickly disappearing as progress and large developments swallow what is left. It seems progress cannot be halted.
Most that move out to Falcon are looking for those wide open spaces and less congestion. More will buy homes and land farther out. Most that have lived out here for a number of years know that the majority of residents do not live in homes in these developments and instead prefer to live with little or no neighbors. Some have no choice.
What is not known is that many of those residents live in absolute poverty. The elderly out here have set pensions and their choices involve paying for the ever increasing cost of gas, propane, food, and medicines. Single parent families that have to try to balance the necessities and keeping warm. The families involved in domestic violence and abuse due to isolation. The lack of jobs have left more with no funds at all. The homeless in Colorado Springs are more visible than those out here!
Jean and John Woolsey have dedicated their lives and money to helping those in need. They are sponsored by the Mountain Springs Church and together they have created the Helping Hands Food Bank. Jean and John have donated a large portion of a building on their property to this task and spend a large portion of time toward gathering food, donations, clothing, and other necessities and sorting those items. Jean estimates they have approximately 300 families currently being served with almost 33 new requests a week asking for help. Thirty-five percent of those are elderly, some with diabetic needs. The food bank is in desperate need of eggs, milk, any type of meat, canned fruit, baby needs including formula, diabetic foods, and toiletries including toothbrushes, and gas cards. For all you hunters out there. Do you have any game to donate? It must be professionally processed because of the health laws, but it would be a treat.
As I stood talking to Jean and her volunteers, a steady stream of donations came in from Daisy troop 1195, Brownie troop 1229, and Girl Scout troop 61. These young ladies proudly told me of how they had collected food items for Thanksgiving and had even used their own hard earned money to buy many of these items.
People in need of the basics walked in, some in such depression. A 75-year-old woman entered in tears. She feared losing her home as she had no money for taxes. She had no propane as it was too expensive and she couldn't pay her bills. She has no way to heat her home or buy food. She has no family and is feeling desperately alone. Jean and the others gave her hugs and supplies. They also referred her for other assistance. I was told of another family where the mother had been abandoned by an alcoholic husband and hadseven mouths to feed. She has no funds, no transportation, and the kids are expected to go to school and be able to learn. Domestic violence is a great concern. How do you call for help when there is no phone? Isolation can be deadly and devastating to the younger generations of witnesses. Some families live and sleep in their cars to stay warm as their trailers have missing windows or deteriorating walls and floors. Some out here simply don't have a structure to live in so the car is important. No electricity out here means no water. Wells require electricity to pump it out of the ground.
Most out here are proud and have a hard time asking for help. Some just need a little boost. How lucky do most of us feel? How many of us could be one paycheck away from this same situation?
The food pantry is located off of Hwy 24 just east of Big R between Falcon and Peyton.
Jean and her husband have been able to get seven freezers and refrigerators donated to preserve perishable foods. The pantry itself is about 15-by-20 feet and they are trying to expand. Upstairs in a room they have set aside for seniors meetings or classes in nutrition, safety, and anything else that's needed, they have boxes of clothing. There is a great need for blankets, coats for all ages and sexes, hats, scarves, and mittens. There is a woman in Alaska who is knitting and sending 50 sets of hats and scarves to Jean and the Helping Hands Food Pantry.
Care and Share donated with 130 turkeys last year but it still falls short. Care and Share does not have enough supplies to provide assistance to families out here on the plains. Care and Share does buy food stuffs at a discount and those supplies are then paid for with donations to Mountain Springs Church and placed in the food bank. Other donated contributions come from Safeway. The Wal-Mart in Falcon has food donation boxes right now set up near the entrances and all those donations will go to families out here. Woodman Hills Elementary and the Lion's Club are in the process of food drives too.
Jean Woolsey and the Helping Hands food pantry supply an area far greater than Colorado Springs. People come from as far as Limon and Rush, as there is nothing out there. Jean even has a family coming in from near Elbert County.
They need your help. The need is not just for the holidays, but for all year round. With the ensuing winter coming on, the need will be great just to keep warm. Christmas will come all too soon and children will need "something" from Santa or whatever their beliefs allow. If you can deliver a new, unwrapped toy for at least one child, you have done a great deal for that child!

This is Too Sweet!

A Year Ago Today....

We were heading down to Mexico for a week of fun in the sun! We spent 6 wonderful days in the Riviera Maya, Mexico with my sister Michelle & crazy Rory. We took Skyler on her first international vacation! We relaxed, drank umbrella drinks, ate tons of guacamole and other yummy foods, visited Tulum, which had the most amazing blue water, shopped and even swam with the dolphins. We stayed at The Grand Palladium Kantenah, which I would recommend to anyone. It was a very large resort, but had TONS to do and even a kid's club included in the price. Skyler liked to spend her time at the beach or in one of the MANY pools. We were rarely in our room. We all enjoyed the all-inclusive drinks and the food, the beach, the warm water and the beautiful spa. It was a week of heaven and I hope we'll go back sometime soon!!

Could YOU Be My Mommy??

During the month of October, REECE'S RAINBOW Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry is featuring a different child every day on their blog. Many of these children are facing intitutionalization and need committed families. In just 15 days, REECE'S RAINBOW will also reveal thier Angel Tree! You will be able to view all the children available for adoption and donate toward a child's adoption fund. For a certain donation amount, you will receive an ornament with your chosen child's picture on it to hang on your Christmas tree! The 2 orphans we sponsored last year on the Angel Tree are now home with their Forever Families. I will be posting more about the Angel Tree when it is up and going, so please check back.

This is Nikita. From the write up from RR-
Nikita is just a doll baby! He has blonde hair and blue eyes, and is doing very well. He is learning to walk and ready to come home!
Nikita is HEALTHY and doing very well. He is crawling and cruising and almost ready to walk on his own now. He is very active. He is a favorite in the orphanage.

Happy Birthday Grandma Cindy!

21 Things About Cadence

For Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I saw many bloggers were noting 21 things about their loved one with Down syndrome. (21= Trisomy 21). So here they are in no particular order:

1. Cadence loves ice cream and will ask for it at least once a day (although he does not get it every day).

2. Cadence is in his third year of preschool.

3. Cadence just started playing soccer with typical & special needs kids.

4. Cadence loves anything related to dinosaurs.

5. Cadence likes to throw things even if it's not a ball.

6. Cadence likes to listen to music, but only likes certain songs on each CD and will throw a fit if it's one he does not like.

7. Cadence likes things in 2's- for instance, if you give him a marshmallow or a pretzel, he needs 2- one for each hand.

8. Cadence does not like getting his hair washed.

9. Cadence calls elephants "Woos".

10. Cadence prefers to sleep in his crib instead of his full size bed.

11. Cadence likes to ride in the car and is a very good traveler.

12. Cadence will take everything out of a basket or a cupboard...but will not put them back in..yet.

13. Cadence goes to speech therapy, occupational therapy & physical therapy every Friday and has a half hour of each back to back.

14. Cadence will rarely leave a hat on his head.

15. Cadence drinks soymilk instead of cow's milk.

16. Cadence does not have a congenital heart decfect and has never had any problems with his heart.

17. Cadence loves to watch DVDs and can put the DVD in the player & take it out- not always a good thing!

18. Cadence has the most precious giggle and belly laugh.

19. Cadence had pnuemonia when he was 3 years old and was hospitalized for 3 days.

20. Cadence was on oxygen for 6 weeks after he was born.

21. Cadence loves his sister Skyler more than his dinosaurs, DVDs and ice cream!

Soccer, Dance & Bowling

Yesterday was a very busy & fun day. Cadence just started Soccer Buddies a few weeks ago and I tried to get some pictures and must have had the settings wrong because they didn't turn out :(
Hopefully, I will get some next Saturday. Yesterday, I also taught a few hours of dance and then we took the kids bowling with the Dance Unlimited Team families. It was a fun day, but we were all exhausted at the end of it!

Skyler's Headshots

Another HUGE thank you to my friend Carmen for taking these headshots of Skyler. We will be using them this year for the photogenic portion of our dance competitions. You can see the other ones she took HERE along with the headshots she took of her beautiful daughter (and Sky's friend) Hailey. Now which one should I pick?

Wanna Win a Mini-Dell Laptop?

Grab This Button

Then head on over HERE and join the raffle! For every $5 donation, you could have the chance in the drawing for a Mini-Dell Laptop AND help a family bring a little girl with Down syndrome home from Russia to her Forever Family! It's a Win-Win situation!

Is That a Monkey?!

Nope-it's Skyler enjoying her Fall Break in our crabapple tree!

Brandon made these adaptive stairs for Cadence for the kids' playset- so much safer!

The Creed

The Creed of Babies with Down Syndrome
Author unknown - submitted by Hope Colen
My face might be different
But my feelings the same
I laugh and I cry
And I take pride in my gains
I was sent here among you
To teach you to love
As god in the heavens
Looks down from above
To him I'm no different
His love knows no bounds
It's those here among you
In cities and towns
That judge me by standards
That man has imparted
But this family I've chosen
Will help me get started
For I'm one of the children
So special and few
That came here to learn
The same lessons as you
That love is acceptance
It must come from the heart
We all have the same purpose
Though not the same start
The Lord gave me life
To live and embrace
And I'll do as you do
But at my own pace.

Something Very Interesting

This video is NOT intended to reflect my political views or spark any debates. This video was called to my attention from a Down syndrome forum and I thought it was important to share it. Please be advised, it is very hard to watch. CLICK HERE.

Speaking of Saurus'....

Today, we went to Build-a-Bear and Cadence made his first creation-yup, you guessed it, a DINOSAUR! (So technically it was Build-a-saurus for us).
Since the kids are on their Fall Break and it was really windy today, we decided to take a trip to the mall and use Cade's gift card that he got for his birthday from Uncle Brad and Aunt Corky, and cousins Eva, Georgie & Robbie! Thanks guys!!! Skyler and her friend helped him, but he picked out the T-Rex immediately. Here's some pics from the fun experience:



Look at all that stuffing!

Helping the lady stuff his dinosaur. Cool!

Giving his dinosaur a "bath".

Giving it a name- "REXY" (original, I know)

So happy.