AREIAN AND ANTHONY

Twinkle, twinkle little star....

2011-03-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

Love how she says, "Oh how I wonder..."

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-11-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

We had Thanksgiving dinner at Uncle David and Aunt Fran's. They have a condo in downtown San Diego on the 25th floor. The view is amazing. From their balcony you can see the city of San Diego, Coronado island and Mexico.

Aunt Fran made A'Reian and Anthony their own french fry appetizer

LEGOLAND

They used over 40 million lego's to build everything in Legoland.

The kids riding the airplanes with "Grand Uncle David"

A'Reian loved this guy.. Ant didn't want his picture taken with him

John Michael, Anthony, A'Reian & Jenson

I think this was their favorite part of the whole day!

Bubba LOVES his Grand Uncle David

Caught on tape..

2010-11-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

This is hilarious. My Sleep eater...

Sunday Fun

2010-11-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

This is what our weather has been like down here...

Shorts, Sunshine & Swimming

We are still having days in the 80's and 90's and it is toward the END of November. San Diego is a fun place to live. .but. . I am not from here. Snow, mountains and pine trees are just a few of my favorite things. Needless to say, on Sunday, when the temperature dropped down to 62 and it was pouring outside- we were excited!! We decided to stay in our pajama's and make hot chocolate and a tasty pumpkin roll.

Normally I wouldn't post messy bedhead pictures, but it was part of our day!

(You guessed it, she gets that signature pose out every time she sees a camera)

"Am I doing that pose right, sissy?"

A'Reian insisted we get a picture of "Tiny Shawndi" (yep, came up with that all on her own)

They did most all of the work on our pumpkin roll

D.E.LICIOUS.

A hair trim for Sissy was the final part of our day. Much needed.

..Before

AFTER.

Confidence

2010-11-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

She knows she is cute...

(as a matter of fact, a lady told her how pretty she was at the playground and she said, "I KNOW!") yeah.. a little embarrassing.

once again, the signature pose

Birthday Part II

Grandma sent me a package.. It's a doggy with a carrier, cute pink slippers and a princess sash that says "Spoiled and Lovin' It"

She did an amazing job decorating "Pepper's" shirt and carrier with felt stickers.

Thanks Grandma!

Can't leave this guy out...

Mobigo = highly recommended

So tired, she can barely keep her eyes open.

Thanks for all of the Birthday wishes!

Happy Birthday A'Reian!!

2010-11-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

A look back..

Five years ago today... Our beautiful baby girl was born. It was 11/11 in room 11. A'Reian was born at 3:54 pm. The cord was wrapped tightly around her neck several times. She wasn't crying or moving- we were scared. To. Death. The nurses whisked her away and started her Apgar test. I over heard her telling my husband and sister the score was slightly low, but not to worry, it's typical. "Typical!? For what?" I thought to myself, assuming she was talking about the cord around her neck. I had a million thoughts running through my mind, but somehow managed to still listen to the conversation going on across the room. I heard my husband ask her what she meant by typical. She didn't slow her pace, didn't even make eye contact and said, "she's Down's, you didn't know?" It was silent for a minute. Everything was in slow motion. What is this lady talking about?? She just gave us life changing news like she was giving the diagnosis of a common cold. We were confused. She could see this, so she continued, "Trust me. I have been doing this for so many years I can tell right away." My doctor was furious, along with one of the other sweet nurses who quickly came over to comfort me. I looked down through tears at this tiny little body. I was so afraid of the unknown. Afraid of how many complications that could be in this tiny person. Never once did I ask "why me?" I knew the answer to that. God chose us for a reason.

Yes! One test down...several more to go

A'Reian with Aunt Darci

6weeks

8months

1 year

2 years

With the exception of a couple minor digestive issues and three small heart defects- She was perfectly healthy. We were told to make an appointment around the age of 5 to determine whether or not she would need surgery to close the hole in her heart. Over the summer, that time came.. she went in May for her check up and heart x-ray's. The results were inconclusive. What her cardiologist saw and what he heard were two different things. On the x-ray, the hole was huge from every angle and would definitely need repair. To listen to it was completely different, he could barely hear a murmur at all. On July 19, 2010, A'Reian went back in for her echo. All of those worries of the unknown came back to me that day as we waited in the room for the results. Finally the doctor came in and said, "It was really nice meeting you all, but you don't ever have to see me again!" Whew, I had tears of relief. He said he wasn't quite sure how, but the hole that had been there for 4 1/2 years had suddenly closed up within the past two months. WHAT?? A. Blessing.

3 years

4 years (signature pose)

And here she is today

Happy Birthday RayRay! We are So proud of you!

What She's Doing Now.....

A'Reian can say and sign all twenty six letters in the alphabet in order. She also recognizes them out of order on flash cards. A'Reian can count to 14. Starting this school year she is able to come home and tell us at least three things that happened at school.. what she ate..who she played with..etc. She is able to put her brother in time out. She'll give him a choice too, "Anthony, either sit on the couch or go to your bed...NOW!!" (You don't even want to see the look on her face when she is giving orders-I'd listen, she's Vicious with it!) I love how my little Ant respects her, knowing he can speak better than she can, he will still do everything she says. So adorable.

*Remember fam.. birthday is being celebrated Friday when KJ is off.. those pictures will be posted later! :)

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

The day has finally come! A'Reian has been talking about Halloween for a month now. It was a really fun night, perfect weather too! There was a mime that was walking around with his girls and they just so happen to be circling each block in the opposite direction as we were. Every time we would pass him, Anthony would squeal like a little girl and hide. So Hilarious! He even started watching his back and asking KJ, "Where is the dude? Is he coming yet?" Out of all of the scary costumes and masks that we saw- it was the MIME that did it for him! Not A'Reian, she wasn't afraid of anything. She was on a Trick-Or-Treat MISSION! Here are a few pictures of our pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating...

This was A'Reian's 1st Halloween in 2006. She was 11.5 months. Amara was 4 months.

And here she is at almost 5years old!

Most gorgeous angel ever!

She didn't like this part of the pumpkin carving (notice her little fingers out on her left hand) she would dip her hand in and pull out two seeds. I had to do all the work!

Anthony on the other hand, I think this was his favorite part

They each picked their own faces to carve

Ocean Beach

The Lemon

2010-10-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying I have three levels in my house... A'Reian was downstairs watching Nick Jr. and I was upstairs (third level) taking a shower. When I got out, I could instantly smell this lemony fresh scent like someone had went through my entire house with pledge. Hmm.. Not a good sign. I quickly got dressed and headed down the stairs. The smell was getting stronger, and stronger with each step. When I got down to the bottom, A'Reian was watching Nick Jr. AND eating a LEMON like it was an apple, peel and all. She takes a bite and says, "Yuuuuuuuck, that is SOUR!!" What a silly girl. Who does that? Who would say YUCK and continue eating something so disgusting? A'Reian would. Isn't it funny how one tiny lemon could smell so strongly three levels up and through closed doors?

First Day of School

2010-10-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Bubba's first day of school! He was a little nervous at home, but when we got there he was excited! I hope it goes well! Can't wait to go get them.

Packing their lunch

Trip to Spokane

2010-10-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

We went to Spokane in July to visit with the family! Here are a billion pictures... Can you tell I'm more of a visual person. I don't usually write much on my blog. Anthony, Amara & A'Reian

Dad's 50th Birthday Party

Amara and Grandpaw... or Grumpy Grandpa as she like to call him :) hehe

Fourth of July festivities

Griffen

Handsome little devil... who, as I type, just told me that I am not his best friend anymore because I won't give him snacks at 10pm. I'm sure we'll be best friends again tomorrow.

These girls love each other so much!! Amara is so good with her cousin.

My Dad and I went to a Jewel concert- front and center!! We had so much fun!

Here is Ant having a Blast on Lake Ponderay. What? You can't tell he's having fun??

RayRay absolutely loved the boat! She jumped right up in the front seat with my dad's friend Randy and yelled, "Woo-Hoo" with her fists up in the air! Hilarious stuff!

Trying to comfort my poor scared baby.

Being silly, as usual!

Me and Dad at Spokane Falls... Actually it was me, dad and the kids, but the nice man who took our picture cut them out of it!

gorgeous girl!

Disneyland

2010-10-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of our many pictures from Disneyland and Universal. We went back in March of this year when Darci, Griff and Amara came out to visit. This picture is funny.. It was late and getting cold. Amara happen to have an extra pair of pants so we put those on Anthony. A'Reian is wearing Anthony's shoes on. What a mess we were, but that's okay!

Anthony was THRILLED with his Mickey Mouse ears. Such a pain in the butt sometimes.

RayRay with her favorite girl. She kept trying to go back to Dora even after her turn was over. Dora really liked A'Reian. :)

Sharing our tasty glow in the dark drink

La Jolla

2010-10-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

Sea lions hanging out on the rock. They are some noisy creatures! We saw one with a big shark bite on its back.. scary!

While I was putting Ant's shirt on this morning he started freaking out.. You would have thought there were bugs crawling on him! When I asked what was wrong he said, "Get this off of me, it's ugly- I don't need it!" Ugh! What a character! I thought he looked handsome.

Smelling the flower that bubba picked for me

San Diego Buddy Walk 2010

2010-10-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for our 5th walk!!... Thanks for the diaper in the background Ant!

They're all wearing blue shoes...funny, I didn't notice earlier

This little girl was so beautiful! She did such a good job!!

Overall fun day! We are so, so thankful for our little princess! She is such a blessing to the entire family!

2010-10-14T12:27:00.001-07:00

Love this Video!

2010-10-14T12:08:00.001-07:00

I saw this video on Big Blueberry Eyes and had to share it! It brings tears to your eyes.. Those boys probably don't even realize that they helped build a memory that Ike will remember not just for the season, but for the rest of his life! Nice to see kids being so accepting- their parents should be proud!!

Catching Up

2010-10-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

We have a ton of catching up to do! I know I need to stay on top of updating for the fam since we're so far away from everyone.. So, I apologize. We have been in San Diego for a year now- it has gone by so fast. The kids are doing SO well! A'Reian will be 5 next month and is in her second year of pre-school. She can say and sign her ABC's and count to 14. Anthony just turned 3 and has been invited into the special education preschool class as a mainstreamer, or "model student." They have a few typically developing children in each class to set examples for the others with speech and behavior. I'm excited for him, he'll do great! He is SO helpful with his big sis, she learns so much from him. (a little nervous because we haven't ever been apart, and he is quite a mama's boy :)...)

My pictures are going to be a little out of order for a while until I can get caught up!

KJ's Graduation Party

2009-09-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

The kids are SO happy to have their daddy back home! It was a long 4 months, but we got through it! Thanks for everything you do KJ! We are SO Proud of you!!

The food was GREAT... This was probably KJ's 4th plate... it looked more appetizing when the plate was brand new and full of ALL the other good stuff! We had Tri-tip, feta stuffed potatoes, hot links, corn, salsa, salads, cheese cake and chocolate cake!!

KJ and Dave

This is where the guys hung out!

Trying to untangle and hang the banner

The banner that Mom made!! KJ loved it! We had everyone sign it before they left. Thanks for the Party Mama! It was a BLAST!

Weekend in Park City

2009-09-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

The view from the hot tub

Private hot tub on the balcony

We had SO much fun here!! Ate sushi...went shopping.. We were going to go to the Alpine slide but it was Labor Day weekend so you couldn't even walk up there! It was nice to just get away and hang out though!

Look very closely.....

2009-09-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Do you notice anything funny about these pictures?

Blow them up and get a good look!

We thought we were taking cute pictures of Ray Ray's first day of school.... Little did we know... Ant had other plans!

Look at Grandma's cute sheep in the background!! Oh... MY SON!!! HA!

Ray Ray's first day of school!!

2009-09-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

She loves to shop! She picked out her green jacket all by herself from Baby Gap!

And her shoes..... These things have been glued to her feet for a week now!

Princess!

Let's go Mama! I'm ready!!

A'Reian & Sailor at school

Isabelle

A'Reian & Isabelle

2009-09-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

We went to McDonalds last week and met up with Isabelle and her mom! The girls had SO much fun together! This is their second year in the same preschool class so they have become really good friends! We sure will miss them when we go!

Visiting with my SIS!

2009-08-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

My BEST friend

Darci's cute new hair!

Watching cartoon's

They had SOOO... Much fun at Lagoon!!

Matching Roxy swimsuits

One morning I was getting the girls ready and I told A'Reian to sit down so I could do her hair. She told me NO, as she usually does... and Amara comes over and says, " You need to listen to your mommy A'Reian!" So A'Reian comes and sits down in front of me... then Amara really felt powerful so she continues to tell A'Reian, " You need to just sit down, be ridiculous and get your hair combed!" HA! Funny stuff! I don't know where that girl comes up with half the things she says!

Great Lakes, IL

2009-07-21T09:26:00.001-07:00

KJ drew this flag!

2009-07-21T08:54:00.001-07:00

Mommy & RayRay swimming

Linds and Brandon

Riding the four wheeler with Grandma

Hi DADDY!! I miss you!

Ant, Griff & RayRay

She told Griffen this was her scary face....intimidating huh?? I wouldn't want to mess with her.

Having fun with Mommy!

2009-07-01T00:27:00.001-07:00

We have to take lots of pictures for Daddy... He misses us!!

My Angel... how did I get so lucky?!

hmm..

Mommy's new hair

Seriously, I don't have time for this mama...

CHEESE!

Sasha

Skylar & A'Reian

Ashtyn

The cousins having ice cream

War Paint.. no, not blood.. grease from the John Deere

You Ready?

Let's Roll

2009-07-01T00:16:00.000-07:00

Alright.. I have so many pictures and it's getting late, so as usual I'm going to post them all up and not write a whole lot!! :)

KJ doing a flip

We were at The Elliott's having a tasty BBQ in these pics

My Handsome Little Man

2009-06-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

Ant and Chloe = Best Buddies

We went to see UP yesterday! It was such a cute movie- they both absolutely loved it! We took this picture to send to Daddy- She is pointing UP to let him know what movie she saw!

Lots of pictures..

2009-05-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

I have been taking so many pictures lately- somehow I forgot this funny little group of Grandma letting the kids go outside with her to water...

Grandma and RayRay

Can you read Bubba's new shirt Grandma got him.. Mommy's handsome new man!! (Don't tell Daddy!)

Bubba watering the....fence?

And here they are fresh out of the bath....and back into the dirt pile...Well, they were clean!

That's what Grandma's are for, huh? :)

And Finally...

2009-05-27T09:54:00.001-07:00

A few random pictures... This is how I found A'Reian one day at Old Navy.. holding a mannaquin's hand!

Here is Missy in her new swim suit... We went to Kohl's and she HAD to have this Dora suit with the grass skirt. How can you tell that cute little face no... She doesn't ever ask for things, so I figured she REALLY wanted it!

You should see the hula dance she does in it!! Pretty funny!

And last, A'Reian playing football in her brothers clothes! She's pretty well-rounded..

New wagon...

2009-05-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Here is Rand doing a few final touches...

They Love their wagon! Best investment ever!

I still don't have a good picture of both of them in it... but I'll snap one. Were in it 18 hours out of the day. :)

New hair trims!!

2009-05-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

They were both in desperate need of a hair cut... so I took it upon myself...

Bubba's looks good on top, but I packed up the clippers somewhere in a box... so I guess I will have to find a place that can edge up his hair...

We took about 4 inches off of A'Reian's hair. It was SO dry! KJ is going to have a heart attack when he sees it. By the time he gets back it will have grown! I think its cute- It makes her look grown, especially when we straighten it.

more pictures...

2009-05-18T23:12:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more. I am going to take A'Reian and Anthony again next month to get their's done alone. These were really Darci's pictures- we just sat in on them!!

Aren't they all so gorgeous!?

Serious faces...

Amara Delci

Griffen Clay

I love this one.. A'Reian is copying the camera lady

Hi!!

2009-05-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

I decided to update from the Christmas theme... We have been pretty busy lately! K.J. just left for Navy boot camp. He is in Great Lakes, IL. for 8 weeks and then onto San Antonio, TX. for another 7. After that we will all move somewhere together... not sure where that might be yet. We won't find out for quite a while. Right now me and the kids are staying with my mom so we aren't completely alone!
A'Reian only has one more day of school left! She has had SO much fun. Her speech and signing have improved so much. Her favorite phrases are... " MAMA- LOOK!" (Only she says yook :) and, " YAY, I DID IT!" She is a smart, smart girl! She can say and sign all of her colors too!!

A'Reian wants to type a little message:

fgbhbn]jbjkaaaaaaaaa

45 lessons of life!

2008-11-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

45 lessons

By: Regina Brett

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11 . Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, . Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28 Forgive everyone everything.
29 What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of whom God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative--dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift

Update on books!

2008-11-16T15:25:00.000-08:00

If there is anyone out that that wanted to make a book but didn't bother because there wasn't enough time... They extended the deadline!! GO MAKE A BOOK! They are so, so cool!! The one I made a few months ago turned out better than I even imagined it would! You have six days left- new deadline is Saturday, November 22!! Have Fun!!

BTW* A'Reian thought it was the greatest thing ever to see her face in a REAL book. She couldn't get over it!!

7 Weird, Random facts about me....

2008-11-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

ASHLEY TAGGED ME...

#1 Weird, Random fact- I am the SLOWEST eater EVER.
#2 Weird, Random fact- I hate vanilla ice cream! Yuck, hate it!
#3 Weird, Random fact- I pass out (as in hit the floor) if I get too hot.
#4 Weird, Random fact- I ONLY listen to rap/R&B... sorry Ash, Kenny Chesney sucks!
#5 Weird, Random fact- I am obsessed with cleaning my shoes... Your shoes make the outfit. :)
#6 Weird, Random fact- I am very much left handed.
#7 Weird, Random fact- When I found out I was pregnant with Ant, I was already 19 weeks (including the time it took to get into the doctor)... Surprise! It's a Boy!! Yeah, that's pretty much how it went!

I tag, Brittany, Kaysee, Amy, Lindsey and Tera

Wright Look-alike Meter

2008-11-14T17:29:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Wright Look-alike Meter

2008-11-14T16:34:00.001-08:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Roots - Family reunion

A'REIAN IS 3!!!

2008-11-13T10:15:00.001-08:00

Finally!! Here are the pictures from Ray Ray's party on Tuesday night! The girls had SO much fun dressing up! It was funny to see them walking around in high heels... they were pretty good at it!

She's got her high heels on... ready to party!

Close your eyes and make a wish.....

And.... BLOW...

YAAAAY!!

Time for presents!

Here ya go Mommy!
She had to give me EVERY little piece of paper that she ripped off!

The gorgeous birthday girl in her new Disney Princess jammies... It was so cute, when she opened this present I held them up for her to see and she said, " OH....... THAT'S PRETTTYY!"

A BIG Thank You to all of my Grandparents, Aunt Darci and Uncle E, Mommy and Daddy and My friends for my gifts and Happy Birthday wishes!!
Love, A'Reian

Get a FREE book!!

2008-11-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

This is really cool.. My mom works for a digital printing co. One of the many projects they have are printing Snapfish books. There is a really cool offer right now on Oprah.com where you can get a FREE Snapfish book- that is a $29.99 value. Orders must be in by November 16th. I made one of these books a few months ago, they are so, so cool! Everyone GO MAKE YOUR FREE BOOK!! CLICK HERE to get started!! Thanks for the info Mama!

BTW* A'Reian turned 3 yesterday!!! She had such a great party! I will post pictures later on today, but for now we are headed to the Doctor (three year check-up)

8 Days a Week- TAG*

2008-11-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

8 days a week!

* I have been working on this one for quite a while, SO some things may not be real accurate, but you get the idea*

8 things I'm passionate about:

Being a Mother
Being a wife
God
Life
Educating myself and others on Down syndrome
Work
Drawing
Cooking

8 words/phrases I use often:

ANTHONY!!!!!
Are you kidding me?! (1 and 2 usually go hand in hand)
Nice..!
For Real?
Seriously!
That's Ridiculous
Totally
Definitely

8 things I want to do before I die/on my wish list:

Buy a house
Make many dollars
Have three kids total
Go to school
Work for the F.B.I.
Take the kids to Disney Land/World
Learn American Sign Language (in the process)
Go to Hawaii

8 things I've learned in the past:

Life is what you make it
Thank God every day
Never hold a grudge
Always say I Love You.. even if your mad
Give second chances
Live day to day- Don't worry about petty things
If you're doing something that you wouldn't want posted on the front page of the news paper... you probably shouldn't be doing it! -Live by that too.. it's a good one
Use your best judgment

8 things I currently want/need:

A HOUSE
A'Reian to have equal rights and opportunities (which, she does now..I just want it to continue as she grows)
A great education for my kids
An S.U.V.- preferably an Escalade
True Religion's (my birthday is December 18th and Christmas is one week after, I don't care which day they arrive)
New Jordan's
Alright, sounds like I'm getting a little greedy now..
To make my kiddies lunch.. :) That's a need

8 places I want to see/visit:

Fort Worth
Germany
Hawaii
Dad's house
New York
Alaska
Spain
Africa

8 favorite restaurants:

Razoo's
Rosa's
Taco Bueno
Chipotle
Olive Garden
Red Lobster
Uncle Julio's
Spaghetti Factory

8 TV shows I can't live without:

The Hills
Making the band
My new BFF... I could totally live without this one, but I went to High School with one of the girls, so its kind of interesting.
The Wire.. KJ and I rented the whole series. It is really, really good!
Dr. Phil
Girls next door
Dr. 90210
Flavor of Love.. but I think those days are over

8 Things that happened yesterday:

Woke up at 4:23am (always odd #)
Gave someone a pat down (quite a few actually)
Made lunch
Changed lots of diapers
Gave the kids a bath
Talked to KJ while he cooked dinner
Watched The Wire
Hung out with Darci for a while

8 Things I look forward to:

A'Reian's birthday (11/11)
A'Reian starting school (December)
The kids on Christmas morning
Having a house with a yard... and a big German Shepard
Watching my kids grow
Having my "sister day" with Darci
A vacation
SNOW!!

8 Things I love about fall:

The Weather
The smell outside
Colorful leaves
Haunted houses
Trick or Treating
Food
Holidays
Beginning of SNOW

8 people I tag:

What Happened??

2008-11-07T12:14:00.000-08:00

Seriously... What happened last night. Ridiculous... We were up the WHOLE game until the last minute!

2008-11-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-01T12:48:00.001-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Are you serious mommy?

We went to Grandma's house... she gave us each an apple

Forget the apple... I found Dog food!

Pretty as a Princess

Another day at the park

2008-10-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

Today we got lunch from Jimmy John's and went to the park. The kids had a blast!! It was such a nice day!

Takin' 5

A'Reian and Daddy sharing a cookie

They didn't know what to think about this big hill... It was hilarious!

Halloween is tomorrow!! YAY! It will be so fun!

DAY 29 - Get It Down 31 for 21

2008-10-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by LILY at Lily'slifeisgreat. I'm suppose to share six things you might not know about me. My answer's will be in purple. Mommy's going to do it too! Her answers will be in green!

1. My favorite thing to watch is Signing Time! There is a song on one of the episodes that says, " It's in the AIR, I love summer time..." and A'Reian has to go touch mommy and bubba's HAIR because she thinks it says "It's in the HAIR!" Pretty funny!
A couple of Mommy's favorites would have to be Stomp the Yard and Anything from Katt Williams... He is the funniest man ever!

2. I love to eat raw green pepper's with salt and pepper for a snack.
I have to eat my dinner in sections. If I have meat, potatoes and a vegetable I will start with one until it is gone then move to the next.. etc... Yeah, I'm strange!

3. My favorite place to go is the park.
Mommy's favorite place to go is Whistler!!

4. I hate masks of any kind!! They scare me!
I have this weird thing about getting blood drawn from my arm. Any other place- I don't care at all. An epideral even, it's cool! When I was pregnant and had to get my blood drawn every month, I would seriously hypervenilate.

5. My favorite things to do are read books and dance.
Mommy loves to draw. I'm pretty good at shopping too, but can't as often as I would like due to my taste in clothing... :)

6. If I could... I would drink Pepsi all day! (No, mommy doesn't let me... just a taste here and there)
Mommy's dream job is to work for the F.B.I.

Now I tag The Jacobsen's, The Clarke's, Sarah and Joyce, The Williams', The Heflin Family, Big Blueberry Eye's, Chrystal and Malea and anyone else who wants to play!! Thanks!

Cute pictures

2008-10-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

I finally have my computer back but it has been a pain to get all of the settings back to how they were! I couldn't even upload pictures yesterday! Anyway, we are about to watch movies in a bit so I am going to post these cute pictures of A'Reian from when she was tiny. Thanks Mom for sending them to me- I didn't have them on my computer!
Missy was about 6 months old here. This is right after having her blood drawn to check her thyroid. I don't know about anyone else- but I HATE having the thyroid checked! I can't stand to watch them draw blood from her arm like that! Can't they just prick the toe or finger.. I can't even watch, that is KJ's job!
Five months
Check her out in her hospital gown! This was the day of her upper G.I. study/lower G.I. biopsy. She had acid reflux and constipation as a baby, but grew out of it around 18-24 months!! Thank Goodness!

Three months
The day of her Great( x 3) Grandfather's funeral. He played baseball in the National Negro League and lived to be 104 years old! Amazing!!

These last two pictures were taken on the day of her one month check-up!!

2008-10-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

Today is busy... I am still trying to catch up on all of the reading I have missed over the last few days. I promise tomorrow will be a better post! Right now A'Reian is dancing like I have never seen before. She is watching Step Up 2 with Daddy.. It is SO, SO funny! I am going to charge up the batteries in my camera tonight and record her tomorrow. I don't know where she comes up with these moves. Silly girl! Yesterday we ordered her a My Twinn doll. I can't wait to see how it turns out! She is supposed to get here November 24th... a little late for her birthday, which is November 11th. Maybe we will just save her for Christmas!
*UPDATE- We took Ant to the Doctor, he checked him out and said the lump in his neck IS just a swollen lymph node! He was not concerned at all- just to ease our minds we will go back in one month to make sure all is well! Ahh.. Relief!

We're Back!!

2008-10-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

WOW- that took forever! I guess the guy that we bought the computer from had installed pirated software... the computer locked up and we had to get a "legal" copy of Windows put on. I feel bad that I missed out on 4 days of blogging, but its not my fault! We haven't been up to much- I have been working and KJ has been making dinner every night for me! Fancy dinner too :) It's great! I'm just a little bit jeleous... I think he might be one up on me in the cooking department- and I am an EXCELLENT cook! :)

... I was wondering how Ant would look with short hair... His hair wont lay down on its own, its too long and curly. So we decided to try grease and a do-rag to see how he would look. Well, it didn't turn out as planned- One, his hair is entirely too long and Two, he would only keep it on for about 4 minutes. It was pretty funny though. His hair looks silly in this picture, but I think he would look pretty cute if it was done right!

*BTW- A'Reian could NOT stop laughing at bubba's hair while it was straight. She had one hand over her mouth and everything... then she would point to his head and say, "Bubba hair" while signing silly!! She is a character!

Don't mind bubba in his PJ shirt

A very unsatisfied Ant... No, it's not because of the hair- he is just NEVER happy about ANYTHING

Whew! Got the curls back!

Open up Mama.. Here's some popcorn!!

They love to get all the blankets out and watch movies with us. They stand in the kitchen and yell POPCORN while its popping- its cute! They HAVE to have their own bowl too! :)

2008-10-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Well, my computer is sick again... so I am at my mom's typing this. We should be good to go by tomorrow... hopefully!! Really.. Its not sick- I guess windows has expired? I don't know, I'm not a computer person and I didn't even know windows could expire.!? Sounds like my computer is from the 80's right? It's old, but not THAT old maybe an 01 or 02. K- anyway..

Halloween Party

2008-10-19T21:23:00.001-07:00

Tonight we went to a Halloween party for Darci's work. It was at a really pretty park right next to the mountains. We learned lots of tricks for carving pumpkins... my favorite was, sprinkle cinnamon on the lid of the pumpkin when you finish and it smells like a pumpkin pie while it's lit... mmm...
A'Reian and I chose Cinderella for our pumpkin, she turned out pretty cute! Here are a few pictures of our night...

Amara and A'Reian waiting to carve their pumpkins

We want this one!!

Griff carved a Dallas Cowboys helmet

This picture is blurry, but you have to see my cute pink shoes

I tried to turn my flash off for this picture, but I couldn't figure it out.. It would have looked much more cool in the dark! Ours is the top left!

Here is our Cinderella

*BTW- I called Ant's doctor and he said the lump on his neck could very well be a swollen lymph node caused by teething... he goes in on Tuesday to check it out. I really hope that's all it is!!

The Lock Out...

2008-10-18T23:50:00.000-07:00

So, KJ was home with the kids yesterday while I was at work... They were cleaning up the house and he went outside to take the garbage out. He kept the door open just a crack so he could run out to the trash can and as he was coming back up the side walk he heard the door shut. Right as he got up to the door, he heard CH-CK... Yep, Locked!! He looked in the window right next to the door and A'Reian is standing there smiling and waving, "HI DADA!" He asks her to open the door and she laughs and runs off into her bedroom. Then Ant comes up to the window, laughs and runs off into the bedroom too thinking this is just a fun game! The partners in crime come back out together and get up on the couch. Now they are ducking behind the cushions playing peek-a-boo laughing at KJ. When this game gets old they move over to the X-box... A'Reian gets a controller for herself and one for bubba... KJ luckily had his phone in his pocket, so he called Aunt Darci and asked if she could bring Griffen over so that he could lift him up into the bathroom window. She brings Griff over and he gets in through the window! Everything was fine!! KJ was just glad that they were okay!!

This happened to me when I was 9 months pregnant with Anthony. I accidentally locked A'Reian in the house while I went to get the mail. I however, did not have my phone and NONE of my neighbors would answer their doors. SO- I start knocking on every door with a car in the driveway- NOBODY will answer...finally, TWO BLOCKS later, this old couple answers the door they were so, so nice. At this point I was crying hysterically, I told them the story and they let me use their phone to call KJ... I felt like the worst mom EVER! They were probably thinking, Man she can't even take care of one baby and she is about to have another!! No, just playing, they were the sweetest people ever!!!

PARTNERS IN CRIME

2008-10-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

I don't really have much to say tonight... Tomorrow is my Friday. I need to go wash my hair...have to get up at 4:30. It has been a really long day, I'm tired, and at the rate I'm going I will only get about 4 hours of sleep. I'm a little stressed out because I just found a lump on the side of Ant's neck about the size of a pea maybe even a dime... So I probably won't sleep at all until I find out what it is. Well, that's what is going on over here- ya'll have a good weekend...

More pics of Baby Girl

2008-10-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

I found MORE of my favorites... Miss RayRay was 6 weeks old here.

Three months-Look at the hair on this girl

Buddy Walk in Seattle, WA- 10 months

Little Missy's 1st birthday- before cake and party...

...And after cake, party and bath... love the hair. She looks like a mini lion.

Last but not least, its Game Face! Doesn't she look like one of those crazy fans at a basketball game yelling for her team!?

OH YES.... I almost forgot...

Here it is... The NOODLE! I know it is a bit blurry, she took it from her camera phone- but thats not the point here.. The point is that there is a spaghetti noodle standing up... ALONE. See the shadow? The thing's standing!

October 15, 2007

2008-10-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

On July 8, 1997 Clay was in a near fatal car accident leaving him with substantial injury to his brain stem. He was in a coma for months, and not expected to pull through. Clay is a fighter! Not only did he pull through, he kept fighting a long hard battle for 10 years.
He was paralyzed and unable to speak, but that didn't stop him! He communicated by laptop or an alphabet chart, and let me tell you, one thing Clay didn't lose was his Hi-lar-i-ous personality! He would still crack jokes and pull pranks on people!
In September of 2007 Clay aspirated which sent him into a stroke. He was on life support for a month and on October 15, 2007 his fight ended.

Uncle Clay-I know your in a better place... I miss you like crazy! Rest in Peace. We Love You!

p.s. Would you happen to be responsible for the single spaghetti noodle that was left standing (YES STANDING) vertically on Darci's counter top last night? That sounds like something you would do... seriously WHAT are the odds of this just happening on its own? Don't believe me? She took a picture of it!! Maybe I'll post it up tomorrow...

Flashback...

2008-10-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite winter pictures of Miss Ray. She is 13 months- Christmas 2006
Thought I'd throw this one out there since it has been snowing here already!!

TAG!

2008-10-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

I found this tag over at Big Blueberry Eyes... You are supposed to go into your 6th picture folder and choose your 6th picture! Pass it around-I tag everyone! Here is mine....

Baby RayRay with my wonderful Doctor in Texas!! We had a little scare, A'Reian had the cord wrapped around her neck TIGHT.. this was taken after she was free. :)

Who's your celebrity soulmate?

2008-10-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

Take the Quiz

Take this quiz and tell me who your soulmate is..... Check out Darci's blog for another quiz on how many words per minute you can type.. this one is addicting.

Why didn't I grab the camera?!

2008-10-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight Darci and Amara came over to play. Darci and I sat in the kitchen while the kids tore through the house. Most of the time they were in our sight...yeah, most of the time. After a total of maybe 1 minute of complete silence we started wondering what they were up to. We get up out of our chairs, and the kids meet us in the hallway. Nothing looks unusual- but WHAT is that smell?? It smells exactly like the gel I use in their hair!! Amara pipes up before she gets blamed for anything... "A'Reian did it!" I look at Ray Ray and she has this white creamy gel all on her lips and chin. Okay, its not so bad until I pick up the bottle (which was near full) and it is now 3/4 GONE!! Umm.. I KNOW she didn't eat all of that gel, right? RIGHT!! I go into the bedroom where this act took place to see if it was all over the carpet. Not a single sign!!! WHERE did it go?? OH... yeah... FOUND IT!! All over the back of poor Ant's head!! She thought she would take the initiative to style her brothers hair before he hit the bed! So why I didn't grab the camera and take a picture of this.. No idea. I just went straight to washing his hair out :(

*Note to self- keep hair gel OUT of the reach of children*

Funny pic of the day - Ray Ray 8 months, Aunt Darci 9 months

Late start...

2008-10-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

Im getting a late start tonight... Have to work early, but here are a couple "funny face" pictures! I may have already posted these at one point or another but here they are anyway..

This was the reaction we got out of her when she opened up her new Baby Phat boots last year on Christmas morning..oooohhhhh! -Like I said, the girl loves shoes!

And... Here is "mean face"
If you say,"A'Reian do mean face" this is what she does, lowers her chin and looks at you from the top of her eyes. Usually without the smile though- its a little more scary than it appears here!
Okay! Until tomorrow....

Showin' OFF

2008-10-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

Alright... you know I have to show off her skills now that I have this video thing down! Is she not cute? Here she is signing and and showing colors! BIG GIRL!! (these are just a few of the VERY MANY signs she knows) :)

My little music lover!

2008-10-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

Ray Ray's picture is finally on parenting.com: A Special Joy 14, check her out. She is angel #13 to be exact!
I had a nice day today to myself- kid free! It was a little strange feeling.. I kept leaving stores like, wait a second, am I forgetting something!? I got my haircut, went to the mall, picked out Halloween costumes... then later I went to a purse open house! It was pretty cool, lots of cute purses. I got a huge zebra print Dolce & Gabbana bag! Replica of course- I'm not paying $3,000 for a purse right now, are you crazy!?
So, as I am typing about nonsense I decided to try uploading my video one more time and IT WORKED- Here is Ray Ray singing her song... I know, It is dark and you can barely see her. Just notice when it says "mmm..mmm..yeah I like that" she mouths the words EXACTLY. Funny stuff. Now that I know I can upload videos, I will try to get one of her dancing-IN THE DAYLIGHT even. It may just take me another two weeks ;)

Turn your volume up or this video just isn't funny!!

So sad...

2008-10-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

My video will NOT work! I keep getting an error message. That was going to be my post for the day... A'Reian is so cute in this video, she is "singing" her favorite song! Guess I'll try again tomorrow... :(

A'Reian and Amara Halloween 2007
The Lovebug and The Skunk

Playing at the park!

2008-10-06T19:39:00.001-07:00

I had a couple of really cute video's of Ray Ray dancing and signing... but my computer is being entirely too slow! Maybe tomorrow.... Anyway, here is our day at the park instead with messy hair and shoes that don't match our clothes! Who cares right.. we're just playing!! It still bugs me... ahh!

Getting Late....

2008-10-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed he ALWAYS has this look on his face!? Tiny eyes huh? The pj's and slippers are very fitting MONSTER!!

We are in the backyard trying to find the neighbors horses, they must be sleeping....

Maybe tomorrow I will attempt to make a video of A'Reian dancing! It's so funny, she even "sings" along!

46 chromosomes

2008-10-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, I had two people ask about the 46 chromosomes. A'Reian does have what is called Translocation Trisomy 21. This is where there are 3 copies of the number-21 chromosome. However, the extra chromosome is attached to another chromosome, usually number 14 or the other number-21 chromosome. Only three to four percent of ALL babies born with Down syndrome have Translocation Trisomy 21. The crazy part is less than one-fourth of the three to four percent (thats not many at all) occur randomly during fertilization. This happens when a piece of a chromosome or a whole chromosome breaks off during meiosis and attaches itself to another chromosome. When the chromosome piece attaches itself (translocates) to chromosome 21, the resulting fertilized egg has Down syndrome or Translocation Trisomy 21. The other three-quarters (or more) of translocations are inherited from a parent. This is the only type of Down syndrome that can result from a condition in a parent's genes. When a parent is a carrier the odds of having another baby with Down syndrome are much greater.
When A'Reian was six weeks old we went to a genetic councelor. She explained to us that we would need a blood test to find out if either one of us were carriers. They had prepared us for the worst by saying that in most cases this condition is inherited. When our blood results came back the next week we found that this was a random case! Neither one of us were carriers!!

*Info from Babies with Down Syndrome, second edition

A'Reian and Amara Halloween 2006

21 Facts about A'Reian for T21

2008-10-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things you may not known about A'Reian.....

Her name is pronounced ARE-EE-ON
Her nickname is Ray Ray because Ray is her middle name... (which is also KJ's)
She absolutely HATES to be dirty
She LOVES spicy food- and I mean SPICY
She could watch signing time ALL day long if you would let her... she can stand with her back to the t.v. and know exactly what to sign and when to do it!
Her memory is like nothing I have ever seen. She loves to watch BET and has every move to every music video DOWN- hilarious!
She HATES cold food
She is a shoe/purse fanatic
She cannot sleep without her pink silky care bear blanket that her Aunt Darci gave her when she was born
Her favorite phrase is, "BUBBA don't touch that!" as she shakes her finger in his face
A'Reian has 46 chromosomes
She does not have the single crease on her palms
She never crawled on all fours- she used both hands, one knee and pushed with her foot (started at 13 months)
She started walking at 22 months.. a few days before her brother was born
She sat up at 7 months
A'Reian has slept through the night from day one- WE had to wake HER up at 4 a.m. to feed her
She loves to help clean the house- dusting is her favorite
She is a huge helper with her little brother.. finds pacifier, his blanket, gives him toys, gives me his juice cup when its empty and teaches him sign language ...etc..
A'Reian DOESN'T nap- naps are for little brothers!! :)
She loves animals
She is doing very well with potty training- she signs bathroom when she has to go (most of the time)

Give us a challenge.... If you have questions- ask!! I will answer anything!

The Journey begins...

2008-10-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Our minds were pretty clouded at this point.. I was upset at first, mainly for the thoughtless way I had just been told of my life changing news. Later that night I sat in my hospital room and cried.. I was concerned for her health. KJ kept a positive attitude the whole time. He held me and told me everything was going to be okay no matter what the outcome was. Some people may think this is silly, but as I was crying that night, KJ asked me what I was most afraid of... I told him first of all her health and second, I hoped that she will be able to have sleepovers and girly parties with her friends! He just smiled and said, "She will sweetheart."
With every test that she passed, the nervousness slowly faded. We had a beautiful, healthy baby girl- that was all that mattered to us!

* I know I look like I'm about 16 in those pictures... I wasn't... I was 21 ;)

Down Syndrome Awareness

2008-10-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

October is down syndrome awareness month for those of you who didn't know. I am going to be participating in the 31 for 21 challenge. The goal is to blog something every day for the month of October which has 31 days, to raise awareness for down syndrome a.k.a. Trisomy 21. There are no rules on what to write about. It doesn't have to relate to down syndrome but, in my first few post's I'm going to let ya'll get to know A'REIAN!

KJ and I met six years ago in Fort Worth, TX. I was a hooter's girl ( yes, it IS a family restaurant ) and he played college football...

Two years later we decide to expand our little family. I did get the tri-screen test at about 14 weeks and we found out that our baby could possibly have down syndrome. We were then referred to a sonogram specialist and a genetic councelor. The likelihood that our baby had down syndrome was 1 in 200. After our sonogram displayed not a single sign ( short neck, heart defects, small head for gestation..etc.) The specialist told us our odds decreased to 1 in 400. That would mean the chance of having a miscarriage from an amniocentesis was greater than that of having a baby with down syndrome. He told us he was ruling it out and we really didn't give it much thought after.

The day we found out she was a GIRL!! (week 20)

A'Reian was born on November 11, 2005 (week 39). I could vaguely hear one nurse telling another that A'Reian had low muscle tone. She wasn't including us in the conversation at all so KJ asked her what she was talking about and she replied with, "It's typical, you didn't know?" I could hear the frustration in his voice as he asked her what it was typical for? She looked at him crazy and said, "down syndrome!"

...to be continued...

My little girl isn't so little.....

2008-09-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

So, we went to a dinner party the other night for Brandy and Joe and there were a lot of little kids for A'Reian to play with. We were there for almost 4 hours and I did not see my baby ONCE! This makes me realize she is growing up. It kind of made me laugh because this is the first time where she was off playing with friends...not dependent on us..not even getting into trouble...just playing like a big girl!!

A'Reian with Xavier

Playing in the bird fountain

Amara, having a little cake and champagne... :) I had to snap this one before Darci snatched the glass from her hand!!

Family Pictures

2008-09-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite!

We went to Kiddie Kandids yesterday for pictures. A'Reian looked so cute in every single one it was hard to choose! KJ and I did not plan on being in the pictures... wasn't really ready- but Im sure glad we did, they turned out pretty cute!

You can look, Don't touch!!!

2008-09-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a really funny story about A'Reian... about a month ago we went to Burlington coat factory... Her and Anthony were sitting in their double stroller, and a little girl comes up to her, probably about 2 1/2 and says, "HI!!" A'Reian said, "Hiiiiiii!" The little girl starts talking about sippy cups ( which were on a shelf right next to us ) and A'Reian is just listening to her, then she pats Anthony on the leg and says, "That's Bubba." This little girl comes over to the stroller to touch Ant's hand and A'Reian throws her arm over him with the craziest look in her eyes and yells, "NOOO...... Don't touch!" That poor little girl jumped back so fast!! It was hilarious! Nobody messes with her bubba!
Okay, one more... yesterday Anthony got a birthday gift from his Grandma Helen, it was a bath toy with a mama elephant and three babies. Well, A'Reian decides to open his present for him. When he walked over to see it, she would NOT let him touch the elephants. I asked her, "Will you please give bubba an elephant to play with?" So she lines them all up studying each one as if they weren't identical and finally chooses ONE (out of four) that he could have to play with. This morning she is walking around the house with one of her many purses and I can see it is stuffed full and zipped shut. Every time Anthony comes near her she growls and says, "DON'T TOUCH." Finally I ask, " A'Reian, will you let mommy see what you have inside your purse?" She brings it over and I unzip ALL of the baby elephants! She is one funny girl, doesn't like to share much! Anthony can't even play with his own birthday present! ...Guess that's how it is when your two! * She picked out her own shoes from Old Navy (above) *

Ant's new haircut!

2008-09-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

It was time for a hair trim! Those curls were getting OUT of control, we took about 2 inches off. He was such a good boy throughout the whole process, just sat and watched signing time. Then he got to have alone time in the bath tub since A'Reian decided to take a nap for once! She is always beating him up, stealing toys and dumping water in his face.. poor little thing. If you blow up the picture you can see a scratch under his eye... A'Reian!! He looovvveesss his sister though! :) anyway, new trim....

Article from Parenting.com

2008-09-17T19:10:00.001-07:00

http://www.parenting.com/article/Baby/Health/A-Special-Joy-Babies-With-Down-Syndrome-Galleries

I found this on parenting.com, they are celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness for the month of October by posting all of these cute babies!!

Buddy Walk 2008

2008-09-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

A'Reian and Daddy

This was her favorite, she wanted to do it over and over again

Yummmy! She ate her bubbles!

A'Reian had SO much fun! This is her 3rd Buddy Walk and now she is finally old enough to enjoy all of the activities!! Her first Buddy Walk was in Seattle, WA when she was 10 months old. I will have to find the pictures from that one... she was so dang cute that day!

This is totally off the subject, but she is watching signing time right now and she knows EVERY single sign on there including all of the songs!! She is amazing!!

Anthony is ONE!!!

2008-09-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

2008-09-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

A'Reian didn't get ready for the party... She has bed head still!!

Unlike the girls on their first birthdays, Anthony LOVED this part!!

All Clean!!

2008-09-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

Here is one picture from the Buddy Walk. ( I really hope you don't mind that I copied this from your page Kecia ) I have pictures on my camera but I have misplaced my USB cable to download the pictures. I'll find it sooner or later. Anyway, it was SO much fun!! I had to leave a little early so I could make it to work but, I did get to do the actual walk!!

Here we are with Bree's family! Nice one KJ... this is after working 170 hours in two weeks!!

Old pictures....

2008-09-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, here are some random.. very out of order pictures that I stole from Kaysee's page... Thanks Kayse! I Love them!

A'Reian was only one here! She is so beautiful!

Kaysee with Ray Ray

Mommy and Ant

I love this picture of Amara! She always has the funniest expressions!

Here is Abercrombie model Griffen!! Isn't he handsome!?

Going to see daddy...

2008-09-02T23:51:00.000-07:00

We had dinner with KJ tonight at his work. Anthony had so much fun running around the office! He was being a character. I didn't get any pictures of A'Reian.. she was sitting at the table the whole time eating her dinner like a good girl!

From Me to You....

2008-09-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

Throughout the last month, I have been reading a lot of blogs talking about " The R word. " Sadly enough, I am guilty of misusing the word in the past and have taken it out of my vocabulary- the word is not used in my home! However, I do not get offended when I hear the word in public. That word does not define my daughter, and she will be taught exactly that. She will be proud of the person she is and not think each time she hears the word "retard" someone is referring to her.
I would be more concerned with the things being said by those who are close to us. If you want to make me mad or hurt my feelings.. put my daughter in a category- example, " Your little girl is the cutest down syndrome girl I have ever seen." That is RUDE! You might think you are saying something nice or giving a compliment, but your not! First of all, She is not Down Syndrome, Down Syndrome is a very small part of Her! I won't get off too far on this subject because comments like that are obviously a result of being uneducated. For the record, That comment was not made to me. I was offended by that one though, and it takes a lot to offend me.
That's just about all I have for this subject... Please do not go see the movie Tropic Thunder! This word is not something to joke about!
Thank you to all of our family and friends! We truly have a great support group! A special thank you to Griffen- He is so proud of his cousin A'Reian.. it makes me smile! I may not say it enough, but it really means a lot to me!

UPDATE

2008-08-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

Our computer is now fixed!! I will be posting more pictures soon!!

2008-07-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

Favorite past time- DANCING!!

This is her camera pose!!

She has such pretty hair!! We just trimmed it!

Ant- Lookin' cool...

I love these jeans, he looks so grown up!

Family Party

2008-07-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

Ethan and Darci
Aunt Liz and Uncle Kyle
Alix and Aunt Liz
Aunt Diana and Anthony- having some cake
Darci and Amara

My little sweeties

2008-07-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

She is so silly!!

Amara's Birthday!

2008-06-29T16:37:00.001-07:00

Amara with her Uncle KJ

My baby is getting so big! Here she is sitting out on the patio at Aunt Liz and Uncle Kyle's house eating some snacks.

We were playing at Grandma's house and found this pretty flower!

Playing at Grandma and Rand's

2008-06-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

2008-03-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here is Ant in his PJ's

Aunt Liz and Dad

Aunt Darci

BOO!

2008-01-20T11:29:00.001-08:00

This is funny... A'Reian loves to play peek-a-boo.. so, I can hear her playing with Anthony, saying, "Boo!" When I looked down, this is what I saw!! She had put his bib over his face! He thought it was pretty funny too!!

2008-01-19T14:19:00.000-08:00

I don't have many pictures of Anthony, so I tried to take some today... but he is SOO tired.. Not real interested!

NAP TIME!!

A'Reian Ray Wright

2008-01-18T10:26:00.000-08:00

8 MONTHS

11 MONTHS

1 YEAR

18 MONTHS

2 YEARS

Christmas

2008-01-18T10:05:00.001-08:00

She Loves her new baby phat boots!

What big eyes you have...

Her favorite thing of all on Christmas morning was her new sippy cup. It had pictures of her, Amara and Anthony on it.

FUN!

A'Reian turns TWO!!

2008-01-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

Where is the cake?

Look at my long, pretty hair! Mommy straightened it with the flat iron.

Halloween 2007

2008-01-18T09:44:00.000-08:00

The Lovebug and The Skunk

Anthony stayed home with Grandma.. He was too little this year

BEING SILLY

2008-01-18T09:07:00.000-08:00

Driving face!

A'Reian took her cousin's pacifier so she could fit in!

Playing outside with Grandma