Ruby's Life

Ruby has the flu and the benefits of Signing Time

2012-01-22T07:41:00.000-06:00

My family has been so sick with the Flu this week.I was hoping Ruby wouldn't get it but she finally did. For Christmas I got her the 'Family,Feelings,and Fun' DVD ,one of the signs on that DVD is the sign for sick.Well,Ruby has been letting us all know how rotten she feels by signing sick when we look at her and she says "kick" with a pouty face. I can't say enough how great the Signing Time video's are for helping with communication and speech.I started sitting Ruby in front of those video's when she was a tiny baby and I have lost count of how many signs she knows now.
Ruby gets so excited when I buy her a new Signing Time DVD.I bought her a new one recently when she had to have tubes put in her ears.I thought it would cheer her up the day of the procedure.I just loved seeing the surprised look on her face.She kept saying "Signs,signs.Watch!" She learns new signs within minutes after starting to watch.

Here are a couple of pics of my sweet sick princess.

A perfect fit for those with Down syndrome - The Globe and Mail

2012-01-20T02:56:00.000-06:00

A grandmother designs clothing for people with Down syndrome. A perfect fit for those with Down syndrome - The Globe and Mail

Teenager with Down syndrome competes with Saucon Valley High School swim team | lehighvalleylive.com

2012-01-20T02:43:00.000-06:00

Another great story of a young man with Down syndrome. Teenager with Down syndrome competes with Saucon Valley High School swim team lehighvalleylive.com

A 25 year old man with Down syndrome Runs a Restaurant

2012-01-20T02:11:00.001-06:00

This young man is amazing to me.I want to go to New Mexico and eat in his restaurant.I would love for my whole family to get to meet him.How wonderful that his parents helped him to do this.
You can follow the link I'm going to share and read the story.In one of the comments the commenter says,"We eat at Tim's Place at least twice a month. The food is wonderful and the service is great. We have come to know Tim and expect our hugs every time we go there. The entire family is an inspiration to all of us."
Here's the link: Tim's Place:A dream followed

Tim's Place: A dream followed: krqe.com

Nazi Persecution of the Mentally and Physically Disabled

2012-01-16T14:12:00.000-06:00

Very interesting to read the history of what happened to the mentally handicapped in Nazi Germany.I think that we have some of the same veiws on "useless life" in America today. Nazi Persecution of the Mentally and Physically Disabled leave me a comment on what you think after reading this article.

Dancer With Down Syndrome Bags First Place In Contest - Cincinnati News Story - WLWT Cincinnati

2012-01-15T20:24:00.000-06:00

Dancer With Down Syndrome Bags First Place In Contest - Cincinnati News Story - WLWT Cincinnati

Older Child Adoption

2012-01-12T11:20:00.000-06:00

I have such a heart for older children with Down syndrome who need to be adopted , but for now we don't qualify financially to be able to adopt.What I can do is share with you the beautiful children who are available for adoption.Are you this little girls forever family?

Isn't she beautiful! Her name is Wednesday and she was born in January, of 2003. Please,go here to Reece's Rainbow and find out more about her.

My Brother's Life: Very Valuable Despite Down Syndrome | LifeNews.com

2012-01-09T16:25:00.000-06:00

My Brother's Life: Very Valuable Despite Down Syndrome LifeNews.com

Fun at the park

2012-01-06T20:45:00.001-06:00

I was sitting at the computer this afternoon and my girls and little boy came to me and wanted to go to the park.Ruby even got in on it,she said,"Mom,park?" She then ran and got her shoes and socks.Well,needless to say my husband and I couldn't resist such cuteness. Here are some pics of our fun at the park.The last two pictures show how upset Ruby was about having to leave the park to go home. :)

Faith Set Free: One Less Orphan Fundraiser

2012-01-04T13:00:00.000-06:00

Go take a look at this fundraiser!There are some wonderful prizes and you get to help bring a precious little girl home to her family.Faith Set Free: One Less Orphan Fundraiser

Grab This!

Wordless Wednesday 2012

2012-01-03T14:53:00.001-06:00

Happy 2012!

Rag doll and felt foods

2011-12-30T16:14:00.000-06:00

I had fun this Christmas making things for my kids.My ambitions were too big and I didn't start early enough though.I didn't get everything finished so I will be sewing up a few more presents.

I think one of my favorite items to sew was the little rag doll that I made for my daughter Catherine.I can't wait to getstarted on dolls for my daughters Rebecca and Ruby. I used Simplicity pattern 2809 ,
I bought my pattern on sale for a $1.50 at my local Joann fabric store.

My 12 year old daughter Elizabeth helped me make felt food for Catherine and Rebecca.We had fun staying up to all hours of the morning listening to Christmas music and cutting,stuffing and sewing felt food. I used Simplicity pattern 2445 for the fruit and veggies and free patterns from the internet for the snack foods.

Here are some links to free felt food patterns:
Bag of chips and sandwich

Bacon, eggs and pancakes

Slice of pizza

Bread and pumkin pie slice

Hidden Angels: American Families Saving Children With Down Syndrome - ABC News#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger

2011-12-26T22:18:00.000-06:00

Hidden Angels: American Families Saving Children With Down Syndrome - ABC News#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger#.TvktNw5H7Gi.blogger

Ruby's hearing and our family Christmas Tree

2011-12-17T00:23:00.000-06:00

Ruby had her hearing tested today to see if the tubes in her ears are helping.She did great on the test and we were told she has perfect hearing.Yay! I can tell that Ruby is hearing better,she is talking clearer and has added many new words to her vocabulary.

Ruby has done so well with her sign language.One day last week my son Russ built a fire in our fireplace and Ruby came running to find me and she signed and said."Tree's hot!"

My son Grady came home yesterday from college for Christmas.We put up our Christmas tree tonight and my daughter Meagan made a video to share our fun.Hope you enjoy it.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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Ruby's new hat

2011-11-16T23:07:00.001-06:00

I made Ruby a new hat to help protect her ears from the cold wind.Here she is modeling it for me.

Felt Fun with the Cuter Book

2011-11-14T14:29:00.001-06:00

I bought this book last week for my teenage daughter.

She just LOVES it and has made many of the cute little animals.My 12 and 10 year old daughters saw how easy they were to make and they started making them too.

They traced the patterns out of the book onto tracing paper,then used the patterns to cut out the felt.The animals are little,about 2 inches,and are very easy to hand sew and stuff with batting.

Some of the faces are embroidery.The book has very good simple instructions.

Some of the faces are just glued on with craft glue.

We bought googly eyes for some of them.

Some are a little scary! :)

My girls have had hours of fun together.

I Wished for You Book Giveaway

2011-11-12T19:06:00.001-06:00

November is National Adoption Awareness month.In honor of my brother, who my mother gave up for adoption at birth,and his wonderful adoptive parents.I'm giving away this beautiful children's book.

"I Wished for You" by Marianne Richmond, is the story of a mother telling her adopted child his adoption story.

If you would like to win this book just leave me a comment telling me why you would like to have it.I will be choosing a winner November 21st. Open to United States only.

Steamers Employing People with Different Abilities

2011-11-02T19:08:00.000-05:00

Order Steamers Jam

MyOwnPet Balloon and Canines for Disabled Kids

2011-11-02T16:28:00.000-05:00

I was asked to share about these cute balloon pets,called MyOwnPet Balloon.I went and looked at the website and they even have a Reindeer just in time for Christmas. I know my own children love to play with balloons and Mylar balloons last for weeks and weeks.There are several different animals to choose from.One of my favorite,it's hard to choose a favorite,is the Poodle .Which one is your favorite?When they start to deflate you can have them re-filled.
What a great cause to help too. $5 from every purchase goes to Canines for Disabled Kids, a non-profit organization,helping children with disabilities gain independence and participate more fully in society.

Hearing problems and Ruby has Atlantoaxial Instability

2011-10-31T18:30:00.000-05:00

Ruby got tubes put in her ears today because she was having problems with having fluid behind her eardrums.Ruby was a very good girl for the nurses who were getting her prepped for her surgery. The actual procedure was over in about five minutes!

On the way to the hospital at 6 a.m.

It is very common for people with Down syndrome to have some problems with their hearing.Children with Down syndrome should have their hearing checked once a year until the age of three and then every other year thereafter.Ruby was having a mild hearing loss because of fluid.This kind of hearing loss is called conductive hearing loss . Here is a talk on Hearing Concerns

Because of needing to get ready for her surgery today we were told by the anesthesiologist office to take Ruby to Children's hospital for x-ray's of her neck.We took Ruby this past Thursday. The radiologist was great and did an excellent job with Ruby.Of course miss Ruby was her awesome little self and did what I asked her.
Ruby was placed on a little stool and I held onto her from the front and the technician was behind her holding onto her.We needed to get a side view x-ray with Ruby looking down and I said,"Ruby,look at your shoes." She did look down and the tech was able to get what was needed.When we needed her to look up my husband stood up over us and snapped his fingers to get her to look up.Which she did.

The x-rays were needed to see if miss Ruby was one of the 10-30 percent of people with Ds that has Atlantoaxial Instability (AAI) . It is VERY important if you have a child with Ds to get these x-rays done.It is recommended that all children with Ds get these x-rays before having surgery. AAI affects the top 2 vertebrae of the neck.The lax joints allow too much movement and can cause spinal cord injury. For now Ruby has a mild case which means she will not be able to participate in contact sports,jump on trampolines,do somersaults,or do anything that will cause too much stress on her neck.I will be making an appointment for her with an Orthopedist and she will need to have these x-rays repeated when she gets older.
Please,I can't stress enough how important this is.It can mean life or death for our special angels.

Down syndrome and Autism

2011-10-27T00:40:00.001-05:00

I get a lot of hits to my blog from people looking up Dual Diagnosis of Down syndrome and Autism.I found an excellent talk hosted by Children's Hospital in Boston given by Dr.David Stein.Follow this link to watch it Down syndrome and Autism .I hope it is helpful to those of you who are searching for information on this subject.

God's Measurement

2011-10-23T13:10:00.000-05:00

God's Measurement

by Linda Romblum

When God measures our worth - it's said

He places the tape, "round the heart not the head."

This thought brings comfort now to me

Concerning my son, for you see

He's not learning as he should,

All the testing and therapies - still not good.

At age 5, developmentally he's between 1 and 2.

He likes many people on this Earth

By most human values, the lesser worth.

"Handicapped", "Disabled" they're thought of.

But not so labeled by a God of love.

For who knows the worth of a human soul?

The total story is yet to unfold.

Our loving Father has a plan for everyone,

And I believe-Yes! for my son! Through a glass dimly, now I can't see.

Just what the future is going to be.

But by faith day by day, God leads me on.

His peace and power help keep me strong.

I sometimes feel a failure - trying to teach my son.

So often, I feel that Andrew, he's the one

Teaching me, -of life and faith, and depth of love

As if a lesson came from above.

His intellect may be small -

But, oh his heart says it all!

So now I pass this message on to you.

It's very plain what we can do.

Value every soul on Earth

As through God's eyes, give them worth.

Care for those who need a helping hand,

Meet their needs if you can,

The joy you'll find in such giving

Makes life much more worth the living.

And too, it will last when life is 'ore.

And we gather upon eternity's shore.

For God measures our worth - each one,

When life here on Earth is done.

And he places the tape, - I've heard it said,

" Around the heart, and not the head"

1 Samuel 16:7

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature,
because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

1 Corinthians 13:12

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then shall I know even as also I am known.

The Beatitudes of theExceptional Child

2011-10-23T00:06:00.001-05:00

I posted this in October of 2009.I'm re-posting because it is so beautiful.

The Beatitudes of theExceptional Child by Andre Masse C.S.E.

Blessed are you who take time to listen to difficult speech for you help us to know that if we persevere we can be understood.
Blessed are you who walk with us in public places and ignore the stares of strangers for in your companionship we find havens of relaxation.

Blessed are you who never bid us to "hurry up" and more blessed you who do not snatch our tasks from our hands to do them for us, for often we need time more than help.

Blessed are you who stand beside us as we enter new and untried ventures for our failures will be outweighed by the times when we surpise ourselves and you.
Blessed are you who ask for our help for our greatest need is to be needed.
Blessed are you who help us with the graciousness of Christ Who did not bruise the reed and quench the flax for often we need help we cannot ask for.

Blessed are you when by all these things you assure us that the thing that make us individuals is not in our peculiar muscles, not in our wounded nervous system, not in our difficulties in learning but in the God-given self which no infirmity can confine.

21 things about Ruby

2011-10-21T17:43:00.001-05:00

Because today is the 21st and October is Down syndrome awareness month I'm going to post 21 things about Ruby.

Ruby loves to be read to.She also loves to look at books by herself.

2.Ruby loves pizza,macaroni and cheese,cheez its,spaghetti,garden rottini noodles with italian dressing,salad, smoothies,cooked carrots,mashed potatos,yogurt and tootsie pops.

   3.Ruby knows and uses sign language.
   4.Ruby can say her name and she also signs her name by making an 'R' over her heart.
   5.Ruby was given her sign name by a missionary to the deaf.
   6.Ruby calls her daddy "Dassy." Dassy is a mix of her daddy's name Rusty and daddy.

7.Ruby has 4 sisters,6 brothers and 2 sisters-in-law.

8.All of Ruby's siblings adore her.

9.Ruby is very dramatic.She loves to have "conversations" with people while waving her hands around and then placing her hands on her hips.

10.Ruby likes going to church on Sunday and tells me she's cute after I get her dress on and her hair done.
11.Ruby hates having her hair brushed and fixed.
12.Ruby can say all of her brothers and sisters names.
13.Ruby used to call her oldest brother grass.His name is Russ but she thought we were saying grass.She would also sign grass. :)

14.Ruby is an aunt and she loves trying to help take care of her neice when she comes over.
15.Ruby normaly stays up until midnight.I have tried to get her to go to sleep earlier and she just wont.I'm just glad she doesn't stay awake all night like she did when she was an infant!
16.Ruby loves dogs.One of her first words was our dog's name,'Angel.'
17.Ruby has Brushfield Spots in her eyes and they make her eyes sparkle.
18.Ruby loves music which she calls "mugic."

19.Ruby loves her grandma.
20.Ruby is very caring,if she thinks you are sad or see's you crying she very gently pats your back and in a sweet voice say,"You kay?"
21.Ruby is very friendly and waves and says,"Hi!" to everyone.

I am so thankful for my little Ruby.She is one of the best things that could have ever happened to me.

More Alike

2011-10-20T08:56:00.001-05:00

Farewell to John Bloodworth

2011-10-15T21:49:00.001-05:00

My husband's uncle died this week after fighting cancer for 8 months.We will miss him dearly.He was such a kind man.He touched many lives in a positive way.I don't remember ever seeing Uncle Johnny mad.He had a beautiful smile and wonderful laugh.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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Hurtful

2011-10-07T23:30:00.000-05:00

My ten year old daughter was told by another ten year old girl, that she knows, that Ruby will never be able to attend college because she has something wrong with her brain. This little girl also informed my ten year old daughter that, Ruby's , skin is pale and you can see her veins because she has Down syndrome. My daughter just glared at the other girl and she walked away.

I found out the little girl was given this information by her parents. I would just like to say that people with Down syndrome have differing abilities, just like all other people, they are not all exactly alike. Below are some links to articles that I found about people with Down syndrome going to college. I shared the article entitled,"Just a Normal Girl," with my daughter and showed her the picture of the young woman who has Down syndrome standing with her professor.This made my daughter very happy.

Pablo Pineda is the first person with Down Syndrome to obtain a major degree from a regular university in Spain. More about Pablo Wikipedia

Just a Normal Girl

A New College Try

Barriers Falling

31 for 21 Day 6

2011-10-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

My mother is living with us because she has Alzheimer's.Ruby loves having her live with us.Here are some pictures of Ruby taking over grandma's bed.

My Little Ham / 31 for 21 Day 5

2011-10-05T23:26:00.000-05:00

Ruby loves books and she loves to be read to.I was trying to catch some natural pictures of her sister reading to her but almost everytime I got ready to snap the shot Ruby would look up and flash me a grin! Stinker!

Laundry (31 for 21)

2011-10-04T22:50:00.003-05:00

Ruby likes to follow and watch me when I'm doing the laundry.Since she was about a year and a half she has loved to throw all the laundry out of the baskets.Thank goodness she now likes throwing it all back into the baskets! In the last couple of months she has learned to say all of her siblings names very clearly and she now enjoys telling me whose laundry it is that she is throwing.Today she took one of her brothers shirts out of the closet and signed and said,"clothes!" Oh,my,I love that girl.

Ruby Grooving

2011-10-03T19:21:00.000-05:00

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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Mom! Mom!

2011-10-02T16:54:00.000-05:00

I was sitting on our loveseat ,reading a digital book on my laptop,next

to my daughter E who was sharing her yogurt with Ruby.I was lost in the

story I was reading and suddenly I felt a little hand patting my knee

and a little voice saying,"Mom!" "Mom!" I looked up and Ruby pointed at

the yogurt container and she said,"Yummy!" Every word Ruby says brings

joy to my heart.I never take for granted anything she says or does

because not long ago I wondered if she would be able to talk to me and

interact with me the way she does.Even when her words and meaning are

unintelligible I enjoy every moment of what she is so dramatically trying

to tell me.

October Is......

2011-10-01T15:29:00.001-05:00

Grab This Button

October is Down syndrome awareness month and once again I will be trying to post something everyday for the 31 days of October. I hope I can do it! We have been having some pretty crazy times around my house the last few months and I haven't been keeping up with posting much.
One of the things that happened a couple of months ago was my oldest son going away to west Texas to work on a horse ranch. The second week he was there he was in an accident with a horse and had most of his thumb cut off! So he had to come on back home with us to heal.
Sweet little Ruby did not want to have anything to do with her big brother at first.She was wondering what that big white bandage was on his thumb.She hit the bandage twice ,which put my son to hollering of course.I explained to Ruby that her bubba had an owie. I signed and said," Owie," and pointed at the big bandage.Ruby made a sad pouty face and said and signed,"Owie!" Thank goodness that helped and she didn't try and hit it anymore! I wish I had taken video's of my son trying to get Ruby to come near him and give him hugs.She would make the cutest squinty-eyed smile and back away from him.She wasn't having any of that, thank you.

So there's my first post for this month. I'm looking forward to getting back into blogging regularly and hopefully sharing some good info on Down syndrome.

Here's my thumbless guy and Ruby isn't scared of him anymore :-)

Retarded.

2011-09-17T01:21:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wedneday - Sleeping Beauty

2011-09-07T13:49:00.000-05:00

More Wordless Wednesday - Hugs

2011-08-31T08:54:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T07:12:00.000-05:00

The Butterfly

2011-08-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

by Anonymous

One day a small opening appeared on a cocoon.

A man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gone as far as it could and could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining

bit of cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were G-d"s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If G-d allowed us to go through life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly.

I asked for Strength.. And G-d gave me difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom.. And G-d gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity.. And G-d gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage.. And G-d gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love.. And G-d gave me Troubled People to help.

I asked for Favors.. And G-d gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted. I received everything I needed.

Why Did We Cry?

2011-07-22T23:53:00.001-05:00

A post by Ruby's Dad

My wife Cheryl has been after me for the last 2 years to write something for her blog about the miracle that was Ruby’s birth. After 3 years I think I can finally tell the story without shorting out my keyboard. So, in honor of Miss Ruby’s 3rd birthday, here it goes:

Let me start by saying even the date of her birth was nothing short of Providence. Due to Cheryl’s history of complications immediately following birth, her Dr. had ‘scheduled’ her previous 2 deliveries and Ruby was to be no different. A date was to be picked that was just before her actual due date and also convenient for the doctor’s schedule - it’s usually better if they are there if for nothing more than to justify that huge bill. We had a choice of two days that fit, July 21 or 22 , or else we would have to wait until after the actual due date. Since one of our sons’ birthday was the 22nd, we decided the 21st would be best. THEN the doctor’s office called back and he had a conflict on the 21st – could we move it to the 22nd, or wait until later in the week?? The aforementioned son agreed to share his birthday with his new baby sister and everything was set.

July 22, 2008 started like any other day when you’re getting ready to go the hospital and have your eleventh child but soon enough we were relaxing in the comfort of a labor/delivery suite. The next few hours were fairly uneventful – for me – Cheryl was being poked with needles and had things strapped and taped to her and hooked up to all kinds of monitors.

But then things changed. In spite of the epidural the contractions were causing more than just discomfort. Something was wrong, I could see it on Cheryl’s face and in her body language and we realized it long before the nurses did. It wasn’t until the baby’s vital signs started deteriorating that the nurses noticed something wasn’t right. The doctor was involved in a delivery in the next room. The nurses tried all the things that nurses try – rechecking vital signs, making mom shift to one side or the other but nothing was helping and Cheryl was feeling way more pain than she should have and the nurse was going back and forth to where the doctor was, giving him a report and coming back with instruction of what to do next. Finally she came back in the room, threw a set of scrubs at me and said “get ready, we’re going to have to take this baby” and they started prepping Cheryl for a C-section.

When the doctor finally came in the room he decided to see if the baby could be delivered and literally within 2-3 minutes Ruby was born and the problems became evident – there was no “water” in the womb and Ruby had the cord wrapped around her neck and over one shoulder. As soon as she was out her cord ruptured and began bleeding profusely. The doctor quickly clamped it and while he was still holding her, unwrapping the cord and checking her over he told us – “This baby would not have made it another day”. He would later tell us that the only babies he had ever seen with a cord in that condition were stillborn. See, sheer Providence.

Having been through this a few times before, what followed was fairly routine – nurses cleaning the baby, weighing, measuring, etc. and nurses tending to mom, cleaning up and removing wires and tubes – but out of the corner of my eye I noticed a bit of a flurry of activity around Ruby and the nurse summoned the doctor over and they’re whispering.

That’s when I walked over and heard what they were discussing and the doctor explained that Ruby was showing signs of having Down Syndrome and when I looked at Cheryl a nurse was telling her the same thing. And we cried. Why did we cry ???

A different kind of perfect: Child with Down syndrome helped family re-evaluate life - TwinCities.com

2011-06-29T08:48:00.000-05:00

A different kind of perfect: Child with Down syndrome helped family re-evaluate life - TwinCities.com

Ray of Sunshine

2011-06-21T10:30:00.000-05:00

Things have been pretty busy at our house.We are getting adjusted to life with my Mom and her little dog Bruno.My mom has Alzheimer's and can't live by herself anymore.For the most part things have been going pretty good.My 7 yr old daughter Rebecca is scared of my mom's dog though and even after 2 months is still mostly staying in her room to stay away from the dog.She has always been terrified of dogs and it doesn't help that Bruno,who is a long haired chiuaua,is yippy and growls about everything .
I bought games,play dough,puzzles,new coloring books and markers to keep Becca busy while she is in her room.I also try and take her with me on any outings I have to make and on Saturday I had one of my son's take the television out of my room and put it in Rebecca's room . She loves to watch the qubo channel and play Barbie on the x-box.
My mom enjoys being around all my kids and keeps telling me that Ruby is a,"Ray of sunshine." Ruby thinks grandma is pretty special too and pats and hugs on her any chance she gets.

Reading with Grandma

Little Mommy

2011-06-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

Ruby and I reading together

2011-06-07T13:26:00.001-05:00

Ruby's favorite books right now are Dr.Suess' 'Put Me In The Zoo,' and 'Hop on Pop.' She brings them to me several times a day and says,'Read!" Here we are reading together :

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I'm Blogging for Books

2011-06-06T09:31:00.000-05:00

Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor by Chuck Black is the fifth book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series.It is an action filled christian allegory written for young adults. I chose this book as my first book to blog about because I thought my 13 year old son, who is an avid reader, would enjoy it. I have to say I really enjoyed reading this book myself and had a hard time putting it down. I had no problem handing it over to my son to read because there is nothing questionable in this book that I wouldn't want him to read.He read it in one afternoon and enjoyed it as much as I did.We are both looking forward to reading Chuck Black's other books in the Knights of Arrethtrae series.

Here is the first chapter for you to enjoy :

Sir Quinlan by Chuck Black (Chapter 1)

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

The Many Benefits of Baby Sign Language

2011-05-23T21:00:00.001-05:00

More and more parents are discovering the many benefits of baby sign language, including the simple fact that it’s fun! It is so cute watching your little one communicate with those chubby little hands! But there’s a practical side to baby sign too!

Studies show that baby sign language helps with speech development. Signing toddlers learn to speak sooner, and develop larger vocabularies than non-signing toddlers. They’ve also been shown to have higher reading levels once they learn to read. One study even suggested that baby sign language can increase a baby’s IQ!

As we know, many children with Down syndrome have speech delays. They can often understand us perfectly, but don’t yet have the ability to speak to us. This can cause enormous frustration for any child! Sign language can help alleviate this frustration, which, of course, makes life easier for everyone in the family, especially the signing child!

So, signing can make for a happier child. It can also help build a child’s confidence. Many children become more comfortable with social interactions once they learn a few signs. Signing can empower them!

Children with Down syndrome are very often visual learners, and they can take very quickly to sign language. For many children, signing seems to come naturally to them. (Of course, this is after they see their parents sign something a hundred times!) Children will naturally gesture to communicate. Sign language just helps everyone understand these gestures!

And getting started is easier than you might think. First of all, use us at BabySignLanguage.com. We are free. Our site offers instructional videos, a sign language dictionary (based on American Sign Language), printable flash cards, and a printable wall chart. Everything is free. We are here to help. And we hope to create a community that allows parents to help one another, so ask your questions, share your tips, and offer your support!

We recommend starting slow. Depending on the age of your child when you begin, you might want to start with one to five signs. Learn these signs yourself (it’s easier than you think), and then use these signs every time you say the corresponding word. So, every time you say the word “book,” make the sign for book. It won’t take long for your child to associate your gesture with its meaning. Then, you will likely see your child imitate your gesture when you make it. And eventually, your child will use this gesture spontaneously to communicate the idea of “book”!

Just remember to always tie the spoken word to the sign. While it can be tempting to just use the sign independently, remember that speech is our end goal, so be sure to encourage vocalizations as well as signing. (Though if you’re tempted to sign “Stop!” in church, go ahead – it’s a great trick!)

This article was provided by babysignlanguage.com a website featuring

digital resources including a baby sign language dictionary, baby sign

language flash cards, and baby sign language wall chart 100% free.

Guess who I met!

2011-05-07T21:12:00.000-05:00

I went to a home school book fair on Friday that has been held in a city near me for the last 27 years.I have been homeschooling for 20 years and for many of those years I have used, Math U See, with my children.Last year I didn't go and I missed getting to meet,"Mr.Math U See",Steven Demme.When I heard Mr.Demme was going to be at the book fair again this year I made sure to attend.I was so thrilled when I found out Mr.Demme was going to be speaking at 3 different times during the day. His last talk,"Finding Hope and Redemption in the Valleys of Life," was about how his youngest son,who is blessed with an extra 21st chromosome,affected his life.Mr. Demme has a blog called,The Family that Stays Together .
He is such a nice man and took time to talk with me and two of my girls that were there.He autographed a book I bought from him about how to have family devotion time and let my daughter snap the picture below.

I got to meet Mr.Demme!

And guess who else I got to meet! The beautiful Miss Carrington and her sweet mommy Shelley! I was just walking around the book fair tables looking at books and saw this woman holding a sweet little baby in a sling.I looked closer and thought,I've seen that beautiful face before! So I said," Is this Carrington?" Shelley turned to me and said,"Yes,it is!" Shelley was so nice to let me take this picture. If you don't know who Carrington is you can go to her blog Carrington's Courage and read all about this precious little sweetie.

Shelley and Miss Carrington!

Ruby is Coloring

2011-05-04T15:56:00.000-05:00

I was coloring with my 8 year old daughter Rebecca and Ruby came over and grabbed a crayon and started ~~scribbling~~ coloring,too. I haven't taken Ruby to OT in months but coloring was one of the things they used to try and get her to do.
Ruby had started resisting therapy and I felt like driving for 20 minutes for a crying session was not beneficial. My children and I ~~play~~ work daily with Ruby on skills she should be achieving. Taking a break from therapies has helped Ruby to fit into our family life and just be the baby.

In Remembrance of Carly George

2011-04-27T13:27:00.000-05:00

I posted this last year on this date and wanted to share it again.I miss Carly and her beautiful smile.I will never forget her.You never get over the death of a child.

Thinking of You with Love

We thought of you with love today,

but that is nothing new.

We thought about you yesterday,

and days before that too.

We think of you in silence,

we often speak your name.

All we have are memories,

and your picture in a frame.

Your memory is our keepsake,

with which we will never part.

God has you in His keeping,

we have you in our hearts.

A million times we`ve wanted you.

A million times we cried.

If love could only have saved you,

you never would have died.

It broke our hearts to lose you.

But you didn`t go alone.

For a part of us went with you...

the day God called you Home.

~Author Unknown

Wordless Wednesday/ Uh,Oh....

2011-04-20T18:01:00.000-05:00

Uh,Oh

Who did that?

Ruby's hearing test

2011-04-18T16:02:00.000-05:00

My husband and I took Ruby to Children's Hospital to have her hearing tested today.I was very pleased with how quickly we were seen.We have been to this hospital before to have Ruby's eyesight tested and were seen very quickly then,too.I was pleasantly surprised because this is a very large hospital and thought it might be a very long wait.
When Ruby's name was called we were taken back into a small soundproof room.My husband sat with Ruby in a chair in the middle of the room with speakers on either side of them.The audiologist played different sounds and called to Ruby through the speakers. Ruby did very well and responded to almost all of the sounds.There were a few very light sounds that Ruby did not respond to.
When the test was over we were told that Ruby showed a very slight hearing loss which may be because of a recent upper respiratory infection that Ruby has been fighting.We were told she would need to see the ENT and then come back for a follow-up hearing test when her cold clears up completely.So overall we were pretty happy.
The audiologist was a very friendly young woman,Ruby liked her very much and hugged her goodbye when it was time to go.
Here are pictures of Ruby in the car on the way to the appointment :

"Hi"

Help Bring Ian Home

2011-04-14T12:27:00.000-05:00

Go and take a look at this Giveaway to help bring Ian home from Eastern Europe! Some very unique necklaces have been donated to help raise the $25,000 needed.I know I would LOVE to own one of these beautiful pieces!
http://bring-hope-home.blogspot.com/2011/04/wear-hope-and-help-us-get-ian-home.html

Here are some pictures of my princess.

All dressed-up for church

Watching Oswald

Wordless Wednesday Ruby fixing her hair

2011-04-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

Don't miss The Boy from Baby House 10

2011-04-10T13:37:00.000-05:00

Don't miss this story on Dateline tonight.Children like this are why I advocate for adoption.There are so many beautiful children who have great potential being neglected and abused.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Down Syndrome/Autism – A Dual Diagnosis ~ Part 3

2011-04-10T00:15:00.001-05:00

Down Syndrome/Autism – A Dual Diagnosis ~ Part 3

Down Syndrome/Autism – A Dual Diagnosis ~ Part 2

2011-04-10T00:15:00.000-05:00

Down Syndrome/Autism – A Dual Diagnosis ~ Part 2

Down Syndrome/Autism – A Dual Diagnosis ~ Part 1

2011-04-10T00:11:00.000-05:00

Down Syndrome/Autism – A Dual Diagnosis ~ Part 1

Sissy!

2011-04-09T10:11:00.000-05:00

It's Meagan again. :D

I don't think I've wrote on here since we went to South Carolina.. But, anyways, Mom wanted me to write on here today.

Mom's been sick lately, so I was helping her take care of Ruby this morning; I picked her up and she called me sissy for the first time! It was soo cute. ^.^ And last night I was playing with her, and I was hiding under a blanket, and she stuck her head underneath it and said "Hi there!" really clearly. [:

Pictures of Ruby

2011-04-08T14:34:00.001-05:00

Ruby and her big brother Daniel

World Down Syndrome Day and a Birthday

2011-03-21T17:53:00.000-05:00

Today is World Down syndrome Day.
World Down Syndrome Day takes place on 21 March every year. This date (21/3) represents the 3 copies of chromosome 21, which is unique to people with Down syndrome.

Here is my Ruby.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Today is also my son's 6th birthday.

Sunday Verse

2011-03-13T00:15:00.001-06:00

Fanny Crosby was blinded as an infant by an incompetent doctor but she didn't let her blindness stop her.She wrote more than 8,000 hymns.
As a child she wrote :
Oh what a happy soul I am,
Although I cannot see;
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy,
That other people don't;
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't."

Blessed Assurance
by Fanny Crosby,1873

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
- Refrain:
  This is my story, this is my song,
  Praising my Savior all the day long;
  This is my story, this is my song,
  Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Hebrews
Chapter 10
* 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

John 3:16
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Cypriot Group Develops Non-Invasive, Prenatal Down Syndrome Dx; Creates Startup to Market Test | PCR Insider | PCR/Sample Prep | GenomeWeb

2011-03-10T17:05:00.000-06:00

This testing makes me sad. I'm afraid there will be a lot less beautiful people with Down syndrome in the world.What a truly sad place it will be.

By Ben Butkus

A group of scientists from Cyprus has combined methylated DNA immunoprecipitation and quantitative real-time PCR into a non-invasive, prenatal test that can diagnose Down syndrome with 100 percent sensitivity and specificity, according to a paper published online this week in Nature Medicine.

Go here to read more :

Cypriot Group Develops Non-Invasive, Prenatal Down Syndrome Dx; Creates Startup to Market Test | PCR Insider | PCR/Sample Prep | GenomeWeb

Ruby Dancing

2011-03-08T21:53:00.000-06:00

Ruby,loves the Backyardigans!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ruby Can Walk!

2011-03-07T16:20:00.000-06:00

Ruby is 31 months old and has started walking.We are so proud of her!

Ruby Can!

Unlocking potential of kids with Down syndrome | SouthCoastToday.com

2011-03-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

One of the mother's in this news article had a nurse that was the mother to a child with Down syndrome. That nurse was able to go into the hospital room and give encouragement to the new mom.I wish that someone like this had been available to me when I was in the hospital after having Ruby. I'm thinking of contacting local hospitals and letting them know I would be available to talk with parents who have a new diagnosis of Down syndrome.
I think this is a good article for someone who is expecting a child with Down syndrome.

Unlocking potential of kids with Down syndrome | SouthCoastToday.com

Ruby is Amazing

2011-03-04T15:31:00.000-06:00

Ruby just amazes me.Right now as I'm writing this post she is standing at our back door calling our dog,"Angel!" "Where is she?" "Is she?" "Angel?" "Where is the puppy?" Ruby amazes me with her ability to speak. Now she has crawled over to me asking me,"Angel? Is she?" as she points outside our sun room windows,"Where is she?"
Ruby melts my heart, I can never imagine why I was so sad when I gave birth to her.Any sorrow has been totally replaced with joy and pride in my beautiful daughter.

The R-Word Hurts

2011-03-02T10:51:00.000-06:00

Recently a friend of my 16 year old daughter came to our house to spend the day with us.While she was in our home she used the word "retarded" several times.This girl is a very nice and funny young woman and she enjoys the company of all of my children,Ruby included.I know she was unaware of how her words made me sick to my stomach and look to see where my precious daughter who has Down syndrome was. I'm glad Ruby didn't know what was being said but the rest of my children did and I wondered what they thought.

You know that little rhyme,"Sticks and stones may break my bones,but words will never hurt me?" Well, that is completely untrue.Words DO hurt.Wont you please think before you speak?

The R-Word

2011-03-02T09:59:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T09:16:00.000-06:00

CSN Giveaway Winner

2011-02-24T00:22:00.000-06:00

The winner of the CSN Giveaway is Monica from Monkey Musings! Congratulations Monica you are the winner of the $40 gift code!

Chasing Charlotte: Quilt Giveaway

2011-02-20T13:58:00.000-06:00

Wont you please go over and enter this Quilt Giveaway to help bring beautiful miss Charlotte home to her family?

Chasing Charlotte: Warm Fuzzies and a Quilt Giveaway

Sunday Verse/In need of comfort

2011-02-20T11:47:00.000-06:00

I haven't done a Sunday Verse in a long time so I thought I would do one today.I'm sick with yet another cold and had to miss church this morning and Ruby is still sleeping so I have a few minutes to sit down at the computer.
Last week my husband found out that after working for 18 years at the company he's at he will be getting layed off in October.We are blessed that at least he will have employment for another few months but it is a little scary to think that in a few months we will have no more employment ,and we will miss the wonderful medical and dental insurance that we have.We still have 8 children at home to take care of and little miss Ruby with her disability.
I have been looking through scriptures for verses of comfort and here are some that I have found :

Psalm 34:17
The righteous cry,and the Lord heareth,and delivereth them out of all there troubles.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not ; for I am with thee : be not dismayed ; for I am thy God : I will strengthen thee ; yea, I will help thee ; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Psalm 34:4
I sought the Lord ,and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Matthew 6:34
Take therefore no thought for the morrow : for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

1 Samuel 2:7,8
The Lord maketh poor,and maketh rich : he bringeth low,and lifteth up.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust,and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill,to set them among princes,and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.

Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.Selah

Psalm 94:19
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

There are many,many more wonderful verses of comfort in the Bible,so many that I cannot include them all here.Just writing these few out has been a blessing to me this morning .I hope they are a blessing to you also.

The Ordinary Life of an Extraordinary Girl: I believe....and a GIVEAWAY

2011-02-19T17:05:00.000-06:00

Alex's Mom is giving away 2 copies of her book about raising a daughter with Down syndrome.I haven't read her book yet but it sounds great! I love being able to get advice and tips from Mom's who are further ahead in this journey of raising a child with Down syndrome.Go on over and take a look!

The Ordinary Life of an Extraordinary Girl: I believe....and a GIVEAWAY

Clarissa's art

2011-02-19T14:06:00.000-06:00

Clarissa is a young woman with Down syndrome.She is also deaf,mute,physically handicapped and bipolar.
This article is about how her mother started homeschooling her at the age of 18 and her discovery of her daughter's artistic ability.

Clarissa's art The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

Mother's fury after operation turns sour | HEALTH News

2011-02-19T13:52:00.000-06:00

This little boy had some serious complications after having his tonsils removed.
I thought a tonsillectomy was a pretty normal operation for a child with Down syndrome to have.Do you have a child with Down syndrome that has had this operation? How did he or she do after the operation?

Mother's fury after operation turns sour HEALTH News

Rowe: For Hitzeman, it’s abilities not disabilities

2011-02-19T13:43:00.000-06:00

Rowe: For Hitzeman, it’s abilities not disabilities

Cumberlink.com: Woman climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro for Down syndrome

2011-02-19T13:16:00.000-06:00

Cumberlink.com: Woman climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro for Down syndrome

Debate over prenatal testing for Down syndrome continues

2011-02-18T21:01:00.000-06:00

Debate over prenatal testing for Down syndrome continues

Another CSN Giveaway

2011-02-16T10:52:00.000-06:00

Hey everybody I'm having another CSN giveaway! This time I'm giving away a $40 gift certificate to any CSN store. CSN has lots of great stores to shop at, one of their stores sells Office Furniture . I'm a bookaholic and I just love some of the bookshelves they have.They even have some bookcases with doors which would be great to have especially with little miss Ruby who wants to throw all of our books off the shelves.
If you would like to enter this Giveaway go on over to the Office Furniture link above, have a look around and then come back and tell me about something you like.You can have an extra entry by following my blog.You can have another entry by sharing about my giveaway, just make sure and leave me a comment letting me know you shared it.Make sure I have an e-mail where I can contact you if you are the winner.
I'm ending this giveaway next Wednesday,Feb.23. I will be picking the winner using Random.org.
This Giveaway is open to United States and Canadian residents only.

Ruby talking on the mouse

2011-02-15T13:25:00.000-06:00

I caught Ruby sitting in my bedroom floor playing with my computer mouse.She was putting it up to her ear and saying,"Hello?","Hello?" "Ziz it?"(who is it).She also likes to play with my cell phone but I have to be careful about that because she has figured out how to unlock it and she pushes lots of numbers.Who knows who or where she might call!

It's ringing

Hello?

You wanna talk Mom?

Grandma

2011-02-15T12:58:00.000-06:00

I'm going to be a grandma in July! My oldest son called me this morning and told me that they found out the baby is a girl! The name that they have picked out is Alexis.I'm so thrilled to be getting a grandchild!

Sesame Street board books

2011-02-06T23:18:00.000-06:00

Shake a Leg by Constance Allen is one of Ruby's favorite books.I bought it for her several months ago because it has actions to imitate, like honk your nose,pat your head,and many others.When I first started reading it to her I would perform the actions and she would copy me,now when I read it she does most of the actions on her own when she sees the page.The book is small and perfect for her little hands.Another plus is that it's a board book and the pages can't be ripped or crumpled.
When I was looking it up on Amazon I found some other books in this series that I think Ruby will also enjoy like 'Elmo Says'and 'Elmo's ABC'S.'

A Perfect Lily: Pure Love Giveaway

2011-02-06T19:28:00.001-06:00

My friend Patti is having a super giveaway go over and take a look .If you donate you get a chance to win some great prizes and you will be helping a beautiful child get a forever home : A Perfect Lily: Pure Love Giveaway

Ruby is learning to walk

2011-02-04T15:33:00.000-06:00

Ruby has started standing up and sitting down without holding on to anything,she has even taken a few shuffling steps in the last couple of days,and she bear crawls everywhere.I'm so excited!
When Ruby was born and I heard the statistics of when a child with Down syndrome would walk,I thought that I would work with her and she would be one of those super kids with Down syndrome who walked early.Well,I have worked with her,therapists have worked with her,her siblings have helped her, I'm sure that it was all good for her,but Ruby hasn't decided she would walk yet,she is 2 1/2 years old now,and you know what it doesn't matter one little bit to me if she doesn't walk until she's 3 or 4 or whenever.What matters is that she is doing her best,we are giving her the help and love that she needs and she will walk and run when she's ready.What if she can't walk on her own and needs some type of adaptive device to help her? Well that's o.k. too.I'm so proud of my baby!She brings so much joy to our lives.
Here are some pictures of her standing and a video of her bear crawling.In the video you can see the baby gate I had to prop up against the bookshelf to keep Ruby from pulling all the books off,she LOVES to throw EVERY book off that shelf.I'm so proud she can :)

Lois

2011-02-03T23:24:00.000-06:00

This sweet little girl had leukemia and she died this morning. Here's a link to her Mother's blog The Daily Lois

There's no tragedy in life like the death of a child. Things never get back to the way they were.”

Dwight David Eisenhower

For Once in My Life | Independent Lens | PBS Video

2011-02-02T20:29:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Amy for sharing with me that the full documentary can be watched here For Once in My Life Independent Lens PBS Video .

For Once in My Life

2011-02-02T12:46:00.000-06:00

Last night my husband and I were looking through the t.v. channels trying to find something to watch.We put the t.v. on the public station and started watching a documentary on Independant Lense called ,For Once in My Life. For Once in My Life , is a documentary about the Spirit of Goodwill Band,the band has 28 members all who have different disabilities.One of the young women named Melissa has Down syndrome and she plays the congo drums and tamborine. One of my favorite parts of the film is the interviews with the individual families of the band members.Melissa's mother was told by doctors to put her in a mental institution,that she would never amount to anything,she refused this advice and brought her infant daughter home and began to treat her like she had her other children.
Here is a link to information about this program.The band is terrific! For Once in My Life

Sujeet Desai:Chrysalis

2011-01-26T22:59:00.000-06:00

The possibilities

2011-01-26T22:56:00.000-06:00

Sujeet Desai

2011-01-26T22:54:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T19:38:00.000-06:00

Wordless Wednesday-My kids

2011-01-19T12:37:00.000-06:00

My kids and my two oldest son's wives.

My kids all together before Grady went back to college.

Unbelievable reward

2011-01-06T00:03:00.000-06:00

Unbelievable reward Family brings Ukrainian boy with Down syndrome into home

A life lived | Linda Darlene Bradley | The Indianapolis Star | IndyStar.com

2011-01-05T23:58:00.000-06:00

A life lived Linda Darlene Bradley The Indianapolis Star IndyStar.com

HeraldNet.com - Sports: ‘Ike Special’ makes Guideposts list of Top 10 Inspirational Stories of 2010

2011-01-05T23:52:00.000-06:00

HeraldNet.com - Sports: ‘Ike Special’ makes Guideposts list of Top 10 Inspirational Stories of 2010

Down Syndrome: Speaker With Down Syndrome Motivates Middletown High Students - Courant.com

2011-01-05T23:51:00.000-06:00

Down Syndrome: Speaker With Down Syndrome Motivates Middletown High Students - Courant.com

My Review of Classic Stand Mixer

2011-01-05T23:44:00.002-06:00

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

Features:

Doubles as a hand mixer
290 Watts peak power makes mixing easy
Shift and Stir bowl
Versatile attachment set includes traditional beaters, whisk and dough hooks

Brushed stainless steel...

Very pleased

By Mom11 from TX on 1/5/2011

I'm very pleased with this mixer.I wanted a stand mixer that would be easy for my 9 and 11 year old daughters to use without having to spend $200.My girls and I love it and used it several times over the holidays to make cakes,cookies and pies.I like how a magnet in the base of the stand keeps the metal mixing bowl in place.This mixer is a big improvement over the little handmixer I had.
I have noticed that the mixer itself can be a little hard to remove from the stand sometimes but I still really like this product.

I received a gift certificate towards the purchase of a product in exchange for a review on any product and I chose this mixer.

(legalese)

St. Joseph School honored for efforts  to include boy with Down syndrome

2010-12-28T21:33:00.000-06:00

St. Joseph School honored for efforts  to include boy with Down syndrome

Brucie's story - Welland Tribune - Ontario, CA

2010-12-28T21:09:00.000-06:00

Brucie's story - Welland Tribune - Ontario, CA

Down Syndrome student realizes dream of attending college

2010-12-28T21:06:00.000-06:00

Down Syndrome student realizes dream of attending college

Love Conquers All

2010-12-28T20:39:00.000-06:00