Day 2, (Friday) all families attending the entire weekend were at our cabin and we all met Bellie and the rest of her beautiful family and spent the evening talking and playing with rocks and looking for fossils.
The sense of knowing each other was so powerful even though we all hardly knew each other. We could get right down to the nitty gritty stuff and they all understood. It was as if we could read everyone's thoughts right out of their heads!
It was a good night all in all, but it didn't compare to the joy of Pathfinder Village.
Parts 3 and 4 tomorrow!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Best Days of Our Lives (part 1)
I just experienced the most amazing weekend of my life. "How so?" Because I met some of the most wonderful people to walk the Earth through Reece's Rainbow, including Reece himself. I also met some of the sweetest people in the universe who just so happen to have Down syndrome and live residentially, but you couldn't call Pathfinder Village residential living by any stretch.
There is just no way to express in words the feeling I had as I spent time with these people. There was definitely happiness, but also despair knowing that after a few days all of it would be over. And now that it is there is no way to express the pain I suffer knowing I won't be able to see them for a long time.
On Day 1 of the get-together, (Thursday) the Spitz family was unable to attend, but the Roberts/Faris group, the Wojcik's and Lococo's were all hanging out by a campfire roasting smores. Fun was had by all, but something was missing.
There is just no way to express in words the feeling I had as I spent time with these people. There was definitely happiness, but also despair knowing that after a few days all of it would be over. And now that it is there is no way to express the pain I suffer knowing I won't be able to see them for a long time.
On Day 1 of the get-together, (Thursday) the Spitz family was unable to attend, but the Roberts/Faris group, the Wojcik's and Lococo's were all hanging out by a campfire roasting smores. Fun was had by all, but something was missing.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Love of a Father
So today in Mass the responsorial psalm was about listening to God and hearing his voice. The Point is if you don't listen or try to then you won't hear it. You have to lift your voice and worship him so he knows you're listening, only then can you be sure that everything will be alright. Before I went to Camp Veritas I didn't care about my religion wholly. It was a place to see friends and talk about the God who "loved me" and it was hard for me to believe. Then at adoration one night I was whole-heartedly listening and I could finally hear him saying, "I love you daughter, everything is in my hands so you have no need to worry." I will NEVER forget that night! It was truly the best night of my life!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
LONG TIME, no blog :(
Oh my goodness! There's so much to talk about! JULIA IS HOME!!!! She has been home for a month and a week almost! The wait is over! She is absolutely amazing! I wouldn't change a thing about her. Every thing is going smoothly so far and she's even adjusting to her glasses well! Yeah you heard me, GLASSES! I just can't even imagine life without her any more!
Also the Hooks have a court date to bring home their bundle of heaven on March 31!!!!
But all of these thoughts of these children with Down syndrome have been running through my head lately. She may be able to get by now, but what about later? What if the children in our school district will underestimate her just because she looks different? To me she's like any other little kid because I understand the syndrome and all, but for people who are uneducated on the subject, what do they think when they see me carrying her in the grocery store, or walking up and down the aisle with her toddling along by my side? It really upsets me when people put their all of their possible feelings toward a person in the dump because of a medical term used to describe them! God made these children special! God can see them in a way we will never understand! They look at the world through bright eyes, everything is an adventure!
I was trying to find a resource that I could use to show people that Julia will be able to do more than some neuro-typical people will ever be able to do. Then I remember a documentary on You Tube that my mom mentioned to me when she first found Reece's Rainbow.
Even though most of you out there reading this already have seen it just watch it again. I did and I feel like every time I get even more inspired, and my fire burns brighter and stronger!
Remember that Down Syndrome is a GIFT! God gives it to his special children and we will never even be able to fathom how special each and every person with Down syndrome is.
Elizabeth
Also the Hooks have a court date to bring home their bundle of heaven on March 31!!!!
But all of these thoughts of these children with Down syndrome have been running through my head lately. She may be able to get by now, but what about later? What if the children in our school district will underestimate her just because she looks different? To me she's like any other little kid because I understand the syndrome and all, but for people who are uneducated on the subject, what do they think when they see me carrying her in the grocery store, or walking up and down the aisle with her toddling along by my side? It really upsets me when people put their all of their possible feelings toward a person in the dump because of a medical term used to describe them! God made these children special! God can see them in a way we will never understand! They look at the world through bright eyes, everything is an adventure!
I was trying to find a resource that I could use to show people that Julia will be able to do more than some neuro-typical people will ever be able to do. Then I remember a documentary on You Tube that my mom mentioned to me when she first found Reece's Rainbow.
Even though most of you out there reading this already have seen it just watch it again. I did and I feel like every time I get even more inspired, and my fire burns brighter and stronger!
Remember that Down Syndrome is a GIFT! God gives it to his special children and we will never even be able to fathom how special each and every person with Down syndrome is.
Elizabeth
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Ultimate Mother
Mary.
Recently I have started saying the Rosary ALOT, because since Mary is the Mother of us all I knew that she could protect Julia while my parents are preparing to leave, (By the way, WE GOT OUR APPOINTMENT! My parents are leaving the 19th of this month!) Also The apparition of Mary shown above, Our Lady of Guadeloupe, is the protector of the unborn. As I said in my last post, I am very involved in the Pro-life movement.
Recently whenever I am upset or not feeling well I can just pray a Hail Mary or decade of the rosary I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me.
I also just wanted to clear up a few things that might turn my Protestant brothers and sisters away. As a Catholic person I don't worship Mary. Mary is honored because she is the Mother of Jesus Christ. In other words, I pray to Jesus through her intercession. Since she is everyone's Mother she should have respect, right?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Listen to the Voices
Yesterday I got off the bus and was bombarded with smiles and excitement because our dossier was submitted on the fourteenth!!!!! It was such good news to get after getting home from a long day at school. Please pray that the Spitzs' will get the same news soon!!!
Also on Friday night I attended a Pro-life dinner at a fancy-smancy restaurant with my pastor. I had a wonderful time! I spiritually adopted a little baby whose mother is thinking about abortion. The name given to her is Meg. The way it works is we got a prayer card which we pray for them every day and hopefully they will make it to birth. In seven months the pro-life foundation will have a baby shower where we will hopefully be able to meet the mother who is carrying the child we are praying for.
There were three speakers. The second two weren't as inspiring was the first but they were OK. The first speaker spoke about the positive things that are going on in the pro-life movement. So it started me thinking and gave me a post. (hahaha)
My eyes were opened to the fact that there are so many teens getting involved. I have gone to the March for Life in Washington DC for 2 years now, and I always took it for granted that there were so many young people there. Now that I look back on it, that's just so amazing! In school I feel like the lone ranger. It's like nobody cares about these poor babies who are slaughtered daily by the thousands! But there are voices being raised for them. It may be a silent revolution now, but it's starting. The voices are getting stronger. Little hints are being dropped, like wearing the 10 week in the womb baby feet pin. I don't if you've seen them, but they are tiny little pins that show the exact size of a 10 week in the womb baby. I wear my everyday now.
I heard on of the speakers mention a quote of Pope John Paul 2 from World Youth Day in Denver. He said, "If you are what you should be, you'll set the world on fire." I will never forget this quote. This is the motto I choose to live by from now on. I will listen to what God is trying to tell me and help the widowed, orphaned, aborted, and people with special needs. I realized last night that I am called to help those with no voice.
Also on Friday night I attended a Pro-life dinner at a fancy-smancy restaurant with my pastor. I had a wonderful time! I spiritually adopted a little baby whose mother is thinking about abortion. The name given to her is Meg. The way it works is we got a prayer card which we pray for them every day and hopefully they will make it to birth. In seven months the pro-life foundation will have a baby shower where we will hopefully be able to meet the mother who is carrying the child we are praying for.
There were three speakers. The second two weren't as inspiring was the first but they were OK. The first speaker spoke about the positive things that are going on in the pro-life movement. So it started me thinking and gave me a post. (hahaha)
My eyes were opened to the fact that there are so many teens getting involved. I have gone to the March for Life in Washington DC for 2 years now, and I always took it for granted that there were so many young people there. Now that I look back on it, that's just so amazing! In school I feel like the lone ranger. It's like nobody cares about these poor babies who are slaughtered daily by the thousands! But there are voices being raised for them. It may be a silent revolution now, but it's starting. The voices are getting stronger. Little hints are being dropped, like wearing the 10 week in the womb baby feet pin. I don't if you've seen them, but they are tiny little pins that show the exact size of a 10 week in the womb baby. I wear my everyday now.
I heard on of the speakers mention a quote of Pope John Paul 2 from World Youth Day in Denver. He said, "If you are what you should be, you'll set the world on fire." I will never forget this quote. This is the motto I choose to live by from now on. I will listen to what God is trying to tell me and help the widowed, orphaned, aborted, and people with special needs. I realized last night that I am called to help those with no voice.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
This Process
This morning when I woke up I couldn't get myself out of bed so I was looking out the window at the head of my bed. I have an attic room so I am basically looking straight into a tree, but now that the trees are changing it's actually very pretty. There was a slight breeze which was causing the leaves to fall and it was absolutely marvelous!
Then I began to think, how could this fit into a new blog post, just kidding, I was thinking about the adoption then because we just recieved word that our dossier reached Ukraine, YAY!!!!, and was comparing the two. Falling leaves are just like this process. The leaf is afraid to let go, but then a gust of wind comes and blows it off. In the adoption process I didn't want to let go of my old life, but I knew it's what we were meant to do. Once the leaf hits the ground it has hardships like being raked and through into a dump of some kind. In adoption sometimes they lose your paperwork or something is wrong with it. But once the leaf is in the dump it's left alone to fertilize that soil or what ever it's natural purpose is. Once the child is home you adjust to new life with him/her and hopefully all's well.
Both are beautiful processes. Adoption is what some are called and some aren't, but through this awakening I realized that this is what family is meant to do, just like leaves are meant to fall off trees. Adoption is a free fall, but it is so worth it in the end.
Then I began to think, how could this fit into a new blog post, just kidding, I was thinking about the adoption then because we just recieved word that our dossier reached Ukraine, YAY!!!!, and was comparing the two. Falling leaves are just like this process. The leaf is afraid to let go, but then a gust of wind comes and blows it off. In the adoption process I didn't want to let go of my old life, but I knew it's what we were meant to do. Once the leaf hits the ground it has hardships like being raked and through into a dump of some kind. In adoption sometimes they lose your paperwork or something is wrong with it. But once the leaf is in the dump it's left alone to fertilize that soil or what ever it's natural purpose is. Once the child is home you adjust to new life with him/her and hopefully all's well.
Both are beautiful processes. Adoption is what some are called and some aren't, but through this awakening I realized that this is what family is meant to do, just like leaves are meant to fall off trees. Adoption is a free fall, but it is so worth it in the end.
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