"To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Isaiah 61:3

The Burckhard Family

The Burckhard Family

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Thoughts from Daddy-O....

Every now and again, Kevin aka Daddy-O, shares his thoughts on Facebook.  I am so thankful he has such a tender, compassionate heart.

Here is his post from this Saturday morning:



"Is it possible to miss someone you've never met?" Every Saturday morning, while we're cuddling with Nole', at some point he'll pause reflectively and say "I miss Simon!" Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Simon is being told by a caregiver at his orphanage, as she shows him our photo, "this us your family, that's your mama and papa!" For over five years, he has watched this ritual play out time and time again: a couple visits a child at the orphanage and after a few weeks of these regular visits, the child leaves, the only home they've ever known to go be with their "forever family!" I wonder if Simon will be thinking, as he doses off to sleep tonight "I miss my brudder, I miss Nole!"


Thoughts from Daddy-O....

Every now and again, Kevin aka Daddy-O, shares his thoughts on Facebook.  I am so thankful he has such a tender, compassionate heart.

Here is his post from this Saturday morning:



"Is it possible to miss someone you've never met?" Every Saturday morning, while we're cuddling with Nole', at some point he'll pause reflectively and say "I miss Simon!" Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Simon is being told by a caregiver at his orphanage, as she shows him our photo, "this us your family, that's your mama and papa!" For over five years, he has watched this ritual play out time and time again: a couple visits a child at the orphanage and after a few weeks of these regular visits, the child leaves, the only home they've ever known to go be with their "forever family!" I wonder if Simon will be thinking, as he doses off to sleep tonight "I miss my brudder, I miss Nole!"


Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Bendy Bella!

Oh my....our Bella is totally into gymnastics and tumbling lately.  She continually bends, twirls, and does splits in home AND at school.

She calls herself an acrobat.  We joke and say that her birthparents must have been circus performers the way she can contort her body either hanging from a bar or even on the floor.

Here is the shot of the day....Bendy Bella!


Bendy Bella!

Oh my....our Bella is totally into gymnastics and tumbling lately.  She continually bends, twirls, and does splits in home AND at school.

She calls herself an acrobat.  We joke and say that her birthparents must have been circus performers the way she can contort her body either hanging from a bar or even on the floor.

Here is the shot of the day....Bendy Bella!


Sunday, January 11, 2015

Picture Posts for Positive Perception!

Hello All!

Hope you all have had a wonderful start to your new year!  As my title suggests, I am going to make a concerted effort to blog more frequently--especially with more photos to demonstrate that my littles with Down syndrome are creative, smart, funny, sad, mad, jealous....you know, just like everyone else!

Here is my first installment.

Santa gave Bella this costume (that he picked up 75% off Halloween sales....Santa is good like that.) of an Egyptian queen.  As soon as I helped her put this on, she exclaimed, "I Katy Perry, Dark Horse!"


You see, her big sister Liz took Bella and Grace to the Katy Perry concert last summer.  However, the concert did not go over very well at the time.  Bella laid down in the hall of the FargoDome and became catatonic....like she was in shock or something.  After much pleading and prodding (and peeing in pants--oh Bella)  Bella finally went into the concert.  It was just too loud and over-stimulating for her.

But now, as she looks back, she thinks it was the event of the year.  Don't we all do that sometimes?  Sissy just shakes her head and can't get over the fact that she had such an awful time during the concert and how she now can remember it so fondly!

Yes, Bella you are definitely a princess!

Picture Posts for Positive Perception!

Hello All!

Hope you all have had a wonderful start to your new year!  As my title suggests, I am going to make a concerted effort to blog more frequently--especially with more photos to demonstrate that my littles with Down syndrome are creative, smart, funny, sad, mad, jealous....you know, just like everyone else!

Here is my first installment.

Santa gave Bella this costume (that he picked up 75% off Halloween sales....Santa is good like that.) of an Egyptian queen.  As soon as I helped her put this on, she exclaimed, "I Katy Perry, Dark Horse!"


You see, her big sister Liz took Bella and Grace to the Katy Perry concert last summer.  However, the concert did not go over very well at the time.  Bella laid down in the hall of the FargoDome and became catatonic....like she was in shock or something.  After much pleading and prodding (and peeing in pants--oh Bella)  Bella finally went into the concert.  It was just too loud and over-stimulating for her.

But now, as she looks back, she thinks it was the event of the year.  Don't we all do that sometimes?  Sissy just shakes her head and can't get over the fact that she had such an awful time during the concert and how she now can remember it so fondly!

Yes, Bella you are definitely a princess!