Please Consider Sponsoring an Orphan...

A few days ago when I wrote this post, ONE Thing I Would Want to Share, I had some people email me to see if I wanted help with raising awareness and funds for 1 orphan in particular?... and this is my answer, in case you read it too and were wondering....


As a family when we first learned of Reece's Rainbow a few years ago we scanned the site and found a little one to sponsor...actually Luke was our official "picker-outer". So, if that is what you want to do as a family as well...to get your children involved, by all means please do!! I think it is meaningful and powerful for children to understand about compassion and how they can help.


AND....Just as a little clarification in case this is the first time you have heard of Reece's Rainbow, the money you donate whether at Christmas or anytime of the year does NOT go to feeding the orphans... or clothing them...or making their orphanages more livable........ the money LITERALLY goes to paying the children's "randsom" so to speak to getting them the heck out of there and into a family's arms. The money goes directly to the child's adoption fund.... which you can watch grow right on the site.

This year little Robert from Eastern Europe grabbed Luke's heart... a little boy who will be turning 2 this December who only has $133 at this moment towards his adoption fees, which run about $25,000. 


What's unique about donating at Christmas time is that when you donate $35 dollars or more you also receive a Christmas ornament with the child's picture on it...as a special reminder of the little one you have helped. 


If you would like to help us raise funds for Robert we would love it (click on his name and it will direct you to his donation page) ....I like the idea of a group of people banning together to make a difference... putting our $35 together to make a bigger impact

On face book I stated it this way,  "I have 344 friends on facebook, if we all sponsored 1 child we could raise over $12,000 (which is about 1/2 of the adoption fees needed) and I am sure we would never even miss that $35".


A little bit really does and can go a long way... ;)

ONE Thing I Would Want to Share...

October was Down Syndrome Awareness Month. I usually participate in trying to blog each day of the month in October but this year.... I did not blog as I have in previous years (you can click on any of these years 2008, 2009, 2010 to find previous Down syndrome Awareness posts if you'd like).


However, if there was ONE thing I would want to share ...to bring awareness to, is that if any one of us were to hop in a plane...fly a little over half a day away.... we would step foot backwards in time in terms of acceptance for a child like my son. My son Reid would have no place in many eastern European countries. He would be tossed aside as worthless. He would be sent away right after birth to an orphanage where his outlook would be grim and no one to love him. If I tried to keep my son I would be ostracized by my community. His only hope would be to be adopted, and if that did not occur by the time he was 4 he would be sent to an institution where his care would be even grimmer. I have seen videos of such institutions and been just gutted by what I saw.... and because my brain cannot fathom that type of treatment I rationalized that that must not be true...or that only happens in very few places and they must be 3rd world countries... but the truth is it does happen, in fact there is a family trying to adopt a little girl from one of these institutions right now who is 9 years old....and she weighs 10 pounds. TEN POUNDS. My heart and head cannot comprehend that. Why??.... because she was born with an extra chromosome, like my son. THAT. IS. SO. WRONG. ....How can they not know that is wrong? How can they not see the beauty in these precious children?
There is a mom here in the US who after her son Reece was born with Down syndrome learned of the tragedy I wrote of above.... and she was moved to action, because these children just like her son...just like my son, deserve so much more. She started a non profit organization called Reece's Rainbow that helps raise funds for families who are wanting to adopt these children...to re-write their life story, to give them a home to call their own and a family to love them and show them they are valued and precious. In five years Reece's Rainbow has helped over 500 children find their Forever Families... unbelievable, I am so grateful she followed her heart to help make a difference!! Here in the United States there are waiting lists to adopt children born with Down syndrome, thank you USA for getting it, for valuing life...but for our little friends oceans away it is not the same, they do not have people in their country waiting to adopt them.... and they need our help.
Reece's Rainbow is kicking off their annual Christmas Angel Tree Fundraiser, where they raise money to go directly into the children's adoption funds. When you donate $35 or more, you will recieve a beautiful photo ornament of your sponsored child to hang on your tree. This is a very special way to "share Christmas" with an orphaned child. The goal is to help raise at least $1,000 for each child. Click here to see the faces of these precious little ones needing our help, waiting for their "Forever Families" and watch their funds grow as we together raise awareness of this tremendous need.

How incredible to be able to make a donation that LITERALLY will help save a life. ...And what a great message to share with your children.

Please consider sharing about Reece's Rainbow and The Christmas Angel Tree Fundraiser if you have a blog, or on facebook..... you never know just how far your efforts could go, you may know someone who can make an incredible difference in one or more of these children's lives. 

Can you imagine my Reid in an orphanage? It is so unfathomable to me.... 





Grab This!

A Little Sunshine for World Down Syndrome Day

Today, 3/21, signifies World Down Syndrome Day. Kind of clever in that it is the 21st day of the 3rd month of the year in honor of 3 copies of the 21st chromosome, which is known as Down syndrome or Trisomy 21. Before Reid was born the celebration of this day never reached my radar, I had no idea this existed. Reid's birth has taught me a lot about a lot of things that never reached my radar before he was born. I like knowing about these things, I like the way his extra chromosome has forever changed me for the better, and I like....no actually love...that this little extra chromosome of Reid's has introduced me to so many beautiful families...all over the world.

Recently I was given a Sunshine Award by a fabulous grandmother in Ireland, Nan P., though she is originally from France, who blogs about her beautiful grandson Cathal who has Down syndrome. I love reading about life from the perspective of a grandmother... and I must say this is one young and hip grandma who recently went and rocked out to a U2 concert!! I love it ;).

I was honored to receive the award from her and thought I would save it to pass on until today, World Down Syndrome Day. I wanted to pass it on to fellow bloggers I love following...who live in a different part of the world than me and that have also been touched by Down syndrome.

So here goes...a little sunshine sent from me across the oceans to:

Germany- to Conny Wenk and her beautiful daughter Juliana (who last year was Luke's international pen pal for a first grade project). I first found Conny through the Gifts blogroll and was so captured by her amazing photography...she is beyond talented and has such a fun sense of humor! In one of our mail exchanges Conny gifted us with one of her books, Three Little Butterflies...I squealed with delight when we received it and we have it displayed lovingly in the boys room.

South Africa- to Loren, who's blog I began following shortly after Malakai was born. She is a fabulous writer who writes from the heart and I enjoy reading about their journey. They recently welcomed baby brother Harlan into the mix...who is as equally cute as big brother!

New Zealand- to Mel, I know you already received this so as Nan P. says...just add it to your bouquet and count yourself doubly loved! ;). I love reading about the adventures of your adorable Luke, plus I am kinda partial to his name so it was a no brainer to like you! ;)

Canada- to Heidi whose sweetness and adorable boys transcend through the computer screen. She and her husband recently spoke at their church about the news of Joel's diagnosis and raising a little one with special needs, and even though I knew she was from Canada it was so fun to hear her accent on the video....something that does not automatically transcend through the computer ;).

Phillipines- A new blog to me... May I am so glad you found me and I look forward to following your family's story and watching little Lucas grow, his smile is infectious!

....Is it corny to end by singing, It's a Small World?!? ....but in actuality it is, and even smaller when you talk about the family of Down syndrome and the instant bond you feel with another mother, grandmother, or family member who also loves someone with Down syndrome.

So to my blogging friends oceans away....thank you for allowing me to share in the beauty of your families. I hope this little sunshine award brightens your day! xoxo

October: Down syndrome Awareness Month (post #7)-It's a Small World!

If you have wondered why I have been titling every post this month October:Down syndrome Awareness month.. well it is partly because it is...but secondly because on October 1st when I posted my first note I instantly had 16 different countries pop onto my blog. I was up really late, so I thought my eyes were going buggy on me. I looked again and sure enough I had all these beautiful flags come up on my Live Traffic Feed down below. I was so excited...my 6 degrees of separation had just gone international!! :) It was about 1:30 in the morning but I had to share this with Toby so woke him up. We couldn't figure out what I had done other than title the post Down syndrome Awareness Month... so now it is hard for me not to put that same title each time in hopes that Japan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Ireland, Tokyo, Canada, Germany, Italy and the others would come back for a visit. It made me think of the song It's a Small World. It truly is amazing how Reid's extra 21st chromosome has made this world smaller for our family... and I find it so beautiful to be connected to others in countries and states I would of never otherwise had contact with.

If you are one of those new friends that popped on from another country, or a faithful friend that follows this blog... come back again for post #8 because I need your input for a brand new family I just met who has a 3 week old son who also happens to have Down syndrome. But, for now enjoy It's A Small World...Disneyland style.

Note: You need to pause the music down below first, on my playlist, before viewing the video.