Reflecting

Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Your Son Jesus to earth. We not only celebrate His birth in the manger, but also the reason for His coming -- His death on the cross. We thank You for providing eternal life for each person who will accept His free gift of salvation.

Refeclting on the past couple of weeks. Jason and I have really been thinking about what Christmas means to us and what we want to teach our Children. We decided that we really wanted to scale back and teach them more about giving. Cole's School helped. We made "Breakfast Bundles" for kids that can not afford Breakfast on the weekend. The School sends them home with a Bundle so they have something healthy to eat until School again on Monday. Great Program. The kids did chores around the house to raise money for the Room Mom's to buy the supplies. Cole could not belive that some kids go to bed hungry every night. He was so happy to be apart of something that helps children.

Jason also was a part of bringing groceries and gifts to a Family in need. It was like being Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. So cool.

We gave the kids 3 small presents. We talked about the Wise men and their gifts they gave baby Jesus. Cole even read the Christmas Story Sunday night at Dinner.

We are blessed our Children are blessed. They got a lot of presents from their Grandparents. But For the first time at Christmas I am seeing a different side of thankfulness from them. I think they are realizing what CHRISTmas is really about. Not just getting toys.

My Favorite Christmas present.... Something money can not buy. Jana walking. If I could make a Discover card Comercial I would show her walking and say PRICELESS..

Christmas

I love Christmas. I love everything about it. The Movies in Jammie's, lights, trees, Baking. I think Baking and Christmas lights are my favorite.

Seth made his own cookies this week. I just put them in Oven. He literally did everything. I am so proud of him.

I made Peanut butter Fudge, Fudge, Peanut Butter Balls, Pepper mint cookies, Carrot Cookies. Gingersnaps and Peanut Butter cookies. I am going to have to run all Spring to get all the calories I have put on.

We also made a Gingerbread house
All of the kids got involved:)

Jana is getting better and better with her steps. Love that girl.

I got the girls Matching Shirts from
http://www.ifyousaysewgifts.com/

Merry Christmas

Oh Happy Day and tears:)

There are moments that I will never forget. When Jason and I got married, When James Cole cried his first cry and made me a mom. Followed by Seth,Jana and Lanie. I have been waiting for this moment, praying for this moment, begging for this moment, crying you get the idea:)




Sunday Night I was fake crying trying to get Jana to take her first steps. I had no idea it would actually work. She took 3 beautfil steps. Jason and I instantly burst into tears. I have dreamed of this moment knowing it would bring tears to my eyes. It was better than I could have imagined. Since then she has taken more and more. Last night was the most 7. We used a stuffed Moose and Buddy. Hey whatever works right:)

Thank you Jesus for giving my Baby the wonderful gift of walking:)

Oh Christmas Tree oh Christmas Tree

Yes it is only November 15th but it is feelin a bit like Christmas around the Blanchard's. I have decorated the past two years early and I am really enjoying it. Yes.. it is before Thanksgiving but we do not celebrate it at our house so why not? The Boys and I had fun last week putting up the big tree and Jana and I had putting her Princess tree up tonight.

Today I was thinking about this past year and different milestones and thinking back to this Summer when Jana's Birthday came and passed and she did not walk. Then I said well she will be for sure walking by Christmas... now Christmas is coming and I am praying she does. I told her that it would be the best Christmas present ever but told her that if she does not her kisses would work too:)

So to get "out" of my mood I did what any woman would do with common sense started going through the fridge and cabinets for Chocolate. I was very pleasantly surprised when I found a bag of Monster cookies in the freezer. Ah it made everything better. Jana and I then put up her

"Pretty Pretty Princess Tree"

Hair and a little of Shirley Temple

When I was sitting in the Hospital one of the many promises I gave Jana was that I would always make sure she had cute hair. I thought of all the people I had seen with Down syndrome and they all had the same short hair cut. I think now that it is because it is easy to take care of they can be independent ect. But come on what 40 year old woman wants that look:) One of my Best friends called me from the gym and said she has just worked out and saw a young woman with Down syndrome and that she looked beautiful with blond long curly hair. That she could imagine Jana looking like that some day. I promised Jana that as long as I was living I would help her style her hair and put make up on and whatever else I could to help her feel like a "woman". What I did not know when I made that promise is that I had a full blown Diva on my hands:) She will only let me put her up in pig tails if she is sitting at her Beauty parlor. She loves getting dolled up and I love helping her:) She is my Pretty Princess. We had so much fun curling her hair the other night with sponge rollers. She was so cute she kept touching her hair all day with her cute little pink painted fingers.

New Puppy

We got a new puppy. His name is Buddy James Blanchard. He weighs 2.8 pounds. We found him through Craig's list. The kids are head over hills. So far he has been the perfect addition to our family.

My Prayer for my children

Dear Lord,
I pray that my Son's and Daughters will love you with all their heart, soul and mind. May the word of God take root in their heart and full their minds with things that are true, noble, just,pure, lovely,virtuous and praiseworthy,  Give them understanding that what goes into their mind becomes part of them so that they will weigh carefully what allows them to see and  keep them from negative emotions.
I pray that their faith in you and your word will grow daily so that they will live forever with sound mind and emotions of joy and praise.

Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are good report if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things
Philippians 4:8