2014 - Our Year in Review - Part 1

I know.  I've been very negligent when it comes to updates.  It's certainly not because there aren't things going on.  Maybe it's because there is too much going on.  Here's a summary of our 2014:

January:

We rang in the New Year in Maine with my Dad and my brother.  Our actual New Years Eve was not very exciting.

However, I got to spend New Years Day with my grandmother, aunts, uncles, and many of my cousins.  We picked my Uncle up to take him to see my grandmother.  He himself had been in the hospital since the fall.  It was fun to be with him while he experienced life outside of those four walls for the first time in months.  Sadly, my grandmother passed away two days later.  

On the 14th, we celebrated one year together.  

We went to Disney Princesses on Ice.  It's possible that Tia and Mommy enjoyed it a little more than Sara.  

The rest of the month was cold, snowy, and uneventful.  

February:  

February was more cold and snow.  

March:

In March, we got to meet our friends the Aschoffs in real life.  They also have a daughter from Colombia.  We met up with them at the IDSC's meet up at Great Wolf Lodge.  Sara was in her glory!  

We rocked our socks for World Down Syndrome Day! 

April:

We drove to Cincinnati and  NY for Spring Break.  Sara is a serious road trip warrior.  

We got to hang out with the Allison family in Cincinnati and meet their newest additions.  They adopted their son around the same time that I adopted Sara. 

A few days later, we flew to Maine for my grandmother's memorial service.  

Sara started swimming lessons.  

We had a quiet Easter with just the two of us.  

And then my poor baby got pneumonia.  

Sara took a tumbling class.  

May:

Sara rode a pony at her school's Family Fun Night.  This was something she refused to do in the fall.  

We did a 5k for my work.  She ran some, walked some, and rode some.

She loved the Memorial Day parade.

June:  

She was in her first ever school program!

My baby finished Kindergarten.

We were both in Tia Anna's wedding.  

I officially finished my 14th year of teaching.  

Sara went to summer school in the mornings for a few weeks while I tried to remember what I used to do before she consumed every minute of my life.

We made a quick trip back to New York to see my brother George graduate from high school.

I love her confidence.  

Check back soon for the rest of the year!

The Allison Family - Major Updates!

UPDATES:  There are two major updates for the Allison Family.  

1.  For the month of April, the Allison family has a matching grant.  This means that every dollar they get is being matched (up to $900).  Every dollar you give means they get $2!!  So, if you ever thought you didn't have enough to give to make it worth it (which isn't true), now's the time to give.  Someone will match that gift!

2.  The Allison family is now adopting 2 beautiful little girls.  Both have Down syndrome.  Both are adorable and need a family!  

The Allison Family has been near and dear to my heart since I joined the Reece's Rainbow community.  Jamie and I began our adoptions around the same time.  She has given me great advice along the way and talked me down off a ledge more than once.  (If you follow my blog, you know I tend to get up on a ledge occasionally.)

The Allison family is adopting again.  Their daughter-to-be is in Eastern Europe.  This process will go quickly since they already have a home study in place.  Here is there story according to Reece's Rainbow:

Jamie and Jared have been married for almost 10 years. They are a high-school romance that bloomed into a true and lasting love. They have 4 children, ages, 7, 5, 5 and 2. They recently returned from adopting their son (age 5) from Lithuania with Down Syndrome. He has shown them the joy and happiness that can happen when parenting a child with Down Syndrome, and they are eager to begin this journey again. They saw little Lillie’s face and knew she was the one for them!

They are so grateful for any donations to help them bring this second little love with Down Syndrome into their loving home!

If you love adoption blogs like I do, you can follow their journey  here.  

If you feel led to donate to this amazing family, you can make a tax-deductible donation here. 

You can also help the family by purchasing items from their Montessori store.  Lots of great things for preschool level kids.  

If you want to purchase a hand-knit item to help with adoption costs, you can do that on my Scarves and Skirts for Sara's Friends page.  (50% of the price of the item will go to the Allison family.)