As this year comes to an end, I find myself reflecting more than celebrating. Not because this year lacked joy—but because it asked so much of us. This year stretched me in ways I didn’t expect. It required patience on days when I felt empty, strength when I didn’t feel strong, and faith when the…
It’s hard to believe that five years ago Kay was born. What was such a traumatic event, and a lingering traumatic few weeks, has led to a chaotic, but beautiful life with Kay over these last five years. Learning through struggles and coming up on top even during the hardest times. The early days were…
We had a wonderful Christmas spent with my parents and our neighbors, who moved to Nevada last year and didn’t have family to celebrate with. They joined us for Thanksgiving as well, and it’s quickly become a great traditions—opening our home, sharing meals, and creating a sense of family where it’s needed. There’s something really…
Over Christmas break, Kay, Maeve, and I had the chance to do something that has been sitting on my heart for a while—we donated 50 Type One Diabetes Barbies to the local children’s hospital where Kay stayed during her own Type 1 diagnosis. When I first started this toy drive back in November, I truly…
Kay was so excited for her first field trip with her ABA team and was all ready to go… until plans changed. Between everyone getting sick and Kay being the only one who would’ve attended, it made the most sense to reschedule. Tis the season, right? They were planning to visit a children’s museum —…
Last month, I launched the Type One Barbie Toy Drive. I started it around mid-November with the goal of running it through the end of the month to see how many Type One Barbies we could collect. The plan was simple: Kay, Maeve, and I would donate them to the hospital where Kay stayed when…
We recently attended GiGi’s Playhouse Christmas party, which is always such a fun and festive night for our family. It’s one of those events we look forward to every year, wearing our Christmas sweaters, soaking in the holiday spirit, and of course getting pictures with Santa, which Kay always loves. Kay had everyone laughing with…
We had a fun-filled Saturday starting with a hoedown put together by Miracle League, the organization Kay plays T-Ball through. We were originally supposed to attend the Rascal Rodeo that morning, but unfortunately it was canceled due to a horse flu outbreak. I know so many families—including us—were really looking forward to it. This would’ve…
Kay recently had dinner with her great aunt Denease and great uncle Jm! I’m so thankful for them and the bond they’ve built with Kay over the years. Even though they live out of state, whenever they plan a trip to Las Vegas, they make a point to visit her—and it really shows how much…
If there’s one thing I’ve learned on this journey with Kay, it’s that nothing is ever as simple as it looks on the surface. Last week, we had an unexpected and exhausting ER visit that taught me so much about how differently kids with Down syndrome can present symptoms—and how easy it is to miss…
