Saturday, March 21, 2020

3/21 - WDSD

People who are born with Down Syndrome have 3 copies of the 21st chromosome. So the world celebrates on March 21st! 

I was 23 when Beth was born and we didn't know she had Down Syndrome. No one did, even the doctor was surprised by the diagnoses.

  
Some babies are born with a hole in their heart and they have to have surgery when they're still very tiny but Beth didn't have that. Her heart was completely healthy. Still is.

She sat up at one year and learned to walk at two. 

Two years old


She was a part of the Missionette group at our church, it's like Girl Scouts where you go on adventures and earn badges. She was in it from 1st through 6th grade, where she 'Crowned', the highest honor.


 Beth is 5th from the left

She graduated from high school...

  
And lives a pretty basic life.








Her sisters think she's spoiled and her parents get frustrated with her at times. We yell, we slam doors, we laugh and have fun together. We're just a typical family.









Touring the US Capital in 2004



Living with special needs really is more normal than you think
 

7 comments:

Saimi said...

What a beautiful post, what a beautiful family.

Pamela M. Steiner said...

Thank you for sharing Beth's story with us. I love seeing her and your whole family together, and yes, just one big happy family doing normal things together. You have been blessed with having Beth as a very special gift from God. And she is blessed that God chose to place her in your family, where she has been loved and is thriving so beautifully. Thank you for letting us have a glimpse into your lives. I am blessed by this today.

16 blessings'mom said...

You have a beautiful family, daughters are such a blessing. Slammed doors and daughters seem to go together, ha. Two of my daughters moved back in during this quarantine, adding to the four kids still at home, and it's been an adjustment. You know, when you come back home after being away, you see just how things should be done, and the ones at home are blissfully ignorant.
Thank you for sharing, you are richly blessed...:)
Della

Regina said...

Thank you for sharing your family pictures. Beth is so blessed to have such amazing parents and you two are blessed to have her.

Jeanie said...

I love this post more than I can say. I can think of no better family to share their love and joy with than yours.

Are you familiar with the RicStar Winter Music Camp for families with Special Needs? It's part of Michigan State University's Community Music School and takes place in June in East Lansing (Hopefully this year -- they're taking enrollments and scholarship apps but as you know, everything is dicey with Covid19.) Beth might love it! Google it!

ellen b. said...

Great post. We've been following posts about our youth pastor's little guy and enjoying the education about Down Syndrome. It's been good to see Beth's story here on your blog.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Thank you for sharing Beth's story and the photos. Thankfully she was blessed with a healthy heart and she made some remarkable progress compared to most which I know your thankful for.