Baby Cabinet

We had these cabinets and shelves built a couple years ago to store toys, games, books...and Janie!

A Visit from Great Grandparents

G&G Huitsing came to Greensboro from Tucson for a visit over the weekend.  We had a great time spending time together.  G&G got to meet Janie Grace face-to-face for the first time.

Buddy Walk Details

Friends & Family:

We want to invite you all to the annual Down Syndrome Buddy Walk to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month and those who have Down Syndrome, like our sweet Janie Grace. :)  First, let us say, we do not want anyone to feel pressure to participate in the walk or to donate, but we will pass along the following information in case you desire to attend or give. Our family will be making this an annual tradition so that we can celebrate Janie Grace's life and others who have Down Syndrome, and also because it is just so much fun. :) There are games and crafts and free food and activities and raffles and a super cool park and fun people all around! It is truly a super great time.  Our kids have been looking forward to it since last October.

The activities start at 11:00.  The walk is at 1:00 and it is 1 mile in length.  All activites end at 3:00.  It is located at Triad Park in Colfax, NC, Shelter #6.  Our family will arrive around 11:00 to enjoy the festivities, people, and food :). We would love for you to join Team Janie Grace!

High Fives!!! You are also invited to give Janie Grace High Five(s) ($5 donations)! If you want to donate in honor of Janie Grace, you will need to click on one of the bubbles at the bottom of the webpage's home page http://www.buddywalkgreensboro.org/ and follow the directions from there. You can search for Janie Grace by name or by Team Name - Team Janie Grace, then click on Team Janie Grace, click Please visit Team Janie Grace's pledge page, then click Donate Now, and fill in the necessary info. on screen.  You can pay through PayPal or do as I did by using my credit card and using PayPal as a guest since I don't have a Paypal account.

Janie Grace is on the Buddy Walk brochure and on the top of the Buddy Walk website with two other sweet kiddos - Jack and Macon Mae - because of your donations last year. Thank you!  If you plan to join this celebration and walk with us, click Registration along the left hand side.  Read the important info. on that page and then click Proceed to Join a Team - Team Janie Grace, click adult/child, Join a Team, Select Team Janie Grace, fill in information, and proceed to checkout paying through PayPal or as a guest of PayPal as I did.  Your user name and password can be whatever you would like it to be.  I think it is best for your Personal Web Link to simply be your name.  Each person who registers gets a Buddy Walk t-shirt.  Register by SEPTEMBER 25th to guarantee your shirt size.  We realize that the registration price is not cheap, so please do not feel under any obligation to register to walk.

You may also send checks for donations by mail.  Please contact us for that information on where best to send those checks (or you can give them to us and we can pass them along).  Checks should be made out to the Down Syndrome Network of Greater Greensboro with Janie Grace's name on the memo line. 

We are so thankful for each of you and we feel so blessed to have (had) you by our side (whether near or far away) as we have traveled this new road of a having a child with Down Syndrome.  God is good and has taught us so much through these last couple of years.  Some things haven't been and aren't easy, I won't lie :), but Janie Grace is a joy and a blessing to our family.

Go Team Janie Grace!

Cousin #8

Jason's sister gave birth to our kids' 8th cousin on Tuesday evening.  Jessie and Aaron were pleased to introduce Regan Rosalee to us by picture.  Jennifer and I agreed that this is one of the better moments-after-birth pictures we'd ever seen.  Welcome to the family Regan!

Hi Ben, Hi Jerry!

The Toddler in the Mirror



Janie, don't be getting any ideas!

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

We celebrated Jennifer's birthday in a few ways over the weekend.  First, we joined some friends on a local lake Friday evening.  Turned out to be a magnificent end-of-summer night.  Jennifer memorialized turning 34 by proving her prowess on a water ski yet again.  After sand-bagging for a few minutes, she managed to get up on a single ski like an old pro.  At some point, you should ask her about the sweet picture that was captured of her as she danced around the wake.

Saturday marked the final day at the pool for Summer 2012.  Jennifer dropped the curtain on the season by flipping off the low-dive and doing her best cheerleader impression on the high dive (over and over again!).

Sunday was full of family time both at home and church.  After the kindergarten class sang happy birthday to her, we made our way to a local restaurant Jennifer had selected.  (I'm sure we'll be heading back before #35!).  After a game of Rack-O and the presentation of gifts and cards, we dug into a homemade pie Jennifer requested using apples she and the kids had picked a couple weeks back.

It seems she had a fun weekend celebrating her "Walter Payton" birthday.  (Janie Grace didn't have much of a nap on Sunday so she was counting sheep by the time we got to the apple pie on Sunday evening.)

Jensen shouting the happy birthday song...