Simple ditty today. To my readers in China, France, Russia, Germany, & other countries, I hope this will be understandable through google translate. I love teaching Bethany homonyms. Homonyms are words that sound the same but they’re spelled differently and have different meanings. They’re fun, but can make English difficult to learn! I’ve also [...]
Read More Bethany, Craig, Dean, encouragement, holey, holy, homonyms, humor, inspiration, Phillips, prayer, transformation, whollyBethany and I are still working on “talking fast” (see previous post) Days of practicing is opening my eyes to the MAMMOTH task set before us. I didn’t realize how many aspects to talking and conversation there really is. She wants me to “script” her talking LOL- and that just isn’t possible. I feel like [...]
Read More Bethany, concrete learner, downs syndrome, humor, perseverence, special needs, talking, transformation
* “MOM! How you spell tummy?” * ”t- u- mm- wait! why do you need to know?” * “I need to know so I can finish.” * Finish what?” * “Finish gettin ready to get me my baby!!!” * * By this time I had come over to the computer where she had been working [...]
Read More Bethany, downs syndrome, humor, joy, prayerOne morning, I was doing Wii Fit and Cohen was watching ”Uncle” Josh getting ready for a day at Washburn. Cohen excitedly informs me, “Nana, when I gwow up, I’m gonna go to college just like Uncle Dosh, but I’m gonna study soccer, basketball, and baseball. Den I’ll graduate and you can come watch me play all de [...]
Read More Cohen, humor, Joshua, limitations, perspective, prayer, superheroHugs! We all need them! Family therapist, Virginia Satir, has said, “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” So how do I teach the master hugger of all time, to limit her “hug-giving” skills at [...]
Read More Bethany, celebrate, encouragement, hugs, humor, perspective, special needs, treasurePicture Perfect Christmas ~ impeccably decorated (& clean) home ~Christmas cards complete with family picture and letter ~ buying the “perfect” gifts ~ a beautiful, classic Christmas tree ~ exquisite food and desserts ~remembering the poor~Christmas programs~opening the Advent calender doors and taking time to celebrate Jesus~ Christmas cheer and good will to all men- only ramped up more than [...]
Read More Bethany, celebrate, Christmas, encouragement, family, humor, inspiration, perspective, transformation, treasureMicah David (Micah- “who is like God?” David- “beloved of God”) 11/11/88 celebrating 23 years on this Veteran’s Day 11/11/11~ you stretched our circle of love! This is the last child that I write a tribute for in 2011. Thanks for bearing with me as I’ve shared my heart about the treasure trove of children the Lord has [...]
Read More birthday, family, humor, Micah, thankfulness, treasure, tributeWe are “technically” part of the minority that doesn’t celebrate Halloween. I mean I try to keep it veeerrrry LOW KEY. It’s my least favorite holiday ever! I’ve never liked scary anything and I’m not fascinated by witches, warlocks, especially not vampires, and ghosts…. not even friendly ones. In our family, we don’t do SCARY! We have however, “loosened up” in [...]
Read More Bethany, God, Halloween, humor, perception, treasureBethany “Ann with an e” Barclay (if you’ve read Anne of Green Gables you’ll know why) Bethany means “house” and Anne means “full of God’s grace” God surely chose her name and put it in our hearts~ This picture is Bethany and my brother’s little boy- Jason Charles Benedict. They [...]
Read More Bethany, birthday, celebrate, cell phone, downs syndrome, encouragement, humor, JasonOH- MY- GOODNESS!!! I KNOW YOU’VE ALL HEARD OF TOE-TAPPING MUSIC BUT I’M WILLING TO BET YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OR SEEN TOE PICKIN’ WORSHIP! A little background information before I share the “PLEASE GOD! OPEN UP THE FLOOR & LET ME DISAPPEAR!” moment! A Pastor’s wife for over 25 years, “I’ve” (pride) always tried to run a [...]
Read More Bethany, children, church, downs syndrome, embarrassment, humorAfter 30 years of marriage, being a HENS (Home Executive Nurturing Specialist- aka stay-at-home mom) I have graduated to the supreme status of GHENS- (translated Grand Home Executive Nurturing Specialist- aka a stay at home mom and grandma)! I can’t even measure the blessing of teaching and sharing Jesus and helping pass on the “spiritual baton” to Finley [...]
Read More Cohen, humor, lifeOur granddaughter, Finley Faith (5) is amazing, wonderful, beautiful, sweet, kind and very talented! I read somewhere that it’s perfectly proper and acceptable for a Nana, Grandma, or Oma to NOT ONLY THINK these things but SPEAK OUTLOUD the truths about their grandchildren! LOL She’s also very artistic. It seems she is always [...]
Read More Finley, humor, perseverence
Ahhhh. Christmas is over, New Year’s is past Maybe we can be normal at last. During the “holidays”, we tried to focus and remember the Reason for the Season, but it seemed as if our life kicked into “extreme crazy” instead of “normal crazy”. Does your life ever do that? I guess [...]
Read More Christmas, crazy, Emmanuel, God with us, humor, inspiration, Jesus, life“A merry heart does good like a medicine. But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 KJV A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17:22 NLT A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired. Proverbs 17:22 [...]
Read More Bethany, Cohen, Finley, humor, laughter, perspective