An Easy Read

Hi there!

I just wanted to let everyone know how we are doing. Isabella ended up getting more sick and spent some time in the hospital. She's feeling better but still coughing and has very low energy. Hopefully Isabella will continue to get better everyday. Raymond still isn't feeling well. We are watching him closely and hoping that Thursday's procedures will go on as planned. Lily has also started not to feel so good. Her eyes are very goopy and her nose is running. My poor babies!!! They are all feeling under the weather. I wasn't feeling well over the weekend and neither was Chris. I'm feeling much better but Chris is still not up to par. We are slowly but surely recovering. Thank goodness it's nice outside and I can open the windows and let in some fresh air. I want to air out the germs!

I also hope everyone had a nice mother's day. We visited with Chris' mom and she made us a delicious dinner. She was nice enough to have us over even though we didn't feel well. Hopefully we were good company despite that.

After we left Ellie's house we stopped at the grocery store. Chris was pushing Lily and Isabella in a cart and I was pushing another with Raymond. A man, who worked at the store, can over and asked me if Raymond was "a mongoloid". I was so shocked. I know the term but I never thought I would hear someone refer to Raymond as such. I'm guessing the man was in his early sixties. Young enough, I would think, to know the proper terminology. The question didn't upset me. He meant no harm what-so-ever. He was talking to Raymond and being very sweet. I told him that we prefer to call his condition Down Syndrome. He continued to talk to Raymond awhile then we went our separate ways. I told Chris what the man said (he had been getting something at the other end of the store) and Chris was just as surprised. With this story in mind, I want to share this with you.

Dr. Miller (the kids dentist) recommended that I read the book Angel Unaware by Dale Evans. Dr. Miller is a huge Roy Rogers fan. So when he recommended this book to me I wasn't surprised. I mentioned it to Ellie and just by chance someone had given her that book years ago to read. She had never read it and didn't know what the book was about. So the next time we saw her she gave me the book (after reading it herself). Dale Evans wrote this book from the perspective of her daughter, Robin, who passed away at two. Robin is telling God all about her experiences on Earth being a "mongoloid" a.k.a. a child with Down Syndrome. It's a short book and I think I read the entire thing in less than an hour. I enjoyed it and think it's a good book for people to read who have a child with Down Syndrome, especially if faith is an important part of their lives.

(Sorry the picture is so small)

Isn't it funny how this book happened to find it's way to Ellie all those years ago. Also, the fact that she kept it. It's old, stained and pretty tattered. Something made her hang onto it. There are no accidents. Everything has purpose. Raymond sure does love his Grammy. Even when Raymond's old, his cloths are stained and he looks tattered and a mess, he knows his Grammy will always hang onto him too. Her love is unconditional.

Thanks again for giving me the book a few months back.

If you ever happen to come across this book, read it. It's a good one.

Until Next Time!

Lots of Love,