Family

When we think of family, we think of our mother, our father, our children.  We think of our aunts and our uncles, our grandmothers and our grandfathers.  We think of our cousins, our cousins children, our cousins cousins.  But by definition, family isn't only based on an ancestral lineage.  One part of a definition of 'family' that I found was this:

                    FAMILY:  a. A group of like things; a class.
                          b. A group of individuals derived from a common stock

When you are an electrical linemen, the men who build line beside you are like your brothers.

When you belong to a crafter's group, the women who yield tape runners next to you are like your sisters.

When you go to church, the christians around you are like your brothers and sisters.

When you are a daycare provider, the children who come to your home for care are like your children.

When you go to school, your classmates and teachers are like your family.
The list goes on and on...

Some families we are born into, some families are chosen, and some are chosen for us.

This past weekend, we invited a family who has a son with Down syndrome, a beautiful little boy (David) born just one month before Sam, to our home for dinner.  We enjoyed some homemade pizza, fresh veggies and the first watermelon of the season.  They have four boys altogether, and the three older boys had a blast playing with our girls.  They played board games, played on the swingset, picked eggs from the hen house and pet the bunnies.  The whole family tried a ride on the 4-wheelers, and I think it's safe to say we all had a great time!

New Buddies David and Sam

We put our baby boys side by side to take some pictures, and David's mom and I agree that they could certainly become lifelong friends.  It's true, we met under some unfortunate circumstances - our sons have Down syndrome.  I typed in an email to her: "I wish I'd never met you, but I'm really glad I did."  If it weren't for our babies, our paths would likely have never crossed.  I'm so glad we met, because David's parents are pretty wonderful, and I'm so glad to have new friends to lean on during the tough times of this journey as well as the good - celebrating milestones and such.

New Friends!

We have joined a whole new family - a family we didn't even know existed just a few months ago.  We are a family of parents in the same shoes.  We are a family of brothers and sisters of kids with Down syndrome who know what it's like to have a sibling with DS.  We are a family with love to share with everyone, and hopefully knowledge to pass along so this world becomes more and more accepting of all people, with our without Downs.


Believe it or not, 6,000 babies are born with Down syndrome each year in the U.S.  That breaks down to over 16 babies a day!  This family that we've discovered is actually quite large, and I'm excited to meet and get to know more of it's members!