Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Wedding!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 My sweet dear friend Jessica that I used teach with got married last weekend. The ceremony and reception were gorgeous, decorated beautifully in rich shades of purple and perfect little hints of fall. The bride was stunning of course, as always. We had a blast with the Lake Grove Elementary gang. For our entertainment, Carter and Nolan were dancing machines as usual. So glad we got to be there to spend our evening celebrating the bride and groom.
*And double bonus the boys got new shoes that evening. Mama put the babes in the car with one pair of shoes for the both of them. Luckily there was a Target along the way! Damn, I love Target!
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Thursday, October 25, 2012

Enough of the "R" word already!

 
This is a bitter sweet story, please read and share.


A conservative political commentator Ann Coulter sent out this tweet on Monday night after the Presidential debate:

 "I highly approve of Romney's decision to be kind and gentle to the retard."

 After Ann Coulter tweet during last night’s Presidential debate, in response John Franklin Stephens wrote her the following letter:
(Stephens is a Special Olympics athlete and a global messenger.)

Dear Ann Coulter,

Come on Ms. Coulter, you aren’t dumb and you aren’t shallow.  So why are you continually using a word like the R-word as an insult?

I’m a 30 year old man with Down syndrome who has struggled with the public’s perception that an intellectual disability means that I am dumb and shallow.  I am not either of those things, but I do process information more slowly than the rest of you.  In fact it has taken me all day to figure out how to respond to your use of the R-word last night.

I thought first of asking whether you meant to describe the President as someone who was bullied as a child by people like you, but rose above it to find a way to succeed in life as many of my fellow Special Olympians have.

Then I wondered if you meant to describe him as someone who has to struggle to be thoughtful about everything he says, as everyone else races from one snarkey sound bite to the next.

Finally, I wondered if you meant to degrade him as someone who is likely to receive bad health care, live in low grade housing with very little income and still manages to see life as a wonderful gift.

Because, Ms. Coulter, that is who we are – and much, much more.

After I saw your tweet, I realized you just wanted to belittle the President by linking him to people like me.  You assumed that people would understand and accept that being linked to someone like me is an insult and you assumed you could get away with it and still appear on TV.

I have to wonder if you considered other hateful words but recoiled from the backlash.

Well, Ms. Coulter, you, and society, need to learn that being compared to people like me should be considered a badge of honor.

No one overcomes more than we do and still loves life so much.

Come join us someday at Special Olympics.  See if you can walk away with your heart unchanged.

A friend you haven’t made yet,

 John Franklin Stephens
 Global Messenger
 Special Olympics Virginia

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Pumpkin patch R US

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hit up two pumpkin patches this week. Strange that the first one we were in shorts and the second dressed in rain gear. Got to love our crazy weather! Nothing I love more then watching our babes run up and down every aisle of pumpkins, stopping to touch and feel (sometimes try to lick, stinkin Carter) every one!
We plan to venture out to many more patches this month. I love me some Fall!
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Sunday, October 14, 2012

Buddy Walk 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 







The Buddy Walk this year was a huge success. We had a giant team full of family and friends. I think I only cried 3 times while looking around to see everyone who had joined us for the day, but to have our "people" there to support our little man Carter, was down right amazing. Thank you for joining us for such a special day!