Team Vada

We want to thank each and everyone of you who supported "Team Vada" this year. By supporting Vada you also helped support GiGi's Playhouse of the Quad Cities. We are so grateful to have a GiGi's in our area and please know that your donations have done a great deal for this organization!

Team Vada raised $1600.00 in personal donations (donations given directly to us to be used towards getting Miss V on one of the windows at GiGi's). We also raised over $1200.00 in direct donations (I am afraid that I cant give an exact amount because I just don't know). Plus, we had twenty-eight walkers (thirty-three including Justin, the girls and I), making an estimated total somewhere around  $3200.00 that was raised and fully donated to GiGi's!!!

We couldn't have done it with our you!

I'm am thrilled beyond any measure to announce that Vada's name was drawn for the girl to be on one of GiGi's of the QC windows! Can I get a "Woot! Woot!"?

GiGi's is off of John Deere Road here in Moline and it's windows face out towards John Deere Road, so soon you'll be able to drive by and see our sweet baby girls face! We'll announce when her picture does go up-- of course!

This year we are making our thanks you's and we will be sending individual cards out to all of Vada's supporters. I can't wait to show you what we've come up with for the cards. Until I get them sent out I want to Thank all of you now, here. So, in a totally random order here's  the names of those who supported our girl.... (If I left anyone out don't be shy... TELL ME because it would be unacceptable leaving people unacknowledged.)...

SSAB

Whitey's Ice Cream (The Tunberg Family)

Mudpuddle Roo's (Rhonda McKinley)
Donut Delite (Steve and Sue Lillybeck)
Jai Johnson Karate Center
Georges Classic Cleaners

Jim and Annette Wilson
Augie and Suzan Svatek
Grandma Martha Dhondt
Grandma Doris Wilson
Bruce and Michelle Wild
Larry, Kris and Amy Heiland
Chris and Lindsey Pinkerton and Family
Aaron and Calder Wilson and Family
Charlie Wilson
Bob Wilson
Ed and Becky Burr and Family
Charity Moulds and Family

Jake and Jessica Witt
David Moulds
Ricky and Desiree Gillespie and Family
Tim and Janel Miner and Family
Nate and Amy Scott and Family
Chad and Katy Chilund and Family
Craig and Jen Kronberg and Family
Denny and Carol Swenson
Kenneth Fuller

Larry E. Powell

Jon Sawyer

Ken Henkel

Jeff Ortiz

Chad Greenlee

Frank Murphy

Kenny O'Donnell

Eric Engelbrecht

Vick Miller

Howard Feeler

Mark Druien

Dan Riffner

Bryan O. Smith

Jim Ordean

Chris Anderson

Jason Row

Troy Welch

Mike Hunter

Donald Groeinger

Billy Hatton

Todd Bauamann

Mike Taylor

Rick Robinson

Nate Wagner

Shawn Gillespie

Chad Bhling

Bob Haag

Joe Costello

Ken Trobaugh

Guido Camplese

Doug Beland

Gabe Hagen

Jason Gedye

D.J. Horvath

Mike E. Geesey

Lance Dowsett

Lloyd Fulkerson

Tobin Ramson

Phil Bisbey
LLoyd Fulkerson
Greg Paetz
Bill Tallman
Lyle Stalheim
Andy Dykema
Jay Burkamper
A very special thank you to our girl Vada for blessing our nights and days with her smiles, sweet voice and constant determination!  

“You can’t have a perfect day without doing something for someone who’ll never be able to repay you.”— John Wooden

Our day was perfect because of all of you!

Personal Donations

For those of you curious as to what we have done with your personal donations here you go.....

At this moment we have raised $1600.00 in personal donations! We have purchased $1500.00 in raffle tickets and tomorrow at the walk we will use the remaining amount to purchase even more! Each ticket goes towards a chance to get Vada on one of the front window's at GiGi's Playhouse of the Quad Cities! They will draw the name of one lucky boy and one lucky girl tomorrow at GiGi's grand opening and you can bet that I will let you know immediately IF our Little Miss does get her name drawn. I know that there are more important things to be praying for but I have included her winning this drawing in mine-- at the very least, cross your fingers!

No More Excuses

Why is it that I never forget medications for my husband or children but I almost always forget my own? How is it that Vada has only missed a physical therapy session due to illness but I cant get myself to exercise again? I stay on my girls to take showers everyday but sometimes I skip a day. Is it Poor time management? Motherhood? Procrastination...? I think, honestly, its a combination of all of those things and then some. I love my children and I think that I do a good job at mothering them but when it comes to taking care of myself.., sometimes I lack in that area.

My hair is falling out. I am gaining weight and my skin is dry. I have Hypothyroidism and these are all things that happen when I don't take my medications. Besides this morning, I cant remember the last time that I actually took my two tiny pills that make all of the difference.

When I look at myself I feel as if my skin is just hanging off of my body. I know nice image, right? I gained over sixty pounds during my pregnancies (All three of them!). After I had Vada I had postpartum edema and swelled up like a balloon. I actually weighed more after I had her than I did in my final weeks of pregnancy. Although, two weeks of diuretics took care of it. I was also on over twelve weeks of "strict bed rest" and from what I have been told for everyday down it takes two to recover. Twelve (weeks) times seven (days) equals eighty-four (days of bed rest). Eighty-four times two equals one hundred and sixty-eight (days to recover), which means I should have been recovered and been ready to exercise when Vada was around five and a half months. That's a long time to recover and that mark for recovery was hit and then passed an even longer time ago! So I have made a decision. Instead of saying all of the things I want to do, like my old routine of running three to five miles a day or my Insanity workout, Tracy Anderson Method workout or even my Winsor Pilates workout. I am only committing myself to one small thing, at least to start with... Ten minutes of elliptical exercise. Yes, I am that out of shape. Ten minutes get me sweating and breathing hard. That'll be my plan for one week. Its short enough that I cant make excuses and at the very least, its something. So I don't sabotage myself i'm not even going to speak of my next steps. I am going to focus on today and my baby steps back to a healthier me. This morning's ten minute "workout" was accomplished and I had my little motivator playing next to me the whole time. For now on there will be no more "I'll start tomorrow." excuses. For now on, even if it is only for a short ten minutes, I am getting my butt on the elliptical and I am doing something that makes me feel good about myself and the time that I have.

 ---

Two days ago was Vada's eighteen month birthday. The funny thing is that I have been saying the same thing for several days now. On Thursday I told my mother in law that Vada and I celebrated it with some ice cream. Thursday was the first of September. I guess I was just so excited that I lost track of what date it really was. Vada was born on March 2, 2010. Therefore, Friday was in fact the correct day!

Since we already had some ice cream, last night we had fall vegetable soup (made recently) and broccoli with potatoes. The soup is my favorite and even though I call it a "Fall" soup I make it throughout the year because I like it so much! Vada likes it too, in fact I have never seen her eat so much at one time! She finished almost all of both bowls.

After dinner we did something new...laundry... oh wait, that's not new but riding in the basket, for Vada is! She was giggling like crazy!

---

Last night, before bed Vada caught up on some reading. Justin and I have been trying to budget in a new vehicle, one that is appropriately sized for our family and Vada wanted in on the decision making aspect of the deal. She's still deciding.

---

This morning was the third Sunday in a row that I have missed church. Not. Like. Me. The first Sunday we went to Saint Louis because of Vada's seizures. Last week was because of the cold that she caught the prior weekend and this Sunday was also because of that same stinking cold. Yeh, she has had it for three weeks! It's not contagious, at least none of us have caught it. She's not running a temperature and hasn't this whole time. I have brought her to the doctors and he has said it's just a cold and it should pass on it's own. Now, it's settling in her eyes and she has a lot of congestion that oddly enough comes and goes throughout the day. So I am thinking its time to bring her back in and re-examine her.

Anyway, instead of taking a coughing, runny nosed and watery eyed little girl to church this morning, Vada and I stayed at home, did laundry and listened to one of our church sermons on podcast. I'm grateful for the podcast recordings because I don't feel complete throughout the week when I miss church. Listening to my pastor's voice and hearing the messages that he preaches helps when I cant be there in person and especially, when I am out of town, sitting in a hospital. While missing church was not the highlight of my day I did enjoy this morning with my baby girl and she seemed to enjoy helping with the laundry.

---

Two days ago I posted something that I later in the evening, removed. It had to do with raising money and the Down syndrome awareness walk that is coming up this October 1st. I removed the post because I spoke (or in this case wrote) too soon. Therefore, because the walk is now only twenty-six days away and we have yet to collect any money I want it to be known that we are still collecting money and it will be donated (one way or the other) to the QC GiGi's Playhouse and it will also be donated in honor of "Team Vada 2011". When more information is given to me and when it is set in stone I will share all of the details with you but please, if you want to donate, don't wait! Contact me and I will get you any information you need!

GiGi's Playhouse of the QCA and The 2011 Awareness Walk

Today Vada and I took a tour of our local (soon to be opened) GiGi's Playhouse. GiGi's is a Down syndrome awareness center that has a vision where individuals with Down syndrome are accepted and embraced not only by their families but from their schools and their communities. GiGi's mission is to increase positive awareness of Down syndrome by empowering individuals who have it as well as empowering their families and the communities that they live in. If you would like to read the beautiful story on how GiGi's began click here.

Today was just a quick drop in to visit with Michelle, who is the site coordinator for the QC GiGi's (and also someone that I consider a friend).  She gave us a quick tour and we discussed all of the exciting plans for the near future. I can not put into words how thrilled I am that GiGi's is here and that Vada as well as myself and my family will somehow be a part of it.

Vada was sleepy and snuggling up with Michelle.

We have less than a month (twenty-eight days to be exact) until the Quad City GiGi's is open! The Grand Opening will be on the same day as the awareness walk, just a little later in the day so it's going to be a busy one for many people.

There is still a lot left to do before GiGi's is open but it'll get done and it sounds like its going to look amazing!  It does look a little bare right now but tomorrow the stage is arriving and since every GiGi's has to have a stage, this is a huge step forward.

GiGi's offers a wide variety of programs and activities for all ages. Some of the activities that I am excited for Vada to be able to participate in are The Walkers Program- it helps strengthen the skills in children who are beginning to walk. The 2 &Under Group- it promotes positive beginnings for families with an infant or a toddler with Down syndrome. Its main focus is on ongoing support and networking for new and current families-- anyone who knows me or who has done even the slightest of reading from my blog knows that I love, love, love meeting new families and their children who shares having a bonus chromosome in common with our Vada! There is a group called Daddy and Me that I am interesting in as well, although I am not for sure on the age requirement for that particular group and I think the programs that are offered varies from one location to another depending on the groups that are participating. Anyway, Daddy and Me promotes positive interaction and social networking between children with Ds and their male role models. How cool is that? Sibling Time is another group that I am hoping to have in our QC location. Sibling Time is a group that offers a positive place to share about life with a sibling with Ds.  

With so much to offer its hard to not get excited about everything GiGi's will bring, not just for Vada but for everyone in our area. I can't wait!

One last thing that has to do with GiGi's is the Fundraising Walk that our local Down Syndrome Family Group is doing-- it's quickly approaching! The walk will be on October 1st at 10AM. In the past years we have done The Buddy Walk. However, this year we will be doing Walking on the Upside of Down Syndrome for GiGi's Playhouse of the Quad Cities (link to registration is attached). All of the money raised from the walk will be specifically for the QC GiGi's and its programming.

Last year we had almost thirty people join "Team Vada" and we would love to have any and all of our friends join us again this year. If you are interested click on the link and sign up. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. If your unable to attend the walk but would like to make a donation, contact me.

Registration for this years walk will be accepted after September 16th and even on the day of the walk. However, if you register after the 16th you will not be guaranteed a Tshirt.

Last year Vada was unable to come to the walk, this year (as long as she is not sick) were bringing her along for what we consider a great celebration of beauty, life and all of God's perfections! I really hope to see you there!