Extreme Makeover Home Addition

I love Extreme Makeover Home Addition! When I found out that I had the chance to help out in my own backyard -- alright Daybreak but still that is like my own backyard I had to jump at the chance. We have been so blessed with what we have that helping out in some small way seemed so easy. And to my surprise it was easy. I signed up online -- Went home and told Charles all about it and he laughed. Yes, to my horror and shock he said "What on earth are you going to do to help out??". Yes, gentle blog friends I am not a handy kind of girl -- I'm more of a watch then do kind of soul when it comes to construction projects. I told him that I was sure they would find some small thing that I could do for 6 hours.

The night came for me to go 8:00pm to 2:00am. I showed up 30 minutes early. I hate to be late -- Having my kids and Charles I am almost always late to everything but when it is just me I'm there EARLY!! I signed all the forms again because the ones I did online had changed. They gave me a hard hat and a shirt to put on and I was off to a HUGE white tent. They were pouring the foundation of the house -- and all I can say is that was some deep basement. With nothing to do for the next hour another lady and I drank diet coke and chatted. We then filled ice buckets with drinks and started heading out to try and keep the form/concrete guys hydrated. We were smart and brought trash bags as well. So yes, my glamours job on the site was drink giver/trash picker upper. I loved every minute of it.

I love the idea that a whole community would pull together for a single mom with two kids -- one with a life threatening illness. I loved the ability to become instant friends with a woman I'll never see again who's husband is an eye guy at the Moran clinic. I loved how even though it was a hurry up thing everyone was kind and knew why they were there and what they were doing this for. It didn't matter that we didn't know the family, it wasn't for us or someone close to us. It felt good to do something for someone. This is one of the best things I have done all summer.

Welcome to Holland

Welcome to Holland

by Emily Perl Kingsley - The mother of a child with Down's Syndrome.

I am often asked to describe the experience
of raising a child with a disability --
to try to help people who have not shared
that unique experience to understand it,
to imagine how it would feel: It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning
a fabulous vacation trip -- to Italy.
You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans.
The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice.
You learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives.
You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands.
The stewardess comes in and says, 'Welcome to Holland.'

'Holland?!?' you say. 'What do you mean, Holland?
I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy.
All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.'

But there's been a change in the flight plan.
They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible,
disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease.
It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy different guide books.
And you must learn a whole new language.
And you will meet a whole new group of people
you would never have met.

It's just a different place.
It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy.
But after you have been there for a while and catch your breath,
you look around....and you begin to notice
that Holland has windmills...and Holland has tulips.
Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...
and they're all telling about the wonderful time they had there.
And for the rest of your life, you will say
"Yes, that is where I was supposed to go.
That is what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever go away...
because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But...
if you spend your life mourning the fact
that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free
to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things...
about Holland.

There are days I have to remember that life is beautiful for what it is.

Love,

ang

Sabrina's Graduation