Braska Bear

Braska's reaction to meeting the very kind Rory Feek and his beautiful daughter Indy.  I missed the part where Braska said Indy was sooooooooooo cute!  :) Our dream would be a photo showing the two most beautiful "states" together, right?!?  :)

I know it's been forever, and yes, Facebook is much to blame.  For as long as I held out and didn't join, now I see it's simplicity (and it's ability to suck up all my online time!!). BUT--After much pondering, I've decided I'm not giving up on blogging! Sometimes a narrative or story will be better served in a blog format, so I'm combining blogs into one.   Intentional Family is our new all-in-one blog for the goings on of our family, Braska's progress, celebrations, and challenges, as well as the amazing rise of little sister Kinlee. Other places you could check out if you so choose would be our new business Larae Photography LLC on Facebook or on the web at www.Larae-Photo.com , or the page for my hobbies-gone-busy Just RK Designs . So if there ARE any blog readers still out there, please come on over to the new place and join up for the ride.  All the old posts from the 3 previous blogs will be there soon so you can catch up if you need to!  ...

Braska reporting: Yesterday Daddy stayed home from work because KiKi was sick and Mommy needed to get a lot of her job work done.  Then my school decided it was a snow day, so I got to stay with them. I like to hold Kinlee sometimes when she isn't feeling good or when she's sad. That's what good big sisters do. Even though she's bigger than I am now. So I gave her some cuddles for a while. I think it helped. And then we both watched Daddy do some of his work on the computers. We are good helpers!  It's a fun day when Daddy stays home. Sent from the speedy and small Samsung Galaxy S III Mini.

It's clean up time at Grandma C's house. The cousins come play tomorrow!!

After much resistance and hesitation, like years worth, I’ve joined Faceb**k. And maybe I’ll learn how to tie all this together or something… for a tech-ish girl, somethings still escape me….but in the meantime, if there is anyone out there still reading the blogs, here’s a clip for you . A peek into Braska’s after-school demeanor. Sassy with a touch of bossy.  You’re welcome.

Things have been overwhelming since the release of my DS Life design this week.  We’ve gone global… well, I mean we have international orders… but still! What was just a sparkly rhinestone design is now also a screen print design for the less-blingy types and the guys who want to get in on this. (Yep, guys want in…) And by request also, we adapted the image for a rhinestone version for mosaic DS.  Options! The original rhinestone design is still the most popular so far. Orders have been coming in for 3 days now.  People from 11 states have ordered so far! Wow! Click HERE to go check out all the details or get yours! How fun will it be to see all these walking around in Indy this summer…that’s what I keep thinking!

When I got up this morning, I found Braska sitting by the back door corner. (Three doors in not enough space.) It kind of acts as our mud room for drying snowy dog feet and leaving snowy people shoes. During wet or snowy times, it's not a place we sit or stay. But Braska circumvented the hall gate (really only meant to slow her down and cause enough noise for me to hear the girls getting up) found flashcards she loves, and apparently decided a seat with a view to the snow falling in the back yard was her pick. When she looked up to see me, the remorse was obvious. Or her nose was itchy. Judgement call.

Most of you know that I’ve been doing rhinestone and custom accessories and such for a little while.  After just about bursting from excitement, I can finally release my newest original rhinestone design! Specifically for DS!! **Perfect timing as we countdown to World Down Syndrome Day! **Great gifts for teachers, therapists, family members, and friends! (And yourself!!!) **Make sure you and your “posse” who are all meeting up in Indy this summer are decked out!  Details about how it works,  what it benefits, and how you can get one –including PayPal checkout--are on this page... Just RK Designs .  Or you can find out about how to win a FREE one at the Just RK Designs Facebook page. Share the word, spread the sparkle!!!   Please link and repost!  (By the way… if you’re not into bling, I’m looking at doing this design in screen print.  If that’s more your speed, let me know and we’ll make that happen!)  

I found Braska this way this afternoon . Angry Birds on her Nabi next to her doodle. And she would send a bird flying then go scribble for a bit. Then reach over and launch another bird. She counted it a successful snow day.

No matter that the table is a plastic one meant for outside or that the "big screen" is the Nabi... Still a delightful experience to enjoy a show with a meal. Clam chowder for B and pb sandwich for K go wonderfully with Wild Kratts.

I got some great blocks for Christmas from Grandma C. And she built some with me. Best way to do it, I say. ( M ommy note: I can't manage to do this bogging thing like I want to do... Documenting and pondering and discussing... So I'm thinking a snapshot format might work... Thoughts? We shall see...)

(With all the drama and pathetic, yet loud excitement she can muster…. “Dad! I’m sorry, but I accidentally forgot to control myself! I ran around and threw Braska’s very nice birthday card under the piano!” Ah, this kid… It’s hard being 4.

Today’s my birthday.  I’m 7.  But I’ve been telling people I’m 67 all day.  I think it’s silly. Mommy made me a sparkly bling shirt and I did my picture by the door like all the other birthdays. Mommy came to school and brought cupcakes and goodies for my friends.  Mr. H gave me a cool birthday hat when I went to his class.  When my friends sang to me in Mrs. F’s class, I put it on again. This is when they were singing to me.  It made me laugh.  And my picture is on the big board behind me too.  Mrs. F made that for me.  Saturday is my big party.  Lots of my friends are coming, so it’ll be so much fun!  I’ll show more pictures after that. But being 7 is kind of tiring, plus I had extra therapy tonight and I stayed up a little past bedtime to finish my Christmas show I was watching, so it’s time for sleep.  Mommy and me took a quick picture before bed… we’ve been together for 7 years!

Braska reporting : Thursday was a very big day. Halloween AND Grandma C’s birthday.  There was a bunch of fun stuff that we can show you so I won’t talk too much… This is my class, well, one of them.  I also go to Mr. H’s class but it’s a LOT more kids. Mommy came to the party and brought my cheer outfit to be my costume. We kind of forgot to get new costumes this year. Since it was raining a lot, we didn’t get to have our parade outside. So we went to the gym. It’s kind of a long walk, but I did a good job following the class. (Sometimes I like to not follow so well…) Then we sat in the gym for a little bit to see all the costumes. Jack was Spiderman and Dashlyn was a cute black kitty. They’re both in my class. We’ve been friends for a long time. We’ve had halloween pictures with them for a few years. Their mom, Miss Julie, did some super fun games and we made neat things. She also got out silly string at the end....

2007: Pygmy allosaurus 2008: Darling Duck 2009: Puffy alien/monster creatures… unsure exactly but cute.

Mommy reporting: Sorry all the posts came to a screeching halt.  Life took over.  But I do have a lot of things to post hopefully in the next week or so…  In the meantime, here’s what two girls at a pumpkin patch who are cold and don’t want to bother getting their coats on look like.   They like “stealing Daddy’s body heat.”

Braska reporting: Last week on Friday, Mommy and I took a trip with Coach Katie.  She went with us to talk to a bunch of 6th graders in another town a little far way from here about Down syndrome.  Mommy talked to 6 classes of them… she said the same thing every time and they watched a video.  Coach Katie talked, too. She told a little about my cheer squad that I was on last year.  After we talked, we went and had some lunch with the teachers. One of them is Mommy’s friend from a long time ago.  Me and Katie took some silly pictures, too.  Well, mostly I was silly… It was fun day.  This is our second year to go down there and talk to the kids. And we’ll probably go next year, too.