Ashten and Jason

Well, everyone reading, my mom told me I misspelled some words in my previous post, so if I misspell something in this post please forgive me.

Ashten was living in Alabama, and her grandmother in Arkansas met Jason at the local hospital in one of the waiting areas. The grandmother was talking to Jason's mother and was telling her about Ashten. Then Jason comes up and says "mom can I have her for a girlfriend". Well that is when Ashten and Jason's long distance relationship started. They called each other every night and probably 3 or 4 times during the day. After about 2 months of talking Jason asked Ashten to marry him. Of course, we said no way you can't marry our baby. Ashten and Jason finally got to meet face to face in February 2007 and decided they were getting married. I know it wasn't a long courtship, but since most people with Down's don't have a long life span like most of us we said they should get as much happiness out of life as they can. So we started planning a wedding, first the date was February 14, 2007, we were like 2 days is not enough time to plan a wedding. Then the date was September 2007. I was okay with that. Then the date changed again to February 2008. I was okay with that, thinking I would have plenty of time. Well the knot heads changed the date again to June 9th 2007. I told them they couldn't change it again. So, then the wedding plans were on.

This is Ashten in her dress. She picked it out, and then I had to pay for it. She complained and complained about it being to heavy and hot. But I told her, she done it not me. Then we had to find the correct color of dresses for the girls and the right color cummerbund for the guys. Not an easy task in a small town.

Then the big day was upon us. Had to get up early and get the bride moving, (not an early riser). Time to get hair done, get to the church, and get everybody dressed. Well, Ashten decided she wanted something to eat. At least she got it before she got dressed. I bought her something to eat and told her to go in the dining area and eat. I started looking for her and she had disappeared. Then the search was on. We ended up with 3 search parties for her. I thought maybe she had gotten cold feet and ran off. But she was found in one of the locked rooms eating her lunch.

When it was time for her to go across to the church it took 4 people to carry her train. When she got to the church she kicked off her shoes and got married barefooted. But she didn't care she was finally going to achieve a dream. The song she picked to play before she came out was 'Butterfly Kisses'. That got the tears to rolling on everybody in the church. Her dad gave her away, and when they were lighting the unity candle, my BFF's hubby sang 'I Cross My Heart" by George Strait.

After they were pronounced man and wife, Ashten done a happy dance.

This is a picture of both of them together. And if you are interested here is a link to all their wedding pics. http://www.flickr.com/photos/22187199@N08/

Well that is all for now. And all I think I will write about my baby girl.

The Light of My Life

I had my daughter when I was 16 and Ashten was born with Down Syndrome. I remember the doctors and nurses asking me if I wanted to give her away or put her in an institution. I told them no she is my daughter and I want to raise her, and it didn't matter to me if there was something wrong with her. I mean, I had no idea what Downs was, but I was going to learn what it was and how to overcome the obsticals. The doctors told me she would be mental retarded, lots of medical problems and she would have a life span of about 5 years. Well I decided then I would make the best of it and enjoy all I could before God took her home. I took Ashten to a different doctor and found she had no medical problems except for the Downs, until she was about 2 months old. Ashten had weak lungs, and was prone to upper respiratory infections. We had lots of visits to doctors and emergency rooms. But it was just another obstical we had to deal with. Ashten bio father didn't want anything to do with her because she was handicap. So I was left to raise her on my own except with the help of my parents. I finally met someone that didn't care about her handicap when Ashten was 15 months old. Ashten didn't learn to walk until she was 2 years old and she was 4 before she could talk. But once she learned we could never shut her up. She even talked to "her other self" (don't know where she got that from). She started school, or what I call school when she was 2 yrs old. They worked with her on walking, talking, writing, and other basic skills she would use through her life. She had occupational therapy, speech therapy, and then just regular school stuff. Took the school forever to get her to hold a pencil because they kept putting it in her right hand and she was left handed. Well then they started putting it in her left hand and she wasn't having that so she put it back in her right hand. So they gave up and let her put it in whatever hand she wanted.

Ashten finally grew out of the upper respiratory infections. They said her lungs had gotten stronger and she never got another one after she was about 4 yrs old. Don't know how that can happen but it did and she is a very healthy person now.

My husband was able to adopt Ashten when she was 5 yrs old. She then started public school when she was 6. Now that was an experience. She would lead them on a merry chase. She was suppose to be in class, well they would look for her to turn in her paper work and she would be gone. Well then the teacher would have to get the principal and other teachers to help look for her. She wouldn't be far, just to the bathroom. But she would be giggling when they found her, cause she could her them calling her (the little devil). By the time Ashten got into Junior High she had wormed her way into everybody's heart at the elementary schools. Junior High she was just as bad, except in junior high she got in trouble for it. Then came senior high. By then she knew everybody's name. The teachers named her Ms. Socialite. She was always tardy to class after lunch 1 because she didn't like the teacher, and 2 because she was visiting. I can't count on one hand how many times she got detention hall or suspension for being late to class.

Then came graduation in 2005. Now that was a day I was so proud of her and the class of 2005. When her name was called to get her diploma, she received a standing ovation from the whole class. When the class stood, so did everybody in the convention center. Ashten went on a cruise to the Bahamas for her graduation present. She had loads of fun.

Well, when she got back from the cruise, she decided it was time she lived on her own. She moved to Alabama and had her own place. It was supervised, but she was on her own in her own place.

That's all for now. I will tell more about Ashten and how she met her husband and their wedding later.

Introducing Smurfette

Hi, my name is Donna, but my friends and family call me Smurfette. Why, you may ask? Because I am shorter than all my friends and family. My BFF is Tami (One Scrappy Chicklet). She and I have been friends since Junior High School.
I have 1 daughter and she is my lifeand my inspiration, I know most people's children are their life but this child of mine, she has Down Syndrome and she has shown me that no matter the obsticals in life that you can achieve what you want out of life. She was married in June of 2007 and I believe when her dad gave her away that most of the people in the church felt like he was giving their child away also. I will write more about her later and post some of their wedding photos.

I have a very spoiled mini doxie named Bruiser. He is only 7 months old. Bruiser thinks he has to eat everything we eat or at least try it to see if he likes it. Of course me and my husband don't see where we spoil him, he is just one of our kids. I cook him breakfast along with ours, he gets bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs with cheese. And for supper of course he has to eat what we eat.

That is all for now I will be back tomorrow.