The last few months have been a whirlwind. David and I decided to jump into the craziness that is the current seller’s market and list our home in Chicagoland. Within 2 days, we had 13 offers and are now closing on our current home 3 weeks from tomorrow. What’s next? A big move to California! We are trading our winter coats for flip-flops and moving to Orange County, CA in June. We are still looking for a rental home but know that God has prepared the perfect home for us. Now it’s all about…purging what we don’t need, selling what we can, and packing up what we want. Then off…
-
-
Hudson said MAMA
IT HAPPENED!! Hudson said, “MAMA” for the first time last night. I have been aching to hear those words. Hudson knows I’m mommy…I don’t need verbal words to confirm that….but oh man how sweet that moment was last night! The MMMMM sound is very hard for young children with Down syndrome to create….pursing your lips together and making the vibrating M noise takes a lot of work and coordination (versus DA, BA, GA, etc). I knew this would be a long time coming (Hudson is 3 years old)…and I treasure every time he signs “mommy” since I know that’s the best way he can communicate my…
-
Journaling/Sharing/Other Random Thoughts
Hey friends! I have not given my blog much love lately…still trying to find that balance of what to share on Instagram/Facebook versus what to share here. I don’t know the answer…but what I do know is that even if I’m cross-posting, that will provide an easy way for me to reference old posts. I’ve struggled with what to share in GENERAL as well…so I’m sharing it here in the hopes I will keep myself accountable and look back in 5 years and remember how silly it was that I was afraid of sharing, even in the midst of global pandemic. Here’s what I posted on Instagram today…. I’m not…
-
9 Things You Need for Tonsil and Adenoid Recovery
WOWZA!! What a rollercoaster ride of 10 days from Hudson’s recovery. Recovery from what? Let me catch you up, friends. Since Hudson was born, he has struggled with congestion. This is not uncommon with a Down syndrome diagnosis. Since he is anatomically smaller, it’s harder for fluid to drain. In fact, in the hospital when Hudson was born, he failed his left hearing test due to fluid. So we’ve been working with Hudson’s Ear Nose Throat (ENT) doctor since he was born. It’s been a back and forth process…..let the fluid drain itself, put in an eustachian tube, etc. I could go into this a lot more (and if you…
-
A Walk Down ‘Frozen’ Memory Lane: The Reasons I Love This Franchise
Anna, Elsa, and Olaf hold a very special place in my heart. Why? Well when I was 25, I met two young children named Tyler & Emily. I had been around kids plenty and loved them….but there was added pressure at this meeting…they were the children of my boyfriend at the time. I so desperately wanted them to like me! One of the first dates we went on as a family was to see this amazing, winter-themed, animated block-buster smash from Disney…a little film called “Frozen.” As we walked out of the theater holding hands and singing ‘Let It Go’ – I breathed a sigh of gratitude (and some relief)…
-
Giving It a Shot: VLOGGING!
Hello Moonbeams! In case you don’t follow on social media, I wanted to share some exciting news about a new venture for Holding Moonbeams…. WE ARE VLOGGING! Since turning my social media focus toward blogging and intentional sharing about our lives as a special needs and blended family, I have really enjoyed connecting with our readers. Reading everyone’s comments makes the internet seem like a smaller place…and I love getting to know people (who I may never have otherwise met) through Instagram, Facebook, and through this blog! But one of my most favorite parts was using Instagram stories to give everyone a taste of life behind the scenes…life behind the…
-
Hudson’s First Birthday
He’s one year old! I’m sure every new parent feels this way at his or her child’s birthday – but I don’t know where this year went. I remember those few moments before he was born and knew life was about to change; it’s similar to the same way I felt when Tyler & Emily walked into my apartment so I could meet them for the first time. The pitter patter of my heart was quick but so full of excitement, love, and joy! When deciding how to celebrate, I knew I wanted something intimate. There was a day back in February where I thought I might want to plan…
-
Five Friday Favs #4
Happy Last Friday of July! Wait whattttt!!! We have had such a whirlwind summer that it is just blowing past us. There are a few things left on my summer ‘bucket list’ like a trip to Brookfield Zoo, camping (if we can), visiting family in Tennessee, and Six Flags. But even if those all don’t get checked off the list, holy cow, we’ve packed a ton into this summer! It’s been a while since my last FFF post! If you want random updates of things I’m enjoying, please check out my Instagram stories. But I think it’s helpful to have a ‘go to’ place on the blog to list a…
-
Guest Blog Post: Why I Run
Happy Thursday (and June)! Hard to believe it’s already here. I launched the blog almost 4 months ago and it’s been a complete and lovely whirlwind. This is a general quick update post – continue reading to learn about why the GiGi’s Playhouse 5K is important! Short on time? If you don’t want to read the rest of this post below…feel free to jump right to my guest blog post “Why I Run” on the GiGi’s Playhouse blog. CLICK HERE I had a lovely 30th birthday last Friday. Thank you everyone for the messages, posts, texts, and calls. I felt so special and had a great day with my…
-
Dear 2008 Hollyce
Dear 20 Year Old Hollyce, Oh little Hollyce – you are so young but have such an adventure ahead of you! You just turned 20 (2008) and are 1 year out of high school. You are wrapping up your freshman year of college at Baylor University in Waco, TX. You aren’t sure what the future holds or what lessons are ahead of you – so let me give you some of the highlights of your next 10 years. You aren’t going back to Baylor this fall. God is calling you to be closer to home for reasons you can’t know yet – but I’m telling you to trust His plan.…
