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Mia’s Homeschool Journey Begins
A Letter to My Daughter: Listen First, Keep Your Eyes Open, Not Everyone Who Does Good Is Good
Have you Heard of Her? That Girl There Once Was.

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We did It! 1st week all back to SCHOOL!

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sheis__kristina

“You tricked me!” — Mia. 😂 Did you know kids with

“You tricked me!” — Mia. 😂

Did you know kids with Down syndrome experience the same wide range of emotions as everyone else?

They get excited. They laugh. They get frustrated. They argue with their siblings. They get mad when someone takes their things or walks into their room without asking. They have bad days, big feelings, strong opinions—and yes, they can be VERY determined. 😂

Mia is not always happy and smiling, and she shouldn’t have to be. The idea that people with Down syndrome are always happy is a stereotype that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Mia sticks up for herself often, and she is one strong little girl—as you can see in this video! 💪🏼❤️

She has a voice. She has feelings. She has boundaries. And she is absolutely not afraid to let you know when you've crossed one. 😂

Just like every other kid, Mia is a whole person—with a whole range of emotions. And we love every bit of her. ❤️

Drop a 💪🏼to show Mia your support 💕
#mosaicdownsyndrome #DownSyndrome #siblingrivalry

6 months ago... Y'all, I thought the hardest part

6 months ago...

Y'all, I thought the hardest part of my story would be getting to the beautiful beginning!!! Beginning of another season! Another long hard journey of waiting!

I was wrong.

The beautiful beginning was only the beginning.

Then came the middle.

The part no one prepares you for. The heartbreak. The disappointment. The questions I never imagined asking God. The moments when I wondered if I had made a terrible mistake. The moments when I had to face the ugly parts of adoption—and the ugly parts of myself.

I had asked God to grow my faith. I had asked for hard things!! I had did this!

I just didn't realize He would answer by taking me somewhere I couldn't carry myself out of.

For seven years, God would slowly break me wide open… not to destroy me, but to redeem me.

And seven years later, I'm still becoming.

I'm working on my health. My weight. My mindset. My faith. I'm learning that healing doesn't always happen all at once, and becoming who God created us to be is a lifelong journey.

Maybe that's the greatest lesson of all:

God is never done with us.

The story doesn't end when we walk through the breaking. Sometimes, that's where the real becoming begins.

My story isn't simply about adoption. It's about motherhood, disappointment, faith, surrender, and learning that I was never meant to be anyone's Savior.

Y'all! I'm writing the story I never expected to live.

And maybe, somewhere in these pages, you'll find a piece of your own story, too!

Still Walking With Him (title still up for grabs 😂😂)
A Journey Through Disappointment, Adoption, Motherhood, and the Unexpected Grace of God

Seven years later, I'm still walking.
Still healing.
Still becoming.
Still walking with Him. 🤍

This was 6 months ago...22 lbs ago. I'm still living 💕 are you?! #adoption #motherhood #mom

Did you know that siblings of children with specia

Did you know that siblings of children with special needs often develop exceptional empathy and understanding?

Watching my children interact with Mia through love and support reminds me that while this journey isn't always easy, it shapes hearts in beautiful ways. 💕

One reason is that they are exposed to differences from an early age in a very personal way. While every sibling's experience is unique, many siblings of children with special needs often:

✨Learn that everyone has different strengths and challenges.

✨Develop patience by adapting to situations that may require extra time, flexibility, or understanding.

✨Become strong advocates after seeing their sibling navigate barriers or misunderstandings.

✨Gain perspective by recognizing that not everyone's journey looks the same.

✨Learn inclusion naturally because differences are part of their everyday life.

Research has found that many siblings of individuals with disabilities report higher levels of empathy, compassion, and social awareness. Of course, they may also face challenges, such as taking on extra responsibilities or feeling overlooked at times, but their experiences can foster a deep appreciation for acceptance and human connection.

#downsyndrome #SiblingLove #mosaicdownsyndrome #SpecialNeedsMom

Thank you @catherinelagaaia @disneystudios and @th

Thank you @catherinelagaaia @disneystudios and @therock for making my girl sing at the top of her lungs in the theater! The only time she doesn't have her stutter is when she is singing. This is her love language!! So thank you!!

And thank you Charlee and friends for letting us tag along!!

Ps movie is covered bc I didn't want to get in trouble 😵‍💫 🤣

#mosaicdownsyndrome #downsyndromeawareness #moanaliveaction

Where are my 1986 friends? 🙋🏼‍♀️ How are we 40 al

Where are my 1986 friends? 🙋🏼‍♀️

How are we 40 already?

We're in this strange season where we don't feel old, but we definitely don't feel young either. Many of us are raising little kids or teenagers while also beginning to care for our aging parents. We're juggling careers, marriages, friendships, dreams, and wondering, What stage of life is this?

I thought by now I'd feel settled. Confident. Like I had everything figured out.

Instead, I find myself in another season of transition.

For a while I wondered if maybe my creative years were behind me. But I've realized something...

They're not.

And neither are yours, friends!

Turning 40 doesn't mean our best ideas are behind us. It doesn't mean God is finished writing our story.

So here's to our most creative, productive, purpose-filled, and life-changing years yet 🙌🏼💕

I'm excited to finally share that after writing my children's book, I'm now working on something much more personal—a full-length memoir. It's a story of faith, motherhood, adoption, disappointment, hope, and the unexpected ways God meets us in the middle of it all.

I can't wait to share more of this journey with you. ❤️

If you're a fellow 1986 baby, tell me... what has turning 40 taught you? 👇🏼👇🏼
#40 #1986 #mom

Our dad and Papa had several mini strokes this wee

Our dad and Papa had several mini strokes this weekend in the left side of his brain - the side that controls his expressive communication. He's all still there and still his goofy self 😂😂 but he can't communicate and speak properly yet. Join us in praying for him so we can get him back in body surfing shape😜🙏🏼🙏🏼

*Drop a prayer emoji below and I'll tell him you sent up a prayer for him!*

Thank you 🙌🏼💞

My girlies. 🤍 I can’t believe my oldest biologica

My girlies. 🤍

I can’t believe my oldest biological daughter is about to pass me up in height. Thanks, Dad, for the genes! 😂

This beach trip was full of laughter, memories, and moments I never want to forget. But if I’m honest, there is also a quiet space in my heart.

Because when you have six children, your heart doesn’t simply adjust when some are no longer beside you. You still count them. You still carry them.

One of my daughters isn’t in this picture, but she is still part of our story. She is still my daughter despite another family caring for her. Despite the heartache and separation. Despite the void between us.

Motherhood doesn’t disappear with distance. The effort and pain is real.

So today I’m soaking in these moments with the girls beside me, while also carrying the one who isn’t here. Both can be true. 🤍

Go Mia go!! #mosaicdownsyndrome #downsyndromeawa

Go Mia go!!

#mosaicdownsyndrome #downsyndromeawareness

One thing many people don’t realize is that some c

One thing many people don’t realize is that some children with Down syndrome may process risk, danger, and safety awareness differently. It doesn’t mean they don’t feel fear—it can mean that recognizing danger, understanding consequences, or knowing when to pause may take more time, teaching, and repetition.

For a while, we wondered about Mia.

She would run toward the street, talk to strangers without hesitation, and we weren’t always sure she understood the risks around her.

But watching her now…

She can hear the fireworks, recognize that something feels uncomfortable, and make a choice to move away.

She can still laugh.
She can still play.
She can still experience joy.

Healthy fear isn’t about being afraid of the world. It’s about having the awareness to navigate it safely.

To some, this may look like a simple moment. To us, it’s a milestone we prayed for.

Mia, keep growing, keep exploring, and keep showing us that every child’s journey unfolds in its own beautiful way. ❤️
#downsyndromeawareness #mosaicdownsyndrome

Beautiful week at the beach!!💕 More pictures to co

Beautiful week at the beach!!💕 More pictures to come of everyone. But this needed a permanent place on my feed! One of my favorites! Never would I have asked him to lift me 3 months ago. I was the heaviest I've ever been! I wasn't even that much pregnant with any of my 3 birth kiddos! I still have work to do, but I'm headed in the right direction with a loss of 22 lbs. Thank you @mptubinis for sticking with me through all the highs and lows! Love you 😘🙌🏼💞
#weightlossjourney

In case you needed a reminder today... #downsyndr

In case you needed a reminder today...

#downsyndromeawareness #bebrave #mosaicdownsyndrome

Y'all how are these "swings" allowed so high up in

Y'all how are these "swings" allowed so high up in the air?!😂😂 I was clinging to Mia as she kept saying, "I love heights!" I was having a panic attack 🤦🏼‍♀️🙄

I am wearing a @katiekalsi_handbags hand-painted Collierville handbag strap and a @kendrascott Coat of Many Colors Necklace 💕

#gatlinburgskylift #downsyndrome #mosaicdownsyndrome

Navigating education in the Memphis area can be in

Navigating education in the Memphis area can be incredibly complicated. Our home is incorporated and designated as part of the city school system, even though we live in what feels like a rural community. Over the years, the surrounding suburbs created their own municipal school districts, leaving families like ours caught between systems.

For years, our family received transfers into our closest municipal school district. Four of Mia's older siblings attended those schools. Yet when it came time for Mia, she was denied every year.

As a parent, that was difficult to understand. It felt unfair and discouraging. But I've learned that sometimes the plans we work so hard for aren't the plans God has for us.

What felt like a setback turned out to be a blessing.

This fall, Mia will begin attending @@madonna_learning_center school uniquely equipped to support her learning style, celebrate her abilities, and help her thrive.

I don't know exactly what this next chapter will look like, but I do know this: God often opens doors we never would have chosen ourselves, and those doors can lead to something far better than we imagined.

We're excited for Mia's future and grateful for the journey that brought us here. ❤️

#MiaStrong #DownSyndromeAwareness #SpecialNeedsParenting #FaithOverFear #MadonnaLearningAcademy

So true words!! Thank you @ourhuddybuddy for being

So true words!! Thank you @ourhuddybuddy for being bold and "letting me" copy your inspo 🤣 but for real! Our kiddos are the best!
#DownSyndrome #downsyndromeawareness #mosaicdownsyndrome

Look who is getting a new school in the fall!!!💕🙌🏼

Look who is getting a new school in the fall!!!💕🙌🏼🙏🏼 @madonna_learning_center

Have you ever been told your child wasn't human?!

Have you ever been told your child wasn't human?! I have.

*Save, repost or share this so Instagram continues the awareness.*

Yes, I know a ridiculous response to a living, breathing being. Whether a "troll account" or AI someone at one point thought this. I, against better judgement, engaged with this account and they responded, "they are not human and don't contribute anything to society."

But My daughter has Down syndrome. She is fully human and she has a place in society—just like anyone else.

Down syndrome is one of the most extensively studied genetic conditions in medicine. Research involving individuals with Down syndrome has contributed to major advances in genetics, developmental science, congenital heart disease treatment, immune system research, and Alzheimer’s disease (due to genes located on chromosome 21). Their participation in studies has helped expand understanding that benefits medicine far beyond one diagnosis.

But beyond research, her place in this world is not defined by what she can “produce.” It’s defined by belonging.

She is a daughter, a friend, a learner, and a part of her community. She contributes in ways that matter—through presence, connection, love, and the way she experiences and shapes the world around her.

A society isn’t measured by how it ranks people. It’s measured by whether it makes room for all people.

And she belongs here. My Mia!

#downsyndromeawareness #mosaicdownsyndrome #downsyndrome

Amazing weekend in Gatlinburg for the Southeast Sh

Amazing weekend in Gatlinburg for the Southeast Shootout Lacrosse Tournament 🥍🥍 our girls went undefeated until the championship game where we landed second after a heated game losing 6 to 7. The rain hit us hard in the first half. I am so proud of these girls!!! They all did so amazing and Charlee scored a TOTAL OF 13 GOALS!! One for the books💞💪🏼

An amazing weekend in Gatlinburg for the Southeast

An amazing weekend in Gatlinburg for the Southeast Shootout 2026 Lacrosse Tournament 🥍 ...pics to come of game time!!! Here are pictures from our leisure time! 💞 We are so proud of you Charlee and how hard you work and play!

To those saying, "Down syndrome comes with health

To those saying, "Down syndrome comes with health problems"—

So does being human.

1 in 6 people worldwide lives with a disability.

More than 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment.

More than 1.5 billion people live with hearing loss.

Cardiovascular disease accounts for about 1 in 3 deaths globally.

Millions of children are diagnosed with developmental, intellectual, or learning disabilities.

A baby with Down syndrome may have an increased likelihood of certain medical conditions, but no baby is guaranteed a life free of illness, disability, or hardship.

Every child deserves the chance to live, love, learn, and be loved. A diagnosis does not determine a person's worth. ❤️

#notaglitch #downsyndromeawareness #mosaicdownsyndrome

#notaglitch #DownSyndromeAwareness

#notaglitch #DownSyndromeAwareness

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