Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley. c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved.

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 guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may 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 new 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've been there for a while and you 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 bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

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

Monday, March 15, 2010

MADDOCK TURNS 6!

We had so much fun today for Maddock's 6th birthday! I can't believe he is already 6. Time flies by so fast, too fast. This child was my one and only full term baby with zero complications, if you don't consider being breach and needing a c-section a complication:) Compared to my other kids, this was CAKE! I remember how exciting it was to actually hear my baby cry after he was born. I was so excited to hear that cry I could hardly wait. We didn't hear Mitch cry at all so this was the one thing I was looking forward to. After he was born, I vividly remember watching Will as we both held our breath until we heard him cry. It was the sweetest sound I had ever heard! He has been entertaining us ever since! He is such a special boy and is adored by our family. We love you so much Maddock!



Here are some pictures from our party...
Friday night we met Micky and Suzy and their kids at Hollywood Connections and had such a good time with them
Mads first time rollerskating! 

Bumper Cars!

We also went swimming at their hotel... fun filled night FOR SURE!

My parents are so sweet to drive all the way up here from California just because Maddock asked them to be here for his birthday:) I love them so much

Maj is ready for the party!

King for the day

The glow dome!  Thanks Aunt MaryAnn and cousins!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Layton!  I will be super handsome at church!

More clothes?  Thanks mom and dad.

Thanks Aunt Sissy, Uncle Scott, Sydney and Shonn

The hit of the night... Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Morton!  LOVE the dinosaur!  So much fun!

We love our boys, they make us so happy!
Chrissy and Lance are always so good to come to all of our little birthday parties!  Maddock LOVES the book!  Thank you so much you two!
Mitch snuggling with Grandma and Grandpa
Pinata time!  Will had to bring out the protection for this one!
LOL!  Will is so funny!
Posted by Courtney at 10:56 PM

4 comments:

  1. BeckMarch 16, 2010 at 12:38 PM

    What a fun bday! Happy birthday Maddock!!! And OMG Will with the pinata. Thats a CLASSIC. Glad we have pictures and a blog where that image can always be remembered :)

    As for your "Blessings" post. How powerful is that! Thanks so much for sharing. I love that about you. You are so much fun to be around and yet you have such strong testimony and its clear how much our Savior is aware of you and loves you. You always amaze me girl! Love you.

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  2. A Farmer's WifeMarch 16, 2010 at 3:30 PM

    Looks like a FUN birthday!!! Your parents never age - they look exactly the same! So fun to get to see their pictures!

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  3. Tiffany MortonMarch 16, 2010 at 10:18 PM

    Happy Birthday Maddock! Sorry I didn't get a chance yesterday, it was such a long day! Looks like he had a great party. Love you guys.

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  4. Angie H.March 20, 2010 at 6:33 PM

    Ya, I am so glad you have one too. It is so fun to see pics and will be nice to keep up with ya on the blog, since I am the best neighbor in town and live right across the street but never see ya :). This way I will beable to see ya LOL! Happy Birthday to Maddocks!!!

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