Thanksgiving is of course a time to reflect upon the things for which we are thankful. But like I told Faith the other day, I think we both thank God every day for the blessings he has bestowed upon us. Each night, we read a scripture together (it's usually one Faith has memorized such as Psalm 23 or John 3:16-21). After our scripture, we recite "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). At the end of that verse, we add our little cheer, "Do good deeds! Say nice things! Be kind!" This little cheer is just a way to remind both of us, that's how God wants us to act every day. Then we pray, which often begins by thanking God for all that He has done for us and then we pray for others. But the other night after prayer time, I asked Faith to tell me some things she was really thankful for. I told her what I was thankful for as well. This year, we are feeling especially thankful for ...
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Faith's First Wheelchair Dance Performance
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Faith loves going to plays, musicals, ballet performances, and other events in which her friends perform. When she was younger, I thought attending these things would be too overwhelming for her as she has a strong startle reflex. Usually, it's loud or sudden noises that trigger her startle response. However, when the noise is constant, or she knows what to expect, she actually does very well. That's why when I found out that Dreams in Motion was doing wheelchair dance, I figured she would want to do it. When I asked, she enthusiastically said, "YES!"
She was so excited to go to her first practice. She told everyone she saw that she was going to be in a dance performance! During practice, we found out the theme was Encanto (which we have never seen). They were going to be dancing to a medley of songs from the movie. There were about a dozen participants, some with manual wheelchairs and others with powerchairs.
During practice, each of them was paired with a volunteer who helped them dance. Faith even had a little solo part in which she carried a coffee cup to the dance instructor. When her "coach" said, "And that's why coffee's for grownups!" Faith handed the cup to her.
Faith was all smiles during her first dance practice!
The following week, Faith had dress rehearsals in which they received their costumes. Each participant and volunteer wore a little tiny sombrero along with a colorful poncho. They also practiced with the props that were a part of the performance.
It was great seeing everyone having so much fun together. Faith knew a few of the participants from past Dreams and Motion events (such as wheelchair soccer and track and field). She also knew some of them from where she goes to therapy and her day program. A few other moms remarked how comical she was. She certainly does love to make people laugh!
Faith laughing at Coach Lacey.
Faith with her super fun partner, Liz!
Practicing her coffee cup part.
The actual performance was held at Shiloh Christian School and hosted by Just for Kix, which is a dance company in Bismarck. There were 3 performances, and the wheelchair dance group would be participating in 2 of them. The first performance was at 10:00, which meant we needed to be there at 9:30. Thankfully, the school was less than 5 minutes away from where we lived.
We were told that the show would be standing room only, so I was expecting mass chaos upon arrival. Even though we arrived 30 minutes before the show started, the parking lot was already full. I wasn't sure how I was going to get Faith unloaded on my own and then park. (Of course, all the handicap spots were taken!)
I was thinking I could text my parents, who I knew were probably already inside, and ask for their help. Then, I looked and saw a good friend walking through the parking lot with her granddaughter. I honked and asked if she could take Faith inside and wait with her while I parked. Talk about God's perfect timing!
Inside, we found our group and just hung out until it was their turn. There were about 9 or 10 teams before them. Finally, I let Faith's partner take over and went to find a spot to record their performance. They all did so great! Even when one of the props kept falling over, they just rolled with it and didn't let it phase them. Faith wasn't nervous or scared or anything - I was so proud of her and everyone else!
Here they come! Faith didn't even seem phased by the packed gym.
When they finished, I heard a thunderous round of applause and then everyone began to stand! My eyes instantly filled with tears. I really felt like these wheelchair dancers had inspired everyone in the audience, including the other dancers. Afterward, I hurried to the lobby, found Faith and told her that she did it and I was so proud of her! All of the performers were super excited and some of the moms had tears in their eyes, too.
Since we had a few hours before the next performance, I debated on going back home for a bit. I decided against it though as I didn't want to have to deal with parking again. My parents came into the lobby and told Faith what a great job she and everyone else had done. I told them I wasn't prepared for it to be such an emotional experience. Mom said there were even people in the stands crying.
So glad Grandpa and Grandma could make it to the performance!
Me and my dancer!
During the break, Faith ate a bag of animal crackers, and I grabbed a hot dog. We had a nice time just visiting with other parents and their kids. At one point, I took Faith into the bathroom to give her some water through her g-tube. There were some other dancers in there and Faith tried to strike up a conversation with them. She really isn't afraid to talk to anyone!
Out in the lobby, she continued to compliment the other dancers on their hair and costumes. We were sitting right next to the table where people came in and paid and she tried to talk to almost everyone there, too. I told her she really didn't have to talk to everyone! To which she just responded, "Yes I do!" (She gets it from Grandpa!)
Finally, it was time for performance number 2, and they did just as well with another standing ovation. Afterward, the group took some pictures, handed out certificates, and then Faith was ready to head home. It had been an exciting day, and she was ready to just relax! All in all, it was a great experience, and she already can't wait to do it again next year!
A while back I had asked Faith what she wanted to do for her birthday. A concert? NDSU Bison game? A mini trip somewhere? Nope, nope, and nope. All she wanted for her birthday was to have a party at the church. She then started naming names of people she wanted to invite. And then she just kept inviting people. (And even recruiting people to help decorate). It was going to be a big party! Birthday cookies! Her birthday celebration actually began on Friday. Instead of sharing cupcakes this year with her day program peers and staff, she wanted her Auntie Dawn to make monster cookies for everyone. Faith was so excited to stop by Dawn's office on Friday morning to pick up the cookies. That evening, I took her to adaptive dance at Northern Plains Dance and was surprised to learn she had a different helper for the evening - her good friend, Maddie! They had fun, but I think Faith just wanted to visit with her instead of dance! After getting home, Faith relaxed to watch...
Thanksgiving is of course a time to reflect upon the things for which we are thankful. But like I told Faith the other day, I think we both thank God every day for the blessings he has bestowed upon us. Each night, we read a scripture together (it's usually one Faith has memorized such as Psalm 23 or John 3:16-21). After our scripture, we recite "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). At the end of that verse, we add our little cheer, "Do good deeds! Say nice things! Be kind!" This little cheer is just a way to remind both of us, that's how God wants us to act every day. Then we pray, which often begins by thanking God for all that He has done for us and then we pray for others. But the other night after prayer time, I asked Faith to tell me some things she was really thankful for. I told her what I was thankful for as well. This year, we are feeling especially thankful for ...
I swear we just flipped the calendar to August and now September is right around the corner. How can that be? School has started for some of Faith's cousins and the air is a bit brisk during the morning hours. Fall is definitely my favorite season, but for Faith, I think she likes Spring better. She loves it when winter is finally over and there are no more threats of snowstorms to ruin her plans! That being said, she is looking forward to some things next month and during the upcoming fall season. 1. Fall Leaves/Fun Flavors One of my favorite parts of transporting Faith back and forth to her therapies and day program is that we get to cross the Missouri River twice a day. We love looking at all the trees by the river, the boats in the water, and even some wildlife like antelope, wild turkeys, and lots of birds. Along with the pretty leaves, there is a cool crisp feel to the air, and the mosquitoes are long gone. Lots of fun flavors make their comeback in coffee shops ...
November 17 marks World Prematurity Day . One might wonder why awareness needs to be raised about premature births. Well, I can tell you firsthand that it is a really good thing when more people are aware of the risks and complications, not to mention the emotional toll, of having a baby born too early. Having a baby born prematurely is not something most expectant parents think about until it happens to them. Most moms-to-be who first learn they are pregnant automatically think they have seven or eight months to prepare for one of the biggest days of their life. Expectant parents usually have one response when asked if they are hoping for a boy or a girl - "As long as the baby's healthy." But sadly, sometimes that's not always the case - especially if the baby is born too early. I will never forget the book I was reading shortly after finding out I was pregnant with Faith - "What to Expect When You're Expecting." It was a great resource that o...
It was so much fun ! Faith did great ❤️
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