Our Story & Purpose

Hey there!  My name is Andrea.  I am a Jesus lover. A wife. A mom of four.  Advocating for people with Down Syndrome and orphans is my favorite.  I love to help people and have a little ministry called Be the Light Project where I get to do just that.  I take a LOT of pictures.  I have a serious case of wanderlust and an obsession with coffee.  I can't get through the week without shopping at Ross, Target and/or one of the local thrift stores.  I have recently become a crazy oil lady and started taking baby steps into a journey of wellness for my family.

 
 I started this blog years ago when our youngest son was born with an unexpected diagnosis of Down Syndrome. (You can read his birth story here.)
 

At first, I intended to use it to change the world's view of Down Syndrome by photographing different individuals and sharing their story.  I was going to be this huge advocate for Down Syndrome and do all of these big things! But then I realized, although I would still like to share photographs of others as I am able to capture them, tell stories as I hear them, and help clear up misconceptions about DS, I don't want that to be the main focus of this blog. As years go by, I realize that, yes, Down Syndrome is a part of our lives, but it does not consume or define us.  It is only a small part of who we are, and I just want to share with others how it makes us better people. Deacon shows us how to appreciate things that we have always taken for granted. He has brought so much joy to our lives, and we feel so blessed that God chose us to be his parents.  Because of him, adoption has also become a part of our lives, and we brought our youngest daughter home from China in 2016.

My goal with this space is to show how "normal" our life still is. (If there is such a thing as normal.)  I use it to share our special moments along with the many things I love and am passionate about with anyone who would like to follow along. :)