It's EXACTLY like That '70s Show!

Ok, well maybe not exactly like it.

But it was Wisconsin.

And we were there.

Yup, Playette and I made the fantastic decision to head east for a long weekend of visiting with friends and adding a little bit of advocacy on the side.

Who do we know in Wisconsin? Well, these great folks.

I've written about them here before. They have a daughter named Ruby who is just over a month older than Playette. I came across the family's blog when I was still coping with Playette's dx and I immediately identified with this mom of a little girl who reminded me so much of my own. I'd been hoping that these girls could meet for quite some time. And then it happened.

After initially checking each other out like rival greasy dancers on the set of the "Beat It" video, Playette and Ruby came around and decided to be besties for the duration. Success!

Since we're become friends, the Z fam has grown and, while I was so excited to meet everyone, I was especially looking forward to a hug from Lilya, their newest addition, home for nearly three months now after her adoption from an orphanage in Ukraine. Lily has left an impression on us for sure. I've been home for 24 hours now and I find myself answering questions with her trademark "Dahhh" ("yes" in Russian) and Playette spent the evening asking "uuuup?" just as Lily likes to play.

There's something about being a part of something larger, y'know?

I don't have a big family and whenever I'm around one, I just feel like I want to make myself at home. There's always something going on.

Other than laundry and dishes, I mean.

We played indoors and outdoors. We saw Rachel Coleman speak about her experiences raising her children. We ate friend cheese curds (and ice cream, fruit fluff, pizza, fudge, chocolate chip pancakes, etc. All organic. Ha!). We walked in the first annual Ds Awareness Walk for that area. We saw our kids perform on stage with Rachel during her Signing Time concert. We went wine tasting - in the living room. We laughed. We cried. We shared.

It was a time that I'll never forget and I am so, so grateful for my friends.

We've really met some wonderful people on this Ds journey we're on.

Will we go back?

Dahhh.

Pictures tomorrow...