The outstretched arm of love

Finding Slivers of Light in Grief

Every time I heard myself finding something 'good' that had come out of Nicholas passing away, I caught myself: how can something good possibly come out of this cavernous loss? But the truth is that, if we look hard enough, we can always find a sliver of light in the...Read More

Becoming a Miracle Mama {guest post}

I actually remember the very first time I read Natalie's blog when a friend shared this post, and then we connected online after both having done the IAHP course in Melbourne. I'm pretty sure we're kindred spirits. While I know motherhood has been challenging and ridiculously busy for her, Natalie seems to emanate...Read More

Eleven Things that Help Keep Our Marriage On Track

I was telling Ben that sometimes in our relationship I marvel at how great it is and can’t imagine it being any other way. We are happy and in love and communicating well and it’s blissful. And then we have times where it feels as though we’re on the brink...Read More

Celebrating the Life of Nicholas Love

Just over one year ago, on 6th May 2016, we gathered to celebrate the life of Nicholas Love. When you plan a wedding, you generally have months or even years to think about the perfect inclusions for that special day, and you’re giddy with excitement over all the little details....Read More

Dear 16 Year Old Me

[caption id="attachment_86029" align="alignleft" width="330"] Cutting the cake at my 16th birthday.[/caption] Dear 16 Year Old Me, You don’t always need to be sensible. Have fun, and make the most of the time in your life where you have few responsibilities. You are young and beautiful, even if you don’t feel...Read More

One Little Word for 2017

It wasn’t until about September last year that I remembered (actually, I had to look it up) what my one little word for 2016 was. Expand. It certainly wasn’t in the way that I envisaged (is it ever in the way we imagine?), but expand I did. I broke into a...Read More

To the Brokenhearted on World Down syndrome Day

As World Down syndrome Day rolls around on 21st March (3:21), I love watching my social media feed full of amazing individuals rocking their extra chromosome. But amongst the joy is the heartbreak of knowing that our son with the almond shaped eyes is no longer lighting up our social media feed in real...Read More

Juxtaposition: the opposing sentiments of a sibling {guest post}

Meeting Lucy was one of those Universe-conspiring moments. I stumbled upon her blog one night whilst feeding my baby and I immediately felt connected to her words, beautiful in their simplicity, describing life as a creative spirit and mother of two (now three!) small girls. It wasn’t until later that I discovered...Read More

Memories of My Cousin Nicholas {guest post}

Nicholas was lucky enough to have a whole tribe of wonderful cousins - 18 of them, in fact. But he definitely had a soft spot for his 11 year old cousin, and fellow blondie, Sophie. If ever I needed to encourage Nicholas to go somewhere, I just needed to tell him that...Read More

My Brother the Champion {guest post}

On numerous occasions, I have heard my friend Shalee proudly talking about her cousin, Aran, who is a world champion swimmer and also happens to have Down syndrome. I love celebrating all the amazing things young adults with Down syndrome are doing in the world, so I shamelessly asked Aran's family if...Read More

Puppy Love: introducing Buddy

Three weeks ago, we welcomed an eight week old Cavoodle (cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a toy Poodle) puppy into the Love household. We have named him Buddy, and he is a bit cute, I’m sure you’ll agree. As I type, he’s napping at my feet. Welcoming Buddy...Read More

Inspiration for a Creative Life {guest post}

I first learned of Alexis when her reputation for making the most magnificent cakes and creating amazing artwork preceded her. We have since been lucky enough to receive two beautiful pieces of art that Alexis has created, (one you'll see below of a certain superhero) which prompted me to find out more about the story behind...Read More

Speech Pathology: What’s In a Name? {guest post}

We were blessed with a pretty awesome team of therapists at our local branch of Disability Services Queensland and I have often said that it never felt like a chore to take Nicholas there because the adults always seemed to be having just as much fun as the kids! I was impressed...Read More