33. How Has Down Syndrome Created Your Family Norm?

Heather and Josh Avis (@theluckyfewofficial) here! This week, we’re answering a question that we get asked a whole lot!  “How has having two kids with Down Syndrome created our family norm?”  We should probably start by saying that we’ve never really been a family with “norms.”  The two of us moved to Hawaii just weeks after getting married at the ages of 20 and 23.  A few years later, we came back to California and adopted three kids (not all at once, thank goodness!).  Macyn is 11 with Down Syndrome, Truly is 8, and August is 5 with Down Syndrome.  Our free spirited nature definitely helped us adjust to the rollercoaster of these unique adoptions, but they still came with plenty of uncertainties.   How would our extended family react to having someone with Down Syndrome in the family?  How would having an older and younger sibling with Down Syndrome affect our middle daughter, Truly?  How would we ever create “normalcy” out of this?  One thing we do know for certain is that having two children with Down Syndrome has allowed us to know the fullness of humanity and we consider ourselves very, very lucky (hence our name, The Lucky Few!). Clearly, we have A LOT to cover today.  So friends, join us for a chat about our 17 years of marriage, our family vacation in Hawaii, and how Truly (and all of us!) have been made better because of Down Syndrome.  ___ Keep up with the Avis’s on Instagram and their website! For more on their family’s story, read The Lucky Few and Scoot Over and Make Some Room by Heather Avis Join The Lucky Few mailing list for updates, stories, events, and more! Connect with Heather’s friend Christy on Instagram at @cjpics  LET’S CHAT Email [email protected] with your questions and Good News for future episodes. HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email [email protected] for more information! CHECK OUT HEATHER’S NEW BOOK Scoot Over and Make Some Room: Creating a Space Where Everyone Belongs by Heather Avis is NOW available on Amazon. Head to Youtube and subscribe to The Lucky Few’s NEW Channel: In Search of The Lucky Few. Click here to start watching now!