Tag Archives: family time

Throwback Post: Gifts with Books at the Library and a Cheeseburger While Watching a Movie

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May 14 2015:

He’s so excited! He can see!!!!

Lillian’s entry for the Spanish Springs bookmark contest. We delivered them today and the librarian was so happy!! Lillian’s quote “Books are a reader’s best friend!” xoxo


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May 14 2014:

Overflowing with gratitude for an amazing, beautiful, anonymous, giver of these goodies for Thomas and Lillian! Arrived via UPS yesterday and Monday. Thomas has a second love now, right up there with LEGOS. This “Chess Once A Pawn A Time” set is amazing! Says to only spend between 20 to 30 minutes at a time studying the books with your child. He read both books and soaked it all into that amazing soul of his in about an hour. He was so flipping excited! We played our first game before bed. Went fast cause I have no clue what I’m doing! Thomas says, “I love chess!” Thank you, thank you, thank you mystery giver!

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May 14 2012:

Heartfelt SHOUT out and Thank YOU to Jim Stovall, author of The Ultimate Gift for his beautiful endorsement of my book! I very much appreciate your faith in me Mr. Stovall … “As a blind person myself, I understand the challenge and blessing of doing things differently. In this book, Camilla shares her journey with Lillian which will help us all do more, give more, and be more.” -Jim Stovall, Emmy-award Winner, Best-selling author, The Ultimate Gift

FIVE copies away from selling 100 Books in the pre-launch sale! YAY!!

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Breathe …. Think About What Brings You Joy …. Breathe …. Think About What You Are Grateful For …. Breathe …. And This, Too, Will Pass …. -Camilla Downs

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May 14 2011:

PAWS to read! So fun for Thomas!! Lillian, not so much. She stays in the other room!!

Thomas drew this picture at school on Friday. It’s Thomas dancing with a Cheeseburger!!!

Momma Bear gets a whole night to herself! Team Member T & L’s daddy came to visit them so I get some time all to my little ole self! Wheeeee!!!!!

Mmmmmmmmm – Homemade Watermelon Margarita’s at The Romano Casa!!! The curator, chef and bartender at this joint ROCK!!

Can’t decide which beverage or which movie to watch for movie night tonight. First movie night I’ve had without Thomas and Lillian for a LONG time. I like the oldies! Think I’ll close my eyes and pick!

Here’s what I chose! I LOVE Agatha Christie! Love her books and love the Poirot movies – Happy with my choice!

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May 14 2010:

Thomas-ism ~ “I’m gonna go back to work next week at the circus so I can make money and do good stuff for people.”

Throwback Post: Dance the Night Away

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May 5 2014:

The day began with some lovely meditating, then a huge good morning hug from Thomas. On the way home from dropping T & L at school danced my booty off (in my mind) to Van Halen’s “Dance the Night Away” … Just LOVE that song!! Got so so so much done today!! After dinner sweet Ms. Lillian had a wild n crazy melt down. Fortunately, my inner Buddha came forth to remain calm. Later Thomas timed us to see how long he and I could hug. I think it was about 50 seconds …. If you haven’t noticed, Thomas has a hard time remaining still for longer than 50 seconds! HA! Next up, a game of UNO with each of them and tucking a sweet calmed down Lillian into bed with tips and conversation about what happened and making different choices next time. As an amazing and love filled day comes to an end, I say I LOVE LOVE. Love is completely, totally, utterly, the answer … xoxo

 

Throwback Post: Family Love Notes

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September 15 2014:

Love notes. We write a love note to each other almost every Monday after dinner. We’ve been doing it for a year or two and it’s a special quiet time all together sitting around the table. Family Love Note Night! Live alone? Write a love note to yourself. Most times that’s how I write my morning journal entry. A letter to myself … Give it a try. It’s all good stuff!

Team TLC Reality TV

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January 6 2024

Last night I was reminded of something our friend Matt Miller commented while having dinner with us at one of the C18 conferences years ago.

He laughed and said something like, the 3 of you (Team TLC) would make a great realty TV show.

The three of us haven’t done a creative activity together in years. The past two nights we worked on this puzzle together (my birthday gift to Lillian last year).

Imagine 3 neurodivergent folks, one with hand tremors, one with shaky hands, and all with the ability to hyper focus, getting anxious trying to get the right pieces in the right places. It’s like we were playing a game of Twister with our hands. It was cracking me up! And I think it brought joy to all of us! ❤❤❤
We lost one piece along the way somewhere. Maybe Basil knows where it is.

After we finished, time stood still for a moment as I watched Lillian walking around the house half-naked, like it’s no big deal and totally normal, Thomas frantically working on a deadline, and me making songs out of everything. Totally normal stuff, right? Ha!

Like the neighbor walks by with their dog. I finally remember the dogs name, Mickey. So then I start singing, Hey Mickey, you’re so fine, Hey Mickey, Hey Mickey. Then I have to look that song up and add it to my walking playlist.
Love my life.

Throwback Post: Thanksgiving in Vegas With LEGO at Red Rock Canyon

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November 28 2014:

In unpacking the Christmas decorations, Thomas found a few gift boxes I saved from last year (or the year before even). One box still had the gift inside. Three brand new pairs of undies for Lillian! Oops!!! They may not fit her if they’re from year before last. Note to self: Check them boxes twice before packing them away!

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November 28 2013:

Over the hills and through the woods, Team TLC has made the long ole 5 minute drive to The Romano Casa … smelled so good on the way here with cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and sweet potato fries in the car with us! Yum!

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Team TLC and Romano Duo Thanksgiving night tradition …. one of the few PG movies I’ll let T & L watch! Good thing I have it memorized so I can make silly noises over the not-kid-friendly words!

Thomas finished the treehouse this morning! This one and the cottage are my favorites so far!


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November 28 2012:

Thomas’ gratitude for today:

I’m thankful for school.

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I’m grateful for Grassroots Books $5 bag sale this Sunday! Team TLC gets to load up THREE big bags of books for $5 since Thomas and Lillian each have a $5 gift card!! Wahooooo!!!! I’m kinda crazy like that ….. I’m so excited about going and looking through tons and tons of used books to fill up my bag!! Can’t Wait!

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Lillian’s gratitude for today:

I am thankful for having this house.

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November 28 2011:

Today I am thankful for acceptance, courage, flexibility, patience and tenacity . . .

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Red Rock Canyon adventures for Team TLC and the Romano Duo!!! AWE-some!!


One of my favorite pictures from today at Red Rock Canyon . . .

One more of my favorites from today at Red Rock Canyon . . . I’ve got to get this kid in some type of drama/acting/improv class . . . he cracks me up!!

What’s “interesting” is that not even a month after this I won a semester of classes at a local acting/dance/theater agency and Thomas did indeed take some acting classes!!

Throwback Post: A Day in December Throughout the Years

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December 17 2015:

Extra Team TLC movie night

“Barbie – A Perfect Christmas”

“Although I don’t like the way this begins, I do like that it’s ultimately about the perfect Christmas being within and not without. Fun music and magical too.” -Me

Lillian says, “Good, exciting, good moral, Christmasy, good music, good theme, and awesome.”

Thomas says, “Good, amazing, good moral, and seasonal.”


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December 17 2014:

More cool autumn sunset love .. 2014

Subbing in Boundary Peak today … Love the wall wisdom around here.


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December 17 2013:

Beautiful, blue, and frosty sky to greet us this morning! It is truly an amazing day! xoxo

I am free! I no longer give my power away to this situation …. FREEDOM!!! Thank you more than words could ever express to everyone for your support, encouragement, kind words and for sharing the blog post I wrote last Friday. “It is time to turn the page on this chapter of my life’s journey. I choose to do this with my face turned to the sun with a heart full of happiness, gratitude and excitement. This is taking every ounce of courage I’ve got in me. I rarely ask for help for myself. Perhaps I’ve been saving it up for a big whopper! I’m asking now. I believe this to be a beneficent and abundant world and I am moved by something larger than my ego to do this. I am infused with a mysterious strength to …. ”

Help Team TLC With A Christmas Miracle

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December 17 2012:

Team TLC has been spreading happYness every day this month by spreading at least one (if not more) acts of kindness. I incorporated it into our Advent calendar this year … We will continue to do this into the future … If we want more kindness, love and happiness in this World, we must put it out there ..

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Just home from a gathering with my WOW sisters … Words of Wisdom shared from one of my WOW sisters. This particular WOW sister was speaking to her 80 something year old mom the other day who has a slight “dusting” of dementia. Mom was asked, “Any words of wisdom to share Mom before we hang up?” … Mom, “Keep your pecker up!” Now!!! That’s some GREAT advise!! Thanks for the laughter, thanks for the tears, thanks for being my life line, thanks for lighting my candle. I LOVE you all so very deeply!! Susan Hill, Cheri Hill, Kymberlee Simantel, Emma Auriemma McKay, Jamie Cooke, Clare Rice Dreyer, Rachel Flower, Lisa Mantkus … You were missed sorely Glenna E Smith!!!

Follow your path and the angels will appear … Thank you for the gift slipped in my pocket tonight from one of my WOW sisters. Made my eyes sweat … My head meets the pillow tonight a blessed and grateful woman.

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December 17 2011:

Out for a short adventure starting with some goodies!!!

We have such awesome views here … Makes for good mini adventures!! Beautiful!

Movie night for Team TLC … I’m so happy and blessed and just plain giddy to be sitting here watching this with my two kiddos. Ahhhhhhhhhh …


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December 17 2010:

Just back from morning adventures of one Lillian Christmas show, one stop at the grocery store, one stop at Kohl’s, one Thomas Christmas show, one stop at Office Depot and a partridge in a pear tree!! Now Thomas is shoveling the driveway for me! Picture upcoming! WooHoo! Almost hot chocolate time too!

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Man of the House shoveling the driveway earlier today! Did it all by himself! Go Thomas Go!!

Tom & Jerry’s at The Romano Casa (Frank C. Romano Jr)! Pretty Yummy!!

What He Likes Best About Our Nature Walks

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September 4 2016:

On our sunset walk Thursday night Thomas answered a question from a friend. What does he like most and/or why does he like going for walks? I couldn’t remember the question so was fumbling with it. Thomas had a sore throat and wasn’t feeling his best. Yet, he still wanted to record a session. xoxo .. Let us know if you have a question for Thomas and Lillian.

Blissful and Rainy to Sunny Walk

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April 10 2016: Damonte Ranch Park and Trail – Reno, Nevada

What is this feeling she wraps me with and pours into me? What is a word that encompasses love, joy, peace, gratitude, beauty, the knowing that everything is amazing no matter what’s going on?

Bliss, perhaps? That works for now. I’ll take these blissful times provided by Nature over just about anything else. I love our walks …. xoxo


  
  
  

Blessings,

Team TLC
See It. Share It. BE IT … Spread Love Everywhere You Go!

Did you know Camilla wrote a book? It’s titled “D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance” and you can read more about it here.

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