THE BLOG….my happy place.
Welcome to my (Gwen Vogelzang) personal blog. Read about my experiences as a special needs adoptive parent, our family life, and the story behind publishing our first book “If I Squeeze Your Head I’m Sorry.”
The Jesus/Satan Conundrum that is Sunday Mornings
A few years ago a gentleman at our last church said to my frazzled Sunday morning self, "Satan's presence is never more evident to me than on Sunday mornings. He shows up the second we get the kids in the car to head to church and tries his best to remove all...
read moreA Book Deal from the Sky
Since walking away from my 9-3:30 professional career, my goals and aspirations have been ALL OVER. So many dreams and so many passions and way too much time to consider each and every one. I've started and stopped more than is typical for my personality and...
read moreRe-framing Travel
8 months ago our family decided to join a mission trip through our church to Guatemala. While it fell into the "mission" category, it was hailed as family friendly and a great option for first time international travelers. 3 of us fell into that category, so we...
read moreWhat Christians are Not
6 years ago I sat at Wahoos Fish Taco with a co-worker who wanted nothing to do with God. He respected my belief, but wasn't shy about challenging it either. I liked this about him. He was refreshing. The snippit of our conversation that day that I can't set aside...
read more6 Years of Public School
If you ask a special needs parent what the single most challenging aspect of life is, the overwhelming majority will respond with "Uhhhhhggggg...SCHOOL." We say this with lowered shoulders and an exaggerated exhale. There are more reasons for this response than I...
read moreWhy So Much Focus?
It's easy to get wrapped up in the role of special needs parent. And it's also easy to wonder if you spend too much time in your role. Others wonder that aloud for you when you're really lucky. Today has been a prime example of a day when I'm left laughing at the...
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In Our Family, We….
My tall drinka water husband and I have a lot of ideas on how we want to raise our kids. They shouldn't be super glued to screens. Elmers at most. We want to travel and expose them to God's unending and unbelievably amazing creation. They're taught to put others and...
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Brown, Flaky & Beautiful
I just got back from walking around my parents' neighborhood pond in the south Chicago suburbs. My son was squeaking the way he does at a baby gosling while I surveyed the dead reeds and grasses. I'm really drawn to "dead" nature. Almost like I want to reassure it...
read moreLay It On Me
When we discovered our son had sensory processing difficulties, we (I) went berserk trying and buying ALL the sensory tools known to woman. It's a lot of tools friends. And money. How many were a slam dunk? Maybe 3. We went through 4 chew necklaces (they call it...
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Who is it all for?
Finding the right therapist is real tricky. Humans willing to take your money to speak words and encourage you to speak back are a dime a dozen. But a human who sees you, understands you, and isn't afraid to put you right in you place with an occasional and...
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When No One Tells You
I sat on my girlfriend's couch on Thursday, watching her love on and swoon over her new baby boy. He's 2 weeks new, scrumptious as they come, and is an answer to years of pleading and praying and mourning over God's plan for their family. His jet black hair and...
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Ennea-What?
Until recently, I thought I had come to a place of really truly understanding myself. I would have claimed a sufficient amount of self confidence, self awareness in times of trial, ability to cope effectively with twists and turns....I was in a good place...
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Redemption all Around
It snowed 5 inches in Denver last night. Came out of nowhere, which is how Colorado prefers to do things. As I pulled into the garage after school drop offs, I was overwhelmed with the need to take my teddy bear dog on a wintery romp. It was 8:30am, the sky was...
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Finality of a Diagnosis
Ry and I sat in yet another bright and cheery medical office at Children's Hospital this morning. This particular room was purple and blue. While we've been confident over the past 3-4 years of Autism being an appropriate diagnosis, we haven't gone through the...
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Muddy Shoes
I had to purchase 4 pairs of shoes for our darling son this month. FOUR. You see, he has recently discovered a magic fairy tale land down by our river, just steps from our house. His commentary on this special place of retreat? "So Mom. To get to our secret land...
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