From my front porch lookin' in...

Today

2011-05-16T10:04:00.003-05:00

Today as I wash wet sheets, I'm thankful for the boy that slept there. Today as I do the mountain of laundry, I'm thankful for the family that fills them. Today as I put away baskets of toys so that I can find the floor, I'm thankful for the children that play with them. Today as I vacuum the leaves, grass and dirt off the living room floor, I'm thankful for the delicious mud pie I was served and the caterpillar habitat that was carefully constructed to be a loving home. Today as I go about my "work", I'm so thankful I have the thankless job of mothering.

Her Story

2010-12-21T20:30:00.000-06:00

This story will grip your heart. Please prayerfully consider how you might participate in this event. This couple has given strong Christian testimony throughout their ordeal.

Running hard after Him

2010-09-28T15:22:00.004-05:00

On Sunday night, as Keith and I sat eating at Jason's Deli, I got the call. Daniel Heinrich, on his way to do street evangelism in downtown Fort Worth with the other youth, had been hit head-on by a drunk driver and was killed instantly. His only sibling, Emily, is a dear friend to me and is our main babysitter. Their family has been friends with us for about 4 or 5 years. After the news began to sink in, I told Keith that I wanted to go be with Emily. He wholeheartedly agreed. When I called my to find out where she was, I was told that she was in a meeting at Denton Bible Church...almost an hour away...she did not know yet. I offered to go get her and bring her home. So mom, Melinda Spray (another friend from church) and I set out for Denton. We got their in just over 35 minutes. News had started spreading fast and we were afraid she would get the news by a text message before someone could be with her.

When her meeting concluded, I grabbed her before she could get to the phone. Her parents wanted us to go ahead and tell her. We quietly pulled her aside into a women's restroom and mom stood guard at the door to keep people from coming in. There, standing by the tile walls, I delivered the news. She stood there stunned, just staring at me. Then the tears began to flow, her shoulders began to shake with the sobs, but she didn't make any sounds. I felt as if I had just stabbed my friend.

The ride home was quiet. At one point, she turned on her phone and played a song about being safe in the arms of Jesus. Her first impluse was to run to the arms of the Savior and be held by Him. After arriving at her house, I watched from a far as she literally ran into her parents arms as her mom ran to her. I will never forget that sight or those sounds. A small group from church had gathered and we gathered around them for a time of prayer. What a bittersweet time. There was gut wrenching grief, and glorious celebration at the same time. Only in the life of a Believer...

Daniel, only 18 years old, was already a man of God. When I think of him, there are only 2 expressions I can see...one is smiling and laughing, the other is eyes closed and face earnestly lifted toward heaven with hands raised in worship. There was an earnestness to his spiritual life. He had become burdened for the lost and for sharing God's Light with those in darkness. That was his mission at the very time of his death...to find those downtown that needed to hear the Truth. He was a young man who was running hard after Him. What a testimony for us to leave behind. May it be said of me. Daniel, you were an example to those much older than you, as well as those who will hopefully follow in your footsteps.

"To know and follow hard after You.
To grow as Your disciple in the Truth.
This world is empty, pale and poor,
Compared to knowing You, my Lord,
Lead me on and I will run after You."

Out of the mouth of babes...

2010-06-22T11:40:00.002-05:00

For two days, Katie has been asking to hear the "many mittens" song in the car. Of course, I have no idea what she is talking about. I've suggested several others, but it just makes her more mad. So today I asked her if she could sing a little bit of it for me. She thought for a minute and then started singing, "In my Father's house are many mittens..." After I stopped laughing I said, "Oh, you mean 'in my Father's house are many MANSIONS!" (From Steve Green's Hide them in Your Heart, Vol. 2)

Great invention!!

2010-06-18T10:03:00.002-05:00

I wanted to let you know about an amazing product I just found. (This is not a paid endorsement, just something I thought might be useful to you.) Someday, you may have to teach your child how to swallow a pill. It is no easy task...enter ORALFLO. It is a pill swallowing cup. After weeks of trying to swallow pills, having to crush them and put them in pudding, dealing with bitter after-taste, this morning my 6 year old swallowed a pill in literally less than 2 secs. I was amazed! No gagging, choking, nothing. And this is my child who has sensory integration issues and is VERY sensitive to textures and has a STRONG gag reflex. He was thrilled!

Happy 2nd Birthday Jack!

2010-04-23T16:25:00.002-05:00

Two years ago today I held in arms a surprise gift from God. Our little Jack entered the world at 12:49 pm and my life has never been the same. He brought completeness to our home and is continually a breath of fresh air. From day 1, he has been relaxed and happy, two wonderful traits...especially for a 4th child! His smile lights up a room and his laugh is contagious. We love to hear him talk, which he does very well and very often. He loves trains and can be found most times with at least 2 in his hands. He loves his siblings and tries his hardest to do anything they are doing. He is by far our most cuddly child and still loves to put his head on your shoulder or sit in your lap.

Jack, you are a blessing to me and to our family. Although you were a surprise to us, the Lord had you planned from before the foundations of the earth. I pray that someday you will know this Great and Awesome God who brought you into being. You are a gift and we give you back to Him, thankful to be entrusted with parenting you.

Charlie loses his first tooth!

2010-04-19T08:17:00.003-05:00

Last night Charlie lost his first tooth. He's been working on it for a while. It still wasn't REALLY wiggly, so I had just told him that it needed more time and not to just yank on it. Less than a minute later, he had it out. Guess he couldn't stand it any more. He didn't cry, but started gagging when he realized it was bleeding a little. After biting a piece of gauze, he was ready for the tooth fairy! He's growing up.

Skunkville

2010-03-21T16:46:00.004-05:00

The joys of living in the country.

Charlie came running into the living room this afternoon yelling, "Mommy, there's a REAL skunk in our backyard! Really, there is, and it's ALIVE!" Sure enough, I turned to see a skunk out by Keith's shop. Keith, of course, is at work, so I grabbed the camera and the phone and called my neighbor. The skunk was nosing around in the grass and then would fall over. I was worried it might be rabid.

My neighbor graciously agreed to come and check it out for us. And that's exactly what he did...he "checked it out!" I had no idea that it would spray straight into the air when he shot it. Within a few seconds of shooting it, we could smell it INSIDE the house. A few seconds later, the smell was so strong you could taste it. GROSS!!!

I called animal control to see about having someone come and dispose of it, but they are closed today. I called a private company that deals in wildlife control. I told them I had a dead skunk in my backyard. They took my information to have someone call me back. Then they said, "There is a $399 fee to come and assess the situation, do you accept this charge?" To which I replied, "No. There's nothing to assess...He's already dead. I can show you where he is, what he is, and how he died. There will be no trapping or return visits, and he won't bite or spray." The guy sat there kind of confused. "So...you don't accept the fee?" "No." "I'll have to have someone else call you back." Don't think I'll wait by the phone.

Update...as I was writing this post, only a few minutes after the skunk was killed, Katie Beth said,
"Mommy, there's a duck by the skunk."
Me: "Katie Beth, there's no duck out there."
Katie Beth: "Yes there is Mommy. There's a duck by the skunk and he's scaring me."

I looked out the window to assure here there is no duck, only to see a HUGE buzzard crouched over the skunk. CAMERA!!!

The circle of life...

Spring Break

2010-03-21T14:07:00.007-05:00

a

This week was spring break for the boys. Keith only had Wednesday off work, so we used that as our "outing" day. We wanted to take the kids to the Frontiers of Flight museum at Love Field, but weren't sure if they are all ready for the full museum experience. So we decided at the last minute to go to the C.R. Smith Museum at the American Airlines headquarters. It is much cheaper and much smaller and they have a restored DC-3 that you can go in.

We started with a 15 minute movie that was really neat. It was done like an IMAX movie where you feel like you are flying. It explained the history and growth of American Airlines. Then we toured the exhibits. Will and Charlie did well, but we quickly realized Katie Beth and Jack are not ready for museums. Neither one wanted to stay in the stroller, but both wanted to touch everything and RUN. I was grateful for small crowds and a large open area around the DC-3. They ran and played going in and out of the plane.

After a quick bite of lunch, it was home to nap the little ones. Keith took Will and Charlie out to Weatherford to help a friend from church cut up some trees. They came home dirty and happy.

SNOW!

2010-03-21T14:03:00.002-05:00

Friday was beautiful, in the upper 60's with bright sunshine. Saturday morning we awoke to thunderstorms along the leading edge of a COLD front. The temps continued download all day with strong winds. By suppertime, we were starting to get snow pellets. The ground this morning had a light dusting of snow, not enough to get good pictures of, but snow nonetheless. How crazy to get snow on the first day of spring! Temps are supposed to be back in the 70's this week. Welcome to Texas!

My sweet Hubs!

2010-02-27T15:41:00.003-06:00

February is a month for me to celebrate my hubby. We not only have Valentine's Day, but his birthday is a week later. I know I'm running a little late on getting this post up...but let's just say that we've been busy living!

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. This thought is never far from my mind. I am continually reminded that he is unusually easy to live with. Some people require winning the argument, being right, and fighting to the death to prove their point. (That would be me.) Keith, on the other hand, would rather have peace at all costs. In order to argue with him or to hold a grudge, you have to really WORK at it. And even then, you feel really dumb because you realize very quickly that it's a one-sided fight.

I also appreciate is transparency in our relationship. He is quick to share his heart with me, and I know that there is nothing in his life that is off limits to me. If I want to know something, all I have to do is ask. He is always willing to share. I remember how odd this was for me early in our relationship. When he would get home from work I would ask, "How was work?" Fully expecting the typical "Fine", I was shocked to hear him give me a full detail report of the day's activities. At first, the details were more than I wanted, but now, I realize that he is letting me into his world. I know his job, his co-workers, his life because he has chosen to make me a part of it.

I am blessed to have a man that seeks to live according to the Word, to love me as Christ loved the church, and to honor the Lord above all. So to the best husband and friend that I would ever imagine, Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Birthday.

The Little Momma...

2010-01-22T12:31:00.001-06:00

Keith walked into Katie and Jack's room this morning to find that Katie had gotten Jack undressed, CHANGED HIS DIAPER, and was getting him dressed again. Jack was happy as a lark and the new diaper was actually on correctly! SWEET! Now my 2.5 yr old can change my 1.5 yr old! She's been correctly changing her babies, complete with wipe down and cream, for months now.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-29T21:24:00.002-06:00

Since Keith works every Christmas, our family tradition is to celebrate as a family on Christmas Eve. The plan is to have dinner, go to our church's Christmas Eve service, then home for gifts with just the six of us. This year, we invited my parents to come to dinner before all heading to church. However, the snow and ice caused the service to be cancelled, so after dinner Nana and Pappaw headed home and we opened gifts.

We got a few pictures under the tree, but none of them turned out very well. Too much going on. Each child got a favorite gift...Will's was a hard to find F-15 model airplane, Charlie's was his own DS- which he had to "earn" by learning to read, Katie Beth's was a new baby doll- which she named "Baby Gung-gung" (who knows why), and Jack loved his new Thomas the trains!

After opening gifts we tried for another picture under the tree, but it was simply too chaotic. Jack is so on-the-go he was a smear in most of the pictures.

Rare White Christmas in Fort Worth

2009-12-27T14:30:00.004-06:00

On December 23, the kids were in shorts and short sleeves shirts, enjoying the 70 degree temps. It was beautiful and sunny. The next day was completely different! Christmas Eve morning it began to snow. We had snow in the forecast for most of the day, blowing snow to be specific. The ground was so wet that it would melt as soon as it hit. But a few hours later, it began to stick, slowly at first, but gradually more and more. By mid-afternoon, the ground was white. It was beautiful! Keith got off work at 3:00pm and his normal 45 minute commute took an hour and 40 minutes. My dad had to park at our house because he couldn't get up his driveway. (They live directly behind us.) Our Christmas Eve service at church was cancelled because it was simply to dangerous to be out on the roads.

By 6:00 pm, we had several inches of ice and snow on the ground. We even had snow drifts, which never happens here. Keith was supposed to work Christmas morning at 7:00am, so the company offered all the people working A.M. shifts hotel rooms close to the airport. Keith tried to go, but literally couldn't get out of the driveway. We even have skid marks where one tire got through the ice, but the other 3 still couldn't get any traction. We put salt on the driveway, but still no luck. He ended up calling to tell them he wouldn't be able to come in, which he HATED to do, but there really wasn't a choice.

The next morning he and the boys got up and took pictures of the snow and had a snowball fight. This was the first true White Christmas in Fort Worth since 1927. We had snow flurries in 1997, but nothing stuck that time.

Bird Tree

2009-12-22T22:18:00.006-06:00

The kids are out of school, which means we need to have some sort of outlet for our energy or we'll all go crazy! This morning, I found out that Home Depot was giving away their remaining live Christmas trees. I decided we should make a "bird tree." I figured they probably look like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree by now, but for free...I could go down and look.

When we got there, I was pleasantly surprised. The trees still looked really good...shedding needles, but looking good. I got a 6 foot Frasier Fur, which had been $37 and literally walked out with it. They even trimmed the base for me, which is good because Keith was working. On the way home, we pulled over beside the median and picked up a dozen pine cones. We also stopped by Dollar Tree for some popcorn. We got it home and put it on our front porch.

During naptime, I got everything ready for the boys to make pinecone feeders. They had them done before I got a picture of them working. They enjoyed rolling them in the peanut butter and birdseed. While we waited for them to dry, we started making popcorn garland. This project started well, but they lost interest pretty quickly. (They had a great time EATING the popcorn though.)

Once we had enough done to put on the tree, we started decorating. Will and Charlie are looking forward to watching the birds enjoy their Christmas dinner. And I have to say, it turned out to be a pretty fun activity, and cost less than $10, (the majority of that was birdseed, which I now have a LOT of!)

Jack's first hair cut...

2009-12-22T21:59:00.002-06:00

I am so far behind on blogging!! I keep thinking that I'll sit down and do a power post, but it still hasn't happened. I'm assuming late is better than never so here goes...

Jack got his first haircut Dec 14. I loved his long hair and baby look, especially since this is my last baby. But, I was getting tired of the comments, and Keith was way past ready, so into the barber we went.

The boys have all had their first haircuts at Cool Cuts 4 kids, so I wanted to keep the tradition with Jack. I took him alone so that I could take some pictures. He loved all the trains to play with and that he got to watch Thomas the Tank Engine while they cut his hair. He never cried and sat really still. Even though I've done this twice before, I am still shocked by how much older they look when it's all done. He walked in a baby, but walked out a little boy. (And his mommy shed a tear...) Lots of pics, but they were just too cute. Enjoy!

Decorating the tree...

2009-12-12T15:41:00.005-06:00

Well, I meant to post these pics long before now, but it just hasn't happened. Just a few pics of us decorating our tree. Each year we move a little bit away from chaos and a little bit towards fun and managable.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

It's been a big day

2009-12-02T21:17:00.004-06:00

This morning, as the boys both got up to pee at 6:30am, Keith came back to bed saying "It's snowing outside." Of course, my response was "Yeah, right." It wasn't until the third time that I finally believed him. After getting up to look at it, I had to rush to the computer in hopes that they had cancelled school, or at least delayed the start...but it was not to be.

It was beautiful coming down and even stuck in the grass for a few hours. I felt bad that the boys didn't get to go out in it at all. It sure made decorating for Christmas a lot more fun! Thankfully, our new heating/ac system, although not completed yet, was at a stage where we could run the "emergency heat" all night. (We had no heat the night before except for space heaters. It actually wasn't that bad.)

Then, after lunch, Keith went to pick up our new rugs for our new laminate floors. They look wonderful! We decided to go with a light green color because there is already so much brown in the room. I think it really lightens up the room and I like the way it divides the two parts of the room and still provides good high traffic areas. I am LOVING my new laminate, so much easier to clean!

My heart is filled with thankfulness...

2009-11-26T14:11:00.002-06:00

~I am thankful for Keith- my husband, protector, best friend, handy man, provider, and wonderful father to our 4 kids.

~I am thankful for sweet friends who, although we may be seperated by miles, are never more than a memory away and I know I can call on day or night. They are truly my sister and I am blessed.

~I am thankful for 4 wonderful, healthy, funny, sweet, mostly-obedient, children. They have made our quiver full and my heart overflow.

~I am thankful for wonderful parents who have been married over 42 years and are an example to me of sacrificial love, commitment, and a servant's heart.

~I am thankful for a great church who intentionally is striving for Godliness. Each time I'm around this group of godly people, I am sharpened.

~I am thankful for extended family- brothers, in-laws, cousins, aunts, uncles...they are a pleasure to be with and an encouragement.

~Most of all, I am thankful for God's redemptive grace in my life. That He should love me and call me His own, redeeming me with His own life. Hallelujuah, What a Savior!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Calling all prayer warriors!

2009-11-19T20:54:00.007-06:00

This adorable little boy is named Andrew. He is the third son of my best friend Crystal and tonight he needs your prayers.

Today he sang in his preschool Thanksgiving program and was having a blast. At noon, Crystal put him down for a nap, at which point he said he couldn't get his pants off. When she tried to help him, he began projectile vomiting and had a grand mal seizure. Crystal, being a former PICU nurse, called 911. He was taken to their local hospital, where they realized he was more serious than they were prepared to treat. He was transported to Huntsville, Alabama, about 30 minutes from their home, to the bigger hospital. Although he has been conscious, he has not been responsive. He will cry and his eyes are open, but he doesn't react when you put your hand in front of his face.

I talked to Crystal's mom about 7:00 and the last she heard he was still having seizure after seizure, even though they had started a dilantin drip. They talked to Crystal about putting him on a ventilator, even though he was still breathing and she asked that they go ahead in case things got worse.

As of 8:00 tonight, the news is better, but still not good. He is stable and has stopped seizing, but is very drugged. His CT scan, toxicology screen, and blood work are all clear...which is great news, but still leaves the question "Then what is it?" He is starting to fight the vent, which is a good sign, so they are hoping to start weaning him tonight and disconnect it as soon as possible. The neurologist will begin his full work up in the morning.

Please pray for God to make Andrew's brain rest. Pray that there will be no lasting effects from all the seizures. (One of his seizures lasted 30 minutes!) Pray they will find the cause quickly and that it will be very treatable. We are thankful that we serve a mighty God! We are reminded that everything comes from the Hand of the Father...good and bad...Nothing happens except that God's hand has done it. No tragedy, no inconvenience, no blessing, but all are from God.

"Hive" got 'em!

2009-11-11T22:20:00.003-06:00

Yesterday afternoon I experienced something new. Keith and I went on a date to look at some carpet samples. (That's not new, but more on that later.) When we got home, I noticed that I had 3-5 red dots on my thigh and on my arm. I assumed they were scratches or bites or some other small irritant that my fair skin seems prone to show. I headed out to get Charlie at school. By the time I had picked him up, the 3-5 spots on my upper arm had grown together and were now a blistering welt the size of a quarter. I thougt, "Oh no, did I get into poison ivy somewhere?" I still had to pick Will up, but now I was starting to itch. I knew better than to scratch, but it was hard. By the time I got home, my upper arm welts were now softball size with another one beside it tennis ball size. I took a shower to wash off anything that might be on my skin. That's when I noticed the welts on my stomach. I decided I should go to the urgent care center since my doctor's office was already closed.

I sat there for an hour and a half and by the time I saw the doctor, my torso was about 90% covered, my back was about 60%, my upper legs were about 50% front and back and the inside of both arms were almost solid. (only 3.5 hours after I first noticed the spots.)

Turns out...the official diagnosis is... "You are allergic to ....

SOMETHING!"

Wow, that took years of medical school. The doctor said we may never know what caused it. I got a steroid shot in the office as well as some oral meds. He also wants my to start carrying an epi pen, just in case whatever "it" is closes my airway next time. We'll see...

This morning I woke up and it was completely gone! I've had nothing all day...until I got ready to take my shower tonight. That's when I noticed these little red dots again. It's NOTHING like yesterday, but I guess I'll be starting the oral steroids. I called back to Care Now and they said this can last up to 4-6 weeks! Are you kidding me? I started to remind her they only gave me 21 days of steroids. So if I'm a little emotional, angry, start growing facial hair, crave food at all hours of the night, etc...it's not me...it's the steroids talkin'.

A big day for Charlie...

2009-11-09T14:15:00.000-06:00

Today, Charlie reached a new milestone and with that, began a new journey. This new journey takes Charlie another step away from me and into a whole new world for all of us. It also is testing my faith. Today was Charlie's first day of "real" kindergarten at a local public school.

This decision was so difficult to make and we wavered MANY times! Homeschooling was going well, but I could tell that there was so much more he needed. Keith and I talked and prayed and got counsel and talked (and of course, I've cried.) I don't feel like a failure with homeschooling, but for Charlie, I think he simply needs more than I can offer. I found out that the school we are slated to go to is full for kindergarten, so we have to go to the overflow school, which happens to be the best one in the district and the one I had really wanted to go to. We wondered if God was beginning to open the door. I met with the lower school principal at Covenant on October 29. She was so helpful and gave great suggestions. When I told her some of my concerns and hopes for Charlie, and that we were considering starting him in public school, she whole-heartedly agreed. It was another step of confirmation for us. Then, last Monday, Keith and I took Charlie back to Scottish Rite for the results of his testing he had done in August. We were there over 2 hours. The results of his test again showed that he needs more than I can do. He shows signs of dyslexia, but is too young to be able to tell for sure. They agree that there are some definite delays and inabilities to do age-appropriate behavior. For instance, he has no phonemic awareness, meaning he can repeat words, but it's all one sound to him, not a first, middle and ending sound. This has to be in place before a child can learn to read. This is one of the markers for dyslexia. They suggested that we check into Child Study Center and get their recommendations. We mentioned that we were considering public school for him. The lady from Scottish Rite was so sweet. She said, "We see hundreds of homeschoolers each year and for many of the kids, it's the perfect situation because the parents can tailor the education to their child's needs and implement our programs more easily. I have no problem with homeschooling and would never suggest that you change. However, if you are already considering moving him, in this situation I would highly recommend it." Keith and I had the confirmation we needed. So on Tuesday, I went to Blue Haze Elementary School and picked up the enrollment packet. On Wednesday, Charlie and I went back to turn in the paperwork and met with the principal to give her a heads up. We both agreed it would be best for him to start on Monday.

So today was the big day. He was excited and kept telling Will, "I'm going to my new school." He has to be there at 7:30am and we were able to walk him in today and meet the teacher, Ms. Mayer. She was very welcoming and assured us that she was there to help and not to hesitate if we had any questions or concerns.

The Lord has paved the way for us. Had we not chosen to homeschool, he would not have been able to go to Blue Haze. I found out that the principal goes to Normandale Baptist Church and his teacher goes to Grace Baptist Church. I gave the teacher a note this morning letting her know that we believe God has picked her for Charlie and that we will be praying for her and for the class this year.

I can hardly wait to hear how it went!!

Stonecipher family outing

2009-11-09T11:00:00.002-06:00

This past weekend was the second annual Stonecipher Family getaway. We made our second trip to McKinney to overnight together and have some family bonding. The place we stayed has a half-court gym, a giant game room with ping pong, pool table, etc.. and best of all, an indoor heated pool. (You can guess where the kids spent most of their time. Although we didn't get much sleep with all of us on the gym floor, we had a wonderful time. I love that my kids are growing up getting to spend time with their cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

More partying!

2009-11-02T20:43:00.003-06:00

On Friday, we had Will's friend party at Pump it Up. Our kids don't have school in the morning, so we opted for an early party, 9:15-11:15am. I was called the day before to confirm all the details.

At 9:00, we arrived at Pump it Up, as scheduled to get everything ready before the guests arrived. To our surprise, the door was locked. We stood outside, in the cold, for almost 10 minutes waiting as our guests begin to arrive. Thankfully Keith was with me because we had our 4 kids plus 2 more kids to wrangle on the sidewalk. I called the reservation number and talked to a lady who confirmed our party and said she would call me right back. When she called, she let me know that she had had to call someone else in to open the building and that it would be another 10 minutes. By this time, all my guests have arrived, many with their other children, so we are all standing out in the cold. Finally at 9:30, a girl arrived to open the door and start the party. I felt sorry for her, you could tell she wasn't supposed to be at work and had just gotten out of bed. I apologized for getting her day off to a running start, but she was really sweet about it. The girl who was supposed to be there finally showed up at almost 10:00. Apparently she had slept through her alarm. They did compensate me some for my trouble, which was much appreciated. The kids did really well and had a blast playing on the sidewalk and in the building. (Only later did I realize I never got any pics of us outside. ARGH!)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Celebrating Will!

2009-11-01T14:02:00.006-06:00

We celebrated Will's birthday for 3 days straight. He didn't seem to mind.

Keith had to work the evening of Will's birthday, so we opened gifts before he went to school. He got a snorkel set and a fishing pole. He can't wait to use them both.

With no time for donuts, we enjoyed some fresh apple bread a friend had made for us the day before. YUM!

I took cookies up to share with his class at lunch. They had classroom lunch, so it made it really fun to just be with his group. Many of these kids have been with him for kindergarten, first and now second grade so they are sweet friends to us. His teacher had a ribbon for him to wear that said "It's my Birthday." I thought that was really sweet. I'm so glad that he's still at an age where he likes to have me in the classroom and lights up when I come in.

Happy Birthday Will!

2009-10-29T13:54:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that 8 years ago today, I was holding my first born son in my arms. I was so thrilled that he was here, healthy and a boy! Keith named him "William", which is Keith's first name, and "Dale", after my dad. Since day one, he has been a sweet, compliant child.

He is SO smart and nothing gets by him. After our recent trip to the caverns in Alabama, I was telling my parents about it. I was saying that the opening is supposed to be the largest cave opening in the world. Will chimed in and said, "Yeah, it's 126 feet wide and 25 feet tall." I looked at Keith in disbelief. I guess he overheard the park ranger and retained the information. I don't even remember them telling us. And that is just how he is, his brain is a little sponge and soaks in everything and can then recall that info. Amazing!

He loves soccer, baseball, school, his siblings, and mashed potatoes. His favorite toy is by far Legos! He spends hours every day building, rebuilding and modifying. One of his birthday gifts was a Lego set for ages 8-14. He sat down and had the entire 407 pieces built correctly in less than 40 minutes...by HIMSELF! He was so proud and so excited that he immediately took it apart and did it again, this time in about 25 minutes. I think you get the picture.

God, Thank you for my wonderful son Will and for the blessing he is to me. My heart rejoices over him! Please continue to work in his heart and call him to be Yours.

Will, Happy 8th birthday! Mommy and Daddy love you so much and are so proud of you!

I should never plan a party...

2009-10-24T13:54:00.002-05:00

Last month I planned a joint family birthday party for Will and Charlie. The day before the party, we passed Hand, Foot, Mouth around our family and had to cancel the party. I rescheduled it for today, surprisingly, everyone could still come. Well, of course, Jack started running fever Thursday night. I figured it was a reaction to his vaccines early in the day. Friday morning, Keith had to wake him up at 8:30am and his fever was still high. He laid around all morning and even let me rock him for a hour. Sure enough, I took him to the doctor and what-do-ya-know, it's the swine flu.

So again, we have cancelled the birthday party and had to reschedule it. Jack started Tamiflu last night and is feeling great today. No fever since last night, appetite is back up and he is running with the big kids. Hopefully no one else will get it, although I'd rather us all get it now than spread it out for the next 2 weeks.

I'll keep you posted.

The Katies

2009-10-19T21:17:00.005-05:00

Before leaving Fort Worth, I got matching outfits for the girls. The last day, we dressed them up and did a little photo shoot. It was the most animated the girls had been with each other all weekend. (we know now to do that on the first day.) After I got a few good shots, I told them they could go play, but neither one wanted to leave, so we just sat and played with the camera.

Girls, can you give each other a hug? Ok, or a kiss is fine too...

I hope this is the next generation of BEST FRIENDS!

Our Last Day

2009-10-19T20:55:00.009-05:00

Monday was our last day. Keith wanted to take the boys fishing one more time, so they headed over to the pond. Keith caught another one, but the boys didn't get anything.

I may be fishin', but I can always stop to look at an airplane!

We had plans that afternoon and evening to go to a nearby park, but rain changed those plans. The kids did great playing inside together. All the adults sat around visiting and marveling that we had 8 kids ages 1-8 under one roof for 4 days and there was not one argument or disagreement the entire time.

Tuesday morning we got up and left their house at 4:45am. The kids went right back to sleep in the car, they were worn out! The flight was wide open, but we sat in the very back again. (closer to the bathrooms) When traveling with car seats, they have to be in the window seat. Both boys were begging to sit by the window, but we kept explaining that the babies had to be there. The flight attendant pulled me aside and said, "This flight is going to be pretty empty if they want to sit across from you." So Will sat in one row by himself and Charlie sat behind him all by himself. They both did great. I sat there watching them during the flight as they ate their snacks and played with their games, wondering how in the world my little boys got so big and wondering how the time goes so fast.

As we were walking through the airport at Love Field, I looked over at one of the gates and saw Herb Kelleher standing there waiting to check in for a flight to Houston. He didn't have anyone around him, so I walked up and asked if he would mind talking a picture with our family. (I knew he would love it, he's a HUGE people-person.) I told him Keith was a dispatcher for Southwest and we had just flown in from Birmingham. He was so sweet to visit with us for a few minutes and take a picture. Thanks Herb! (For those of you who don't know who he is, he was guy who came up with the idea of Southwest Airlines and was its President and CEO for YEARS!)
We were back home by 11:00 Tuesday morning.

Cliftons, thanks for another great trip! The food was delicious, the fellowship sweet, and the friendship priceless!

Sunday, Fun-day

2009-10-18T22:02:00.004-05:00

Sunday we went to church with Chris and Crystal. They have just started teaching in the 7th and 8th grade Sunday School and they did a great job. It brought back so many memories of being that age...and I still don't want to go back to it!

That afternoon, we put the little ones down for much needed naps! Keith and Chris took the big boys across the street to their neighbor's fishing pond. Our boys had never really even cast before, but they did great learning. Parker and Luke were so sweet to share their rods. Both boys caught their first fish all on their own and now they are "HOOKED"! (sorry, I had to say it)

Cathedral Caverns

2009-10-18T21:14:00.008-05:00

The Girls

The Boys

This group is not easy to photograph!

Saturday morning we drove about an hour away from the Cliftons house to Cathedral Caverns. Our kids had never been to a cavern before. We played and took pictures while we waited for the guided tour to start. It had been rainy and was cool, but thankfully was not raining while we were there.

I used a hiking back pack carrier for Jack and we took the double umbrella stroller for Katie Beth and Katie Marie to ride in. It worked out really well. When we started the tour, they said it would last about an hour and 45 minutes. I wasn't sure if we'd last that long, but all 8 kids did GREAT! Jack even slept a little bit and neither one of the girls ever asked to get out of the stroller. The tour was really interesting and although I tend to be very claustrophobic, the cavern was so huge that it really wasn't a problem.

All that riding in the stroller wore Katie Beth out!

That night, Crystal had arranged for a couple of babysitters to come and stay with the kids so the adults could have a night on the town. We went to PF Changs and walked around a neat shopping area in Huntsville known as Bridge Street. (Still kicking myself that I forgot the camera!) So great to have adult conversation! I told Keith when we got back to the house, "The best part is, we still have 2 more days here!"

Sweet Home Alabama

2009-10-18T20:05:00.003-05:00

EARLY (5:00 am) in the morning of October 9, Keith and I loaded the car with 4 sleeping children and headed out in the rain to Love Field. We were headed to our 7:50am flight to Birmingham, Alabama to go see my dear friend Crystal and her family. Traffic was a little heavy for so early, so we knew we were going to miss the Southwest employee shuttle to the airport. We decided to park at The Parking Spot which is closer and has shuttles running constantly. (We also get an employee discount there.) It was so nice to have the shuttle meet us at our car, and have the driver help us load all our stuff in the rain.

We got to the airport in plenty of time. We looked like quite a sight with 4 kids, a double stroller, 2 car seat, 2 suitcases, 4 carry-ons and Katie and Jack both holding their blankets and bears. We went straight to the ticket counter and ditched the suitcases. Then we headed to the gate.

The 7:50am flight was our first choice, as it was a non-stop flight. Unfortunately, it was looking pretty full and had 22 stand-bys listed. Thankfully, there was a flight at 8:00am that went through Houston and it looked wide open. We decided to check the 7:50 flight just in case. The agent said that it didn't look good, but to wait and see. A few minutes later, he called our names to board. Turns out the weather had delayed an incoming flight and those passengers were not going to make the flight. Jack ended up having to sit in my lap as EVERY seat was taken, but we were just thankful to be on. All the kids were picture perfect on the flight. We sat on the very last row of the airplane. Once we go to Birmingham, an older man 2 rows up turned around and said, "You know, when I saw you coming back here with all those kids I thought, 'Oh no!' But you know what, I have never seen such well-behaved children on a plane. They were a pleasure to fly with. You are truly blessed." What a compliment! We made sure we told the kids about it on our drive and bragged on them.

After an hour and a half drive from Birmingham to Priceville, we got to Chris and Crystal's house right at lunch time. Of course, Crystal being the Martha Stewart that she is, had lunch cooked and waiting for us. Chris came home early and we spent the rest of the day visiting and catching up with each other. The kids were so excited to see each other!

Out with the old...in with the new!

2009-10-08T14:06:00.003-05:00

When we bought our house, we knew the garage door was starting to rot and sag. Then, not long after we moved in, an unnamed child accidentally broke one of the panes and it has been taped ever since. However, it became a back burner project when we had so many other things today.

Recently though, the sagging got so bad that it broke another pane. We knew it was only a matter of time until the door fell down on us or a car. Well today was delivery day!!!

Out with the old...

...in with the new!

Charlie acted as on-site foreman, even getting the workman a much needed Dr. Pepper.

We're on the mend...

2009-10-05T13:17:00.002-05:00

Ahh, a whole week with no fever. We still have allergy snot and coughs, but nothing contagious, viral or bacterial! YEAH!!! I never did get hand, foot, and mouth...guess I've already had that strand. Keith had it the worst with VERY painful throat blisters lasting a full week. But now we are back on the road to recovery.

It's a good thing we are all healing because this Friday we will be leaving for Alabama to see my sweet friend Crystal and her family. We drove out there in March, but we are going to fly this time. I just don't think 14 hours in a car with 4 kids is a good way to start a vacation! We are going to do an extended weekend there since this weekend is Columbus Day. I can't wait! I'll come with plenty of pictures I'm sure.

Other than that, life is status quo. School continues, kids need bathing, house needs cleaning, noses need wiping, etc...

Take one down, pass it around...

2009-09-27T22:08:00.002-05:00

Viruses that is! Last Sunday, Jack started running 103+ fever. He stayed sick for two days with high fever and very cranky. Flu and Strep tests were negative, the doctor said a 48 virus was going around. Tuesday afternoon, Katie comes down with it. Same symptoms...sudden onset of high fever, cranky. Thursday afternoon, Keith comes home from hunting with Charlie...you guessed it, fever but he excluded the cranky for my sake. :) I had to take Charlie in that afternoon for his 6 year old well check. As we were waiting in the waiting room, he snuggled up in my lap. Hmm, he feels a little warm. Yep, another one down. He was running 102.8 and in no mood for a well check, let me tell ya! Don't ask a kid with a raging fever what shape he sees on the chart with one eye covered, or if he can stand on one foot and touch his nose. It doesn't go well. They did a flu test on him just to be sure, but I felt certain it would be negative and it was.

Friday, Keith said that his throat was killing him. He went in for a strep culture, which came back negative although he has all the symptoms. That night he starting telling me that his hands and feet were hurting. I started putting it all together and Dr. Mom has diagnosed this rampant virus as Hand, Foot, Mouth disease. Jack only got a few blisters, so I didn't think of it then. Katie didn't have any external blisters, but I'm thinking she had them in her mouth because she kept telling me, "My tongue hurts Mommy." Keith has more blisters, on his hand, feet, head and mouth.

This morning, we were finally fever free for over 24 hours, so we loaded up and went to church. (Keith stayed home because his feet and hands are still so sore.) After Sunday School, Will told me he was FREEZING! He had sat in SS with his knees tucked up under his shirt. We headed home and sure enough...102. I should have known better. No blisters or sore throat yet, but he says his head really hurts.

So I guess it's down to me, the lone survivor. The way I have it figured, it will hit me tomorrow night when Keith is back to work, Will is feeling better and I have all 4 kids by myself. 'Cuz ya know, that's just how it goes!

Happy Birthday Charlie!!

2009-09-24T07:00:00.003-05:00

Today my second born will turn 6 years old! I can hardly believe it! Charlie is one of the sweetest children I know. He loves people, animals and anything else he feels he can nurture. Charlie has the ability to make you feel like you are the most important person in the world...like you and he have a special connection unlike anything he has with anyone else. I can't tell you how often people come up to me and say, "I think I have a new boyfriend." or "That little Charlie is the sweetest thing! He and I have really clicked."

Just 6 years ago today, I experienced my shortest and most pleasant labor and delivery. I sat staring in amazement at this dark-haired, big eyed, tan little bundle. At first, I wasn't sure that he could be mine. (He looked nothing like any of us.) But it didn't take 2 seconds for me to be hooked and to know that I loved him.

Charlie has always been my sensitive, caring, emotional one. He loves to tell a story and is so animated. He can't just tell you what happened, his whole body has to get involved, especially those big brown eyes. He can make you laugh without even trying. (Like the other night when Keith tooted and Charlie said, without missing a beat or looking up from his activity..."Good one, Dad!")

My sweet Charlie, I love you more than you'll ever know. You bring a smile to my face and a joy to my heart! I can't wait to see what God has in store for you. I pray that He will make you His own soon and that your heart will be soft to Him. You are a blessing to our family.

Whew! What a weekend...

2009-09-22T21:05:00.004-05:00

I got to go on another scrapbook retreat with my mom this weekend. We go to a place called Compass Centre outside of Hillsboro. We've been going there for a few years now and it's always a treat. This year, I was able to go on Thursday-Sunday. I usually get about 45 pages done in the weekend, but this weekend I was able to crank out 69!!! I couldn't believe it! I guess I just got in the groove...that and I got VERY little sleep. I averaged about 5-6 hours of sleep a night. A HUGE thanks to my spectacular hubby for taking over with the kids and letting me go. It was a much needed break and productive at the same time. Anybody want to come with me when we go in March?

As I was packing up to head home on Sunday, Keith called to let me know that Jack had spiked a fever and was running 103. He didn't sleep much Sunday night and didn't nap well Monday, so I decided to take him in just in case. All the tests came back clear. Turns out there is a 48 hour virus going around that runs a high fever. He is back to his old self today, except for getting all 4 molars at once. But tonight Katie Beth started running 103. Hopefully she will sleep tonight, but I did get a cat nap in today if I'm in for another all nighter. Now if we can just keep the germs contained!

First day of School

2009-09-08T20:38:00.007-05:00

Today was the first day of school. I can't believe that Will is now in second grade. He got right up this morning, got dressed, and started making his lunch without me saying a word. I think he was waiting for the clock to say 7:00 so he could hop up and was ready to go out the door by 7:20. (We didn't have to leave until 8:00.) He likes his teacher and has 14 kids in his class. He's really excited that our new school property has a playground and said that was his favorite thing about school today.

In many ways, it was an even bigger day for Charlie. Not only was it his first day of kindergarten, it was also our first day of homeschooling. Although I was very apprehensive going into it, today went MUCH better than I could have imagined. The Lord gave us grace and it FAR exceeded anything I thought possible. We got started about 8:45am at 8:52am we were into our first discipline issue. I knew it wouldn't take long and was prepared. I gave him a few chances to obey, then we went the paddle. We went back to working, still no compliance, so thankfully the principal was in his office, so he was able to intervene. After that, it was pretty smooth sailing. I think he even started to enjoy it by the end. We took a 30 recess/snack time and we still were done by 10:45am. I am hoping to get everything down to 90 minutes or less, but it will just take time.

I really had prepared for the worse and had LOW expectations of how much we'd get done, but he did really well. As long as I'm not asking him to write anything, he's fine. Hopefully once I get our handwriting book, he will get more confident with his writing. They are also working on that in Occupational Therapy each week.

Katie's new "do" and a music treat!

2009-08-31T22:09:00.005-05:00

I did Katie's hair tody in "piggie buns" for the first time. They looked SO cute! I tried to get a picture showing both of them, but she kept turning her head. She was proud of them too. (I LOVE having a girl!) And now, for your viewing pleasure...

End of summer fun!

2009-08-31T20:45:00.012-05:00

Summer is coming to an end. We still have a little over a week until school starts, so we are getting in all the fun we can.

We took the big boys to Incredible Pizza last week and left the babies at home to nap. We didn't tell the boys where we were going. Charlie kept saying that he just wanted to go home to stay with Mrs. Allison. We got there just about noon and the place was empty. (I figured it would be the third day of school at noon.) On Wednesday, they have an offer for 90 minutes of unlimited games for $12. (That's a really good deal 'cuz this place ain't cheap!) We ate first. While we were eating, there were three firemen sitting next to us. The boys wanted to go talk to them, but I kept putting them off. Finally I said, "What are you going to say?" They hadn't thought of that yet. We talked about thanking them for their service and what that meant. They finally got up to go and froze beside our table. Then they started pushing each other saying "you go first, no you, no you first..." It was hilarious after they'd been begging to go. When they finally went, the firemen were so nice, and even gave them sticker badges to wear. They invited them to come to the fire station anytime we were in the area.

Next it was on to the games!

We did go-karts first, many times! The boys couldn't drive, but loved riding. We raced each other and the guy running it even let us go faster than we were supposed to because it was just us. Then Will found a fighter pilot game and was HOOKED!
Charlie bounced around to different games, but I think the go-karts were his favorite. I didn't get many pictures because it was so dark in there, but we had a great time. We have also been spending some time playing outside swimming at our neighbor's house and playing in our little pool.
All of the kids love the water. We even set up the pool so they could have their own water slide. They have a BLAST! Katie is big enough to do it this year and to tell you the truth, I wish I was a kid again.
Our slide is really fast and literally gets you airborne at the end.
Jack enjoyed the water but also enjoyed just swingin'.

Jack also learned how to crawl up the little slide and go down by himself. He kept laughing and saying, "Whee, Whee!"

Not much going on here.

2009-08-21T21:14:00.002-05:00

Not much to update you on. We are enjoying our last few weeks of summer. We don't start school until September 8, so we are going to try to get a few more outings in before then.

Charlie did his first testing session with Scottish Rite today. It lasted about 2 hours with a break in the middle. He seemed to be content being there and was given a prize when he was done. Afterwards, I took him to play on their REALLY neat play area. They will mail me an appointment date for our second appointment and go over result and suggestions then. They gave us no indications today.

While I was waiting for him, I went through my homeschooling catalog and finally decided on our curriculum for this next year. We will be using "Little Hearts for His Glory" from Heart of Dakota. This comes highly recommended from several friends and homeschooling authorities. It is pretty much "kindergarten in a bag." There is almost no preparation to be done other than looking over the lesson the day before. After reading over it today, I'm even more excited about it. She really tries to bring learning to life, LOTS of hands on activities, which will be great for Charlie.

Other than that it is status quo around here. Except that Katie is climbing out of bed like you wouldn't believe. It's mostly when you put her down to sleep, but she's even gotten up some in the middle of the night. The bad part is, she's very quiet, so I don't hear her until she comes to stand by our bed. The other night Keith heard her about 2:45am and decided to follow her to see what she would do. She went to the pantry, got a granola bar, went to her favorite hiding place in the living room and ate it. She was up about 20 mins before Keith intervened, spanked her, and sent her back to bed. A friend suggested a sleep sack (which she calls her sleeping bag)so that she couldn't crawl out of her crib. That kept her in her bed before the first nap, but she came walking in with it on when she woke from that nap. Now she is taking it off and getting up. So tonight I put it on her backwards. Hopefully it will help. I don't know what else to do. I think she'd figure out a sleep tent too quickly for the $70 they cost.

So that's our story...for now.

Death is not dying...

2009-08-10T21:30:00.003-05:00

A sweet friend at church posted this on her website a few months ago and I kept meaning to watch it. I finally did last night and regret that I didn't do it sooner.

This is the testimony of a dear Sister in Christ who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. She passed away on July 2, 2009 at the young age of 37. I would encourage you to make some time to watch it. It is 55 minutes long, so do it when you will not be interrupted. May God grow my faith!

Update on our friends...

2009-08-10T21:25:00.002-05:00

Just an update on Brett and Allison's adoption story. Things are moving along really well. They keep running into roadblocks, and then the Lord shows Himself again and works out the details sometimes within hours. He is proving time and time again to be orchestrating every detail of this entire process.

Brett and Allison have chosen to name him Elliott Duncan. He is doing really well in the NICU, off oxygen, still on tube feeds, but everything is totally normal for a baby born at his gestation. They hope to go meet him later this week. This meeting has been YEARS in the making. Oh to be a fly on the wall...

Please continue to pray for all the legalities to be worked out and that little Elliott would be able to come HOME soon. I'll post a new picture as soon as we get one.

Will you pray for our friends?

2009-08-02T13:48:00.004-05:00

Keith and I have dear friends at church who have been waiting for a baby from China for over 2 years now. (They've been in process much longer than that.) Heartbreakingly, the wait gets longer and longer. China is only processing 4.5 adoptions a month for ALL agencies in the U.S. That means they are not expected to get a baby until 2014-2015! It's almost unbelievable.

They have been praying for wisdom as to what God would have them do. They recently found out about an unwed mother in TN who already has a 2 yr old that her mother is raising. The girl is not interested in having this baby either. Brett and Allison were able to go meet the mother last weekend and had a good visit. (She is due Oct. 8.) However, things moved into high gear this last week when she unexpectantly went into labor and delivered the baby on Thursday. The baby is in the NICU, but is doing well. He has pneumonia, but is off the vent and holding his own. He weighed 3lbs 10 ozs at birth. There are still LOTS of details to be worked out and a lot of legalities to push through, as this was MUCH earlier than expected and nothing has been done yet. Will you pray for this baby, his birth mother and for Brett and Allison? They are being cautiously guarded at this point, and the birth mother is being somewhat difficult. Please pray for the health of this little one, salvation for his mother, and that God would fill the longing arms of Brett and Allison with this little boy. He is expected to be in the NICU up to 30 days, but they should know if they are going to get him in the next 10 days. I'll keep you posted.

Pressing on for my Charlie

2009-07-26T21:37:00.002-05:00

I haven't given any updates on Charlie lately. I'll hit some of the high points to catch you up to speed.

As most of you know, after much prayer, talking, counsel, and soul-searching, we have decided to homeschool Charlie next year. It was a monumental decision for us and one that we do not make lightly. As parents, we are entrusted with our children's lives. That is not a responsibility that comes easy. Keith and I felt that for this year, it was in Charlie's best interest to be at home with us. As a sweet friend told me, "No one knows Charlie better than you do and no one wants to see him succeed more than you do." For this and MANY other reasons, we are excited to have him home this year. Although I never felt that I would be homeschooling, the more I look into it, the more excited I am. (That's not to say that I'm not overwhelmed too.) But I'm trying to go into this very realistically, realizing that there will be good days and bad days...but on EVERY day God's grace will be sufficient to equip me for the task.

In the meantime, we are pursuing further testing so that we can try to find how he best learns and how to overcome some of the obstacles he faces. He is fearfully and wonderfully made...we'd just like a little more info on that!

Part of that testing was to see a geneticist to rule out anything there. We got the results this week and everything there looks clear. We are to see her again next year for a follow-up to check his progress. As she said, "There are some anomalies and these tests will not rule everything out. However, he seems to be thriving at this point, so let's check-in again in a year." We are thankful for this good report.

Part 2 of the testing was to be evaluated by a speech therapist and occupational therapist. We saw the OT 2 weeks ago and have had our first session with her. She will work on his sensory integration issues (which will hopefully help with his frustration level and teach his body how to process different types of stimulation.) We were evaluated by the SLP (speech and language pathologist) this week and that meeting was very eye opening. It was one of those rare times that you take your car into the shop and the mechanic hears the "knocking" or you take your kid to the doctor and he hears the awful cough. Charlie exhibited almost all the behaviors that I see on a daily basis.

(This may get long, but I'm trying to keep a full record for myself of this journey.) Charlie was tested by a SLP student with the regular SLP observing and helping. I was permitted to come in and watch. After introductions were made, they asked him to sit down and put on headphones. The student put hers on, but Charlie was very apprehensive. We even let him put them on his penguin first. He never acted meanly or belligerent, just very hesitant. After 2-3 minutes, he finally put them on and immediately started pushing his hands together the way he does when he is getting emotionally overwhelmed. He never lost his temper or got frustrated, you could just tell that he was not processing all this well. He kept looking at me with his big brown eyes with this look that said, "I want to please you, but I'm scared." It broke my heart, but I sat and smiled at him and told him what a good job he was doing.

The first part of the test was listening to a series of 4 numbers being said and then he was to repeat them out loud. They did a few examples and each time when asked to repeat them, he would sweetly say "I don't know." They did a few for him, then started the test. I told him that his penguin couldn't hear the numbers and that Charlie needed to tell penguin so he could hear too. This helped a little to at least get him to try. However, out of 10 sequences, he was unable to repeat any of them entirely. (Strangely, he could remember 2 of the 4 numbers, but never the one in the third place.) They went on to a part of the test that sees if the patient can discriminate high and low tones. For example, "high, high, low" would be the answer. They tried for several minutes to get this, but he never could even answer these. They decided to skip this and go on to phonetic discrimination. They would play a sample that was static with a phonetic sound thrown in and he was to repeat the sound. Again, many examples were given and he was unable to do even one of the sounds. He sat there with that look of wanting to please, but simply not understanding what to do. Every answer was, "I don't know." They ended this test and went on to the next thing.

(During the first test, the regular SLP and I used sign language back and forth. She asked if he was ok with all of this. I told her that this is very typical for him. That if he is faced with a task that is unfamiliar, hard, or if he thinks he won't get it right, he simply shuts down and won't try.)

During the next test, they used a flip chart and started with things like, point to the cat that is not black, point to the cat in the box, etc... Charlie starting flying through this part of the test. You could see the life come back in his eyes and he became much more animated and interactive. He continued to look at me for approval and I kept giving him the "thumbs up." The questions covered things like, which one doesn't belong?, and what did he do first?, etc... At one point, she asked, "Where is your elbow?" He looked on the flip chart, but there was no elbow there. She said, "No, where is YOUR elbow." He touched his elbow. "Now where is your forehead." He pointed there. "Where are your eyelashes?" Immediately he got nervous and with a shaky smile said, "I don't know." She asked again. Same response. Wisely, the regular SLP stepped in. "Charlie, where is your toe?" He looked back and said quitely, "I don't know." "Well then, where is your nose?" He again quitely said, "I don't know." Trying not to cry and run out of the room with him, I smiled at the therapist and nodded my head. This is it! This is what happens every time. He knows where his toes and nose are, but when he was unsure of his eyelashes, he shut down. He simply was afraid to move on. He wanted to please, and wasn't acting up, but his confidence was gone and he had shut down. They were able to engage him again and finish the test. The student took him to play in the gym while the therapist and I talked.

I told her I was so glad that she had seen what she did. It's not only the lack on information that concerns me, it's his confidence and fear of trying. She said there are definitely some issues and things that they could work on. She asked what his plans were for school and I told her that we are going to homeschool him. She asked if I had checked into getting him services through the school system. I told her that he had been tested and did not qualify for any services. She asked if I had a teaching background. I told her I didn't, but that have a great support system and many friends who are homeschooling and that I had been homeschooled some. This is usually the part where I get the lecture about the preparedness and experience of the public schools to handle kids like Charlie and that I need to consider placing him there to get him help. To my surprise, she said, "I think what you are doing is really brave. I'm not sure I'd be able to, but I think you're doing just what he needs." I asked her about types of curriculum, such as phonics. She said to wait until she'd had a few sessions with him before picking anything out. I told her that I have a feeling we will need to start with preschool stuff in the fall and then maybe move to kindergarten things in a few months. She wholeheartedly agreed saying that he really needs to feel confident that he will be able to do school. (Turns out that was what she had done with the flip chart test. She started it VERY easy hoping to build his confidence so that when the harder parts came, he would be more willing to try.) I already like her.

So...we will be going to SLP/OT twice a week for a while and we'll see how things go. Thankfully, Charlie likes going and looks forward to it. We also have been accepted at Scottish Rite for their learning disability testing center. We will go there sometime in September. And that's where we are right now.

I love him! Of all my kids, he is by far the most caring and sensitive. I am so thankful that the Lord has given him a soft heart and I pray that it will be used for His glory. I pray that this year, the Lord will make his heart sensitive to Him and will draw Charlie to Himself.

Sundays...

2009-07-19T15:18:00.002-05:00

Sundays are hard when you're little. This is how I found Katie Beth this morning after church.

After the funeral...

2009-07-13T22:56:00.002-05:00

By the time lunch was done, the kids were ready to hit the road and we knew we needed to start the journey home. But before we left, we had a few things left to do. Growing up, you couldn't come to Magnolia without going to the bakery and getting a gingerbread man. You also got quarters from Poppa every year at Thanksgiving time. These quarters came from the aluminum cans he had collected all year. (Most of his "can" money went to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering for missions, but he saved a few dollars for each grandchild.) That money was to be used to buy Christmas gifts for your family. After Poppa died, they found quarters Poppa had saved. It was enough to give each great-grandchild $2.50. So on our way out of town, we each stopped by the Magnolia Bake Shop on the square and used Poppa's quarters to buy gingerbread men. For some of these kids, it was their first visit and probably their last.

Then we drove past both of my grandparent's old houses. They haven't changed much in the last few years. Strange to think I'll never be in them again.

Funeral Part 2

2009-07-13T22:29:00.002-05:00

Saturday morning we met at the church for visitation at 9:00am. I thought there was a good turnout, especially considering that he was 87 years old and many of his peers have already gone on to be with the Lord. It was good to visit with the extended family, many of whom I haven't seen in several years.

At 10:00am, we moved into the chapel (which happens to be the same room my parents got married) and started the service. Steve Ford did the service and did a WONDERFUL job. His parents and my granparents had been friends for probably 60 years, so my grandfather was more like an uncle to him than just another person in the church. There were several points in the service where he got choked up and you could tell that this service was very personal to him. He did a great job of honoring Poppa but also pointing us to Jesus and challenging us to live the way Poppa did in so many areas of his life.

Because the temperatures were 100+, there was no graveside service, but the pallbearers had to take the body to the cemetary. I rode with them to get pictures for mom and her siblings. After that, it was back to the church for a delicious meal made by the people of the church. (He had been a member there 3 weeks shy of 60 years.) I have so many memories of Sunday School in that church and sitting with Grandma while Poppa belted out a solid bass line in the choir.

Poppa will certainly be missed. As the preacher said, "He may not have left you mountains of gold and rivers of silver, but he left you something much more valuable... a godly legacy." I can remember waking up in the mornings at his house to hear him reading Scripture to my grandmother and then hearing them pray for the daily missionary list. He was always active in his Sunday School class, and my grandmother taught for years. He sang in the choir until he literally couldn't get up there anymore. Their activity in church was not because it was the right thing to do, or because they enjoyed the social interaction, it was because they loved the Lord and loved to spend time with Him and with His People.

Funeral part 1

2009-07-13T21:43:00.004-05:00

As most of you know, my sweet Poppa went to be Jesus on July 3, 2009. He went VERY quickly and peacefully, which was a blessing. We had a memorial service at the nursing home last Monday and then had the funeral in Magnolia, Arkansas on Saturday. We drove out on Friday morning in car caravan. That night all the extended family met at a restuarant owned by a man that my dad grew up with. Then we headed back to the Holiday Inn Express in El Dorado to spend the night. It was a really nice hotel and had an indoor pool. The kids needed some time to let some energy out after traveling all day. They had a ball and Pappaw even brought his suit and got in on the action.

Charlie part 2

2009-06-30T14:01:00.003-05:00

...so where was I? Oh yeah, we had Charlie tested for Covenant's kindergarten at the end of January.

[I forgot to mention that just before Christmas we had testing done through the public school that we would be in and after several hours of testing (with speech, OT, diagnostician, etc...) over 3 seperate occasions, all therapies said he is on the lower end of normal and that they didn't see any need for special help. This gave me a glimmer of hope that maybe I had been over-reacting about everything and that really he was more "average" than I thought.] The next day the admissions director called me with the results. Although I knew there would be some issues, I was not at all prepared for what was to come.

Here is a portion of an email I sent to several godly "mentor moms" in my church that I very much respect and knew would come alongside me with encouragement and prayer.

This may be a little longer than my usual emails, but hang in there with me. Today was a pretty emotional day for me. Covenant called with the results of Charlie's kindergarten testing. He didn't do so well. It is a 5 part test, but two of the parts are the main indicators for how a child will do in kindergarten. These 2 parts are number concepts and auditory processing. They like for the kids to score at least a 5 in each catergory. Charlie got a "3" in number concepts and a "2" in auditory processing. Number concepts is things like, "If I cut a cookie in half, how many peices do I have?" To which he answered "10?" I know he knows that, but the point is that it is a reflection of what is going on in his mind.

Auditory processing covers oral instruction and how it is handled. For instance, a series of instructions like, "Pick up the paper, put the pencil on the ground, and stand beside your desk." He couldn't do it. They also gave him a series of 3 words, "Apple, red, yellow" and asked him to remember them. He couldn't.

Amy (the admissions lady for Covenant) said that she doesn't have the final recommendations from the teacher and headmaster, but just wanted to give me a heads up so that we could be talking and praying about it. She is concerned that if we try it, it will be a challenging and frustrating year for him. I agree. I also know that we have 12 more years of this to go and I don't want him to be defeated and discouraged in kindergarten! He is already SO hesitant to try anything he doesn't think he can do or that will be too hard. (His poor little spirit is broken so easily and he's simply not confident.) Keith and I talked briefly through my sobbing before he left for work. We both agree that Covenant is not the best place for him this year.

We are considering where to go from here. Although I wasn't totally surprised by the results, I honestly didn't anticipate it being that bad. Especially after the public school testing put him in the normal range in all catergories. (Which did surprise me.) I really didn't think we would be looking at schooling alternatives. We both agree that public school is not an option either. Mainly for the fact that they have tested him and don't see a problem. I don't think they would address the issue, they would simply modify his work to get him by. (They told us this in our conference. Sometimes if a child is having trouble doing the math worksheet, they only have them do 2-3 problems instead of the whole thing. I think this is a cop-out and that if they get the concept, they shouldn't have trouble doing the whole sheet, even if it takes more time.) Homeschooling is an option, but honestly, I just don't think I can or would do it. I always have great intentions, but my follow through is not great. Also, I have a hard enough time teaching Will things who catches on so easily, I'm not sure how I'd teach Charlie. Plus, I want to be a cheerleader for him, not a coach. So right now, we are leaning towards hiring a private teacher. We have several ladies in our church that are certified K teachers and are home with their children now. This might be a way to help them earn some extra money and get Charlie some one-on-one attention.

My heart is broken for Charlie. He is so excited about going to school with Will and I don't know how to explain to him that he's not. My heart and mind have run that gammet of "Did I do something when I was pregnant or during delivery?", "Maybe if I had read to him more." "I should have been doing flashcards or something." Maybe we should have hired a tudor this last year." And of course, I think about his future. "Will he always struggle?" "Will he get labeled, the slow kid?" "Will he always live in his siblings shadows and wonder why it comes so easy for them and why he works twice as hard to get half the grade?" "Will he grow up feeling like a failure and like he's not good enough?" And that last one is where it gets me. I honestly don't care if he's a "C" student, I know academics are not going to be his thing. I just don't want him to struggle and hurt. I want to spare him the pain of suffering.

Sorry for the rambling, just wanted to let you guys know where we are. We are going to look into getting a full battery of tests run at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas. I've heard from several people that they have an outstanding program, but it takes 3-6 mos to get in. I called today and they are mailing me the patient application, so we'll get that ball rolling. I'm hoping it will give us more direction.

As you can see, this was a hard day, and just as I had hoped, the ladies fired back with Scripture, comfort, advice, personal stories, love, and hope.

We decided to wait a little while, see if Charlie matured any, then have him retested in April/May. More later...

Jack's birthday gift to me.

2009-06-28T21:53:00.002-05:00

Today, Jack gave me the greatest birthday gift. In the nursery this morning, I got to see him stand up in the middle of the floor and take 3 steps. He had taken a few steps Wednesday to Keith and I, but nothing since. By the time we got home from church, he tried to stand and walk about 15 times. I was able to get some on video and Keith recorded it on his phone so I could put it on the blog. After his nap he started walking all over the living room. He can already go 6-7 feet without falling. I think it's all starting to click. What a great gift! Thanks Jack.

Charlie, part 1

2009-06-26T15:22:00.001-05:00

Keith and I have been doing some major soul searching and making some big decisions for our family the last few weeks. (No, I'm not pregnant...although I'd do it again in a minute if I had the chance.) But before I tell you about the changes, I need to set up the background information. For most of you, you already know all about what we have been going through with our sweet Charlie. For other's, this is all new to you. I could sit down and put everything in one post, but it would probably cause the entire blogger network to crash, not to mention making your eyes cross, so I thought I'd break it up for you. 'Cause I'm nice like that. (and I don't have the time.) But I digress so here goes.

When Charlie was born, I knew in the first few hours that he was very different than Will. Not only did he look VERY different, but he already acted differently. He was a fussy baby even in the hospital. He had chronic ear infections, got respiratory illnesses easily, had major reflux, and colic. He also laughed earlier than any of my other kids. By 6 weeks, he was not only smiling, he was belly laughing. It was a deep, infectious laugh that came easily and made you laugh too.

Fast forward to 12 mos. Charlie began to have screaming fits. They mainly occured when he was sleeping, especially at nap time. He would began screaming and crying in his sleep. I would go in and try to wake him up. His eyes would open, he would look at me, but he never would stop crying. I could even "shake" him (gently of course), wash his face, take him outside, yell, squeeze him, put him back to bed, leave him alone, offer food, but nothing would make him stop crying. It was like he was panicked and couldn't wake up from the bad dream. This would happen 3-4 times a week and he would cry from 45 minutes to sometimes 1-1/2 hours. At his next check-up, I asked the pediatrician about it. He said that he was probably having night terrors. I told him that it was like Charlie wasn't "there", even though his eyes were open. He said this comes from an immature brain stem that doesn't tell his body to wake up from a nightmare and that as his brain stem developed, he would grow out of it. He hasn't, although it's not as bad, he still wakes up 1-2 times a week, crying and screaming, but when you ask him what's wrong, he doesn't know. The only way to make him wake up enough is to make him stand up beside his bed and sometimes even wash his face.

At his 2 year check up, he seems to be doing well. He's a little slow verbally, but the doctor says this is to be expected from a 2nd child, who is a boy, and has a very verbal older sibling. However, before he's 2.5 yrs, his speech is still delayed and we begin therapy with ECI. (Early Childhood Intervention) They are great and his speech catches up by the time he is 3. Just before they discharge him, I tell them about a few other symptoms I'm noticing. The night terrors, the inability to control emotions when frustrated, the way he walks on top of his toes when he's upset. They agree that he should be tested by their OT. After testing, they tell us that he has sensory integration issues. As they explain to me, there are certain sensations or emotions that his body and brain simply cannot process. For instance, pretend you walk out to your car at night and someone walks up behind you and grabs you. Your adrenaline kicks in and your "fight or flight" mechanism takes over. You turn around to see that it's just your hubby playing with you. (after a few choice words) you calm right down because your brain realizes there is no threat. In Charlie, his brain never sends the message that the threat is gone, so his emotions stay on that high and take a long time to come down. We started "brushing" him as a way for his sensory system to start sending more correct messages to his brain. We notice that this helps, but doesn't fix it completely. Even now, when he gets frustrated (which is often, especially when things don't go easily. Like getting dressed...if his shirt is inside out, or his underwear gets twisted), he gets instantly VERY emotional and frustrated and has a hard time recovering.

So now we come to getting ready for kindergarten. Charlie still struggles with numbers, letters, auditory processing, etc... I knew that kindergarten was going to be a challenge and that he would require a lot more help than Will does. In late January, we had him tested at the private school where Will attends. The next day, they called with the results.

More next time...

Kind of a "squirrel-ly" day.

2009-06-22T17:29:00.002-05:00

This afternoon, Katie Beth and I were walking around in the yard. We came upon a squirrel in our tree. We both stopped to watch him. At first he ran away, but when he saw that we had stopped, he stopped. I slowly started taking steps toward him, one at a time. He didn't flinch. I realized that I should go get my camera. I was able to run in and when I got back, he was in the same spot. I started snapping. The boys came out and he still didn't move. I ran in to get some shelled walnuts for him. We got within an inch of his mouth, and he never moved. I was afraid to actually try to touch him. I kept thinking, how will I take 4 kids to the ER by myself when one of them gets bit because this squirrel decided to take action? I know, mom thing.

Will suggested we name the squirrel Sam, but I think Charlie's name will fit a little better..."Nerl".

Moms know things...

2009-06-19T20:04:00.002-05:00

For instance...toilet paper disintegrates when wet. A new, extra-large triple roll of toilet paper does NOT disintegrate when wet, but DOES hold almost an entire toilet bowl of water. See, moms know things.

Swimming

2009-06-19T13:55:00.002-05:00

Since Will got out of school May 21, we've been in summer vacation mode for a while now. The kids were so excited when, after weeks of asking, I told them it was finally time to get out our pool. (The best $19 I ever spent.) It's the same pool we had last year, and it has given me HOURS of relief and playtime for the kids. Charlie uses it the most, Will plays some, Katie Beth loves to scoop water into cups over the side. Jack really hasn't gotten in yet, but that's because I mainly use it at nap times...and the fact that's it's getting a little crowded with 4 little bodies in there.

I also decided this was a good day to play with some of the functions I've got on my camera. I've slowly been learning and practicing and I have to say, I LOVE MY CAMERA!!! I thought some of these shots turned out pretty well.

Baseball

2009-06-19T13:44:00.004-05:00

Will is playing baseball this year for the first time. His team is made up of 1st grade boys from our school and all the coaches are the dads. I love that there is NO pressure and that everyone is so encouraging and willing to teach the new ones. We've had several games, (and although they don't officially keep score, the boys say we have only lost once.) Last night was extra exciting as Will got his first hit in a game. In fact, he got 3 hits. He even got to cross home plate on one of the runs. (Which he calls a home run, I keep trying to tell him, "No, you just ran home.") At any rate, he was super excited. The last two games of the season, June 29 and July 1, we get to drive to Arlington and play at the little league field next to the Ranger's Ballpark.

Blog update coming...

2009-06-18T13:51:00.003-05:00

Well, I have lots of pictures to post and things to share, but not right now. I'm hoping to blog tonight, so check back soon.

OUCH!

2009-05-28T21:59:00.003-05:00

Within 45 minutes of being home, Jack hit his head on the coffee table. By the time I got from the kitchen to the living room, it had already made a HUGE purple knot. He stopped crying fairly quickly, and I was able to complete a thorough home neuro eval. I gave him Tylenol. He seems to be fine, but I bet he's got a headache!

Great Wolf Lodge!

2009-05-28T21:30:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Keith and I told the boys to get on their bathing suits because we were going to take them swimming. We got in the car and started driving. They kept asking where we were going, but were able to hold them off. Finally, we pulled into the parking lot at the Great Wolf Lodge. Charlie looked up and said, "Is this where we are going?" "Yep!" Will's head popped up from his Nintendo DS. Needless to say, they were so excited. We left the babies behind and were looking forward to some time with the big boys.

As we were looking for a parking place, we saw a sweet family from our school. They have a son that was in Will's class. They had been there for 2 days and were just leaving. Will is looking forward to talking to Joel and comparing which rides were his favorites. Once we got in and changed, we headed to the water park. We hadn't been in the park for 3 minutes when we walked by a man with his kids that looked so familiar. Turns out it was Craig Conaway. Keith and I had traveled with he and his wife (when they met) in Life Action. We hadn't seen them in 8 years. They live in Oklahoma and had all come down to stay at the Great Wolf Lodge. We caught up with the whole family and even went to dinner together at Cracker Barrel, an old Life Action favorite. It was so good to catch up. Keith commented after they left that it's amazing that 8 years can go by, and it's like you've stayed in touch all this time. God is so good!

Also within the first hour of being in the water park, we ran into a family from our church. I told Keith that we just needed to see someone from his work and that would complete our circle of friends. (We never did see anyone else we knew.)

We got back this evening and are all exhausted. The kids went to bed and 8pm and never made a sounds. It's been a busy but FUN 24 hours!

Turkey Hunt

2009-05-27T09:24:00.003-05:00

Well, I have a lot of catching up to do on the blog. I'll get some done today and hopefully the rest tomorrow.

Here is a picture of Keith's first turkey hunt and his first turkey. Apparently there is a rating scale for turkeys. Keith ran his and it came up with 81.875. Anything over 60 is considered a nice bird. Anything over 75 is getting into unusual-trophy-or-mounting-worthy type bird. This one had a double beard (8" and 12"), weighed about 22 pounds, and has spurs about an inch long. (Don't worry, none of that meant anything to me either, but now I edumicated.) :) He brought home the meat and it's in our freezer waiting to be cooked.

Pretty good for a first timer!

Storms on the horizon

2009-05-27T09:04:00.002-05:00

We had two impressive storms move through last night. The first one was about 6:30pm and provided heavy rain and lots of neat lightning. The second wave moved through about 12:45am and brought heavy winds and a little rain. Keith and I were standing at the window about 1am just in time to see the basketball goal get knocked over. We were without power for a few hours as well.

In between storms, we went to the front yard and watched the lightning show that had moved passed us. It was beautiful. I tried to get some shots with our fancy new camera. The only way I could get it to take fast enough was to put the camera in manual focus, hence the "double blur" on the picture. Only one was good enough to keep. Guess I'll have to try again with the next storm.

Jack's party part 2

2009-05-20T14:36:00.001-05:00

Part of the fun of having a birthday party is getting the cousins together and watching them play together. Jack's party was no exception. After lunch, the kids all went outside. We love having the swing set, although the boys mainly play Star Wars.

Jack's first birthday party

2009-05-20T14:33:00.004-05:00

Better late than never...

Here are the pictures of Jack's first birthday party.

Katie Beth

2009-05-10T20:29:00.002-05:00

Katie Beth woke up yesterday running fever again. It wasn't as high as the previous days, but I was beginning to think she may have a urinary track infection. (She had several of the symptoms.) I took her into the urgent care center where my friend happened to be working yesterday. We did urine analysis, blood work and an abdominal x-ray. Blood and urine were clear, but she was constipated. (I had given her an enema Friday night but didn't get big results.) They told me the fever and constipation are probably unrelated. They had me do another enema last night and then want me to do 3 days of Miralax. Last nights enema proved to be completely unsuccessful. This morning though, she stayed home from church with a low grade fever again and it's a good thing...she had a major blowout. So now, other than have bloodshot eyes for two days, I think we are on the mend. We will see if she has fever tomorrow. They did send her blood and urine off for cultures, but we don't expect it to grow anything since they were clear yesterday.

Hopefully this is the end of it.

Update on Katie Beth

2009-05-08T12:56:00.002-05:00

Katie has has had no vomitting since yesterday morning at 4:30am. However, she continues to run fever into the 104s. She was up about every 45 minutes last night. I took her to the dr this morning. Her strep culture was negative, her ears were clear, etc... They said probably just a virus, maybe roseolla. I will keep my eyes out for the rash. Until then, she is playful when on Motrin, but when her fever starts to go up, she just wilts. This morning, three hours into her motrin dose, her fever was back up to 101.2. At lunch she started getting listless again, her fever had gone to 103.7 in an hour and 10 minutes. I've got another call into the dr. In the meantime, she fell asleep in my arms at the kitchen table. Guess we'll wait and see. Thankfully no one else has gotten anything!

It's been a hard day's night...

2009-05-07T10:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Keith left for his first turkey hunt. He will be in Kansas until Friday night. More on that in a minute.

Last night was our care group meeting. Our group meets at my parent's house and all the kids come to our house and stay with 2 sitters. (9 kids last night.) When I got home, they said Katie Beth had been really cuddly and had even fallen asleep in their lap 15 minutes early! After putting the boys to bed, I went to check on her. She was doing some heavy, deep sleep breathing. I put my hand on her face and she was burning! I got her up, took her temp...sure enough 104.2. I gave her motrin, some water and snuggles and put her back to bed. That was about 9:30pm. From then on, she was up about every 30-60 minutes vomitting and just generally not feeling well. This morning she woke up totally normal except for a temp of 101. The bummer is, she's ready to play and I can hardly keep my eyes open! Hopefully no one else will get it.

Good new though, Keith texted me this morning to let me know he shot his first turkey about 6:45am. The guys he's hunting with told him it's a trophy turkey because it has 2 beards and is about 22 pounds. He said it's about 3-4 years old. He was SO excited. I guess we'll be eating turkey for a while!

Swine Flu Prevention

2009-04-30T11:17:00.001-05:00

Don't Do This!!

Happy Birthday Jack

2009-04-23T20:17:00.003-05:00

Today my baby turns ONE! I can hardly believe it. What a joy this little "surprise" has been to our family and to his mother's heart. I can't imagine a baby any sweeter or more loving than this little guy. He's is quiet, content, snuggly, happy and just all around GREAT! Although we weren't planning to get pregnant again when we did, God's timing is perfect and I can't imagine our family without him.

We went for his 1 year check up today. He's weighing in at a whopping 18lbs, 14 oz. (Looks like we'll be rear-facing for a while.) But the doctor said that everything else looks good. He's a little behind on some of his developemental milestones, but as I told the doctor, "He's so laid back, he's just not in a hurry about things."

Thank you, Lord, for this precious life you have entrusted to us. Help us to be faithful stewards of this gift and to remember that he belongs to You. Please call him to Yourself at an early age and soften his heart to be fertile soil for You.

ANTS!!

2009-04-21T10:17:00.003-05:00

Sunday night, Keith and I were getting the kids ready to walk Will and Charlie down the street to Awanas. We had just gotten out the stroller when we heard Katie crying in the backyard. I went to check on her and found her sitting in the grass screaming and taking off her shoes. I knew immediately what had happened and started running for her.

Sure enough, her feet were covered in fire ants and you could see two feet prints in the ant pile. She had gotten one shoe off, but the other sandle was stuck. I started shaking her feet and hitting them as I worked to get the shoe off. She even got some bites on the backs of her legs. This is what they looked like about an hour later. I counted 68 bites on one foot alone. POOR BABY!

By yesterday morning, the swelling had gone down and they were just the blisters. Thankfully, she didn't have a reaction and they don't seem to bother her. And yes, we have sprayed the ants, but now plan on doing an entire yard treatment.

Take heart...

2009-04-20T22:43:00.002-05:00

My friend had these wonderful words on her blog from Charles Spurgeon that were a huge blessing and an encouragement. I just had to pass them on! Here are the following quotes from Spurgeon,

“Give us the first seven years of a child, with God’s grace, and we may defy the world, the flesh, and the devil to ruin that immortal soul. Those first years, when the clay is yet soft and plastic, go far to decide the form of the vessel. Do not say that your office, you who teach the young, is in the least inferior to ours, whose main business is with older folks. No, you have the first chance with these precious souls. The impressions you make, since they come first, will endure to the last. I pray they may be good, and only good!”

“Oh dear mothers, please understand that you have a very sacred trust reposed in you by God! He has in effect said unto you, “Take this child away, and nurse it for Me, and I will give the thy wages” (Exodus 2:9). You are called to equip the future man of God, that he may be “thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2Timothy 3:17). If God spares you, you may live to hear that pretty boy speak to thousands, and you will have the sweet reflecton in your heart that the quiet teachings of the nursery led the adult man to love his God and serve Him.
Those who think that a woman detained at home by her little family is doing nothing, think the reverse of what is true. Scarcely can the godly mother quit her home for a place of worship. However, dream not that she is lost to the work of the church. Far from it, she is doing the best possible service for her Lord.
Mothers, the godly training of your offspring is your first and most pressing duty. Christian women, by teaching children the Holy Scriptures, are as much fulfilling their part for the Lord as Moses did in judging Israel, or Solomon in building the temple.”

I know sometimes as moms we grow weary and don't see the fruit of our labors. This is the season to cling to Galatians 6:9 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Hope this encourages you!

Charlie's Mother's Day Out Program

2009-04-20T11:27:00.002-05:00

This last Thursday, Charlie's Mother's Day Out did a fundraiser auction/dinner. While we were there, the pre-k sang a few songs and did a poem. Because the theme was baseball, they started the program with "Take me Out to the Ballgame." I was so proud of Charlie. He not only got up there, he sang AND did the motions. (Albeit not as enthusiastically as the others, but it's progress.) You could even hear his low voice singing a good fifth below the others.

The cotton candy machine was a hit with Katie Beth. Will enjoyed making visors to wear. Jack loved sitting, eating and watching the kids run around. I think Charlie enjoyed being the star of the family for a change and having us there for HIM!

Katie Beth and Jack

2009-04-20T10:49:00.003-05:00

Katie Beth loves Jack. And Jack loves Katie Beth. The other day I went in to get Jack up from his nap...turns out Katie beat me to him. They were having a ball, laughing and rolling around.

Oi vey!

2009-04-13T13:28:00.002-05:00

This is what I get for letting Katie Beth play while I cleaned up lunch. Yes, that's lipstick...and my favorite lipstick to be more specific. Any tips for getting lipstick out of carpet?

"Mommy, see my face?"

Buy 10 get 1 free...

2009-04-07T10:48:00.002-05:00

I keep telling my pediatrician they need to come up with a deal like this. Or maybe they could sell doctor's visits in bulk. After this weekend, that's what I need. We took Katie to the Urgent Care center on Sunday. Her fever had come down some, to 103.5, but she was still acting like she didn't feel good.

Well, 3.5 hours, a CBC and a urine analysis later (complete with TWO cathiters) we walked out with the official diagnosis of "viral infection" and told to wait it out. Sunday night she and Jack were up for about 2 hours. Her fever went up again to 104. Monday morning, even though her fever was gone, I decided I'd had enough. We took Jack, Katie and Charlie in. Sure enough, Katie now had an ear infection and a sinus infection, Jack had double ear infections and sinus infection and Charlie had a sinus infection that has settled in his chest. We walked out with antibiotics for all 3 and ear numbing drops for the little ones.

We had hoped for a better night last night, but Katie and Jack were up about every hour! Katie was up much more than Jack. I'm hoping that by tonight the rx's will have had time to work and we'll all get some sleep.

Boy, I can't wait 'til Obama starts paying our medical bills for us! (said with VERY thick sarcasm!)

3 out of 4

2009-04-05T11:30:00.002-05:00

Usually those are good odds, unless it's counting the number of kids you have sick. All of them except for Will have been battling a nasty cough for almost 3 weeks. The just started running some fever on Thursday. Yesterday, Katie Beth woke up running fever. She was fine as long as she had Motrin. Last night about 10:00, as I was putting Jack back to bed...again...I checked on her and thought she felt a little warm. I took her temp and it read 106.2. I almost had a heart attack. I immediately got her up and started trying to cool her off. I took her temp again and it was 105. I decided it was time to call the doctor's after hours nurse. The fever didn't really scare me, but her breathing was a slightly short and rapid and I hated to leave her at home if she has pneumonia or something.

Long story short, we gave her more Motrin and decided to watch her. I had to call the nurse back at 12:30 and give her another temp. By then it was down to 101.5, so we decided to stay home for the night. This morning she woke up with 101.5, but playing, talking, and eating. So unless something changes, I'll be taking 3 out of 4 to the pediatrician tommorrow and hopefully we can get some of this cleared up! (Course, I'll probably go in, pay 3 co-pays, and be told, "Yep, it's allergies. Keep doing what you're doing.")

Spring Break, the final installment

2009-04-02T20:45:00.003-05:00

Well, I had planned to blog about each day of spring break in Alabama as a separate post, but you can see how that is going.

The second day there, we stayed at the house. Keith and Chris worked on clearing briars from their wooded area at the back of the lot. The weather was beautiful and the kids stayed outside with them most of the day. When they had finished, there was a HUGE burn pile in the yard. It was a good payoff for a day's work. The boys enjoyed throwing things into the fire, although you couldn't get closer than about 8-10 feet because it was so hot! It was great to have a day with no agenda and to hang out, let the kids play, get some projects done, but mostly just enjoy the sweet fellowship of good friends.

The third day it was off to the NASA Rocket Center in Huntville, home of Space Camp. We say a huge replica of the Saturn 5 rocket as well as a lot of other space stuff. They had a rock wall the kids got to climb as well as a simulator ride that takes you on a ride on Mars. After eating lunch at home and getting the babies down for naps, it was more "down time." That night, the guys put in some trim in their kitchen area and even installed a temporary "bar" they can use until they're ready to install the permanent granite.

Saturday morning, it was time to head home. We decided rather than to leave before the crack of dawn...(anyone who knows me can tell you that I don't consider it day until at least 7:00am.) we would have breakfast, let the kids play a little more, then get on the road about 10:00am. My hope was that the kids would fall asleep around their normal bedtime and sleep the rest of the way home rather than cat-napping throughout the day. Katie again only slept about 20 minutes all day. At one point, we had made 4 stops in 5 hours! Finally though, we ate supper in Louisianna, got the kids in pjs and headed for home. Katie Beth and Jack fell asleep about 7:30 pm. We let Charlie and Will play quietly in the back until 8:30. After that, everyone was out. They stayed awake the rest of the way home...which was great because we didn't get home until 12:15am! A full 14 hour day, but Keith and I enjoyed the time to visit once the kids went to sleep.

What a great trip!! It was wonderful to be with friends that we can "let our hair hang down" with. There were no tense moments, no fighting amoung the kids, no stepping on or over each other...just a time to relax and enjoy each other. Thanks Chris and Crystal for being such great hosts. We can't wait to come back!

**Disclaimer- No child was injured in the making of these pictures. (Parker, I've got your back. I know they beat you! hee-hee)**

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Little Miss Independent

2009-04-02T20:41:00.002-05:00

Katie Beth is only 3 weeks into being 2, but she's gotten really good at it already. She wants to do everything herself and is quick to tell you so. We are on week 2 of potty training and she has only had 2-3 accidents in the last 5-6 days. She's even pooing in the potty. She takes herself now and gets her pants up and down with no trouble. Yesterday she took it to a whole new level when she started EMPTYING her potty chair on her own. She actually does quite well and doesn't spill anything. (She of course has supervision for the process.)

I'm pretty sure she'll be reading by next week...hee-hee

This little piggie...

2009-03-30T15:36:00.003-05:00

Katie Beth, 15 mos old...first attempt at "piggies"

Katie Beth, 2 yrs old...we're getting there!

Spring Break Day 2

2009-03-26T20:18:00.004-05:00

Wow, I had no intention of getting so wordy on that last post. But if you're still with me...

Day 2 the kids woke up early and raring to go! (Big surprise.) After breakfast, the kids played at the house. During naptime, the older kids headed across the street to a pond owned by their neighbor. It was so cute to see the little boys fishing for the first time. No one caught anything...other than moss...but we saw some BIG bass swimming around. (The dads went back about 10:00 PM to try again, but no luck.)

After naps, we headed up to the mountains. There is a spot that has a neat park and picnic area. The kids loved getting to run outside and the weather was perfect! The dads took the older boys on a "hike" on some pretty steep trails. The boys loved it! They still insist that going to the mountain was their favorite part of the trip.

On the way home we stopped at McDonalds for supper, then headed home for some much needed baths. Keith and Chris wanted to go to Gander Mountain. They took Parker and Will and Crystal and I took the other 6 little ones home. The car ride home was LOUD but hilarious! We got 6 kids bathed and in bed in 30 minutes...that's got to be a record.

Enjoy the pics!

Spring Break, Day 1

2009-03-25T20:46:00.006-05:00

My dear friend Crystal moved to Hunstville, Alabama this past summer. So for spring break we decided to go see their new place and spend some quality time together. She has 3 boys, 8, 5, 3.5 and a sweet little girl named Katie that is only a month younger than Katie Beth.

Normally, being the spoiled fly-everywhere-for-free-but-stand-by travelers, we would have flown out to Birmingham and driven an hour to their house. However, with this being spring break, the flights looked awful! So we decided to do our first family roadtrip. Up unitl now, the longest we had done was 5 hours. This was 14 hours each way.

We got up Tuesday morning and were on the road at 5:00am. We felt sure the kids would go right back to sleep, or at least sit drowsily in their seats. Oh no...Will had his DS out at 5:10am and Charlie was begging for breakfast by downtown Fort Worth. Katie kept chattering as well. We demanded that they stay quiet with no games or food until 7:00am. Katie Beth finally went back to sleep about 6:45 and slept for about 20 minutes. Jack, as usual, sat completely quietly.

We stopped in Little Rock for lunch, then planned to drive straight on through to their house. Unfortunately, the service engine soon light came on just before we got to Memphis. We stopped, turned the car off and then back on, but it stayed on. We saw a Christian Brothers Automotive and decided to pull in. They graciously understood our plight, hooked up the computer and said it showed a little dirt on the catalytic converter. They reset the light and sent us on our way. We didn't have to pay a dime and didn't even have to unload the kids. What a blessing.

We arrived at the Clifton's house about 6:30pm and Crystal had supper waiting on the table...literally. The kids had so much fun playing after supper, then it was off to bed. We were exhausted, but so glad to be with our friends!

Should be...but I'm not.

2009-03-25T20:37:00.002-05:00

Well, I should be working on our taxes...but I'm not. I should be doing laundry...but I'm not. I should be working out...but I'm not. I should be...I think you get the picture. Truth is my plate is so full that I've pushed back from the table and am letting it all go...at least for today. My motto has long been, "Why put off 'til tomorrow what you can put off until the day after tomorrow?"

We have been CRAZY busy around here, but don't have much to show for it. I'll try to recap the last few weeks in a somewhat short blog. hee-hee

I got to go on my scrapbook retreat. I got 48 pages done, which I think is a personal best. I did an entire album of our trip to Disney World plus a few more pages in our family album. It turned out really well, if I do say so myself!

We also finally finished the shop enough to move in! There is still some trim to be done to the windows and the outside of the porch roof isn't done, but at least the tools are in and set up. Now about that Honey-do list... It has been so exciting to park in the garage! It's been 4.5 years since I had a covered place to park. With the few rain days we've had, it's been great to load and unload in shelter. I'll try to get out to the shop for some pictures in the next few days.

Calling ALL Scrapbookers!

2009-03-08T20:53:00.005-05:00

Hey blogger people! Just wanted to let you know about a last minute opportunity. My mom is a Creative Memories Consultant. She is having a scrapbook retreat this weekend, March 12-15, at a really nice retreat center just south of Hillsboro. The cost is $75 per night and includes supper, and breakfast and lunch the next day. You will have at least 2 four-foot tables (probably more depending on the crowd.) The lighting is great, the chairs and beds are comfy, etc... Check out their website at www.compasscentre.com. You can come 1, 2, or 3 nights and you simply pay by the night. Oh yeah, nursing infants are welcome...you just won't get any help with them. (hee-hee)

If you don't use Creative Memories products, you are still MORE than welcome! We even have some people that are just bringing their laptops and are working on digital albums. This is a great chance to get away, have good fellowship and get something done at the same time. If you are interested, please let me know ASAP!!!

TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

2009-03-07T09:39:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that my little girl is turning 2 today. It seems like just yesterday that we were on our way to the hospital to be induced. I am so grateful that God saw fit to put Katie Beth in our family and to bless us with such a sweet little girl.

Some of Katie's favorite things: "beeps"-(books), "boo-neenas"-(bananas), "swing-swing", going outside, singing songs, helping mommy cook "I cook mommy", "cu-yer" (color), and anything else she can do by herself.

Happy birthday sweet Katie Beth. We love you so much!

Baby Olivia is here!

2009-02-24T10:32:00.002-06:00

No time for a long post, I'm headed to the airport in 30 minutes to go see my friend Kelly in Virginia. (That's another post)

Just wanted to let everyone know that my friend Elise Jordan had baby Olivia Kate this morning at 8:02. She weighed a tiny 6 lbs 5 oz and was 18.5 inches long. She is adorabale! Elise did beautifully. They got to the hospital about midnight. I got there about 12:30am. She had one of the craziest labors I've ever seen, strong contraction 7-20 minutes apart until the very end! Then she only had to push 2-3 times. She's a champ!

Enjoy the slides!

Shop update...

2009-02-17T20:26:00.003-06:00

It's almost finished! The shop is sheetrocked and painted. The final step is to paint the floor and the put in the base boards. Then it's MOVING DAY!!!

In these pictures, Keith was acid washing the floor to get it ready for painting. Hopefully, he will put down the first coat tomorrow. And yes...the walls are a lovely beige. As he said, "If I've got to paint it anyway, it might as well look nice!" I guess...

Toothy Smile

2009-02-17T20:22:00.002-06:00

Usually, the tooth fairy is in the business of taking teeth. This week, she made a deposit while she was here. Will lost his top tooth, and Jack FINALLY cut his first tooth. (No pictures of it yet.)

Valentine's Day

2009-02-17T20:04:00.004-06:00

For Valentine's Day, Keith and I decided to spend the day with the kids. (Keith's 40th birthday is Feb 21 and we are going on an overnight date, so we're saving our date night for that.) Valentine's afternoon, we took the boys to the Omni Theater to see Deep Sea. They have never been to the movie theater, so this whole experience was a new one. Will was scared to death and held my hand for most of it. Then he finally warmed up and watched the last part on his own. By the end, he loved it and wanted to go back for another movie. Charlie was fearless the whole time! When Will finally let go of my hand, Charlie leaned over and sweetly asked, "Are you done being scared now?" He was genuinely interested, but I thought it was hilarious!

After the movie, we picked up Katie Beth and Jack and headed to Purple Cow for supper. We had a LONG wait, but the kids did really well. We tried to take pictures of Will and Charlie, but they kept ducking under the table. So Keith took their picture there!

After we finally ate, we headed down to the nursing home to see Poppa. He was sitting in his wheelchair waiting to be put to bed. I put him back to bed, got him all situated and then we sat down to visit. I could tell he was tired, but he was in good spirits...as always. I was surprised by how much weight he has lost. His face looks really sunken. He's always so sweet though and loves seeing the kids. We put Jack on his bed and the two of them "talked" for a few minutes. It was prett funny to see the two baldies with unintelligable language going at it!

Finally it was home and to bed for the kids. Then Keith and I made some chocolate chip cookies and sat on the couch to watch "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" on PBS. (One of our favorites!)

I am so blessed with the world's BEST HUBBY and the greatest kids a mom could want.

I hate cooking!

2009-02-01T23:03:00.003-06:00

On Sundays I try to avoid cooking. Actually, that's not entirely true, I try to avoid cooking everyday. Tonight I thought I'd do something easy like nachos.

We had popcorn and oranges instead.

My sweet girl!

2009-02-01T22:35:00.002-06:00

It's been awhile since I've posted about Katie Beth. I can't believe she is almost 23 mos. Time really does fly when you are not looking. She is precious. Everyday I'm seeing more of the differences between boys and girls. Her vocabulary is multipying daily. I love to see her interact with other kids and with her own siblings. She loves to help me in the kitchen. She'll run in there anytime I'm there and say, "I'n cook." She also loves to help me clean, especially if it envolves wiping something with a wet wipe! She's even been showing interest in potty training, so I went out Friday and got her underwear. (I refuse to potty train my only girl in Spiderman or Thomas the Train undies!) Of course, Saturday she woke up vomitting...so I'm putting off the potty training until sometime this week. She loves to listen to moo-kiss (music) and to read "beeps."

Tonight while I was feeding Jack, she came running in and said, "I feed baby!" I pulled her up in my lap and let her try a few bites. I couldn't believe how well she did. She didn't even spill much and tried to wipe his chin with the spoon when he drooled some out. My favorite part was watching her tap each bite on the glass, just like I do. She refused to let me finish, so I hopped up and got the camera. Jack actually seemed to enjoy the interaction with his big sister.

"Jack eat!"

Snaggle tooth

2009-02-01T22:29:00.002-06:00

Will lost another tooth yesterday. It has been really wiggly for weeks, and I kept teasing him that I was going to pull it. Everytime I asked him if he wanted to to pull it, he would run away. Yesterday, he jumped up on my bed and blurted..."Pull my tooth." (I think he was afraid he would change his mind if he didn't do it fast.) As I tried to get my fingers around the tooth, it literally fell out in my hand. He was so excited. The new tooth was coming in behind it and was already through the gums. Now if we could just get those top teeth to turn loose...

Karate Kid 2

2009-01-27T21:37:00.004-06:00

Will had his test for orange belt yesterday. He had to do form testing, sparring and even definitions of terms. He did well and got his orange belt. (Although they didn't come in time for the testing, he should get it at his next class.) I think he's ready for a break from karate, but I think he's going to miss it and will want to start again next year.

Will getting his "orange" belt (minue the actual belt) from his coach, Kim Dunkin.

Other updates...

2009-01-27T21:17:00.005-06:00

Sam is back visiting while Aunt Rosie and Uncle Bobby are in Japan. He's is such a sweet dog, putting up with the kids and the chaos. Anytime I come to the computer, he is curled up under the desk. We love having him here, although I'm not sure the feeling is mutual.

It's been a while since I posted anything on the shop. (That's mainly because it's been awhile since anything happened in the shop.) Keith and my dad installed the sheetrock last week and it looks so different. Yesterday, 2 guys from our church came to start the taping and bedding. Keith decided it was a job worth hiring out and we got a great bid. They got the first part done yesterday and are supposed to return tomorrow to finish. Then Keith will paint the inside, including the floor. Then...wait for it...

WE CAN MOVE IN!!!!!!!

It's been a long time coming and we are so excited. I can't wait to get the garage cleaned out. I know there are things out there that haven't been unpacked since we moved in 4.5 years ago. Probably a good sign that we can get rid of it...one of my favorite things. Then I'll actually be able to use the garage for the van.

Charlie is doing well. I still can't believe that he'll start kindergarten next year. He goes in this Friday for the kindergarten testing at Covenant. One of his favorite things to do is whatever Will is doing. He's getting better at building with Legos, which still occupies at least 90-95% of Will's free time. (Even over his new Nintendo DS) Even if Will's watching Star Wars, he's still building with Legos, making all the different Star Wars ships.

They also have gotten to play soccer together this winter. One of the dad's at school put an under-7 team together for an indoor league. I figured this was our chance to have them together and since it was INSIDE and only 2 miles from our house, I thought we'd go for it. They both have done really well considering they had no idea what soccer was when we started. Charlie is hilarious to watch...he doesn't know the meaning of the word hustle, but LOVES being with the big boys and getting out on the field. Will is showing some good talent and a lot of improvement. We plan on letting him continue with the next session and letting Charlie find another fun outlet. (I wish they need a junior penguin trainer at the zoo.)

Sweet baby Jack

2009-01-27T20:35:00.004-06:00

Jack had his 9mos well check today. I debated on whether I should go with the icey roads, but decided if I got out early, it would be okay. And I hate rescheduling dr appointments because it takes so long to get back in. Anyway, my doctor is out of town, so a "guest" pediatrician saw us. Dr. Zilberg came in, a man in his early 70's I'm guessing. He was SUPER sweet and had one of the prettiest accents. Turns out he's from South Africa. He said sweet things like, "I'm assuming all is well." and "My, he's a sturdy boy, not flabby at all. You must be breastfeeding."

Jack is doing great. He's right on track developmentally, even though he has no teeth and still doesn't crawl. Just yesterday, however, he got up on all fours and is rocking. He can also occasionally get from all fours to a sitting position. I have to admit though, I LOVE having him staying in the baby phase a little longer. Funny how that changes from your first to your last.

His disposition remains as sweet as ever. I even had a lady at my church comment that he's the sweetest baby she's ever seen. He's so happy and content. What a blessing!

Always check your kids homework...

2009-01-26T19:50:00.002-06:00

I got this email today from a friend and almost wet my pants. Thought I would share it with all of you.

(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day)
Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at lowes and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at lowes.From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Smith

Adoption

2009-01-25T19:52:00.004-06:00

It seems that adoption has been more on my mind in the recent months. We have dear friends at church that are waiting for their little girl from China and my best friend Kelly and her hubby just got their referral from Ethipoia. It has been so neat to walk through this process with these couples. Their stories are very different, but their hearts are the same...they have a love for someone else's baby and want to give these children a home and a Hope.

James 1:27 "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

This past week marked the anniversary of Roe vs Wade. Last Sunday was Sanctity of Life Sunday. Our church marked these dates with a 2 week emphasis on adoption. My dad preached both Sundays on our adoption and how earthly adoptions are a picture for us of what God has done for us.

Today we had a couple of ladies that work for Faith Connection come to talk to us after church. They help get information out about kids in the foster system and how to foster, adopt, and help these kids. There are currently 4000+ kids in the foster systems in our area, 1200 of them are adoptable (parental rights have been terminated), at least 70% of them are aged 9 and older. It was heartbreaking to think about these kids who are literally homeless. They may have a house to live in, but they have no HOME. She told of Kate who is being adopted by a lady from her church. Kate is 10 years old and has been in 16 foster homes. She also shared about Samuel. He will turn 18 in a few months. When he graduates in May, he will "age out" of the foster care system with no family, no one to turn to, no support. Statistics say he will likely parent a child of his own in the next year, join a gang, be incarcerated, or be homeless. It's easy for us to gripe about the system, but none of us seem to want to get involved.

I have been so convicted about my lack of involvement. I claim to be pro-life, but I'm certainly not doing anything about it. I don't pray that God would put an end to the 29,000 abortions that are done in the U.S. each week, I don't care for the orphans, I don't help the single mom, I don't house the unwed mother who has been kicked out of her home for choosing life. God forgive my apathy. I am praying about how God will choose to involve me in the children's lives. It may be through prayer and never a face to face meeting, it may be advocacy, it may be adoption. Whatever it is, I am open, after all...I have received the ultimate adoption from my Father.

Introducing Ava Eyerusalem and Malachi Bereket

2009-01-16T09:32:00.008-06:00

Almost a year ago, a seed was planted in the hearts of my best friend, Kelly and her hubby, Sean. A love began to grow for the orphans of Ethiopia. They began to pursue adopting one of these children. As the months went on, they continued to pray and learn about these sweet children. Before long, that single seed had become two and they were waiting to be matched with siblings!

Yesterday, that seed grew into 2 beautiful babies. They were matched with the children they will be going to get from Ethiopia in about 3 months. Kelly and Sean chose their first names and will use their Ethiopian birth names for their middle names. Both children are healthy, happy and are bigger than expected. Praise to the Giver of Life for these precious little ones! Congratulations Kelly and Sean, we can't wait to meet them.

Ava Eyerusalem (Ura-solemn)

Malachi Bereket (Bear-a-ket)

My new camera!!

2009-01-16T09:18:00.002-06:00

Keith and I have been looking into getting a dSLR camera for a few months and finally took the plunge. We were able to return the point-and-shoot camera we had just purchased. Well, our new camera finally arrived via UPS on Wednesday. I'm so excited. It's amazing how fast you can take pictures and I can't wait to get some action shots of the kids now instead of just having a blur! Now if I can just learn how to use it...

Just a tease...

2009-01-14T14:05:00.002-06:00

The "man-in-brown" visited my house yesterday. Come back later and I'll hopefully have something posted for you. I'm so excited!!!!

Christmas with the Stonecipher's...both times.

2009-01-07T21:03:00.003-06:00

When the Stonecipher family began adding more people, it meant adding more schedules. My mom graciously offered to move our family celebration to New Year's Day. (She hasn't had her family with her on Christmas Day since I was in high school!) Anyway, she woke New Year's morning with a resurgance of the stomach bug she had had earlier in the week. Dad started calling everyone. Mom offered to go to Mammaw's house, (since she's still in the nursing home) and let us still meet at their house. After we all got there, David brought up that it didn't seem right to have Christmas without mom there. We all agreed. (Of course, we decided this while we were eating the yummy lunch. No need to let a good meal go to waste.) John and Jennifer graciously rearranged their plans for the weekend and we met for part 2 of the celebration on Saturday night. We did go ahead and let the kids open one gift on New Years. After that, the babies took naps and the big kids went to our backyard to play. It was a beautiful day and so fun to just spend relaxed time together.

And part 2...with mom feeling MUCH better. I apologize for the MAJOR red eye. Out of 5 camera that would normally be there, we were down to ONE!! I haven't had time to edit them yet.

Christmas with the Beckhams

2009-01-07T20:44:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it's already January 7 amd I'm just now bloggin about our Christmas. Where does the time go? Here are some pictures of Christmas with the Beckham side of the family. We asked if we could host again this year because it's so much easier to be at our house with the little ones. Sure enough, Jack went to bed just as we started opening gifts and napped until it was almost time for everyone to leave.

We had a great time all together. Although Keith's brother and his family live in Flower Mound, we don't get to see them very often. My kids love being around their Big cousins.

Since many of us are not big turkey and dressing eaters, we try to do something non-traditional for Christmas dinner. We have done fajitas and Mexican food for years. This year we decided to do breakfast food. I made breakfast enchiladas (a YUMMY Southern Living recipe and super easy), Renee brought a cinnamon roll dish (YUMMY) and Melba brought a big fruit tray. (The kids especially loved the kiwi.) It turned out really well and I think we may do it again sometime. We were able to make everything ahead of time and eat as soon as we got there.

Enjoy the pics!