Beyond the Horizon

We're goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo...

2012-01-30T16:08:00.004-05:00

Today was back to school for the rest of us. We decided to take an academic break for the month of January because we had a couple things we needed to do...like move! However, I won't say that we weren't "in-school" because that's one thing I love about homeschool. Every day is still a learning experience, even when we're not sitting in front of our books. The kids learned a great deal about moving, packing and unpacking, finding their way around a new town, organizing a new home, and had time to serve others with donations and meals. So much in just a few short weeks! But...we also missed our routine. Over the weekend, we dug our books out of boxes, and I put together our plans for the next couple weeks. And wouldn't you know it...the weather turned out beautiful enough on day 1 to take a field trip??
How can we not get outside when the temperature is going to reach 60 degrees???

Off to the zoo we went! Bonus: free entry!
We started in Africa, and the lions were enjoying the sun, too. The male and female were hanging out on this rock.

The Rhinos were out, too, and very active. We laughed because whenever we moved around this area, they seemed to follow us!

Look how close this snake was to Jenna! Yes, he was behind glass, but still...these boas were HUGE and moving around a lot! We could hear someone working in a room next to their cage. Maybe it was close to feeding time because one boa climbed the tree, put his head very close to the door, and kept sticking out his tongue. I can't imagine having to feed those creatures!

Climbing on the statues is always a highlight. I don't think they ever get too big for this!

When we first arrived, the temps. were still a bit chilly, so we were thankful for the warm, indoor displays.

OK...back to finishing bookwork this afternoon. But...it is sunny and 60 degrees outside...

Our Weekend

2012-01-30T14:18:00.005-05:00

We had visitors this weekend! Both sets of grandparents drove down to see our new home and to celebrate Jenna's birthday. Can you tell the kids were thrilled they were here?

Our niece surprised us and visited, too! There were some intense Uno games. :)
We also heard "Coley, play with me! Coley, sit by me!" all weekend!
I think they like her! :)

Jenna loved opening her presents. I hope she knows that this is the end of the line for birthday presents this year!

Laura loved the ribbons. Always a favorite!

After they left on Sunday, Jacob made popsicles for us with this new handy-dandy popsicle maker. Just pour in juice, and watch them freeze in about 10 minutes.

We had grape...

and cherry.

They were yummy. And so ended another fun weekend.

Beautiful earrings

2012-01-28T08:14:00.003-05:00

Here they are...photos of Jenna getting her ears pierced on her birthday.

Last summer, she saw my stash of earrings and wanted to have earrings, too. I thought I'd delay it by telling her "how about when you're 5?" thinking she may forget. Ummm...no. She has been reminding everyone ever since then, that when she's 5, she's getting her ears pierced. Lesson learned...she doesn't forget!

Here she is, up in the big, tall chair, ready to go! I had taken her to the store a week earlier to show her what it was all about. The gal even pierced the bear's ear so she could see how it happened.

There was a brief moment of fear when both gals came up to her with their little machines, but then in an instant, it was done. It startled her, enough to almost tear-up, but I had gum in my pocket and it was all smiles from there! She chose pretty, pink flowers. She's actually smiling here...just with a mouth full of gum!

Feeling very special and even more like a princess!

Her First Birthday

2012-01-26T21:56:00.006-05:00

Last year on Jenna's birthday, we were still in China.

We celebrated, but heaven knows there was so much going on that it probably didn't really mean a whole lot.

But this year...what a difference! She waited through all of our birthdays, friends' birthdays, cousins' birthdays, until finally it was her turn.

And she knew for months what she wanted.

But her first present was a surprise...a free meal from Bob Ev*ns restaurant...her favorite place aside from Chinese food.

This morning we woke Jenna up by singing Happy Birthday to her. This was her reaction, and that smile did not leave her face all day. She was just one big smiling, squealing, thankful girl today!

Of course, certain requests were made to make it the perfect birthday.
She had to choose her prilly dress...
have pancakes for breakfast...

wear her hair in one piggy tail, tucked behind her ears, with some hair hanging down in back.
Yeah, I know...she's only 5...

She was so excited to get a birthday card in the mail from a friend where we used to live.

And she has been excited for months to get her ears pierced. Those pictures will come later...not sure why I can't get them off my phone!

Then she requested Chinese food for dinner at a little take-out restaurant. Of course, the lady who helps run the place gave her a big hug, and a big bag of fortune cookies for her birthday.

Then it was home to open presents.

A huge hug for Char. He got her the best gift of all...pink gum!

She was also thrilled with the Strawberry Shortcake coloring book and box of pink tissues for her bedroom from her biggest brothers. The girl has a thing for tissues!

This picture is just plain funny...look at Laura! She's such a clown sometimes!

Time for her birthday cake. Daddy lit the candles and then we waited to hear the big candle play Happy Birthday. We waited...and waited...until finally Jenna told us we were supposed to sing to her. Apparently we didn't twist the candle to the on position. We would have been waiting there all night!

Then it wouldn't stop playing. Every time Jenna took a big breath to blow out the candles, it started playing again. She was laughing and laughing!

Our littlest princess.

Blow! Notice how no one ever jumps at the chance to eat that piece of cake the kids spit, I mean, blow all over?

Her little cheeks must have been sore when she went to bed. She was smiles all day long!

Happy 5th birthday, Jenna Mei.

You are such a treasure!

Taking a breath

2012-01-22T17:56:00.002-05:00

Dinner's in the crockpot and I'm veggin' on the sofa. I'm toast.

Let me recap the week.

Laura started school on Tuesday. We drove her each morning...meaning all of us were up, dressed, fed, and out the door by 7:15. She rode the bus home, and seemed to enjoy the whole school experience. Three different companies came out to give us their take on reverse osmosis systems for drinking water. We drink a lot of water, and I want it as pure as we can get it...without spending a crazy amount. Addresses had to be changed, new checks ordered, library cards requested, phone and internet services explored and chosen, medical exams completed for school, medications located for Laura (she needs a specific med. from a specific pharm. co.), groceries purchased at new stores, Jenna's Gotcha day celebrated, and...here's the biggie...

our household goods were delivered on Wednesday.

All day long, 5 guys were hauling boxes into the house and piling them everywhere. Thankfully, boxes were labeled and usually ended up in the right room...but what a mess. And really, if you want to know just how much stuff you have, move. You'll be more than happy to purge once you see how many boxes you now have to unpack and find homes for everything in them.

The kids worked so hard that day, unpacking their bedrooms and putting everything in order. We got the kitchen underway, too. I felt muscles the next morning that I had forgotten I had...ouch!

Oh, and did I mention that day the water company shut off our water to fix a broken main? Yes...5 men, 4 children, and me...with no water. That was fun.

And since Wednesday, we've been unpacking, organizing, cleaning, searching for missing pieces, and deciding how much we don't need. We've also cleaned out Jamie's apartment that he had for a few months. And since we've been so busy with unpacking and settling, my cooking has gone out the window. We are definitely helping the economy here with our frequent restaurant visits. Oh, and our new favorite...Ste*k & Shake!

Today was church, and then Jamie took the boys bowling. We need to rest a little before the week starts up again. Because there are more boxes to unpack, drivers' licences and plates to change, and life needs to get back to some kind of normal...including school. Just don't tell the kids.

Charlie, Charlie.

He was so excited to be sleeping in the bunk bed now, that he kept the moving guy company the whole time he was putting the bed together.

I overheard this conversation.

Char: Are you married?

man: Uh, no, not yet.

Char: How old are you?

man: Almost 30.

Pause...

Char: So, do you obey the Bible?

man: Well, I try to.

Pause...

Char: Mom! This guy's strong like Samson!

Paper, paper, everywhere!

The boys were helping me find a "lost" key that unlocked my china cabinet. Jamie found it later...labeled and in a special bag...in the cabinet drawer. Oops. Sorry, boys.

Back to School...

2012-01-17T15:58:00.003-05:00

for Laura, that is. We dropped her off Tuesday morning at 7:30 for her first big day at her new school. She had already met her teacher, (in photo), some of the aides and therapists, the principal, and the secretary. So, she was ready when we dropped her off. And since she was the first one in her classroom, she was able to start on the Ipad. I know she loved it. And her teacher wrote that she had a great first day, that she was very sweet, and that she was the errand-runner. So she got lots of PT walking to and from the office with notes.

And being the good mom that forgot her camera...twice...this is from my camera phone. Thank you to my hubby who knew I would need to upgrade my phone last year to one that does more than just call!

Jan. 17, 2011

2012-01-17T12:35:00.003-05:00

Today is Jenna's Gotcha Day. One year with our family.

I woke up this morning with memories that actually made me feel stressed. Makes me wonder about the stress our kids feel for years after being handed over to strangers.

Nothing prepared us for how she transitioned that first night.

We had never experienced such utter anguish...for hours.

She wanted to go back to the orphanage. The only home and "family" she knew.

This was our fourth adoption, and you would have thought we'd have anticipated this.

But those rosy glasses were on again, and boy did they get thrown off in a hurry.

Survival 101 for all of us.

This sweet little face had many smiles in China. But we soon learned that many of those smiles were her way of searching out love...from anyone who would love her and give her what she needed. I think this picture captures what was in her heart and head not only in China, but for quite a while after she came home.

This is our little princess now. Smiling...because she knows she's truly loved (and because she knows she's adorable and has THE most captivating smile). Smiling...because she knows she's one of God's princesses and beautifully made.

Family.

It's not all fun and games, and sometimes it's just plain hard.

Thanking God today for the family He gave us, the grace He shows when we goof up, and His love that keeps us all seeking to be more like Him.

Happy 1st Gotcha Day, Mei Mei. We love you!

"Yet those who wait for the Lord

will gain new strength;

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired,

They will walk and not become weary."

Isaiah 40:31

Our first full week

2012-01-16T08:03:00.002-05:00

We made it through our first week in our new hometown. Mostly, it has been very positive, though I'm wondering if we're on vacation-mode, and the move will really sink in once we're in our house. Being in the apartment is a tight squeeze, but makes it feel like a vacation condo...even with a little lake outside our windows. And we're not doing school this month, and we're eating out more than normal...yep...I think we're in vacation mode.

But that's about to change. We closed on our house last Friday and were handed the keys to our new home. Jamie picked it out all by himself, minus me seeing a few photos online. He did such a great job. Here's a photo of my new kitchen. I LOVE it!

Wednesday our furniture will be delivered. We've been measuring walls at the house so we know exactly where the movers should place everything. Some heavy pieces, like the piano, will not be relocated within the house by us later, so we want to be sure they're in the right place to begin with. Jamie had a cleaning lady come in and do a thorough cleaning for me so we could move right in. Yesterday, her husband and son came in and repainted the basement a neutral color. The previous owners had a weird "salmon" color down there. Like the painter said...definitely not a man-cave! They did an awesome job, and will definitely be on our list of callers when we need another paint job.

Yesterday, we visited another church. It was huge, and felt like we were at a performance. It was too big for our taste...good message and talented musicians...but we like the smaller, more intimate churches. But, we agreed that we would try several churches before settling into one...but I think I know where we'll end up already!

This is what happens...

2012-01-12T18:17:00.002-05:00

when two growing boys are cooped up in a small apartment for hours on end.

People start getting hurt.

Don't believe their innocent faces.

Sweetness

2012-01-11T17:54:00.001-05:00

A Warm Welcome

2012-01-10T20:44:00.007-05:00

I feel like we've been rather spoiled this past week by the "welcoming committee" here in our new hometown. Goodness, people have been so friendly and hospitable to us...total strangers!

Monday night we were invited to dinner at Pastor's house. And for those of you that have fed our family...7 is a big number to feed in addition to one's own family! But, we had a great time, the kids played well, the hostess and I chatted easily, and of course, it was great to not have to cook that night. Their diningroom table was just the right size to fit us all...all except the dads. They were MIA at work.

Tuesday brought a fun day of playing with other homeschool families. Prior to moving, I joined a yahoo group for homeschoolers in this area. One of the moms organized a playdate at a local Rainbow playsystem dealership. For a minimal price, the kids could play on their display models for 4 hours. And play they did. They ran and ran so hard...poor Jacob's legs are actually hurting today. And you can see by the pictures...no one stood still long enough for a good picture.

This is Charlie...

Jacob is in yellow, his buddy in green, and Amarin in red.

The girls were kind of still for me. This young lady took over as "mama" to my girls and took them all over the place!

All the families had so much fun that we decided to do this twice per month. Great outlet for the winter months!

In honor of a friend

2012-01-09T21:43:00.004-05:00

Laura helped someone today. We won't know who, but it doesn't matter.

We've had friends in the past that battled childhood cancer, and know someone going through it right now. How simple can this be for us to give up a few locks of hair?

She cut off 8 inches of her hair so a child going through cancer treatments might have some.

We read about this in the local news when we arrived Friday night, and were thrilled that she had JUST 8 inches to donate!

Here she is with Amanda...the sweet, patient gal who cut the ponies off her wiggly, bobbing-all-over-the-place noggin!

Charlie and Jenna wanted an up-close look at what was going on with Laura's hair.

Ta-dah!

Time to try shaping her hair...this girl can give stylists such a challenge!

And a cuddle for Amanda at the end of it all. The gals here were so sweet, and showed us around the salon which includes a private room for clients experiencing hair loss. They showed the kids some wigs so they knew what would happen with Laura's hair.

And Laura does look adorable in her new little bob!

So, we're here...

2012-01-08T18:59:00.003-05:00

and so far, so good! Let's recap...

Thursday we watched the movers pull away in their huge semi, full of all of our household goods. They were heading to our new hometown. We, being in a now-empty, echoing home, took off for the hotel down the road. Felt a little like we were on vacation.

We are now a 2-hotel room family. Jamie and the boys get their own room, and the girls and I camp out together. We gals stayed up until 10PM watching The Walt*ns and Little House in the Pr*irie. Jenna loved watching the little girls in the dresses.

Friday morning we ate breakfast at the hotel, chatted with some gals about their weekend wedding plans and our move, and Jenna told them how much she would miss them when we moved. Yeah...'cause we knew them for a whole 5 minutes!

Back to our house to load my van with the remaining boxes, and check the house over for the one millionth time.

Jamie prayed for us before we left...a bit of an emotional moment as we said our last goodbye.

We couldn't believe the beautiful weather we had driving on Friday. It's January...we could have had a snow storm, ice storm, etc., but we drove all day in almost 60 degree sunshine. So thankful for that! The girls rode with me, and the boys with Jamie, and they all did well for a long day's journey.

We finally arrived in our new home town...greeted by a beautiful sunset, and bright city lights over the water. Dinner was next on the agenda, so Jamie took us to a local restaurant. A few items on the menu were deep fried hamburgers and corn fritters. Jamie thought we should try them. Look out cholesterol! The food was good, the service was very friendly, and we were full. Time to head to the apartment to unpack. We got almost all of our boxes and suitcases unpacked, then climbed into bed.

We slept great (even Laura with the help of some nighttime meds.) :)

Saturday morning was greeted with a bright sunrise, out to breakfast at Bob Ev*ns, and then a tour of our new house! Jamie picked it out, with my only seeing photos, and he did an awesome job. We love it and hope to be in by the end of January. We also toured the local library, grocery shopped, and then had our weekly family movie/pizza night. It was a big first day.

Sunday morning...another bright sunrise, Jamie's omelets for breakfast, and then off to church. It was a smaller church, but very, very friendly. People were coming up to us constantly shaking hands, introducing themselves. chatting with the kids. And the music? It was all choral and hymnal music with a southern gospel flair. It was like a movie of a down-south church, and I just loved it! After, the pastor and his family invited us out for a pizza lunch, along with a few of their friends. We spent the next couple of hours chatting and just getting to know one another. They all homeschool, and try eating healthy, so we had lots to share. We really enjoyed our time, and will be going to the pastor's house tomorrow night for dinner, and so the kids can play.

Tomorrow, Jamie heads back to work and I'm on my own with the kids in this new town. What to do? What to do?

Is it all rosy? No...not all of it. Right now, Jacob is homesick for our former church and a good buddy. The boys he met today know nothing of St*r W*rs or bionicles...his favorites. Char said he needs to call and see what Grandma is doing. Jenna is excited to get to our new hometown...ummm...do I tell her we're already here?

See what happens...

2012-01-06T22:47:00.001-05:00

when Laura doesn't let Mommy sleep at night?

I didn't realize I did this until we were at breakfast at the hotel.

Boxes, boxes, everywhere!

2012-01-03T16:39:00.002-05:00

Laura came home to this. She didn't know where to walk!

Boxes are everywhere I look...and they smell funny.

The kids' playroom...packed.

Storage room...packed.

We're running out of room to sit for quiet time!

Let The Packing Begin

2012-01-03T08:26:00.002-05:00

The moving guys arrived at 8AM sharp, and we're ready...I think.

Kids thought they should mark themselves so they didn't get packed.

It is so cold and slippery, and they can't get their semi into our driveway.

At least we didn't get a snow storm on top of it all!

All By Myself

2011-12-30T20:46:00.002-05:00

We have this routine. Each kiddo gets his or her own color drinking cup each day. They use it all day, and keep the cups lined up on the counter so they can reach them when they need a drink.

Laura has obviously been watching this for a while.

Yesterday, she kept knocking everything off the counter near the drink cups...including a coffee mug. Thankfully, it didn't break!

It finally dawned on Jamie and me that she was trying to get her own drink like the other kids.

So, we put her cup really close to the edge, and she's been walking to the kitchen counter all day to get her own drink! I never thought I'd be this excited to see one of my kids getting their own drink!

OK. Now what do I do with it? We have lots of puddles on the floor since she's not putting it back on the counter, but we don't mind! We love seeing each new little bit of progress...all at her own pace.

Christmas Memories 2011

2011-12-26T13:35:00.007-05:00

Festivities started on Friday before Christmas.

Jamie was finally home...after being gone most of the past 3 months at his new job location.

We are all so happy that we don't have to say goodbye anymore as he heads hours away to his new job. The next time he leaves, we'll be heading out with him.

So, Friday night was pizza and movie night. We watched The Nativity, with Jamie's finger on the FF button for the "scary" parts.

This is where I found Laura that same day. I think she was trying to figure out a way to enter the "forbidden closet" until Christmas is done.

Christmas Eve bubble bath! Laura thought Jenna was so funny blowing bubbles!

We open our presents on Christmas Eve morning, and the kids stay in their jammies all day. They couldn't come downstairs, though, until we called them. Goodness knows, we need a cup of coffee before the chaos begins! So, this is what we found waiting at the top of the stairs! (FYI...the gate is so Laura doesn't fall down the stairs...not to put our children in jail...really).

Our annual Christmas morning, Santa hat picture.

So nice to have all of our children home this year.

Crazy fun, Daddy!

Jenna's first Christmas. She just soaked it all in, loving every minute!

Daddy helped Laura open her new, big girl booster seat. No more baby car seats for her!

The rest of the day was just for relaxing. Jenna read her babies a story while they slept in their new bunk beds.

Amarin played his new Madagascar DS game.

Charlie tried figuring out his St*r W*rs lego set.

And we all tried our oh-so-cool dancing skills on the Wii.

On to the morning of the 25th. Santa puts surprises in their stockings.

Hey! Santa ate our treats!

Char tried squeezing his head into a new hat from Grandma and Papa.

Hugs for another grandma.

Off came the Christmas dress, and on went the ballerina clothes.

Cousins and uncles...

and more peek-a-boo and tickles for baby cousins.

It was indeed a very, Merry Christmas!

Who Can Dance?

2011-12-24T13:33:00.002-05:00

When I grow up...

2011-12-22T06:44:00.003-05:00

I love asking the kids this question every once in a while.

I usually know their answers, but once in a while, they surprise me.

Jacob: Right now, he wants to be a foreign ambassador. Previously, he has shown an avid interest in air conditioners (at age 2 he would skip out on beach play and head for the hotel's ac units), vacuum cleaners (age 2+, he wanted to see everyone's vacuum when we visited homes), and the Titanic (age 3+, once told an artist that he had the wrong number of life boats on his model). He has wanted to be an archeologist, paleontologist, inventor, and forest ranger. He's currently reading a book on how to earn money with your own business. Hmmm...

Amarin: From the time we met him, he has been enthralled with airplanes. "Klungbin" was one of our first Thai words that he taught us! He wanted to fly airplanes, especially with the Blue Ang*ls. He has since decided that he still wants to fly a plane when he gets older, but his own little plane, just for fun. He really wants to be a "fixer" and builder of robots now.

Laura: Well, she has decided to keep on with her cuteness, and remain with mommy and daddy so we don't get lonely in our old age!

Charlie: Mr. Dynamo wants to fly passenger planes and take people on vacation. Yeah...that would literally be a "trip" with this kiddo! Please keep your seatbelts securely fastened throughout the entire flight!

Jenna: Well, we can always shoot for the stars...even the one on top of the Christmas tree. Yep, Miss Jenna wishes to be a Christmas tree when she grows up. We tried to ask her if maybe her dramatic self would like to be a singer or dancer. No way. She is going to be a Christmas tree.

Gettin' Ready for the Miracle

2011-12-19T18:51:00.003-05:00

We're about done winding down the activities leading up to Christmas, and our move.

Such mixed emotions right now. Excited to be looking forward to an adventure, but realizing more and more what we're leaving behind.

Last Thursday night, Jacob had an Advent service band performance. He really does love playing the tuba...or in this case...the sousaphone.

The very next morning, bright and early, he had to be back to play another concert for the school kids.

Then came his piano solo...Battle of the Heroes, for you St*r W*rs fans. Boy, his little fingers were just a flyin'!

Big breath...

Then on Sunday evening, after four months of Saturday practices (which the boys LOVE), the kids put on a musical called Gettin' Ready for the Miracle. They all did an amazing job and it was so much fun to watch.

Amarin played the little son of a shepherd. He gave baby Jesus his favorite possession...his blanket.

Jacob played a "wise guy," and also sang his first solo. Since he refused to ever sing for any of us...EVER...it was a special treat to hear him.

Charlie was able to perform, too, with the younger kids' choir. The favorite? Go Tell It On the Mountain, of course! No one can listen to that song without moving just a little!

After the performances, everyone went to the fellowship hall for treats.

And this is Pastor Joel, the Associate Pastor and music director. We found out that he used to work in a church where we grew up and knew some of our friends, too. He and his wife do an amazing job with the kids, and all the music ministries at the church. We will definitely miss this!

Happenings Here

2011-12-15T07:59:00.002-05:00

Where does the time go? We're already 1/2 way through December, which means Christmas, 2012, and our move is upon us. But we're still trying to keep a sense of normalcy...whatever that looks like. So, I'm posting this to remind myself of what we've been doing in the midst of paperwork, house hunting, list making, Christmas prepping, purging, reorganizing...yeah. I think the Carribean Islands are calling my name. Cayman Islands, anyone?

Homeschool. We're plugging away just fine, though this year is probably the most unorganized I've ever felt. I wonder why? But as you can see, Charlie is doing well in accounting, so I guess I can't complain.

Amarin's Thai lessons are finished as we wind down on our committments. His teacher was so sweet. And, no, she doesn't always dress like this. It's part of her job. Isn't it beautiful?
Theater...yours truly.

And we're learning fashion. Girls are so much fun to dress!

Char was sooo excited yesterday to get his new math books in the mail which now include tests! He finished kindergarten math in 1/2 year, and is on to grade one. He asked last night to take his first test. Oh, if only that enthusiasm would not wane.

Laura's Field Trip

2011-12-13T15:11:00.003-05:00

Laura literally woke up giggling and clapping this morning. I think she may have realized that today was her school field trip to the largest Christmas store in the world!

Jacob, Amarin, and I were waiting at the store when she arrived with her friends and teachers. Her teachers said that she was jumping up and down on the bus, and smiling.

The girl knows a fun shopping excursion when she sees one!

First stop...a visit with Santa.

Here she is with one of her best friends. They were waiting in line to see Santa.

Sorry about the blur...kids just don't stand still!

Laura didn't seem to want to get too close to Santa today.

But she was happy with the ornament he gave her.

Mr. "In the Know" was a good sport and saw Santa, too.

Amarin was quick to tell Santa how much he wanted another Star Wars guy.

What brought Laura so much joy? Lunch!

We had a lot of fun, especially knowing that this is probably our last trip to this amazing place for a while. Move date: 3.5 weeks and counting.

Zambia & India

2011-12-10T10:32:00.003-05:00

Remember these packages? They were Christmas boxes for Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse.

We just received an email sharing that our boxes are headed to Zambia and India!

How fun to be sharing Christmas with kids in Africa and Asia!

Final Santa Photo?

2011-12-09T21:05:00.002-05:00

I finally have one.

A photo of all my children with Santa...and no one is screaming.

Poor Char. He has always had a horrible, horrible fear of Santa...and the Easter Bunny...Disn*y characters...R*nald McD*nald...whoever. If he even thinks a character might be in the building, he's on the look-out and in panic mode.

But something happened today, and he decided last minute to "be brave" and get close for a picture. He even fist-bumped Santa.

And Jacob. Well, Jacob decided last minute, too, to join the photo. Because he's "in the know" now.

Laura and Amarin? Well, they were cool as cucumbers about the whole thing.

Jenna had to be reminded several times to wait her turn in line because she was so crazy excited to talk to Santa and sit on his lap. She just wanted to bypass the babies in line to get to the jolly 'ole guy!

I'm thinking this may be my last Santa photo with all the kids. Or maybe not.

Fa la la la la....

2011-12-04T07:10:00.005-05:00

Disclaimer for my kids' teachers...you may not want to read this one until after Christmas!

Hint, hint!

The Christmas music was playing (loudly per Daddy), and we got to work making gifts for teachers, bus drivers, and our mail lady. The big boys are in charge of this task...'cause flour and other fly-away ingredients are involved. I'd rather it look snowy outside rather than inside!

Amarin couldn't wait to start, and was actually trying to convince Jacob to "spend nice time with Daddy on the computer" and he would do all the "work." Such a sweet brother.

Add a few more ingredients before big brother catches on to his scheme.

Ha! He caught on and joined in on the festivities.

Preparing the final product...oatmeal cookies in a jar. This was the first time we've ever made these, and they turned out so pretty! I just love homemade presents, especially something that can be easily used.

Another activity the kids enjoy is opening the doors to our Advent calendar. Behind each door is a magnetic character from the Christmas story.

And this year, I'm hiding a character from our unbreakable manger scene around the house...one per day. They have fun trying to find them first!

And, as tradition, we ended last night with The Polar Express. We just love the movie. And how fun to have our whole family at home this year to watch it. Jenna, of course, could not sit still during the musical parts. The girl just has to wiggle and sway!

It's Their Tree

2011-12-01T17:41:00.003-05:00

Tree assembling...er...trimming day!

No, Amarin, the skirt belongs on the tree...not you!

Jacob, ya gotta start thinkin' outside the box, buddy.

My little helpers. It seems like Jenna has been here so long, I almost forget that this is her first Christmas.

Sorting through all the Santa hats.

One of the best parts is looking through all of the ornaments and memories they hold.

Gazing at the tree. If only she was content in that, rather than picking off ornaments!

How many ornaments can kids fit into one tiny area of the tree?

Their finished tree...they sorted and assembled the branches, tested the lights (how many strings did we throw out this year?), and hung the ornaments. We finished the night by watching Santa Paws...sweet movie...sweet memories.

First Big Snow of the Season

2011-11-30T11:33:00.002-05:00

We're not talking about a monster snow storm, but certainly enough to close a few area schools, cover every inch of tree limb with sticky white, and raise the excitement level of this household to the max. in contemplation of sleds and snowmen.

Jacob and Amarin were "lucky" enough to brave the weather first...as they hauled a ton of garbage to the curb. They came in quite chilled. Guess they'll remember to wear their heavier coats next time.

The two littles squirmed all morning, working on school. FINALLY, they were cut loose, bundled, and frolicking in the fresh snow. They sure made tracks...literally!

They are so cute all bundled!

Preparing for Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T12:22:00.002-05:00

We are preparing for Thanksgiving, but this year seems unbelievably easy.

No food to prep, no house cleaning, nothing.

So, we're having fun with some crafts. The kids love crafts, and I love finding ideas on the internet that makes me appear to be quite a "crafty" mom!

I found some Thanksgiving vocabulary words to help Charlie with his reading. He cut them out and glued them on big paper.

Jenna's learning to color by number. Following directions is important, so once in a while we skip over the creativity of art, and just follow directions.
Then we all wrote words on paper feathers, telling for what we are thankful. We cut out our feathers, and glued them on to a turkey that Jacob drew.

Jenna loves to cut with scissors!

11-11-11

2011-11-11T14:48:00.005-05:00

Isn't that a cool date to write? And what's even cooler is that at 4:35 AM this morning, Amarin turned 10 years old. Yes, double digits. He was so excited, though he kind of wishes he was turning 11 today...just to have fun with the numbers. I said NO! You're growing up fast enough!

Sleepy morning eyes. C'mon, mom, I'm not awake yet!

Charlie explained his picture that he made for him.

Amarin has been wanting a "real" Bible, because he's almost done with his story Bible. He took it with him in the van and kept asking me for Bible verses to look up. His story Bible doesn't have chapter and verse numbers like this one. He said he could take this one to church to follow what the pastor was reading. And this was the only book he wanted for his rest time today. I'm so glad he enjoys the adventures!

Anther bionicle from Jacob. Can't have too many of these guys, huh?

Laura kept walking in front of my lens...look at me, mom!

And finally, he has his own MP3.

Amarin wanted to go to the Rainforest Cafe today. One of his little siblings did not want to go for fear of the animals, but had no choice. The other didn't know what it was all about.

We sat down before any noise started and all was well...

until the noise started. Jenna had tears, Charlie had big eyes, Laura was grabbing me during the thunderstorm, but after a little reassurance and glances at other kids that weren't freaking out, they decided they were going to eat lunch, and not BE lunch. Nervous Nellies watching the gorillas!

The Basics

2011-11-10T17:39:00.001-05:00

What's Cookin' Wednesday

2011-11-09T15:15:00.003-05:00

Today is Wednesday, right?

And I just realized that I missed sharing a favorite recipe last week.

We were on the road.

But here's one for today, and I have to say...the kids and I LOVED it.

Next time I must double, or triple, the recipe.

And before you get all "weirded out" by the recipe title, let me tell you, it tastes like Thanksgiving dressing. As we ate it, Jacob and I kept trying to figure out the taste, and by golly, we did it. Thanksgiving dressing...or stuffing...whichever you prefer.

Bulgar Wheat Pilaf

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1850,153176-226192,00.html

I followed the recipe exactly, and it was very easy, healthy, and delicious. Now I just need to find a place that sells bulgar wheat. My favorite little shop recently closed.

Feel free to link up your blog, and post a favorite recipe of your own!

So, we're moving...

2011-11-08T05:49:00.002-05:00

Yes, we are moving. By now, family and friends know that you NEVER write our address in your book with pen. Because we don't seem to stay in one place for very long. However, if pencil is used, a hole is probably worn from erasing so much. We have owned this home for 6 years, and this is the longest we've been in one place. Yep. And we've been married 17 years. Lots of moves. Lots of changes. Lots of fond memories. Lots of adventures. It's a good thing we both embrace change and adventure!

But the process of moving is never one of my favorite things. It's that limbo state...getting info on the new area, while keeping things "normal" at home, making appts. to get the house in order, while trying to find a new home, purging the house of unused stuff...again. Ugh. It's enough to jumble a brain. We keep telling ourselves...one day at a time...just one day at a time.

The past 6 days were spent on the road mostly...driving to the new hometown, visiting schools, familiarizing ourselves with the area, looking at houses. Whoever decided to put DVD players in vans...you are one of my favorite people of all time! The kids were troopers, and actually enjoyed visiting schools and house-hunting. Might I add that our realtor is very kind taking a family of 7 house-hunting? And I wonder how many potential neighbors hit the floor praying that 5 children would not move in next door? I can just see them peeking out their windows..."Oh, no. Not that family!"

But it was a good trip, and I think we found a school for Laura. I had anticipated only seeing two schools. Not many options for children with Laura's needs. We visited the first school, and before I could say anything in the van, Jacob said, "Mom, I don't feel right about this school." I agreed. I didn't know why exactly, but I just didn't have a peace about it. So, off to school #2...praying this would be THE school. It was my last option. Nope. Again, not sure why I didn't have a peace about it, but I didn't. Maybe I was basing it on what she had now...and that was going to be tough to beat!

I decided to call another school that I originally tossed out of the mix, and lo-and-behold, they could get me in that afternoon for a look-see. And the principal toured us, too. Peace! I knew this was the right school for her, even though the teacher wasn't even there...out sick. We went back yesterday to meet the teacher before heading home, and she was wonderful...introducing the other students, showing me how they use the Ipad (I'm so out of it!), and almost all the kids had a one-on-one aide. They mainstream with age appropriate peers for art, music, and lunch. And the best part? Before we left, Laura had already made a little friend. They were giggling together as the smacked the Ipad to watch the pictures change. The little girl was Laura's height, and seemed to be on the same level as Laura. She even tried following Laura out of the room, while Laura was waving and smiling back at her. So sweet!

We left feeling like we had accomplished something and it was a good feeling.

A Family

2011-10-31T21:55:00.004-04:00

October 31, 2006, you officially became part of our family.

One day after your first birthday.

One day after the orphanage celebrated with a HUGE, beautiful birthday cake.

And a few days after your birthmom and grandma visited you one last time, with a birthday present.

There are so many people that love you, Charlie Lu Kao!

And we are so thankful that God chose us to be your family forever.

Happy Birthday, Charlie!

2011-10-31T05:51:00.005-04:00

My baby boy is 6. Doesn't that sound older? 5 still sounds little, but 6 sounds like he's growing up.

Anyone found the key to keeping kids little?

Char was very happy about his birthday and was smiley all morning.

He thought his birthday card was cool...with Star Wars stickers!

His favorite gift of the morning...his "Ipod."

I can just read this thoughts...this is a mom gift...looks like a fancy way to disguise school...

Hmmmm...what could it be?

Why, it's the armor of God! Eph. 6:11

Amarin made Char a pop-up, Star Wars card.

Jacob found a bionicle for him.

This was the look of the day. Daddy downloaded VeggieTale Praise and Worship music for him.

Not sure about the rest of you, but I'm likin' this idea. Not that I don't enjoy a bunch of vegetables singing...all day...every day...

It's a special day...headphones allowed during meal time.

Later, family and friends came over to celebrate Char and Amarin's birthday. Amarin's isn't until November, so more on his later.

Grandma and Jenna

Note the guys on Char's cake. He decorated it himself...and it looks like they just landed in quicksand!

Happy boys...can't remember what was so funny!

Blowing out their candles!

Happy birthday, Char. We love you so much and you are growing to be such a funny, smart, and loving little boy!

Decking the halls already?

2011-10-29T07:28:00.002-04:00

Absolutely, it is that time of year already to wrap Christmas presents!

For Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child.

Never heard of it? Click on the link and read all about the organization started by Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham.

The kids and I have had fun shopping for and preparing 10 boxes this year...5 girls, and 5 boys.

We found stuffed toys, toothbrushes, toothpastes, combs, lip glosses, play jewelry, balls, cars, dinosaurs, and lollis to fill these boxes. And they each have a Christmas card that says "Jesus Loves You," with a photo of one of the our kiddos. Monday night, we're having friends over, and the kids are all going to make cross necklaces to put in the boxes, too.

A couple nights ago, the biggest boys and I wrapped the boxes. Jacob even put in some Charlie Brown Christmas songs. This has to be the earliest I have ever listened to Christmas music!

Of course, we needed nurishment for all of this work...hence, the popcorn!

Tah-dah! 10 boxes...stuffed, wrapped, banded, and labeled.

And this is so cool...we could print off labels from the Samaritan's Purse website so we can track our boxes and know to which country they go!

There's still time to fill a shoebox as National Collection Week is not until Nov. 14-21., and there are drop-off locations all over the place. No doubt, there is one very close to your home. If you're interested in packing a shoe box, click HERE and you'll find all of the details.

Introducing Heidi

2011-10-28T15:22:00.002-04:00

Laura had a dance at school today with her friends and teachers.

She dressed up like Heidi. Yes, I know Heidi wasn't born in China...but I think our Heidi is cuter!

Little Heidi was running from the camera...

so we had to corner her.

With the help of her big brother, Jacob!
Hard to believe that 5 years ago, these were the only two kids in our house!

He did it!

2011-10-27T12:51:00.003-04:00

My littlest boy. My dynamo child. Mr. Energy. Mr. I-have-to-do-it-my-way.

Mr. Look-out-world-'cause-here-I-come.

God gave this boy a very strong personality, and I know it will serve him well.

Even with this never-ending supply of will and might and energy,

he sat down (key word here is "sat") and learned to read.

YES!

And he did it just like he learned to use the potty...on his terms...when he wanted and when he was ready...and then BOOM!

He's reading.

I'm so proud of you, Char!

What's Cookin' Wednesday?

2011-10-26T12:43:00.002-04:00

It's Wednesday! Time to share a favorite recipe.

It all started with 2 little pumpkins. I'd never cooked pumpkin before. I just bought the cans, which worked fine, and never thought any more about it. But I read how healthy pumpkin is, so I bought two little baking pumpkins, threw them in the oven for an hour, and voila! I had cooked pumpkin. A lot...of cooked pumpkin. I did want to eat some of it mashed with butter, salt, and pepper. But I needed to use it in another way, too.

I found this AWESOME recipe for pumpkin bars on the F**dnetwork website.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-bars-recipe/index.html

I had to make some changes so we could all enjoy it, and it turned out really, really good. As a matter of fact, Charlie wants me to make it for his birthday this Sunday. And I think it turned out more like cake than bars.

Here are the changes I made:

1. I used fresh pumpkin.

2. I didn't put icing on it.

3. I used brown rice flour instead of all-purpose (same measurement).

4. I used 1 1/4 cup honey instead of sugar.

5. I cut the oil down to 10 tablespoons (because I used honey and it would have been to soupy with all the liquid).

Looking forward to eating it again this weekend!!

Guess Who's Going to Russia?

2011-10-25T17:48:00.002-04:00

No, not the 5 kids, but I bet I had some of you goin'!

See all of these beanies?

There are 31 of them, and they're heading to Russia with the Plummer family.

They finally rec'd their last court approval to bring home their babies, and they will be traveling very, very soon, back to the orphanages. These beanies will hopefully make some children very happy!

100% Girl

2011-10-23T17:07:00.002-04:00

It is so much fun seeing the world through this pair of "girly-girl" eyes. She loves everything pink and purple (still not sure why she chose that yellow cast), sparkly, shimmery, lacy, frilly, and bejeweled. Right after her surgery, her grandma bought her some princess shoes to wear after her feet healed. And wear them she can!

(Notice how she's holding on so she doesn't stumble in the heels?)

And yes, the jeans do say "princess" on the pocket. What else?

Let's get a closer look...

And her other grandma took her shopping at the toy store, and what does she pick?
A pink vacuum!
And let me tell you, she scoured the girly-aisles and aisles of toys, touching everything, ooohing and ahhhing over all the prilly things. I think it made grandma's day to know she has another granddaughter that LOVES to shop!

Perfect Piggies

2011-10-20T16:31:00.003-04:00

Last week Daddy signed Jenna's cast. Her first signature. I'm just not big on writing all over a cast. But it was time because today the cast was coming off!

Today we headed to the dr.'s office, ready to get this thing off and wear two "prilly" shoes.

She brought her bag with another ruffly sock and her other patent shoe.

We watched videos online about getting the cast off, the saw thing-a-ma-bob, the noise, etc. She was in tears last night, not wanting it to be removed. But today, with her brothers standing around, she was as brave as could be, and even giggled because it tickled her toes.

This gal did such a fine job. She was a bit nervous, we could tell. But was very sweet and efficient.

Next, she cut the fabric that was below the cast.

Done! But boy was her leg itchy! She had such dry skin on her leg, and she itched and itched it so much, I think 1/2 of her skin cells were left in the office!

The dr. came in and gave her the all-clear. No x-rays, no follow-up needed. Just go home and play in the bath tub (finally no more baths in the kitchen sink), clean off that leg, and put on some lotion. I think I'll go with straight coconut oil!

As we waited for the dr., we looked outside. We are sure that those were little snowflakes falling...or awfully white raindrops!

What's Cookin' Wednesday?

2011-10-19T06:02:00.003-04:00

I'm going to try something new on Wednesdays. I'm inspired by my friend, Kristin, who shares some wonderful recipes, frugal tips, and a knack for being organized. However, her very yummy sounding food is not always on our diet radar. I'm bummed. The Snickers Cheesecake sounds good enough to devour in one sitting...by myself.

My plan is to share, each Wednesday, a recipe that we love and that follows our diet.

Note: I'm not on a soap-box, but just sharing what we've learned these past months and have seen obvious health improvements. Every family needs to eat the way they feel comfortable.

To begin with, corn products and sugars (minus a little honey) are big no-nos here. Not to say that we don't have the occassional bowl (or two) of popcorn or the sweet treat, but it's rare, and totally off limits for Charlie & Jenna. And we have seen tremendous health improvements in both of them because of it. I have to read ingredients on everything...no corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, dextrin, maltodextrin, corn starch, sorbitol, vegetable starches, vegetable oils, fake sugars (which are just a bunch of chemicals anyway that shouldn't be part of a diet), margarine (would you munch on a plastic bowl? It's one chemical concoction away), sugar, brown sugar, white grains, etc.

It's amazing what's in the food on the shelf, and how much of it we can't eat. I heard once that if you want to eat healthy, shop for your groceries on the outside walls and stay out of the middle aisles. True. There are some aisles that I don't even bother with anymore.

That all said, here's a recipe I just tried yesterday and we all loved it for a snack!

Chewy Granola Bars

1/2 cup nut or seed butter

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 cup oats

1 cup a combination of your favorites: shredded coconut, nuts, seeds, etc.

Melt nut/seed butter in a saucepan along with the oil and honey. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Pour and press into an 8x8 or 9x4 pan and chill for two hours. Cut into bars, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for a quick, healthy snack.

I Was Sad

2011-10-15T08:06:00.004-04:00

Our new fall/school photos arrived in the mail already today!

I love pulling the prior year's photos off the wall, putting the new ones next to them,

and seeing how much the kids have changed right before our eyes!

Obviously, Jenna's has changed tremendously. Unfortunately, the exact photo I had hanging on the wall is no where to be found on disc. I know it's somewhere, but I'm tech-impaired. This one is close to it...but in this one she has a little smile.

When Jenna saw her "old" photo, she told me that she wasn't happy then. She was sad because she didn't have a mama and daddy. This coming from a 4 year old's mouth...remembering her feelings in the orphanage. How my heart breaks for the millions of children still waiting.

Now look at her...smiling, confident, vibrant, full of vip-and-vinegar!

And loud. Have I mentioned that she's LOUD? I truly see her singing and dancing on stage someday...with no need of a microphone!

What amazing changes we have seen over the past 9 months in this princess. Our family just wasn't complete without her!

New Fall Photos

2011-10-09T12:12:00.001-04:00

Take a look at the right sidebar. I took new school photos of the kids.

They just keep growing up, don't they?

Captive Audience

2011-10-08T16:39:00.003-04:00

Little girls talk...a lot!

I never realized how much until I started sitting on the receiving

end of the never-ending-one-sided-dialogue.

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad she's talking, and her English is coming along amazingly well. I'm just glad she's found another captive audience that won't compete for air-space.

Purge & Fundraise

2011-09-27T09:33:00.004-04:00

Oh, it is time to purge our home...again.

We are moving, but more on that later. One day/post at a time!

But we also have friends bringing home two sweeties from Russia who have designer genes!

Garage sale time with two purposes...purge and fundraise!

Charlie sat in his corner, in charge of water sales. Unfortunately the weather was more suited to selling hot cocoa and coffee. He sold 3 bottles...2 were to Daddy.

During the down-times, Amarin drew...

Jacob read...

and Charlie sipped hot tea.

Jenna helped out with water sales on day two.

Laura was her cute self...until she started pulling everything off the tables!

Can't you just see the stinker-look in her eyes?

Finally, on day 2, the sun came out and warmed the air.

I knew I was in good hands with all of these protectors in the vicinity...especially the one wearing the swim mask and snorkel!

Don't you just love kids and their imaginations?

Within 2 Days

2011-09-25T20:34:00.002-04:00

...this little girl went from being afraid to put any weight on her feet, to being excited to move.

"Help me walk, Mama!"

Are you catching this, Jacob?

Watch me stand up by myself...

and no hands!

Now she's walking short distances around the house by herself.

Tomorrow I have to pick up a cast shoe so she doesn't slip and fall,

and so she can walk around outside and around town.

We have places to go and things to do, ya know.

Laura's Brave

2011-09-23T13:59:00.000-04:00

No more words needed.

New digs for the girls

2011-09-22T19:44:00.002-04:00

Deep breath, please. And this day is done.

Let's see...homeschooled 3 kids before 10,

...packed a special diet lunch

...pounded in garage sale signs around our area

...made dinner ahead of time so we can eat as soon as we get home tonight

...dropped two boys off at friends

...oops...quick stop at the bank...almost forgot change for the garage sale

...drove one hour to get Laura's new braces fitted

...waited 1.5 hours for them to make necessary changes (they do a great job!)

...drove like a crazy mom to the medical building 9 miles away because we're running late

...prayed for a convenient parking spot in a crazy busy parking structure

...thanked Jacob again and again for helping with two girls in strollers

...waited 1/2 hour for Jenna's appt.

...rebuked the (moron) gal who showed us to our room who assumed Jenna's case

...comforted a sobbing Jenna as the dr. took off her bandages...she was so scared

...informed the dr. about comments from prementioned moron

...checked out and headed for an icecream treat for everyone

...and didn't find one until we were almost home!

...picked up two boys and a bushel of tomatoes that I need to can this weekend

...came home and threw dinner in the oven

...organized a few more things for the garage sale

...fed everyone dinner

...helped Jacob care for the neighbor's cats

...gave the boys haircuts

...showered Char

...washed Jenna's foot that's not bandaged and rubbed lotion on her dry little leg

...gave the girls vitamins for their colds

...tucked little ones in for the night

...prepped Laura's clothes and lunch for school tomorrow

...cleaned up kitchen

...and soon, I will fall into bed.

Just thankful that I'm able to do all of this, have a van that runs well, friends that are around the corner to help, professionals that are great at their job (minus the moron), easy prep meals, and warm weather to be out and about.

And, now, just look at these girls with their new braces and cast!

Laura's braces are great. One is a little taller than the other now to help her use both legs equally. And now we get to go shopping for new shoes since she has bigger braces!

As for Jenna Mei, she chose a bright yellow cast. I couldn't believe that she didn't pick pink or purple! But she was sure she wanted yellow, so that's what she got! Her feet look great, are much less swollen than the dr. had anticipated, and are healing very well. She should be out of her cast in one month. She's afraid to walk on her feet even though the dr. told her she could. But she's scooting all over the floor, and down stairs. It won't take her long, I'm sure.

Wrestling an octopus

2011-09-19T12:52:00.002-04:00

Guess who got to dodge a day of school today?

Boy, some kids really go the extreme to stay home!

Ha...hardly true...this girl loves to get on that school bus each morning!

Anyway, I got a call from Laura's teacher this morning saying that Laura took a fall while walking to her locker with a friend. She hit her head and there was some bleeding, and the nurse wanted to me take a look at it. Oh, and she was fine as we talked, all nestled in someone's arms. Yep...sounds like my girl!

So off we trooped to the school, and when we arrived, she was happily eating her pancake snack. We thought it best to have the dr. check out the cut, just in case.

So, after a TWO HOUR WAIT, (not that I was frustrated or anything), we were told it looked fine, wash it, put some cream on it, and it should heal just fine.

We were able to eat lunch together.

Oh, and I got to wrestle an octopus as I tried to wash her cut.

Winner!

2011-09-17T21:06:00.001-04:00

Michelle, you won the school logbook. Send me a comment with your contact info, and I'll mail it to you! Happy planning!

Giveaway!

2011-09-13T18:47:00.002-04:00

Whether you homeschool your children, or if you might be looking for a way to keep your children organized with assignments or chores, this is a great Logbook.

It is versatile, well put together, and easy to use.

Don't you just love practical tools?

I have one of these beauties on my desk as I type, and it can be yours!

Leave a message as to how it might be useful for your family, or maybe a friend's family,

and your name will be entered into the drawing.

I'll draw a name this Saturday!

Enjoy this demo video that Corina put together!

Where is your...

2011-09-11T08:11:00.002-04:00

hope? In whom do you trust? What gives you true peace and contentment when times are difficult or when you're having a down day?

We've had a lot of hospital time this past week with family members, as well as trying to support a couple close friends whose relatives are battling cancer. Now, the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

I truly do not know how anyone can cope with life's struggles on their own. How desperate and hopeless it must feel without a strong relationship with God.

God has truly been our hope, refuge, and strength through tough times, tough decisions.

Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

2 I will praise the Lord while I live;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Do not trust in prinecs,

In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.

4 His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;

In that very day his thoughts perish.

5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

Whose hope is in the Lord his God.

6 Who made heaven and earth,

The sea and all that is in them;

Who keeps faith forever;

7 Who executes justice for the oppressed;

Who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free.

8The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;

The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;

The Lord loves the righteous;

9 The Lord protects the strangers;

He supports the fatherless and the widow,

But He thwarts the way of the wicked.

10 The Lord will reign forever,

Your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord!

Princess Comin' Through!

2011-09-10T07:46:00.002-04:00

Friday was the first full day at home after Jenna Mei's surgery. She's doing amazingly well...no complaints at all. Quite frankly, I think I'd be moaning about having to sit all day...er...maybe not. Anyway, she's being a great sport. We're trying to move her around, but her favorite place is in the glider chair in the kitchen, which is where we spend most of our time anyway. She only mentioned that her right foot hurt once (where they took out a bone..ya know...the one she reminded the dr. to throw in the garbage?)...but it was only a little and the meds have kept all else at bay.

We did school Friday, too, and she participated in the ice age outside with Char. The history program that we're using this year, Mystery of History, places history within the context of the Bible. Very interesting to learn about how the Ice Age fits into the Bible!

All the boys are helping out with Jenna, but Char has been her biggest helper. Such a big heart...a powerful personality...but just as big of a heart.

Here she is spending time with her new KaiLan colorforms. She thought it was cool that KaiLan has a tuba just like Jacob!
We have to carry Jenna everywhere...no moving around on her own. So, we scoop her up, and while we carry her she calls out, "Toot, toot! Princess comin' through!"
Yep.

Recovering

2011-09-08T12:27:00.008-04:00

We are home, and Jenna is recovering beautifully from her foot surgeries.

Let me tell you...she is one optimistic, bubbly patient.

For days ahead, she was excited to get her silly medicine, and for this whole experience.

The night before, she had her bunny purse, teddy bear, and backpack (stuffed...such a packrat) in anticipation.

And here she is with Daddy at the entrance of the hospital.

The bear was there to greet us, and per the nurse at check-in, the guy who took this photo was the VP of the hospital. Royal treatment for the princess.

After charming the gals behind the check-in desk, and receiving her new yellow bear, we made it in record time to a pre-op room.

She put on her "prilly" dress, hopped up onto the bed, and proceeded to smile at everyone that walked by her room. She also made it known to everyone that came into her room that she was ready for her ride (on the rolling bed), her big medicine, and that the dr. was going to throw her extra bone into the garbage. She even cleared this with the dr. when he came in to see her before surgery. I'm sure he's glad that she reminded him what he was to do.

This bone right here, dr. That goes into the garbage.

This was one of the many nurses she charmed during her stay.

Waiting for her turn to go into surgery. There was a baby in the next room that went in before she did, and we knew we'd be waiting a while. They were about 2.5 hours behind schedule. Thankfully there was a t.v. to keep her occupied. Even with getting very hungry and tired of waiting for her turn, she did very well.

This was taken before she even had her silly medicine!

Reading with Daddy to pass the time.

Watching t.v., and putting on her "lipstick."

She went into surgery at 12:30, escorted by 4 doting nurses who all promised her an extra long ride to the surgerical room, complete with a spin, for waiting so patiently. All smiles, she waved bye to us and off she went. The girl goes where the fun is!

80 minutes later the dr. came out and (after watching the Tigers hit a grand slam on the tv) informed us that her surgery was very successful...oh, and that she charmed everyone in the operating room. Do I see a pattern here?

A few minutes later, a worker asked just me to come back to the recovery room. Apparently Jenna was very upset. Of course, the first thing I think of is that she thinks she's abandoned again. I couldn't get there fast enough to reassure her. Poor thing was crying so hard while trying to drink a baby bottle with glucose water. She was hungry, waking up from anesthesia, alone, and obviously in pain. They gave her two more doses of meds but they didn't touch the pain. So, off to a room in the pediatric wing for pain management.

Thank God for morphine! She settled and slept for an hour. See her little bear? His feet were bandaged just like hers while in surgery.

It was decided that she and Mama would spend the night at the hospital just in case the pain came back intensely, and morphine would be close. But she didn't need it. She breezed through the night, ate like a trooper at dinner and breakfast, downed some sugary cereals and popsicles, and thoroughly enjoyed herself.

Once again, she charmed the food delivery person enough that the lady brought her back a strawberry shortcake for dessert. Seriously? No wonder she said she didn't want to go home yet!

While waiting for the guys to pick us up, we went for a ride around the pediatric floor. First class ride in her private wagon.

Now that we're home and reality has kicked back in, we have to keep her off her feet for 10 days...no standing, walking, weight bearing of any kind. Can I get some morphine for my back?

Surgery Tomorrow

2011-09-06T13:23:00.003-04:00

This little sweetie goes in for foot surgery tomorrow. She has a bone growing horizontally,

pushing on her big toe. It doesn't hurt her, but will prove difficult if it's not removed.

And she's taking it like such a big girl...excited that she will be able to go buy some "prilly" shoes soon, happy that she will be able to wear the pink cowgirl boots that a friend gave to her, and so excited that she gets to have "silly medicine" to make her feel better.

Not to mention that she's heard us tell the boys how they'll need to help her when she gets home. Little princess is making her list, I'm sure...

My happy, girly girl.

Note the color of markers that she chose here...could she find another pink or purple?

School days, school days...

2011-08-29T14:55:00.006-04:00

5:30 AM came early for me this morning. And the kids staggered out at 6:30. Any other morning they would have been up by now playing. Guessing school may have been a determining factor in their grogginess. But they all were ready to go by 8AM. Homeschool grade levels are always vague since they do a variety of work, but basically Jacob is in 6th, Amarin 4th, Laura 1st, Charlie K, and Jenna Pre-K.

Today we did some art...nothing major as this is NOT my forte. But coloring is art, right? This is their character trait chart. They pick a trait on which to work, and then we add stickers to the path as they find success!

Jacob's art project for a while will be his memory/scrapbook of his Father/Son trip to California last April. He enjoyed reminiscing as he started organized over 200 photos!

Amarin had Thai this AM for 1.5 hours. His teacher said he's doing great and remembers a lot.

Yeah! And he really enjoys it. I'm so thankful to have found a teacher to help him with his native language.

Laura has one more week before Ms. Mary puts her to work. We're so glad she'll be back...we missed her!

Math has a new look for Jacob this year. I had to relinquish my role as his primary math teacher, and hand it over to a DVD teacher. He's doing pre-algebra, and I really want him to understand math, not just "do" the work. So far he likes it. Of course, it has only been one day...

Oh, and he also said that he likes this year's teacher better than last year's. Um...I think that's a compliment...

Little Mei Mei loves to string beads and make necklaces...for everyone. She still has blanket time for 1/2 hour at a time so I can work with the older kids.

The morning wouldn't be complete without a snack. Do you remember having snack time at school? Me neither. But my kids vow that they will perish if they don't eat something at 10AM.

Mom, I am so not into this school thing.

OK, well lunchtime is good.

And, of course, there is recess!

And one of their favorite times of the afternoon...one-on-one with a sibling.

Today, Charlie and Amarin got to spend time together doing an activity of their choice.

Yes, I know the weather outside was beautiful, but PS2 won out!

Can't complain when they're having fun together!

And Jacob spent time with Laura...feeding her a snack, taking her for a walk, and playing cars on my bedroom floor together.

I think it was a pretty successful 1st day of school! On to day 2!

2011-08-28T18:58:00.003-04:00

The annual balloon festival in our small town was this past weekend.

Weather was beautiful!

These two little cuties conned someone out of their umbrella so they could have a fort on the balloon field.

The big boys hanging out and walking around on their own...under subtle watch of us parents.

They like thinking they have "all this independence." We love the neat kids they keep as friends!

The annual kids' football game while waiting for the balloon field to fill up with trucks and trailers.

And they have arrived! Here they are unloading their baskets.

The lead balloon is going up and spectators love to crowd around to watch. Jenna was pretty freaked out by the fire shooting up into the balloon, and when the balloon started tipping in our direction!

Firin' up!

And she's off! There was a decent breeze, so it didn't take long for her to fly away.

The other balloons quickly followed suit. Aren't the colors beautiful? Unfortunately, only 7 balloons total went up this year, compared to over 20 last year. Apparently, the wind up high was pretty strong and the other balloons didn't want to risk it.

What a crew! Can't get into too much mischief when you're right in front of the fire & rescue (and the police and ambulance were right beside them!).

The End is Near

2011-08-25T18:35:00.004-04:00

Not that I'm into prophesying, but I do know without a shadow of a doubt, that the summer is quickly coming to an end. As a matter of fact, this weekend for our family is IT!

School starts, much to their chagrin, on Monday...bright and early.

Well, we may not feel "bright," but we will be up early.

The only one off the hook is Laura. She gets one more week of playtime.

But we're ending on a good note.

Last weekend we watched a floatdown. Tons of people on rafts, in kayaks, or just floating on their own, down the river.

Then we hosted a family BBQ for my Monday night ladies' group/Bible study group.

There were a bunch of kiddos, all having a great time! Such good friends and sweet souls.
A couple of us were even talking about arranging marriage between a couple of them...just joking...we'll wait a year or so...:)

The men had a chance to talk...rarely happens. I wish they could get together more to support one another. Being a husband/dad/head-of-household is no easy task!

And of course we women always have plenty to chat about...we never seem to run out of things to share no matter how often we meet!

Then it was a trip to the zoo with Daddy, and their cute baby cousin.

Jacob, Jenna, and their little prairie dog friend.

Jacob, Charlie, and the chubby little prairie dog who doesn't seem to want to budge!

While most of the kids are not looking forward to starting another school year, one little missy is raring to go! Give her a few days... she'll get the hang of that oh-so-pitiful-back-to-school face.

A few more days of fun, including a beautiful hot air balloon lift-off tomorrow and a BBQ at a friend's house with fireworks, and then it's down to business!

The Tea Party

2011-08-20T16:03:00.003-04:00

Betcha thought I was blogging something political, huh?

We girls actually did go to a teaparty with Grandma, Aunt Julie, and cousin Nicole...

none of whom are in any of these photos.

Perhaps I would have taken more photos had I taken my camera and not relied on my phone.

Nice job, me.

But here are my girly girls. Laura preferred to smile when I didn't have the phone pointed at her. But she still looked so pretty at the tea party! The necklace she's wearing was mine when I was a little girl. Fun sharing those things!

Jenna has been excited for days about this tea party, and wearing her "prilly" dress. She was just tickled to see the real tea cups and silverware...oh, yeah...and the "all you can eat" scones and sandwiches and little-girl-tea, aka. lemonade.

Love that dimple!
Oh, and there's half of cousin 'Colie. Guess I did capture her in a picture...kind of...

Oh, yes. The tea was just splendid!

Men at Work

2011-08-12T15:12:00.003-04:00

Sometimes Jamie travels for work.

And sometimes when he's gone, "manly" jobs still need to be done.

Like when chains fall off a little brother's bike.

And even though the boys have never fixed anything like this before...

they figured it out, and proudly displayed their "manly" power.
I can hear Tim-the-tool-man now...

His first HS credit!

2011-08-01T17:41:00.002-04:00

Jacob earned what could count as his first high school credit last week.

Do you remember last year when I wrote about the Constitution class I took?

Jacob and Amarin had sat in with me to listen, and Jacob especially LOVED the class.

He's our history guy.

So, when our friend offered the class again, Jacob wanted to take it by himself.

Every day last week, from 8AM until noon, Jacob was in class, and on the last day, he passed his test with flying colors and received a certificate.

We're so happy that you enjoyed this! But...let's not dive into high school too fast, OK?

No fish for dinner

2011-07-30T19:14:00.002-04:00

Daddy took the kids out on the boat. Jenna had a new Dora pole and caught lots of little fish.

Charlie was catching a few here and there, too.

Here's Jenna's first fish...look how thrilled she looks...like get that think away from me, Dad!

Here's Charlie's big catch...held as far as possible away from his body.

Amarin helped Jenna catch another one.

But as luck would have it, no fish would be brought home for dinner.

Chicken, anyone?

Schools...my opinion

2011-07-29T09:44:00.005-04:00

I read a report the other day online. I wish I could find it again to reference it, but I can't. Basically, it was giving stats about how low our nations schools are compared to so many other countries in the world. I'm not sure from where these stats were gathered, but I'm guessing it's standardized testing of some kind or another. And our nation wasn't just number 4 or 5...we were around number 30 in some areas. OUCH!

The author of the article shared what we, as parents, should be doing to remedy this "situation." He (she?) said that we should be demanding more from the schools, teachers, administrators, etc. Frankly, I couldn't disagree more.

Yes, I do believe that there are some teachers that are in this career because they think it's an easy paycheck...holidays off...weekends off...summers off...union protection. And, yes, there are administrators who really don't care. And schools that don't work at their full potential. And staff that simply need to retire. But I think these scenarios are the exception.

I believe that the majority of school staff are highly dedicated, continually striving to learn new methods to challenge their students. I believe they are often faced with unreasonable expectations...too much material to cover and too much time trying to manage their classroom, leaving even less time to cover this ever increasing amount of material, some of which has NO business being taught in the classrooms in the first place!

I started thinking about decades ago...when there were still one-room schoolhouses...with one teacher who often didn't even attend college...children of varying ages...limited resources...and even shorter school years due to the more demanding need of keeping children home to work the fields, etc.

Compare that with teachers today...needing Master's degrees, endless seminars and inservices and meetings, additional university courses just to keep their teaching certificates.

So why then, when we have "more" now, do students keep falling further and further behind? What have we not addressed? Maybe we should cram more into the tiny little ones at an earlier age. Nope...tried that, too. Doesn't work. Really...why does a 3 year old need to know what a parallelogram is? And why do kindergarten children need to know how to read, and all their numbers to 100? Whatever happened to being a child...graham crackers and chocolate milk snack, going home to eat lunch with mommy, and a nice long nap? Do you know that many European countries do not start their children in formal education until they are 6 or 7 years old? Hmmm...

Here's a thought I've not read about...what about parents? Where are parents in this mix? Ah...now I think we're on to something. Has anyone in any place of authority told parents to step up the plate to improve education? And this does not mean putting your child into a million activities to "boost their brain" or push them so hard they have a nervous breakdown. I'm talking discipline. How about teaching kids some good ole respect for authority? A strong work ethic? Natural consequences? Loving others first? Obedience!!!!!!!

That's what I think the solution is. Let's get back to the basics of parents taking responsibility for their kids, and stop pointing fingers at others. Maybe, if your child is "in trouble" at school, you've missed the mark at parenting. Not always, but has it ever crossed your mind? Maybe it's not little Billy's teacher that being mean...but it's little Billy who has a sassy attitude and doesn't know how to show respect. Maybe it's not little Susie's teacher giving her too much homework, but little Susie is being lazy and chatty during the school day.

So, parents...step up to the plate. You decided to have children, so act like parents and not their friends. You're not your child's friends! Repeat: YOU'RE NOT YOUR CHILD'S FRIENDS! You are their parents. And maybe, just maybe, if parents tried this, we would see not only an improvement in education, but in society overall. What's your take on this?

2 Years Already?

2011-07-27T16:17:00.004-04:00

Yes, siree, it sure has been 2 years. Two years since we met Amarin in Thailand. Two years since we walked up that HOT sidewalk, to the open-air building where he was waiting for us on little mat, trying to stay cool. Two years ago since we saw his adorable smile...a smile that hasn't left his little face. Two years ago since we thoroughly enjoyed his native land of Thailand. Oh my, how we'd love to travel back again.

When we first saw him introduced on a video of waiting children, they said that he could be "a bit of a clown." Yep...they hit that one on the head! And such a huge heart for helping others. He loves to help cook meals, vacuum (seriously - even though it freaked him out the first time I used it around him), care for his little Laura, build with legos, watch airplanes, and fix things. He is our Mr. Fix-it. He wants to be a pilot someday. He has learned how to read and is very happy to be whizzing through his story Bible...all by himself!

So, to celebrate this special day and this special boy, we went out for Thai food...which has become one of our very favorites!

And the spicier, the better. If he can eat it, it's worthy of spicy sauce. He had to sample them all, and even mixed them together. My mouth is on fire just thinking about it!

And guess who works at this particular Thai restaurant? His Thai teacher! Finally, Amarin has shown interest and excitement to learn his native language again. Yeah!!

Remember...Thai food is spicy. We have tell them to tone down the spice or we'd all be combustible. Anyway, as we're sitting at our table, we start sneezing. I'm eating rice and thinking...wow...they must have used a lot of pepper...my throat is burning...and my nose. Laura started coughing...Jamie is sneezing...and the wait staff start laughing. Apparently the cook was chopping hot peppers in the kitchen and they were so spicy that the "spicy" floated out into the restaurant. They had to open the doors to the outside to vent it out before we all choked! Can you tell Laura was impressed?

After we all gained our composure...stopped choking and laughing...we ordered dessert. The infamous sweet sticky rice with fresh mango slices. Heaven on a plate!!

Here's a close-up...but don't use the soy sauce on it!

We love you, Amarin!!

Christmas in July

2011-07-27T09:51:00.002-04:00

Yes...a personal and bloggy friend of mine is quite the organized lady. Kristin has some great ideas about veggie growing and preparation, frugal living, and she is very crafty...in a good way!! :)

Right now she is doing some lovely give-aways for Christmas...yes, Christmas.

I told you she's organized!

And she's sharing tips for preparing for Christmas so when it arrives, we can enjoy the birth of our Savior, minus the worldy stresses.

Check out her blog HERE!

Little Songbird

2011-07-23T16:37:00.004-04:00

Blue Angels

2011-07-22T19:33:00.004-04:00

A surprise for the kids today! We were invited over a month ago by Make-A-Wish to see the Blue Angels airshow...but we didn't tell the kids. We wanted it to be a surprise. And surprised they were, especially our airplane-loving Amarin. He's going to be a pilot someday, you know.

We met at the airport, lined up all the family vehicles, and caravaned to the VIP seating area right next to the runway! We actually had to drive across an active runway to get to our viewing area. But before we drove there, we had to wait for other families to arrive. While we waited, a plane put on quite a show for us, making dives and twists and turns. Amazing!

We were very thankful to be under a tent in this HOT weather, though clouds were moving in and that helped. The kids were also very thankful for refreshments! Our friend, Ms. Kelly, came with us. She loves airshows...skydiving...right up her ally!

The planes were at the end of the runway...oooohh...the anticipation!

These men were all equipped to watch the sky. I know they were at least watching the weather because they were the ones we saw motion to stop the airshow when the weather got stormy.

Here's Fat Albert

After an awesome trek down the runway to the opening song of "Topgun,"

the Blue Angels took off, flew way out, and here they come back in formation.

I can't believe the precision of these pilots. They come soooo close to one another.

Yes, it was pretty loud when those planes flew overhead. The boys thought it was cool how the sound traveled so much slower than the actual plane.

Amarin never took his eyes off the sky. He has said for a while that he wants to fly a plane...a plane that does tricks in the air...with the Blue Angels. I don't even know how he learned about the Blue Angels. But he was all into it today!

Breathtaking!

Unfortunately, that was the end of the airshow. A storm moved in, with lightening, and it was not safe for the pilots, nor for us standing by tents with metal poles. We missed the rest of the show, as well as the meet&greet, but what we saw was amazing. We are very grateful to Make-A-Wish and the Blue Angels for arranging this special show for our families.

Our days

2011-07-21T07:36:00.004-04:00

It's HOT...HOT...HOT, mixed in with HUMIDITY!!

Hot and humid like we're just not used to up yonder.

But I'm not complaining...I'll take it anyday over the cold, bitter, winter days.

So, we're trying to stay cool and find some fun summer activities, and most of our outdoor time has been in the morning, while finding refuge in our cool basement during the afternoons.

Looks like Milky Way is here to stay. And he's scoring points with my non-cat-loving hubby by hunting chipmunks and mice that destroy our lawn. Yes. He actually had the camera out to take photos of this event. Yuck!

Robot building. This is Jacob's "Scrubby McBristle." He spins around, brushing as he goes. Now if he were only 100 times the size, he could be quite handy!

Amarin's robot is named "Monster Mike." He's ready to deliver a can of cola to you when you're ready. Can't promise you won't pass out from thirst as you wait for this little guy to find you...

Mornings with sidewalk chalk...

and thrill rides down the driveway...

and joining to make it even faster!

Laura's last day of school for this week, and then she has a one week break. I have to say that he bus drivers are THE BEST! Look what one of them made for her...just because Laura is her "little cheeks." They love her cheeks when she smiles! Me, too!

A cool outfit for these hot days and I love the ruffles on the bum!

7 is a great number!

2011-07-19T20:00:00.004-04:00

Yes, it is good to be 7 years old!

Laura turned 7 today, and last Friday evening we had her birthday party.

Family and friends were there...

and all the kids sang "Happy Birthday."

And then your siblings spit out...I mean, blew out your candles for you!

You received a couple toys...

some "prilly" clothes...to use Jenna's lingo...

and a new lunchbox for school. You just can't get any cuter than Hello Kitty!

And today you were so happy to get on that school bus because I think you knew you would be celebrating your birthday at school! Not many kids with summer birthdays get to do that!

Yes...you were very excited!

We baked little elephant cookies to share with your bus drivers, teachers, therapists, and friends. None came home, so I'm thinking they were a hit!

Happy 7th Birthday to our oldest princess! You just bring so much joy to our family!

What I'm learning

2011-07-13T21:13:00.006-04:00

It has officially been two weeks on this elimination diet.

I'm learning a lot. Some things are encouraging, while others are not.

I've always known that eating healthy was important, but never really gave any diet time enough to show itself fruitful. I'm a little impatient that way and prefer instant gratification.

And I like to eat...as does the whole family.

But...here's a little bit of what I've learned over the past two weeks.

*Diets take time to show the benefit.

*Benefits do happen...be patient.

*Not all the results are going to be what we like to find out...because

it could mean a permanent change in diet.

*Going to a restaurant is not as fun.

*Retaurants rarely have healthy selections for kids...and sometimes not much for adults!

*Going through sugar/snack withdrawl is not fun. And what we went through is NOTHING compared to serious addictions! Made me feel a bit humbled.

*Groceries are now even more expensive because we're buying fresh food.

*How pathetic is it that we have to pay abundantly more for quality food.

*How frustrating is it that preserved, processed food is cheap and what a lot of people need to buy in order to feed their family.

*It's hard to bake a decent dessert without using grains or sugar.

*Not having eaten anything sweet for 2 weeks, my little ones will say anything tastes yummy!

*Charlie has not had ANY hives for 2 weeks.

*Jenna has not had ANY congestion (which she has had since China) until today when I added cornstarch...a no-no...to brownies. Her congestion came back. Corn may be one of her culprits.

*I have had only one minor headache in the morning, while I'd usually have several per week. Bonus since this diet wasn't even meant for me!

*I'm thankful it's berry season and fresh veggie season because we are eating a ton of them and they're easy to find right now.

*Chilled strawberry-rhubarb w/ mint soup is better eaten as a frozen treat.

*Almond biscuits are yummy, and what I'm using for strawberry shortcake for Laura's birthday treat!

A Gift

2011-07-12T16:24:00.003-04:00

I received a fun email from a church/homeschool friend yesterday.

She told me that a man from church, who wished to remain anonymous, had made a little chair and wanted to give it to Jenna Mei.

Really?

Well, we had to head out today to pick it up and Jenna was very excited to get her special gift.

It is the neatest little chair, all wood, and it even folds up to store.

As soon as we got home, she tried it out, sitting in front of her little CD player, listening to her "Jesus songs."

To top it off, we made some icecream (also known as a really thick smoothie), and not to worry, Laura had some, too!

Hollywood's Home

2011-07-11T14:18:00.002-04:00

He's home after being gone all week at camp. The buses pulled in, parents poured forth, and kids came piling out, along with a semi full of luggage. Quite an organized operation, I must say!

We drove through some thunderstorms to pick him up, but drove out of the rain so we could wait outside and take photos. In Charlie's exact words..."Thank you, God!"

Parents have to sign the kids off the bus...and here he comes!

And from this point on, it was nonstop stories of camp: kayak races, blobbing, awesome food, campfires, roasting hot dogs, new friends, air-rifles, archery, icecream, chapel time, races, tug-of-war (totally cracks us up that Jacob was the anchor in this game!), mud...oh my goodness, the stories, and I know I'm missing a ton of topics!

And as for "Hollywood?" Well, that was his nickname all week, and apparently some kids never did know his real name.

When I asked him to rate camp 0 to 10, he said, "10, Mom, definitely 10!"

I think he's going back next year, and probably with a little brother at his side!

Even better than the stories, was watching his siblings greet him.
Miss Chatty Jenna had to talk and be sure he got the picture that she colored and mailed to him.

And Charlie has SO missed his biggest brother!

I don't think it gets any better than this!

Later when we got home, he presented us all with little polished rocks cut into various shapes. (Mine just happened to be the biggest, and in the shape of a heart! Just sayin...)

He said that Laura's gift was his favorite and that she would get hers last. So, after he passed out all our gifts, he reached down, picked up his sister, and gave her the biggest, longest, snugglist hug. "Mom, you know she'd choke on the rock, so I saved the biggest hug for her gift."
Yeah...maybe it can get better...

Popcorn Predicament

2011-07-08T06:24:00.002-04:00

We love popcorn. It's a special snack, usually denoting that it's time for a movie or some game playing.

HOWEVER...we can't eat it just yet. But I want to be ready when the dr. gives the go ahead to add corn back to our diet.

Here's my predicament. We've always used microwave popcorn. But I'm not using it anymore because it's filled with so many bad, bad things. I know popcorn can actually be a pretty healthy snack if done properly...OK...not raw veggie healthy...but not like a bowl of icecream, either!

So here, bloggy friends, is where you come in to help. How do you cook your popcorn? What device do you use? Airpopper? Metal, twirly pan on the stove? Do share so this deprived grain family will be ready!!

Week One of this Diet

2011-07-06T13:21:00.004-04:00

I know now that if I ever have to move to another home, all I'll need is a bed and a kitchen. Why? Because it seems like those are the only places I've spent my time this past week.

This diet of no dairy (except plain yogurt), no grains...AT ALL, and very few fruits is no doubt healthy, but it's not like reaching into the pantry for a quick meal. I'm spending A LOT of time in the kitchen prepping food.

Some of us are eating NOTHING processed. No mac & cheese, no crackers or chips, no sweets of any kind...not even honey or agave. The rest of the family is eating that stuff in great moderation...well, except Jacob, who is probably praising God for a week of camp food. The hardest part for me is not being able to snack in the afternoons on something crunchy...like blue chips or veggie straws. I really, really crave them. I've also been dreaming of a homemade roll with melted butter on it...

That said, the cooking hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be. We've been trying for a while to eat more healthy. I also grew up with lots of veggies that we grew in our garden so I'm not "afraid" of them. But it's a little challenging to find recipes that don't have some kind of grain. Luckily, I've been introduced to a couple great blogs that have recipes I can use. Here are some of them we've tried...

A bean salad, with artichoke and spices. We can eat all the spices we want!

Chicken salad with red cabbage and green apples, and homemade applesauce...no sugar, but lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and a splash of vanilla

Quiche with lots of veggies (including zucchini and cabbage), and fresh berries

You would never know that those veggies were in there.

Lentil salad with carrots and onions, and cucumber sticks for a side

Chicken Stir-fry, with broiled brussel sprouts

Snacks of apples and nuts

OK...this may sound weird, but it's a favorite for breakfast!

Scrambled eggs, first blended with avocado and unsweetened coconut, with berries

How fun is it to eat green eggs? Now where's the ham?

One of my favorites that Jamie made...homemade beef sausage...very spicy and so delicious!

And scrambled eggs with stir-fry veggies mixed in there.

We've also had grainless muesli, smoothies (another way to get in lots of cabbage, spinach, cucumbers, etc. without tasting it!), venison steaks, grilled peppers and onions wrapped in foil, and plain yogurt with fresh berries.

One more week, and we can add in gluten free oats, and brown rice. Have I mentioned that there have been no hives this past week?

First One Leaves the Nest

2011-07-05T06:47:00.005-04:00

Jacob is our first child to "fly the coop." Well, only for one week, but still...none of our kids have been away from us for that long without family or close friends caring for them.

But he took off this morning for a Christian camp. He said he was nervous, scared, and excited...all at the same time. We arrived at the bus pick-up location 40 minutes early. Yeah...guess I could have relaxed that a little.

Everything he needs for the week fit into one suitcase and one duffel.

And this is what hauls all their luggage to camp...the camp's own semi!

Charlie gets a goodbye hug.
(The whole ride home Charlie kept telling me that he already missed Jacob).

Amarin, too, but he wanted to add a kiss...silly brothers!

Jacob hung out with some friends that were also going. We were so glad that we could arrange for him to go this same week with his buddies. Some of them have gone before, and they've been talking about camp for weeks!

Bye, Mom!

Jacob got a seat in the middle of the bus per his Dad's advice. Don't want to have to ride 3 hours in the back of a bumpy bus.

The bus line up...full of campers from all over the state that caravan up to camp.

Jacob hopped off the bus to greet a couple more friends.

The buses pulled out right on time. See ya next week, buddy!

A Winner!

2011-07-03T07:02:00.001-04:00

Kristin, you won the Amazing Food Preparation Manual!

Drop me a note with your address (I won't post it), and I'll be on your doorstep...

I mean, it will be in the mail next week!

New Resident

2011-07-02T07:23:00.003-04:00

We have a new resident. And it's another boy.

God truly has a sense of humor...'cause we need more boys...

Jacob had been outside feeding his rabbits, and he came running into the kitchen yesterday morning. "Mom, there's a cat in the driveway."

Well, that's not all the uncommon. There's an orange cat that always walks through the yard. But this was different one. So, we all went out to see it, and boy-oh-boy...this cat was a-cryin'.

Poor thing looked lost and hungry.

And young...maybe like a teenager, but definitely not full grown.

All we had was a can of tuna. He gobbled that up so fast and kept meowing and meowing.

And so friendly. He was following us around like a puppy, and soon made himself comfy on the rug in our garage...right in front of the door.

He hung around all day, and meowed LOUDLY all day in front of our door. Sorry, buddy. Not comin' in the house. He loved it when someone was outside and he could get some attention. We have no idea where he came from, but for now...Daddy has softened and told the kids the cat could stay as an outdoor cat. They're so excited!

Someone in particular is smitten with his new friend, MilkyWay. Yes, he already has a name. We see Char caring MW around all the time, and the cat doesn't seem to mind at all. Char wants to feed him, too, so I think he and I will have to venture off to the pet store for a few supplies...just in case we become the permanent residence.

After a big day, MW found a comfy place to sleep...not the safest place, but he's comfy and warm.

2011-06-29T14:38:00.002-04:00

Ha! I know I'll be blogging this first because Cari is still on the road going home! :)

I got to spend a few hours with a "bloggy friend" and her kiddos today.

Now I can say that we're friends...and not just through our blogs.

We grew up within miles of one another, and now live fairly close.

We have visited the same parks, know the same landmarks,

and have traveled a similar road through adoption.

It was so enjoyable having Cari and her kids visit today.

The kids hit it off wonderfully, and we had so much to chat about and share.

What a fun day!

Do we seriously have this many kids between us?

We are way outnumbered...but they are just so stinkin' cute!

And silly...it just wouldn't be right if we didn't get a photo like this!

(Notice the blur? He's mine...on the move...again!)

The Diet

2011-06-28T20:48:00.003-04:00

Ugh. I detest diets. This family loves food...any kind, any ethnicity...well, almost.

I don't mind cooking, and sometimes it's actually fun trying something new.

And meal time here is serious business.

I can't tell you how many times after JUST finishing lunch, I hear...

"So what's for dinner?"

And it's family time, too. No phones (I love answering machines), no toys...just us and the cuisine.

But, sometimes there's a gliche in the fun...like the four letter word: DIET.

Yes, we have a little one who has been breaking out in hives for no apparent reason.

We can't seem to identify why they appear, but they do and they itch like crazy.

So, off we went to a holistic dr. today to see what may be done.

He was very kind, and took 2 hours of his office time to talk to us.

2 hours!! And there was less than 5 minutes of wait time beforehand.

He was thorough, gave us lots of suggestions and support, and then said that dreaded word (that I fully expected to hear): Diet

We need to make some dietary changes to see if we can find the culprit for those hives. The changes aren't as tough as I thought they'd be...lots of veggies, few fruits, meat, most nuts and legumes and seeds, good fats.

But here's the kicker...absolutely NO grains for 2 weeks, and then only brown rice and gluten free oats until further notice. Do you know how much this family loves rice???? And not brown rice...jasmine rice. No potatoes. No corn. No starch, period. No sugar, period.

Do they not know this is icecream cone season? And that pizza is a weekly staple?

But, we can do this, and I plan to get as many on board in this house as I can. I'm sure everyone will just jump at the chance for all this fun! But it will be good for all of us to eat more healthy. So, if anyone would like to share some good recipes, sans grains, sugar, prepared dressings, and fruit...please do!

Cookbook Giveaway!

2011-06-27T08:39:00.002-04:00

Giveaway time!

I love doing giveaways, and this time it's for

The Amazing Food Preparation Manual, by Stephanie Rhines.

See the end of this post for entering the drawing.

(Jenna not included!)

Stephanie is a family friend...a very sweet teen from church. She and a friend went on a missions trip to South Africa. They are helping a missionary family while they are there, as well as visiting at least one orphanage. Stephanie is such a sweet gal, and I know that those to whom she ministers will be so blessed!

Stephanie put these cookbooks together herself, and they include recipes from her family and friends. And believe me...these gals can cook! Stephanie's mom is a fabulous cook, and often supplies food for events. She makes THE BEST cinnamom rolls in the world! The last time I chatted with Stephanie, she was interested in attending culinary school...she would do awesome! Stephanie was selling these cookbooks to raise funds for her trip to SA.

You can follow her journey here on FB, and please feel free to donate toward her trip if you feel so led. I know she still has some cookbooks to sell!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/home.php?sk=group_117857981602085

Now in order to get your name entered in the drawing, you just need to let me know that you've visited Stephanie's FB page, and left her an encouraging note (can you do this without being a "friend?"). If you're like me, and you don't have a FB account (or if you can't leave her a note without being a "friend"), just leave a note of encouragement for Stephanie on my blog, and I'll forward it on to her.

I'll draw a winner this Saturday!

June 24...17 years later

2011-06-25T08:57:00.004-04:00

If anyone would have told me in 1994 what our lives would be like over the next 17 years, I probably would have laughed, or fainted...not sure which.

Our life together has been nothing short of an adventure...some valleys, some mountains...some plateaus. By God's grace, we've endured them all!

We've done and seen a lot, to say the least.

*residents of 3 different countries

*10 household moves

*10 different homes...however temporary they may have been

*5 children

*traveled around the world to bring home some of our children

*grown immensely in our love for Jesus, and try so hard to live our lives to please Him and not the world...obviously not even close to perfection!

June 24, 1994

We laughed today as the weather was so similar to our wedding day. June 24th, 1994 was a Friday...a cool, rainy, Friday. Today was just like it... a cool, rainy Friday!

We left for a date night to celebrate our special day. We hadn't been out, just the two of us, since last December due to not wanting to leave Jenna for very long...bonding and trust issues...you understand. But it was time...time to let the kids have some fun with babysitters (yes..2 sisters tag-teamed!), and time for us to put our marriage in the front of the line...quite challenging at times when there are 5 young ones needing lots of attention!

We found a Thai celebration to attend and had so much fun, and it also made us yearn to visit Asia again. Some of you know what I'm talking about...there's a piece of us that will always remain in Asia.

So, there was traditional dancing, AWESOME food, beautiful Thai children running all over the place (I know, I know, my van is full), and friendly people to chat with at our table. The woman in charge of the evening found out we had adopted Amarin from Thailand. She sent us home with a bunch of sticky rice to share with him...yum!!!

I love you, honey, and can't wait (really!) to see what the next 17 years hold for us!

June 24, 2011

How can you not smile...

2011-06-20T16:04:00.002-04:00

...when you see this sweet picture?

This was Laura's Father's Day present that she made at school.

We were all in stitches when we saw it!

Enabling Behavior

2011-06-17T06:40:00.004-04:00

What should we do when somene really cute is caught being sneaky?

Enable them and take a photo!

Dinnertime obviously wasn't coming soon enough for this little sweetie.

I had just set out grape tomatoes on everyone's plate...including this one.

Where did they go?

Let's try this again and see if we can catch someone in the act.

I know I'm so stinkin' cute...you'll let me get away with anything!

Yep...just as we thought. Charlie's amused by the whole situation.

Down the hatch.

Delightful! Guess we can't complain when she eats tomatoes...but perhaps she could eat off of her own plate and not graze everyone else's?

I must say, though, I impressed with her determination and problem solving skills when she's hungry!

6 Years With Laura

2011-06-14T06:00:00.003-04:00

June 14, 2005

Gotcha Day, Nanchang, China

2011

What a difference 6 years can make!

We love you, Laura!

A Day in Bavaria

2011-06-13T09:15:00.003-04:00

We spent the day in Bavaria...well...not really THE Bavaria, but at a little Bavarian festival. Having lived near Bavaria in Germany for a while, it's always fun to go somewhere and "live it again." We arrived nice and early for the parade, while listening to some music on the accordian. We ate our brats and warm brezels while we waited.

Finally, the parade started. Of course, the police were at the start. Within the first 30 seconds, Charlie ran screaming to get on my lap because they were blaring their sirens.

Poor little guy got up the nerve to sit back down with his big brothers, only to see this dude on his way. He ran, with huge eyes, back to my lap and hid his face. Only after Santa was a safe distance past did Charlie think he was a good guy, and maybe could give him a high-5. It's really a love/hate relationship!

Of course, there had to be traditional clothing, dancing, and music.

Spectators enjoying the parade. It was a little brisk, so Char actually kept me warm.

These folks sitting by us were hilarious. All originally from East Germany, Czech., or Yugoslavia...they had thick accents and were so funny, especially the lady in the bright purple coat. She called herself Oma (grandma) to the kids, and got a tad bit upset that someone did not give one of the girls a beaded necklace they were handing out. She went after them to get one...

The sun eventually popped through the clouds, and we did a lot of walking, played at a park, and saw this feathered friend..."showing off" as Charlie said. But what beauty!

We just love when summer gets here and we can enjoy the festivals!

The Music Men

2011-06-11T07:47:00.005-04:00

The past week and a half have been filled with music rehearsals, recitals, and concerts.

Last fall, Jacob started taking band at a local private school. They allow homeschoolers to join for free...very cool! Jacob chose to play the tuba, and he has loved playing that HUGE instrument!

The beginner band concert was last week and the kids did a great job. I can't imagine trying to teach a room full of 5th graders band...all new to their instruments, some new to reading music, and all of them new to playing in an ensemble. And since they started the year on the recorder, they actually didn't pick up their current instrument until almost November. Amazing job!

Here's Jacob hiding behind his tuba.

There he is!

The band teacher didn't stand to direct, but played along with them on the piano. I'd never seen this done before, but it really was a nice sound and the kids all played along with him very well.

He also gave the kids a chance to perform another instrument if they chose, so Jacob played the piano. He's taken lessons for 5 years now, and also loves to play this instrument. He played The Barber of Seville...a rather fast one...and he did great. He was pretty nervous, though, because he had a rough practice earlier in the day. He was concerned about what others would say about him if he goofed...ahh...here comes the age where others' opinions start to matter. So I reminded him not to be concerned about others' remarks...if God is with you, who can be against you?

But instead of remembering those words as he walked to the piano, he told me all he could think of was..."yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..."

Oh, Jacob.

The whole family there to spur him on, along with proud grandparents!
The only one that did NOT enjoy the concert was Laura...the noise and acoustics were too much for her senses.

Two of Jacob's best friends are in band with him. We carpooled this past year and it was a hoot listening to their conversations. What great imaginations!

Yep...three peas in a pod!

Next up...the piano recital. It was Amarin's first recital as he just started last fall. He and Jacob played a duet, and it was great to see them up there together having fun.

Amarin's smile says it all...he loves piano, too, and said he wasn't nervous at all!

What a difference in confidence we've seen in him.

Jacob was pretty intense with his playing. He sets his music up there just in case, but never looks at it. And we thought his foot was going to go through the floor the way he was stomping on the pedals!

Some of their biggest fans. Despite Laura's expression, she did enjoy this music.

Flowers for their teacher, Ms. Becky.

Charlie joined in this photo. He's ready to play, and is already "practicing" his finger positions. It's been fun to watch his big brothers sit with him at the piano to teach him for a couple minutes each day. What a hoot it will be to see that little guy up there playing. Something tells me his song choices will be fast and loud...just a mom's intuition...

Great job, boys! We're proud of you for working so hard at your lessons and practicing every day!

Anonymous?

2011-06-10T08:43:00.001-04:00

OK, fellow computer workers. Can anyone offer a suggestion as to why I'm only able to post comments as an anonymous person? It won't let me use my profile, and sometimes it keeps bumping me back and forth between my comment and my login. Anyone? Bueller?

Birds & Paint

2011-05-31T16:33:00.003-04:00

Sounds like an odd combination, doesn't it? Part of our homeschool, wind-down-the-year studies is on animal life. This week we're concentrating on birds. At 7:30 AM today, we were out for a nature walk looking for birds. We saw robins, sparrows, cardinals, bluejays, and orioles, while several flocks of geese flew overhead. We stopped and listened silently (yes, they can be silent!) to all the bird calls. The early morning is just the best time to hear the birds. We saw robins catching worms, captured a roly-poly...and reminded Jacob how he used to snack on them when he was a wee lad. Yuck!

Later, we broke out the art supplies. I'm with Lori...I do not like paint, or many other messy art activities. But with the weather being warm, we can at least head outside to do art, and not make a mess in the house. Jenna was in charge of painting this little birdhouse. I was reminded how happy I was to be outside. Paint EVERYWHERE!!!!! Praying it's truly washable so it comes out of her clothes.

Charlie spiffed up this little feeder.

(Wondering if Daddy will notice his drill in the background...)

Amarin had a building kit to put together. He chose to build a windowbox, and loved using his very own toolbox, hammer, screwdriver...and Daddy's power drill. When I brought it out, he said, "Oh, yeah!" Such a male! Later we'll fill the box and enjoy some flowers. (No, this had nothing to do with birds but it was fun)!

Charlie decided to get in on the manly toolbox work. We found part of an old tree stump and let him hammer away.

The look after hitting his finger. Just one of those painful lessons.

Time for an icy treat.

Char took off with his project into the woods. Bare feet...such an important part of summer!

What a ham!

Memorial Day Fun

2011-05-30T15:44:00.008-04:00

We just couldn't miss the Memorial day parade today. Small town...small parade...a whopping 10 minutes long if I want to be generous on the side of time. Not only is it great to honor our veterans, but it was also Jenna's first parade. So, we all got decked out in our red, white, and blue, and waited for the big parade.

Laura and I had to run across the street to say hi to her friend Sami, that goes to school with her. She, too, is from Asia, and they are often mistaken at school for sisters.

Of course, the parade had to start with the police escort...including an old fashioned car.

I couldn't convince Amarin that was the real Statue of Liberty!

After, we packed a picnic and headed to the state park. Laura was lounging with her little pony.
Yeah...she's got it made.

Jamie and Charlie went to the little store to buy some worms...but it was closed. Bummer. And we ate all our food, so no extra bread lying around. (Like there's ever any leftovers).

But that didn't stop Charlie and Amarin. They nabbed some fruit snacks, put them on their hooks, and tossed out their line...for almost one hour. Seriously.

We didn't have the heart to tell them that no fish was going to nibble their Veggie Tale gummies. Truth be told, they were just having fun casting their own lines.

See Laura? She thought it was a great idea to walk toward the water...thinking perhaps her dolphin friends would be there to greet her. Not a happy girl when we wouldn't let her go swimming. She slapped her leg several times to be sure we knew she was mad.

These two are like glue...even when they're madder than anything at one another, they are inseparable.

Jacob knew there was no way he would get a fish to bite, so he just hung out, watched, and kept us informed about his latest read...Jacques Cousteau. I now know more than I ever cared to know about the man...and, yes...I did assign the reading...must think twice before giving these assignments because I know I'll hear A LOT about them. There was a reason his papa knicknamed him motormouth at the ripe age of 2.

Glue.

Amarin loves this pass time. My quiet one enjoying a quiet activity.

Jenna tried her hand at fishing. I'm thinking she needs a girly fishing pole. And I can't wait to see how she manages to put a worm on the hook...who do you think will squirm more?

Have you ever seen sweeter faces?

And look at her hair. I'm thinking some curls may be on the way in her growing locks.

My sweet, strong Charlie. He has the most amazing personality. We've really seen him growing up in the past couple of months.

Oh, and no fishing excursion would be complete without detangling a fishing line from a nearby tree!

Happy Memorial Day, 2011!

Days At Home

2011-05-29T12:46:00.007-04:00

I know, I know. I've not been the most prompt lately with by blog. Frankly, it's a little tough to top the blogs about swimming with dolphins. We're back to our normal routine...school, activities, grocery shopping, outings here and there, grocery shopping, etc.

The weather this past week was pretty...no...very, very yucky. Cold and wet.We spent a majority of our time indoors, and we're all going a tad bit stir-crazy.

Yesterday we were finally over 55 degrees. Whoa...heat wave! So, outside we went to burn off all that extra energy.

This was actually last weekend before the polar winds blew in. Jenna decided to blast the boys with the hose. It's well water, friends...very, very cold water. She thought is was hilarious until the hose got turned on her. I decided not to post the tears. As the boys say...she's such a girl!

Daddy held Laura a safe distance away from the water. Guessing that was his way of avoiding a good soaking!

Today was a lesson in changing the oil. The boys thought is was cool until...

Charlie decided he'd rather build a house for an ant. 'Cause I'm sure that's exactly what the poor thing was looking for...a new grave...er, home...

Jenna and I decided to do our girly job of fixing lunch for our guys.

MAW - May 14, 15

2011-05-17T10:31:00.004-04:00

So, my swim with the dolphins was done. But I still had another afternoon of sunbathing.

I love sitting on the steps, splashing my hands in the water, and just looking beautiful!

My siblings all decided to jump into the pool together.

Ready...

Set...

Go!

Splash!

Daddy can hold on to all of us in the water. He's so strong!

Then, Sunday morning, we flew back home. Let me tell you, my teeth were actually chattering when we hit that 43 degree weather. Seriously? This is May? Someone put me back on the plane to Bella and Fiji, please!!!!

The limo picked us up at the airport and drove us home. I was happy, but not quite as much as the drive TO the airport last week.

I had such a fun time. I feel very blessed!

MAW - May 13

2011-05-13T14:14:00.009-04:00

Today is Friday, and my last day with my dolphin friends, and my people friends that I have met this week. I have had so, so much fun. I've been smiling a lot and doing my favorite thing...swimming and splashing in the water!

I'm jumping back to last night, though. We went back to the restaurant where they feed the tarpon and sharks...one of those sharks was a least 6 feet long, Daddy said! Mama ordered alligator for us to try. Most all of us loved it! Jacob wished Mama would have told him it was chicken so he could eat his whole piece.

Here's Amarin eating his alligator, with a spicy coating which is perfect for him!

Jacob really wanted to eat crab down here. So he ordered fresh stone crab which is only in season here until May 15th. Phew! Just made it! Jacob...he's so silly!

Charlie had a bird sitting right behind his head, so he got up to watch it, as well as the fish and sharks swimming.

Now, back to this morning with my dolphin friends.

My sister and me...just hangin' out with the fish and lobsters.

Michael briefed us on what to do and not do in the water. Today was not a structured swim, but an open swim...swimming with the dolphins in their environment. No touching the dolphins today, and we had to keep our hands from moving around in the water. We had to keep moving, and not "challenge" a dolphin by nodding our heads at them or swimming directly at them.

So here we are. A mass of noodles, fins, and people, all having a blast in the water. Mama even said the water was warm. And if you know my mama, she's not very tolerant of anything less than bathwater temps!

More masses of swimmers! Sometimes we couldn't tell where the dolphins were, but those watching from the viewing area could tell us if they were below or behind or beside us.

We all lined up to swim together across the water. Apparently the dolphins think this is fun.

Sorry dolphins...we kind of fell apart!

There's a dolphin we could see!

This is how I felt all week...happy, happy, happy! Lots and lots of smiles and giggles.

Mama and I had a fun swim together.

I was giggling because Mama kept making noises in my ear that sounded like a dolphin blowing bubbles.

I don't know what Mama was laughing about, but she was having fun, too. She had always wanted to swim with the dolphins! She thinks they are beautiful and smart!

All done. I'm happy.

Very, very happy.

MAW - May 12

2011-05-12T13:22:00.000-04:00

Well, today was my last one-on-one swim with Bella and Fiji. We're all kind of sad, but at least we have tomorrow to swim with them in an open swim.

We arrived early today to go fishing with Joe...catch & release. He likes to take people fishing right off their dock. See that bridge behind him and Amarin? That leads to another dolphin swim place where Joe first attended a long time ago after he had a stroke. You should read his amazing story.

Amarin caught the first fish. Notice how far back he stands? He's not one to embrace animals up close very much. That's why I was really surprised when he was so excited to swim with the dolphins!

Next was Jacob...wearing his famous fishing hat! He caught a snapper.

I like Jenna's expression. Not sure if the sun is in her eyes, or if she's not so sure about that fish!

Charlie was bummin' because he hadn't caught a fish. Then he caught four...boom, boom, boom!

Jenna decided she wasn't going to be outdone by her brothers, so she caught one, too!

Then they all begged Joe to catch one of the lobsters that was in their waterfall tank.

He caught one. Mama was really eye'in up that tail...

Dolphin swim time arrived, and today, Jenna got to swim with me. It was like a girls-only swim! Well, except Michael, Fiji, and Kyle, the trainer.

As always, I was happy to finally get into the water with my friends.

Jenna got to give a belly rub from the deck, while I did one out in the water.

Then Michael took both of us out to sing the ABC song with Bella and Fiji. You should hear those dolphins squeal a tune!

Then it was time for the "carwash."

We weren't sure if Jenna would want to do much in the water, but she kept pointing to the blue board. So, Michael took for a "driving test." She passed with flying colors and a huge smile!

Jenna and I both got to gently push down on the dolpins' snouts. That tells them that it's time to blow bubbles like a jacuzzi!

The dolphins brought rings out to me...

and then took them back to Jenna.

I gave Bella a kiss...almost a bite...but it was a kiss!

Jenna puckered up to kiss Fiji, but she didn't really kiss him.

Tomorrow is my last day with my friends. Very early, Mama and I, along with other families will all get into the water together, and the dolphins will have a free swim with us.

We're all feeling a little sad that tomorrow is our last day. We've had so much fun here.

It's a very special place.