Our MANY faces.....

Iron Kids!!!

He took this one of himself....he loves the camera!!!

Aren't they FUN???

See what happens when you fall asleep and daddy is bored???

Entertainment!!!

Sand box fun

Rubea loves to play in the sand box, just like the other kids! This was her first time. She had so much fun throwing it, spreading it, tasting it, digging in it and getting all sandy! We quickly realized with 5 kids wanting IN the sand box, we need another one. This one is just not big enough for all of them. Isn't she looking like such a BIG girl, now??

Kaylea's hand...

For those of you who missed what happened, she had surgery 6 weeks ago to deepen the web space between her finger and thumb and pulled the thumb out to a better position.  The *before* pictures show her thumb *in her palm*.  By going in and deepening the web space and repositioning the thumb, she should have better use. Or, at least a little bit bigger grasp. They will go in and deepen the web space between all of her fingers, eventually. This should allow her to spread her fingers wider, thus having a larger grasp, as well. She had the same surgery on her left hand in Thailand several years ago. I don't know why they only did the one hand. 

Blessings,

The longest six weeks

The pin is holding her thumb in place.
So many stitches for such a little hand!!!

The pin was about 2 inches long!!

Kaylea finally got her cast removed yesterday along with the pin! Yikes!! They did it right there in the office. She kicked the doctor sufficiently! ;-)  It took 4 of us to hold her down. I'm glad they didn't re-cast her, I have 3 little boys that threatened to go *beat up the Dr.* if they did!! lol  It is getting hot here, and they want to swim!! 

The doctor told us to come back in six weeks to discuss and schedule her next surgery....we won't go back until the end of August.  No casts during the summer...that is the new rule!! 

My first shades....

Isn't my great neice just the cutest???? 

Grandma (my younger sister) took her shopping

for her first pair of shades!!!!

Memorial Day

Take time to remember today, our service men and women around the world that protect our rights and freedoms! Please also remember their families, too. Even if you don't support the war, it is important to remember our TROOPS!!!!

Raffle Time!!!!!!!

Adoption Fundraiser: Win this Camera!
http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/ProductDetail.page?pid=25420

We are fundraising to bring our 6th special needs child home by International Adoption. We also have three biological children, bringing our total to 9 children as of this adoption. Our entire family is so excited to be bringing Gia Han home from Vietnam to her forever family. Sadly, several families committed to this child and then backed out due to her special needs. Their loss is our wonderful gain, and this fundraiser will definitely help with our travel and adoption costs.

To enter the raffle, go to our ChipIn button in the right column of this blog. When you click the button, you’ll be taken to a new screen where you can purchase a raffle ticket for $10.
The camera will ship directly to the winner.

ChipIn options: If you would like to buy more than one magic number at a time, simply enter the total $ amount (ie $30 for 3 numbers). Do not worry that the 'quantity' is 1, you will receive a number for every $10 donation. I will email you as quickly as I can afterward with your number(s)!
I have emailed everyone who has donated so far with their number(s). If you have NOT heard from me, PLEASE leave a comment, I want to be sure I don't miss anyone! I am keeping a running list of numbers and donations so if you haven't heard from me, or forget your number, don't worry!
Some incredibly wonderful friends have asked about or posted about our fundraiser on their blogs. THANK YOU :) If you feel led to post about it on YOUR blog we would be very grateful.
I am so excited to have such a great prize to offer, and I look forward to announcing the big winner on July 1st 2008.

If for some reason we do not raise the money to cover the cost of the camera, we will void the raffle and refund all donations.

With all our Thanks!

Here we GROW again!!!

We are adopting again!!  I know I said our baby was our last, but, their is a precious little girl who had several families commit to her, only to back out. She was going to be with out a mommy or daddy, no brothers or sisters....God let us know in many ways that WE were her family! So, paperwork is on its way and we are once again preparing for a new little one. She is exactly 10 months older than our baby girl. They will be the best of friends.  Our journey this time will take us to Vietnam! We are all very excited to be welcoming our last child....we think!  God could have other plans for us!!   ;-)

Prayers

Please take a moment to pray for the Steven Curtis & Mary Beth Chapman family! Their daughter Maria Sue was killed yesterday evening at their home in Tennessee. She was 5 years old and adopted from China. Before being adopted by the Chapman family, Maria lived at the Philip Hayden Foundation, this is where our youngest son also lived. They have a tremendous love for the Lord and the orphans around the world. Take a moment to say a prayer for this precious family, please.

Here is a great video of SCC and Maria washing dishes they have set up this blog in her memory. 

I've been TAGGED!

I have been tagged by ThatGirl!!   She added her own twist, and I like it! one-word answers.

Favorite person (outside family) YOU
Favorite food? Thai
Quirks about you? don't sleep
How would the person who loves you most describe you in ten words or less? Loving, caring wife and mom to 9 kids!! (his words, not mine ;-)
Any regrets in life? Few
Favorite Charity/ Cause? Phillip Hayden Foundation
Favorite Blog recently? From the Trenches of Adoption
Something you can’t get enough of? laughter
Worst job you’ve ever had? babysitter
What job would you pay NOT to have? babysitter
If you could be a fly on the wall, where? Vietnam
Favorite Bible verse right now? Proverbs 3:5-6
Guilty Pleasure? blogging
Got any confessions? nope
If you HAD to spend $1,000 on YOURSELF, how would you spend it? MacBook
Favorite thing about your house? neighborhood
Least favorite thing about your house? carpet
One thing you are bad at? social situations
One thing you’re good at? organization
If you could change something about your circumstances, what? nothing
Who would you like to meet someday? Jesus
What makes you feel sexy? ????
Who is your real life hero?  Marissa
What is the hardest part of your job? patience
When are you most relaxed? prayer
What stresses you out? LOL
What can you not live without? noise
Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists? didn't read it ;-)
Why do you blog? contact


I am tagging:
New Bloggers: Momma of 3 Boys

Messages for the troops!

Go here and you can send a message to our troops for Memorial Day!

We know first hand that the men and women serving overseas appreciate all the encouraging words they get from the people *back home*!  We have known  many people who have been deployed in the past 5 years and it is very trying on them as well as those they leave at home.  So, please take a moment to write a word of thanks to them.....help keep up their spirits!! 

Thanks so much from a military wife!!

200 mpg???

Check out this car that is coming out in 2010!! It is a VW and it is going to get 200 mpg, but will only go about 75 mph. The passenger, as in 1, sits behind the driver!! I guess we won't be getting one! We'll have to stick to the 15 passenger van that gets a whopping 12 mpg!!!!

What does a 7 year old look like???

...... just like HIM!  He is so excited to be 7!!!  He thought he would be going to 1st grade tomorrow! Both his teacher and I had to explain to him that he has to wait until next school year. I guess to a kid, *next year you'll go to 1st grade* means the next year in his life....when he turns 7.  When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner, he exclaimed *french fries and rice!*  He decided Chinese food was his favorite and that is what he wants.  

Congratulations!!!!

My daughter graduated from Paramedic school in late December 2007. She took her test today to become registered and she passed!!  WOO HOO!!!!  CONGRATULATIONS RISSA!!!!

We are so proud of you!!  She is now a registered paramedic!!!!

My trip to CVS

WOW!!!  I finally had an excellent trip to CVS!  I got about $150 worth of items for $31. PLUS I got back $54. in ECB's!!  

Get this PARTY started!!

Mommy fest started today and of course, I am late, but not really fashionably!

Unless drool on my shirt is fashionable!

I am a stay at home mom (for now)....married to the military....and have 8 children!  

I have become addicted to reading blogs and love when people leave comments on mine ;-)

Enjoy!

Non-Mom Moms.....

Apparently *adoptive moms* are Non-Mom Moms according to NBC's Today Show contest!! Hosted by Donny and Marie Osmond.

I actually fall into more than 1 category. I do not feel like I am a *non-mom* to my children who joined our family through the miracle of adoption!!

Happy Mother's Day!

We are on our way out of town, so I wanted to wish all the Moms out there a Beautiful Mother's Day!  I have received the following in emails many times, but I still think it is a wonderful little story.  Enjoy!

 I'm Invisible

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking,'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' 

Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even stand ing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.  I'm invisible. 

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask,'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30 , please.' 

I was certain these were hands that once held books and eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going... she's going... she's gone! 

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England... Jan had just gotten back from a fabulous trip,and she was going on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a clip. I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. 

I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Jan turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.' 

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour -the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: 

--No one can say who built the great cathedrals -we have no record of their names. 

--These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. 

--They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. 

--The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. 

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' 

And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.' 

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.' 

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder, as one who shows up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. 

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. 

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for thetable.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself.

I just want him to want to come home. Then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.' 

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Blue cast

Unfortunately they replaced the cast yesterday. The doctor told me after surgery that they would remove the pin and not put a new cast on....but, that didn't happen. The pin is still in and she now has a blue cast! I talked her out of PINK!! I also forgot to take my camera so I was only able to get pictures with my phone. IF I can figure out how to get them off the phone and on to the camera, I'll add them later. The stitches start at the bottom of her palm in the middle of her wrist and go up to knuckle of her pointer finger. Then she has a place on her finger where they did the skin graft, too! I am actually glad that they put the cast on because her hand doesn't look so good and she screamed when they were taking the gauze off! She is a little dramatic at times, too! She goes back in 3 weeks!!

Tomorrow is THE day

Kaylea gets her cast off tomorrow at 8 am! Tonight during her bath, she asked if she could come home and take another bath when we are done at the doctors office! She said she itches and she knows it is going to be *gross*. I guess she has been through enough surgeries and castings that she knows what to expect by now. Their is a pin in her thumb that they will remove in the office. They said she won't like it, but it will be quick! I am debating if I should give her some Tylenol 3 before we go, or just take it with me?!? I'll post the *after* shots tomorrow sometime. I am excited to see the results! 

Sunday at the movies....

Yesterday I ventured out with the kids to see Horton Hears a Who

I took the 5 littlest....the bigger 2 went to see Iron Man

on their own!  I took small brown paper bags, bought a large popcorn and divided into the bags for them!  They sat through the whole movie.  Only 2 asked for more popcorn!  Baby girl fell asleep when she got tired of pointing at Horton!  She thought he was funny!  Then we went to Wal-Mart and Target!  I didn't buy toys for any of them!  I was so proud of myself! 

I should have entered this photo into the Mother's day contest....you think I would have won with it instead??

Take time to stop and smell the flowers

Ethan smelling the flowers at the Tulip Festival in Holland

I entered this photo in a contest on the 5 Minutes for Moms website.  They are giving away $1000.00 to the lucky winner!!!  Check out the contest!!

To see all the Mother's Day contests, go here.  Or, click on their button to the right.

Motivation for Moms....

The message today is EXCELLENT!!

Choose your battles wisely ~
give patience where patience is due,
and continually ask God for wisdom in discipline.

I will have to print it out and post around my house ;-)

What do you think of my new BLOG????

I think it is toooo cute!! And FUN!!

I think I need a new *do*.....

....my blog also needs one....any suggestions???