Wishing you....

....a happy and blessed 2010!!

Good things will be happening for us in 2010!!

How about you??

Stay tuned for a BIG announcement.... :-)

Love,

Merry Christmas & a Blessed New Year!

Jewelry giveaway!!! JunkPosse!!

Thisadoptive family is teaming up with JunkPosse for a giveaway!!! Also, JunkPosse is donating 30% of any purchases to the travel fund for The Bottomly Family!! (think Christmas gifts) They are traveling to Ethiopia for their 2nd adoption!!! AND a new necklace has even been designed for this giveaway! Wouldn't it be cool to win this fabulous piece of jewelry?? I sure think so!!! So, I entered, here!!

Jump Start

I am sure that all of you have heard of the Jump Start products for kids, right?? My kids have loved going to their website for some time now!! Did you know they have a Wii game??


Well, we didn't. Until, I received an email from a nice lady at Jump Start offering my kids an advance copy of their newest game Escape from Adventure Island if I would do a review here on my blog!! WOO HOO!!!!

As usual, I told the kids....when will I ever learn?? Do you know how often we checked the mail??? hahaha Finally, the game is here. It has been here. It has been the favorite since it arrived. Or, at least with the 8, 9 & 11 year olds. The little girls love to try, but haven't mastered using the remotes yet. But they will sit and watch for quite a long time!! Of course this is an educational game, but I don't think the kids really got that. They have had a blast playing it. Seriously. They even let me play it with them. The math games have been the favorite among them.

This mom likes that there are several different levels of each game. There is a curriculum level then three skill levels amongst the curriculum levels. They have started out at the *easy* level and are working up to the *hard* level. The skills in game are many of the skills they are working on in math at school. Bonus!

There is a rhyming component in the Jet Pack game....it is great that they are actually grasping the concept of rhyming words!! YAY!!

We also have had a ton of fun playing Foot Frenzy!! Since we love dancing we have spent quite a few hours playing that game.

And of course the Fashion Show is a HUGE HIT!! Ethan is all about the clothes, even though he usually doesn't match! His *Jumpee* (same as avatar) is always stylin'.

Now, if all of this sounds like fun to you, you will want to check out their blog for a chance to win a FABULOUS prize package TODAY!!! The contest is over on the 16th.

Prizes

* 50 winners will receive a copy of JumpStart Escape From

Adventure Island

* 3 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS will receive a family Escape Pack (over

$1000 value)!

o 1 Nintendo Wii Console

o 1 copy of JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island

o $250 in spa gift certificates

o 1 JumpStart branded flip camera

o 3 lifetime JumpStart memberships (1 for winner, 2 to share)

o 500 virtual coins for JumpStart.com

o 4 JumpStart pirate hats & 4 JumpStart kids T-shirts

Sunday Snapshot: Owen

Happy Sunday!!

Today I decided to participate in Stefanie's *Sunday Snapshot* over at NihaoYall!!

This week I decided to spotlight Owen.

Today happens to be his 3rd *Gotcha Day*!! He was so excited that today was his day!!

Owen is into Super Hero's of any kind, but Superman is his all time favorite!

Though for Halloween, he was some sort of Ninja. He just likes to fight, I think!

He is definitely all boy.

And, when he grows up he plans on being a cop & Superman! That way he can *always save people & have a gun!* hahahaha.....

He is such a trooper and never complains. There are so many things that this kid can not do physically....but that never slows him down or keeps him from trying!

He is so bright and talks non-stop! My parents recently stayed with the kids for two weeks and my father has decided that Owen will be an attorney some day. He will argue anything with anyone!

He loves his family. He loves his friends. He loves school and is doing great!! He loves to joke around and giggle! And, his giggle is so infectious!! He is quite the budding artist and will spend hours making cards, pictures and presents for everyone.

Oh, and he has the BEST smile!!

and he loves the camera!!

Happy Forever Family Day, Owen!!

We love you bunches!!

Eating disorders.....

October 2009

Something that I have not mentioned here because I felt that this issue was too *private* to talk about here, or anywhere else. However, since reading the information provided I have come to realize that this issue IS important to talk about. Important to educate each other on. Did you know that approximately 1 million boys in the U.S. have some form of eating disorder??? I didn't! That children as young as 7 are being diagnosed?? That this is truly a life threatening issue?? One that needs to be discussed!! One that can cause a 30 pound 9 year old girl to think she is FAT?!?! One that I should have learned more about long ago!

I've been saying for two years that Kaylea had an eating disorder and needed some treatment to help her overcome her fear of food. She had a G-tube placed over 2 years ago, however, since the control of food intake was taken from her, she started vomiting. Thankfully while she was in Children's Medical Center in Dallas they realized too, just how serious this issue is with her. I am so thankful to the doc's and nurses who worked with her and fought our insurance company to get her admitted into their inpatient program. This paved the way for our pediatrician to find a program here that will accept her with her medical issues so that we don't have to move to Dallas. The program in Dallas would require her to gain 85% of her goal weight and for a child who has not kept any weight on for the past 2 years, this would likely be a very long and difficult road for her.

We are waiting to hear what her specific plan will be, but most likely she will be a partial inpatient here. She will attend their program 11 hours a day, 5 days a week. This is so they can monitor all of her caloric intake each day. She will have ALL of her meals/snacks at the clinic. Thankfully our nurses are willing to go and stay with her each day. I know she will be in good hands since both of our nurses are FABULOUS!!! I am certain that the program here will also require her to gain a significant amount of weight too, but being home will be so much easier on all of us. She will continue to be home bound for schooling purposes and I don't expect her to be able to return to school this school year. I am hopeful that she proves me wrong!

I am going to try to keep up with what is going on with Kaylea here on this blog. I know this is a sensitive subject, but so important to be educated about.

Want to win....

some Christmas cards?? These are just BEAUTIFUL!!! Check out her blog and enter to win!! I did!!

Visit Ladybugs and Red Thread Scrap Shoppe to
Enter the Holiday Photo Card GIVEAWAY!
www.ladybugsandredthreadscrapshoppecards.blogspot.com

It's FALL y'all!!

Harvest cookies

(pumpkin, white chocolate chips and pecans)

We like pumpkin and baking, so we made these cookies....yummy! I haven't met anyone who did not like them...oh, except Rylea! lol She won't eat them....but Rubea LOVES 'em. I think she could eat her weight in them...but she is still little!!

Home at last....

before trach surgery

isn't she BEAUTIFUL???

after the surgery

at home with Rylea...and no halo!!!!

and with Rubea!!

Kaylea is home!!

We have actually been home for a week, but it has all been a blur. We have nursing services for 12 hours a day and I can't seem to get anything done! Kaylea is happy to be home, but is quite bored when everyone is at school. She is on home bound until the new year, but we may try to change that!

She is in a cumbersome cast from her neck to her hips! She is having a hard time moving and doing simple tasks, but slowly she is figuring out how to maneuver and get around. She also has some raw spots from it rubbing her....I feel so sorry for her! It has to be uncomfortable and miserable!! ugh.... Of course, she is such a great trooper and doesn't complain! She amazes me!

She has such strength and courage.

She is able to talk *around her trach* so she is able to communicate just fine...however, it. is. one. word/syllable. at. a. time. :-) She had a speaking valve allowed her to talk *normally*, but the nurse lost it! Of course it is $100. to replace, too!!

I have no clue what the rest of her treatment will be.... we are going to be switching doctors.

Stay tuned......

Think about it....

Without GOD our week would be: Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday, Thirstday, Fightday & Shatterday... Remember: seven days WITHOUT GOD makes one WEAK!!

Tomorrow, after a long week here in the ICU, Kaylea will have her 1st trach change. Due to the complications with placing the trach, she will have a CT scan in the afternoon. They will then decide if she will have another surgery here to correct the issue or if we can go on to Scottish Rite for her halo removal and casting. Scottish Rite would then handle our trach training and education so that we can take her home.

There is another issue going on with Kaylea that I am not ready to post about. It would keep her here in the hospital for quite a while longer and I (and the 5 younger kids)would have to move to be near her. I am asking for prayers for her and her health. She is having a very difficult time right now.

Love,

Tracheostomy

Kaylea had her trach placed on Thursday. Life has been, well, um, busy! She was suppose to have her first trach change Monday or Tuesday so we could go to Scottish Rite for her next surgery on Thursday. Well, as is normal with Kaylea, she had some complications! Unfortunately she is facing a possible second surgery here at Children's before she can be released to Scottish Rite. We will not know the details until at least Thursday!!

She is, however, doing absolutely wonderful! She is even trying to talk! She is still bossy, even without a voice! Everyone should watch out. I am sure she is bored and I know she is uncomfortable.

John and I are taking turns staying at the hospital with her and the other at the RM House with the little girls. My parents are taking care of the rest at home! So, for now things are good. The staff and volunteers at the RM House are all fantastic!

We were given tickets to the Mavericks vs. Memphis game tonight. Thankfully my sister, Karen, is able to come and sit with Kaylea and John's parents are watching the babies.

Thanks for checking in on us....

Clothes for a Cause

A sneak peek at the handsome little man!!!

I am helping some dear family friends bring home their 9th child! He happens to be a little guy very close to my heart. I advocated for him for over a year before I found a family that would follow through with their commitment!! This little guy has arthrogryposis like our Kaylea and Owen. He happens to be from Thailand and was in the same orphanage as Kaylea! He and Jack were buddies when Jack was still at the orphanage! We couldn't be happier that he is coming home and want to help get him here. Please take a look at my new blog Clothes for a Cause.

You can shop by reading each post or by clicking on the labels for items that catch your interest. Most of the clothing are girls clothing. I bough a bunch for Rubea and Rylea. They love dresses, but since they don't walk and are all over the floor, certain items just don't work for them. Of course there are things that just never got worn, too! Please take a look. If you are interested in something just email me the item and I'll get you a quote for shipping!

Thanks so much for helping out!

Love,

Wordless Wednesday {Drumming}

Fiesta Texas

Time to go home!!!

Rylea LOVED this school bus ride!!

We ended up with 3 Batman dolls!

Wanna be cops!

Bugs Bunny!!!!

Ethan, Rylea, Daddy & Rubea in a Wiggles car

Rubea, she loves the rides!

Owen, Kayle, Rubea & Daddy in their Wiggles Plane.

Ethan & Rylea in a Wiggles Plane

We knew that going to Fiesta Texas this past weekend would be the last chance we would have to go for a while. Owen will have a cast after his surgery Wednesday and they won't let you on the rides with a cast. Then the next week Kaylea is having her tracheostomy. The week after her trach, she will have her halo removed and her cast put on. We were surprised and thrilled that they let Kaylea ride all the rides she wanted, even with her halo. We had a great time, but didn't get through the whole park. Hopefully we'll get back sometime later in the fall.

This is what happens when mom and dad have a date night!!

This is Johnathan putting whipped cream on Kaylea's hand

then tickling her nose..... you can hear Rubea saying *Kaylea,

Kaylea*!! lol

She fell asleep in traction!! Poor kiddo!!

Aren't they cute??

Ethan....

Kaylea....

Owen....

Last week when we were at the party, I took a few individual pictures....my kids seem to have a hard time posing! I think we will be working on this :-) When the sun comes out again! lol

Happy Weekend!!