my nine lives

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-13T13:31:00.001-05:00

I made a decision today....

2010-09-19T14:08:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I have spent very much time on the computer! Between going back to work, all the kids going back to school then finding out 3 days before school started that they (5 of them) had to switch schools, 3 birthdays and hosting a 50th Anniversary party for my in-laws it has been quite busy around here!! I even planned to go private for a while, but haven't found the time to do that!!

However, I did make my way over to Reece's Rainbow a little while ago. I scrolled through the posts and found this one!! It, of course, made me cry. It made me uncomfortable to look at the pictures. It made me angry that children should live in such conditions. It made me think! It made me act! I am going to continue to act on behalf of the children. I can safely say that we will be sponsoring more, advocating more and obviously there WILL be a Lambert #10.....but we've known that for a while.... :-)

What will you do???

It is time....

2010-07-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

I would really love to share about our experience this summer proving respite care for N. He is such a fun loving, bright and determine kid!! We have had so much fun with him and I know he has with us. He tells me daily how much he likes being here with us. So, I am going to go private for a while so that I can share openly and honestly.

If you would like an invitation, please email me or leave a comment!!

Hope y'all are having a blessed weekend!!

Haiti...

2010-07-06T17:54:00.003-05:00

The time to leave is fast approaching!! I am excited to be going on this adventure!! Yet, a little apprehensive as well. I have been working out and dieting to hopefully be more prepared for my stay. We will only be eating 1 meal a day and working hard and in the heat. I'm sure I will miss my air conditioning most of all.

My friend, Robyn, over at Love is all We Need held a donation drive and collected 60 POUNDS worth of donations!! Isn't that AMAZING?? She has a ministry called Teeth to Toes that she and her family started.

If you still would like to donate anything feel free to email me for my address.

Thank you for all the donations that have already been sent!! You guys rock!!!

Love,

Happy Birthday, America!!

2010-07-04T18:19:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

Let's talk respite care

2010-05-16T16:19:00.007-05:00

Have you ever taken in a child for respite care? Or, sent your child to another family for respite care?

Did you know that respite care is an option if you have a child that is having a difficult time and it is disrupting the family and everyone needs a break??

I have learned that many people do not know about respite care. It can be a great resource during a difficult time. Personally we have had children come stay with us for respite care and we have sent one of our children to another family for respite care.

I have read blog, emails, yahoo groups, etc. about children being disrupted for various reasons. I wonder sometimes if the family got help before hand?? Did they know anything about respite care?? Would they have decided to disrupt if they had a chance to have a break from the child, a respite.

Respite care can be a way for a family to have time to reflect, pray, consider their options and decide what the best plan for the whole family would be.

It can be however long or short the family needs. Sometimes a weekend would be helpful and sometimes it may take months. It can be with a relative, trusted friend or willing family across the country.

Sometimes families reunite and live happily ever after, sometimes the families reunite and realize that it is not going to work, sometimes the family will decide during respite that it is not appropriate for the child to return at all. The respite family will often times adopt the child or help find an experienced family to adopt the child.

In our case, our child came home and things are good. The respite time gave us a chance to look at our family, the issues and make a plan for our family to reunite and help our child work through their issues. I am thankful that we were able to utilize this resource for our child and our family.

Feel free to contact me if you need respite care for a child. I know of several GREAT families that are willing to help!! Respite care might save your family!!!

Friday we are getting a young man for the summer and my kids are EXCITED!!!!

Love,

My Girls....

2010-05-14T16:24:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share a little about my girls....I usually give little snippets, but not the whole story when it comes to my kids. I thought I'd share a little more here since I have been asked quite a few times lately and receiving more emails with questions about them. I'll start with our oldest daughter....

Marissa Anne

She is in her early 2o's (and funny about her age) living on her own. She is a paramedic and a student. She is contemplating going to Fire Fighting school, but is currently on a volunteer department, where she started when she was just 17! She is also the first female to serve on their board!!! Go Rissa!!! She lives about 5 hours away, but I still go and see her about 1 time a month!! I think she is just GOREGOUS!!

Emilea Victoria

She is finishing up her sophomore year in high school. She just got her drivers license a couple of weeks ago and has been running errands daily!! She is in the school band, on the Honor Roll and a Latin student! She really enjoys Latin, so we are taking a trip together next March to Italy & Greece!! Emilea traveled with me to China in 2007 to bring Rubea home. She is such a blessing to us and her siblings. We think she is BEAUTIFUL!!!

Kaylea Lynn

Kaylea is our Thai Princess and came to us in 2006 at the age of 5.5 years. We knew when we accpeted her referral that she had Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita(AMC), Scoliosis and bilateral club foot (partially repaired). The AMC and scoliosis have caused her to need many surgeries and procedures in the past 4 years. Since coming home she has been diagnosed with RAD, attachment issues, failure to thrive, eating disorder, feeding disorder, asthma, celiac disease, hiatal hernia, tetherd cord, reflux and malnurishment. Since coming home she has required a g-tube to help her gain weight as well as a trach placed for easier intubation for surgeries. She is by far our most medically needy child and even receives nursing services 12 hours a day. Kaylea weighed 24 lbs when we adopted her 4 years ago and was 36 inches tall. She FINALLY weighs 37 lbs and is 44.25 inches tall!!! We are thrilled that she is finally growing and thriving and her labs no longer show that she is malnourished!!! We are so thankful that our prayers are being answered and she is finally HEALTHY!!!!! Isn't she ADORABLE???

Rylea Joy

Rylea has been home the shortest amount of time, about 1.5 years, but make no mistake, she is definitely in charge around here!! Or, so she thinks!! She is our only child from Vietnam. Rylea is 5 years old now and EXACTLY (to the day) 10 months older than Rubea. She has Cerebral Palsy, more specifically Schizencephaly, that affects all 4 limbs. She also has issues with vision & speech, bilateral club foot (repaired) and has pituitary issues as well. She is unable to walk at this time, but we are not giving up on her. She does get around the house by crawling, scooting, rolling and demanding to be carried! She is definitely opinionated and LOVES attending school. She has had no attachment issues since being with us. She is so much like Ethan it is amazing! She went from her crib to her daddy and never looked back! She is certainly the *Joy* in our lives!!! We think she is just the CUTEST!!!!!

Rubea Grace

Rubea was the youngest child that we have adopted. She was just a few days shy of being 22 months when Emilea and I took her from that dark & crowded waiting room in China, October 2007. I cried the minute I saw her....thankfully my new best friend, Shelly, was there to tell me *it will be ok*. Rubea may have been 22 months old according to her birth certificate, but she was no where near that age physically, socially, emotionally or psychologically. I knew the second I spotted her in the arms of her orphanage director. She was being held like a new born baby and her cry was just as weak. Thankfully today she is a very strong, healthy, smart 4 year old!! She has Spina Bifida and will likely never walk. She also has scoliosis (and got her titanium ribs 1.5 years ago), tethered cord (repaired), club feet (repaired) and Holoprosencephaly. She has an AWESOME power wheelchair that she loves and handles beautifully. She attends school, that she also loves, and is in class with Rylea. She is now talking in sentences (they were unsure if she would ever talk), naming her ABC's and numbers, colors, shapes, animals, body parts, etc. She is very near being on target for a child who is 4. Her weaknesses for the most part are due to her physical difficulties!! We know she will face some challenges as she ages due to SB, but we are certain she will handle them all with *Grace*. She is very PRECIOUS to us!!!!!

Those are my girls!! Thanks everyone for asking about them!!

Look who's straight!

2010-05-12T21:32:00.014-05:00

Kaylea recently recieved her long, long awaited titanium ribs! We are just thrilled with the outcome of her procedure! It is quite an invasive surgery and she had some major movement of her spine and ribs, but she did great in the hospital and only ended up staying a week!!! Thankfully she was only in the PICU for 4 days and then moved to *the floor* for 4 days!!

Unfortunately the hospital blocks blogger, so I was not able to blog during our time there, but now the we are home and she is settled, I have more time to share her experience and her

x-rays and pictures.

This is the side view. You can see the large hump on her right side is now MUCH smaller!! Isn't it just amazing??

In this view you can see how much they were able to straighten her spine!! We are amazed at just how straight she looks now!!

This is her spine the morning of her surgery!!

This is after the surgery and under the 3 white bandages are the incisions!! Look how nice her spine looks!! :-)

She looks sooo much taller to me and is looking more like a *9* year old young lady every day!! John just measured her and she is 2.25 inches taller!!!! WOW!!! She had to wait 3+ years to finally get her ribs due to her weight being so low. I blogged about her eating issues a while back. She is doing better, but still uses purging as a control tactic. We are scheduled to have her evaluated at yet another hospital in Dallas next month!! Our G.I. doc on base finally decided that she needs some outside help, but of course had to the top dog at the base hospital to get approval. However, he was able to accomplish that in a matter of a few days, so he has earned back some of my trust!! IF, she is admitted to the program it will be 6-8 MONTHS before she gets in. However, they have a great reputation and their program is in-patient, so I feel like it will be worth the wait.

See how great she looks!!!!

I have asked about having her trach removed, but none of her docs feel that it is a good time to do that procedure. Suddenly, everyone feels that this was a good option for her, but I'm not feeling it! We continue to have nursing services 12 hours a day, and I am finally getting use to having someone here all the time! The g-tube....well, that will be in for quite a while. At least until she successfully completes the eating/feeding disorders program! That is the scoop on Kaylea!!

Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T20:22:00.005-05:00

I have many reasons why I like being a mom... my top 9 are.....

Marissa Anne

Johnathan Harvey

Emilea Victoria

Jackson Robert

Ethan George

Kaylea Lynn

Owen Thomas

Rylea Joy

Rubea Grace

Happy Mother's Day!!! Wishing each of you a blessed day!!

Going to Haiti

2010-04-26T00:05:00.008-05:00

WOO HOO!!!!!!!

I am going to HAITI!!

In August!!

I am going with a group and we will be working in a *tent city*.

I am soooo excited!!

There will be a lot of work to do and I am ready for the challenge!!

One of the things we will be doing is handing out birthing kits to the pregnant mommies!!

This is the list of items needed for the kits:

1 shower curtain

1 bar of soap (hotel size)

1 pair of sharp scissors

1 shoe lace (sterile)

3 pairs of sterile gloves

30 alcohol swabs

4 gauze squares (4x4)

1 Receiving blanket

1 pair of newborn socks

1 onesie

4 maxi pads

2.5 gallon zip lock bag

The shower curtain, onsie, blanket and socks should be lighter weight so purchasing these items from the dollar store is best.

Other items needed are:

Soccer balls, footballs, basketballs (must be inflatable!!!)

Please NO solid balls that can’t be deflated!

Water Purification Tablets

Cough MedicineTylenol (adult/Children) PILL FORM PLEASE NO LIQUID

Diarrhea Medicine

Anti-Acid Tablets (Tums)

Yeast infection cream

Neosporin (generic is fine)

Bandages

Lice cream

sterile gloves

beef jerky

Tuna/sardines

Spam (ect.)

All medicine should be in pill form if possible. Liquid is too heavy to carry and can leak!!

We also need monetary donations to purchase rice in Haiti

AND

school tuition of 15 children $150. for the year

(includes books, uniform and classes)

If you would like to donate birthing kits or any other items on the list for me to deliver, please email me and I will send you my address!! I am hoping to have 2 suitcases full of donations!!

Blessings,

Carla

Wordless Wednesday (Wheelchair Swinging)

2010-04-14T11:41:00.004-05:00

Thirty....

2010-03-24T11:02:00.004-06:00

I am a bit overwhelmed with that number!

Do you want to know why??

That is the number of times per week that one of my 6 younger kids will have

therapy!! 5 of them will receive Speech Therapy 2 times per week, 5 of the will receive Physical Therapy 2 times per week and 5 of them will receive Occupational Therapy 2 times per week!!

THIRTY. APPOINTMENTS. PER. WEEK.

That is a LOT of appointments!! I'm not exactly sure how

I will do it! I may have to take up residence there. So far they have not scheduled 2 or more kids at a given time! But.... we haven't got them all scheduled yet. We should have a schedule by the end of the week! So, if you wonder why I am not on FB or blogging....I am probably sitting the waiting room on the 3rd floor!!

Pop Star Pink....

2010-03-10T16:59:00.007-06:00

....is the color of Rubea's new power chair!! This thing is AMAZING!! I just know it is going to be great for her!! She will finally have some independence!! We are over the moon excited for her!!!!! Pretty fancy don't you think???

I just can not believe the technology of this awesome ride! She can put the seat all the way to the floor enabling her to join in *circle time* at school with her friends.

Or, she can raise it up to be at eye level with her friends and siblings! This allows her to be at their level while going down the hall or taking a walk.

Check out her name on the back of the seat!! :-)

She can lay back and take a nap!! Of course she probably never would!!

I love that she is at the same height as Ethan when she raises the seat up!!

She is learning how to use the buttons. She is really catching on and learning how to get around in her environment. She LOVES the independence. Until now she completely relied on us to move her, position her, etc. She has a manual chair, but is not strong enough to move herself around. I fear in a month that she will be able to run from us!! lol

This is her first venture out of the house with it. It goes fast enough that the kids have to run to keep up with her. In the house we slow it ALL THE WAY DOWN!! She has had such a great time outside *running* with the kids!! We are truly blessed to have such great insurance so our kids can have the equipment they need to be successful at being independent!!!

Priceless....

2010-03-09T07:20:00.008-06:00

$200.00 for gas (1100miles)

$75.00 for snacks

$37.00 for candy

Witnessing a mom meeting her son and daughter for the first time....PRICELESS!!

Our first sighting

Introductions

I am so excited that I was able to witness first hand my friend Vickey meeting her new son (13) and her new daughter (11) for the first time!!

Getting to know eachother

The transition was smooth and the bonding is going great!! These two kids are very resilient, bright, funny, loving and so very trusting!

Sisters!!

As long as I live I don't think I will fully understand how an adopted child is able to trust their new family and be so adaptable! These kids are no exception. They were excited to meet their new family and went with us without ever looking back!!

Things are going BEAUTIFULLY!!! All the kids are all thrilled to have eachother and mom & dad are having a blast getting to know the newest memebers of their family!!

~Sisters forever~

Congratulation Coupland Family!!!

We love y'all

Amazing...

2010-02-28T17:48:00.005-06:00

We have been contacted several times over the past 2 months concerning some children being disrupted and families needing respite care.

One of the families disrupting has 3 children they were looking to place. The children are 15, 13 & 11. Not the easiest age group to place. We had just agreed to adopt another little boy through a disruption, so we decided to adovocate for the sibling group.

My friend and fellow adoptive mom of many and her family have taken in and fallen in love with the 15 year old girl!! YAY!!! So, on to finding a home or homes for the 13 & 11 year olds.

A few different families considered one or both of the children, but in the end decided not to move forward at this time.

Knowing the situation that they were in was really taking a toll on my heart! I prayed daily, sometimes much more often, to find a family for these kids. I knew they needed to be with a family or families that would love them uncondtionally and provide them with the love & respect that they deserve.

John and I had already said we would take one or the other if we could just find a home for the other one.

Finally, last week after much prayer, we decided we were just going to take both children. Their home life was detiorating and they needed a new family NOW! So we started preparing to bring these precious children into our home. After all, what is 2 more when you have 8 at home, right?? :-)

Friday while talking to my dear & precious friend she said to me, *Carla, don't you have enough on your plate right now? What about you? Are you taking care of yourself?*

Of course, I started explaining to her that we would all be fine, these children need a home!

Then she says to me *We will take them. I'm serious!*

In all my searching I had never thought to ask THEM!! Though I should have realized when she asked me a thousand questions about adoption and was reasearching adoption on the internet and sending me links and information.

I had been focusing on families who had already adopted. The whole situation makes sense to me now.....this was God's plan all along. I love when he surprises me like that!! My friend and her husband are amazing parents! I am over the moon excited that I get to go with them next weekend to meet their new son and daughter!! I get to watch this miricale unfold!!!

We have been in constant contact all weekend....John and I have loved every minute of listening to them as they plan what they will do to rearrange their home, what clothes they will buy them, which kids will share rooms, etc.... It has been as much fun sharing their excitement as it was each time we have adopted!!!!

Congratulations Coupland Family!!!! You are truly BLESSED!!!!!

CNY, Tet, Valentine's Day.....

2010-02-16T12:03:00.006-06:00

Johnathan, handsome!!

Emilea, pretty girl!!

Jackson, looks so shy!

Ethan, just being himself!

Kaylea, cute as ever!!

Owen, look at those beautiful eyes!!

Rylea and her cute little mouth!!

Rubea, what a sweet smile!!

We did not do much on Sunday to celebrate all the holidays of the weekend....Rubea just had surgery on Wednesday and was not feeling well. The kids did get dressed in their outfits and let me snap a few pics of them though! It is funny, to me, that very few of them can smile naturally for the camera! Bless their hearts, they tried! I managed to get one of them all together, too!!

Or, should I say...I am posting the one that is the BEST of all of them together :-)

I cooked a huge meal with dishes from China, Thailand and Vietnam. They ALL ate like they hadn't eaten in a week. We made fried rice, Vietnamese stir fry, Thai lemon grass chicken and a chicken soup along with jasmine rice!!

Oh, and yes I realize my boys need hair cuts...they are letting their hair *grow out* Ethan looks like he is straight out of the 80's.

Hope all of you had a wonderful weekend!!!

Neglect...

2010-02-06T01:38:00.010-06:00

Well, not really neglect....just busy! Since December, things here have been crazy! Let's see....

In December:

Rubea turned 4!! She has become very expressive when talking and playing, she is kinda bossy, she is very giggly, and she has learned so much this past year! She is doing great in school, she is closer to being "on target" for a 4 year old and she has learned that Rylea is here to stay! As much as she acts like she doesn't like Rylea, I'm told she gets upset at school if Rylea isn't there!

Then of course my sister graduated from Texas Christian University with her BSN!! We are very proud of you Karen!!

Next was Christmas....we had a beautiful and wonderful Christmas here at home! We have learned to enjoy being alone for Christmas and making our own traditions. We open some gifts Christmas Eve...all the ones from our extended families. Then, on Christmas day we open from each other and of course, Santa and their stockings!!

New Year's Eve day was gorgeous so we decided to head out to Fiesta Texas....the cold hit about the time we got out of the van. Surprisingly, all the kids held out for about 6 hours on the rides... with the help of lots of hot chocolate and apple cider! We made it home in time to warm up and have some sparkling apple juice at midnight!! Bring on 2010!

Marissa and Brent came New Year's Day to have Christmas with us. We bribed them into coming down by getting Alamo Bowl tickets for them since Brent's favorite college team is Texas Tech and they were playing! We had a blast just hanging out with them. The kids LOVE when Rissa comes to visit.

We also celebrated Rylea's 1 year gotcha!! She was so excited to have a cake of her own!! This girl loves cake! She has learned so much in the last year. She is talking in English, the best she can. She has learned many colors, shapes, numbers and especially the letter "R". Which happens to be her favorite letter :-) She and Rubea are in a half day program at the elementary school and she couldn't be happier! Rylea Joy is definitely the "Joy" in our day!! She always gives me kisses, she works hard at whatever she is doing and does not give up! She LOVES to fold clothes and will get upset if she isn't given something to fold if there is laundry to be folded. She does better 1 handed than the other kids using 2 hands. She will unload the kid's dishes from the bottom rack of the dish washer and she dotes on Rubea endlessly!!

The day she came home 1/2009

January 2010...1 year later....what a difference a year makes.... look at her hair!!

Then in January John and I celebrated or should I say "marked" 18 years of marriage! Rylea and Ethan both had surgery on our anniversary, so it was spent in the hospital! Hey, you book them together when you can and January 11th was the day! They both had surgery on their feet, so between them they have 3 casts. Ethan can walk on his now, thankfully!!

Rylea's feet 1/11/2010

Then we celebrated Jackson's 13th birthday! He was excited to score an iP0d and a Ninetind0 DS this year!! We also went to Peter Piper Pizza for some games, food and fun!! He especially liked the "basketball" cake that I made for him this year.

Kaylea ended up in the hospital with pneumonia for 5 days!!! She was very sick there for a while. They contemplated putting her in the PICU, but I asked them to just put her on the regular peds floor. We have spent way too much time in the PICU in the past 12 months. She is home and doing MUCH better! We are hoping to get her titanium ribs placed the spring so that she can breathe better. She has one lung compromised due to her scoliosis. Once the rib surgery is complete, we will have her trach taken out!!!

Because Kaylea has a trach, we have nursing services to assist with her trach care and of course her g-tube feedings. Our insurance will not pay for the nurse to go to school with her! So, we opted to home school her for the rest of the year. Since Jack is not getting the services he needs at school we pulled him out, too. Then decided to pull Ethan out. So, I am home schooling the 3 of them and they are doing great!! Kaylea is much happier now and I think it is because the boys are home. She is still making herself vomit, but not nearly as much as she was even 2 weeks ago. I am hopeful that his arrangement is positive for all of them and that Kaylea continues her progress. She is currently weighing 34 lbs, again. She lost 3 lbs when she was sick, but has now gained that back and is looking great!!

Now, on to Feburary:

Marissa had a birthday earlier this week!! She would be mortified if I told you she is 23, so don't tell her I told!! She won't read this anyway! She stays busy working, shopping, volunteering for her local Fire Department, and spending time with Brent and her puppy Halli!!

So, next week Rubea is due to have an expansion on her titanium ribs. They will go in an lengthen each side like they did in July. It should be just an over night in the hospital.

Then we will celebrate Chinese New Year along with Valentine's Day then on the 15th Rylea will turn 5!!! Looks like we have a busy week ahead.

Thanks for the prayers...still unsure at this point what is going to happen here. What I will say is that we were asked to adopt through a disruption, but we are still trying to work out the details....so stay tuned!!

Love,

Prayers

2010-01-31T18:15:00.002-06:00

I am unsure if anyone still reads my severely neglected blog or not, but if you are here and reading we certainly could use some extra prayers. I am not comfortable posting specifics at this time. When a decision is made, I will certainly post what has been happening here. I will also make this blog private at that time, since it involves children. Please leave a comment if you would like access to this next step in our lives :-)

I do promise to update with pictures in the next day or two....

Wishing you....

2009-12-30T13:42:00.003-06:00

....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!

2009-12-23T20:13:00.001-06:00

Jewelry giveaway!!! JunkPosse!!

2009-11-20T21:44:00.003-06:00

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

2009-11-14T11:46:00.016-06:00

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

2009-11-08T21:11:00.010-06:00

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.....

2009-11-07T23:26:00.000-06:00

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....

2009-11-07T18:11:00.001-06:00

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!!

2009-11-02T23:02:00.003-06:00

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....

2009-11-01T15:20:00.005-06:00

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....

2009-10-28T23:57:00.004-06:00

Without GOD our week would be:

Sinday, Mournday, Tearsday, Wasteday,
Thirstday, Fightday & Shatterday...

Remember: seven days WITHOUT GOD

makes one WEAK!!

2009-10-14T00:20:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-11T16:18:00.005-05:00

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

2009-10-03T02:57:00.008-05:00

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}

2009-09-29T07:44:00.004-05:00

Fiesta Texas

2009-09-28T17:51:00.008-05:00

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!!

2009-09-26T22:24:00.006-05:00

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??

2009-09-25T22:43:00.004-05:00

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!!

S.T.T.A.R. Party

2009-09-21T00:50:00.008-05:00

Rubea....suppose to be Hello Kitty?!?!

(photo taken by Kaylea)

Ethan

(photo taken by Kaylea)

Owen looking annoyed??

(photo taken by Kaylea)

Kaylea with her sparkly blue cross.

Johnathan & John...playing horseshoes

Rylea's rainbow

Rylea & Kaylea

Kaylea telling the clown what kind of balloon she wanted.

Rylea & Rubea looking cute!

(Owen & Daddy, too)

Ethan & Kaylea playing tether ball

We attended the annual STTAR party on Saturday. STTAR stands for Spinal and Thoracic Treatment and Research Center. It is the thoracic group at our local hospital that implanted Rubea's VEPTR rods. This was our first time to attend the party. The kids had a great time! They had swimming, bounce house, tether ball, horse shoes, face painting, a clown with balloons, playground and much more! The kids enjoyed snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy and of course our BBQ lunch!! We also met some great families that we are excited to get to know better. Enjoy the pictures..... (can you believe I took the girls in white dresses?)

Love,

Happy Birthday Ethan

2009-09-14T23:41:00.005-05:00

Always being silly....

....and happy.....

...and showing off...

...and goofy...

...and excited!!!!

Dear Ethan,

I can not believe that you are 11. I remember not so long ago when you were just 4!!! You were only 27 lbs and 27 inches! You are such an amazing, confident, strong & funny kid! I love your jokes, your infectious laugh, your smile, the love you show your family, your determination, hugs, strong will and how sensitive you are to others! You are an awesome big brother and a great role model for Owen! I hope you had a great birthday!!! We are proud of you for learning to ride your bike on you own!!
Lots of love,
Mom

Trio....

2009-09-10T17:35:00.003-05:00

Check out ThatGirlBlogs... She has a a set of Fisher Price Trio (building blocks for 3-5 year olds) that she is giving away!!! I know my kids would have a blast with these. They look easy to manipulate for those kiddos with hands that sometimes have difficulty working together, like Ethan!! Head on over to her blog and enter....the give away ends on Sunday!!! Tell her Carla sent ya! :o)

8 out of 17 kids

2009-09-06T22:43:00.003-05:00

These are 8 of the 17 children between the Hays and Lambert Families!! WOW!!!!

These kids represent 7 different countries!!

Isn't that A M A Z I N G??

A late call...

2009-09-05T00:26:00.002-05:00

I called the numbers that the doctor left for John on Wednesday, but was never able to reach a person with a pulse, so I finally left a message. The young man returned my call and let me know that the doctor did want to talk to us today, so he would page her and have her call my cell number. He assured me that she would call today! As I was getting the girls ready for bed, doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen, reading emails and listening to the news, my phone rang. It was a 214 number....I knew the doctor probably had a phone number with that area code. I glanced at the time it was 8:57 pm. She was apologetic, but didn't want us to have to wait until tomorrow to hear from her! Ok.... basically what she said is Scottish Rite is unable to manage Kaylea's airway. Children's is unable to meet her orthopedic needs. Her orthopedic doc is adamant about the trach being placed. She has decided to have a look at Kaylea's entire airway and make her decision based off those findings. So, that will be done in the first week or two in October. If she feels that Kaylea absolutely NEEDS the trach, then she will discuss with us her findings and we'll make a decision at that time. ( She feels like the trach will likely be a safer option for Kaylea due to the nature of issues that she has and the number of procedures she will endure in the next 12 -24 months.) Then the next week she will be moved over to Scottish Rite and have her Halo removed and her cast put on.

They actually have her scheduled for the same day Owen is scheduled to have his first hand surgery as Scottish Rite, so Kaylea's will be pushed back to October.

From the mouth of...Owen....

2009-09-04T21:19:00.002-05:00

We were on a little walk this evening and it started thundering and barely, barely sprinkling when the lightening struck! A couple of times and close! The street got pretty bright. We were heading home and the sprinkles were are little harder. We are all chatting and Owen says "It is dripping water or something from the sky!" HAHA!!

Decisions, decisions...

2009-09-03T22:41:00.005-05:00

Before I cut her hair for the halo!

She misses having long hair :o)

John got a call from the ENT doctors office yesterday, but he wasn't able to answer. Apparently, according to the message, they (she and the orthopedic surgeon) have a new game plan concerning Kaylea getting a trach. She asked that we call tomorrow to discuss the plan with her. I am anxious to hear what they have come up with now. We are still thinking this is something we do not want to do at this time, but are awaiting an appointment for a 2nd opinion!

To be continued.....

Love,

REMINDER Prayers Needed!!!

2009-09-01T21:02:00.003-05:00

I am asking on behalf of a bloggy (Lady blog) friend for many prayers over the next two days!! She is in a very difficult situation right now over custody of one of her sons. Having been in her shoes, I know how she feels! It is a very lonely place to be....even when you have family and friends on your side! Please go and read her blog so you fully understand her situation and say some prayers for her and her handsome son! I know they can use them right now!!

Thanks for you prayers!!

Kaylea turns 9!?

2009-08-30T00:51:00.007-05:00

Her favorite gift this year!!!

It is hard to believe that our Kaylea turned 9!! She is such an amazing, strong, beautiful, happy and brave young lady. She has endured more in 9 years, medically speaking, than most of us do in a life time! She has been in our arms for a mere 3.5 years, but honestly, I don't really remember the days before Kaylea.

Since we know she has more surgeries and hospital stays in the next year or two, we started her off with an iPod shuffle! She hasn't taken it off since all her music was put on it Friday night. She ignores us just like her older siblings! Bless her heart, she fell asleep in her walker traction tonight listening to her music! HAHA

We had cake and ice cream here at home and of course took cupcakes to school on Friday. When she was in the hospital my parents had a party there for her so they could celebrate her birthday with her, too!!

Her traction is working! When she went in for her surgery the curve in her back was 88˚!!

Exactly 1 week later, her curve was only 54˚ !!!!! I think that is AMAZING. She still has about 6 more weeks in traction and then on to the castings. She will wear a body cast for 6 - 12 months with the casts will be changed every 2 months. After the castings, she will then be in a brace for some time. That is at least the plan for now. We are still praying for guidance in this area. If we follow this plan she will have to have a tracheostomy. The trach is the part that really scares me! I'm really nervous as to how it will change her life. If you have ever dealt with a trach and would be willing to discuss with me, I'd love to hear from you!!! We know it will require nursing care for her at least at school and on the bus to and from school. John and I will also have to attend 40 hours of training to learn to care for her. Any thoughts, comments, ideas are appreciated!!

Thanks for checking in.....

Love,

Time A L O N E

2009-08-25T16:05:00.004-05:00

Home at last...time to nap!!

11:00 am ready to go! Too cute!!

6:30 am....ready to go! Still a little sleepy!!

Tomorrow John will go back to work and I will have a few hours alone each day!! HEAVEN.

He admitted after having all 8 kids this weekend while I was at the Women of Faith conference that he has a much easier job than me! LOL He mentioned yesterday that if he had known the first day of school was going to be so *busy* he would have gone to work!! HA! It was nice having him home to help out though! He is glad to be out of the hospital and home!!

The school was not prepared for Kaylea to arrive yesterday. Transportation was not ready for her, either. She told me this afternoon the kids like to watch her spin! LOL I am grateful they are not scared of her and that they accept her with all of her issues. I'm am praying that if she does infact have the trach put in, that her transition back to school will be smooth. We still have not decided about the trach yet.

So, this year I have a Junior, Sophomore, 5th grader, 4th grader, 2 2nd graders and 2 in PPCD which is the pre-school program for children with disabilities (they go 1/2 a day). I am certain this will be a very busy school year because they are also participating in JROTC, Marching Band, speech therapy 1 time a week (they are pushing for 2 times) OT and PT, Art Club, Latin Club, Orienteering and we have at least 5 surgeries planned and a trip to Disney World planned!!!!

There will be no time for boredom!!

Love,

Hospital Fun!!

2009-08-23T23:48:00.001-05:00

She is a pro at hanging and spinning now. This was taken when she first learned to do her tricks! She hangs most of the time now. I'm a little nervous sending her to school tomorrow!! LOL She was released Friday 1 week early!!! WOO HOO!!! She is doing great and excited about starting school tomorrow :o)

We still have not made a decision about her getting the trach.....

Love,

ENT

2009-08-19T00:27:00.003-05:00

Cool tat, Kaylea!!

Visiting with the clown

Kaylea has an appointment tomorrow with the ENT. They are suppose to let us know their reasoning for wanting to put in a trach. I'm still not for this option, but we will at least find out what they have to say and find out what it would entail and our options. I am hoping the hospital won't drop her as a patient if we do not have the trach put in, but we will deal with that issue, if it becomes an issue.

Kaylea is doing exceptionally well and tolerating the procedure better than expected. She is up to 15 lbs of traction. She will have pictures taken Friday to compare to the ones taken last Wednesday before her surgery. THEN....we should be able to bring her home over the weekend!! WAHOO!!! A whole week early!!! Which means she shouldn't miss any school, except they aren't expecting her. We do have to figure out the transportation issue and the issue of switching her from her walker to her wheel chair. They both have the traction pulley system attached so she is able to switch between the two.

I am going to a Women of Faith conference Friday night and Saturday, but we should be able to check her out of the hospital on Saturday and come home on Sunday.

She will go back to have the Halo removed the 1st of October. Then they will cast her torso for 6-8 weeks. Also, that week Owen will have a hand surgery. He is very excited that he gets to sleep in the hospital :o) He has been waiting for his turn!! If we can squeeze it in, Rylea will have surgery to correct her club feet! Sound like a busy fall to me!!

Love,

More F U N

2009-08-17T22:35:00.001-05:00

This is fun!!

2009-08-16T01:02:00.002-05:00

Sewing

2009-08-14T15:01:00.004-05:00

I also made coordinating shorts to wear underneath!

I made my first dress a week ago. It turned out darling. I just love the fabric! The pictures aren't great, but you get the idea. The original pictures are on my camera and it is with John. My old camera is broken :-( So, I used my phone. This dress is Rylea's. It turned out a little small for Kaylea, so I need to adjust the pattern a little.

Look at her now!

2009-08-14T13:39:00.004-05:00

This thing is HUGE!!!

There is no stopping her :o) She is up and running. Well, maybe not running, but she has has a walker and is on the go! She doesn't look too thrilled but was happy this morning when I talked to her on the phone!

The anesthesiologist came in this morning and talked to John. She wants to have a trach put in because she was unable to intubate her for surgery.....YIKES!! Since the surgery was short they just kept her on a mask....but for future more involved surgeries that will not work. I have talked to my 2 experts (aka my 2 nurse sisters) they say *NO*!!!! So, I guess unless the docs at the hospital can give us some really good reasons why we need to go that route, we will be declining that offer for now!

That's the 411 for now!!

Love,

UP!!

2009-08-13T20:23:00.003-05:00

Her 1st time in traction! Don't think she is very happy! :o)

Kaylea is already up and in traction! She got her IV out, too. They are just giving her pedialyte through her G-Tube. She had a rough recovery this afternoon, but is doing well now. I think it was because I am not there with her! LOL This is the first time I have not been there for a surgery, so it has been hard, on both of us!!

Grandma and Grandpa spent most of the day with her and daddy! Grandma, of course, came with new clothes for her! See, her mom (me) didn't know the pins would be so long and didn't allow for that in the clothing that was packed! OOPS!! Oh well...we'll take new clothes any day.

Do you think the school will allow her to wear halter tops?? HA!

Good Night!!

Love,

Surgery...

2009-08-13T11:27:00.003-05:00

You can see how far over her rib cage is....

Different view

Another view

She is now in surgery to attach the halo to her head. It shouldn't be too much longer. Ok, just got a text and they are done! WOW! Quick for us. I'll post pictures later of the halo on her. For now, these are pictures of her back from this morning. Her curve is not as severe as some, but it is fairly significant. You can see in one of them that her upper body has shifted over to the right quite a bit. Her ribs are also smushed (sorry, the most appropriate word I could think of) together on that side, too.

Thanks for checking in with us!

Love,

Today...

2009-08-13T00:15:00.003-05:00

Ready for bed....

Kaylea had tests run, pictures and video taken, appointments with doctors, fitting for her wheel chair and walker, and a bath! Her surgery is scheduled for 11am tomorrow! It is suppose to be a fairly short surgery and recovery. We are hopeful that this will work for her and give her relief in her right lung. I have read a couple of blogs today of children who have been through this or are going through this same procedure now. They are doing GREAT!!! After I get some pictures of her and hear how she is doing, I will probably go ahead and post here.

Thanks for the prayers and well wishes!!

Love,

Ronald McDonald House

2009-08-11T21:17:00.004-05:00

Isn't she B E A U T I F U L ????

John and Kaylea are safely at the RMH. They will only be there one night as Kay will be admitted to the hospital tomorrow and they will stay the night there! They have a FULL day of appointments tomorrow to get her ready for surgery on Thursday. The surgery will not be too complicated or traumatic, I don't think....unless 4 screws in your head is traumatic! ? Ok, so maybe a little traumatic for her. The contraption she will be in is a bit barbaric to me! So, due that, I'll only be posting the pictures and in depth updates on the Rylea & Rubea blogspot. If you do not know the address and would like to know and be invited, please leave me a comment or send me an email. We have no clue what time the surgery is on Thursday, but I will update here when I find out. I will also post some generic updates here as well. This is all in preparation to straighten a very curvy spine :o) Over a year ago her curve was 87˚ so I am sure it is worse now. Thanks for any and all prayers!! We are hopeful that this will lessen the stress on her right lung and her stomach and that she will gain an appetite and some weight! She is still at 30-31 pounds and will be 9 in 2 weeks!!

Love,

A long time.....

2009-08-04T14:31:00.005-05:00

It has been a really long time since I have updated here! Things are going, well, about the same as usual. We've been trying to learn to read a little better this summer, do math facts a little quicker and stay cool! It has been very hot here in the south!! Or, at least in Southern Texas!

Kids have been to various camps and I have learned to sew, like from a pattern!! WOO HOO!!! I made a darling, darling dress with coordinating shorts for Rylea. I will be making one for Rubea and Kaylea as well. I think I have enough to also make one for my neice, Aubree, too!!

We have one surgery under our belt for the summer, Rubea had an expansion of her titanium ribs. The lengthened each side by 1.5 cm. The average is only .5 - 1 cm. She has really grown. Infact, while making the dresses and measuring each girl, we found there is very little difference in them. It amazes me that our 3 yo, 4 yo and almost 9 yo can use the same pattern.

The biggest difference is in height. Tho, Kaylea is the height of an average 4-5 year old and the baby girls are closer to the average for their age. We did find that according to her bone age, Rylea is at a 3 - 3.5 year old instead of a 4.5 yo. Kaylea's is normal.

Kaylea has surgery this Thursday and then Kaylea, Rylea, Ethan & Owen all have surgeries scheduled for this fall and Rubea will be due for another expansion in January 2010. Looks like we have our life planned out for the next 6 months.

Johnathan and Emilea were able to fly to Nashville to attend Camp Electric this summer! They are already signed up for next year. They had a great time and still talk about it daily. One of the guys from Pillar is also getting them tickets to the Texas Hill Fest in Sept. They are excited to get to attend that, too!! Oh, and we are going to the Toby Mac concert at Fiesta TX on Friday!!

Kutless

2009-07-05T23:58:00.003-05:00

Kutless was the concert band tonight at camp! The Teens say they got pictures & autographs and the band was AWESOME!!! They were exhausted so I didn't much more information!!! They had been up since waaay early this morning and didn't get to their rooms until 10pm. I am excited to find out who the concert band is for tomorrow night!! Stay tuned.....

Love,

HAPPY 4th of JULY

2009-07-05T00:09:00.005-05:00

Poor Ethan....always anticipating the flash! lol

after the fireworks.....

Boys fighting to get OUT!!!

Rylea in her carseat....just so cute!!

Kaylea on our way to see the fireworks...10 minutes from home!

We had a very relaxing day today! We finished packing Johnathan and Emilea to leave for camp tomorrow!! They are going to CAMP ELECTRIC!!! They are beyond excited with a little nervousness thrown in just to make Em a bit sick to her stomach!! ugh.... Both are world travelers, but I think a bit nervous about flying alone! I was able to get direct flights, so it shouldn't be too bad!! I think once they are on the plane, they will be just fine. They are excited to meet some band members of their favorite Christian bands! I'm sure I'll have stories to report once they are home!

The little ones spent most of the afternoon in the pool with daddy! Then we had steaks, cooked by daddy, and then off to see some fireworks put on by Sea World! I was afraid Rylea would be nervous with the noise, but she was fine!! She kept pointing an oohing, ahhing and of course giggling. Of course all the others have seen fireworks, but they still enjoyed the show!!

Just want to say THANK YOU to all the men and women serving in our ARMED FORCES!! Especially those overseas and away from their families! My nephew is among those serving in the Middle East!! We are very proud of you Ryan!! Also, those men and women who are in the position of shaping, training, teaching and working with the new recruits!! You are all doing an AWESOME job!!!

Love,

Happy Father's Day!!!!

2009-06-21T20:49:00.002-05:00

Well...I started this post yesterday and didn't have pictures ready! So...I got the pictures ready and the post was gone! I'll try again....

Happy Father's Day, Honey!! And Dad & Norman!!

John, you are a wonderful father...who knew when we started our parenting journey together that we would eventually have 9 AMAZING kids!? WOW!!! Thanks for making it all, so much fun!! I am proud of the father and man that you are....for being so loving, level headed and strong for all of us!! We need just 1 more girl, don't ya think???

You are our HERO!!!

Sorry you had to work on Father's Day! Someone has to keep those AF trainees in line!!

Love from ALL your kids,

Rissa, Johnathan, Emilea,

Jackson, Ethan, Kaylea,

Owen, Rylea & Rubea

Wendy's Winners!!!!

2009-06-17T20:07:00.002-05:00

Well, I just wanted to thank all 3 of you who left comments in hopes of winning the WENDY'S gift cards!! Since I have only 2, from Wendy's, I am going to buy another one and ALL 3 of you will get a $5.00 WENDY'S card! So, email me your address and I will get it in the mail to you tomorrow!! Thanks for commenting!! And Happy Father's Day to the dads/husbands!!

Love,

Wendy's

2009-06-14T12:40:00.002-05:00

I am going to extend the Wendy's giveaway through Tuesday! I will draw Wednesday morning and mail out the cards then. Please leave a comment to enter. Check out frostycard.com to make fun cards for dad, grandpa, uncle, etc. And then check out frosty.com for a BOGO frosty coupon!! Don't forget that Wendy's will donate money to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption for each card you make and next weekend for each Frosty you purchase!!!! Go Bless some kids by participating!!

Love,

Letters

2009-06-11T09:11:00.003-05:00

Kaylea getting her face painted

Ethan riding his horse!!

We received letters in the mail from all 3 kids yesterday!!! That totally made my day! Owen says he *mist* us! Today I got email replies to the emails that I sent to them. They have been horse back riding, swimming, face painting, playing all kinds of sports, including hula hoop :-) The camp posts pictures daily so we have been viewing those daily. Looks like they are having fun!!!

I am excited to see them tomorrow and go to their awards ceremony!!!

Campers

2009-06-08T17:48:00.003-05:00

Well, I took 3 little darlin's to camp yesterday, until next weekend!! Can you believe it?? This is the first year for all of them, but they WILL be going back next year!! When we pulled in yesterday, they had 3 different cheering stations. The kids loved that they were cheering for them! Then we had many stations to get through to get them signed in and to their respective units. The 2nd stop, after dropping off luggage, was the LICE check station! Thankfully they all got through that station with NO issues!! We have BTDT!! I was happy to see that they did check the children, so we shouldn't have any coming home. I was HAPPY that they all seemed ok, when we left them. We were glad that one of the counselor's in Ethan's unit is a young man with CP. Ethan was shocked to see that he, too, had AFO's. The camp is for children with orthopedic disabilities, so all of the children had some sort of special need. They are going to have a dance, so they all took their *dress up* clothes. They have swimming, horse back riding, archery, arts and crafts, drama, and of course all kinds of sports! I think they will have a BLAST!! All though I miss them, I am glad they had a chance to do camp like every other child!

Father's Day! and a GIVEAWAY

2009-06-02T11:26:00.008-05:00

Do y'all know when Father's Day is this year?? It is June 21st. Did you know that you can go to FrostyCard.com and make a card for DAD?? It is free, it is fun and the best part is for each card sent from the site $.25 will go to DTFA, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption!!! How cool is that??? I have been to the site and there are some really fun options for the cards.

ALSO, over Father’s Day Weekend (June 20-21), Wendy’s will donate 50¢ from every Frosty sold to the DTFA. Frosty.com offers a BOGO coupon to try the two new Frosty flavors – Frosty-Cino & Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty.

So, now that you have read all of that.....the good folks at Wendy's have sent me 2 $5.00 gift cards to give away here. All you have to do is leave me a comment and tell me something that you have learned from your dad, grandfather, uncle or any *father figure* in your life!!!

We will draw on June 14th so I can get them in the mail in time for you to enjoy a FROSTY on Father's Day!!!

In the mean time, don't forget about the BOGO coupons on Frosty.com and the cards that you or your children can make and send for Father's Day at Frostycard.com. They are for a GREAT CAUSE!!!!

Wordless Wednesday {in video}

2009-05-27T21:46:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T23:26:00.001-05:00

Making progress!!

2009-05-19T20:52:00.007-05:00

Ethan at the Special Olympics bowling games!!! His FAVORITE!!!

Owen's 8th Birthday!!!

All 9!!! Together at last!!!

Rubea enjoying a car ride??? Finally???

Rylea and her new glasses!!

It has been very busy around here....between me having meningitis & strep, a trip to Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas for Ethan, Kaylea, & Owen, awards ceremonies at school for Johnathan & Emilea, program at school for Rylea & Rubea, hubby's outrageous work schedule, Owen's 8th birthday, Special Olympics with Ethan and many IEP appointments for my many children.....I have been slow at getting this blog *blinged*!! I have learned quite a bit and have had fun playing with all the elements!! Now if I could just finish it up, I'd be HAPPY!!!

Enjoy the pics!!

Making slow progress.....

2009-05-15T23:28:00.001-05:00

But, I am finally making progress. I have been sick and the some of the kids have, too! Of course it is also the end of the school year, so it is also hectic!! Hope to be finished tomorrow!!

Happy weekend!!

Under Construction!

2009-05-02T23:27:00.002-05:00

Please excuse my appearance :-) I am learning how to *Bling my Blog* I have to do this between holding the sick babies, chauffeuring the other 6 kids, dr. appts, preparing for my new job, laundry, cleaning, you know...all the *motherly* duties!!

It is a work in progress and I am having fun learning!!!

Have a BLESSED weekend!!

Love,
Carla

Where did the years go???

2009-04-15T23:47:00.004-05:00

Kaylea, Rubea, Emilea, Ethan, Owen, Jackson, Rylea, Johnathan

Emilea

She is a bit embarrassed while they are singing for her at Olive G@rden....Emilea and Rubea

My *baby* turned 15 today!! Poor girl... what a day to have your birthday! She is such a beautiful young lady! She loves, loves, loves her siblings, especially Rubea. (she traveled with me to China to get Rubea) She loves her family and friends. She loves Jesus. She loves life!! She loves school and is an *A* student!!! She enjoys reading, music & her guitars. She is over the moon excited about getting her driver's permit, getting a job at Sea*World and going to Camp E*lectric this summer!! She chose Olive G@rden for dinner and had Cheesec@ke F@ctory for her b-day cake!! What a very full day we had! Taxes are filed, cake is eaten, gifts are opened and everyone is ASLEEP!!!!

Enjoy the pictures!!

Love,

Carla

Our weekend in pictures...

2009-04-12T21:37:00.010-05:00

Saturday morning I went to the spa....it was luxurious!! I think I deserve a visit with Rose at least once a month, don't you??? It was my first visit....did I mention it was luxurious?? Our oldest daughter, Marissa was so sweet to get me a gift certificate for Mother*s Day last year. I finally got the chance to go!!! It was luxurious!!!!

Daddy took all 8 kids to a party/egg hunt at his squadron!! I know I got the better deal!! lol But, he took pictures!!!

Rylea and Kaylea....

Little boys with the bunny!! Ethan looks so excited!! ha!

Owen....well, being OWEN!!

Rylea with headless Johnathan :-)

Poor bunny....he looks happy, though!

Then they came home and we dyed our eggs! All 5 dozen!!!! Rylea and Rubea really had fun and required very little assistance.

Rylea dying her very FIRST egg!! Such a beautiful color, too!!!

Rubea, Daddy & Kaylea writing on the eggs before coloring.

Team work!

Typical Ethan *face* The last egg.....

The *Bunny* showed up this year with 1 big gift. Mommy told him that she was tired of all the candy and *cheap* toys!! So, he brought 1 great gift that all 8 will enjoy!!!

Trying to get a good picture after church....took about 20....none were great....

Then it was time for the *hunt* Rylea and Rubea have been to 3 already this year, so they are almost pros by now!!

Kaylea found some, but can't reach them! BUMMER!! :-) Luckily her big brother helped her out.

Jack....not sure what he is doing??!??!

Owen....in a run! He is so stinkin' cute!!

Rylea guarding her bucket. She won't let ANYONE touch it!!

Ethan proud of all his eggs!!

Daddy helping Rubea look for eggs.

So, the gift from the *Bunny* was a snow cone maker with cups, holders, and syrups! It was a huge hit! They all had at least 2 today! Hopefully it will be fun this summer when it is HOT!!

Rylea, Daddy and Rubea enjoying their snow cones

Owen, Kaylea, Jack and Ethan...with their cones

Johnathan still shaving ice!!!!

Rylea's favorite was rootbeer!

Rubea's was cherry!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T14:51:00.002-05:00

Thank you, Lanxi

2009-04-02T12:10:00.003-06:00

I was given this Sisterhood award from Lanxi over at chinesetakeout! I don't have a speech prepared...ha ha, but and thankful to Lanxi for passing this on to me!! As of Tuesday she was still pregnant and overdue! YIKES!! Stop by her place and leave her and encouraging work or a funny story...I've heard laughter can put you into labor!! I am sure she could use the distractions!!

Since she passed the award on to those who show great attitude and/or gratitude, I will do the same! Soooo, the first Ellen at mommaof3boys she is one of my *real life* dear friends and always has a happy heart and attitude, even though she has 3 boys and NO GIRLS!!!! Next is Marjorie at morethanahome for having such a grateful heart, even with all she has been through in the past month!!! She continues to stay positive and thankful to the Lord for His provisions. Last but not least is Lisa at thisishome for also having a loving attitude and grateful heart not only for her children but for all those children in her life!! She always makes a point to ask about everyone and their kids, even when her plate is full with her own son and their upcoming move!!!

Stop by their blogs and get to know these deserving *Sisters*!!! They are all WONDERFUL WOMEN!!!

Love,

Carla

For Marjorie

2009-04-01T22:56:00.002-06:00

This is one of the wires in Rubea's feet! More cute pics of the girls on the Rylea and Rubea blog!!

Marjorie, this was for you!! :-)

Remember the Alamo??

2009-04-01T19:56:00.003-06:00

The teens wanted to be involved in the *name gallery* for Stellan. They have been begging me to take them to the Alam0 so we can get their picture with *Stellan* So, after everyone finished school and related activities we took our drive into the heart of San *Antonio so Stellan could visit the Alam0! The little guys are always up for going *down town* LOL I was able to get a couple of good shots. We are excited that we had the chance to take Stellan somewhere FUN!! If you haven't visited their site, www.mycharmingkids.net , go take a peek, you will be blessed. Take a moment to get on your knees and pray for this sweet baby boy and his family.

Love,

Carla, Johnathan, Emilea,

Jackson, Ethan, Kaylea, Owen

Rylea & Rubea

Headed out....

2009-04-01T14:49:00.001-06:00

....to the Alam0. Anyone wanna take a guess who we are taking for a visit??? I'll be back later with pictures!!

On behalf of 2 of my children....

2009-03-31T16:31:00.001-06:00

go to the web site and make a PLEDGE!!!!

Love,

Carla

Life can wear you out

2009-03-29T12:00:00.004-06:00

Yes, she was really sleeping like this!
This girl LOVES her food. I couldn't believe she fell asleep :-)

Life is rough!!

Hugs,

Carla

2009-03-25T17:54:00.001-06:00

Home again

2009-03-24T10:03:00.003-06:00

We are home again! YAY!! Rubea of course lost her breakfast on the way home :-) But, at least we are home! She is comfortable and sleeping. So, she goes back in Monday (3/30) for a cast change in the OR. Then the next Monday (4/6) to finish the surgery. Then hopefully we'll be done! lol

Thanks for all the prayers,

Carla

Update...

2009-03-23T19:18:00.004-06:00

Good Evening!!

Rubea is out of her 5 hour surgery....it was suppose to take only 2-3 hours! WHEW! She is resting comfortably with daddy and Emilea. Mommy is home taking care of the rest of the crew! They were able to do a big portion of the surgery, but did not finish. She will be going back in so they can finish in 2 weeks. The doctor (whom we love and trust) said she could not withstand him trying to finish. So, back to the OR in a couple of weeks! She has been nauseated and mad, so it was a fun time for me this afternoon. She has been an ANGEL for her daddy! Little sinker....

I'll update again tomorrow when we get her home!!

Carla

Surgeries....

2009-03-22T13:10:00.004-06:00

Rubea will be having club foot surgery tomorrow to correct both of her feet. She went through casting soon after coming home in October 2007. However, her tethered cord really did some damage so she will now have to have surgery. After recovering from this surgery, she should be able to get up in a stander. This will be a whole new world for her. She has only been able to play sitting assisted or laying on the floor on her back or belly! We are so excited that she will finally get to be up right and start bearing weight! Of course, shoes are now in the near future for her!! She really can not keep shoes on, so we are REALLY EXCITED to go shoe shopping!!

Kaylea had a minor surgery Friday afternoon. She had some complications with healing from her tethered cord surgery. So now her titanium rib surgery will not be happening in April, but we are hopeful she will be cleared for that surgery in May!!

Thanks for checking in......

Carla

2009-03-19T23:43:00.002-06:00

Ethan, Kaylea and Owen are going to camp! For a week! I am so excited for them!! They have asked me a hundred questions in the past few weeks about *our camp*! They want to go ahead and pack now. Owen asks several times a week if it is time yet? Ethan just keeps saying he is ready to go ride the horses. Kaylea just keeps asking questions about the boys. She is such the little mama. I have been trying to reassure her that there will be adults there to take care of them! She is afraid Ethan will forget to take his medicine, or Owen might fall. She is such an AMAZING sister...you think the boys will ever realize that??

They will be attending a Lions Club camp for children in TX with physical disabilities and diabetes. They have all the typical fun things to do, too. They will get to swim (Owen is worried about having a life jacket), go horseback riding, do arts/crafts, sit around at the camp fires, have music, drama, play sports, etc. Today we got their confirmation letters in the mail!! They are all so excited and ready to pack! LOL I am sure it will be a fantastic experience for them and so much fun going together. I am not sure what we'll do without them for a week....maybe enjoy some quiet time. :-)

Carla

Good deal

2009-03-14T19:04:00.001-06:00

Here is a coupon for 30% off through tomorrow at Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic!! They are also having clearance sales!! I'm off to shop tomorrow!!

Thankful Thursday

2009-03-12T17:48:00.004-06:00

I am soooo thankful that my friends, the Hays family, have their BEAUTIFUL son, Kai, home from Korea! He is a sweet, loving, CUTE little boy! He came home on Tuesday and just loves all of his siblings! Especially their virtual triplet girls. Kai is their 8th child and their 6th adoption!!

Go check out their site and their GORGEOUS children. You won't be disappointed!!!

We love you Hays Family of 8!!!!

Please pray.....

2009-03-10T21:23:00.002-06:00

Hello!

I do not know Bryson, or his family, however, he needs our urgent prayers!! He had surgery this morning and is experiencing some pretty major complications!! He has Arthrogryposis, the same s/n as my Kaylea and Owen! Please head over to his blog and read the updates and say a prayer for him AND his mommy and daddy.

Thank you, bloggy friends!!

A couple of rows back....

2009-03-09T14:32:00.002-06:00

Last weekend driving home from the Zoo, I heard this conversation going on a couple of rows behind me:

Owen: when we grow up, will we all live together (speaking of my fearless foursome)

Kaylea: we can if you want to. :-)

Owen: we can??

Kaylea: yes. Or, we could always have sleepovers!

Aren't they just the cutest?? Just trying to figure out how this thing called *life* works......

2009-03-05T09:05:00.001-06:00

Great Giveaway!

2009-03-03T12:29:00.002-06:00

Over at Believing in Faith, she is holding a great giveaway! Actually 3 giveaways! The first is for a Pillow case dress from here, matching bow from here, and matching socks from here!!! WOW!!! The next 2 prizes are for $10.- Gift Certificates for this shop!! Go check out the blog....she is offering 11 chances to win!!

Good Luck!!

Comment Number.....

2009-03-01T13:29:00.003-06:00

....5 you are the winner!!

metaphase said...

I tried to leave a comment before, so I hope I'm not duplicating. Just found your blog. We're a military family with a son from Vietnam and one homegrown daughter.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Congrats!! I will email you privately. I will need the size T-Shirt you want and an address to have it shipped to!!

Thank you all for playing!!!!

Kaylea

2009-03-01T01:51:00.006-06:00

after surgery January 09

Jack's 12th Birthday (she and Jack were together at CCC in Bangkok)

Enjoying Rylea!!

Proving she is 42"...at Sea World after Christmas

Her 8th Birthday!!

Helping out her new friend, Leo!

My 3 Thai's!!

Her 7th Birthday!!!

With her best friend from CCC in Thailand. We surprised the girls by meeting at Chuck E. Cheese. (They are the same age!)

Kaylea, Ethan & Owen on Kaylea's adoption day in Delaware!

Meeting her at CCC in Bangkok!

From when she was a baby!

One of the first pictures we received of her!!

One of the first pics we received!

Kaylea has been apart of our family for 3 years!! It is hard to believe that she has ONLY been with us for 3 years! I will never forget our time in Thailand with her and all of our adventures!! We took a taxi to visit her orphanage for the last time. I was nervous for her and for us. I was wondering what she would think saying good bye for the last time. Would she understand? Did she have the language skills to understand? The taxi driver was near the orphanage, but wasn't quite sure the exact location. Kaylea stepped up to the plate! She was giving him directions in Thai and English! She was literally yelling at him to turn a certain way or the street was up ahead and then a word would pop out in English! She was so funny. Then she would tell us what he was saying under his breath! On another outing to the mall, John had her in his arms looking for a restroom when she started yelling in Thai. A woman came running out of a shop and jabbering to them in Thai. Apparently Kaylea was shouting that she had to *pee* and the woman came out to give them directions!! She was quite proud of herself!! LOL

She has had a difficult time with attachment, but has blossomed over the past few months! She is a great student and amazing reader. She adores her baby sisters and tolerates her brothers!

She is very petite for an 8 year old, but don't let her fool you, she rules those brothers of hers!!

And they KNOW it!!

She is FINALLY going to get her Titanium Ribs implanted in early April! We hope this will add a couple of inches to her 42" height.

We love you Kaylea!!! Happy 3rd Gotcha Day!!!

Check out THIS Giveaway!!!

2009-02-28T14:41:00.004-06:00

***UPDATE*** The drawing will be held Monday instead of tomorrow!!!

Over at 30 Days: Confession TIme, she is giving away 2 precious outfits from Mathilda Jane and a darlin' little bag!! Of course, the sizes are perfect for 3 of my *little darlin' girls* Now, if that wasn't enough for you, she is also giving away one of those cute, cute clips from Details Inc.

The drawing it TOMORROW, so get over there and post a comment!!!

Hopefully we'll win an outfit!!!!

2 more days....

2009-02-26T23:53:00.001-06:00

For you to enter the giveaway....just leave a comment! I will be picking 1 lucky winner on March 1st!!

~WORDLESS WEDNESDAY~

2009-02-25T13:56:00.002-06:00

Another GIVE AWAY!!!

2009-02-19T22:52:00.001-06:00

This time I am going to help out another family raising funds for their adoption!! The Oatsvall Family have these cute t-shirts that they are selling to help bring home their two babies from Ethiopia. Please stop by their blog and meet their precious family. Gwen is so very inspiring and I just love reading her blog. I am sure you will not be disappointed!!

To win this shirt you just need to leave me a comment. That is all!

I will close comments on February 28th and draw 1 lucky name on March 1st!!!

My name's hidden meaning....

2009-02-10T14:31:00.003-06:00

You Are Original and Innovative

You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily.

You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind.

A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.

You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.

You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.

You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.

Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Giveaway at Heart Smiles!!

2009-02-09T11:31:00.002-06:00

I am sure that most of you have heard about the Saunder's Family and the tragedy of their house burning down last month!? If you haven't already, go to their blog and read about their beautiful family! The little girl they are waiting for in China is just precious! They are naming her Jubilee. She was one of Owen's *sisters* at Luke's House, which is part of the Philip Hayden Foundation! I met this sweet girl when we traveled for Owen over 2 years ago! They also just brought home two cute, cute, cuties from Uganda!

I posted a button on my side bar a week or so ago. I am now blogging about them so that I can help spread the word to get more people praying for them and to help get them nominated to be helped by the fabulous folks at Extreme Home Makeover. The button will take you to the new blog created for them! So, if you haven't already, go check out their family blog as well as the new blog, Love Builds a House. While you are at it, stop by Heart Smiles and give them a Howdy. You can also enter to win the giveaway!!! There is a blog makeover AND Cinderella CD by Steven Curtis Chapman!!!!

and the WINNER is....

2009-02-08T17:34:00.002-06:00

Ok, I decided since I only had 6 entries for my give away to use the *Dice Roller*

This is the number I got!!! Congrats to Lori for winning the cute, cute *Lipstick Clutch*!!

I will mail it out to you tomorrow!!!

You rolled 1 die:

Timestamp: 2009-02-08 23:34:02 UTC

Check out the shirts!!

2009-02-05T20:51:00.002-06:00

Back of shirt
Front of shirt

My bloggy friend Gwen is selling these cute shirts to raise money for their adoption!! Check the side bar to purchase yours while she has some left to sell!! Feel free to visit their blog and read their story!!

my nine lives

Wordless Wednesday

I made a decision today....

It is time....

Haiti...

Happy Birthday, America!!

Wordless Wednesday

Let's talk respite care

My Girls....

Look who's straight!

Mother's Day!

Going to Haiti

Wordless Wednesday (Wheelchair Swinging)

Thirty....

Pop Star Pink....

Priceless....

Amazing...

CNY, Tet, Valentine's Day.....

Neglect...

Prayers

Wishing you....

Merry Christmas & a Blessed New Year!

Jewelry giveaway!!! JunkPosse!!

Jump Start

Sunday Snapshot: Owen

Eating disorders.....

Want to win....

It's FALL y'all!!

Home at last....

Think about it....

Tracheostomy

Clothes for a Cause

Wordless Wednesday {Drumming}

Fiesta Texas

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

Aren't they cute??

S.T.T.A.R. Party

Happy Birthday Ethan

Trio....

8 out of 17 kids

A late call...

From the mouth of...Owen....

Decisions, decisions...

***REMINDER*** Prayers Needed!!!

Kaylea turns 9!?

Time A L O N E

Hospital Fun!!

ENT

More F U N

This is fun!!

Sewing

Look at her now!

UP!!

Surgery...

Today...

Ronald McDonald House

A long time.....

Kutless

HAPPY 4th of JULY

Happy Father's Day!!!!

Wendy's Winners!!!!

Wendy's

Letters

Campers

Father's Day! and a GIVEAWAY

Wordless Wednesday {in video}

Wordless Wednesday

Making progress!!

Making slow progress.....

Under Construction!

Where did the years go???

Our weekend in pictures...

Happy Easter!

Thank you, Lanxi

For Marjorie

Remember the Alamo??

Headed out....

On behalf of 2 of my children....

Life can wear you out

Home again

REMINDER Prayers Needed!!!